Address—Joseph Countouris
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Maybe we could start by singing #172.
So teach us more of thy blessed ways, Thou holy Lamb of God. Could somebody start that please?
I'm going to ask him for his help.
Our God and our loving Father, we thank thee so very much for thy Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we thank you for this time that we have to open up Thy word. We would just ask thee for help. Ask thee for help to speak well of thy Son and to present the truth that is in thy word and.
Clear and accurate manner. We think of the greatness of the message that we have tonight.
And the weakness of the vessel presenting it, and we just would be cast upon it to undertake. We thank Thee for all that that was done for us, Lord Jesus, and Thy name we pray. Amen.
Tonight I would like to.
Talk to you about the church.
And specifically, I would like to go over what the church is.
Various aspects of it.
And then get into the truth of what is commonly referred to as the One Place or the Divine Gathering Center.
I trust that we can find tonight as we open up the Word of God, that this is not just some brethrenism, just some truth that has been made-up and passed along, but that it's in the Word of God. And if it is in the Word of God, then we should be interested in following it. My brother read the verse the other night. Tim.
Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say?
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If he's interested in it, shouldn't we be interested in it as well?
So maybe we could start tonight.
In Ephesians chapter 2 and what I'm going to do is I'm just going to ask a series of questions. Can I ask as I asked a series of questions? I'm going to look into the word of God and try to find an answer.
So the first question that I would ask is what is the church?
What is it?
Ephesians chapter 2.
We'll read from verse 11. Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision, and the flesh made by hands. But at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world, but now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off or made nigh by the blood of Christ.
For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in himself of twain. 1 Newman, so making peace.
As you look around Christendom today, or speak to your friends, your Christian friends, some may tell you that the church is simply an extension of Israel.
As you look at the word church coming from ecclesia or called out ones.
They'll say, well, listen, Abraham was called out.
Abraham was part of the church.
Israel must have been part of the church, and today we're simply an extension of Israel.
But these verses show us that the Church is something different.
The church are the Church is composed of those who have been called out of those who are Gentiles and Jews.
And the Lord has made something new he hath made of twain. 1 Newman, Maybe we could turn over to 1St Corinthians chapter 10. Verse 32 will show us these three different groups of people.
This has given none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God.
Before Abraham was called out, this world was composed of one group of people. Abraham was called Isaac.
Jacob, the children of Israel.
We have in them two groups of people, Jews, Gentiles or Israel Gentiles.
Today we have three groups of people, Jews, Gentiles, and the Church of God. At the rapture, when we're called home to heaven, it'll go back to two groups of people, Jews and Gentiles. And after the Millennium is over, eternity begins, we'll be back to one group of people on earth. The church will be in heaven.
So what is the church? Is it this building?
Is it a building with stained glass? Is it a building with a steeple and a cross? Is that what the church is commonly referred to in this world? I'm going to church.
Now the church is you and I. The Church is those who have been called out of being both Jews and Gentiles, believers and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Next question I have is when did this church begin? We've already mentioned that some might believe or say that it was an extension of Israel and maybe we could turn over to Acts chapter 2 to see when it began.
Acts chapter 2 and verse one. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as a fire, and it sat upon each of them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Lorded prophesied when he was here, and John, you can read of it that he was going to leave, he's going to die, rising in the third day, ascending to heaven. And when that happened, he was going to send another comforter, the Spirit of God.
The Spirit of God comes on the day of Pentecost. This is what's called the baptism of the Spirit of God, and we're going to read about this a little bit later in First Corinthians. And there's some error in Christenham today as to what the baptism of the Spirit of God is. Some believe that every believer is baptized with the Spirit of God. When you're baptized with the Spirit of God, it's almost like an extra gift that you get. And when it happens, you can speak in tongues, you can do miraculous things.
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That's not quite true.
The baptism of the Spirit of God is the act of the Spirit of God informing the church, forming something that was never there before, something that was hid in God from the foundation of the world.
How do we know that?
Well, one way we can see it is the baptism of the Spirit of God is mentioned seven times in Scripture, four times in the Gospels, with.
John the Baptist and once with the Lord in the previous chapter, Acts chapter one.
All of those times they look forward to an event, they look forward to something, something that's going to happen.
