Meeting Together #5 – Fellowship of Christ

[00:00:00] Now shall we read together in one corinthians, chapter twelve? And from verse twelve I'm going to read in the version by JB Phillips, as the human body, which has many parts, is a unity, and those parts, despite their multiplicity, constitute one single body. So it is with Christ. [00:00:29] For we were all baptized by the spirit into one body, whether we were Jews, Greeks, slaves or free men. And we have all had experience of the same spirit. Now the body is not one member, but many. If the foot should say, because I am not a hand, I don't belong to the body, does that alter the fact that the foot is a part of the body? Or if the ear should say, because I am not an eye, I dont belong to the body? Does that mean that the ear really is not a part of the body? After all? If the body were all one eye, for example, where would be the sense of hearing? Or if it were all one ear, where would be the sense of smell? But God has arranged all the parts in the one body according to his design. [00:01:21] For if everything were concentrated in one part, how could there be a body at all? [00:01:27] Very good point. [00:01:29] If everything were concentrated in one part, how could there be a body at all? The fact is, there are many parts, but only one body. So that the eye cannot say to the hand, I don't need you, nor again can the head say to the feet, I don't need you. Or on the contrary, those parts of the body which have no obvious function are the more essential to health. And to those parts of the body which seem to us to be less deserving of notice, we have to allow the highest honor of function. The parts which do not look beautiful have a deeper beauty in the work they do. While the parts which look beautiful may not be at all essential to life, but God has harmonized the whole body by giving importance of function to the parts which lack apparent importance, that the body should work together as a whole with all the members in sympathetic relationship with one another. [00:02:41] So it happens that if one member suffers, all the other members suffer with it. And if one member is honoured, all the members share a common joy. Now you are together the body of Christ, and individually you are members of him. [00:03:04] And in his church God has appointed first, some to be his messengers, secondly, some to be preachers of power, thirdly, teachers. After them he is appointed workers of spiritual power, men with gift of healing, helpers, organizers, and those with the gift of speaking in tongues. As we look at the body of Christ, do we find all our his messengers, all our preachers or all teachers, all able to heal, all able to speak with tongues or all able to interpret the tongues? No, we find God's distribution of gifts is on the same principles of harmony that he has shown in the human body. You should set your hearts on the best spiritual gifts, but I shall show you a way which surpasses them. [00:04:13] Now, last week we ended on the point of the fellowship of Christ. [00:04:22] And if you take your notes, you will see on the last back page the points that we covered in this matter of the fellowship of Christ. We've asked ourselves the question, why are you or why am I at Halford House? And although now we cannot go over it, you've got it here in the notes. To just sum it up, we have said that we believe that the Lord is out to recover something of the nature of his church before the Lord Jesus returns, and that therefore, he has led us to take what we have called the ground of the body of Christ. And we have said, this means, in practice, if you like, in its outworking, it means, firstly, the absolute headship of Jesus Christ in his people or over his people by the Holy Spirit. That's the first thing. And the second thing was the church, his body, a heavenly thing, and therefore inexplicable on the natural level. [00:05:36] And then the third point, the church his body, an organism and not an organization. [00:05:45] And the fourth point which we dealt with, or we began to deal with last week, was this one, the church, his body, the fellowship of Christ. [00:05:59] Now, this word fellowship, which is used quite a lot in the New Testament, is often not understood by christians, and where it is understood, it is often not given its full depth of meaning. It is not to do with external. It doesn't mean just a little bit of spiritual chatter, just a kind of few helpful words, a kind of informal gathering where perhaps we discuss some problem. That's fellowship. That is included in the word fellowship. But fellowship is not just that. It is not to do with mere externals. It's not anything to do with something just superficial, if you like. [00:06:54] This matter of fellowship is absolutely fundamental and essential. [00:07:04] And we were looking, or we started last week from the verse in one corinthians, chapter one and verse nine. God is faithful through whom ye were called into the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ our Lord. The fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ our Lord. The word fellowship means, it comes from a root meaning, to have everything in common. Everything's in common. [00:07:47] And it really just means partnership, sharing, participation in God is faithful through whom you were called into participation in his son. Now, if you think about that, that could be, and surely is the theme of the first letter of Corinth, the first corinthian letter, participation in his son. [00:08:16] That's what this 12th chapter is all about. It's what the 11th chapter is all about. It's what the 14th chapter is all about. And it's what the 15th chapter is all about. And all those problems about immorality and lawsuits and faction and division are settled on this basis, that all of you at Corinth are participants. [00:08:41] You are all sharing the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the fellowship that you have been called into. And as we said, or as we've said, the body that the figure, the figure of the body that we find in one corinthians chapter twelve is the perfect example of what this word fellowship means. My body is a fellowship. I have thousands of parts in my body, some visible, many invisible, some important, some not so important. But I have thousands of parts in my body. [00:09:21] They don't all occupy the same position, they don't all have the same function. Yet every single one of them shares one head, one life, and one entity. It's as simple as that. [00:09:39] My body is a fellowship. Every one of the members, parts of my body has been called into participation in Lance Lambert, every one of the members in your body has been called not to participation in me, but into participation in you. [00:09:57] And that's what this fellowship of Christ is all about. Now, I am not going to go over any more last week. What I want to take up this evening is just the point where we ended, and that is that the church is a body, not a member. [00:10:23] The body has many members. It's not one member. It was never meant to be, as we said last week, a one man show or a one man band. In many places, so called churches are merely an appendage to the preacher. The preacher is the vital, all important member. In fact, everything is concentrated on him. So we can say, if everything is concentrated on one member, where is the body? [00:10:53] But that is precisely what happened in so many so called churches. The church is an appendix, really. The church consists of a platform for a ministry, a pulpit for a proclamation of a message, and everything is dependent upon that pulpit or that platform or the person who occupies