Meeting Together #7 – The Local Church

[00:00:00] The 18th verse of the 16th chapter of Matthew. [00:00:09] And I also say unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And then one corinthians, chapter twelve. [00:00:29] One corinthians, chapter twelve and verse 28. God hath set some in the church. God hath set some in the church. Then Galatians, chapter one and verse 13. [00:00:53] For ye have heard of my manner of life in time past in the Jews religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God and made havoc of it. Ephesians, chapter one and verse 22. And he put all things in subjection under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church. [00:01:26] Chapter three, verse ten. To the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church. The manifold wisdom of God. Chapter five from verse 23 to 32. Now, I will not read all that, but if you read it, you know it's all about marriage and what it symbolizes, what it signifies. And in it again and again you will find the word the church. Christ also loved the church and gave himself. This mystery is great, but I speak of Christ and the church. It's the church that is in view there. Colossians 118. [00:02:14] And he is the head of the body. The church. [00:02:18] Verse 24. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church. [00:02:32] And then lastly in this series, one Timothy, chapter three. [00:02:37] And verse 15. [00:02:40] But if I tarry long that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God. [00:02:53] Then the second series is on this term, the churches. So if we go back now to acts now, approximately, it is used, the actual word churches is used approximately 35 times in the New Testament. Now, acts, chapter 14, verse 23. [00:03:20] And when they had appointed for them elders in every church, every church, plural. [00:03:30] Chapter 15, verse 41. One. [00:03:36] And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches. Chapter 16, verse five. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number. The churches increased in number daily. Not only believers daily added, but churches increased daily tremendous. Romans chapter 16. [00:04:04] Romans, chapter 16, verse four. [00:04:12] Who for my life laid down their own necks, unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. All the churches of the Gentiles. Verse 16. Salute one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ. Christ salute you. [00:04:34] One corinthians. Chapter four. [00:04:39] One corinthians. Chapter four. [00:04:42] Verse no, that's wrong. I'm sorry. I'll just have to let go that one. Chapter seven. Verse 17. [00:04:53] Only as the Lord hath distributed to each man, as God hath called each, so let him walk, and so ordain I in all the churches. In all the churches. Chapter eleven. [00:05:06] Verse 16. But if any man seemeth to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. Chapter 16. [00:05:19] Verse one. Now, concerning the collection for the saints, as I gave order to the churches of Galatia, so also do ye. Verse 19. The churches of Asia salute you. [00:05:36] Then. Two corinthians. Chapter eight. Verse one. Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God, which has been given in the churches of Macedonia. The churches of Macedonia. [00:05:51] The same chapter. Verse 18. [00:05:54] And we have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the gospel is spread to all the churches. Verse 19. And not only so, but who was also appointed by the churches to travel with us in the matter of this grace. [00:06:10] And then. Verse 23. [00:06:14] Whether any inquired about Titus, he is my partner and my fellow worker to you. Or. Or brethren, they are the apostles of the churches. They are the glory of Christ. Show ye therefore unto them in the face of the churches the proof of your love and of our glorying on your behalf. Galatians. Chapter one, verse two. [00:06:39] And all the brethren that are with me unto the churches of Galatia. [00:06:45] Verse 22. [00:06:50] And I was still unknown by face unto the churches of Judea which were in Christ. But they only heard say, he that once persecuted us now preacheth the faith. [00:07:03] One Thessalonians. [00:07:06] One Thessalonians. Chapter two. Verse 14. [00:07:10] For ye brethren became imitators of the churches of God, which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. And lastly, in this series, revelation 22 and verse 16. [00:07:25] I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things for the churches. That's very interesting, because it means that the whole book of the revelation, as we call it, the apocalypse, was given for the churches. [00:07:45] That's very interesting. [00:07:47] Then you will see a third series. The church act. [00:07:52] The church act. Just a few verses only. Here. Acts. Chapter eleven. [00:08:00] And verse 22. Acts. Chapter eleven, verse 22. [00:08:09] And the report concerning them came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem. The church which was in Jerusalem. Chapter 13. Verse one. Now, there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, the church at Antioch. [00:08:28] Romans. Chapter 16. [00:08:31] And verse one. [00:08:34] I commend unto you, Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the church that is at Cenchrei. [00:08:45] Then one corinthians, chapter one, verse two. [00:08:52] Unto the church of God, which is at Corinth. The church of God, which is at Corinth. [00:09:05] There are a number of others. We'll leave those. Then the fourth series, you will see, is to do all to do with revelation, chapter one, two and three, the first three chapters of revelation. Now, if you will just turn to those three chapters, you have the three things we've talked about here. You have, first of all, the church, and the church, if you like, in its totality, that is, in a sense, the church on earth, but a church on earth through the centuries and generations of this age, and we have seven churches selected. Now, you must all realize that the Lord could have sent a message to every church existing at that time, and there were thousands and thousands of churches. Why did the Lord choose seven? Why not choose twelve? Why not choose nine? Why not choose four? Why choose? Most of you, I think, know that numbers have symbolic value in the Bible, in the Old Testament especially, and of course, in the new, because it was a jewish way of doing things, the rabbinic way of doing things. [00:10:38] And the figure seven is the symbol for totality or completeness. Fullness, everything there. Seven days of a week, complete week. [00:10:49] It's absolutely complete. And so you have seven churches selected from the province of Asia, and these seven are selected to represent the totality of the church. In other words, the church in completeness. The church in its fullness in time, on earth. [00:11:14] Now, someone might say straight away, well, how do you know that? [00:11:18] You see, well, if you look at revelation and chapter three and verse one, we read this, someone says, oh, I'm not sure about that. They were surely literally seven churches. Of course they were literally seven churches. We know that. But the fact that seven were selected, the accent isn't on the literalness of the seven, but on the symbolic value of the seven. Here in chapter three, verse one, you have these things, saith he that hath the seven spirits of God. Now we all know that it would be an absolute, blasphemous heresy to teach that God has seven spirits. [00:11:57] God has only one spirit, God the Father, God the son, and God the Holy Spirit. [00:12:04] Three and one and one and three. But the seven spirits of God are the Holy Spirit in all his fullness, indwelling. The seven churches. That's the glory of it. The Holy Spirit indwelling. Just as there's only one church, because there's one christ. So there's only one holy spirit. [00:12:24] But the one church is divided into seven here, and the one Holy Spirit is divided into seven. If you like. You see in this sense. Well, then you've got the first thing. Now I've put down a number of scriptures for you to look at. Revelation 110 13, where we read this. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day and I heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet saying, what thou seest, write in a book and send it to the seven churches. It gives the names of them. Verse twelve. And then I turned to see the voice that spake me. And having turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks. And in the midst of the candlesticks, one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot and girt about at the breast with the golden girdle. If you look further down, of course, it's the Lord Jesus himself. He is in the midst of the seven churches. It is a picture of the church in its completeness and fullness, in time with the Lord, the presence of God in the midst of them, walking in the midst of the seven. Then you have the churches. If you look at revelation, chapter two, verse seven, we read, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit said to the churches. [00:13:47] And then again, chapter, same chapter, verse eleven. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith to the churches. And again in verse 17. And again in verse, verse 29. And then chapter three, verse six. And again, verse 13. And again, verse 22. In other words, you had this term the churches. Why didn't the Lord say, him that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the church? [00:14:22] But he doesn't to the church at Ephesus, for instance. But he says to the churches. [00:14:27] Then you have the church at revelation two. One. To the angel of the church in Ephesus. Verse eight. To the angel of the church in Smyrna. Verse twelve. The angel of the church in Pergamum. And then again verse 18. To the angel of the church in thara, Tara. And so on. Chapter three, verse one, verse seven. And verse 14. [00:14:56] So you have three things you have, first, the church in its universal nature. [00:15:03] In one sense it is the incorruptible thing then represented by the golden lampstands. Then you have the churches. The church in time and on earth. And then you have the church at the church divided by geographical locality. Only one church divided by no other division than where the believers happen to live. [00:15:34] Now there's one other series we have at the bottom here, and I'm not sure that we really have the time because, you see, already our time's gone for this. But here in this last series, I have put down for you a number of scriptures to do with the church as the bride and city of God. Revelation 21 two, nine and ten, where the bride and the city are linked up as being synonymous. And in Hebrews 1222 and 23, where you will see that it is the church. It's not said that it's the church here, but here in Hebrews twelve, you'll find it's the church. And Ephesians five, and these verses you will see that the bride. Here it is. The city, we're told, is the church of the firstborn. And here we're told it's the bride who is the church. Now, I said, compare, compare that with revelation 20 216. I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify these things unto the churches, and revelation one, three. In other words, the whole book of revelation is to be seen, seen against the context of the church and the churches. You must understand it like that. If you don't, you fail to understand. The Lord's last words were, I, Jesus, have sent thine angel, angel to testify of these things to the churches. Then the very next word is the spirit and the bride say, come. [00:17:09] The churches and the bride are linked together. [00:17:13] Now you will find it again in here also, he that overcometh. Now the message to every one of the seven churches in the first three chapters of revelation ends with this clarion challenge. Clarion call if you like. He that overcometh shall inherit this or that or the other. Seven times the Lord says that if you look at the end, revelation 21 seven, we find that the city of God, the new Jerusalem, the bride, is linked to the overcoming in the churches. For it says, he that overcometh shall inherit all these so overcoming in order to be in the bride of God, and part of the bride of God, part of the city of God, one has to overcome within the sphere of the churches. [00:18:20] Now, I hope that's just a little introduction. [00:18:28] This evening I'm going to launch straight away into the 6th point that I want to make in these studies of why are you at Halford House? [00:18:39] And the 6th point is God's one and only method of expressing the church. The body of Christ to the world is the local church. [00:18:56] Now, I will repeat that again. [00:18:59] God's one and only method of expressing the church, the body of Christ to this world is the local church. [00:19:22] There are two terms which are used frequently in the New Testament, the first is the church and the second is the churches. These two terms are the terms that you find again and again. We have read through quite a number, by the way. We haven't exhausted the number of them by any means, of course, we've just selected a certain number. Now, the church speaks are always, always. When you get the term the church, you have to understand it by the context. [00:20:00] It speaks always of the body of Christ, universal, worldwide, those still on earth, those already gathered in the glory. It's a term that covers all ages, all parts and times and climes and peoples in the present age, this present age, and indeed all the ages of time. [00:20:30] It is invisible and intangible. Let us say that clearly it is the church of God, eternal, indestructible, indivisible and glorious. [00:20:52] Then you have another term, the churches. And this term speaks always of the church in its practical expression on earth. [00:21:08] That is, the church, tangible, visible, concretely expressed in time, on this earth, in a given locality or given localities. [00:21:29] All that is meant by the term the church express and manifested locally. Now doesn't that lift this horrible little term, the local church, onto another level altogether? [00:21:47] That's God's idea, that the local church is not something petty, something sordid, something just earthly. God's idea in the local church is that it is there alone that everything in the eternal church is to be expressed, if you like, is to be obtained as well as expressed. The principles that govern