And then there's 2 * 1 in Acts Chapter 11 and one in First Corinthians chapter 12 That we'll look at later. And they look back at something. What's in between the day of Pentecost?
This is the baptism of the Spirit of God. This is when the Spirit of God took 100 about 120 believers in that upper room.
Join them together and they became the Church, united with their head, the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven, something that was completely new.
Next, I'd like to talk to you about some ways that the church is viewed in Scripture.
As you look through the Word of God, oftentimes the Word of God will present a truth.
And the Spirit of God will look at that truth from various angles you can look at.
New birth, for example, being born again when the Spirit of God imparts life. One way the Spirit of God looks at that is by being born again. You can read that in John chapter three. Another way you can look at it is by quickening.
Both are looking at the same.
Truth. It's just looking at it from a different angle.
The church is much the same. The church is taken up in I believe either 10 or 12 different aspects to put that as a city, a bride, a Candlestick, various ways, but there's two main 2 main ways that the church is viewed. One is a house and one is a body.
And maybe we could turn over to First Timothy chapter 3 to see the aspect of the house.
First Timothy chapter 3 and verse 15 says, But if I tarry long the thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the House of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Of God presents to us.
The Church viewed in its testimony before this world.
And you and I are to be a pillar and ground of the truth that we hold. And our lives bear that out. And.
If we walk according to the word of God, we will be that. And if we don't?
We won't be that.
As a house, we're to show this world as you go through First Timothy, that we have a savior God, a God who loves and a God who desires to save. And as we live according to the word of God, men look on and without us speaking, they see that aspect of the church.
The other aspect is that of a body.
And this is the main way that I want to speak speak tonight. And we can read this in Ephesians chapter one. Ephesians chapter one, verse 22 Says.
Actually I'll read from.
A.
Verse 20.
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.
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Far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world.
But also and that which is to come, and hath put all things under his feet.
And gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body.
The fullness of him that filleth All in all, the church, which is His body. So he saw the church, which is the house. Now we see the church, which is His body. An incredible thought here that it says, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth All in all. How can it be that you and I, composed of the body of Christ, fulfill?
The Son of God, it's an amazing thing to think about. He is our head.
And as the body, we take direction from him.
So we've seen a few few instances of how the body of Christ is viewed.
Now I would like to focus in on how the Church is viewed as the body of Christ and what instruction you and I get.
From this aspect.
In the word of God. So maybe we could turn over to 1St Corinthians chapter 12.
First Corinthians chapter 12 Says.
In verse 12, whereas the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
He's speaking here of a human body and he's giving us a picture and he's saying look at a human body.
Look at all the members of that human body, the fingers, the toes, the legs, the hands, the arms.
And he says there's many members.
But there's just one body.
So also is Christ or the Christ.
Verse 13 For by 1 spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been made, have been all made to drink into one spirit.
For the body is not one member, but many. Here's the verse I was alluding to earlier, the baptism of the Spirit of God which looks back to Pentecost. If you look in the Mr. Darby's notes, I believe it is.
He speaks of this being in the heiress tents, which means it's a once and for all and forever act.
That happened on the Day of Pentecost.
You and I, when we get saved and sealed by the Spirit of God, we join this already formed body.
Verse 20 But now are they many members yet but one body? Verse 25 That there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another.
So on and so forth. So we get a picture here first we get a picture of the body, the human body. What is it? Many members acting as one. So also is the Christ. The church is the same. You and I are the same. We are one body.
Just one we're not two, we're not three, we're not 4. Every believer sealed by the Spirit of God in this world today, we are all.
Let's turn over to Ephesians chapter 4.
Ephesians presents to us.
God's eternal councils. And in the first chapter, if you read the 1St chapter, what you'll find is God reveals his eternal counsels and his eternal counsels is that his Son would be glorified in heaven and earth during the dispensation of the fullness of times. And what's brought out during this epistle, primarily only in this epistle is the fact that the church.
The body of Christ.
Is a special vessel.
That's been hidden God from the foundation of the world to bring forth glory to the Lord Jesus Christ in that day.
And he unfolds that in the first chapter and the 2nd chapter where we just read. What we find is that God is met with several difficulties.
