"IF ANY MAN SERVE ME, HIM WILL MY FATHER HONOUR"
“[p. 442] IF ANY MAN SERVE ME, HIM WILL MY FATHER HONOUR”
I desire to present to you your gain in serving the Lord. I am thankful for the word which has been before us, that the more we know God the more we get to know what must be, which I call the individual path.
Up to the close of John 10 we get the individual path. It is with reference to the Christian himself: you will find there all that you require. But in chapter 13 we come to our service for Him; and how we are prepared for His service. Here in chapter 14 the Holy Spirit is given for a different service from His service for the individual blessing. In chapter 4 His service is distinctly individual, a fountain of water in the believer; while in chapter 7 it is, “Out Of his belly shall flow rivers of living water”; you have deeper joys than earthly joys, the joys of God. But now in chapter 14 it is His things, and how you are for Him here. This is what I would dwell on, the immense gain it is for you to be here for Him. You must first have learned His grace to you, how He has been here for you. If you do not know His grace you cannot start in His service. We have been hearing of the wonderful way in which He has blessed us. That is the first part; but having learned this there is immense gain to be in this world for Him, and occupied with His interests.
In chapters 13 and 14 the Lord is going away, and there is nothing left for you here; but the Holy Spirit is given, to enable you to be here for Him. In chapters 14 and 15 we have the sending of the Comforter; in the one, He is sent by the Father, and in the other by Christ. Christians have some knowledge of Christ’s [p. 443] work here for them; but they have little or no apprehension of the way they are to be here for Him. There is often a thankful readiness to appropriate the benefits of His love for us individually; but there is little apprehension of how we, who have been so blessed by His service, should be here distinctly and abidingly for the furtherance of His interests. It is an immense fact to lay hold of, that you are here for His interests. Do you know this?
Then there are two parts in this service; as it was said to Paul in Acts 26: 16, “I have appeared unto thee for this purpose; to make thee a minister and a witness”. There are many, I doubt not, well inclined to be the former, who probably do not know their responsibility as to the latter. In your individual path as you feed on Christ’s death you are sustained by Him; as you reckon yourself to be dead unto sin, you are alive unto God in Jesus Christ; but in these chapters you have more; the Holy Spirit is sent from the Father that you may learn the path of Christ here, the way He taught us the Father. The Father was His compensation for every loss here. No one knows how to be a true servant of Christ, unless he knows how Christ was borne up by the Father all through His path here, superior to everything; in the storm, in the ship, asleep. He never, that we read of, altered a circumstance for Himself. That wonderful word, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you”, follows verse 26. The great qualification for a servant is His peace. He will lead you into that serene path, the path of life which He made here. Has not the servant gained immensely? In chapter 14 you have not come out in service yet. It is preparation for it. In chapter 15 you are instructed as to the work of the minister, while in chapter 16 you learn the witness character.
All service begins with His own. The Lord says, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love [p. 444] one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another”. This is your private service to one another; and publicly, you should be known as so devoted to the saints that you would die for them. Then comes His word, “Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you”. This will draw out the hatred of the world; and now the Lord adds, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me”. The Holy Spirit comes from Christ in glory for one special object. “He shall testify of me”; not for me (as I used to think), but “of me”.
At one time I dwelt more on the testimony itself and too little on the witness character. It is on the witness I would now speak. The Lord says, “If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment”. The Holy Spirit comes and demonstrates to you that the world is “sin”. The world does not believe in Christ. The world, man’s organisation, is therefore sin; and the presence of the Holy Spirit demonstrates this great fact. The witness is led and controlled by the Holy Spirit; and he testifies of the One whom the world refused, and he is altogether apart from the world. Then there is no righteousness in the world. Righteousness is with the Father; “of righteousness, because I go to my Father”. You must go there for righteousness: and thirdly, “of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged”. The witness is set by the Holy Spirit in a marvellous position here. The world morally exposed to him, all righteousness with the Father; altogether apart from the world, and yet divinely conscious that the power of the world is broken. But consequent on, and concurrent with, this demonstration as to all that is adverse, he is [p. 445] compensated most abundantly. The Holy Spirit is here to glorify Christ. “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine”.