the eternal are to operate in the local, as simple as that. [00:22:22] Now in this matter, before we can actually come to the point, it is important to recognize that the churches are the one church represented and expressed in different places. Now I want to make that point very, very clearly. It is the one church. There's only one church. The church isn't the aggregate, the aggregate of churches. It isn't the sum total of so many churches. Look at it the other way around. The churches are the church expressed, and then you've got it. You mustn't look at it the other way, you must look at it that the churches are the one church expressed in all the different places on the earth. [00:23:16] If you turn to acts, chapter 15 and verse three, acts, chapter 15 and verse three, we read this. They therefore being brought on their way by the church, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. Now we might well ask, what is this term, the church? Because it isn't a particular church yet, it is the church in time and on earth. In localities it's only one church. So all the way through Phoenicia and Samaria they went from church to church to church. But Luke, Doctor Luke puts it like this. It was the church that brought them on. It's only one church. Wasn't lots of different churches. There's only one church expressed in the different places. So he puts it very simply, the church brought them on. [00:24:14] You've got it again in acts chapter nine and verse 31. Now you will see a very real difference in the translation. In the revised version, the American Standard Version, the revised standard Version, the new English Bible to the authorized King James Version. [00:24:36] Here it is in the revised and the standard Version. So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace. It is never the Church of Judea and Samaria and Galilee, but always the church throughout. [00:24:54] In other words, only one church expressed in all these churches through this area. [00:24:59] It's only one church derided into these places. If you turn to one corinthians, chapter one and verse two. We read it like this unto the church of God which is at Corinth. Even them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be saints. With all that call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours. It's only one church. It just so happens that the believers at Corinth were in the church of God which is at Corinth. But they are actually one with all those that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place. With all the other churches it's only one church. John Simon. [00:25:53] It's quite simple once you start to see it. The simple fact that governs the division of the church on earth into churches is the absolute oneness of Christ. [00:26:11] He is absolutely one. There are not lots of Christ. There's only one Christ. He is indivisible. [00:26:20] There's only one Christ. And this simple fact governs, absolutely governs the division of the church into churches. Since Christ is everything in the church, he is all in the church, all and in all it is one body. One Christ, one body. [00:26:48] Then whether it's Jerusalem, Caesarea, Antioch, Thessalonica, Rome Philippi or Richmond, Linz, Oslo, New York, Shanghai, it's only one Christmas. There's not a different Christ in Tokyo to the christ here in Richmond. There wasn't a different Christ in Thessalonica to the Christ in Jerusalem. He was precisely the same Christ. And there wasn't a different body of Christ in Rome to the one that was in Thessalonica. There's only one body because there's only one Christ. One Christ. One body. So if it's the one body in Rome, it's the same body in Jerusalem, it's the same body in Antioch. It's the same body in Ephesus. It's the same body in Richmond. Thank God. All these years later, it's the same body in Tokyo. It's the same body in Shanghai. It's the same body in Oslo. It doesn't matter where you are, it's the same one Christ. [00:27:54] Nevertheless, because of obvious physical limitation, we cannot all assemble in one place. [00:28:05] I think that is obvious to everyone. [00:28:08] And there is therefore the need to do something. [00:28:13] You see, the scripture says in Hebrews, chapter ten, forsake we are to provoke one another unto love. Provoke one another unto love. A very strong word. [00:28:27] Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is. [00:28:33] And so much the more as ye see that day approaching. [00:28:38] In other words, the nearer that day comes, the more careful you ought to be about the assembling of yourselves together. Now, how can we all assemble together? We're only one church, but we can't all assemble in one place, can we? [00:28:52] It would be absolutely ridiculous if the millions and millions of christians were all somehow to come together. And if we did all come together, what would we do? We couldn't all get into one building. [00:29:05] So because of the obvious physical limitation, the Holy Spirit has seen fit to divide the church by only one means. And that is into locality, into geographical locality, that is. He divides the church with the minimum division where you live, where you are resident. [00:29:29] It is quite simple. [00:29:32] There is a need for us to assemble together, isn't there, for mutual building up? How can a million christians build one another up? We can listen to Billy Graham, but how can we build one another up in such a meeting? For mutual building up, there's got to be some kind of fragmentation, some kind of breaking of things up into smaller units so that there's a workable unit in which everyone can build one another. Where there can be interchange and intercourse spiritually, where there can be true fellowship. [00:30:09] Otherwise, everything must be abstract and vague. We can all talk about the most wonderful and blessed fellowship when a million christians gather together. And so it is. It would be marvelous and wonderful. We had a taste of it even at Earl's court, just the thousands that came together there. But I mean, that must remain very vague and very abstract. And believe me, we can escape all kinds of issues in that kind of fellowship. [00:30:37] Therefore, because there is a need for mutual building of one another up? Because there is a need for prayer, for executive prayer and executive action. How can we paint an executive way if there's a million of us? [00:30:53] We can't get down to the business if we have a prayer meeting with a million people? [00:30:59] It's marvelous and wonderful, but it's not practical. Why? Because we're not yet. We've not yet got glorified bodies. Up there it will all be different. But down here we're in a different dimension. So we've got to recognize this physical limitation. The human mind is not made to be able to take in millions of people in a prayer meeting. [00:31:20] Actually, I think our prayer meetings are just about getting to the extent to which the human mind can take in the number. You see what I mean? I mean, it's an intensely practical matter, this matter that we're talking about tonight. Now, it's not only that, there's not only a need for executive action. How can millions take action rising up together and really hitting on the head some sickness or some