it. The church is just a kind of context, if you like, a kind of surroundings, a necessary surroundings for that ministry and for that office. But this is not what the New Testament says. That's not the fellowship of Christ. That's not the body. That's one member, perhaps an important member, but only one member. Where are all the other members? [00:11:41] Nor is the church one member doing everything. [00:11:44] Neither is it a few elite members doing everything, while the rest remain a bunch of spectators, sort of gazers on who sort of pass judgment on how well everything is being done or how badly. That's not the church either. [00:12:07] You see, there is absolutely no scriptural warrant whatsoever in the word of God for the division or distinction made between clergy and laity in the New Testament. That is, in the Old Testament, that could be argued for. And even in the Old Testament you can't take it too far because the Levite was taken. Originally it was the firstborn of every family who was to be priest. Then the Levite, the tribe of Levi, were chosen instead of the firstborn, and that whole tribe were only representing the whole nation. That's all. [00:12:51] However, when you come to the New Testament, there's no such thing as a tribe of Levi representing the whole nation, a kind of Aaronic priesthood that represents the church before God. No, on the contrary. In the New Testament we discover that every single child of God is a priest. [00:13:19] We believe in the priesthood of all believers. Every single born again believer is constituted by his spiritual birth, a priest unto God. [00:13:36] This is just putting the term body into another term, another figure. [00:13:45] We are all priests. [00:13:48] Every single one of us has not only the right of access to God at all times, of communion with God at all times, of touching the throne of God at all times. But every single one of us who's born of God has the right to serve the Lord. [00:14:11] Indeed, I would say more than that. We have the duty and the responsibility to serve the Lord. We are priests unto God. So if you turn to one Peter, chapter two, verse five, we read this. [00:14:34] Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Verse nine. But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, a royal priesthood. Now this is the verse upon which the priesthood of all believers is based. [00:15:16] Now I suppose it is true that in some form or another, all the reformed churches accept the priesthood of all believers. But it is what we mean by the priesthood of all believers is where there is so much difference. The majority, whilst they say they believe in the priesthood of all believers, still only relegate it. And I don't like to use that word, for it is tremendous, but relegated to access to God at all times. In other words, every believer has the right of access to God. We say this is not scriptural. Not only has every single believer the right of access to God, but they have the right to lead God children in worship and praise and prayer. They have the right to contribute in the service of God. They have a duty and a responsibility to build up the body of Christ, the church of God. [00:16:21] You turn to revelation, chapter one and verse six. [00:16:28] He made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and father to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever made us to be a kingdom. We all are in the kingdom, are we not? [00:16:43] Is it only ministers and pastors who are in the kingdom? Are they the only ones who've been made the kingdom? Of course not. We all accept that every one of us is born into the kingdom of God. We're in the kingdom by the grace of God. Then we are all priests as well. [00:16:59] If you turn to revelation five and verse ten, and madest them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests, and they reign upon the earth, it is not just something. In the future, if you turn back to Matthew and chapter 23, we have, I think, a commentary upon the priesthood of all believers, one that tends to be a rather, rather much of an embarrassment to many in christian circles. From verse nine, verse eight. But be not ye called rabbi, for one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren or brothers, and call no man your father on earth, for one is your father, even he who is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters, for one is your master, even the Christ. He that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled. And whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted. [00:18:08] Now, when you think of the practice amongst us christians in Christendom generally, and including evangelicals, you cannot say that these scriptures, this word, this command of our lord is in fact adhered to. We not only have reverence and the right reverence and the very reverence and very much else that I will not go into. [00:18:31] We have, I understand amongst evangelicals, we don't go up to his holiness, but all the rest we have, we also have collars turned back to front now very much in fashion once more. [00:18:49] All of which means we distinguish people. We seek to give them a distinctive mark, seem to make a difference between them and the rest of the members. [00:18:59] And I am told by many who don't agree with a priestly dress and all the rest, that they wear this kind of thing because it helps them get into hospitals. [00:19:09] My dear friend, that's the only reason for wearing a collar round the other way. What happens to people like me? Poor little saints like myself and others? We get into hospitals just as easily. [00:19:21] I'm told that people in the street, these bad boys, always feel it easier to talk to someone who has a clerical collar on. Well, I wish they would talk to the bad boys and find out if that's really true. [00:19:37] The fact of the matter is that you can make every excuse in the world, but the word of God is absolutely plain. There is absolutely no ground at all in the New Testament for making distinction between clergy and laity. [00:19:51] On the contrary, as I have said, the scripture is quite clear, dogmatically and emphatically stating the priesthood of all believers. Now let me say this. [00:20:06] There is no shadow of doubt at all that there are anointed ministries and functions, gifts to the church. As we have stated in Ephesians and chapter four. [00:20:29] We read this and he gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers. And then again in one corinthians, chapter twelve and verse 28, God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers. Then he goes through the rest of the gifts. There is absolutely no shadow of doubt at all that within the church of God there are anointed ministries. [00:21:07] Yet it is just as clear that these do not in any way detract from the priesthood. Priesthood of all believers. [00:21:20] None at all. [00:21:22] You can have the greatest apostle, but he doesn't for one single moment detract from the priesthood of all believers. Every single one has as much right to go into the presence of God and as much right to serve God. [00:21:37] Don't let us think for one single moment that an apostle has greater rights to serve the Lord than the least are God's children. [00:21:49] We are all priests. [00:21:53] If we turn to Romans, chapter twelve, we find a very interesting light thrown on this subject, which I don't think is often realized. [00:22:05] We have here sacrificial ministry, and it is interesting to me at any rate, that it is priestly service, really, that is in mine. