Address—J. Hyland
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What heavenly life, what power divine does that sweet word afford 210? Will someone please start it?
Just to very briefly go back for a moment, we've been Speaking of the church. We've looked at this first chart. So I pointed out the other night, I have two circles, one on the top and one on the bottom. And in the Old Testament, there was a distinction between Jew and Gentile, those who were inside the circle of blessing.
That had God's promises and oracles, and there was the Gentile who was outside. But we spoke about how this new unit is formed now, the church. We spoke of the cross and how it is the foundation of every blessing that we possess. We've looked at the church in a general way. We spoke of its calling. We spoke of its birth on the day of Pentecost. And then we went on to speak of the building a little bit.
As I said last night, we're going to look at the church in these various aspects. And I trust that as we do so, it might encourage our hearts as to the portion we've been given and brought into and to the responsibility that is connected with this position. Because as I said the other evening, and I may again repeat this a couple of times this evening, when God brings me into a place of blessing and gives me light as to that position that he's brought me into, then there is always responsibility connected with it, and the joy and power and fruit come in my Christian life.
When I seek to walk in the good of what what God has brought me into and given me light concerning, in fact, we it's been often said that we never stand still in our Christian lives. We're either growing or we're receding. And so as I go on and seek to walk in the light of what God has given me, then he gives me further light. And it's a very blessed thing. And as I visit assemblies from time to time, it's nice to see those who are going on in the good of these things.
And who are enjoying them? And you go back another year or several months later, and they've grown in their soul. Why? Because they've sought, by grace, to follow the Lord and to carry out what he has for them. And we find too, in Scripture that there are two things that are inseparable, and that is obedience and happiness. You know, I've often said that when I was a child, if I could have only realized that obedience to my parents was the best way, I would have had a happier childhood.
But sad to say, we learn those things as we get a little older. But you know, I don't believe I can say for myself that I ever really learned this lesson of obedience to the word of God and how that those two things, happiness and obedience, go hand in hand. Sometimes when we have something from the word of God, we feel perhaps it's going to be easier to disregard that. And we find that Jonah is a stark example of one who received a word from the Lord.
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He decided that it was going to be easier to choose his own way, so he went in the opposite direction. But we know the sad history of Jonah. He could have saved himself a lot of grief if he had, if he had only followed the word of the Lord to begin with. And so when the Lord gave the disciples much truth in the upper room, he said, if he know these things, happier ye if he do them. So it's not enough just to come together on occasions like this and be over the word, wonderful as that is, but we need to carry it out just in that connection. Before I go on, I've enjoyed a little progression in the songs, because David is one who sought grace not only to know the mind of the Lord, but to carry it out.
In Psalm 27, he says, teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path. And I trust that we ever have that desire to know the mind of the Lord and what he has for us, because as I said the other night, I believe there's still a path of faith for us as individuals and as families and collectively as gathered to the Lord's name. But you know, David, when you come over to the 119th Psalm, he finds out that if he's going to know the path the Lord has for him, it's in the word of God.
The remarkable Psalm, the longest chapter in the Bible. It has in almost every verse I counted one time. I think there's two or three. But in almost every verse there is some reference to the word of God, either called commandments or precepts, or thy statutes or thy law. And in the 105th verse he says, thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. In other words, he said, if I'm going to know that path and he wants to show me that path, then it's got to be that I find it marked out in the word of God. But then I like what it says in 143rd Psalm. I think it's the tenth verse, it says.
Not teach me thy will, but teach me to do Thy will. Because we might hear the truth, we might have a real desire to know, and then we hear the truth.
And we say, well, I wouldn't mind if it wasn't something quite so narrow or quite so difficult. But David said no, whatever thy with your will is when you reveal it from your word then give me grace to walk in it and carry it out. Now we spoke of the building in the top circle here and I mentioned the other evening that the building we're going to take it up in 2 aspects. We made a some general comments. We went back to Matthew 16 and saw the introduction of the church, the truth of the church by the Lord Jesus himself.
And he brings it before us in its character as a building. The word church is found, as I said, over 120 times in the Word of God.
Never once refers to a physical building. It's a spiritual building. We're going to develop this as we go on in the word of God. And I make no apologies tonight for flipping back and forth through the New Testament because I want to see this in the light of God's word. So we made a few general comments where the Lord said on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Now I would like to take up where we left off and go back to Ephesians 2.
Ephesians 2 and verse 19.
Now therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners.
But fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom all the buildings fitly framed together.
Groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God.
Through the Spirit. Now I want us to remember that as we go on with this subject, we're looking at the collective aspect of things. And I think I mentioned the other evening that when the Spirit of God descended on the day of Pentecost, he not only indwelt each believer individually, and our bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost, but he came to dwell in the collective aspect of things. Now this is taken up in the aspect of the building, because when it's the question of the building, it's a habitation of God through the Spirit. It's the dwelling place of the Spirit of God.
But I read this 19th verse because you have a little contrast here from what I mentioned the other night. The other night I mentioned that we are to have that character of strangers and pilgrims, those who don't belong and those who are just passing through, and we have a heavenly calling and so on. But here it says, and it may almost seem like a paradox because here it says now, therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners. Well, what he's looking at is not our position in this world, but our position of being brought into this place of blessing.
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Now remember, in the earlier part of the chapter which we read the other night, we were he was writing to Gentile believers and he was telling them that they were outside this circle of blessing. At one time there was no hope for them and they didn't have the promises of God. But now we've been brought into this circle of blessing. We don't belong to this world anymore. We're fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of faith. And I don't want to belabor this thought, but I would like to just say this brethren, that I believe Satan is busy today to do 2 Things.
