Open—L. Judd, H. Brinkmann, C. Hendricks
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Before 1 Again in the close of our meeting this afternoon.
That was kept my word and that's not denied my name.
And going through Deuteronomy a few days ago, chapter 4. I'd like to turn to it for a few moments.
Not to read any great amount of this chapter, but just to notice.
A phrase or two that we have in it.
You'd own me 4 and verse one Now, therefore hearken, O Israel, under the statutes, none to the judgments which I teach you for to do them.
Those words for to do them.
In verse 2, the end of the verse keep the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you.
Verse 5.
Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me that ye should do so.
Verse six. Heat therefore and do them.
Verse nine, Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, unless they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life. But teach them thy sons and thy son sons.
Verse 10 near the end that they may learn to fear me.
All the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.
Verse 14 And the Lord come out of me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments that you might do them.
Now it goes on through the chapter.
And the emphasis on keeping and doing.
And all I feel is a great danger, and it speaks to my own heart. We may have much truth we've been Speaking of. We may know these precious things.
Beloved, what effect does it have on our daily walk and ways?
Do we hold these things as a doctrine only, or is it something for us to live by? Look at John.
13.
John 13 and verse 17 if ye know these things.
Happy are ye if ye do them.
Oh beloved, God has given us His precious word that we might live by it, that it might be a practical guide to us through this scene, and above all else, reveals his love to us.
His wondrous purposes of grace, that our hearts might be drawn to him.
Drawn to Christ in worship and adoration of His great love toward us.
Love. Do these things have a practical effect on our daily life? Look at First John Chapter 3.
Verse One Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God.
Therefore the world knows us not because it knew him not.
That we should be called the sons of God. Now the blessed Son of God came into this world.
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Didn't receive him, he came unto his own. His own received him not.
We are the sons of God, brought into relationship with him.
And beloved, if we are practically walking as a child of God, will be rejected by the world.
Will be rejected by the world.
There will be reproach connected with the name of Christ.
For this world hates Christ, now with the same hatred.
May be shown a different way, but still the same hatred as when he was nailed to that cross of Calvary.
All the love that these things might have a practical effect. Now let us go on, beloved. Now are we the sons of God, And it does not yet appear what we shall be.
But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
All, if we have life, hope practically in our hearts, not at any moment we may see our blessed Lord and save your face to face.
It will have a purifying effect on our walk and our ways.
The love doesn't have that effect on us.
Oh, I know I owed myself.
The matter of fact is not found many, many times. And yet, beloved, it's true if we're really expecting the Lord to come at any moment.
Oh, how careful it will make us, and to think that we will see his face.
That will be like him throughout the endless age of eternity. It's his wondrous love and His grace toward us that has set such a prospect before us.
Yes, dear ones, we have that prospect of ours, and let us lay hold of it in a practical way.
Let us have let us have that effect on our daily lives. We are indeed as men that wait for their Lord.
Let's turn to Deuteronomy chapter 26.
You know, the Old Testament is a wonderful book.
And.
It's a picture book.
And illustrates.
Many New Testament truth and we understand these pictures in the light of the New Testament. But I'm only reading a few verses this afternoon, chapter 26.
Verse one.
It shall be when thou art come unto or into the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possesses it, and dwelleth therein, that thou shalt take of the 1St.
Of all the fruit of the earth which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shall put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there.
What is especially on my heart is the fact that here Moses.
And the Lord speaking to Moses, anticipates.
They are coming. That is the children of Israel coming into their possession.
Into the promised land.
And really when we think of them journeying from the land.
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Of Egypt to the promised land They're journeying through the wilderness.
That's one side and we can learn many lessons from that journey. But.
What is especially before us when we see them entering into that land, is to really enter into debt which God has for them and for the children of Israel.
It was the promised land. It was earthly possessions. But for us as Christians, it's a picture of what God has for us. It's not at all something.
Connected with this earth, it's all connected with heaven, blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Now, positionally, if you have come to know the Lord Jesus, you're really there, you might say. In Christ you are seated there, no matter how weak and feeble.
Your spiritual understanding is.
You're there, but the Lord.
Is not just Speaking of getting there, but of possessing it.
And dwelling in it. What a difference there is.
You know you and I by the Spirit, as we have sung last night in spirit there already soon we ourselves shall be the Spirit of God, can make the things that we have in the Lord Jesus so real to us that it is like being there, enjoying it now. And that is what the Lord's desire is for you, for me, for everyone in this room.