illness or something else, some bondage. Of course they can do it, but they'll have to spend all their time doing it, won't they? They won't have time for anything else. If everyone's got to bring it to a central authority in the million for the whole lot to hear, the thing would become absolutely unwieldy, like a bureaucratic state. [00:32:15] Of course, God isn't a bureaucrat. That's the glory of it. [00:32:20] Then again, you and I. [00:32:23] You and I, we need to be able to meet together for witness and service. [00:32:29] Not just to be lost in a huge crowd, but to be able ourselves. Ye shall be witnesses unto me. Ye shall be witnesses unto me. [00:32:41] We're priests to serve the Lord. [00:32:44] And of course, there's a matter of discipline. Why, if we all were to meet together, there'd be no the matter of discipline alone. Why, the elders of this huge number would, I should think, be in eternal session disciplining people. [00:33:03] It's impossible now, I'd spend a little time being almost childlike. Because, you see, this whole matter is absolute simplicity. [00:33:17] For purely for facility, purely and merely for practical government, for practical order, for practical discipline, for practical experience. [00:33:32] Corporately. [00:33:34] Of all of the church means the church is divided into geographical localities. [00:33:44] If you look at Matthew chapter 16 and verse 18, we have read upon this rock I will build my church. There you have the church worldwide, universal, those in glory already, those on earth in every clime, every part of the age. [00:34:06] But now turn over the pages to chapter 18 and verse 15. How can you bring a matter like this to that church? [00:34:16] Listen to this. And if thy brother sin against thee. Brother? [00:34:21] There's no brother that sins in that one. [00:34:24] If thy brother sin against thee, go show him his fault between thee and him alone. If he hear thee, thou skin thy brother. But if he hear thee not. Take with thee one or two more. That at the mouth of two witnesses all three. Every word may be established. And if you refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church. [00:34:45] Now you know what that means. [00:34:47] It means that somewhere or other. The church. My church built upon this rock. Has to be concretely expressed in some locality. And let me tell you this. However weak and failing that church. Expressed in time and in localities may be. [00:35:05] When a person brings a matter to that church. The whole eternal church is involved. [00:35:10] It's as simple as that. You can't make any division. It's as if the whole. That's why the apostle Paul could say, I'm there in my spirit. I've judged the man. [00:35:20] He wasn't even at corridor. But he said, I'm there. [00:35:24] The whole lot are there because it's the church. But how can you bring a matter to the church. [00:35:31] If there's no such thing as it being broken up into something that we call geographical localities? [00:35:40] Here is the wisdom of God. [00:35:43] Make no mistake about it. It is absolute divine wisdom. Oh, the Lord is the past master at understanding the devious ways of our hearts. [00:35:58] Devious they are. [00:36:00] He understands you back and back to front, from top to bottom. And he understands what lies in the deepest depths of your being. Which you don't even know or understand. [00:36:16] The spirit of God searches it all, and he knows all about it. And in his wisdom he's trapped us. [00:36:24] And anyone who tries to get out of this trap. Will betray them. [00:36:30] Because however spiritual they may appear to be. Much of it is artificial. And will one day be shown up to be so. [00:36:39] The Lord has wisdom in this matter. [00:36:47] Now, what does this all mean? [00:36:50] Of course, if you go on here and he says, tell it unto the church. If he refuse to hear the church. Let him be unto thee as the gentile and the publican. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever he goes on. What things soever ye shall bind shall be bound in heaven. The church in heaven says, ratify it. [00:37:06] If a church on earth, in locality says, this thing's bound. The church in glory says, amen, it's done with one. [00:37:17] Whatsoever things ye loose on earth are loosed in heaven. T one church glorious why, in our business meetings Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are actually Roger Rome. [00:37:34] Quite remarkable. But they're all there. [00:37:37] Don't know whether they'll ask us any questions one day but the whole city, ranks of the saints are involved. The church of the firstborn all involved in it. All because we are only one church. [00:37:56] We just happened to be here in 1968 in Richmond. [00:38:02] But the thing goes right back to when the God of glory first appeared to our father Abraham. [00:38:07] That's where it all began. [00:38:10] Of course, the full, glorious revelation of the mystery of the body of Christ was only given after Pentecost. [00:38:22] Well, we must be careful of digressing. Let me put it another way. [00:38:26] If I had lived in Ephesus then I would have been in the church at. [00:38:35] If I had lived in Thyatira, I would have been in the church at Thyatira. If I had lived in Rome, I would have been in the church at Rome. It was only one church, the same church. It just so happened that where I lived, that was where I was in the church. [00:38:54] You see, it was really the church of God. [00:38:59] But it was the church of God at Rome or the Church of God or the Church of God at thou art. I bet it's quite as simple as that. If I live in Richmond, I am in the church of God which is at Richmond. [00:39:13] If I live in lint, I am in the church of God which is at lint. [00:39:19] Now, as I asked you when you were, some of you on the course when we looked at this from another angle to which church, may I ask did the Apostle Paul belong? [00:39:33] Well, the fact of the matter is he belonged to the church when he was at Ephesus, he was in the church at Ephesus. When he was at Thessalonica, he was in the church at Thessalonica. When he was at Antioch, he was in the church at Antioch. He wasn't a member of the Church of Antioch on missionary work. [00:39:49] There was only one church. [00:39:54] I've often puzzled it out when I'm in an air of aircraft. [00:39:58] When I'm in an aircraft, I'm just in the church. [00:40:03] It's as simple as that. If it brings it home to you, it seems a bit stupid but if it brings it home to you the truth of the whole thing I'd be glad. [00:40:13] There were never two churches in one locality. It was always the church at Antioch the church at Ephesus the church at Philadelphia and so on. Never do we read of the churches at Antioch or the churches at Philadelphia. Even when the believers at Jerusalem numbered thousands and thousands. And there was no adequate central meeting place to house them all. It was still the church which is at Jerusalem. Now. I'd like to just show you that to prove it to you. Because people say, oh, we're living in the 20th century. I mean if you brought everyone together in such and such a place there'd be thousands and thousands of them. Well look, this is a new, in this particular instance there's a New Testament problem. Look at acts, chapter eight and verse 22. [00:41:16] Acts, chapter eight, verse. No, that's, that's not right. [00:41:25] Verse two, verse one. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem. The church which was at Jerusalem. Have I got that up there on the board? No. Good. [00:41:43] The church which was at Jerusalem. Now someone says, ah, got you. You see there was a tremendous persecution and they were all scattered all over the place. Ah, but just wait. It was still the church which were of God which was at Jerusalem before that persecution took place. Because if you read there it says and there arose the persecution. Now listen to this. Go straight back. Acts, chapter two. Acts, chapter two, verse 41. [00:42:14] They then that received his word were baptized. And there were added unto them in that day about 3000 souls. And they continued steadfastly the 3000. They continued steadfastly in the apostles teaching and fellowship in the breaking of bread and of prayers. Verse 46. And day by day continuing steadfastly with one accord. There was their central meeting place. Not a very sympathetic place in the temple. With one accord in the temple. Every day they met in the temple to fellowship together the whole lot of them. [00:42:48] And breaking bread from home to home they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart. So they broke bread. The Lord's table they had from home to home in all the areas around. Now just wait. Look at chapter four, verse four. But many of them that heard the word believed and the number of the men came to be about 5000. Now I reckon if we judge the natives to be faithful too there must have been 10,000 of them there. [00:43:20] I'm going, of course by New Testament procedure and not by the commenting of three or four or five ladies to every man amongst christian places. I mean just at the minimum 10,000. All right then look on chapter six and verse seven. And the word of God increased and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly. [00:43:48] And a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. Then it goes on in chapter eight and verse one the church which was in Jerusalem. Now there must have been something like twelve or 15,000 believers in Jerusalem, until the persecution scattered the majority of them, and there was left a much smaller group, still numbering some thousands. Now, is it not an interesting fact that it was never at any time called the churches which are at Jerusalem, but always, throughout the whole of the New Testament, it is always called the church which is at Jerusalem. [00:44:33] Now, someone will bring up the references, which of which there are only three, to the church which is in your house, or the church which is in their house. There are three of them. One corinthians 16, nine. Romans chapter 16, verse five, and Colossians chapter four, verse 15. Now, people will immediately bring up this and say, but surely this destroys the whole thing. But it doesn't at all. First of all, if you will note, one of the places mentioned is Ephesus, Aquila and Priscilla. They were wealthy people. They were what we would call today factory owners. They were quite that. Then. They had their own tent making business and evidently had a big home in which they probably had a very large area for making carpets and tents and saddles, because the tent makers were carpet makers as well as saddle makers, too. It's a very big business, and therefore they may well have met in the very large area they had, we don't know. But in one of those references, I think it's the corinthian one, you will see that Paul sends the greetings of the church which is in their house. Now, it could easily conclude, conceivably be the church which was at Ephesus at that point, was still meeting in Aquila and PRIScILLA's home, because it could have taken the church at that point. So that doesn't invalidate the argument at all. Now, the other two. [00:46:04] The first is the roman one. Well, again, it's Aquila and Priscilla, the most extraordinary couple, husband and wife. [00:46:10] They had gone off to rome. Now, they were the two, by the way, that took apollos on one side and instructed him more fully in the way. [00:46:20] They've gone off to rome now, and they've got another big home somewhere there. Now, people say this shows that the church which was at RomE must have numbered many more. They could get in their home. Now, there are two points about this. First, it does not say that Aquila and Priscilla were actually resident in Rome, and it could easily have been in a place outside of Rome, from Rome was the main metropolis of the day. On the other hand, even if it had been so, Rome was the biggest city in the old world. It numbered about a million people, lucky the size of Copenhagen today or of Birmingham. [00:46:58] The fact is that even if the church had been split up into four or five or six groups, it would still have been the church which is in your house. You see, supposing we. We'd spoken from a written. I'd written a letter from Jerusalem. I might have said, the Church of Jerusalem, which is meeting in so and so's house, sends greetings. [00:47:23] This didn't mean the whole church of Jerusalem, numbering 12,000, were managing tgedean, sister, whatever the name was, house. [00:47:31] It just means that that particular district, all the believers are meeting in their home. So it doesn't invalidate the argument at all. [00:47:41] Now, the other one in Colossians is to Laodicea and Nymphas, or, if you will see in the margin, nympha, another lady. If it's nympha, it's a lady. Nymphas, it's a gentleman. [00:47:56] And he said, and the house which is in their house, or then you see in the margin her house. So we're not quite sure. Now, this does not necessarily mean it could be the church which is at Laodicea, which was meeting in Nympha's house, or it could be that there was somewhere else that Paul was referring to in another, smaller place. We don't know. But what we can say is it does not invalidate what we have said. [00:48:25] I think we ought to note another point in this matter, that whenever the plural churches is used, it is in fact always used of an area or a region consisting of a number of towns or villages, and never of one city. We never at any single place in the whole New Testament read of the churches at Rome, the churches Thessalonica, the churches at Athens, the churches at Alexandria, or anywhere like that. We never read that. [00:49:04] We do read of, for instance, one corinthians 16, one, the churches of Galatia, one corinthians 1619, the churches of Asia, two corinthians eight, one, the churches of Macedonia, Galatians 122, the churches of Judea. And we could go on. And we could go on. They're always. The plural is always associated with areas and or regions in which there are a number of localities. Now, I personally believe this matter is the simplest, most rational matter in one way in scripture. [00:49:50] I must say that I think any fool ought to be able to see it. [00:49:56] I am therefore amazed, knowing the number of fools that have been saved, that there isn't greater clarity amongst christians on this matter. It is quite extraordinary, the sheer absolute blindness that there