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, present your bodies a living sacrifice. This is what the priest did, wholly acceptable to God, which is your spiritually intelligent worship. [00:22:32] Now it was the priest who conducted spiritually intelligent worshipping you like in the tabernacle. He was the one who received the living sacrifices. Here you are yourself the sacrifice, and you are the priest. [00:22:47] Now out of this priestly service comes the church. You see what the apostle Paul says, verse three for I say, through the grace that was given to me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to, to think, but so to think as to think soberly, according as God had dealt to each man a measure of faith, each man, each man, not one left out. [00:23:18] For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members in one body, and all the members have not the same office, so we who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another, and having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith or ministry, let us give ourselves to our ministry. Or he that teacheth to his teaching, or he that exhorteth to his exhorting, he that giveth, let him do it with liberality, he that ruleth with diligence, he that showeth mercy with cheerfulness. [00:24:02] Now it seems rather interesting to me that out of this priestly service at the very beginning, everything else flows. You have the church immediate. If you turn to Hebrews chapter ten, you have the same thing again. Hebrews chapter ten, verse 19. [00:24:22] Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus priestly service, by the way which he dedicated for us a new and living way through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. And having a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water. That's the labor. As you went in to the tent of meeting, let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not, for he is faithful that promise. And now listen, here's the body. And let us consider one another. To provoke unto love and good works, not forsaking our own, assembling together as the of some is, but exhorting one another. And so much the more as ye see that day drawing nigh priestly service. [00:25:31] The church is the body of Christ, the fellowship of Christ, in which every member is a priest and has something of Christ to offer in some way and responsibility for and toward the rest of the body. Every other member. [00:26:03] One day, every single one of us, must give account to God for the responsibility that was given to us for the church. [00:26:18] Let not one single person in this room think that I will one day have to give account for the whole flock and for your well being. I must give account for the ministry entrusted to me. If it's a teacher. I ought to live in greater fear because more is required of me. The higher the office, the greater the function, the more will be required. But let no one think that one day you'll stand before the Lord as a kind of spectator and watch everyone else being asked to give an account. Every single one of you is directly responsible to the head of the body for the rest of the body. [00:27:06] And that's what we mean by the priesthood of all believers, or the membership of the body. [00:27:12] It's as simple as that. Thus, each member shares not only the privilege and the security of a common salvation and a common life and a common head, but we also share its discipline and its responsibilities. [00:27:35] Discipline because. Because we're related to the head, we're related one to another. [00:27:42] The way we treat each other, the way we care for each other, the way we go through with each other. It's all part of that discipline for which one day we must give answer and account. [00:27:55] It is not, therefore, one member, nor a few trying to do the work of the whole body. Nor is it all the members trying to be one function. [00:28:12] It is each member in his or her place, functioning by the life of God within them. [00:28:24] Let me put it this way. [00:28:26] Each member has something of Christ the others have not got. [00:28:34] Most do not believe this, but it is absolutely true. [00:28:39] Each single member, every one of us who's constituted a priest under God, has something of Christ which the others have not got. Now, you may not be able to see it, but just because your temperament is not the same, I mean, is your temperament exactly the same as someone else here? Are you precisely the same in the way you look at things, the way you feel? In every way you see it is a matter of temperament, a matter of constitution, a matter of background. The Lord has deposited something of Christ in you, and that something of Christ comes through what you are. [00:29:18] So youve got something to offer, something to contribute that no one else has got, and you must contribute what you have of Christ for the increase and growth and fullness of the body. Now, that's why one day you and I have got to give account. [00:29:41] You see, it is the fullness of the body that is dependent upon the contribution of each single member. It is the growth of the body which is dependent on the contribution of each single member. It is the multiplication, if you like, the increase in another way. It's all part of this matter. It's all dependent on this matter of contributing what we have. Let's look at the scripture that we read together in Phillips one corinthians chapter twelve. It is the best commentary on what I'm seeking to say. I am, of course, not talking about everyone necessarily contributing on a Sunday morning or at a prayer gathering. It's impossible, of course we understand that. [00:30:36] But what we're saying is that everyone has a part to play, and even if you don't open your mouth, you can be contributing something or not. [00:30:47] It's just as simple as that. Some people open their mouths when they should keep them shut. They would contribute far more if they kept their mouths shut. [00:30:57] Others would contribute much more if they opened their mouths and let out what's in them. [00:31:04] Let me say that now. You see here what it says about the body. [00:31:12] It says that the ear can't do without the eye, the foot can't do without the hands. Every part of the body is necessary. It's not that the body cannot function without a hand, but it is that much less practical. [00:31:30] It's not that the body can't do without a foot, but it is that much less practical. It's quite true. It's false, rather to say that the church can't do without you. [00:31:42] There is a sense in which it can. [00:31:45] So let no one get big ideas, but the church will be just that, less full. [00:31:53] Now, isn't that important? [00:31:57] You can still live without hands or feet, but you can't do a lot. [00:32:05] The fullness of the body has been hampered. [00:32:10] So when sometimes there's a heaviness and a dullness, don't just always blame whoever's leading or speaking, because so often the dullness in the heaviness is due to the paralysis in a certain amount of the body. [00:32:28] It makes for heaviness just like a body that's not got hands. [00:32:35] Do you understand what we're trying to get at each one? Let me put it another way. Each one has got to yield himself or herself. Now, listen, here comes the crunch to the rest. [00:32:51] As the apostle Paul said once of certain people in Corinth, he said, first you gave yourself to the Lord, and then you gave yourself to us. [00:33:04] You've got the same thing, really in the Lord's teaching, the word's teaching on marriage, giving oneself to one another, you must yield to one another. Each one, each member must yield himself or herself and all that they have of Christ, be it great or little to the rest. [00:33:32] For it is