That is saved by His grace. He wants you to come to possess these things, and it is not beyond you to get into those things.
You know, we have different capacities. That is true. But these things that God has for you in Christ Jesus are for all God's people and he wants you to possess them. But that is connected with warfare and conflict and is not going to fall into anybody's land. You know, they had to meet the enemy. They had to fight the battle, entering into those things and making these things their own, that which.
God in a sovereign way had given them. Now they had to lay hold of it, and that's the way it is in our life.
You know, just the fact that many here are saved and children of Christian parents does not mean that you have the truth personally.
That you enjoy it. You have to personally, with spiritual energy, with the help of the Lord and His Spirit, lay hold of these things and enter into them, and then to dwell in them, to really enjoy it.
All that would be so wonderful if we would all enter into those things more every one of us.
The Lord wants us to come into the enjoyment of what He has won for us by going to Calvary's cross. But you know, there are things in our life that hinder our spiritual progress, that hinder us to enter into that which God has for us and recently.
I looked and took up first Peter and I just going to read a couple of verses there.
Not to go into I Peter 2, but just read some verses there.
Chapter 2 verse one I Peter, therefore laying aside all malice.
And Argyle and hypocrisies and envies, and all evil speakings.
As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word.
That ye may grow thereby, if so be that ye have tasted, that the Lord is gracious. I believe, and I'm sure it is not that difficult to see, that these first two verses are so important, because if we want to desire the sincere milk of the word of God, by which we enter into that which God has for us, if there is no exercise.
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To lay in a practical way aside these things mentioned there.
There is bound to be no progress in our spiritual life. We cannot really get the benefit from the word and truth of God when it is presented, and neither will it help us to avail ourselves of our priestly privilege of entering into the sanctuary and offering up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God.
By Jesus Christ, you see, this is one of those wonderful privileges that we have, that we are all priests and that we can draw nigh to God and OfferUp spiritual sacrifices. You know, the Israelite was not just given what he was given for his own enjoyment. He was to take the best, as it were, and gather it, to bring it to the Lord, to give him something.
It isn't just for our own good, but God wants us to come into the enjoyment of it so that we can in turn have something to give to Him.
Well, let's also turn to Hebrews.
You know, it's really wonderful that the Lord has given us to understand in His grace that we are all priests of God.
The universal priesthood of all the believers you know that is understood by many Christians who are not gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. But their system practically makes it impossible for each one to function as a priest, because there is that minister and he organizes everything and he might graciously call on somebody to OfferUp things giving. But generally speaking it is unknown what it is to have the Spirit free.
To lead the praises and worship of God's people, the Lord Jesus himself in the midst to lead the praises. Well what a wonderful privilege to not only know that we are priests but that we can as priests function and have something to give to God. But now turn to Hebrews chapter 5. Brother Clem read some verses from chapter 6.
We read from verse 11. He had been Speaking of Melchizedek.
The Lord Jesus is our High Priest.
And he is the minister of the sanctuary, and he has opened a way so that we can enter into the very presence of God.
The holiest of all, what a wonderful truth that is to come to understand and enjoy that, but he could not continue to present that person, he interrupted. Verse eleven of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered, seeing the adult of hearing for when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again.
Which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat. For every one that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, or the beginning of Christ, let us go on unto perfection or full growth, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God.
And the doctrine of baptisms and of laying on of hands.
And of the resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment, this will we do if God permit. The situation here in Hebrews 5 is this.
God in his grace had borne with his earthly people.
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And those who were saved from that earthly people.
And had allowed them to go on for quite some time with the old system that had really lost its value. Judaism and God understood that it was difficult for these Jews to see that there was no more value in the old order connected with the ironic priesthood, for instance, and the animal sacrifices.
And they had a hard time to be delivered from that and.
Paul here shows to them that clinging to these things and being dull of hearing, not willing to listen to the truth of Christianity, and that which they had in Christ, that had stunted their growth and had not allowed them to grow and mature and develop the way they normally could have.
If they would have turned their back on these things, and there might be things in our lives, beloved, that are of a similar nature that we allow in our lives, that stunt our growth, that are really not Christian.
In character, it might be even connected with that which God has given his people in times past, but it is not, as our brother Chuck said, present truth.