is when it comes to this simple, rational matter. [00:50:21] Let me put it again. The only division of the church recognized and allowed by God in the scriptures is geographical. [00:50:34] That is locality. [00:50:38] See one corinthians, chapter one, verse one and two. Well, you've got it. The church of God which is at Corinth. Now compare that the church of God which is at Corinth. Compare it with Titus, chapter one and verse five. Now listen to this. [00:50:58] For this cause left I thee in Crete that thou shouldst set in order the things that were wanting and appoint elders in every city. [00:51:09] Don't you think that is extraordinary, that the apostle Paul didn't say and appoint elders in every church? [00:51:16] But he doesn't. He says, appoint elders in every city. If you look at acts chapter 14 and verse 23, we have precisely the same phrase where it's put this way. And when they had appointed for them elders in every church. [00:51:36] It seems so clear to me the church is synonymous with the locality, with the city. [00:51:52] That leads me to this question, vin. What do we mean by locality? [00:52:03] What do we mean by locality? And we answer in this way. It would seem from scripture that it was an administrative unit, as simple as that. Not a regional unit, not a national unit, but a local administrative unit. [00:52:29] In other words, civil authority is recognized in this matter where there is, like Philippi, a definite civil administrative unit or ephesus, a civil administrative unit or Jerusalem, a civil administrative unit that is recognized as a locality. [00:52:52] Simple again as that. Now, obviously in New Testament times the matter was far, far simpler because localities were defined. [00:53:09] There was none of this highly urbanized society in which we live. [00:53:16] Even Rome, which was the greatest of all, was nothing like anything we know. [00:53:22] They, for instance, did not face the problem. They hadn't got the problem presented to them of huge area where one town had spread and spread and spread and swallowed up a whole number of others, such as London. I mean, you take London, it's swallowed up. Why, you can read books if you want to in the library that speak of going by horse through meadows and fields from Richmond right the way up to St. Martin's in the fields. [00:54:01] The city began farther on. That was Westminster, you see. I mean, they just had New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, all these. Although they're more modern cities still, they're the New Testament. Did not those in the New Testament did not face this problem of highly urbanized areas which have somehow grown or swallowed a whole number of places into it? Nevertheless, let us say this. The principle holds good in general and in such cases, as we just mentioned, London and other places like that. The people of God must seek the Lord's mind as to how this principle applies, not put it aside. [00:55:04] What right have we to put aside any principle but to seek the mind of God as to how it applies in our 20th century conditions? [00:55:16] There are exceptions, of course, to the rule, and we have to face that. [00:55:24] But we cannot be too dogmatic in stating that any division of the church other than the geographical one into localities is not of God and must result in disruption and disintegration. [00:55:47] Therefore, anything that calls itself a church which covers less than a locality is not a church. And anything which is more than the locality is not a church either. It's a work. [00:56:06] Now, the foundation upon which a church is built is Jesus Christ alone. [00:56:14] That's the foundation. [00:56:17] There is no other foundation. [00:56:20] We don't build on history or tradition, however marvelous, nor do we build on teaching as such, nor even experience as such, or experiences as such. We build upon the foundation which is Jesus Christ and him alone. But this matter of the foundation being Jesus Christ is neither abstract nor vague. It is absolutely concrete, for it is the foundation which is Jesus Christ alone as found in that particular locality. [00:57:02] Now, I cannot stress that fervently enough, vehemently enough, it is the first fundamental in the practical outworking of the church. [00:57:20] Until the Holy Spirit finds such a recognition on our part as to this matter of the foundation being Jesus Christ as found in our locality, he will not commit himself to corporate building work under any circumstances whatsoever. And I don't care where you go in the whole world, you will not find any building work. Now, I'm not talking about personal building up. I'm not talking about personal increase to a measure. I am talking about the actual building together that we read of in the New Testament, which is for most christians a myth. [00:58:01] It's a legend, a fairy tale. [00:58:04] Marvelous. The primitive church had all things in common. They had a belonging. They felt they belonged. It's something that everyone thinks happened in the beginning. A fairy tale, legendary, primitive, prehistoric. [00:58:19] Why doesn't the Holy Spirit commit himself in this matter of knitting people together, of forming people into one, of causing them to grow up into the head, of somehow bringing the sense of the whole body? Because unless he gets this simple matter of foundation clear, he will not commit himself. He treats it all as a work and bless his people individually, here, there, and everywhere. Now, I am not very old, but I have. What I have seen has borne out in my little experience exactly what I see. [00:58:56] It doesn't matter how great a vision there is, how far people have gone. If this simple matter of Christ as the only foundation in a particular locality is not recognized, the Holy Spirit will not commit himself. [00:59:18] Now, that is why there is such a dearth of church building. [00:59:32] Even where the headship of Christ is known to a certain degree. [00:59:39] The Lord has to lead us to this matter. [00:59:45] Now we come to the point. [00:59:49] This matter of the local church is vitally important. Why? [00:59:58] Because it is the only way God has ordained that the church should be encandered, be expressed to this world. [01:00:12] Indeed, it is the only way this world can see Christ in his oneness, his fullness, and his power. [01:00:30] He will never be seen in the same way in an individual. [01:00:35] But when he builds people into the body, there is such a form. [01:00:40] You can't explain it, but it's. Strangely enough, the world touches it. And they will say, what's different about that crowd? [01:00:49] It's not just the preaching. It's not just the place. There's some mysterious difference. I cannot explain. What is it? It's the presence of the church. [01:01:06] Now, if you turn. I can't read. We haven't got time. But if you turn to John 1721 and 23, you will see the Lord says this, that they may be one that the world may believe. And then he goes on, that they may be perfected into one that the world might know that thou didst send. And if you compare that with John, chapter 13 and verse 34 and 35, he says, a new commandment I leave unto you, that ye love one another. [01:01:34] For if ye love one another, then the