THE RESOURCES OF THE LOCAL ASSEMBLIES
[p. 445] THE RESOURCES OF THE LOCAL ASSEMBLIES
Revelation 1:4-6; Revelation 1:17-20
Although the Lord has favoured us with a good deal of light as to the assembly, we still need to be reminded of the special place which local assemblies have in His mind. We are all apt to be too individual, and to forget that the Lord is concerned about assemblies — local companies of saints. Such companies are of great interest to Him because this is the particular form which the work and testimony of God takes at the present time.
We may remember that Solomon is spoken of in Ecclesiastes as the Preacher, and in the margin of the New Translation the word ‘preacher’ is said to mean ‘a former of assemblies’. The Lord would have us to consider Him in that light; it is the key to what took place in the early days of the church’s history, and to what is taking place now. It is one of Christ’s excellent designations that He is ‘a former of assemblies’; when the voice of Christ is listened to, assemblies will be formed. It was so at the beginning, the speaking of Christ was heard, and the result was, not only that people were converted and brought into the blessing of the gospel, but local assemblies were formed; Christ was known to be the ‘former of assemblies’. It was so at Corinth; Christ spoke in Paul (2 Corinthians 13: 3) and the result of His speaking was that an assembly was formed in that city, and it became a “golden lamp” — a vessel of spiritual light; that is the proper ideal of a local assembly.
The idea of local assemblies has very largely disappeared in Christendom. There are great national systems of religion, and sects, some with a little more light than others, but all constituted by influences other than the speaking of Christ. The local assembly viewed according to the mind of God is constituted by the speaking of Christ, and as a vessel of spiritual light it is spiritual in its constitution. We must begin with this idea; it does not do for us to derive our thoughts from the confused and disorderly state of Christendom; we must view this matter according to the divine conception; if that is before us it will steady our souls. It is a help to get the thought [p. 446] that according to God each local assembly is a vessel of spiritual light, and there is but that one vessel of spiritual light in a city. There was such a vessel in Corinth, and it had its counterpart in every other city and place where the Lord’s name was called upon. Spiritual light was there, and it was nowhere else; outside was darkness. It should be our desire to be identified with that which is locally a vessel of spiritual light; that is what we want to look for. We can understand how Satan would desire to obscure such lights, and to introduce into local assemblies elements of darkness, but we may be sure that the Lord will never give up the original divine thought, nor will He acquiesce in anything that is contrary to it.
We may learn from the verses read the kind of material of which the local assembly is formed; it is composed of persons who have the consciousness of the present love of Christ. In each local assembly you could hear such an utterance as this, “To him who loves us, and has washed us from our sins in his blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father”. Those who can say that have a spiritual constitution. The first feature of the local assembly is that it is a company of persons in the consciousness of the present love of Christ; then they can say, He “has washed us from our sins in his blood”. He sets us together in the very place where we had been sinners, in the complete cleansing which His blood effects; all that made up our former history is washed away.
Then He “has ... made us a kingdom”; that intimates that we are not sinning now. Having been washed from our sins in His blood, He has made us a kingdom; He has constituted us a realm for God. To be a kingdom is a contrast to sinning; it is truly a blessed thing to be a realm for God. In every place where there is a local assembly there is a bit of territory which constitutes a divine realm. That is an important spiritual element, and, as we have said, if there is to be a local vessel of spiritual light, spiritual elements are essential to it. Anyone who loves God would delight to know that there is a bit of territory in the place where he lives that is an ordered realm for God, a realm where insubject or unruly elements are not tolerated, a kingdom — not a democracy, and that as having been subdued to God by His grace he forms part of it. That is how Christ forms assemblies. As these spiritual features are present — the consciousness of Christ’s present love, of being washed from every stain of what pertained to our former history, and [p. 447] as constituted a kingdom — there is the establishment in a company of persons locally of what is morally suitable to God.
As we walk together locally as a kingdom, a realm for God, and as delivered from the lawlessness of sin, we are free to understand that Christ has made us priests to God and His Father. That is another element; we have spiritual constitution Godward; that is the thought of priests. It is not merely that we are spiritual enough to refuse the flesh and to be separate from the world — that would be involved in being a kingdom — but there is something further; He has made us priests to God; there is spirituality Godward. It is in taking account of these elements that we get a right and divine idea of the local assembly. When these elements are present there is a vessel of spiritual light locally, a number of persons who can stand in priestly service in the presence of Christ’s God and Father, having ability to serve intelligently in prayer and praise and worship. The speaking of Christ leads to our having a place as priests with His God and His Father, though believers are often slow to follow the leading of Christ in this respect. If we read the gospels we see how the speaking of Christ was all designed to lead men in their thoughts and affections to His God and Father. One great end for which He came was that men might be constituted priests to His God and Father.
