Five Words to Saints
Table of Contents
Five Words to Saints: Introduction
Part 1
“In the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue." 1 Cor. 14:19.
There are five words which I wish to bring before the saints, to stir up their pure minds by way of remembrance. My desire is to provoke them to love and to good works. We need, brethren, to have our "loins girt about with truth," for there is a tendency with us to hold the truth loosely, and to talk about it in a light way, instead of its girding us, and our being braced up, and kept, by it. The word to us is
“Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord." Luke 12:36.
Our minds, our works, ourselves, and all connected with us, should show that we look for "the coming of the Lord." How far are we really, practically waiting and watching for Him? The day is approaching; His coming is near. (Heb. 10:25, 37; James 5:8).
With this solemn fact before us, there are five words which I want to press home to the hearts of God's dear children, who are on the eve of being caught up to be forever with the Lord. (1 Thess. 4:17). May God by the Holy Spirit clothe the following remarks with power!
Five Words to Saints: Punctuality
In attending the meetings is the second word that I would bring before you, beloved brethren. It is recorded in Luke 22:14
“When the hour was come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.”
All things had been before prepared by the two whom the Lord sent to "make ready." And when the hour came He was there, and the twelve also. They were not five, or ten, or twenty minutes, late, like many of the saints nowadays often are. There was an hour fixed, and the apostles were there to sit down punctually with Him. But in our day it seems a matter of very little moment with many of God's dear children whether they are present at the hour or not; indeed, lateness seems a habit with many saints. Now, does this not manifest the state of soul such persons are in? Unless there is a good reason, something that really hinders those who always come late, they must be in a cold, careless condition. Do they not know how much they disturb the meeting by coming in after time? And then their own souls must suffer if they have come in hurriedly and disquietly. When they do so, they cannot possibly enjoy the Lord's presence, or worship Him. It is well to be in good time at all meetings, whether it be for breaking bread, prayer, or preaching the gospel; well to have a little silent prayer for God's own presence and blessing. But it is often the case that strangers are in the room in good time, and the saints come in after the hour, only to unsettle and hinder the meeting. O, let me entreat you, not only to come together, but to come in time! It merely needs decision. You can be in time for the train, or be punctual at your business, and why not in the room or hall at the appointed time? The word is,
“Let all things be done decently and in order." 1 Cor. 14:40.
Judge before the Lord, I pray you, with His own example before you. Is it decent to make a practice of being late? Is this order? Is it according to God?
Five Words to Saints: Privilege
-the privilege of being gathered to the Name of the Lord, is my first word. There is not a greater privilege on earth than this of being assembled with those who call on His Name out of a pure heart; gathered around Himself at His table on the first day of the week, to break bread for a remembrance of Him, and thus to show His death till He comes. Of all places on earth, this is the most blessed; of all privileges on earth, this is the highest. O, is it not sad to see the indifference of saints (even of those who know better) as to the Lord's table? When a gifted brother visits a gathering, many come out to hear him, but stay at home when no such person is there. Is not this forgetfulness of Him who said,
“Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them"? Matt. 18:20. He who said, "This do in remembrance of Me," is forgotten. The word which tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, is unheeded by those who so act. A sad contrast to those spoken of in Mal. 3:16.
But it is not only for the breaking of bread, on the first day of the week, that the Lord would have us assembled. We should embrace every opportunity of being together, whether for prayer, teaching, or preaching. If we come to God and His Word, we shall be blessed. Those who do not come together because there is no specially gifted person to meet, lose blessing, and practically ignore the fact that we have the Spirit of truth to guide us into all truth, taking of the things of Christ, and showing them unto us. (John 14:17, 26). We are to be all caught up together, to meet the Lord in the air, to be forever with Him; and is it not a great privilege to be gathered here on earth in His blessed Name and presence? Let me entreat you not to miss any opportunity of being gathered with the saints. It is testimony to Christ to come together, and you are sure to get blessing, if your eye is single, your mind simple, and your heart subject to Him and His Word. Your presence also helps others, when you are going on happily with the Lord. Perhaps you are not aware how much it encourages your brethren, even though you take no audible part in the meeting, if you come in a right spirit; that is, in the spirit of self-judgment- not judging others, but self- and in the spirit of dependence upon God, and not looking to man.
Five Words to Saints: Profit
-the necessity, when gathered together, of seeking the profit of all-is my third word.
Not coming together to please ourselves, but, in all we say and do, seeking to profit those present. This is what we should aim at, and for this purpose God has given us His Holy Spirit.
“The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." 1 Cor. 12:7.
But how little this is sought! How little waiting on the Lord there is! The presence of the Lord seems to be forgotten by many of the saints. The way they speak and act often shows that they have not in their souls the sense of the Lord's own presence in their midst. They seem not to know, or to have forgotten, that the Spirit is there to lead and teach. Man's will and man's thoughts ought to have no place where God's Holy Spirit is the only One who can make known to us His Word, and profit our souls. It would seem that some like to hear themselves speaking, and to let others hear them speak. They will sometimes say things without meaning, like a parrot repeating the words of another, forgetting that God is listening, and that He has said,
“Let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few." Eccl. 5:2.