the measure in which we hold back or fail to contribute what we have of Christ, just allowing ourselves to be carried along by the momentum of the life in the rest. [00:33:54] The body, it is just in that measure that we restrict ourselves, frustrate the Lord's purpose, and halt the building up of the body of Christ. [00:34:17] Now, that's a serious thing. I don't know if you ever realized it before that it is just in the measure in which each member fails to contribute that there is your own limitation. [00:34:34] Now, is it not interesting that so often we argue like this? If I had more of the Lord, I would contribute. [00:34:43] But you see, the devil, so clever. He has caught you. [00:34:48] He'll get you on that line, and you'll never get a little bit more. You'll just be static for the next 40 years. If the Lord tarry and if he tarries, 50 50 because the devil's just got you on it, it is the measure in which we contribute that we ourselves grow because we belong to each other. That's why, you see, this is the whole point. By being born into the family of God, we are constituted not only members of Christ, but of one another. So if you don't build me up and I don't build you up, I'm not building myself up. [00:35:32] I have to build you up. You have to build me up. We have to build one another. As we do that, so the body develops and grows. [00:35:42] Don't let anyone think that they should spend their time building themselves up. [00:35:47] That's what many think. Got to build myself up so that I've got something. [00:35:53] What the Lord gives you is for the rest, not just to be put into the shop window in an exhibitionist way. The Lord preserve us from that kind of thing. But when you have been given something, it is for the whole. Sometimes it can't be shared. Do you realize that sometimes there are some things that should never see daylight, yet the value of them goes through the whole body, goes through the whole body. [00:36:24] Because you are not in spirit, you're not holding it for yourself. This something that's come to you is for the. For the rest. [00:36:35] I hope I'm able to put this over. If you turn to Ephesians, chapter four. Let's just see how the word puts it clearly. Ephesians four, verse 16. [00:36:49] I'll read this verse carefully. Now, be careful, because we know this verse so well. It just sort of goes through the mind goes, runs off as that water of a duck from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love. Now I want first to underline one phrase. [00:37:25] The increase of the body. All right. That's the operative thing. The increase of the body. All right. Now, the next thing. [00:37:37] Maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself. [00:37:44] Maketh increase of the body unto the building up of itself. All right. Now, how does it make this increase of the body to the to its building up? How? Listen. [00:37:57] According to the working in due measure, of each several part, it builds itself up, it increases according to the working in due measure, of each several parts. Now, due measure, just measure, right measure. In other words, the Lord doesn't expect you to give any more than you've been constituted spiritually to give. Thank God for that. But woe betide you if you're not giving what the Lord has constituted you to give. [00:38:39] That's the point. [00:38:41] Some people run beyond themselves. Other people never get there in due measure. In due measure, you know the word? In due time. The Lord was born in due time, the right time, just absolutely on the dart. [00:39:00] In due measure, the Lord doesn't expect you to go right beyond yourself and be extravagant. He expects you that there should be a working in due measure of each several part. Not just one or me or someone else, but of each several part, according to the working. [00:39:31] So you've not only got a right function, it may be a small function, it may be a big function. Now, you all know what happens when a little joint goes wrong. [00:39:42] Why, a little joint in my finger can just go wrong. It's only a small thing. It might, say, blow. [00:39:49] I'm not the knee. [00:39:53] What's it matter? They all despise me here. I'm only the little finger. The journey, the sort of top joint in the little finger. [00:40:03] I'm not the knee, I'm not the thigh, I'm not even the elbow, I'm not even the wrist. [00:40:10] I'm not gonna. I'm gonna stop what happened. Now, of course, I'm not a medical person, but you know what happened? A kind of arthritis sets in. Well, you know, arthritis in that top finger can give a lot of pain. [00:40:22] And that little tiny joint that's refused to work starts to really up your set the body. Now, it doesn't stop the whole body from working, but it does make itself felt because it's not working. [00:40:36] So if you aren't working, you're making yourself felt. So some of you have got that false modesty. Oh, not me. You're making yourself felt more than, if you worked, if you really gave what you had of the Lord, we wouldn't feel your presence, you'd flow in beautifully. [00:40:56] Some kind of spiritual psychology in this. I've got a shrewd suspicion. That's why a lot of people don't give what they have. [00:41:03] They like to feel that they're at least making some kind of impression somewhere. [00:41:10] But the fact is that when the whole body is functioning, you're not conscious of all the parts of your body. It's only when they stop functioning or something goes wrong that you become conscious of. Isn't that so? There's a blockage, there's a stiffness. Something's not just flowing as it ought to, you see. Now here it is. It says, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh increase of the body unto the building up of itself. How wonderful it is when the body just builds itself up. This is what the priest of all believers means. This is what it means to be members of Christ and members one of another. We can build ourselves up. We don't need. I mean, if the communists came, we had to be scattered and we couldn't meet here. The place was taken away from us. We should be able just to. The body should be able to build itself up. If we don't get into that way now, God help us when those days come. That's the whole point why we felt so strongly about open times. We've got to learn how to build each other up simply without dependence upon the big brother or that big brother or someone else. [00:42:24] But all just together. [00:42:27] That kind of thing can go down as the catacombs. It can go down anywhere or up anywhere. [00:42:34] And we can just build each other. The body can build itself up. But you see, don't think that all of a sudden this will happen. Stiff joints will suddenly become workable. [00:42:43] It won't happen. [00:42:45] You and I have got to really know the Lord in experience. Now. [00:42:50] Now, if you turn to Colossians, you have the same thing again in Colossians chapter two, verse 19. [00:42:58] Colossians chapter two and verse 19. [00:43:02] And not holding past the head, from whom all the body being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increaseth with the increase of God. Now I want you to note, increaseth with the increase of God. The whole body increaseth with the increase of God. Then I want you to note being supplied. [00:43:32] Being supplied through the joints and bands, the bands of the muscles, joints of the bones. [00:43:42] Now, that's how things are supplied, you see. It increases with the increase of God being supplied through the joints and the bands. [00:43:55] You're a joint, or maybe you're a band. [00:43:59] I don't know. You must sort that one out yourself. But the fact is this, that if something's