And clinging to these things.
And not laying them aside, going on to perfection.
That's full growth, stands the growth.
And would be to God that the Lord would be able to show us what is in my life, what is in your life of that kind of thing that might hinder our growth according to the time that they were saved, Paul says. They could be teachers, in other words. Not that they would acquire the gift of teaching along the way and now could exercise that gift, no, but that they would come into the enjoyment.
Of the truth and have a measure of ability to pass it on. That's the kind of a thing I believe that we in many assemblies have to fall back on, and I'm thankful that that kind of statement is in the word of God. Those who are apartment to teach or those who, according to the time that they are saved, have a measure of ability to pass on what they have come to enjoy. Not claiming to be teachers, but the Saints are edified.
By what they themselves have come into and by the Spirit of God can pass on.
But here they were not able to function in that way. For the edification of the Saints. Not only were they losers, but others were losers because they couldn't be the help that they could have been had they turned their back to these things.
And here he speaks of milk. You know, not the same way as Peter did, as newborn, newborn babes. I hope we never lose the taste for the sincere milk of the word, that we always feel the need for our own individual souls to be fed by the Word. And turn to that. Not so that we have something to pass on to others, but that we ourselves.
Are nourished and fed in our own souls.
And here he speaks of milk.
As that which belongs to babes, no one is. Sad picture that is.
If there is no growth, no progress in the life of a believer when they reach a certain point of growth and don't seem to get beyond that.
You know, if we have children that don't develop, we become very much concerned and we take them to all kinds of doctors to see what can be done so that they develop and grow and mature normally. What do you think our father fields when he sees us? His children remain in the state of babes. Spiritually speaking, he would desire that we grow.
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That we would benefit from the truth of God, that we can really take it in.
So may there be nothing of a religious nature?
That we allow ourselves to continue in, which is contrary to the truth of God.
Because if it is not according to the truth of God, it will be hindering us to develop and mature, you know, and it's really remarkable, is it not in these verses that Brother Clem has read?
All of these things are really connected with Judaism.
And Christianity is not that we come again and again and again as repentant sinners, and to confess our sins and get right with God again. That's not Christianity. By one offering He has perfected forever to sanctify.
We do not like a Jew, again and again come for forgiveness.
And.
Of faith towards God you might say. Well what's wrong and having faith in God? Well the Lord Jesus says in John chapter 14 he believed in God. Believe also in me. The Lord Jesus is an object of faith. We have more than just faith in God. We have the revelation of God in Son in the Lord Jesus. And that is much more than any Old Testament St. ever had.
And the baptisms here has to do with the washings and the service connected with the earthly worship and sanctuary. You know, the priest himself was washed and had to wash every day his hands and his feet, And some of the sacrifices parts had to be washed before they could be presented.
And laying on of hands and resurrection of the dead. You know, in Christianity we have more than the resurrection of the dead. We have the resurrection from among the dead. The Lord Jesus was raised from among the dead. And you and I, if we should go through death, will be raised in the same way. And all the Saints that have gone before will be raised from among the dead. The rest of the dead will still be in the grave.
And the first resurrection is an out of resurrection, out of all those who have died and did. And we have the resurrection from among the dead and of eternal judgment. So May God help us that we indeed turn our back to that which is a hindrance, and go beyond what the Saints had before the cross.
And really lay hold of what is truly questioned truth.
Now, we don't give up some of the other things that we have in the Old Testament, and there are certain things that God never changes.
And.
But you understand, I hope, what I mean by going on to that which is truly Christian in character. But, you know, there is another solemn warning for anyone in this room here who might pass as a Christian, who takes the profession of being a Christian and might even be considered by others to be a Christian. And he speaks to those as well here.
You know, clinging to the types and shadows for the believer had stunted their growth. But for the unbeliever, those who were not real, who were not truly saved, they were in danger. That they would apostatize from the Christian faith, turn their back completely and apostatize. And for them it was not possible.
To lead them to repentance. Again, this is not the scripture that the enemy should allow to trouble any St. of God, as if a St. can be lost again, he cannot be led to repentance because that only refers to those who.
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Have only an outward profession and might apostatize from the faith, the Apostle Paul himself says in verse 9, but beloved, here he addresses those who are truly Christians. We are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation though we thus speak. But you know there is still another scripture that I like to bring before us, and that is in First Corinthians.