One to keep man insensitive to his ruin and the other to keep the Christian earthly minded. That's what happened as soon as the apostles passed off the scene. The Christians settled down in this world, and particularly the Apostle Paul, because it was the Apostle Paul that was given the main, the, the meat of this, this truth concerning the heavenly calling of the church and so on. When he was gone, the apostles doctrine was given up and the Christians settled down in this world.
And, you know, there is a lot of talk today about environmental issues. Now, I want to temper my remarks as I go along because I have nothing against recycling. And I believe that man has abused what God has given him in creation. He's given us richly, all things to enjoy. And man has not been a good steward of what God has entrusted to him. But, you know, I fear that there are many zealous Christians who are so busy cleaning up the world that they've lost sight of their heavenly calling. They've lost sight of the truth of the imminent return of the Lord Jesus.
And not only that, but man is busy cleaning up this world and they have Earth Day and they talk about Mother Earth, and man's whole goal and aspiration is centered in this world. Well, if Satan can keep man cleaning up the world and occupied with things down here, he's not thinking about eternity.
I remember one time visiting with a couple that we've been asked to go and see. Not a Christian couple, but the Brethren in that area have had some contact with them.
And you know, she said, the lady said to me, she said, You know, I believe this world is getting better and better.
She said with all the advancements in medicine, she said if it wasn't for this technology, I wouldn't even be alive today. And it was during the Gulf War. And she said, I think after this war things are going to be on a course that will lead to better and better things will. I shook my head in disbelief because how can we look around and say that? And yet Satan has blinded the minds of them that believe not to keep them occupied with the betterment of this world. And sad to say, even in an evangelical circles, there's sometimes the I know at home there's a slogan.
Building better citizens to build a better world. And that this thought that the Christian is a moral force to change this world, What this world needs is Christ. They need to realize their eternal destiny and that they're going to have to leave this world behind someday. But I say again, I believe Satan is also busy to rob us of our enjoyment of Christ and the enjoyment of our heavenly position. And so we need to be very, very careful. We're no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens.
With the Saints and of the household of God, if I'm visiting in the United States, of which I am not a citizen.
I don't get involved in the politics of the United States or the running of the country. I wouldn't be allowed to vote and all that kind of thing because I'm not a citizen.
Of this country. Well, we need to realize that we're citizens of another country and that we're going on there. Well, then he speaks about in verse 20 and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Now I believe when he speaks of the foundation as the apostles and prophets, what he's Speaking of are those truths, those foundation truths that the apostles were given by divine inspiration. Now I mentioned that Paul was given the main thrust or the meat of this truth concerning the Church.
And yet all the Apostolic writers in the New Testament allude to the Church in some way. In fact, it's interesting that Matthew, which is the gospel, it's Jewish in its character and presents the Lord as the Messiah. That's the gospel where the Lord introduces the truth of the church. So all the Apostolic writers bring before us some aspect. They they mention in some way the truth of the church and our position as being in the church. But it was particularly the Apostle Paul. So the foundation is the apostles and prophets, and nothing can change that, as I think we mentioned the other night.
The foundation of God standeth. Sure, the word of God is sure. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away. And brethren, the truths that we have been given and the truths that were brought out by godly men in a past century, let us cling to them, and let's realize that they do not change. There is so much today to take a different slant or a different application, and to say, well, those applications were once considered to be.
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Proper. But we don't consider them in that light anymore. We have to be careful, brethren, because the grass withereth from the flower fadeth. But the word of our God shall stand forever. And God's principles in any dispensation, the underlying principles of God, never change. You know, there was a large bookcase in our parents home as we were growing up, and it was in the hallway. It ran from the floor to the ceiling.
And it was full of all kinds of books, but there was a shelf way up by the ceiling, and there were some dusty old books on it that we never got read very often. But sometimes on a snowy day or day, we had nothing better to do. We would take those books down and we would read them and we would do it, as we said, just for a laugh, because they were old books that our parents studied when they went to school. And we'd say why we've left those things behind long ago. And men's opinions and philosophies change and.
Progress and man is always learning. Sad to say he's ever learning, but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. But those things change. And sometimes books are out of print, are out of date before they're off the press. But this work book is more up to date than the daily newspaper, and it's applicable today. And it's able to guide us and direct us. Whether again it's in our individual lives, whether it's in the family or whether it's in the assembly and how we can meet has gathered to the Lord's name. It's all here for us.
All the instruction, if we're willing to follow it, well then he brings out here that Jesus Christ himself is the chief cornerstone. Now remember what I said concerning the portion in Matthew, Because in Matthew it's a little ambiguous. The Lord doesn't develop the truth there as to the rock that he's building on. But you know, I want to say this, if you don't understand the scripture or if it perhaps seems a little unclear, always compare it with other scriptures. And sometimes comparing it with other scriptures you can see what it's not.
And sometimes by seeing what it's not, you can see what it is. Now that may sound a little ambiguous, but I really believe that, as I said the other night, we need to take up truth in the light of a whole context of the word of God. And so he develops this here, and he makes it very, very clear that he was not building his church upon Peter upon a man. He was building it on the on the confession that he made Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And so he says that Jesus Christ himself.