Such a solemn truth seems not to be perceived by them. They appear only to think how they can fill up the time. When we are together, let us remember that Christ is present with us, and the Holy Ghost is there to glorify Him; and let us be sure that what we think, and what we say, is of the Lord; for none can edify except as led by Him.
(To be Continued)
Five Words to Saints: Prayer
is indispensable for this; and here, beloved brethren, I come to my fifth and last word, which I desire to press on my own soul, as well as on yours- the necessity of prayer. A man of prayer is a man of power. Prayer takes hold of God's strength; prayer brings God's power down. It is weakness on our side, but, in prayer, human weakness clings to divine strength. And one who is in the presence of God can say,
“When I am weak, then am I strong." 2 Cor. 12:10.
If we are to have power with men, we must have "power with God." David knew God in secret, and had proved his power in killing the lion and the bear; therefore he could come out in public, and meet the giant, knowing that the same God who had delivered him from the paws of the lion and the bear was able to save him from the hand of Goliath. It is in secret that we learn God's power.
We see an instance of this in the case of Elijah also. He had been three years and six months with God in secret, and when God told him to show himself to Ahab, who was seeking his life, he goes at once. He had no fear of Ahab, because the Lord of hosts was with him, and he stood before the living God.
If we are to have power before men and with men, there must be private prayer. This is the secret of power. But this is where most of us fail.
A brother in Christ once told me that he could do most for others out of sight, in secret. He meant, by prayer for them. Now, we may depend upon it, there is far too little secret prayer.
“The closet and the Word are what are needed for a gospel meeting," said another. And not only for a gospel meeting is the closet needed, but for all meetings. If all God's dear children came from their closet, from the Lord's presence, what power and blessing there would be! Then at the breaking of bread, or at the prayer meeting, there would not be the long prayers and speeches so common among us. What mockery there often is in praying! Think of a man standing up and professing to be praying to God, and all the time to be preaching to those around him! His speaking has the appearance of showing how much he knows, or else of trying to explain something to God. What a sad mistake! What a hindrance to blessing! Ah, the withering effect such prayers have on meetings! They only keep people away, or else put them to sleep. O, let me beseech you, who take part in prayer, to consider others; to be short and definite; not to weary others with your long prayers; for these, instead of bringing down God's blessing on His word, hinder it; and instead of drawing us more closely to the Lord, and to one another, they only separate us.
It is not for our "much speaking" that we shall be heard (Matt. 6:7). We do not draw down God's blessing by using a great number of words where a "few" would be sufficient; talking of ourselves, for instance, in prayer, as empty, frail, worthless, good for nothing, and so on; thus taking up, it may be, fifteen minutes in saying what might be expressed in five minutes.
How irreverent also it is to use the name of God so often, as many do in their prayers, making it a sort of rest for recovering their breath, or collecting their thoughts! The Lord, when asked by the disciples to instruct them how to pray, before the coming of the Holy Spirit to teach them to do so in Christ's name, did not tell them to begin or end every sentence with "Our God," "Our God and Father," "Blessed God our Father," and like phrases. The prayer which the Lord taught them is a perfect model of reverent expression and holy brevity, and was intended for the use of the disciples before the coming of the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth, and lead them to pray and praise in the name of the Lord Jesus. And now that He is come, He surely would have us as reverent and sparing of words as the disciples were taught to be when the Lord was upon earth. It is to be noticed and remembered that the name of God is only once mentioned in that wonderful prayer. And we do well to bear in mind the command to Israel,
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." Ex. 22:7.
Another great hindrance in the prayer meeting is for one brother to make a kind of exhaustive petition for the supply of every need of the Assembly, thereby taking out of the mouths of others requests which God may have laid upon their hearts to express. If each one presented at the meeting that which he had been earnestly praying about in his closet, we should have short, fervent, and edifying prayers, in happy contrast to the long, preaching, tedious prayers which weary the body and dispirit the mind. Believers cannot say "Amen" to that which does not edify.
“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen." Jude 20-25.
“Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Heb. 10:24, 25.
(Concluded)
Five Words to Saints: Power
POWER
is my fourth word; the need of power for real profit. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians,
“I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." 1 Cor. 4:19, 20.
A man may have a great deal in the head, and be able to speak very correctly, both "in word and doctrine," to please the ear, and yet not reach the conscience, nor profit the soul, simply for lack of power. Nothing withers up the soul like formality; and O, how much of it there is, even among saints, in prayer, and in singing, and in preaching! We may readily tell whether a person has power or not. It is soon felt. When there is power in a meeting, it is known at once, even before a word is uttered. It is said of the Lord,
“His word was with power." Luke 4:32. This is what we need-more power, more reality among us. It is only in God's presence and from Him that we can have it (2 Tim. 1:7).