OBEDIENCE, SPIRITUAL ABILITY AND LIFE
[p. 158] OBEDIENCE, SPIRITUAL ABILITY AND LIFE
These passages give instruction as to conditions bearing upon the assembly; it is a very wide subject as the Scriptures contain much instruction concerning the assembly. Hence I do not propose to attempt to cover all the ground, but to limit myself to three features: firstly, obedience, which necessarily excludes independence; secondly, ability to take up matters relating to the assembly; and thirdly, life.
In speaking of the assembly, I should like to remark that every believer should recognise that if the Lord has given him light, He has done so in order that he may take his place in the assembly. The gospel testimony was never to be confined to the relief that it gives to men; it announces deliverance from the coming wrath and from Satan’s power; it also proclaims that which liberates the consciences of men, delivering them from the fear of judgment to come, from the world and from the flesh. Each has need of this deliverance, and most of us know that the gospel offers men deliverance from all these things on the principle of faith. But it also has in view that the persons who are thus delivered should take their place relative to Christ as Head, and to the assembly which is His body: that excludes individualism, and also collective independency. Moreover, what flows from that is that where two or three believers reside in a locality, there should be something of a collective nature for Christ. I say ‘two or three’ to reduce it to the smallest possible number; two or three of the assembly obeying divine principles can enjoy assembly privileges, and as enjoying these privileges and blessings which are linked with the assembly, they are qualified to render public testimony. Whilst most of us know this, it is of immense importance in a town like this which has had a history in connection [p. 159] with the testimony of God. The Lord would, in these last days, enlighten His own in every town, in order that there might be in them a state of life, and that they should value what is precious to Him. It is of the greatest importance that some at least should be devoted to Christ, intelligently keeping His commandments, and valuing all that He values, so that the Lord might gather in all that has been for God previously in this town, and produce that which may be a home for the testimony right on till the end.
To reach this end, dear brothers and sisters, the great principle of the recognition of divine authority must be observed, none other can be accredited in the assembly. In this country there are the authorities who govern, as throughout the world, and we pray for them. These authorities are concerned in the public government of God in the world, and all true believers pray for such, but they do not govern the assembly, which is under the direct authority of Christ. This authority was set out in the beginning by the apostles, so I read Acts 2:42, so that we might see how the early believers immediately recognised His authority. Some three thousand souls were converted through a single gospel preaching (a result which has possibly never been equalled since), but this preaching was in the freshness and power of the Holy Spirit who had just been sent down from heaven. In one of his letters, Peter tells us that there were those who announced the gospel in the power of the Spirit sent down from heaven; the gospel itself thus bore all the authority of heaven, brought here by a divine Person, the Spirit of God. Peter standing up on that memorable day, said to the people of Jerusalem, “Give heed to my words”, Acts 2:14. Here was a man who outwardly was looked on as a fisherman of Galilee, lacking the religious refinement and instruction which existed in Jerusalem, but the words uttered in the burning power of the Spirit of God sent down from heaven, produced such [p. 160] results that many were convicted amongst his hearers, and those who believed said not only to Peter, but to the other apostles, “What shall we do, brethren?” It is to be noticed that those who were convicted, recognised them as representing the authority of heaven; they not only took account of Peter’s authority, but also of that of the other apostles. In other words, whatever the authority may be, if it is of God it must be acknowledged. What is said of these three thousand persons is that they persevered in the teaching of the apostles; it is noticeable that it is a question of the teaching of the apostles, because they are representative of what I am speaking of — Christ’s authority. Note also the word ‘persevered’; how important it is for us to be marked by perseverance today. The strong current of evil is absolutely contrary to us and the tendency is to give up and to let go; but these three thousand who were converted, persevered. In what did they persevere? In the teaching of the apostles. We may rest assured that in doing so, they did not overlook what Moses and the prophets had taught them; the Old Testament Scriptures retained their authority over them.
Some weeks before, the Lord Jesus, when raised from the dead, had interpreted in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself, so that there was no question of putting aside the Old Testament. When it says that they “persevered in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles”, it means that the Lord had raised up those men as His representatives, so that what was done was as if the Lord had done it. The enemy will always oppose what the Lord is doing, so his efforts were directed to get rid of these men, but those in whom God was working paid attention to their words, persevering in their teaching, and not in their teaching only (for I may easily hold the teaching yet remain as an individual) but in the fellowship which had been inaugurated.