Is the chief cornerstone in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto unholy temple in the Lord. Well, this is the aspect of the temple. I said that they when it's the building, there's two aspects. There's the temple and the house. And when it's the aspect of the temple, it's the Spirit of God indwelling the collective aspect of things. And in that way, brethren, there can be three things. Collectively. This is the collective side of things. There can be.
Worship in the spirit collectively. There can be ministry in the Spirit collectively and there can be prayer in the Spirit collectively. And I just want to say a little word about the assembly meetings, because remember I said that sometimes when the church is taken up, it's in the context of the local expression of things, the local church or the local assembly, the words are interchangeable. I'd just like to say a word about those three things, what we might call the assembly meetings, because it says of the early brethren, they continued steadfastly.
In the apostles, doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and in prayers.
And when we come together on Lord's Day morning, it's we don't come to get on Lord's Day morning. We come to give, we come to give the sacrifice of praise and to pour out our hearts in worship. Now these three things, worship, ministry, and prayer in the Spirit are important in our lives, first of all as individuals, because the assembly can be no more than the individuals that make it up. And so we need to have that spirit of Thanksgiving and worship as we go about from day-to-day.
You know, there's so many difficulties and life is so pressured today that it's easy to.
Have a critical grumbling spirit and to get underneath the difficulties. But we need to have that sacrifice of praise on our lips and in our hearts as we go about from day-to-day, so that collectively on Lords Day morning we can come and pour out to the Lord Jesus in worship and Thanksgiving.
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I think there's a nice little illustration with the six pictures, pictures of water that you have in John chapter 2 at the marriage of Canaan and of Galilee. And I know that there is a prophetic aspect of what you have there with Israel and the marriage, the third day and a millennial scene and so on. But I just thought of it this way. There were six water pots. They all, they all had different capacities because it says they contained about two or three firkins apiece. And we all have different capacities.
But you know, when those water pots were filled to the brim with the water, which would speak of the word of God, which presents to us Christ.
When there was that filling of the of Christ, then the Lord turned it to wine and they poured out to the governor of the feast. And I just think of it this way. There are 6 water pots and there are 6 days of the week. And if we fill the water pot 6 days of the week with the word of God, which I say always brings it before us Christ, because that's the subject. No matter where you read in God's word, if we're occupied with Christ, then there can be that praise and that joy and we can pour out to the true governor of the feast. But if we don't fill up the water pot, there's nothing that the Lord can turn to praise and worship. There's no wine, as it were. And so we come on Lord's Day morning and He values that that response of our hearts.
You know, I think of the 10 lepers there were 10 cleanse and one returned to good things.
And the Lord Jesus said, And I can just picture the sadness in the voice of the Lord Jesus as he said, were there not ten cleansed? And where are the nine? He valued the response of that man's heart, but he missed the response on the part of the other nine. When Mary came and poured out that costly ointment at the feet of the Lord, it says that all the disciples spoke up against her. But the Lord showed that he valued the response of Mary's heart, and So what a privilege to be able to pour out our hearts before him.
We come, I know, on Lord's day morning to remember him in death, and we'll speak of that a little later. But I just say there needs to be that and ought to be that collective worship with us. Well then we have ministry in the assembly and I think this is such a wonderful provision. Now again, I don't want to take away from the fact that we can read the word of God as individuals, and I trust we do. And if we have a real desire to learn, it says if any man desire to do his will, he shall know and the Spirit of God if given liberty in our lives.
Can teach us as we read the word of God from day-to-day. And I think I mentioned yesterday, the other night, that Israel needed fresh man every day. What they needed today was not what they needed tomorrow. They had to go out and gather. But you know, in the assembly when we sit under the sound of ministry, we get a balance. You know, man is an extremist by nature and I think this is one of the most gracious provisions of the Lord because there are so many today who will put a man at the front.
And they may get part of the truth, they may get one aspect of the truth. But, you know, if I bring out something in the assembly that's not correct.
If the spirit of God is given liberty, another can correct that. Or if I bring out something that's one aspect of the truth someone else can give out and can present a balance and give another aspect. If I bring out something that's only part of a truth, another can add to it. There are those who can bring out the practical side of things, those that can give us the the doctrines of the word of God. These things are all necessary and we get this balance. You know, I often think of the verse that says Ephraim is a cake, not turn, and that's what we're like by nature.
If you put a cake on the griddle and you don't turn it, what happens? It gets too well done on one side and not enough on the other. And so we need that balance in the assembly. And I noticed that those who don't sit under the sound of ministry in the assembly, they go off on tangents. They they take up one aspect of the proof and they press that without perhaps even realizing that there is another aspect to things. Well, then we have prayer in the assembly.
And, you know, I think this is so vital. A brother wrote to me not long ago and he said, you know, he said, prayer is the powerhouse of our Christian lives and the powerhouse of the assembly. And, you know, I really feel that one of the reasons there is often a lack of understanding when problems arise in the assembly or a lack of power to deal with situations is because perhaps the prayer meeting is the most poorly attended. Not always, but I often find as I travel from place to place.
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That the poor prayer meeting is very sparsely attended. Why? Well, I suppose for one reason we don't realize that the Lord is there on Wednesday night, just as He is on Lord's Day morning. And secondly, I suppose we don't really realize the power there is in collective prayer. Now the Lord said, if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that you ask in my name, it shall be done for you, even of my Father, which is in heaven. And you know, whether it's in the Old Testament of the New Testament. You find that when God's people came together for collective prayer.
There was real power and blessing. We'll just cite a couple of examples. You find that there was Daniel and Daniel was a man of prayer, but there was a situation came that affected Daniel and his three friends. And you know, there are often those situations that affect that the people of God as a whole.
