LIVING ELEMENTS WHICH COMPOSE THE ASSEMBLY
[p. 145] LIVING ELEMENTS WHICH COMPOSE THE ASSEMBLY
Luke 8:26 - 35; Luke 8:43 - 56
Luke’s gospel has in view material for the assembly, as it is to be known down here in connection with the testimony of God. At the end of this gospel, believers are seen together, and as together, they are sustained by grace; they say that the Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon. Simon had denied the Lord in a shameful way, and we should have thought naturally that he would have been the last to whom the Lord would have appeared, yet the saints are saying, “The Lord is indeed risen and has appeared to Simon”, (Luke 24:34). That shows that the Lord always acts in grace, and those of us who form part of the assembly of God are characterised by the grace of which we are now speaking. Then they say to others of this company that the Lord had made Himself known to them in the breaking of bread. Those who know the Lord in grace and who break bread mark off the public body; every true believer in Christ can speak of grace and the Lord making Himself known in the breaking of bread. The Lord’s supper is for all believers, and those who do not take part in it are failing in that. Why not judge yourself and get forgiven, as it is written, “But let a man prove himself and thus eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:28)?
The verses which we have read in Luke 8 give us a man, a woman and a child, all three coming under the life-giving power of Christ. The public body is composed of men, women and young ones.
The first feature is seen in a man in a bad state, in a man possessed by demons a long time; he had come from the town, but he did not live in a house but in the tombs. He wore no clothes, it says — a terrible picture of the results of sin. If such a man can be saved, then no one has grounds for despair, no one can consider [p. 146] himself too bad or has been too long in the service of sin to be saved. Our modern cities are full of such persons; the young people are anxious to get away from the country into the towns, forgetting that sin is found there in a concentrated way, so to speak. It is there that demons can be active; young people become shameless, neglecting even the respect due to their parents and finding their haunts apart from them. The truth is that they are under Satan’s influence, they are not among the living but among the dead, “in the tombs”, while life is found amongst the people of God. Young people who abandon this circle enter the circle of the dead, as it says in Proverbs 9:18, “he knoweth not that the dead are there; that her guests are in the depths of Sheol”. This particular man had a legion of demons; Mary Magdalene had been possessed of seven demons, but this man had a legion of them — what a terrible state! The Lord, however, cast out the demons; although you and I may have been very wicked, the Lord has come to cast out the demons. Can it be that there are men here, who though having christian wives, are possessed of demons? Can it be that there are women affected by demons, yet having christian husbands? And too, are there young people in this terrible condition, though they have christian parents? Why will you continue to live in this condition? The Lord is ready to cast out the demons. The demons possessed this man to such a degree that they were identified with him, but the Lord commanded them. Do you not want, as we have done, to turn to the Lord that He may cast out all the impurities of your heart? He will forgive all your sins, yes, all the sins you have committed. Then you will learn to live by the Spirit and walk by the Spirit.
When the demons were cast out, the man was found at the feet of the Lord; previously he had been carried hither and thither by the power of sin, now he is sitting at the feet of Jesus. Before he had been able to sit in [p. 147] the seats at the theatres, or at games of cards or in many another place of sin. The demons used to urge the man on all sides into places full of evil, now we see him sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and sensible. Thus we have the man made suitable for the assembly. Are there here persons who are in the service of Satan in this way? The Lord Jesus has need of you: are you ready to accept deliverance, and to sit at the feet of Jesus, clothed and sensible? Why would you stay in the devil’s service? He who commits sin is the bondman of sin; why would you not give up this bondage to come and place yourself at the feet of Jesus? It says, “But seeing Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus Son of the Most High God? I beseech thee torment me not”. So powerful were the demons in him that it was they who spoke, but the man bowed down before the almighty power of the Lord. Blessed for him, and equally blessed for those who are here: you will meet the Lord. Are you not going to bow down before Him?