That he has to work through in bringing his eternal counsels to pass in this day. The 1St is the material that he's using and it's dead material. We were dead, we were filth. There was no life in US. And God comes in and he grants life.
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Another thing that we read that was a difficulty that he was met with is that there was enmity between a Jew and a Gentile. They didn't get along. They didn't like each other. How is he going to overcome that? He was going to make something new.
No longer were you going to be a Jew, no longer were you going to be a Gentile. You were going to become something different. You're going to become the body of Christ.
Chapter 3 He shows us how he made this known through a special vessel, the apostle Paul. The apostle Paul went out and he preached on this, the gospel.
He come to chapter 4 and what he presents to us is how do we apply these truths from the first three chapters practically in our life today? How do we walk in that today?
First one I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation, wherewith ye are called with all loneliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. There is one body.
What does it mean to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called?
It's to walk practically in light of what is true, in fact.
What's true? In fact, we are one body. The call to you and I today, as it was 2000 years ago, is to walk practically as one body.
Because we are one body.
Maybe we could turn over to 1St Corinthians chapter 10.
First Corinthians chapter 10, verse 15. I speak as to wise men. Judge you what I say, The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread.
Behold, Israel after the flesh, are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What say I then, that the idol is anything, or that which is offered and sacrificed to idols is anything but? I say that the things with the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice the devils, and not to God. And I would not have. I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. He cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils.
He cannot be partakers of the Lord's Table and the Table of devils.
What we have presented here is a.
Truth concerning our fellowship and we have three different fellowships presented to us. One is the Lord's table, one is the table of demons, and one is the Israels altar. And briefly what is brought out is that when you partake of one, you're associated with everything that that table has you're associated with everything that that fellowship has. So if you were go go into a.
A. A demon's temple, some place where they worship the devil.
Anywhere to partake of that?
Sacrifice. You're associating yourself with everything that that.
Table is associated with. If you were to go back to Judaism and partake of the altar, you're associating yourself with everything that Israel has to offer.
But what is presented here as well is the Lord's Table. And what you'll notice is that there's just one. And somebody might ask, well, what is the Lord's Table?
Was it that table that was here in the middle of the room Lord's Day that we had the loaf and the wine on?
Certainly not.
Because there's only one.
Were there any breaking bread in Grand Rapids that that morning?
What about back in Dorothy? Where I come from, if they had a table in the middle of their room, that would mean that there was at least 2 tables.
That's just the table that we put the loaf on. That's just the table we put the cup on.
A table speaks to us of fellowship.
And what the Lord wants is he wants to have fellowship with us. He wants to have communion. What's communion? Communion is common. Thoughts common?
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Thoughts with the Lord What common thoughts with the Lord in regards to what?
What's verse 16 saying? It says the cup of blessing which we blesses and not communion of the blood of Christ.
There are some churches in Christendom where you have to be something to join the Church of England. Not sure if it's still that way, but you'd have to be English to join.
Church of Scotland, same thing. Others produce a doctrine and say you have to hold to this doctrine. Maybe it's you have to be baptized. Baptism becomes the standard.
We have the broadest.
Fellowship there is, you don't have to be English, you don't have to be Baptist, you don't have to be Scottish, you have to be saved. You have to be a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. And when you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ at this table, the spiritual table where the Lord is seeking to have fellowship.
And Communion. There's a place for you there. There's a place for every single member of the body of Christ in the entire world at this table. Everyone. It's there.
Doesn't mean that you are there or that anyone else is there, but there's a spot for everyone who's saved.
But let's continue. Common thoughts about what? What is the Lord seeking to have common thoughts about the bread which we break? Is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, being many are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread.
The Lord wants to have common thoughts and fellowship with you and I about the fact.
That we are one body that every Christian.
True believer in this world, we are one body with them.
There's only one.
In Ephesians we saw that he wants us to practically express this truth that we're one body.
Somebody might say.
Well, you think you're the only ones who have the Lord in your midst.
It's looking at the truth completely wrong.
First you have to establish whether or not there is a truth that there is one place where the Lord is gathering by the Spirit of God.
To this table where he can have fellowship with us and communion where he will be in the midst.
And if there is such a table, if there is such a place?