world will believe. [01:01:40] In other words, it's got to be seen. [01:01:43] And where is it seen? [01:01:45] It is seen in the local church. [01:01:50] Now, I want to say one or two hard things here. [01:01:54] This spiritual unity in Christ we've been talking about, the church of God, ought to have visible and tangible expression on this earth in time. [01:02:12] That's what we mean by the word churches. [01:02:17] Why is it so often held, indeed, so generally held, amongst christians? [01:02:26] And, indeed, it's an extraordinary thing that the more spiritual you are, the more it's held. [01:02:33] Why is it that it's so generally held amongst christians that spiritual things have no. No visible expression, no tangible expression? [01:02:55] I often hear people who I'm sure have not thought tell us about the wind bloweth, where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof. [01:03:20] Concrete expression. [01:03:23] You don't know where it's coming from or where it's going to, but you hear it and you can feel it. [01:03:30] People don't think. [01:03:34] May I ask why God came in the person of Jesus Christ, why did he limit himself to a human body? [01:03:42] Was the Lord Jesus a spiritual man? [01:03:45] Was he on the of heaven? Of course, you say, yet he was a man like you and me. He was a carpenter, he made tools, he wept, he ate, he lived like you and me. He breathed. [01:04:03] All this spirituality was concretely expressed in terms of flesh and blood. [01:04:10] And the apostle John tries to make a point of it later when he says, we touched him, we handled him, we saw him, we heard him. [01:04:24] The life, the eternal life, which was with the father that had been given unto us. [01:04:35] Concrete expression. [01:04:39] If we were to apply this idea that spiritual things have no concrete expression, or that they are sort of invisible and intangible, if we were to apply this idea to conversion, to new birth, spiritual birth, to sanctification, I do fear some do. [01:05:00] To godliness, to true faith, where would we be? We would be in an utter mess. [01:05:09] Why? Because the scripture says, by their fruits ye shall live. [01:05:13] Why? [01:05:15] When a person is converted, we expect to see a change. [01:05:20] We know we always see a change. It's not a question of. We expect because we learnt to know it. [01:05:28] Something happens. Why, they may still be in their old clothes and all unshaven and all the rest of it still down and out, but there's a light in their eyes and we all say, what's happened? Why? I remember one lad in the conference, oh, my. Should take time to tell you, he was introduced to me on the understanding by a rather overzealous sister, that I should give him the gospel, the works, the whole lot. [01:05:57] And I took one look at this poor bleary eyed boy and when I looked at him, I thought, oh, what a mistake. [01:06:09] So I looked at him with all the compassion I could screw up, and I said to him, if you wish to talk about these things, my room is number so and so. [01:06:25] And I said, otherwise I shouldn't bother. [01:06:30] He went on. [01:06:33] I mean, I couldn't possibly have talked to in. The poor kid wagged more or less by the hair into such a time. [01:06:44] However, he came along. Some of the meetings there he was all skewed with, looking very sort of rather as if he'd been on a scrum on the rugby field, which he played quite regularly, and obviously not a thing was going in. [01:07:05] And then at the Lord's table, I noticed a difference, a most extraordinary difference. Now, it wasn't his tie. He hadn't got one. And it wasn't his vest, which could be seen by all present. [01:07:23] It wasn't his clothes. They were just the same as they were before. But they were something in his very face. [01:07:31] I was transfixed. I thought, something's happened to that man. [01:07:37] So afterwards I went up and what had happened? He'd been converted in his room. [01:07:48] Now there was a tangible, visible change. [01:07:54] We expected in such things. I think all evangelicals would say this. We expected in the matter of sanctification. Everyone who talks sanctification and there's nothing in their life, it's wind, hot air. [01:08:16] Then we cannot apply, if we cannot apply this, this idea of spiritual things being vague and abstract, unseen and invisible and intangible to these things, why should we, in God's name, apply it to the church and to the unity of Christ? [01:08:38] We have absolutely no warrant whatsoever in any way at all. [01:08:46] It is true that it is essentially a spiritual, inward, organic matter, this oneness of Christ. [01:08:56] Yet it must have concrete, visible expression. This is the whole point of the local church. God's one and only method of expressing the church, the body of Christ. For this world is the local church. This is the whole point. [01:09:21] Everything is applied in down to earth, very down to earth terms and circumstances in the local church. All that talk about oneness, all that talk about victory, all that talk about fullness. The Holy Spirit is so faithful, he brings it all down to earth in the local church and tests it. [01:09:51] Sometimes we're almost afraid to open our mouths because it's tested, tested, tested all the time. But thank God for the testing. [01:10:01] We lose all that's pseudo. We lose all that's artificial, all that's pseudo. [01:10:06] All that's taken on like chameleons and mothers. They lose it all because everything is applied in the sphere of the local church. All is to have its concrete expression. Everything. It doesn't matter what it is. It's got to have its concrete expression. [01:10:25] Now, this is of tremendous importance for true spirituality is not a matter of abstract theories, unworkable ideals or impractical attitudes. [01:10:46] Yet that's the general idea of it. [01:10:51] This simple geographical division of the church into churches so utterly rational and so practical in its nature not only expresses but preserves the oneness of Christ. [01:11:14] Now, let's say this. The church, its unity, its cohesion will never be expressed by worldwide movements or affiliations or federations or councils such as the ecumenical movement, the World Council of Churches. [01:11:34] It will never be expressed by that. [01:11:41] It will only ever be expressed by believers in each locality leaving all that divides and all that which is not the local church and never can be and taking the ground of the body of Christ, the local church is therefore three things. [01:12:16] First, it is inclusive. [01:12:20] Secondly, it is representative of Christ. And thirdly, it is responsible locally. And we will end just on these three things. It is, first of all inclusive. [01:12:35] It covers and includes every born again believer in its locality, whatever their condition. [01:12:47] It brings all together in Christ in that place, whatever their race, whatever their nationality, whatever their social class or spiritual measure and understanding. In here in Richmond, every one of us is a child of God. Resident within the boundaries of Richmond upon Thames belongs to the Church of God, which is at Richmond. There's no question of danish or chinese or malaysian or american