It's true that as individuals and we see that with Daniel there are things that affect us. And it says, thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father, which is in secret. But then there are those things that affect us as the Church of God, as the people of God, and as assemblies gathered to the Lord's name. And I don't believe there's an assembly on the face of the earth today, brethren, that isn't going through some real trial and difficulty. The Lord is testing and Satan is busy.
Well, Daniel and his four three friends came together and they had a prayer meeting. It was a tremendous request, A request, you'd say naturally speaking could never be answered, that not only would an interpretation of a dream be given, but the dream revealed itself. But when they came together and they presented the matter to the Lord, the Lord came in and gave Daniel real wisdom and discernment. I suppose the nicest example you have of assembly prayer is in Acts 12. Where?
Again, Peter was in prison and it affected the people of God. They were burdened for for Peter.
And so they come together and they have a prayer meeting. And, you know, I think there's a nice encouragement there for the sisters because Rhoda was at the assembly prayer meeting and Rhoda was a damsel or a young girl. And she might have said, well, what's the sense of me going to the prayer meeting? The brothers can take part. They pray, and I can pray just as well at home. Well, she could have prayed at home. But, you know, the Lord blessed Rhoda in a special way that night for being at the assembly prayer meeting because he even ordered it. So she was the one that went to the door.
And she saw first hand the power of God to answer assembly prayer. Now if she hadn't been there, she would have heard about it later on, and she would have rejoiced the next day with the Saints as Peter was released. But it wouldn't have been the same as seeing the power of God first hand in the assembly to answer their prayers. And do you want to see the power of God to answer assembly prayer, be it the assembly prayer meeting? I wonder if Rd. have missed very many prayer meetings after that.
Now, I recognize that sometimes it's not always possible to be at all the assembly meetings, but you know, I fear brethren.
That this is the day when we try to plan our lives and then we try to work in the Assembly. You know, I was raised in a generation and in a home where our lives were planned around the assembly. When Tuesday night came and Thursday night came, there was nothing else planned. It was just assumed that we would be at the Assembly meetings if someone came through and there was something extra and plans had already been made. Everything was done to change those plans. Now, again, I recognize that it's not always possible to do that and the Lord knows the heart and our desire. But, brethren, if we don't plan our lives around the assembly, if that is not the pivotal point.
Satan has so much in these days when life is so pressured and life is so busy, and Satan is tearing down the two great institutions that God set up, the family and the assembly brethren we need to plan our lives around.
The assembly. And not only the assembly meetings, brethren, but you know, one of the things that the early believers continued steadfastly in was fellowship. We need that Satan wants to divide us. He doesn't want us to have fellowship and enjoy Christ together and enjoy happy times with our brethren. All we need to seek grace, that we would go on in happy fellowship. And so Rhoda was at the assembly prayer meeting. I used to feel, you know, when I was younger that well, the older brethren take part in not much point of going to the assembly prayer meeting.
But I say again, if you want to see power in the assembly, if you want to see blessing, be at the assembly prayer meeting. I remember about a year ago or so, we were visiting in an assembly and there was a little baby in that assembly that was very, very sick. And it was prayer meeting night. And the doctor had said that the crisis would come that night. Either the baby would begin to recover or the baby would be gone. And so we went to the assembly prayer meeting.
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And the brethren, one after another, poured out their hearts in supplication for that child. And the next morning, the mother called the home we were staying at. And she said, what time did the assembly prayer meeting start? Well, the sister we were staying with said about 7:30. She said that's just the time he began to turn around.
Well, I say again, there's power in collective prayer. God not only hears our prayers, but he delights to answer our prayers according to his will and for the good and blessing of his people. And he knows our needs even before we ask, but He wants us to come with that spirit of dependence as an assembly. In fact, I sometimes think that God, just as it were, withholds an answer or keeps something just behind the door, so to speak, until there's that spirit of dependence, and when there is that spirit of dependence.
With us then he has the answer right there and he comes in in blessing. I would just like to say this too concerning assembly prayer, that not only do we need to be at the assembly prayer reading, but I believe we need to avail ourselves of this resource in the way that God intended in the Scriptures. Because the two examples we noticed collective prayer with Daniel and his friends, assembly prayer in the New Testament. In both cases it was to bring a very, very specific request.
Before the Lord. Now, I don't want to be misunderstood, because I believe that at the assembly prayer meeting it's good to.
Embrace the whole household of faith and to pray for the gospel work worldwide. But brethren, I wonder if we were more specific in our assembly prayers if there wouldn't be more blessing. Daniel and his friends had a specific difficulty the Saints at when they came together in connection with Peter, they had a specific burden. And you know, sometimes I fear that we are afraid to pray for a brother or a sister for a a need that is known and felt in the assembly.
Now, brethren, granted, I know there are some things you can't pray for publicly in the assembly and we need to use discernment. But when there is a felt need, an unknown need in the assembly, why are we afraid to pray for that? Because the brother or sister is kneeling on the other side of the room. You know, I really believe that if we were more specific in praying for one another and those no needs in the assembly that it would not terrace apart, but that it would draw us closer together.
As we hear the burden of our brethren express one for another, and you know, when I have a need and the assembly knows about it, I I rejoice when they pray the brethren pray for it publicly, because that's what I say, where the power is. So we need these things, and brethren we need the the Assembly, meetings and even Lord's Day Morning. You know, when we come together, I think there's another nice encouragement for the sisters because Mary poured out her ointment at the feet of the Lord, as I mentioned earlier.