not being supplied through you. Now, listen, what does that mean? Well, listen, this is what it means. You receive something to supply it, you take something to pass it on. [00:44:18] Now, if my body were to, say, my elbow here or my muscles here would say, now, we're going to be a dead. We're going to be a dead end. We're fed up passing things on. Don't. [00:44:29] Don't value us down that end anyway. So we're not going to give any more. Well, now, what happens from my elbow downwards to the tip of my hand, something starts to go wrong with that whole part. [00:44:42] And the strange thing is, nor will this be happy, because this has been so constituted to take, give, take, give, take, give. [00:44:56] And you, as a child of God, were never constituted a dead sea. Take all and give me out. [00:45:06] You have been constituted to take, give, take, give, only get the order right. You take and give. You take and give. You take and give. That's the other phone. [00:45:22] Take and give. [00:45:25] I often wonder what people think when they hear this all on the recording. But still, it's all right, it's the telephone. [00:45:40] You have been so spiritually constituted that you take and give. First you must take. Don't try to give what you haven't taken. Some Christians, when they first become christians, try to give, give, give, give, give. And oh dear, don't we suffer? [00:45:58] They're giving what they've never received. [00:46:01] You know, they just give, give, give and give. [00:46:04] But in the end, what do they end up doing? Giving themselves, and we all know it. [00:46:11] But if first you receive, however young you are, you've got something of the Lord. You've received. Pass it on. You're a joint, you're a band, you're a muscle, if you like, you've got something to pass on to the rest. [00:46:29] All right. Well, now I hope you understand what I'm trying to get at. In this matter of the fellowship of Christ, my body, every part of it, is constituted on this principle that it is interdependent and interrelated. No single part lives to itself, it lives for the rest, it recedes through the rest and it gives to the rest. [00:47:01] And this is the principle of the church. It is the fellowship of God. It is the participation, the common participation in him. We all participate in him, we all share him, if you like. We've all got something of him to take and give, and it is vitally necessary to the welfare of the whole body that we take and give, take and give all the time. [00:47:32] Now, let me put it this way again. The church is called, and I have never failed to be amazed by this. In Ephesians, chapter one, verse 22 and 23, the fullness of Christ, this is how it's put. [00:47:53] Made him to be. Gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. Now this is most extraordinary. For will you note carefully that the Lord Jesus is not the fullness of the church. Now, that's what you would think. But it says, the body is the fullness of him who fills all in all. Now, it is perfectly true. He fills all in all, but the body is his fullness. [00:48:29] Now think for a moment. It almost seems blasphemous to say that the body of Christ, the church of God, is the fullness of him who fills all in all. [00:48:39] Yet that's what it says. [00:48:41] But if you understand this that I've been talking about, the body, the church as the fellowship of Christ, you get the meaning. You begin to understand just what it means. Now, look, my head finds in the body its fullness. You see, if I had only a head, I would be very cramped. [00:49:03] I could think. I could speak. I mean, of course, I'm talking now figuratively, but I mean, if I cut my head off, I could go on thinking and preaching and so on, but I mean, I would be very limited. Suppose in my head said, pick up the Bible. Couldn't do it. [00:49:21] Suppose your head said, oh, I do feel thirsty. I'd like a glass of water. I couldn't do it. Now my head finds its fullness in the hands and the arms. See, look, I take up the glass. My head is finding its fullness in my hands. Do you see? My head is expressing itself in the body. Therefore, the body is the fullness of the head. Do you get it? [00:49:47] Again. If my head were to say, now, then I'd like to go outside the door, then my feet do the job. So my head finds its fullness in the legs and the feet. They do the job. They obey the mind of the head. And in this sense, the head finds itself formeth in the legs and the feet. [00:50:08] So it is true to say that the body is the fullness of its head. [00:50:15] Your fullness, your body is the fullness of your head, because your body is the means of carrying out the will and the mind of your head, the means by which you express the feelings and desires and thoughts and heart. As it were, you do it through your body. Now it takes the whole body, each member, in fellowship with the rest for the outworking of God's work, will and purpose, and the expression of his mind and thought. [00:51:06] Isn't that challenging when you think of it? We talk so much, Lord, let your will be done, Lord, we want to see your purpose fulfilled. But, you know, sometimes we say it and the Lord says, what can I do? [00:51:19] They ask me to do this, but half of them are just being carried. What can I do? [00:51:27] For the recovery of the church, for the rebuilding of the church, it requires that all of us, each member, be in fellowship with the rest of the body, joy and holding fast to the head. [00:51:41] When that happens, the will of God is done. Now, that is true, isn't it? Every time the Lord touches us and something in that way, things get done instantly. And we're all appalled and amazed. I say appalled, I mean overwhelmed. Perhaps there's a better word. We think, how is that so? In an instant, things that oh, hold up for so long just get touch. [00:52:07] It is all just a matter of this. You have it in Ephesians 310 and eleven, where it says to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church, the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, through the church. [00:52:32] So the Lord is manifesting, expressing his wisdom, his manifold wisdom through the body, the fullness of him that fills all in all. [00:52:44] Again, you've got the same thing. You see, it's Christ who fills all, all in all, every joint, every band, every, each several part filled by him. And as we're filled by him, we become his fullness, we become the means by which he can touch situations. He can touch a person in the office, he can touch a person in the home, he can touch friends, he can touch the unseen powers, he can touch things on the other side of the world. He can do this, he can do that, he can do the other, because the whole body is working as he wants it, the fellowship of Christ. [00:53:21] But it's more than even that. And I think it is marvellous grace of God to call us unworthy sinners. His fullness incredible. [00:53:31] But it is more than even that. Each member finds its fullness in the rest. This is something that I think we find very hard at first to swallow, but it is absolutely true. It is Christ who fills all in all. But so wonderfully does he fill us, that not one of us can be spiritually self sufficient, but needs him in the rest. [00:54:04] Now, this is the line along which the devil always presses people. [00:54:10] And if I may say so, it is nearly always the people who have the most. [00:54:16] The devil pushes, presses to get them uncovered. Uncovered? Uncovered along what line? Along what becomes spiritually self sufficient. [00:54:27] It's as simple as that. And there are tragedies in the history of the recovery of the church in all its faces, along this very