And the Spirit of God is gathering, and I'm there. There was nothing on my part. It was simply the grace of God that brought me here.
The point isn't that we have it or I have it. The point is that the Word of God says it, and the Spirit of God is gathering and I want to be there. I want to be where the Lord is. Don't you?
Shouldn't we all?
If his desire is to be with us.
Wouldn't we want to be where he is? Somebody might say.
When I go to my church, the Lord is with me just as much as He is with you. You telling me he's not with me?
And to an extent that's true. Maybe we could look at Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 5.
Hebrews chapter 13 and verse five. It says at the end of the verse where he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Our brother mentioned Lords day morning that if you're a true believer, the Lord Jesus Christ lives in your heart. He will never leave thee nor forsake thee.
Personally, he will always be with you.
But there's something else that the Lord presents to us in His Word that goes beyond just His personal presence with us wherever we go.
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Maybe we could turn over to Matthew chapter 18.
Matthew chapter 18 and verse 20 says.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
This isn't personal anymore, this is collective.
This is a promise he gave.
That where two or three were gathered together, he was going to be in the midst of them.
Now somebody could probably have an entire meeting on this subject from this verse.
I'm simply presenting to you what I've enjoyed from this topic.
And I just want to bring out a couple of things from this verse and then look back at the previous verses.
The first thing is that the assembly is composed of at least two or three or more.
The second thing is that there is a gatherer it says are gathered. It's not just simply that we come together.
That, you know, we're going to get together on Saturday night and you know something because we're getting together, the Lord is going to be there.
Is that what this is saying, that wherever two or three believers get together?
We say tonight at 10:45.
Before everybody goes to bed, a few of us are going to meet back here and we're going to pray.
And this verse tells us that we're going to have the collective presence of the Lord. Is that what it's saying? It's not. And we'll we'll see that.
But what it is telling us is that there's a gatherer, and that gatherer is the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God is trying to take those who are in Christianity Today and gather them.
To the Lord's Table, where they can have common thoughts with the Lord in regards to the truth that there is one body and practically express this truth.
I want to share with you something I heard in North Carolina.
From a brother, Nick Simon, and I've never seen what he mentioned before.
And they made the trip for me.
Worthwhile just for the one comment that he made.
He mentioned that if we read back here, and I'll just read it from verse 15. Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gain thy brother. But if he shall not hear thee, then take with thee to one or two more than the mouth of two or three witnesses. Every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it under the church. But if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man.
Why these ones have to bring it to the church?
Why did they have to go and take that extra step and bring it to the church?
There was two or three of them there.
There was the original man and there was one or two more. If the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ is collectively in our midst, whenever two or three come together, they had it. They had two or three. They could have judged that matter because the Lord Jesus was collectively in their midst, because they had come together, but they couldn't and they didn't.
And they had to bring it under the church. Why? Because it's not just when two or three come together, it's when two or three are gathered by the Spirit of God.
It's not just when we happen to come together or plan to come together. There's a reason behind it.
And there's the Spirit of God behind it.
I'd like to take a digression.
And look back at history for one minute.
So far we've seen what the church is.
Ones who are called out from Jews and Gentiles to form the Church of God. We saw where it began. But it's a new dispensation, a new working with God, a new man.
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At the day of Pentecost we saw various ways in which the church is viewed as a house, as a body, various ways in which we are, we have responsibility in regards to how the church is viewed from truth and the Word of God.
We saw that there was one table, one fellowship.
Where the Spirit of God is gathering Christians to express the truth that there is one body.
And his promise that he would be in the midst of two or three.
But you might talk to a friend who tells you that's all good, that's all fine, I'll go along with that.
For 2000 years ago.
Because the truth that you tell me from First Corinthians and the truth that you tell me from Ephesians was written at a time when you didn't have 4000 denominations or 5000, or however many is out there. And quite frankly, there's no possible way for us to express the truth that there's one body.
Because in Christendom, most believers aren't interested in it.
So what I'd like to do is I'd like to just go back to the beginning, the early church.
Maybe we could turn to Acts chapter 2.
Acts, chapter 2, verse 41.
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized in the same day. They were added unto them about 3000 souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles, and all that believed were together.
And had all things common. And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men.