And it says the whole house was filled with the odor of the ointment. And you know, a godly sister who is going on with the Lord and whose heart is full of praise and worship. On Lords day morning she little realizes what a blessing she is, can perhaps even set the whole tone of the meeting because her heart is full of praise and worship.
And so we need that and we need to bring our families to to the assembly meetings. You know, I didn't always appreciate the assembly meetings. I didn't always appreciate being taken to the to the reading meeting, in the prayer meeting and a couple of times on Lords day. But you know, as I look back now though, I didn't appreciate it at the time, I knew what was important to mother and father. And you know, I fear that sometimes those who are younger look on and do they see in my life that which is important. Do they see that I value my children? Do they see that I value the assembly meetings?
That our lives are planned around those, those assembly meetings. And, you know, sometimes we think the children get nothing out of the meetings. But, you know, I was struck. We were visiting in Delavan, IL, in September, and my family was with me. And I had been speaking one night concerning the sincere milk of the word in Peter. And the next morning, the sister with whom we were staying said, would you like some milk? And I said, no, I don't care for milk. Thank you. And Kimberly, who's five years old, she looked at me and she said, Dad.
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Why do you tell us at meeting that malk is so important and you won't drink it yourself? Well, not only do our children know what that we hear, what we say, but they look to see whether it's going to be carried out in our lives. We think they're coloring, we think they're fidgeting, and up and down and in and out. But they hear and I say they know what's important in your life and mine. And I fear that if we don't value the assembly meetings that there will be with the next generation even less.
Of a value. Well, we need to seek to go on or to persevere in these things like the early believers. Now let's just turn over to First Peter, because I want to see another thought here.
One Peter 2.
And verse five. He also has lit lively or living stones, are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture. Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone elect precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Well, I read this verse first of all to show that it's a spiritual building we're talking about.
And it's interesting here that Peter, on whom to whom the Lord made the initial revelation concerning the building of the Church.
He is given this truth as to who the cornerstone is to show, to prove, as it were, to confirm that it was not he on whom the Lord built his church. But he brings this out so beautifully that and concerning the prophecy in Isaiah that he the Lord is the chief cornerstone, because it says, and he that believeth on him, that's the cornerstone, shall not be confounded. Now we're not told to believe on Peter, we're told believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
And thou shalt be saved. So it's the Lord Jesus who is the chief cornerstone. But I would just like to say this about these stones that compose this building. You know, I was struck when we were in England a few years ago, we visited some of the great cathedrals of that country. And if you've ever seen pictures of them, pictures don't do them justice. They are tremendous edifices. I marveled how they built them in the 11:00 and 12:00 hundreds without the equipment they have today. But as I stood, I remember Salisbury Cathedral particularly.
And there were those huge foundation stones, magnificent stones. And then as you looked up the building.
The stones became smaller and smaller. They were all fit together and I thought of the spiritual church that is being built now that work that's going on is the spirit of God is is still saving, calling 1 here, calling one there, convicting and bringing to Christ. And those stones, you and I, we are those living stones that are being placed in that building. And yet, you know, sometimes as I looked at those buildings, there was a stone missing. They looked like solid buildings and they had thick walls.
But sometimes there was a stone missing, brethren, you and I, who have been placed as a living stone in the Church of God.
Will never be removed. Not one stone can be taken out. And I saw up at the top those small stones and they were nothing perhaps compared to those great stones that built the fountain that were held the foundation. But you know, every stone was important. And I just think of it this way. Those small stones are being put into place now as one another here and there is being saved by the grace of God. But, you know, I think it's illustrated so beautifully in the Old Testament with the salt building of Solomon's temple. I'd just like to say a word about those stones because as I said the other night, we have the illustrations in the Old Testament.
Help us to understand these things. And there were several things about those stones that went into the building of the temple. First, they were hewn stones. And those workers had to go down into those pits and they had to hew those stones out and they had to raise them an old brethren. It's a very beautiful picture of the work of grace in our souls. Because the Lord Jesus had to go down into that pit. He not only came into this world, but he went down, down, down, became obedient. Even under the death of the cross, He could say my waves and my billows have come over me.
Sinking deep monitor where there is no standing. Just like those workers. He had to go down into the pit, and then those stones were hewn out. They had no power to heal themselves. Brethren, we had no power to take one step towards God. And then those stones were raised. They had no power to raise themselves. No, I say. It's a beautiful work of the Spirit of God that opened our eyes to see beauty in Christ drew us to the Savior.
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Convicted us of our need, imparted divine life.
And when we get home to glory, we're going to recognize fully that it was nothing of ourselves. I know that the messages come unto me, and there is responsibility. But no man can come. To the Father, to the Son, to the Son, except the Father. Draw him. It's all a work of God's grace and of the Spirit. Well then those stones were brought up, and it says they were first of all great stones. Every stone had a position, just like in those buildings I saw in England. Every stone had a place of importance, even the small stones of the top. And every one of us are of equal importance to the Lord Jesus.
He died for us. He loves us with an equal love and we, you know, sometimes in a large family.
It's hard just to feel as an individual brother was telling me recently. He came from a large family and he he felt that there were no favorites in the family. But you know that that that I think is a unique case because you know, I come from not a large family but there were four of us and it seemed like I was the oldest. And I always thought the younger ones got all the favors and the younger ones thought the older ones got away with everything. And the ones in the middle felt kind of wedged in between and forgotten. I remember one time we were visiting in a home I'd never visited there before and I didn't know the brethren. So we got in in the afternoon and.
