OUR SERVICE AND TESTIMONY
[p. 407] OUR SERVICE AND TESTIMONY
The subject before us this evening is our service and testimony. It is not an easy subject to explain nor to apprehend, but I am sure if our hearts are set on it we shall understand it. I turn to John because, as it has been truly said, John sets forth what remains - God’s grace to us, not so much our responsibility as the resources for our responsibility. I shall try to present to you first the instruction in chapters 13 and 14, and then in chapters 15 and 16. Chapters 13 and 14 form one section, for you will find at the end of chapter 14 the Lord says, “Rise up, let us go hence;” they leave the supper table. I have read chapter 14 because there is instruction in it of immense moment for the servant of Christ, both preparation and provision for service. It is a great principle throughout Scripture that you are prepared before you are called to serve: “Who ever carries on war at his own charges”? (1 Corinthians 9: 7). The manna was given before the sun was up. Elijah gets one breakfast, and then he is awakened to get another because he is to be prepared for a long journey; the preparation must be in keeping with the demand. This is most important for the servant to bear in mind; he is prepared by the Lord, though he does not know what is before him; the Lord prepares him for what is coming. Not a stone was thrown at Stephen until he had seen the Lord in glory, and thus he was prepared. The way you are drawn to the Lord, and the bright time you have with Him, indicate to you that there is to be some demand on you. The Lord is preparing you for it. Many have failed because they have entered on service unprepared by Him. It is not merely reading and the study of the word; but have you been with the Lord? He knows what is [p. 408] before you. I am speaking of service in general. You get this principle in Psalm 23: 2 - 4 - “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures”. Anyone with general knowledge knows that a cow does not lie down to eat; it lies down when it is full. Then “He leadeth me beside the still waters”; it is not to drink; if you wanted a horse to drink you would lead him to the water, not beside it. You learn from this that you are to come from the resources of God - a great preparation. Then you can say, “He restoreth (or reviveth) my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art, with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me”.
I have digressed a little. But before I dwell on John 14, I must say a word on chapter 13. The Lord and the twelve were at the supper table, figuratively His death; and He rises from the table, and sets forth that though He would be no longer here, He would wash their feet; that when He had gone away to the Father, yet He would take care (and this surely is a wonderful joy to your heart) that there shall be nothing to disturb the intimacy which subsists between you and Him. I press that He will take care; for though you can contribute one to another, it is He who effects it. He says, “Unless I wash thee, thou hast not part with me” (John 13: 8). This is a wonderful start. We have been mistaken in applying these chapters to our individual path instead of to our service for Him. If you are not for the Lord here you will not understand these chapters. If you study the gospel of John up to nearly the end of chapter 10, you will find it is the unfolding of His grace to us, and culminates in His saying, “I am the good shepherd; and I know those that are mine, and am known of those that are mine, as the Father knows me and I know the Father” (John 10: 14, 15); there is the same kind of intimacy between Him and [p. 409] us as between Him and the Father. In chapter 13 He is going away, leaving His own here for His service; and surely, I trust, every one in this room would like to be here for Him. You must realise the fact that He has gone away, and that you are here for Him. He has gone to the Father; but He has been here with His own, and He will take care that there shall be no shade of reserve or distance between Him and them. To effect this He washes their feet; thus the chapter opens. It would take up too much time to go into detail, but I would seek to interest the youngest here in this wonderful scripture.
Next, the internal evil among them is disclosed. There were only twelve of them, and yet evil was working. It is most important to realise the internal state of things. You have here the elements of all the corruption in christendom. And it is most helpful to see that the Lord discloses the evil, and that John is near enough to Him to receive light as to what was working in their midst. That iniquity is that Judas would barter his knowledge of Christ for earthly gain. It is the most unprincipled act, and a disgrace to humanity. Christ’s “own familiar friend” for earthly gain would deliver Him up. We learn this inside, and the Lord discloses it to the one who is spiritually near Him. John is so near to Christ that He can confide it to him. Judas had done nothing as yet, but the evil that was working is disclosed to John. I regard Judas as the sample of the apostate church, every christian quality abandoned and surrendered for gain - Babylon. In verse 31 there is an announcement of immense interest to us. When Judas - man in his lowest moral state - had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God also shall glorify him in himself”. Man now rises to the highest, He glorifies God, our almighty resource in the midst of all our internal evil. The Lord then tells His disciples that [p. 410] He is going away, and that they cannot follow Him now; and this brings to light another element of disturbance, even that Peter, the most active and the .foremost among them, will deny Him. Judas betrays Him for gain; Peter denies Him from fear. Such was the state of things, and the Lord Himself going away. This is the church’s history; but it is marvellous grace that He is with us and knows the full nature of the opposition. Hence chapter 14 opens with, “Let not your heart be troubled”. He will secure your heart for Himself. And in verse 27 He repeats the words, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it fear”. All between these two verses is the provision, in order that your heart should not be troubled by the state of things.