Every man had need, and they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all people. And the Lord added to the Church daily, such as should be saved.
How many tables were there?
During this time.
How many fellowships were there?
How many?
Expressions of the one body were there. There was just one. They're all going on as one, just one church practically expressing that truth that they were one body because they were one body.
Somebody might say, well, you know.
I don't think that God anticipated the ruin that was going to come in.
And what was good for them back then, quite frankly, we just have to set aside the word of God because it just wasn't anticipated and as absurd as a thought as you and I might find that maybe there's some here who have heard that.
Maybe we could turn to Acts chapter 20.
Acts chapter 20, verse 29. The apostle Paul, speaking to the elders at Ephesus, says, For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock also of your own cells shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples.
After them and then First Corinthians Chapter 11.
Verse 18 For first of all, when you come together in the church, I hear there will be divisions among you, which is sometimes we use the word division to speak about a division that occurred back in such and such a date, an outward division, but division is more.
Defined in the Word of God by something that is internal in the assembly, not yet external. And he says, I partly believe it, For there must also be heresies among you.
That's the outward division, but they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
Do you, thank God, did not anticipate ruin coming into the church.
We could multiply scriptures, Revelation Two and three Timothy over and over again to show that God anticipated ruin coming into the church.
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I have a question to ask you. If we look at the church in its early history and we see it going on with one accord, practically expressing the truth that they were one body.
And all of a sudden you have grievous wolves coming up among the flock.
And it says, and they drew disciples away to themselves.
Where were they? They were at the Lord's Table. Where were they drawn away from the Lord's Table?
What was established? A table of man Men's tables.
It's what you see throughout Christendom today.
Men establishing their own tables.
Now let's take a. Let's just look at this and say that there is an assembly there.
And.
They were going on.
And all of a sudden there was a schism in the body of Harrison and there was a man there and he took away half the assembly, say the assembly was 100 people and he took 50 people away.
And they said we're not going to stay here or leaving. They left. And you know what they did? They set up their own meeting track. They set it up right next door.
And they had a meeting room right next door, and after about a week or two, they were able to.
Come together and the way they came together was almost identical.
To the way they had just been meeting two weeks before, almost identical. The only thing that perhaps separated those two groups was the point of contention that caused them to divide.
Now they were at the Lord's table. The Lord was there in the midst when they gathered together by the Spirit of God.
Some left.
Started another table, another fellowship. When they got all established, what did the Lord say? What do you say? Well, I mean, they're going on almost just the same. I guess I'm going to go over and be in their midst as well. I'm going to have the Spirit of God gather to either one of these places.
The Spirit of God can choose. He can either choose A or he can choose B, and he's going to leave lead a believer to either go to A or to go to B.
What do you think? Wouldn't that be a practical denial of the truth that there is one body?
You have two groups of Christians who can't fellowship with one another, and yet the Spirit of God would be gathering to both of those.
It's impossible.
It would be a practical denial that we are one body.
Next question, has he given any instruction?
On how to practically express this truth that we are one body and the day we are living in.
Can we find anything in the Word of God that would help us to see that you and I can still practically express the truth of the One Body even in the midst of such chaos and ruin in the church?
Let's look over at Second Timothy chapter 2.
Second Timothy, chapter 2 and verse 18.
Who concerning the truth have aired, saying that the resurrection is passed already, and overthrow the faith of some? Nevertheless the foundation of God stand is sure. Having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are His, and let everyone that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, some to honor and some to dishonor.
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified.
And make for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good work. We also use the lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them. I call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
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Second, Timothy presents to us the House of God in ruin. It's no longer a pillar and ground of the truth pillar in support of the truth. It is now looked at and ruined because of what man has done.
And the apostle Paul gives instruction to Timothy.
On what to do.
In such a day, this is the day that we're living in. We're living in a day when the testimony of the church is in ruin.
He presents to us three things to look for, doctrinal evil, the word sewn by Hymenaeus and Phalidus, ecclesiastical evil and moral evil.
And the call is to separate from those. Even within Christianity, he says there needs to be separation because he says in Christianity you're going to run into run into some who don't care about the doctrinal evil. They don't care about the ecclesiastical evil, they don't care about the moral evil.
He says you need to separate yourself.
