CHRIST AS BUILDER
[p. 102] CHRIST AS BUILDER
I FEEL a good deal of reluctance in undertaking to speak on the assembly (for this is largely the subject in the passage I have read), but my thought is not to speak of the assembly exactly: I wish more to speak of Christ as Builder, and this to the end that our souls might be brought into direct contact with Him. It is a great moment in our history when our attention is directed to Christ personally. No one really finds his true place until he reaches this point. The Lord is the supreme Director in God’s universe, and if you wish a place there it must be assigned to you by Him. Coming to Him your history as a man in this world is ended; but then you find that there is a place for you in God’s world. As a man in the flesh it is likely that you had a place in this world; and if you are a Christian, and have not one now, I think Satan would interest himself to find you one. But the Lord has a place for you, and if He has spoken to you at all it is to the end that you might come to Him, and find your place in His system.
Christ is deserving of the attention of men. He is great. In chapter 11 of this gospel He calls attention to Himself, and in chapter 12 His greatness is dwelt upon. Great men are usually of interest to people, and it is on this ground I would call your attention to Christ. I am greatly impressed with the greatness of Christ as presented in this gospel. John the Baptist was affected by the Lord’s greatness when he said, “Behold the Lamb of God” John 1: 36. The result was that his disciples left John and followed Jesus. Coming to Him they found the Messiah — a wonderful find. Later on, Nathaniel found the Son of God — a still more wonderful discovery. Have you ever found the Son of God?
[p. 103] let me inquire. Do not tell me you believe He is the Son of God. I ask, Have you found Him in your soul’s history? The work of the Holy Ghost in us is to the end that we should make this marvellous discovery.
We are not appreciative of the immense privileges within our reach. If Abraham or David could have found the Messiah, or the Son of God, how rejoiced they would have been! And this great favour is available to us at the present time. You may say, ‘I have forgiveness of sins’. This, of course, is indispensable, but nothing can be compared with finding the Son of God. It is the turning point in your history, and you will find a cordial reception. I am sure the Lord was delighted when Peter and Nathaniel came to Him. In coming to Him we find He can use us; He can use us in His building.
The passage before us presents Christ as a Builder. There had been builders before Him, and God had tested them. He said, as it were, ‘Here is a stone for your building’. Wonderful condescension! ‘What are you going to do with this Stone? lf you are builders you are surely judges of building material: can you tell whether or not this Stone is any good?’ Did they examine the Stone? They did examine the Stone, and they had no difficulty in deciding as to it. What was their decision? They cast it aside as worthless; and in this way the builders were thoroughly exposed. What a system that must be in which the blessed Son of God could not be used! And what the character of the builders who rejected Him! In like manner are the builders of our own day being exposed. They assume to test Christianity and the Scriptures by science, and the result is as of old. Pure Christianity and the Scriptures do not fit into the present day world-structure; hence they are rejected. But the Stone which the builders rejected is made the Head of the corner.
[p. 104] The rejection of Christ by the builders has created a most serious situation. He is cast aside as worthless, and it is to Him we come. No man in his natural feelings would care to be accounted worthless: the thought is terrible to the flesh. We all like to be accounted something in the esteem of this world, but if we are true to the Lord we are certain to share His fate, and indeed, if we love Him, we should not care to have it otherwise. A true disciple would scorn to be found in a system in which there could be no place found for his Master.
If the Lord was useless to the builders in this world, and if He could not fit into their structure, He would build Himself; He would have a building of His own. This is what appears in the verses I have read. He questions the disciples as to who He was. Whom did men say He was? Some one person, and some another. But whom did the disciples say He was? This was a great question on the part of the Lord. He gave the disciples an opportunity, as it were, to express their verdict. Peter expresses it, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”. Matthew 16: 16. Wonderful confession! I think it must have been delightful to the Lord’s heart. He immediately recognises that the Father was the source of it; but how blessed for Peter to be made in this way acquainted with this wonderful Person. I think the Lord affords this great favour to us all. He would, as it were, ask you for your verdict as to Him. What is your verdict? may I ask. You would not be accounted orthodox if you did not believe that Jesus is the Son of God; every child who reads Scripture would say this; but the question is, ‘What have you discovered Him to be in your soul’s history? Have you made acquaintance with Him as the Son of God?’ Directly Peter recognises Him in this way the Lord begins to speak of a building. “Upon this Rock I will build my assembly”. Matthew 16: 18. There was not only the foundation there, but the material for the building also — at least there was one stone there. Peter was this stone.