Can anyone conceive the wonderful blessing with which you are blessed when you are a witness (the same word as martyr) for the Lord. It is not a place of earthly possessions, riches, or position; but Christ is glorified to you, and the Father’s things are shown to you. I have noticed that those who have been turned aside never understood the counsels of God, never truly apprehended the interests of Christ. You will find that a man who either retains a position in this world, or seeks one, never understands God’s chief interest now. The greatest place of favour that you can be given in this world, is to be led in the line of God’s chief interest. Some would call preaching the gospel God’s chief interest here. I should say, that it is the means to an end. God’s chief interest now is to form a bride for His Son. No one on loose, or independent ground as to the church, could either write or give you any correct idea of it as it is in the counsel of God. I have been asked, ‘How long did you take to learn the truth of the church?’ I did not answer, because if I have been dull, and slow to learn it, that is no reason why it should be so with you.
The apostle prays for the Ephesians, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him”. Often those who can read the Scriptures in the original increase their difficulty in understanding them, because they only see more clearly what has been stated, and divine truth is quite beyond the natural mind. Man’s words reveal his mind, but you must know God’s mind in order to understand His words. I have seen many a one regarded as learned in the Bible, well up in the interpretation of Scripture, who never grasped God’s [p. 446] chief interest on the earth at this present time. They never apprehended the church. You cannot be a witness otherwise. You cannot be a witness unless you are led by the Holy Spirit sent from Christ in glory, and by Him you are here for Christ and for His interests. It is of all importance to see that the one great object of your being left here is that you should make His chief interest your chief interest.
It is an immense help in a day of confusion to know that Timothy is told by Paul that he had not only known his doctrine, and manner of life, etc., but “that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures”; that is, the whole scope of the divine communications. If you study the Old Testament you will see the divine course all through. There have been always professors as well as men of faith. Look at the history of Abraham and Lot. Abraham had faith in God’s purpose. Lot had not; it was soon seen that he was not in God’s mind. As soon as Abraham takes the path of faith, division occurs; Abraham gives place to Lot, and Lot chooses the green fields of Sodom; he walks by sight. Abraham is true to God’s purpose that he should be in the land, but not to have a bit of it yet. Apparently Abraham had the worst of it. Lot seeks a share of the world’s advantages, and he comes in for its trouble; he is taken captive. Abraham goes forth to extricate him; for if you are in God’s purpose, you must be a servant. Abraham arms his servants and goes forth with his life in his hand to rescue his brother who had gone into the world. Abraham would be a servant; a servant is a sufferer; he gives up all his comforts that he may serve. Lot was rescued, and all his goods were restored to him. In man’s judgment he was the best off, but there is another side for the spiritual eye. Where you are slighted for the Lord’s sake you are sure to be honoured. There a table will be prepared for you by the Lord. Melchisedec came forth to [p. 447] meet Abraham and blessed him. What an immense thing he gained! How different from Lot’s portion.
I hope you see the wonderful blessedness of the one who is true to God’s purpose or chief interest at any given time. If you do not know the joys of the Father’s house for yourself you will not be for Christ here. There can be much service, like Martha’s, which is not simply for Christ. A young believer, at rest as to his own soul, can be occupied with Christ’s interests.
It is a great thing for a servant to be assured that he is truly occupied with that which concerns Christ: but when you are, you will be confronted by the direct and persistent opposition of Satan. Look at Moses on the mount, and Aaron with the people making a golden calf. Moses coming out from the presence of God and seeing the terrible state of things knows at once what to do; while his own brother who had started with him, and been his expositor, had been so influenced by the people that he made a golden calf for them. Great indeed was the division between them. How striking the faithfulness of the one, and the unfaithfulness of the other I The difference between them was, that Moses had been with God, and God is before him, while Aaron is swayed by man. Moses faces the whole 600,000 of Israel; he stands alone, with the exception of Joshua, before that great multitude. What was it that kept him so firm? Because God’s chief interest was his chief interest. It is no matter the measure of opposition against you if God’s interest is your object; all God’s power is there. No one is steadfast unless he has the church of God for his interest.