One of the young lads came home from school after a while and so I said to him I noticed they had a ping pong table. I said would you like to play some ping pong. I wanted to get to know him a little bit and so we batted the ball back and forth for a while and I had read the brief the friends by name before I got there and I assumed from reading it that he was the youngest member of the family and I said are you the youngest in the family? He said yes and I don't appreciate it either. Well I said why? Well he said all the older ones pick on me. You see wherever we come in a large family sometimes it's hard and.
Those of us who have children, perhaps it's hard sometimes to treat each of our children as individuals. But everyone of us in the family of God, every member of the Church, is of equal importance and value, because they were not only great stones, but they were costly. And old brethren, what did it cost him? He gave up all that he had. He sold everything that he might buy the field for the treasure that was in it. He was that merchant man when he had found one Pearl of great price.
He went out and sold all that he had that he might buy that Pearl, which speaks to us, of the church. And so they were, they were costly stones, and each stone was brought and put in place. And you know, it says that in the building of the temple there was not the sound of a hammer or a chisel or any tool heard. It was a silent work. And it was just a little feeble picture, a feeble foreshadow of the silent work that's going on in this world now.
As the church is being built, one stone added upon another and when every stone, when that last stone is put in place.
Then I believe the church will be raptured safely, home to glory. Well, we're going to move on. Now I want to talk about the body. We're going to move counterclockwise or clockwise on this, this chart. We're going to talk about the body. And my artwork broke down on this one because some time ago I was taking up these charts at an assembly and there was a young lad on the front row. And before the meeting started, I said, what have I used to illustrate the body?
Well, he guessed two or three things and never did get it right. But I've tried to draw a loaf of bread and we'll talk about why a little later on. Now, to introduce this subject, let's go over to 1St Corinthians 12, and you'll forgive me if, without turning to it, I just go back to the building for a minute, because I did mention that we have the building not only as the temple but as the house. And in First Timothy he tells him, Paul tells Timothy.
Speaks of the pelt, the assembly, as the pillar and ground of the truth, and how he ought to behave himself in the House of God. And so I would just say when it's the temple, it's in connection with worship. When it's the the house, it's in connection with responsibility. And you know, when Paul wrote to Timothy there, he wasn't just telling him how he was to behave when he came to meeting. Now that's an important aspect of things, and we won't get into that because I do believe there ought to be a realization.
When we come on to the assembly meetings as to whose presence we're coming into, the Lord of life and glory and what is acceptable, If you were going to have an audience with the President of the United States or the Queen of England, you would be grilled beforehand on what would be acceptable as you come into their presence, perhaps even the dress and what you would say, and so on, the mode of conduct. And so that is an important aspect of things, and I trust we never lose sight of it, but.
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What Paul is really telling Timothy there is that as being and as being part of the church, the house, Timothy had a responsibility and there was a conduct as being part of that church that was acceptable to one who was brought in to that position. And brethren, we need to realize as we go about from day-to-day that the world looks on and that there is to be a conduct about us and when we think of the dignity of the position we've been brought into.
It ought to give us that character as members of the Church of God and as sons and heirs of sons and heirs of God. I remember of brothers told me one time he listened to his father give a an address on pride and completely denounce pride. And so after the meeting was over, he went up to his father and he said, Father, if I didn't have some self respect and some pride, I wouldn't care if my shoes were shined or my tie was straight or my jacket matched all, his father said, If you remember at all times the dignity of the position you've been brought into.
It will take care of all that without one ounce of pride. Well, I say we need to realize and remember the position we've been brought into and that there is a conduct in connection with it. Now let's go on with the body here in First Corinthians 12.
And verse 12 for as the body is 1 and half many members.
And all the members of that one body, being many, are one body. So also is Christ, or I believe it should read the Christ. Now I think this is very precious because we can understand this in a natural body, that every member has a function and that there is a head, and that there is are the members of the body. And here you and I who compose the spiritual body are viewed by God, we the members on earth, Christ the head in glory. And remember what I said. Not only did the Spirit of God unite those believers on the day of Pentecost.
But united them not only one to another, but united them to their head in glory. And God views the head in glory Christ.
He views the members on earth and so close is our connection that he views the completed body and he says it's Christ. That's the relationship that we have been brought into brethren as members of the body of Christ. And God views us with Christ ahead and says complete it's Christ so near, so very near to God. I cannot near be from the person of his Son. I am as near as he.
And you know, when God brought the woman to Adam who was taken from his side, you know, sometimes the question is raised, what did God call the first woman he ever created? And usually the answer is given ease. But Adam called his wife's name Eve. God called their name Adam in the day in which he created them. So close was the relationship that he called their name Adam. And here, so close, is the relationship that he says.
It's it's Christ.
Well, I believe in One Corinthians 12, and we won't take time to read these verses here, but I believe what he's bringing before us in connection with the body is the function of the members of the body in the proper way. Now, again, we can understand this in a natural body because every member of our body in a natural sense has a particular function. And you know, if you lose a hand or a foot, well, the other can take over and you can get through life, but not as well as with two Every member is important. And you know, some members of our body have a function that we're not even aware of.
And yet I believe that if that function broke down, we would miss that member and I just want to apply this in connection.
With the local aspect of things, the Church in its local aspect, because we profess to be gathered to the Lord's name on the ground of the one body.