In the local assembly the headship of Christ is recognised. There are many large and fine buildings where the name of Christ is mentioned, but what spiritual persons would look for is the recognition of the headship of Christ. Where it is recognised, there is something locally that has assembly character, and priestly service to His God and His Father will be found there. Where these elements are found there will be locally a vessel of spiritual light — a golden lamp. I trust that each one of us has a desire to be identified with what has that character, and to contribute to it as being an integral part of it; surely none of us would care to be an unattached unit! We desire to be thoroughly committed to what is of Christ and of God, to be part of the local vessel of spiritual light, not merely to be near it, but part of it. This is a real exercise for young people and for any who have not definitely taken their part and place in the local assembly; it is for them to consider whether they are not robbing the Lord of His due and God of His realm. As we learn from Scripture the divine thought as to local assemblies it becomes our privilege and responsibility to confess [p. 448] the truth practically by identifying ourselves with those who also confess it. If one is not thoroughly identified with the practical confession of the truth one misses a great deal of divine grace that can only be realised assembly-wise.
It was before me on this occasion to dwell on the immense resources that are available for support in local assemblies. It is evident that assemblies can be maintained as vessels of spiritual light; we see that in Smyrna and Philadelphia, both of which came under the eye of the Son of man without rebuke. Our dear brethren who do not recognise the local assembly, and who do not identify themselves with it, miss the peculiar grace which there is on the part of divine Persons for the assemblies; I believe it surpasses the grace that there is for individuals.
This comes out here very plainly in verse 4: “John to the seven assemblies which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is, and who was, and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth”. Think of that grace! Favourableness on the part of each Person in the Godhead, not here towards individuals, but flowing out upon the saints assembly-wise, for it is to “the seven assemblies”. There is grace commensurate with the position, so that if much responsibility attaches to local assemblies as being golden lamps, there is corresponding grace.
God in His eternal unchangeableness — “Him who is, and who was, and who is to come”; God in His eternal faithfulness, is favourable to local assemblies. It is in writing to a local assembly that Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1, “God is faithful, by whom ye have been called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord”, and in chapter 10, “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able to bear”. It is the faithfulness of God as pledged to those who are walking in the fellowship that finds expression in the local assembly. The faithfulness of God is a very good ‘ground of gathering’.
Then there is grace from “the seven Spirits which are before his throne”. This is the Spirit of God not viewed as indwelling persons, or as the one Spirit baptising all saints in one body, but regarded in His relation to the throne. Perfection is there as intimated by the number seven, but seen figuratively as “[p. 449] lamps of fire, burning before the throne”, chapter 4: 5. It suggests the maintenance in a judicial way of what corresponds with the throne. The seven Spirits are viewed objectively in the unlimited power that attaches to a divine Person to maintain what is due to the throne. The fact that grace and peace come to the local assemblies from the seven Spirits would assure us of divine help in matters relating to the throne, that is the rights of God. Questions do sometimes arise that are like an Amalekite hand on the throne; Exodus 17: 16. The seven Spirits of God would not tolerate any defiance of divine rights, but they are favourable to the assemblies as being resource for us in matters which require to be judged as being contrary to the throne. Then we read that the Lamb’s eyes “are the seven Spirits of God which are sent into all the earth” (chapter 5: 6), so that in the seven Spirits of God there is a power of discernment which will soon search all the earth, but it is at the present time favourable to the assemblies as being divine resource for the distinguishing of good and evil. There is this in an unlimited way in the seven Spirits of God. The Spirit as indwelling the saints may be grieved or even quenched, and in that way the gain of His presence be largely missed, but no limitations can ever be put upon the seven Spirits of God; it is a comfort to know that the Son of man has the seven Spirits of God; chapter 3: 1. The perfection of spiritual power is with Him, whatever may be the state of the church. He has a power which can act sovereignly for the assemblies, whatever the conditions are here. I think we must recognise that there are sovereign and varied actions of the seven Spirits of God. I do not think the Spirit speaking to the assemblies is quite His action as in the body, but His action as at the disposal of Christ, and as in accord with the throne. There are no limitations to what the seven Spirits can do, and Christ possesses them. There is always the plenitude and perfection of spiritual power with Him, but it is there for the good of the assemblies; there is with Him spiritual power commensurate with all assembly responsibility. If the golden lamps fail as vessels of spiritual light, He has the seven Spirits of God, as well as the seven stars; we can connect power with Him in an undiminished way, and He still has the seven stars. I take that to mean that there are still responsible elements which He can own and use; this gives a wonderful idea of resource. When we think of walking in local assemblies we become [p. 450] conscious of difficulties; if we do not see them at first we soon come up against them; so that it is of great importance that we should be furnished with the sense of resource. That marks Revelation 1; before we see the failure which comes under the eye of the Son of man in the local assemblies we get a view of most marvellous divine resources that are adequate to preserve local assemblies as vessels of undimmed spiritual light; that is surely a great comfort. God in His faithfulness, and the seven Spirits who are in perfect correspondence with His throne, are favourable to us in our local exercises, helping us to resist and overcome everything that is contrary to the throne. The Holy Spirit as the seven Spirits before the throne would help us to resist everything that is contrary to what we are as “a kingdom”, everything that savours of insubjection; everything which does not belong to vessels of spiritual light.