line, because we have to learn this simple lesson that the greatest apostle has not got everything. [00:54:47] He has everything in the body. [00:54:52] Now, you see, we have got so used to teaching Christ is my all, which is absolutely right, that we tend to think of it in terms that you can be spiritually self sufficient, but you can't be. [00:55:05] Can't be. And from this line grows this idea. We would never mention it, but this is this kind of idea of I'm infallible. [00:55:17] The Lord spoke. I know I'm right. [00:55:23] And you know, those people are always proved wrong again, isn't it? We've seen it. They proved wrong again and again, these infallible ones. [00:55:36] And it's simply because we cannot accept the verdict of the church. We've got the idea that somehow the Lord speaks to me and that's that the rest must accept, the rest must adjust. I've got it. But it doesn't matter who you are. Do you know that one of the most interesting queries in the New Testament is whether the apostle Paul should ever have gone up to Jerusalem and that we would spend the whole evening talking about, but we cannot. But should he have gone up to Jerusalem? You remember, the Apostle Paul was a great apostle. Perhaps, I suppose it would not be unfair to say the greatest. [00:56:15] And you know what he did? He shaved his head. Whatever was the apostle Paul doing? Shave his. His head. Shaved his head. Took a vow and went off to keep passover in the temple. [00:56:31] The apostle Paul, the man who told us that the temple was fulfilled and finished with, he takes a nazarite vow, old Testament vow, and goes off to Jerusalem. Along the road one place, the church wept in his presence and. And pled with him. Don't go up. But the apostle Paul, it says, was minded to go up. And I don't know whether Luke, who was very loyal to Paul, just put that word minded in. [00:57:03] In a very kind but firm way. He wasn't minded to go up. He went. Then you remember what happened in another place, in a meeting of the church, a prophet came up and bound his hands with his girdle and said, so this waits for you, if you go up and the apostle reported, I care not what waits me, I will go up. And what did he do? He went up. And then what did he do? He took Timothy into the temple. [00:57:39] And you knew? You know the story. There was a terrible riot, and the apostle Paul realized a lifelong ambition. [00:57:47] He got a free ticket to Rome. [00:57:52] It wasn't quite the way he'd expected to visit the saints in Rome or minister to them, but that's how we got there. Now, I know that's a query. It's speculation. Some people would say it was absolutely wrong to suggest that this was not the will of God. But it is an insult. Interesting sideline. [00:58:11] More than interesting side, it's the danger of great ministries and great anointing, you see, when somehow we can't accept the rest of the body. God help us, all of us in this matter, it is absolutely important, for every single one of us finds fullness in the home. [00:58:40] I haven't got everything, but I find what I lack in the rest. You haven't got everything. You find what you lack in the rest. The Lord has so ungifted us that even the greatest ministries are still in some way dependent on the rest. [00:59:01] Now, if you look, you will find this is true. One corinthians twelve, from verse four to seven. [00:59:09] Now, there are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit. There are diversities of ministrations and the same law. There are diversities of workings, but the same God who worketh all things in all, but to each one is given the manifestation of the spirit to profit withal. [00:59:31] So not everyone is given the same thing. It goes on to say, the spirit of God, oh, if only we were open and ready for the Holy Spirit to manifest himself just like that. This one, that one, as he will, not just and only in these things, but in every way a bit more. That's just 1 minute about that. But the fact is, for the prophet to profit with all. [00:59:59] In other words, one finds the fullness in the rest. Another one finds his fullness in the rest. He doesn't have it all in himself. [01:00:08] And that's why in one corinthians 14, the apostle Paul tries to say, now look here, if one of you, if one of you speak, let it be in turn, and this is about profits. If one has something else, let the other be quiet. [01:00:26] In other words, don't let anyone think he's infallible and go on and on and on, because he thinks he's got it. The rest must put it over. Let him shut up. And let the next one come in. [01:00:39] That's body. That's the body. [01:00:43] Oh, so important, these little practical things. [01:00:47] You've got it, I suppose, in that same chapter, verse 24 and 25, which we've read together about God tempering the body so that each part needs the rest. You've got it in ephesians 318 and 19. That's a beautiful verse. It says, they're with all the same. Have you ever noticed that where it says about verse 18 may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth? No one saint can do it. [01:01:24] The only way to explore the breadth and the height and the length and the depth of what is ours in Christ is with all the saints. And then it goes on to know the love of Christ, which passeth understanding. You can't know it just yourself, but with all the saints. Think of it one day when we're in glory, when we've got the whole lot gathered there, we've got the thief on the cross and Mary Magdalene and the apostle Paul and so many others all down the ages, all with a glorious story to tell of the love of Christ. [01:01:55] How he found them, what he did for them, how he had redeemed them with all the same thing. Why wouldn't. It wouldn't be to the glory of God if I only had a story. And I said to everyone else, shut up, everyone. I'm going to tell my story and I don't want anyone else to listen, anyone else to hear. All's just to listen. Just sing the volume of praise from all those. [01:02:17] And then it says, that they may be fit, that ye may be filled unto all the fullness of God. How can we be filled, one little person unto all the fullness of God? Why, even all of us together will be swallowed up by the fullness of God. [01:02:29] It's tremendous when you see it in this way. Have you ever seen that strange little verse in Colossians 315 where it says, and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which ye are called in one body. [01:02:44] Has anyone ever thought, if they've read that, what's the connection? Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to the which also ye were called in one body, and be ye thankfully. [01:02:56] In other words, the peace of God in the whole arbitrates the word. That's the word I like, anyway. Let the peace of God arbitrate in your heart to the which you were called in one body. It's a church matter. [01:03:10] Security. [01:03:12] You find your security in the race, let the peace of God rule in your hearts, going this way or that way or not. [01:03:20] But don't forget the body. [01:03:23] That's your security. [01:03:25] Well, as I, I don't know. We must go on. What I can say is this. This matter of fellowship is one of the basic principles of the church. Fellowship of the true and full kind is the hallmark of the presence of the church in its practical outworking. You can always tell the presence of the church in its practical outworking by the presence, the manifestation of this true. [01:04:01] This sense of belonging with all the difficulties and failings and problems, this sense of belonging, this sense of a building work. [01:04:15] If we have taken the ground of the body of Christ, we must recognize the freedom of the Holy