And I believe we need to feel our responsibility as members of the body of Christ. And I sometimes wonder if there aren't assemblies who suffer a lack because there are those in the assembly who don't carry out the little function that God has given them to do. I've wondered if that's what Paul meant when he wrote to the Saints at Colossae because there was a man there named Archippus. And he says, and say to Archippus, take heed to the ministry that thou hast received to the Lord, that thou fulfill it. We're not told what that ministry was. Perhaps it was some little hidden service, but Paul felt he wasn't carrying it out and that the Saints at Colossi were suffering a lack. And I say sometimes it may be a little hidden service because Epifras labored in prayer and little did he realize that God had written it, was writing it down.
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To abide in His eternal record for eternity. Perhaps no one knew he was doing it. They never. Perhaps they didn't appreciate it or say thank you because he didn't know it. They didn't know he was doing it. It takes real grace and going on before the Lord to carry out some little function, but every one of us have a function in connection with the body because he's placed the members in the body as it have pleased him. If you ever have difficulty with a brother and sister, just remember that he placed the members in the body as it pleased him.
Scripture. We never thought people were never given liberty to choose the company of people they associated with. I think of Gideon. Gideon was told whom I say shall go with thee, shall go with thee, and whom I say shall not go with thee, shall not go with thee. When the Lord chose the 12, he didn't ask their opinion as to whether they thought they could get along one with another. He did the choosing. And so he's placed the members in the body as it had pleased him. And I think there's a nice encouragement again for the sisters.
Because Paul said when he wrote to the Philippian brethren and helped those women which labored with me in the gospel, there were sisters that Philippi who had been a real help in Tupaul in furthering the crew and the gospel. They'd helped him and now Paul said, you helped those women that have fulfilled their little function as members of the body of Christ.
Three women who followed the Lord in His pathway and they ministered to Him of their substance. Their names were Joanna, Susanna and Mary Magdalene. And God recorded it in his eternal record. He valued that quiet service by those, by those ladies. And so each one of us have a function. But you say I don't have any outward manifest gift. Well, you know, it's interesting because as I say, sometimes members of our natural body have a hidden little function.
And I was visiting an elderly brother some time ago in a very small assembly and he said when he was young and 1St saved and gathered a brother had come through visiting. And he said I was complaining to this brother. He said I don't have any gifts that I can use for the Lord and the assembly.
Well, the brother said to him, who make sure there's a loaf and a cup on the table on Lord's Day Morning. Well, he said I do. And he said after the meeting's over, who makes sure that things are cleaned up? Well, he said I do. And he said when the Saints go home, who make sure that the door is locked and the lights are out.
Well, it said, I do. Well, the brother turned him, just dropped down to verse 28 and God hath set some in the church. First apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers. After that miracles, then gifts of healing. And he say, I don't have any of those, but what's the next one helps.
And brethren, we can all be a help. We might read and earlier on the list of gifts, and we might say, well, I don't have any any of those.
But I wonder if any of us can get out from under this one, because it doesn't take much some time.
To be a help. And that's what we need. You know, I was preparing for a trip some months ago. I was going to be away from my family for some time and I was preparing. I was perhaps a little bit discouraged and I was doing some rather mundane tasks, but needed to be done around the house before I left. And a brother in an assembly many, many miles away, he called me up that morning, just out of the blue, just to see how we were. Couple of words of encouragement, I don't suppose we talked for more than four or five minutes.
But you know, when I hung up the phone, it just gave me a lift for the whole day. I didn't realize what just a little word, a little phone call, a little encouragement, a warm smile and a handshake, a little note just helped somebody over that rough spot. Because there's plenty of rough spots today and there's plenty to discourage. We don't need to look for things to discourage what We need bread and is, first of all, like David, to encourage ourselves in the Lord. That's the IT begins with the individual. But you know when David did that?
He went down and encouraged those that were with him and there was a great victory in Israel that day. And brethren, we need to encourage one another in the Lord. We need to be a help. I wondered if there was any connection between this helps here and what we have in the end of Acts Acts 27 where you find Paul in the ship and they were anticipating a storm and it says they secured the helps. Well, I was visiting in Pleasantville, Nova Scotia some some months ago and many of the old brethren they're on in their 90s, they followed the sea.
In their younger days and they remember the days of wooden sea going vessels, so I asked them what were the helps.
Well, they said they were metal cables that when they were anticipating a storm.
They would throw these cables over the bow of the ship, draw them back around the side of the ship. At different intervals they were brought up, secured to a pulley and tightened to help hold the ship together as the storm approached. And oh, I thought, how beautiful. We need the help, brethren. We're not anticipating a storm. The storms are here. The seas, the waves. It's like the disciples. When they were in the ship, the waves were high and the wind was contrary. There was that opposition by Satan and those forces around them. That's the days in which we live.
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Brethren, we need the helps. God would have us go on in happy fellowship, just as he encouraged those disciples to get into that ship together to go to the other side. Oh, I just say we need to be a help one to another. And we don't realize sometime how the little things can be a help. But I say again, we need to be exercised. God has given us all different bends to our nature. He's given us different characteristics, and we need to seek to carry out the little function that He has given us. You know, when the Levites were in the wilderness.
The children of Israel were in the wilderness. Everyone of the Levites was given a service in connection with the Tabernacle, And when that Levite carried out his service, that he was given in the proper way. And as before the Lord, then the Tabernacle was taken down, carried through the wilderness, and set up in the proper way with, I'm sure, very little difficulty. And, you know, they weren't to look at one another's service and covet that and say, you know, I think of the one who perhaps kept the pots and pans together or the one who.