I am persuaded that if there is anything today that [p. 161] the enemy would like to destroy, it is the maintenance of fellowship by the few who are enjoying it. If the leaders of religion knew that a few brothers and sisters were meeting in this room, they would regard them with scorn, and if they could persuade some of those meeting here to listen, they would seek to turn them aside: hence the necessity of perseverance in order to strengthen the fellowship.
In this chapter we notice that not only did they continue in the fellowship, but in the breaking of bread, and they did not make it a monthly or quarterly matter, as happens in certain denominations. The context shows how great importance was attached to the breaking of bread, which was done in their houses. I suppose that at that time in Jerusalem there may well have been a hundred small companies breaking bread — what a sight! what delight for heaven to see those dear disciples in their affection for Christ, persevering in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles, in the breaking of bread and prayers. You can be sure that they prayed together more than once a week, and the seal of divine authority was upon all they did.
In the second passage, it should be noted that Peter is brought before us again; from chapter 6 up to this point he is scarcely referred to, but now we are told that Peter passed through all quarters. He was not an idle servant; it is not the time for idleness, the need is so great in the Lord’s service. It then records that he “descended also to the saints who inhabited Lydda”. He descended to them and the Spirit of God relates that there was a man in the town “who had been lying for eight years upon a couch”. That is what the Spirit mentions first; it is not recorded simply to occupy us with this one fact, but with the spiritual thought it conveys. It is quite possible for us to pray while lying in bed; the psalmist records how he arose in the night to give thanks to God. During the night watches we can turn to God in prayer, while lying on our beds,
[p. 162] and He hears us. To pray for the saints is one of the most important services that can be rendered, and those who are laid aside can devote themselves to this service; bedridden persons like Aeneas could do so, but there is nothing to indicate that he was so occupied. What we are given to understand is that he was doing absolutely nothing; and if he was to do anything, he ought to begin in his own house and local setting; so Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus, the Christ, heals thee”. What a remarkable thing to say to a paralysed man who had been lying on his bed for so many years.
“Jesus, the Christ”; who is He? If we consider this title it means that Jesus is the Christ who does everything for God, and who would like to see me too, doing something for God. He would give me to see that the kind of work that is pleasing to God cannot be done on a bed. “Jesus, the Christ, heals thee”; He does not impose any conditions, neither is any mention made of faith; the light which penetrated his soul showed him that Jesus was the Christ, and that if He cured him, it was in view of his doing something. He heard that he should begin in his own house and locality; that he could do something himself, and no longer needed anyone to make his bed. “Make thy couch for thyself” means spiritually that I am to be occupied with conditions in the locality, and to see if all is in order. I cannot do this while on my bed, or in an armchair; I must be active, the need is so urgent: “Rise up, and make thy couch for thyself”; others had had to do it for eight years, but Peter said, ‘Now you can do it yourself. Christ has healed you so that you should be able to do it’; “and straightway he rose up”. That is the first great element for God in a locality, following the thought of obedience and of the recognition of divine authority. I see that it is necessary to set things in order, and I begin; I do not wait for visiting brothers to come to do it. A meeting which has to rely upon visits of others does not really answer to God’s thought.
[p. 163] It is for each brother to do his own work in his own locality, and for that he must rise up, and start moving; power is available; “Jesus, the Christ, heals thee”. Healing is what He does constantly, so that those who are cured should take up local exercises.
The final thing in the second part of this chapter, begins at verse 36. It is not a question of a man, but of a woman. In its public setting the assembly needs men and women. Obviously women are not called upon to teach or to preach, but they can live in a spiritual way; that is what we have to learn in the case of Tabitha. She was a remarkable woman, but she died; as I have said already, we do not have to be occupied with the material side of this case, but with its spiritual significance. That such a woman should die is quite natural, hence the Spirit of God does not relate the incident to give us material facts, but with spiritual instruction in mind. This woman was very kind, she made clothes for needy people; it says of her that “she was full of good works and alms-deeds which she did”. Such a sister in this city or in any other would be considered a good sister, but she fell ill and died, that is to say, that these outward kindnesses did not of themselves promote spiritual life.
