HEADSHIP
Robert P Munster
These scriptures came to me while our brother was speaking first, and I was just pondering whether to take them up, and I was encouraged to do so by what our brother just had to say as to the way that the Lord takes us up individually.
I was reading this morning a reading with Mr James Taylor, in meetings about David as a type of Christ as King and Head, JT vol 2 p381-494. There was a reference to the first scripture that was read as to keeping the Lord's word (p458), and it was pointed out that it is not words exactly, it is “word” there. There is what the Lord says specifically as to commandments in John 14: 15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments”, and “He that has my commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me”, v 21. But then in the verse read, it is changed slightly: “If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him”, v 23. That seems to be a more general thought. You can think of the Lord's commandments - they are quite specific things that the Lord may tell us to do. But the thought of headship: we often speak of influence, and being influenced by the Head, and so on - it is more the tenor of things.
That led me to these two scriptures in Colossians and Ephesians, which refer to headship. I do not have very specific thoughts to say about them; but obviously in Colossians 2, it is a rather negative thought - there are those that may fraudulently deprive you of your prize. The reason that may happen is that one or another may do their own wills. Well, that is easy; we can all fall into that trap, and it is something that we need to be very careful about, not to do our own wills. One of the things that was said in that reading is that we do not go to the Head with our suggestions, p455, p459. Everything comes from the head. We think of the human body; it is the head that tells the members of the body what to do. And so it should be in our relations with the Lord Jesus.
It starts with us individually - we all need to have that relationship with Him, obviously, and to hold Him and to get our direction from Him. And then, as we do that individually, we find that we can work things out together in the way that is described here. If we are all holding fast the Head, then His headship can be known amongst us as we come together. And then we get this system. As I say, it is negative here, “not holding fast the head”, but what should happen is that we do hold fast the Head, then the body is all ministered to, and united together by the joints and bands, and it increases with the increase of God, so that all that we may have individually blends together in the way that our brother has been describing. And it is a great privilege and blessing for us to be in the enjoyment of it.
We get more detail from Ephesians 4 as to the gifts that the Lord gives to this end. And again we have had reference to the Spirit. It is the same Spirit that is in each of us, and if we all give place to the Spirit the same principle applies, that there is this unity that flows from that. One of the interesting things I have found in my history is that I have known many brethren who are very pious and diligent, and had a lot they could share from the Lord, and they would bring it forward in the meetings, and it was all good and fine; but it was not coordinated in the way, perhaps, that our brother has been describing - brothers would have what they would have individually and bring it forward, and that was fine. But one of the things I have really noticed now is the way that things work together. We have something locally, and then the same thing comes up in a fellowship meeting somewhere else, and that kind of thing. And you know then that the Lord is operating and directing behind that.
And He gives each one something different. I have often got quite worried that other brothers understand things so well and I do not understand them - it is almost discouraging in a way. It is not that we are to be specialists - the Lord would desire us to enter into understanding of all things - but He has given each of us something different to bring forward. And, as our brother has just been encouraging us to do, we should bring forward what we have. And that applies to the sisters too - it is not just what comes forward in public service, but there is always something to contribute. And then we get this working together of things. So we have these gifts that come in: it gives more detail in the section that I did not read, about the apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers. Some gifts are specific, but everyone can engage in shepherd work and teaching; teaching at home maybe, or just encouraging and exhorting one another. We have young people in this meeting who need encouraging and shepherding, and we can all take our part in that. Then there is the more public side of things - the ministry, edification of the body. But it is all in view of “holding the truth in love, we may grow up to him in all things, who is the head, the Christ”.
Well, it would be our desire that we may become more like Him. It is not that we are autonomous individuals, that we are qualified to do our own thing. It is not a question of doing our own wills, but drawing on Him as the Head, so that we find then that everything is wonderfully coordinated and brought together in this way that is set out for us in this chapter, in Ephesians 4.
I trust that will encourage us, and link together the two words that we have had. Even that is an illustration of what I was saying: there was something I read this morning, and then the two words that were given, and those three things are all linked together. And we can trace it all to the Lord Jesus. So to Him be the glory, for His Name’s sake.
Words in Ministry Meeting, Sunbury
8th November 2024