Then lastly, “and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth”. This brings together what He was, what He is, and what He will be, and shows that in every character He is favourable to the local assemblies. There is grace for us according to all that Jesus Christ was as “the faithful witness”; there was no failure there, no obscuring element, nothing that came short in any way of the full testimony that God would have to be rendered. Then as “first-born from the dead” we see Him as pre-eminent in resurrection; all the power of resurrection is known in Him from whom grace and peace come to us; that power is equal to anything. As “prince of the kings of the earth” He will order all for the pleasure and glory of God in a coming day. These varied titles are brought in to show how rich is the fund of grace that can be drawn upon. There is no need to be discouraged if we meet with difficulties; they are not insurmountable if compared with the resources which are available. We have to notice, as was remarked before, that the Lord has preserved us from thinking that assemblies in local responsibility will always be a failure, because He has shown us that out of seven assemblies there are two concerning which He has no word of rebuke; showing that those are contemplated who utilise divine resources and are thus preserved from failure. We should covet to be without rebuke, that when the Lord comes in and looks around the local assembly He might find us so sustained by divine resources that He has no need to rebuke.
[p. 451] That leads me, finally, to say a little about the end of chapter 1, where the Lord brings out what a resource He is. John saw the Son of man in His majestic glory, and he says, “I fell at his feet as dead”. John had long before this heard the Lord’s words — I have no doubt they sank deeply into his heart — “without me ye can do nothing”; but now John comes to the experimental realisation of it, and we all have to come to it, especially as to our assembly exercises. All this has in view assembly exercises. We have to learn experimentally that without Him we can do nothing. Nothing will pass the divine scrutiny except what has its source in Himself. It is only thus that there can truly be a golden lamp; a vessel of spiritual light must derive everything from Christ; there cannot be a contribution from nature or the flesh. John was made to realise that he must derive everything from Christ.
Then, “he laid his right hand upon me” — that is power. The Lord is ever ready to lay His right hand upon us. I believe it requires some measure of spiritual vitality to fall at His feet as dead; there must be a certain sensitiveness to divine impressions. If we realised that the judgment of the Ancient of days had actually come into the present in regard of the assemblies the result would be that we should at once be prepared to admit that nothing will stand that judgment but what is derived from Christ. Then He puts His right hand on us, and where the right hand of the Son of man comes there is power. He speaks next of what there is in Himself; “Fear not; I am the first and the last”; that is as much as to say, ‘John, you must begin and end with Me’; then, “and the living one”; I understand that to convey that He is the source of life for us. “The living one” is the gospel of John in three words. Then “I became dead”; He had to go that way in order that we might live in Him, but He adds, “behold, I am living to the ages of ages, and have the keys of death and of hades”. He has the key in chapter 3 to open the door to let us in to all the treasuries of precious things, but here He has the keys of death and hades to liberate us from everything that belongs to the domain of death, or to the evil powers of the invisible world; in short, from everything that is hostile to Himself and to God.
I believe the Lord would give us a great sense of the wonderful resources there are in Him even for the last days. This comes out in His addresses to the last three assemblies; the addresses [p. 452] to the first four — omitting Smyrna — present the Lord in the character in which John saw Him in chapter 1 — a character calculated to produce deep exercise and searchings of heart. But to the last three assemblies He presents Himself as having new features and characteristics which are of the nature of divine resource. He says to Sardis that He has the seven Spirits of God; to Philadelphia that He has the key of David; to Laodicea that He is the Amen, the beginning of the creation of God. These are new features not mentioned before, and they bring out what there is in Him as resource for the local assemblies. We could not bear to think of the judgment of the Son of man if we did not know that there is adequate resource to enable us to fulfil our local responsibility assembly-wise. We need not be discouraged, but rather greatly comforted, as we get an increased sense of the profound interest of divine Persons in our walking together in local assemblies. We have to learn that Christ must be the source of everything for us; we cannot, apart from Him, furnish anything that is requisite to meet with His approval. The assemblies need something more than the sense of responsibility if they are to answer to their place as golden lamps. Conscience must be awakened, surely, but that leads to nothing positive unless the heart is led to find its unfailing resource in the very One who sheds holy light on the conditions that are before Him. Responsibility can only be taken up in the strength of His right hand; there is produced a very real sense in the soul that we need Him if there is to be anything that corresponds with a golden lamp; this leads to calling on the Lord out of a pure heart; 2 Timothy 2: 22. Everything that we need is there for us in Him if we will avail ourselves of it, so that we need not give up the thought of being golden lamps, however great may be the general obscuration.