LOCAL CONDITION AND FURNISHING
[p. 224] LOCAL CONDITION AND FURNISHING
Luke 11: 1 - 13; 1 Corinthians 16: 5 - 9
(Summary of Reading)
The Lord is more concerned about the number of gatherings than in the increase of their size. The greater the number of gatherings, the more there is for Him. The more gardens there are, the more lilies there are for Him; not only the number of assemblies, but the condition of each is taken account of. The Lord is on a journey even now. Luke 10 refers in parable to a journey from Jerusalem to Jericho, and in chapter 11 we have reference to a friend on a journey and how he is cared for, so that the setting of this would help to show how a local company is furnished. The Lord is said to have been praying in a certain place. The reference to the place is to be noted, and then the desire on the part of the disciples to be taught how to pray. That is the secret of furnishing. We have to get all the furnishings from the Lord, and dismiss from our minds all human arrangements. The inn leads up to this. Though He was in Martha’s house in chapter 11 she was not furnished. Earlier in chapter 10 it says He sent out two and two into every place whither He would come. He is particular as to the furnishings and conditions in the localities.
In reference to the garden of lilies, I was thinking of Song of Songs 6:1 - 3; that is most suggestive. The greater the number of gatherings, the greater the variety and the wider the domain for the Lord, but He must supply the furnishings, and this passage in chapter 11, leading up to the reception of the Spirit through prayer, indicates the fulness of the position, so that we lack nothing. In 1 Corinthians we see the Lord could not come freely to Corinth. Paul had it in mind to go, and he was representative of the Lord,
[p. 225] but rather than come with a rod, he wrote them, and encouraged them in the thought he would go and even winter with them. He was on a journey, but the hesitancy that marked his coming shows that conditions were not suitable. We speak very often about the Lord being with us, but I think that if He came sometimes He would take up certain things and adjust them, but instead He is patient and enlightens us.
The more companies the more gardens there would be, it is the number of companies the Lord is after. To count up the aggregate of the saints would be a very objectionable procedure, something akin to David’s sin, but the number of the gatherings is another matter. After Barnabas and Mark left Paul he secured Timothy, and it says the number of assemblies increased every day. There was greater variety. Every local company has something distinctive, just as every child in a family has something distinctive.
In regard to the furnishings of the local company, I think that Bethany would help us. It is not called Bethany in Luke, but just “a certain village” it was not distinguished yet. John usually gives the name as he speaks of them as distinguished by the Spirit. Here it is a certain village in which He is received into Martha’s house, but it is quite evident that Martha was not furnished. She was careful and troubled about many things, but there is one thing needful, and that is to consider Christ. That is the paramount thing in every locality. Other things have to be attended to, but one thing is needful, and Mary had chosen that good part. Hence she becomes a nucleus, but you cannot build an assembly on one person. Wisdom has hewn out her seven pillars. You must have more than one. At Ephesus there were twelve to start with. They had received the Holy Spirit at one time. They would be remarkably [p. 226] distinguished in the fact that they received the Holy Spirit by the laying on of Paul’s hands at one time — hence there was a foundation there. If the Lord has one person in a locality who sets out the thought it is all immense advantage, but the building up of a local company needs more than one, for every local company is built up in principle according to the house of God. Wisdom has seven pillars according to God. It is wise not to build too much on one brother in a meeting. Get all the others into accord with him if he is right.
The Lord in the next chapter is praying “in a certain place”. It does not say Bethany, but speaks of a locality and the disciples seeing Him pray asked Him to teach them to do so. If there is anybody like Martha, or even worse, in a locality, the remedy is in prayer. Then we see how God takes care of those who are under His shelter. The man says, “My children are with me in bed”, Luke 11:7 and then further the Lord points out how the father would provide for his children, as He says, “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you”. Luke 11:9. Then, “how much rather shall your Father who is of heaven give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Luke 11:13. I think that all shows what is available to us locally — in every locality you ask of your Father which is of heaven; it is the heavenly thing brought in. What you need is out of heaven. It is your Father of heaven not in heaven; that is Matthew.
Luke refers to the local feature, and though it may be different features mark each company, yet they are all governed by the same principles. When He prays, He says, “Father, thy name be hallowed” Luke 11:2; it is more intimate. That is the first thing. Intimate relations are suggested with the Father. His name is to be hallowed, you do not discredit it. The Corinthians were doing violence to it, hence Paul hesitated [p. 227] to go to them. Provision was made for the flesh there, fleshly distinctions were recognised; however much we may say the Lord is with us, it is questionable. If He comes and finds fleshly conditions instead of our enjoying restful privilege we get the rod, and thank God that He is faithful. Paul’s first letter seeks to deal with the fleshly conditions without the rod. He brings in the authority of the Lord in the way of light and leaves them to act. It was for them to decide whether he should come in love or with the rod. He desired to be among them as a father.
They had many instructors, but only one father. He represented the Lord. The conditions did not warrant the presence of the Lord. We must set our house in order if we are to have the Lord in happy freedom with us. He desires to come into His garden and to gather lilies. At Corinth there were other growths than lilies; noxious weeds grew there which had to be dealt with.