Chapter 3.
Verse one.
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes. In Christ I fed you with milk, and not with meat, for hitherto you were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able, for ye are yet carnal. For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions, are ye not carnal?
And walk as men, and so on South. There you have again a reason, another reason given in the word of God. Why?
There might be a state of.
Remaining a Bay, and that is that we make much of man, and that we look to men and form parties around men.
Christ is not the object, and it's really a worldly principle that was governing the Saints of God here in Corinth. And it led to them remaining in the state of infancy, spiritually speaking, although they had much gift and they boasted of much that they possessed. But in their spiritual growth, where were they?
And I believe this is a danger, beloved, that exists.
For the Saints of God at all times that we do not fall into the error of the Saints in Corinth. You know, it's one thing for a man to seek a place of prominence and leadership amongst the people of God. It's a bad thing. You know, we can think of Cora in the Old Testament as a warning there, but the people of God many times are at fault and.
Making men the center and the center of a party. So may the Lord keep us from that. Now there might be other scriptures that others could bring before us, but how important it is, beloved.
The positive side of things, that we on the one hand be warned as to that which might hinder our spiritual growth and development, but on the other hand that we do indeed.
Enter into those things that God has for us, not only for our own benefit, but as we have seen from Deuteronomy 26, that we have something to bring to God. You know, He gives us everything.
Freely to enjoy in a spiritual way, but he wants to, as it were, get a return.
From his own and others will be benefiting. If the Lord can lead us on in a spiritual way to spiritual growth, others will be taught, others will be helped, and the Lord's testimony will be strengthened. To So may the Lord help us and maybe benefit from these few scriptures.
John 10.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold.
But climbeth up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber.
But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the Porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. Now in the interest of saving time, I just make a comment or two as we as we go along in this passage.
There was a door into the sheepfold. The sheepfold was Israel.
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Judaism.
And he had the true shepherd of the sheep, had his sheep in the sheepfold. And he says in verse two, He that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep to go in by another way of entrance into the sheepfold. The door was the proper way of entering in was what characterized.
The thieves and the robbers mentioned in verse one.
To the true shepherd of the sheep, the Porter opened.
And he says the sheep hear his voice.
And he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out now until the true shepherd came.
The true shepherd of the sheep came into the sheepfold.
To lead them out. To lead them out of Judaism. To lead them out of the sheepfold into Christianity. That's the picture that we have here. It would have been altogether wrong. It would have been a apostasy on the part of a Jewish believer. To leave Judaism until that that first door, the three doors mentioned here in John 10. The first door is the door of entrance into the sheepfold.
The proper way, according to the Old Testament scriptures, of entering into the sheepfold the Messiah, the true shepherd of the sheep, was to be born of a virgin. Isaiah 7 was to be born at Bethlehem, Micah, 5 and so on many scriptures to be fulfilled. So he entered in by the door.
And then he led his sheep out.
It says in the sheep, follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger without will they not follow Now in verse seven Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
The first mention of the word door is the door of entrance into the sheepfold, which is Judaism.
And all that ever came before the true shepherd, they entered in by another way. They didn't enter in, according to the Scriptures of truth, and they were false thieves and robbers. But he, the true shepherd of the sheep, he came in by the door, as the word of God had outlined it. The Porter opened. The spirit of God opened the way John the Baptist heralded him. This is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. And now he speaks of himself as the door of the sheep.
He having entered the sheepfold, now he becomes the door for the sheep to exit the sheepfold and leave Judaism.
Let us go forth therefore unto him, without the camp bearing his reproach, The last message in Hebrews 13 to the Jewish believers he had, as we just heard, He had tolerated their clinging to Judaism.
Hebrews was written to show 2 truths generally. 1 is that that the believer of the present dispensation has access into the holiest of all by him. Therefore let us enter in to the holiest of all by the blood of Jesus. Having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest, the Jew did not have access into the presence of God. Only the high priest, once a year, and not without blood, could enter in.
To the holy of holies that has been opened up now to the believer, and he enters in and his place on earth outside the camp. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach, For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. Our Lord Jesus suffered without the gate of Jerusalem, Jerusalem representing the religion that God has established for man in the flesh.
And if it was possible for men in the flesh to come into relationship with God?
He would have accomplished it in Judaism, because Judaism contains all the trappings for the flesh, contains the ritual, it contains the priesthood, it contains the law, it contains the ordinances and the sacrifices and all that goes with.