Spirit to use whom he will, how he will, when he will, in the building up of the body. [01:04:32] Now, I just say that once more, in this matter of the fellowship of Christ, if we have taken the ground of the body of Christ, we must recognize the freedom of the Holy Spirit to use whom he will, how he will, when he will, in the building up of the body of Christ. Now, I am sure this will raise a lot of questions. [01:04:58] Let me qualify this by saying this principle can be expressed in different ways, but it is absolutely essential. [01:05:13] For in the end, it is a matter of the headship of Christ in his people. [01:05:22] If the Lord wants to use this one, he must be able to. If he wants to use that one, he must be able, when he will, how he. [01:05:31] But that does not mean, as some people think, that every time ought to be an open time. [01:05:41] Now, let me say this very, very clearly, because I think it needs to be said. You see, I believe the brethren made a great mistake in thinking that every gathering should be a free for all. [01:05:54] The principle is this. The Holy Spirit must be sovereign in the matter of whom he uses, how he uses, when he uses. But there is such a thing as oversight. [01:06:10] There is such a thing as the headship of Christ expressed and vested in brethren. There is such a thing as objective. Now, if, for instance, if a time is a time of prayer, I have been into times of prayer which are on the principle of a free for all. We sit and wait. Someone sings a hymn, a suggester hymn. Someone suggests another hymn. Then someone has a little word of praise. Then someone gives a little reading. No one gives any suggestions, for suddenly someone says, they've had a letter from somebody. They read it out. And then someone says, and you know at the time it comes that you don't know where you are, you really don't know where you are. Now we have to ask ourselves the question, is that what the Lord wants? To me, a prayer time has got to be conducted like a military operation. But the principle of the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit to have the one who he wants to lead, lead is right in a prayer meeting. Anyway, we're all taking part. [01:07:11] Do you understand what we're trying to drive at? It's the objective which is the point. Now, I have seen, I've been in these other things where there's been such a loss. I think I spoke to some of you on the training course about this matter. I've even been in an open air, conducted on this principle, the worst fiasco I've ever been in in my life. [01:07:32] Tragic, because it's a complete misunderstanding of a principle and the result is all the saints, especially those who've got life in them, are groaning about it. And why do you think so many of the brethren pour into Baptist churches and other free churches to listen to good preachers? Why? I can tell you of one place in Scotland, in Glasgow, where half the evening congregation are brethren, all deserted their own place to go and listen to a good Church of Scotland production. [01:08:05] How comes the people who believe in the freedom of the Holy Spirit and everything else could darken the door of such a place? [01:08:13] Because they are entirely fed up with this kind of lax, loose, dull, dreary thing that goes through and gets nowhere. [01:08:25] Now, the freedom of the Holy Spirit, a recognition of the freedom of the Holy Spirit, must not be mixed up with a free for all. [01:08:36] It is the objective of a time that determines how or whether a time should be entirely open. [01:08:46] Let me put it another way, if you like. Place must be given in the life of the church for the exercise and expression of all the members of Christ under Christ's headship. [01:09:11] Whether it's once a week, whether it's twice a week, three times a week, whatever it is, place must be given, in other words, where it's absolutely free and open for all to take part as the led of the law. But it's surely the whole point is this. If you're going out fishing, you've got to be led. [01:09:30] If it's going to be evangelism, it's got to be led. [01:09:33] You're going to have a prayer time, it must be shared, surely it must be shared. And it's been free for the Lord to use who we will. But the fact is, certain things have got to be done in order that we can get down to the real thing. Prayer fulfill this warfare of the service. [01:09:49] That's the point. The principle behind it is recognition of the absolute sovereignty of the Holy Spirit. [01:09:58] And that's why we should always pray for those with responsibility that in times which are not open, they may really know the mind of the Lord and may be kept from such mistakes. Now you've got it. I feel as far as the open time goes, you have it in one corinthians 14 and verse 26 to 23, where it says, what is it, brethren? When ye come together, each one hath a psalm, hath a teaching, hath a revelation, hath a tongue, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto building up. [01:10:37] If any man speaketh in a tongue, let it be by two, or at the most three, and that in turn, and let one interpret, and so on. If there is no interpreter, let him keep thalass, verse 29. Let the prophet speak by two or three, and so on. Let the others discern, for revelation be made to another brother sitting by. Let the first keep silence, for ye all can prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be exhorted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. Now that simply means there is no such thing as this disorderly kind of uncontrolled frenzy. The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. [01:11:30] Different, of course, when the Holy Spirit really comes, sometimes, as he does, like a bomb, as it were, almost other people, like a flood, that's different. But generally speaking, as it says here in the gatherings of the church, for instance, how can a person who has a tongue keep silent? If we've got this idea that suddenly it bursts out of them like a mob? They can't help it. [01:11:54] They know that there's no interpretation. They've got to keep silence. In other words, there's a certain amount of spiritual intelligence exercised, you understand? And it's precisely the same in one, Thessalonians 519, where it puts it like this, which is obviously to do with an open time. It says, quench not the spirit, despise not prophesyings. Prove all things, hold fast. That which is good, abstain from every form of evil. [01:12:31] I think we need to say no more to that. I think it's a self explanatory. The greater ministries in Ephesians 411, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists must be given scope for their building up of the body of Christ. But the ordinary members of the body must also be given ample scope so that the body may build itself up in love. Now you'll find that when you get the notes, you'll find the scriptures. [01:13:12] I think it's important for us to understand the principle that lies behind all that. We've been saved. [01:13:22] Sometimes I think we tend to feel that when the Lord gives us something, we've got to keep our hands on it, otherwise. Otherwise it'll be lost. [01:13:32] This is distrust in the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit. Oh, how I wish sometimes that people would not give a long reading and then a long prayer or a long expression and then a hymn. This isn't the body. This actually arrests the body. We should only follow a reading with prayer when we are is the exception, not the rule, unless it is in prayer, when we are standing on a particular sentence or verse. [01:14:05] Otherwise, give over to the body. [01:14:08] Give over to the body. [01:14:10] Two