The Lord says, “If any man serve me, him will my Father honour”. You may be able to do very little, but your heart should be absorbed with His interest. The mark of being in the conscious knowledge of union with Christ is, that His interest is your [p. 448] interest. You are merged in Him, hence His interests are yours. See how Moses was honoured. Not only did he see the glory of God, but he is afterwards with the Lord in the mount of transfiguration. He had stood for the Lord, and He brings him along with Himself. The more you serve Him, the more He honours you. Thus the testimony of the Scriptures stimulates and encourages us.
One passage more in the Old Testament. Elijah said there should be no rain but according to his word. Now rain is a mark of God’s favour. No rain is evidence of departure from God. To Israel it was said, ‘If ye shall hearken diligently, and serve Him with all your heart, I will give you the rain of your land. in his due season ... and if ye turn aside, there shall be no rain’, Deuteronomy 11. And nowadays you will find that when one has declined in soul, the first evidence of it is that he is dry, no freshness in his conversation or ministry. Elijah is openly honoured of God and slays the priests of Baal, and then he promises rain. Afterwards Elijah is afraid of Jezebel, and flees into the wilderness, but the Lord brings him to Horeb, and tells him of His unfailing resources. The Lord then takes Elijah to heaven in a chariot of fire, and afterwards he too is seen on the mount of transfiguration.
We might also adduce instances from the New Testament. There is a remarkable example in Luke’s gospel. Anna, the prophetess, “departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day”. Her heart was undividedly occupied with the interests of the Lord, and she sees what all the learned doctors could not see. She is brought into the knowledge of His mind, and she speaks of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
I ask, Have you found God’s favour? Are you satisfied with it? If you are, you must be occupied [p. 449] with His interests. People talk about communion, but they do not know what communion is. You may have a good conscience without communion; and many a one has. Communion is having common thoughts with God, being in concert with Him. Anna was in concert with God about His interests at the time, and she came in just at the right instant, to the very spot where the Lord was.
One passage more, Acts 15: 36 - 40. Division began early. These verses give us the contention between Paul and Barnabas, which led to their being divided. Barnabas wants to take John with them, who had previously deserted them in the work of the Lord. Paul stands firm, because he has God’s interests before him, and parts from his friend; and we find in the next chapter, Paul finds the man he requires. Timothy more than compensates him for the loss of Barnabas. You will receive a distinct mark of God’s favour in the very place where you have lost through faithfulness to Him. “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye: for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you”. He is cast out of all here, and if you try to be acknowledged here, you will not be in His confidence.
If you follow the course of John and Paul, both are brought very low as to things here. John in banishment, Paul in prison; and there Paul writes the epistle to the Ephesians, saying, that “ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ”. He was in the full knowledge of God’s mind about the church; he would that all men might see the economy of it. An old divine has described the church as a white rose in full bloom. The little daisy, called hen and chickens, is a good illustration, Christ the great centre, and each individual saint deriving from Him the source of everything.
When all in Asia had turned away from Paul and he was still a prisoner, what does he say to Timothy?
“[p. 450] But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them”. “And the things that thou hast heard of me .. . the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also”, 2 Timothy 2: 2; 2 Timothy 3: 14. Paul is a unit in the second epistle to Timothy; all the saints deserted him, not only his countrymen, as with Stephen; but the Lord strengthened him, and he enjoins Timothy to commit what he had heard from him to faithful men.
While John is in exile, he learns the counsel of God as to all that would happen on earth, and the glories of the kingdom. Would you be ready to accept the low place here that John and Paul had (exile and imprisonment) in order to receive the mind of God? While your own portion individually is inconceivably great, the more you are attracted to Him where He is, the more you will come out for Him in His interests here; and the more He will open out His mind to you.
The Lord grant that in simple faith we may be devoted to His interests, being assured that He will turn all in the end to our present and eternal blessing; and may this word remain with us — “IF ANY MAN SERVE ME (not merely doing good works), HIM WILL MY FATHER HONOUR”.