Helping man in the flesh to approach God.
And it has proven that man cannot approach God on that thesis. And so the true shepherd of the sheep enters into the sheepfold, and now he becomes the door of the sheep, the way by which the sheep can exit the sheepfold. And he says, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. And now a third use of the word door, verse nine, I am the door, not now the door, of exiting the sheepfold.
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For those Jewish disciples, but the way of entrance into our proper blessings, which are Christian.
I am the door by me. If any man enter in, it is no longer leaving now, leaving Judaism, but entering in to what he has opened up for us through his death and resurrection.
I am the door by me. If any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in for worship and out for service. Worship always first, always God first, going into his presence to give him his due by him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God, continually confessing his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God as well pleased.
So there's the going in and there's the going out.
And he shall go in and out and find pasture. Not a shapeful, not an enclosure, not a confinement. That's Judaism. But a pasture to Rome and to enjoy the good things that God has for those that love him. That's Christianity.
Verse 11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, but he that is in Harlingen not the shepherd whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming and leaveth the sheep, and fleeeth and the wolf cateth them and scattereth the sheep. So the purpose of the enemy the wolf, is to scatter us.
The reason he came was to gather us.
To put us together, to unite us.
He didn't just come to die to put our sins away, but he came to gather us, and the enemy is there to scatter.
He the wolf catches them and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is in hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
I am the Good Shepherd, and O my sheep, and am known of mine as the Father. Knoweth me Even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. Now verse 16.
And other sheep I have which are not of this fold, not of that sheepfold of Judaism. Other sheep I have which are not Jews, not Israelites.
Them also I must bring. They shall hear my voice. That's us Gentiles.
And there shall be one, not one, fold as our King James gives it. That's a wrong translation.
One flock The fold speaks of Judaism. The flock speaks of Christianity. 1 flock and one shepherd. 1 flock and one shepherd. Now turn to the 11Th chapter.
Verse 49.
And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. But this and this spake he not of himself, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation, those who were in the sheepfold the Jews, the Israelites.
And not for that nation only, but that he also should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
Other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring, and there shall be 1 flock, 1 shepherd.
And the purpose of the death of the Lord Jesus was not simply to put our sins away.
Not simply to save us as individuals, but that the children of God should be gathered together into one.
That's why he died.
That he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad now turn to the 17th of John.
In the 17th of John.
Verse 11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world.
And I come to thee. He's addressing the Father, Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are. Those were the 12 and the others accompanied with him on earth, and he prays that they may be one as we are.
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And then in verse 19 he expands in his prayer.
And he says in verse 20 I should say neither. Pray I for these alone.
Those who accompanied with Him who is Jewish disciples.
But for them also, which shall believe on me through their word, that's us.
That's all who have believed through their word. Their word is that what we have in the word of God. And they've come to believe, we've come to believe.
That they all.
May be one in US.
Verse 21 That they all may be one, as thou father art in me, and I and thee, that they also may be one in US.
That the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Notice the purpose of this, that you might gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. That's why he died.
Not just for that nation, not just for those that were in the sheepfold. But he entered the sheepfold. He exited it and drew out his own sheep from it. And then he says I'm the door by me. If any man enter in, he shall be saved. She'll go in and out and find pasture.
And so he brings us into that, into that large pasture, the.
The freedom and liberty of the Word of God, where the Spirit of the Lord is there, is liberty, not legality, not ******* not constraint, not an enclosure, but liberty to enjoy all that he has brought us into.
But the purpose of his death was to gather together into one the children of God.
You see being one, which is the essence of Christianity. One body, one family, one flock.
That's no small thing We've been talking in our readings of Philadelphia. That has kept my word.
And that implies the realization of this truth, that they all may be one.
As thou Father art in me, and I and thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Was that ever realized? Yes, it was. Turn to Acts Chapter 4, please.
Acts Chapter 4.
Verse 31.
And when they had prayed.
The place was shaken, where they were assembled together.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Now in Acts 2.
The Spirit of God came down and baptized them. We have the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 2, forming the one body, uniting all believers into one body, and to the risen glorified man in heaven, the head of the church.
He couldn't become head of the church until until Acts 2 because that's when the church was formed.