visitors. [01:13:23] And if any of the natives of these islands should feel that way, you can be sure you will paralyze the work of the Holy Spirit. Because the church is not a of visitors. The church is the church. [01:13:44] It is supernational, super racial. [01:13:49] We are the church. [01:13:51] And whilst your resident here, you are not a Dane or a Norwegian or a Scot or a Welshman or anything else. [01:14:04] You are a Christian and you are a member of the body of Christ with as much right to be here as someone who actually was born in Richmond. [01:14:18] Let me put it another way. It cannot be exclusive of anyone who is a child of God, except on certain grounds we mention them. Discipline, apostasy, heresy. [01:14:30] Now, you will see in the notes that you have given a certain number of references. I want you to look them up because some people say, where is there in scripture actual ground for every believer being in the church at St. Well, I've given them to you. I've given you Romans, chapter one, verse seven. All the saints which are at Rome. I've given you Philippians one one, which is the classic, where it says, to all the saints which are at Philippi with the presbyters, the elders, the bishops and the deacons. In other words, it's the church. All one. Corinthians, chapter two, verse two. [01:15:14] Church of God, which is at Corinth. Them that are sanctified in Christ is cause saints with all those that call upon him in every place. [01:15:25] I've given you a number of scriptures, Ephesians one, one and Colossians one two. Right. It's inclusive. [01:15:33] Wonderful, isn't it? The foundation is Jesus Christ. The ground is locality. [01:15:41] So simple, once you've got that, you've flung, as it were, around you all a kind of lasso you can't get out. The second thing is representative of Christ. What do I mean? I mean, it's representative of Christ in that locality. It represents him there. [01:16:07] It is not there to propagate peculiar or particular emphases or tenets of its own. It is simply the local church. It is simply and profoundly the body of Christ, the church of God in that city or that town or that village. [01:16:31] Now, that does not mean to say that a church does not have an emphasis, for just like every one of us differs, so all the churches differ. They're not uniform, but they are not there. There's a vast difference in having an emphasis, in one sense, something to give, because of the very way that particular company of children in that locality has gone and existing there to propagate specifically and exclusively certain teachings or experiences or something else. [01:17:08] In this matter of the church being representative of Christ locally, may I say how glorious that is if the Lord tarries and we're here next Thursday, the last of these series of the time being, I would like to speak a little more on this very matter because I feel it's very important. [01:17:28] But suffice it to say this. It is the most glorious calling that any of us could possibly have to represent Christ in an area. How glorious that is. [01:17:40] It means that the Lord commits himself, his authority. He commits. He commits himself to us because it's the church, not because we're anything. And that's what's so amazing. You get an elite group of people, but the Holy Spirit won't commit themselves. Get a weak lot of. With every kind of failing, and the Lord commits himself. And you scratch your head and wonder what it is. [01:18:05] But it's a matter of the church, because the Lord is this. I am represented here. [01:18:15] Will you note in this connection that in the scripture that churches are never associated with any name or title other than of God, churches of God, or of Christ or locality. Now, this is very interesting. In one Thessalonians, chapter one, verse one, it says, to the church of the Thessalonians, not the church which is Thessalonica, but the church of the Thessalonians. And in Colossians four, I think it's 15 or 16, it says, to the church of the lamb. [01:18:51] And even more remarkably, in revelation 111, it says, rise it to the seven churches, to Ephesus Smyrna, that the Lord actually calls the church by its locality. [01:19:07] Not anything else. [01:19:09] Not the apollonium or the Pauline, Wesleyan, hancom, all the rest of it. No, he says, to Richmond, to Ashford, to live. [01:19:33] It's amazing. And as I said, lastly, it is responsible locally, whilst it must ever remember the local church, that it is but part of the whole family and seek to maintain that church consciousness. [01:19:49] The primary responsibility of the local church is its own locality. [01:19:57] It has within its very being, inherently within its constitution, as it were, a worldwide commission and vision. And woe betide any chance that loses it right in the very fabric of its being, at the very heart, very warp and roof out of which it is made is this thing a worldwide vision and commission. [01:20:32] But never think that God lets you escape from your responsibilities by serving the interests of God on the other side of the globe in an abstract way. [01:20:46] That's the whole point. Again he brings us right then how do we discharge first of all this worldwide commission and vision? [01:20:55] By discharging our responsibilities locally. [01:20:59] By doing that we are discharging. That's why the Lord said, you shall be witnessed. This is unto me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth. [01:21:13] We are responsible locally. There is a solemn note, for it means that we as a company will one day stand before God and be held responsible for this area. [01:21:30] So I think, you see, the local church cannot be national, cannot be denominational, cannot be inter denominational, cannot be sectarian, cannot be exclusive, cannot be propagators of certain truth or aspects of it. [01:21:54] It is simply the church of God, the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is found at service. [01:22:10] Now the vital importance of all that we've spoken about this evening, and I believe it is important, I really do, the vital importance of all that we have spoken about this evening can be seen when we realize that God's purpose at Pentecost was that Christ should continue to be seen and to be expressed on earth through his body. [01:22:37] And the enemy has struck very effectively at the one and only method God had of expressing the Lord Jesus corporately through the ages to the centuries. [01:22:58] What a battle has been over this thing. My the Lord help us. [01:23:15] Dear Lord, we commit ourselves to thee. [01:23:18] We pray that thou wouldst give us that spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of thyself. [01:23:26] We need it, Lord. Otherwise all this will just be theoretical knowledge, head knowledge. And Lord, in this particular subject, perhaps more than many others, thou knowest it so possible. [01:23:43] But we ask thee, Lord, that we shall see the thing and see it in its relationship to true spirituality, to true godliness, to overcoming, to the bride of the lamb. [01:23:59] We ask thee, Lord, thou wouldst help us in all these things. [01:24:04] And we ask it in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. [01:24:09] Amen.