In chapter 15 we are here for Him, and you will not be here for Him if you have not the preparation of chapter 14. The great lack is that you have not been with Him as in chapter 14, and if you have not, you will not be for Him as in chapter 15. You may possibly be very active, Martha like. But much of the activity will not be accounted of, because it is not doing according to the Lord’s pleasure; doing as He wishes you to do is service.
There are two great activities of grace in this chapter: the first is faith, and the second is love. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me”; faith in Christ is the first thing. Have you faith in Christ as you have in God? not only as risen but as sitting at God’s right hand? In Ephesians 1: 15 we read, “After I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus”, and in Colossians 1: 4, “Your faith in Christ Jesus”; but it is faith in Him who was here. It is of deep importance that you believe in Him who was here, but who has gone away. The great attempt of christendom is to ignore His rejection; churches and chapels erected and bearing His name, as if He were not rejected. Consequent on His rejection He was exalted to God’s [p. 411] right hand. If His rejection be ignored, indirectly His exaltation is ignored. The scripture (Psalm 110) which calls Him away - “Sit at my right hand” - is the same scripture which tells you that He is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec; He has gone to the Father. And the more truly you accept His rejection, the more your heart will be drawn to Him in His exaltation. Hence He says, “Ye believe on God, believe also on me”; that is the first great activity of grace in you. Then follows, “I go to prepare you a place”. Did you ever see a man who was truly serving the Lord seeking a place here? Christ has prepared a place for him in the Father’s house; He says, “I go to prepare you a place”. You do not look for a place where He is rejected, but you rejoice that you have a place where He is, and He comforts you by saying, “I am coming again and shall receive you to myself, that where I am ye also may be”. This is the foundation for service.
Now let us look at the links of the chain of faith. First, “Ye believe on God, believe also on me”. Next, “I go to prepare you a place”. Next, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, unless by me ... He that has seen me has seen the Father”. Next, “He shall do greater than these, because I go to the Father”. And finally, “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, this will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son”. The climax of faith is, “If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it”.
Now look at the links in the chain of love: “If ye love me, keep my commandments”. Love delights in obedience. “And I will beg the Father, and he will give you another Comforter” - and He will remain with you, and be in you when Christ had gone away. But He adds, “I will not leave you orphans, I am coming to you” (verse 18). This you know in the assembly. All here is addressed to the company; the [p. 412] individual is addressed in verses 21 - 23. It is of much importance that we should bear this in mind. Many have applied this scripture, intended for the company, to themselves individually. For instance, when the great commission was given to the apostles to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature, it was committed to the company. And be assured of this, the gospel is not known beyond the measure in which the church is known at any given time. Blessed promise! “I will not leave you orphans, I am coming to you ... The world sees me no longer; but ye see me; because I live ye also shall live”. Thus your side is fully provided for. Now for His side - “In that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you”. You rise to the height of your new position.
In verse 23 the individual is addressed - “If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him”. It is the explanation of verse 21, which is individual; He will have an abode by the Spirit in your hearts. In verse 26 you get the power for the provision - “The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and will bring to your remembrance all the things which I have said to you”. How blessed that the Holy Spirit should bring all things to their remembrance “which I have said to you” - all we have in the gospels. It is deeply interesting to apprehend in any measure Christ’s service during the three-and-a-half years, as He opened out the heart of God to man: “The only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him”. You are here to reproduce Him now. You are learning Him inside, that you may be fitted to set forth the heart of God to man. You cannot preach the gospel or render any true service but as you know how Christ declared the heart of God to man.