This incident shows, dear brethren, that sisters should be more than outwardly kind. There are societies in the world bearing the name of this woman, but their meetings are not always marked by spiritual life, things being spoken of there that are far from being spiritual. This incident shows that something else is needed for spiritual life than works only; hence the Spirit of God says, she “grew sick and died”, signifying spiritually that she became gradually weaker, which finally resulted in coldness, and death. We can see how this happens to many people around us. Why does it happen? The cause should be ascertained, for when persons become cold, and die morally in this way, there is some underlying reason, some secret matter, so Peter [p. 164] is sent for. Aeneas had not called for him, but here two men sought him out, and this man representing the authority of Christ goes with those who had been sent for him. If we call in such a man as that, we must be ready to listen to what he has to say to us, for he will not humour us. In this case we see some women who are deeply affected: “all the widows stood by him weeping and shewing him the body-coats and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them”. Peter puts them all out; are we ready for that? Why put them all out? There must have been something there that was not good. When the Lord came to Bethany, Mary was weeping, the Jews were weeping, and Jesus wept with them, but it was not like that here. These widows represent something different from what marked Mary, and the Jews who wept with her. These widows simply represent sentimentality without anything spiritual underlying it, so the Lord teaches us that there must be spirituality.
When the Lord Himself went to raise Jairus’ daughter, there were women there and flute-players (Matthew 9:23), to help, I suppose, in the mourning, all of which is quite valueless, so the Lord then put them all out. Are we prepared, dear brethren, to be thus treated by the representative of Christ’s authority? You may be like these women who are weeping, but Peter put them all out, as much as to say, they were a hindrance. In the things of God natural sentimentality is only an obstacle; what he did may seem hard, nevertheless it was the apostle Peter who did it. It might have seemed hard when the Lord turned out those who were weeping in Jairus’ house, but it was the Lord who did that, and who can question what He does? In this instance, two men had been sent, and if we call for Peter, he will put out such women when he arrives. This is a most exercising matter, dear brethren, to know if we are perfectly content with a kind of religious sentimentality, without having the presence of the Spirit of God.
[p. 165] Let us now see what happens. In speaking of what Peter did to the woman, we must not forget that when Dorcas died, she had been washed and put in the upper room. I think the washing implies what is spiritual, something which was necessary in spite of her good works and alms-deeds; there is a spiritual suggestion too, in the fact that they put her in the upper room. Then Peter “putting them all out, and kneeling down, prayed”: the fact that he knelt down is important, as indicating deep exercise. The Lord knelt down in Gethsemane, and Paul said, “I bow my knees to the Father”, Ephesians 3:14. If we become aware of such spiritual weakness amongst us, the way to overcome it is here indicated. He prayed, and turned to the body, as if the Lord would say to each of us, ‘I am thinking of your body as of each of my members, and it is to be a living vessel’. It is important that our bodies should be for the Lord; we are told in Corinthians that our bodies are the members of Christ; you can understand the meaning of that. Peter then, turning to the body, said, “Tabitha”. The Lord was calling her by name, as if to say, ‘I want you, no longer for making clothes for the needy, but as a vessel to serve Me, and to express Me in your body’. “Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes”. The Lord would like to open our eyes in order that we might see what it is to be a member of Christ in this town, to express Christ.
She opened her eyes and saw Peter; what a good thing that she did not see the women weeping, which would have reminded her of time past. Great importance attaches to what our eyes see in such circumstances. “Seeing Peter, sat up”: there is joy in her. We can say that she heard her name. She saw Peter, and sat up; she is now spiritually alive, and would become in her body down here a vessel for the expression of what is of Christ. In Colossians 2:12,13, we have been “raised with him ... quickened together with him” in order that there might be in us an expression of the new man. Then “having given her his hand, he raised her up, and having called the saints and the widows, presented her living”. The widows are called in to see a living Tabitha.
The Lord’s thought now is that we should be living persons, that we should be presented as living in a spiritual sense. May the Lord bless the word!