Now I want to impress upon you that Christ has taken up the position of Builder and evidently He must have material: He must have building material, and this material must be approved of by Him. We may be sure the Lord is a perfect Builder, and also a perfect judge of building material. I imagine I can hear someone say, ‘I should like to be approved by Him; I should like to fit into His building’. Then I say, if this be so the Lord can use you; but in order to be used you must be prepared. For an ordinary building the stones must be prepared, and so also must the stones be prepared for Christ’s building; in the latter case the preparation takes the form of education. It is an edifice in which the character of Christ is to appear throughout; hence to be stones here we must be of His kind. In any ordinary kingdom it is a much more simple matter to be a good subject than it is to play a public part in the metropolis. Any ordinary provincial may be a good subject, but it requires education and polish to shine at court. If we suppose a kingdom ruled by an absolute monarch (such as Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar) I should expect the capital to bear certain marks of the king’s character. The whole kingdom would be more or less affected by his character, but more particularly his metropolis. His statesmen and courtiers too would bear his impress, and would seek in every way to be in accord with him. Beloved friends, we are not only in the kingdom; we are to be the metropolis. Is it not a matter of great concern to you? I think if you ponder it you will conclude that education is necessary. God had designed the church to be the great metropolis of the universe, and this should be a matter of the profoundest concern [p. 106] to every one of us; and it is evident that we must be prepared for it; we must be trained: we must be educated: we must learn from Christ. The church would be assailed by the same hostile power that assailed Christ. Who could stand against it? None but those who had learned from the Lord how to overcome. Peter was one of these. The Lord had educated him by example: the Lord walked on the water; so did Peter. A babe will not walk on the water: it requires energy and courage to do that.
In chapter 11 the Lord calls attention to Himself as the Model, and in chapters 14 and 15 a course of education is outlined, and all this with a view to the new structure. Peter is designated as a stone on the ground of his confession; but in his case a good deal had preceded this, as we have seen. But my object is to interest your hearts in Christ: He needs you in that which He has before Him and if you allow Him His way He will do great things for you; He will fit you for that blessed living structure of His, and give you a place in it. This structure shall supplant all that had preceded it and shall abide forever.
I greatly like the expression “My assembly”. I think the Lord contemplated something of His own. The Lord had the city before Him. It is true the word is not found in this chapter, but I have no doubt at all that the Lord had it in His mind. He had no place in Chorazin, in Bethsaida, or Capernaum, but He would have a city of His own; there His rule and order would be maintained and displayed. Dear believer, do you think you are His own in a practical way if you are self-willed? I am sure you are not. If your heart is set on some object in this poor world you are of no practical use to the Lord. In His assembly I think the Lord would have an answer to His affections, but I think He also intended to use it down here. For this it must be entirely under His [p. 107] control, and this is what He intended. He intended to have a centre of government and also a home — a sphere of affection. These two things were found in the church at the outset. The Lord had a place on earth into which He could come at any time, and with the most perfect freedom, and where too He would always receive the most affectionate welcome; to this also He could invite others. This was a great triumph. The Lord found a home here in the affections of His people, and poor homeless ones in this world found a welcome there also. But all this depended upon the relation in which the saints stood to Christ, and to each other. Every saint referred to in Acts 2 was a living stone, and they were all built in: they stood in relation to Christ and to each other in love. What a marvellous triumph in a world of hatred — a company of people standing in relation to the Lord, and to each other in love, and completely superior to all the power of evil. There was a witness to God in His nature: they stood there as the witness and pledge of His intervention for the blessing of humanity.
This, alas, is no longer visible, but we must not thereby be discouraged; we should cleave to the original thought of the Lord and yield ourselves wholly up to Him. Where this is the case He can still do something for men, but if we remain apart from one another, pursuing our several paths of disobedience, we are of no practical use to Him.
That there should be a few Christians walking in relation to Christ, and to each other in love, in any locality, is a great favour conferred upon it. It is really in this way God reaches men in blessing.
Well, it is but feebly I have presented this great subject to you, but I think you will not fail to catch my thought; the Lord is building and evidently must have building material. May we then be exercised about it and yield ourselves to Him for His pleasure.
Pages 108 to 255 “Readings and Addresses at Meetings held in Chicago”, December 31, 1904, and January 1 and 2, 1905 (Volume 1).