Kept the cords from tangling, or went around and picked up the pins. He wasn't to look at the one who carried the brazen altar or carried the boards and say, whoa, I wish I could do some great thing like that. No. What was what was his reward? Not the greatness of the service, but doing it as unto the Lord. And when he did that, he knew that he was doing that which the Lord had given him to do, and that things worked in a proper way. And so it says in Galatians, let every man prove his own word, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone.
And not in another. Well, brethren, if you'll bear with me. Just for a few more minutes, I would like to finish the subject of the body.
And then tomorrow night Impella will go on with this subject. But if you just turn over with me for another thought in connection with the body.
To Colossians Chapter one.
In verse 18 And he is the head of the body, the Church, who is the beginning.
The first born from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. Now just as in a natural body, all the members take their instruction from the head or from the brain, so in the spiritual sense of things, where are the members of the body, you and I, to get our instruction? It's from Christ.
You know, I used to sit in conferences as a young person and a child, and I would hear brethren. I remember dear old Armstead Barry used to tell us often brethren were not holding the head, and I used to wonder what he meant by that. Though I believe that, Simply put, it just means that we're not looking to Christ, who is the head of the body for the instruction that we, the members on earth need. We perhaps try to do things in our own strength and by our own wisdom.
And I think, brethren, this is important in the day in which we live. Because, you know, this is a day when you read the paper, you listen to the news and everything screams of democracy. And democracy is on the rise. And states that were parts of other countries are now rising up and wanting their independence and ruled by the majority. And again, don't misunderstand me, I'm glad I live in the country of Canada and you're glad you live in the United States, where the government.
Allows us the freedoms that we do, but you know, you can search the pages of God's word.
And you'll never find democracy ordained of God. It's not there. You'll never find rule by the people and for the people, as they say. And we have to remember, brethren, when we come to the assembly. We gather around himself. We're at His table, and his authority must be owned and maintained. Brethren, I feel a special burden in these days.
Assembly is not a democracy. The assembly is not where the majority rules. You know, I am thankful for my dear old brethren, and God has left them to us. And we who are younger are to submit ourselves to them. And I really feel that there would be a lot less difficulty if those of us who were younger would submit to those who are older.
But, brethren, who is the authority in the assembly? It's the Lord's table. I have enjoyed some happy fellowship at Brother Howard's table this past these past few days. And whose table is it? Could I invite someone else there? No. Whose authority is owned at that table? If I act in a way that is not according to the conduct, but Brother Howard feels is acceptable to his table, he has every right to ask me to leave in his table. His authority ruled that that table.
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Brennan, if we say we're gathered.
To the Lord's name, if we say we are at his table, then his authority.
Says thou hast magnified thy word above.
Thy name and I feel again, this is so important, because, brethren, we are never justified.
In doing something in the name of the Lord Jesus without the authority of the word of God for what we do, I speak reverently. We're never to put the name above the word, You know, sometimes when a difficulty arises in the assembly, the initial reaction is something has to be done to straighten out this problem. And again, we're victims of the age in which we live, because this is the day when there's an instant answer to every difficulty, and if you have a problem, you go to the computer and you punch it in and zip.
There is the answer on the screen, and the faster the better. Or if you have a difficulty, you go to a self help book and in six easy steps we get from point A to point B. Well brethren, those things may be necessary to survive in the world in which we live. But we need to remember in the assembly he's magnified his word above his name, and we are never to act even for the Lord's glory and honor unless we have the authority of the word of God for what we do. You know, there was a difficulty at Corinth that was a very serious problem.
It required judgment, action on the part of the assembly, and the Apostle Paul writes to them and he tells them what they are to do in the name of the Lord Jesus. But when they took that step in the assembly, they had the authority of God's word because Paul was writing to them by divine inspiration. Now in a similar situation arises, we turn to 1St Corinthians 5 and we say here is the authority for what we do in the name of the Lord Jesus.
There's a nice commendation, too, given to the Saints of Philadelphia. And brethren, I trust there's no thought, even in corners of our hearts, as to being Philadelphia. But we still see it Philadelphia, that which met with the Lord's approval. And isn't that what we really covet? And it says, there are two things thou hast, thou hast kept my word, the word 1St and not denied my name. And so if we don't have in the assembly.
The authority of the Word of God for what we do. All we can do is commit the matter to the one who has head over all things to the Church, which is His body and brethren, if there is a collective exercise and a collective searching of the word of God.
And a desire to know his mind. In his time he will give us a portion of Scripture.
So that when we take that action we can say this is the authority for what we do and use them. But I don't want to be labored this, but I just feel it is important and we need again to remember that the assembly is not a democracy.
And you know, in Scripture the majority was always wrong. I'll cite just two cases. You'll find when the 12 spies went to spy the land, 10 brought an evil report from 2 brought a good report. Was the majority right? Of course not. When the Kingdom was finally rent under Jeroboam and Rehoboam, we find that 10 tribes began meeting at other centers. Dan and Bethel 2 remained at Jerusalem. Was the majority right? No. God honored those that remained at Jerusalem, even though the perhaps the spirit of the thing hadn't been right. But they remained there and God honored that.
And the Lord Jesus said himself, straight as the gate, and narrow as the way that leadeth unto light, and few there be that find it. And so the majority in Scripture is always wrong.
And I would just say this in closing tube brethren, that he not only wants first place, but he wants the only place. It's his table, It's his word. He is the authority. He is the head of the body and we need to look to him for our instruction. Shall we pray?