[p. 413] The brighter the assembly, the more fully their portion in Christ is known, the more effective all service will be, beginning with the gospel; because the more you come from Christ, the centre, the more you draw souls to Him. The Holy Spirit, sent by the Father in the name of Christ, not only brings to remembrance Christ’s work here, but He includes His resurrection, because the Holy Spirit was not given until after Christ had risen from the dead.
Now the chain of love ends with this most touching grace: “I leave peace with you; I give my peace to you”. And then He repeats, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it fear”. He adds, “Rise up, let us go hence”.
I turn now to chapter 15; there you have entered on service. There are three degrees in a servant: first the disciple, next the friend, and then the witness. Christ is the true vine. Israel had failed; but though He is going away from the earth, His own, the branches, will gain by it. Every mercy hitherto shown is surpassed by Christ. Be it the pool of Bethesda, or the fold, or the feast of tabernacles, all are surpassed; and so here the vine is surpassed, you could not have a vine in heaven. The vine could not abide in the branch, though the branch could abide in the vine. Christ is the true vine, and we are the branches; this, in figure, sets forth that we should be a reproduction of Himself on the earth. Is it not a cheer to your heart that you may be a reproduction of Him in this place where He is not? You cannot be a reproduction of Him unless you come from Him. A man when he is enlisted for the army is not taken directly to the battlefield, he is taken to the barracks. The recruit may be strong, but he does not know his work until he has learned to be a soldier in the barracks, and this before he is taken to the field. So it is here. In chapter 14 you are learning Christ for service. It is a wonderful time; your heart is furnished with the chain of faith and love, you know [p. 414] Himself in the midst of His own, so that now His word to you is, “Abide in me”. No doubt in abiding in Him you would soon know Him as the Head, for if you abide in Him you bring forth fruit. You may say, What is the fruit? You will contribute to souls - not merely in their conversion, but in ministering of His grace - fruit which shall remain. Hence He adds, “In this is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, and ye shall become disciples of mine”. A disciple is a learner. The evangelist should be a disciple. Anyone learning of Christ, even a child at home, may so express the grace of God that there will be a marked effect. It was not the proclamation of the gospel which arrested the elder brother in Luke 15; it was the music and the dancing. And you constantly find that a soul is arrested by seeing another’s happiness. If I were addressing a young man full of expectations in this world. I should say to him, Would you like to be in a state where there never could be a sense of deficiency, always in satisfied desire? Immensely, I think he would say. Well, you get this in John 4: 14, you “shall never thirst”. I am afraid souls are often hindered because they are not convinced that we possess this great blessing.
Next, “If ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love”. What is His commandment? In chapter 14 we read, “If ye love me, keep my commandments”. Now this is the test of all true service. “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, that one should lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends if ye practise whatever I command you”. Christ is addressing the eleven, and He enjoins that they should be as devoted to each other as He was to them. They were to be the expression of the most devoted love instead of being attractive to the world, the world would hate [p. 415] them, because they were so devoted to one another. As the Lord said, “I have chosen you out of the world, on account of this the world hates you”. They are like an island in the midst of a ruthless sea. Now you are come to Christ’s great interest here, and the more fully you are in concert with His interest, the better will be your service in every particular. The net (Matthew 13) is not mentioned until the treasure and the pearl have been spoken of, because you cannot understand how to select from the net until you know something of the Lord’s interest in His own. Paul, speaking of himself, says, “I have planted” that implies more than conversion. The word is, “Compel to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luke 14: 23). Some think that this means coming to Christ, but it is a mistake. It is coming to the house, to the heavenly festivity, the great supper. Now you can understand the Lord’s words, “Ye are my friends if ye practise whatever I command you”. Be assured that the more fully you are devoted to Christ’s own here, the greater the enmity of the world; your own relations will say, You think more of these people, who are in no way connected with you, than you do of your nearest relatives. You ought to be able to say, That is perfectly true. And why? Because they are Christ’s own. Your heart is specially devoted to all who belong to Him here in His absence. Note the Lord’s words now: “I call you no longer bondmen, but I have called you friends, for all things which I have heard of my Father I have made known to you”. He delights to communicate His mind to His friends. As you are His friend, as your heart is set on His interests, you receive from Him. He communicates fully to His friends. Many are very active apparently who know comparatively nothing of His mind; they are