And he brought them into one. He united them the Spirit of God. And now here the Spirit of God is working in these early disciples the end of Acts 2 It says the multitude of them that believed were about 3000. And then in Acts 5 verse four, Acts 4 verse four it says howbeit many of them which heard the word believed in the number of them was about 5000. I think that means it swelled to increase to about 5000.
So there were multitudes. Think of that. Think of the numbers over 5000 souls that had come into the the reality of the truth of Christianity in the power of the Holy Spirit, now united together into one. For by 1 Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free. And they've all been given to drink of 1 Spirit.
Other sheep I have which are not of this fold. Jews, Gentiles. Now the Gentiles have been brought in.
Well, not yet. In Acts, that's Chapter 10, but they are embraced in that expression.
And that we don't have time to go into that, but here now in Acts 4, verse 31.
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We have before the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, before he was converted to the Apostle Paul, before the truth of the Church was ever proclaimed.
Before it was even revealed, it existed in fact by the baptism of the Spirit Acts. 2 But it it was not explained yet. No one really understood what they were a part of yet. But the Spirit of God wrought in such power that they were one.
That's the beauty of it. What the Lord prayed about in John 17 was literally fulfilled, That they all may be one, as thou father art in me, and I and thee, that they also may be one in us. That's why he died, to gather together into one the children of God that were scattered abroad. There shall be 1 flock and one shepherd.
And so here when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. They spake not in tongues, as in Acts. 2 but they spake the word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul Neither said any of them, that ought of the things which he possessed was his own. But they had all things common. The way Mr. Darby renders, that is.
The heart and soul of the multitude that believed were one.
That they all may be one.
If you want a real treat and you have the Book of Acts by William Kelly, read his comments on this passage.
Tremendous.
Tremendous.
Read his comments on this passage never before in the history of mankind.
Was a multitude of this quantity of people united so into one, so blended, so united in the power of the Holy Spirit, Not intellect, not because of great teaching on the subject of the Church. For they had none at this point in time. But they had been united into one by the power of the Spirit, and he so wrought in hearts as to practically unite them so that the heart and soul of the multitude that believed were one.
Nothing like it before or since, for it was soon spoiled the very next chapter. Ananias and Sapphira come forward, lie to the Holy Ghost, deceive and the whole thing.
Is spoiled. Let's go on a minute.
The heart and soul of the multitude of them that believed were one neither said any of them, that ought of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common.
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
And great grace was upon them. Awe.
Neither was there any among them that lacked for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them.
And brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles feet. And distribution was made unto everyone according as he had need. That was the complete absence of self.
That was the complete absence of individuals among them that were setting forth their own opinions.
But they were perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
And that was a work of the spirit of God. That's something that none of us can do. But what can we do?
We can set ourselves right. We can ask the Lord to give us grace to judge all in me.
That is hindering.
The expression of this oneness that we've been brought into, that it's the purpose of God to have. Did you notice in John 17 the end of this prayer on that verse 21, that they all may be one as thou Father art in me? That they also may be one in us? That the world may believe that thou hast sent me the greatest deterrent to evangelization, the greatest deterrent to the world believing the message that we proclaim as our being divided.
We are not one. We don't present a united front to the world.
To those who are in the enemy's power, and they can reason Why should we believe your message? You can't even get along among yourselves.
That they all may be one. Just think, if the Church of God unitedly without a division, were together, if we were all together with all our brethren the world over, what a witness that would be. It was so here in Acts 4 with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them. All the testimony was irresistible.
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And so the enemy says, what can I do to stop that? What can I do to thwart that? Well, he came in and divided the Saints.
Divided the Saints.
And so we are faced with.
A divided testimony today.
Turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter one, please.
Verse 9.
God is faithful.
By whom you were called unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That name which unites us, that name which is named upon us.
That name to which we are baptized.
That name which every knee has bowed to, and every tongue is confessed.
He says, I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
That she be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. That wasn't true of those at Corinth, but this is his desire for them. And so all through these two epistles, First and 2nd Corinthians, he addresses their lack first of all, their lack of unity, and then the various problems that existed in their midst for it. Satan can come in and divide us.
Then we're not united any longer to deal with these other problems that arise.
And what often happens is we get divided over the pettiest.
Things.
And then when something really serious comes before us, because we're not of one, we don't deal with it unitedly for his glory.
Notice how the last Epistle ends. Second Corinthians, chapter 13.