It is beautiful by way of contrast to see what Paul found at Ephesus; he embraced the saints there. Then he moves on to Troas, and he found such conditions there that they sat down on the first day of the week to break bread. There were brothers from different localities, Berea, Thessalonica, Derbe and Asia. All these localities were represented on that occasion, and the apostle was free among them. Then he moves on to other places — Tyre, for instance, where he finds a delightful state of affairs, and where the brethren were affected by his presence and came out with wives and children when he departed. Then he moves on to another place and salutes the brethren. There is no word of reproach. Then he moves on to Caesarea, where he went to the house of Philip the evangelist, who had four daughters who prophesied; and Paul was apparently free there. Agabus too, was there and free to prophesy. All these localities afforded spiritual pleasure to him. The Lord is [p. 228] undoubtedly represented in Paul as on a journey, and he drinks of the brook by the way. The apostle was refreshed in other places, but he could not go to Corinth in that way. He hesitates, and the reason is obvious.
The first condition as you speak to the Father is that you wish His name should not in any way be tarnished by anything you do, or by anything that occurs in a locality. At Tyre they embraced one another, it shows they were free for the expression of affection, which is normal church condition. It speaks very loudly to us as to whether we can bring all the children with us, as they did. It indicates a local condition where the wives and children are all in sympathy, and they kneel down on the seashore and pray and embrace one another. What a spectacle for heaven! It is morally what came out of heaven. How refreshing to the apostle on his journey.
Luke 10 contemplates the Lord on His journey to die; that is over now, but in the Revelation He is seen standing. Finality is not reached and there is still something beyond. The Lord is still moving on. We are in a provisional period, all is pending His return. The purpose of God is still in view as regards the earth, and indeed as regards heaven. Everything is secured on the divine side. All is “Yea and Amen in Christ”, 2 Corinthians 1:20 nevertheless, as to the subjective side, on our side nothing is finished. There is Israel and every other thought of God which the Lord has set out to secure. He is on the way to take up things publicly, but He has refreshment now in the local companies of His people. His name is to be praised from the rising of the sun to the going down of it; there is a circuit of praise. Paul preached the gospel and formed many companies to which the Lord could come and did come, but His coming involves conditions. He is on a journey. Psalm 110:1 says “Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool”,
[p. 229] and on the way to that He drinks of the brook by the way, showing what He has now.
In chapter 10 the Lord had set out on a journey, and He shows who the neighbour is; then in this chapter He is still on a journey, only in another way — in view of the accomplishing of divine purpose. “A friend of mine is on a journey” — that should be our language. The question is whether the Lord is my Friend. “Ye are my friends”. John 15:14. The man here says, “A friend of mine on a journey has come” Luke 11:6; it was late at night, and the man who received him had no food. The passage shows him how to get it. If you desire to entertain the Lord, and to care for His interests, the parable shows you how to make the furnishings — that is to say, keep on praying. The man from within arises — that is another suggestion.
The Lord says, “Have ye here anything to eat?” Luke 24:41. What have you got here. Every local company is tested as to what they have got, but this passage shows how you may be furnished, so that you may have something. God would have us locally furnished, but it comes in through our desire. We begin on the line of dependence; we ask for the furnishings. Abraham sat in his tent door in the heat of day and he gets a visitation. He was fully furnished, and very simply he makes the proposal to them to refresh themselves, and they said unto him, “So do as thou hast said”, Genesis 18:5, the Lord graciously joining in the answer. The first company in Acts 13 gave themselves to prayer. Local conditions are all led by prayer, and each individual either adds to or detracts from what is of God.
The pattern at Corinth is seen in the house of Stephanas: “They refreshed my spirit”, though the company had lacked in that. “What was lacking on your part they have supplied”, 1 Corinthians 16:17, for the Lord gives due credit to any individual when He cannot perhaps credit the whole company.
[p. 230] The Lord said that Martha was troubled about many things, but there was need of one, and Mary had chosen that good part that should not be taken away from her. The Lord had one who represented His idea. It is of importance in a locality if there is one right, as the Lord can work from that point. Mary saw there was a wonderful opportunity in the presence of the Lord, the work was there, and she sat and listened to what He was saying. That is the first thing for the furnishing in the local company. The thought of remitting also comes into the furnishings. And then, “Give us day by day our daily bread”. Luke 11:3. Prayer would bring about a state of satisfaction and restfulness, a daily provision. You receive your daily provision from God, and there is a state of remission. It says, “Remit us our sins, for we also remit to every one indebted to us”. Luke 11:4. The Corinthians lacked in the spirit of remission. He had to enjoin them to confirm their love to the brother. The spirit of brokenness is a great thing among the local companies. It enables us to go on together. If we are in the consciousness of forgiveness ourselves, we cannot retain a hard spirit with our brother. There cannot be a free spirit in the company unless there is the spirit of forgiveness. Job’s captivity was turned when he prayed for his friends.
The Father, which is of heaven, gives the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him, so that you have conditions which are heavenly. The assembly furnishings are from heaven. They do not appeal to man after the flesh at all, but they are acceptable to God and to the Lord. That is the great end of the epistles to the Corinthians. Not only you have the food, but the table and all the furnishings that are suitable to such a Person. He says in Malachi 1:14, “I am a great king”; He is not to be trifled with. He looks for conditions such as He has indicated and shows they are available to us on the principle of prayer.
[p. 231] Paul enlarges on the Holy Spirit so that they might know how to use Him, for this was the provision God had made. The Lord is on a journey, and He stands, for He will take us further, and meanwhile He shall drink of the brook by the way. According to John’s presentation He went to Bethany six days before the passover, and Mary knew it. She knew He was on the way to die, hence she anoints His feet because He was on the way. It was refreshment to Him, and this is in principle what the Lord looks for.