Jesus asked him, “What is thy name?” The name indicates what you are; but it is the demons who speak. They speak by means of him, begging Jesus not to command them to go to the bottomless pit, for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. “What is thy name?” Jesus asks him; the reply which the man makes is, “Legion”. What an answer! He was possessed by a legion of demons, yet the Lord had commanded them to go out, and no one can resist the Lord’s commandment. As with the centurion, one word sufficed for the man to be delivered. Now I speak to you: Are you not ready to bow before Jesus, so as to receive forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit? Then will you prove how good it is at the feet of Jesus. How beautiful it is to see a man, sitting, clothed and sensible at the feet of Jesus! Those who are governed by sin lack right senses. No one could bind [p. 148] this man, but now he is sitting, he is clothed, he is in his right mind, and so you see in him suitable material for the assembly. The man represents the intelligent side in the house of God. That does not mean that men are more intelligent than women, but rather it is this side which the man represents in Scripture. Man represents God. “The Christ is the head of every man, but woman’s head is the man, and the Christ’s head God”, (1 Corinthians 11:3). According to the epistle to the Corinthians, man in the assembly has the place of representative of God, and the local company is marked by this order, God, Christ, man, woman; it is the order of creation. What an opportunity the men have of coming forward at this time! We are speaking to you; Christ is ready to do everything for you; He will make you fit for the assembly so that you may have part in the greatest company in the universe. The greatest circle in the world in the eyes of God is of Christ and the assembly. God’s thought is that you may have part in it, and how can you? By coming to the feet of Jesus. There you will be seated, clothed and sensible, yes, clothed with the best robe of heaven. God puts this robe at your disposition: “Bring out the best robe”, He says, “and clothe him in it, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet”, (Luke 15:22). You will be before God in an intelligent way, and in your right mind.
The next feature about the assembly is the woman. She, “coming up behind, touched the hem of his garment”. In this woman we see, not the power of Satan which works in us, but something more secret, sin itself which works in our members; this is another side of the truth. Most amongst us know they have the forgiveness of sins, and they have received the Spirit, but do they know how this inward evil is cured? This woman, having faith, touched the Lord, she touched the hem of His garment. In the case of the man whose name was Legion, it was not a question of [p. 149] touching the Lord but of His word only, “for he had commanded the unclean spirit to go out from the man”. Here, however, the woman touched the Lord, a matter then in this case of drawing near to Christ and touching Him. The better one knows Him, the more liberty one has to approach Him and touch Him. This woman had discerned in Him power for healing. The Lord knew that power had gone out from Him; what acts for your healing has come from Christ and has entered into you. This refers to what we call subjective truth, the beginning of truth in you, which will be followed by formation for the building up of the assembly. But now notice the danger of acting in too secret a way. A feature of this woman is the lack of transparency. I do not say that women are less transparent than men, but I speak of what marked this woman. To have part in the assembly, it is essential that you are sincere and open. You will remember that Rachel hid an idol: “Rachel had taken the teraphim and put them under the camel’s saddle; and she sat upon them”, (Genesis 31:34). Her father sought them but found them not. If we act in a crooked or secret way, we can hide some idol which, at one time or another, will bring damage to the saints. Rachel hid an idol which had been brought along with Jacob, instead of being abandoned. Laban went into all the tents one after another in order to find the teraphim. “Laban went into ... Leah’s tent, and into the two handmaids’ tents, and found nothing; and he went out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent ... And Laban explored all the tent, but found nothing ... And he searched carefully, but did not find the teraphim”, (verses 33,34). Do not be a Rachel in this way; true, she is a beautiful type of Israel, loved by Christ, for Christ has loved not only the assembly but Israel too. Rachel, however, was deceitful; she hid the teraphim and brought them into the camp when Jacob was on his way to the house of God, where idols have no place. We should see whether we in ourselves are [p. 150] not hiding some idol. The woman came up behind; she had been ill for a long time and had suffered much and paid large sums to the doctors without obtaining any cure. If you hide your trouble, you will never get cured, but in the day when you come to the Lord, in the day when you touch Him, you will be perfectly cured. Then go and say so, announce it publicly. Power has gone out from Him and entered into you — make it known round about you. Not only are you cured, but a new power has come into you. Now this is the power which is in the assembly; all have it. We would love to hear you speak of it, and in speaking of it, you will encourage others to go to the Lord to receive it too. No one can be in the assembly without understanding that something has come from Christ and entered into him. You become spiritual in this way, but before there is any development at all, the truth must be fully declared. The Lord will not leave you in peace so long as you have not declared all the truth. The woman may think that no one would know anything about her, but the Lord knew all, and He made her tell all the truth; it was for her good. Do not keep secrets in your heart; tell Him everything. “The woman, seeing that she was not hid, came trembling, and falling down before him declared before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was immediately healed”.