or three times I've known myself, someone's been reading, and such a kindling has come into my heart and it's been killed by the same person going on. [01:14:23] Haven't you found that? [01:14:25] Killed, said the angel. Oh, and yet it was so of God. The person who gave that something, so much of God, killed it. [01:14:35] Now, how is that possible? [01:14:38] Because they didn't recognize the principle of fellowship, the membership of the body. You see, this is the whole problem of infallibility. Again, let go. Let go. Give your something. Let go. See if the Holy Spirit takes it up. Don't think that you're just everything. Let go. Let the Holy Spirit do it. If he doesn't, perhaps you were wrong, but you will find that if it really was of God, you will be rekindled again to take up that matter. [01:15:12] Now, why I'm trying to say this is, you've got such a lot of blessing once you let go in this matter. [01:15:21] It is a wonderful thing when the Holy Spirit sweeps in and leads a company and you hear a portion of word and someone takes it up in prayer, and then another and another. [01:15:34] The other matter is like a person speaking in a tongue and giving the interpretation. You always feel, well, you're a little suspicious of it. [01:15:42] Are they trying to put something over? [01:15:45] But when someone speaks and someone else interprets, then there's a wonderful witness, two witnesses in the mount of two. It shall be established that's the body. [01:16:07] So suffer that little word. It's all to do with this matter of the fellowship of Christ. We've each got something now in the gathering, the Holy Spirit wants to manifest himself. Now, we're all used to it. I mean, he manifests himself in prayer. [01:16:20] Well, how do you pray? It's not surely just a dead sort of thing. Something comes into your heart. I must pray about that. I feel I must. And you pray and then it moves on. And someone else, while you're praying, if it really is alive, someone else is kindled. [01:16:39] And they. I forgive the word kindled, but it's the best word, I think. And then someone else gets kindled, and then someone. And why do we do that in prayer and in nothing else? [01:16:53] The time on Sunday morning should be just the same. It is just the same, isn't it? The most glorious times we have is when someone comes in here and then something else, and then something else, and we move on. [01:17:03] Oh, that's wonderful. And the most wonderful times we've had, surely when we've found the Lord's mind out, is when the Lord spoke to this one and then that one and then the other, and then the other, and my. The things banged on the head. [01:17:17] You feel there can't be anything clearer. [01:17:21] Do you see what I mean? We have to all learn these. [01:17:25] Well, now, someone says to me, yes, but just wait. That's all they want to say. But if you let go of something that the Lord has really given you, so it could be lost, couldn't it? Well, that's precisely what happens in prayer, doesn't it? In a prayer gap time, a prayer, you know, you can pray and someone young one comes in and oh, dear, the thread's lost. Now, what's got to happen, we've got to trust the Holy Spirit to come right in and bring us back is not the fault of that young one. They just didn't understand. They've said something, that's all, to that. And we're out. We're off. We're off the rails. Back onto the rails again. The Lord's not the least bit bothered about the young ones or anyone else when it's not malicious, of course, when he's got one of those sort of. [01:18:09] Sort of blockages that is a problem to the Lord. But I mean, when it's just that we're. We sometimes make ourselves thank God for people who make mistakes. [01:18:18] Thank God. Yes, that's right. I mean, it's better to have people jumping in where angels fear to Triton. We learn, Father, than all sit there waiting to become so spiritual. And it never happens. [01:18:30] Well, I must finish. I think it's important that we should see that there is one simple law, we say this in closing, which harmonizes this great variety and diversity of gift and function in the felt worship of Christ. As I think you've seen, there's a tremendous difference of ministry, gift, function, position. In the body of Christ. [01:19:00] There is one simple little law which, if it is obeyed, harmonizes everything, keeps us all in the way of life and sees that the objective of it all is accomplished. It is this simple law, the standard by which we can judge every work and contribution. [01:19:26] It is contained in one corinthians 14 and verse 26. Let all things be done unto building up. [01:19:35] Now that's only a simple little word, but it is the symbol which harmonizes. The Lord says, let's have it all. [01:19:43] But the thing that harmonizes everything is building up. Anything that's exhibitionist is destructive. [01:19:52] Anything that is just a person trying to put over an opinion, destructive. [01:19:59] Everything that is someone just trying to influence people, destructive. [01:20:06] Let all things be done after building up. [01:20:10] And so if you read, you'll find again the notes I've given you one or two references for that, and also one in Romans 14. [01:20:18] Again the standard by which we can judge everything. Now don't you think it's a wonderful thing that every single one of us is a member of his body? [01:20:29] And isn't it wonderful that some of misses luck, for instance, and misses Conway, they've been on the road for years. I'm not being rude, they've been on the road for years. Spiritually. Spiritually. Been on the. [01:20:45] And. Well, let me think, who's some really young one here? You've only been stayed my year. [01:20:55] I'm going to take this one here. [01:20:59] He's no less a member than misses Lamb or Mister Luck or misses Connor. [01:21:06] He's as much a member as they. And you know, he's as much a priest as they. He's not as much his experience, but he's as much a priest. [01:21:17] Now that's rather wonderful, isn't it? Every one of us got something to give. And the Lord's not concerned with everything justly. He wants everything to be done decently and in order. [01:21:29] But he's not concerned with a beautiful liturgy and everything just perfect. What he wants is a flow so that there's a working in due measure of each several parts. Not only the great ministries from one brother or another brother to the whole, but the whole family building itself up by that which every joint and band supplies. [01:22:01] May the Lord help us in this little study to see. Shall we pray? [01:22:11] Dear Lord, we do commit this to thee. We do need thy help. Lord, thou knowest that we do praise thee, that thou hast made us members of thyself and members one of another. [01:22:23] Lord, help us in this matter. We want to be released, Lord, from all that holds us back. Thou hast said that grace has been given to each one of us according to the gift of Christ, Lord. O that we might use that grace that is given to give to minister what thou hast given us of the Lord Jesus Christ. In due measure, Lord, we bring our cry to thee, o father, wilt thou release such a flow of thy life through us all? [01:23:01] We pray that where there's blockage, thou'lt give light on it, Lord, to each one. If it's because we're not giving what we're receiving, Lord, help us. If there's some issue, Lord, some shadow that is holding us back, Lord, and spoiling things. Oh, give us grace, Lord, to come right through it. We pray, but we do pray that there may be just a wonderful free way for thyself to build up thine own through every single one. And we ask it in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. Amen.