From those.
The point that he wants you and I to get to is that he wants us to be a vessel.
Meet for the masters, use and prepare it unto every good work you know you can leave here in six months from now, a month from now, two years from now.
You can leave the assembling and you can go to a church if you're choosing.
But I'll say to you that.
You won't be able to be.
A vessel prepared unto every good work, you still might be able to do good. I have no doubt there are very there are many very well meaning Christians who love the Lord and christened them today.
But the Lord wants us to be prepared unto every good work. You take this picture of this man's house.
It's this rich man and he has a huge house, a great house, and he has all these vessels. Let's say that he just went and he just had a big dinner. And they take the plates and they take the silverware and they throw it into this big sink.
And in that sink you find good.
You find good vessels, but they're all mixed up with things that aren't very good.
And let's say you reach down into that sink and you pick up a fork, and on that fork it's got some bits of food on it.
Would you want to go sit down at the table and eat with that? Say no.
Could you use that fork for something? Sure you could. You can go out to the garden.
And you could weed with that fork, right? You could find multiple uses for that fork, but it wouldn't be a fork that you could use for every work you couldn't use it to eat with.
Well, what the Lord is instructing here is that He needs you to separate from that.
To be put into that drawer where the silverware is clean so that you can be used for every good work.
Now this truth isn't specifically dealing with the assembly. This brings you to the doorstep of the assembly. This is as you're traveling through Christendom and you look around and you see all the ruin, and you say, what am I to do?
And the Lord says separate from it.
And then follow them, which call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Even when you separate from ones who are going on carelessly with doctrinal.
Ecclesiastical or moral evil, the Lord promises that there are going to be some that you can still go on with. There are going to be some that you can still practically express this truth that we are one body with.
So you could tell your friend who had asked that question.
Can we really today practice the truth that we find in Ephesians chapter 4 when the body of Christ doesn't care? You can say, yes, we can, but we have to look at Ephesians 4 now through the porthole of Second Timothy chapter 2, and we have to see that the truth is still there and we can follow that truth in every aspect, but it's no longer.
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Up on top of the deck of the ship, wide open, expressing that truth with every believer. Not anymore. Not in the ruin that's here today. Now we're down below.
It's more constricted, there's not as many.
But the Lord promises that you can still express it. You can still practically walk in that truth. Now why is it important?
Do you call him Lord?
The Lord says in.
John, Chapter 14.
He says, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. There's nobody who wants to bring bring us home to glory more than the Lord. He wants it more than you and I.
Do you think there's anybody else today before that day happens?
That he wants to share.
Time with her brother, mentioned Mr. Bremen. Forget your first name, sorry.
If the Lord was at McDonald's, where would you and I be? We'd be there, right? The Lord has promised us that he's in the midst. He's in the midst. Lord's Day morning for breaking of bread, for the reading meeting, for the prayer meeting, for the meeting, for ministry, for meetings, for discipline. He's there in the midst.
If you could see him with your eyes, if you walked into that meeting room and you actually saw him sitting there in the front row in the midst or standing, would you show up? Would you go? Would you make sure you were there? I certainly would.
He's there.
Just because you can't see Him with your eyes doesn't mean it's any less true. He promises us in His word that He's there, and if He's there, He wants you to be there. Now my point isn't tonight to tell you where that place is. It's not to tell you to get gathered. My point is for you to just see that there is a truth that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the midst.
That the Spirit of God is gathering.
Souls.
And if it's true, ask the Lord where it is.
Ask the Lord, tell the Lord that you want to be where He is in the midst, and if you're honest in your soul, He will lead you there.
That's His promise. That's all I have. We just thank the Lord for the time.
Our God and our loving Father, we thank thee again for thy Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We thank the Lord Jesus for all that thou has done for us, and we wonder how it could be that.
Such a God of grace.
Could love us when there is nothing in us to love? How could be that?
Now its desire to spend time with us, and yet we know from Thy word it is true, and we just ask Thee to help us to have a desire in our hearts. Put a desire there to be where Thou art, to recognize Thy order.
And to have a desire to walk in the good of it. We just thank Thee again for this time, thanking Thee for all that that was done for us. Lord Jesus and thy name we pray. Amen.