Then you hear the Lord of glory saying to her, “daughter”. If the greatest personage in the world spoke to you in that way there would be no comparison with the way in which the Lord addressed her. You have come out from the natural circle and are introduced into the circle of the family of God — we speak simply and freely — there, everyone is transparent, as in the book of the Revelation where the saints stand on the sea of glass. In the same way it speaks of the heavenly city as like pure glass; nothing is hidden. Then again [p. 151] the river of water of life, which goes out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, is bright as crystal.
The third feature of the assembly is found in Jairus s daughter, about twelve years old. It may be that there are in this room young people who are saying, ‘I am not old enough to have part in the assembly’. Well, you will remember that the Lord Jesus, twelve years of age, was in the temple in the midst of the doctors. Why, dear friends, would you not be in the temple with the doctors? Jesus was hearing and asking questions; if you are not able to answer questions, you can at least ask them in the temple. Jesus, being who He was, was answering as well as asking. Now this young girl was of the same age, twelve years old. The Lord had much consideration for her; He takes the greatest care to meet her condition; He takes more pains with her than with all the others. Children may think that they are insignificant, but no! It is not a matter of what you are, but of what Jesus can make of you, for He knows the end from the beginning. It may be that He wants to do wonderful things with you. Jesus indeed is filled with consideration for the children; He takes them in His arms. We see His great interest in the young: “Suffer little children to come to me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:16). Jesus had His eye on the father of the little girl, for fathers have much anxiety for their children. Someone came to tell the father, “Thy daughter is dead”. What a painful word for this father, but Jesus intercepted the message, so to say, for hearing it, He says to him, “Fear not: only believe, and she shall be made well”. Having come to the house, He put out those who wept and lamented and all the flute-players. Children cannot be brought up for the assembly by the sound of this world’s music; even what we call religious music does not prepare the young for the assembly. According to Matthew’s account, Jesus put out the flute-players and the crowd making a tumult; “Withdraw”, He says to them, “for the damsel is not dead, but sleeps”. Natural emotions can in no way help the young for the assembly; even ordinary instruction, however necessary, is no help to them there. The Lord then, puts out all those governed by natural feelings, and takes with Him Peter, John and James, together with the father and mother of the child. Do you see the interest the Lord shows to meet the needs of this young girl? When she was brought to life, she was with six persons who represent the most spiritual element you can find in God’s universe: the Lord Jesus, Peter, John, James and those who were responsible, that is, the father and mother. If parents want their children to be brought up for the assembly, it must be that spiritual elements are in the house. It says, “He suffered no one to go in, but Peter and John and James and the father of the child and the mother”. So Jesus, “having turned them all out and taking hold of her hand, cried saying, Child, arise”. In chapter 7:14, Jesus says to the young man, “Youth, I say to thee, Wake up”; to Lazarus, He says, “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43), for with Lazarus the dignity of the person is involved. Here it is a child in a family, life in freshness, in youth and its energy — and this must characterise the assembly. “Immediately she rose up”.
We must understand these three features in order to be fitting for the assembly of God in our locality. The man is sitting, clothed and sensible; he can take up assembly matters and judge them in a spiritual way, lifting up holy hands in the presence of God. The woman brings out the subject and affectionate side; our love is to be pure, transparent and without partiality. The child represents life in freshness, simplicity and energy, and this should mark each locality.