After he deals with all the many problems that existed at Corinth.
There were many, starting with division.
They were reigning as kings.
While the apostles were being persecuted mercilessly by the world.
That was a case of immorality in their midst, and they were puffed up and had not rather mourned. Their attitude towards it was one of the indifference.
In the 6th chapter they were going to law one with another and he said why do you not rather suffer wrong? Why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
Yeah, you do wrong and defraud and that your brethren.
In the 7th chapter, there were problems that had to be corrected as to marriage, the marriage relationship.
And then in Chapter 8 we have the principle brought forward.
That if meat make my brother to stumble, I'll eat no flesh forever while the world stands.
I won't press my liberty to stumble as sensitive conscience that may not be as well trained in the truth as another.
They were questioning his apostleship in Chapter 11. They were going to the Lords table at chapter 10 and also the to the table of demons. Paul says you can't do that with a true sense of what each one of these tables represents. The one speaks of the true and living God and the other speaks of idol worship in the 11Th chapter. They needed instruction as to the woman's place and the head covering when she prayed and prophesied.
God's creatorial order, God, Christ, man, woman. And then at the end of the chapter they were in their love feasts.
Putting self forward, some had plenty, others had very little, and some ate and drank to excess so that when they came to the remembrance of the Lord, some were intoxicated, and because of that some were weak and sickly and some slept.
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Chapters 12 to 14 He gives the gifts and then the operation of those gifts, and they were operating in such a carnal way as to promote themselves.
And to exalt themselves in those gifts which were especially attractive to the flesh they were promoting, such as the gift of tongues.
And then in the 15th chapter, he addresses the very serious doctrinal thing, a doctrinal error that if that the dead do not rise. And he says, if the dead don't rise, neither did Christ rise. And if Christ didn't rise, our preaching is vain, your faith is vain, you're yet in your sins.
Those were all the evils that he addressed but the first one.
The first one was that she'd be perfectly joined together.
In the same mind and in the same judgment now, after he's gone through all that.
In the 13th of Two Corinthians he says in verse 11 finally.
Brethren, farewell. Be perfect. That's the same word as perfectly joined together, perfectly united in the same mind. Be perfect, be of good comfort. Be of one mind. Live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you. And he ends with this wonderful verse. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all.
Well, that I just want one more verse and then we close turn over to Matthew 4.
Matthew 4.
Verse 23.
Verse 21. Excuse me.
And going on from thence he saw other two brethren, James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, in a ship with Zebedee, their father, mending their Nets, And he called them.
Now if you look at the notes and Mr. Darby's translation on 1St Corinthians 110.
And that passage in Two Corinthians 1311, I think it is.
Note that he traces the Greek word rendered perfectly united.
And being perfect to this word mending.
Here you've got a net. A net is forecasting into the sea to gather fish.
A Netches for Evangelization. It brings before us the thought of evangelizing, reaching out, casting out the net of the gospel to bring souls in.
And he's saying to these Saints, he said, mend your Nets.
What we need are James and Johns among us today to mend the broken Nets.
So that the fish that we would have caught don't slip through.
To have a united net a net which is 1.
Is the most powerful testimony that we could ever have.
You know, I've often observed that those that are strong on church truth are weak in the gospel, and those that are strong on gospel truth are weak on church truth. The word of God puts them both together. If you're strong in the truth of the church, that the church is 1.
And we go on together in unity and in oneness.
The very basis of the gospel is that Christ died for our sins, but he also died to gather together into one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
And the greatest hindrance to souls believing the message of the gospel that we present.
Is that we don't present a united front. The net is broken.
You say, well, how can we ever heal that? The only thing I can do is to start in my home assembly.
And I start with myself, and you start with yourself. And if there's a brother you can't get along with, or a sister, or there are holes in the net, the net is rent. We have to do something about it, and we have to start right here, right here. And if you do that, and I do that, and we all do that, and heal the rents in the net so that the net is sewn together. And we present that oneness of which the blessed Lord prayed. I know only the Spirit of God can do it.
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But he can do it.
And the measure in which we are yielded to him will be in the measure in which we will experience this blessed oneness. And what a power.
For evangelization, that will be, so I am submitting that.
Those who are evangelists and those who are pastors should clasp hands.
And promote one another's work, first of all by healing the net.
And then going out to the world in a united testimony that we're one because we belong to Christ.