not His friends. His friends are set on the prosperity of His people; as the apostle says, “I have no greater joy than these things that I [p. 416] hear of my children walking in the truth” (3 John 4). But now when this little company is exposed to the terrible enmity of the world ready to crush them, you read in verse 26 of another ministry of the Holy Spirit, and it is of the deepest importance that you should know it. Christ says, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes forth from with the Father, he shall bear witness concerning me”. Here they were totally unable to resist the hostility of the world; it is to the church, the little island, Christ sends this great power, a fresh ministry of the Holy Spirit. He not only reveals to you Christ’s work on the earth, as in chapter 14, but He has come down from Christ in heaven, the exalted Man. This is your resource for the darkest day. You are in this power when you are consciously united to Christ in heaven. This is God’s purpose for each of us, though few are in conscious knowledge of it. The power of the Holy Spirit always remains; He comes down from heaven, sent by Christ Himself; He came down to the hundred and twenty in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost; but this ministry is declared here to enable you to surmount the hostility of the world. In spite of all the opposition, “He shall bear witness concerning me”; the Holy Spirit will be the Witness of Christ exalted to the right hand of God. Practically, as in Ephesians, everyone united to Christ, the exalted Man, is descriptive of Him here, not only in the church, but in his own circle.
Now turn to chapter 16, and here we read: “And having come, he will bring demonstration to the world, of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe on me; of righteousness, because I go away to my Father, and ye behold me no longer; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say to you, but ye cannot bear them now. But when he is come, the Spirit of truth, he shall guide you into all the truth:
[p. 417] for he shall not speak from himself; but whatsoever he shall hear he shall speak; and he will announce to you what is coming. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine and shall announce it to you. All things that the Father has are mine; on account of this I have said that he receives of mine and shall announce it to you”. May each of us be filled with wonder, love, and praise at the great testimony to which we are called. But it is only by the Holy Spirit you can confront the power of the world. When Paul was at Philippi he would not accept the co-operation of the woman with the spirit of divination, though at the time apparently he was in need of support; but Paul said to the spirit, “I enjoin thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her” (Acts 16: 18). All the power of the world came down upon him, not only the mob, but the magistrates and the lictors; and illegally he is thrust into prison. But there is another power, the power of God, and we often seem to forget it. Paul’s mission for the moment seems to be frustrated. But “At midnight Paul and Silas, in praying, were praising God with singing”. Their confidence in God is unshaken. “And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison shook, ... The jailor being awakened out of his sleep, and seeing the doors of the prison opened, having drawn a sword was going to kill himself, ... But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm, for we are all here. And ... he ... trembling, fell down before Paul and Silas. And leading them out said, Sirs, what must I do that I may be saved?” (Acts 16: 25 - 30). The jailor answers to the man of Macedonia in the vision, for up to this it does not appear that a man had come. Paul, like a good husbandman, had to labour much before he was partaker of the desired fruit. You get here how the servant of Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, can surmount all the forces of the world in testimony of Him.
[p. 418] In John 16 we read that when He is come He will demonstrate to the world “of sin, because they do not believe on me; of righteousness, because I go away to my Father, ... of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged”. When you are in the power of the Holy Spirit sent down from Christ in heaven, you know that the world is sin, and that you must stand apart from it. You cannot be identified with it, nor accept any acknowledged position in it. All righteousness according to God has left the world, but though the prince of the world is here, in the power of the Holy Spirit you will be assured that he is judged. Moreover, “He shall glorify me”. Now you enter on the full portion and enjoyment of the heavenly man; Christ shall be glorified to you, and you will know that though you have lost the world, heavenly things are given to you. “He shall receive of mine and shall announce it to you. All things that the Father has are mine”. “Things which eye has not seen, and ear not heard, and which have not come into man’s heart, which God has prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2: 9). You are brought into present acquaintance with Christ’s things.
I need not add more. I feel how imperfectly I have presented to you this great subject; but the more you dwell on it the more your heart will be drawn out in thankfulness to the Lord that you should be called to witness of Him on the earth.
The Lord grant that each heart may understand that He is the same to us in this day, in all our failure and difficulty, as He was to the eleven in that day, for His name’s sake.