God's masterpiece
ID
jb036
Language
EN
Total length
00:43:45
Count
1
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unknown
Description
unknown
Automatic transcript:
…
The Assembly is God's masterpiece.
It was conceived in purpose, in eternity, before the worlds were made.
In order that it might be brought about, it involved the coming into this world
of the Son himself, taking up manhood.
It involved his laying down that life of responsibility that he took,
and coming out of death as a man, ascended back into the presence of God in heaven.
It involved the descent of the Holy Spirit, that we read in Acts 2,
the beginning, the time of Pentecost, descended and formed there,
what we elsewhere refer to as the body of Christ.
The head having taken his place in heaven, the spirit descends to form the body on earth.
At the coming of the Lord, the rapture, as it is referred to, which simply means the grasping away,
we which are alive and remain on earth will be changed,
conformed to his image.
The dead in Christ shall rise, and they, together with us, will enter with the Lord into the Father's house.
The vessel, the assembly, the body, will be complete.
The work of God as to it, having completed that work which was purposed in eternity.
I deliberately didn't read the first verses of Revelation 21,
because those verses refer to what this vessel, the assembly, will be eternally, after time has run its course.
The verses that I read use descriptive and symbolic language to describe this glorious vessel
as it will be during the thousand years reign of Christ over this earth.
We read in the first chapter of Ephesians that that same vessel, and let me say again,
that vessel is composed of every believer from the day of Pentecost until the rapture.
Every believer.
Not one will be missing, and there won't be anyone there who shouldn't be there,
because it will be completely of God.
Nothing of man will be there.
I mean by that, nothing that is the product of man's mind.
You and I will be there, thank God for it.
That vessel is called at the end of Ephesians chapter 1,
the fullness of him that filleth all in all.
A very difficult statement to explain its meaning.
It seems completely incomprehensible to us that there can be anything that then can be equated
or referred to as the complement of the person who is there the head of the body,
the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God the Son.
He will have a companion, one who can share in that place of glory.
You remember his words in John chapter 17,
the glory that thou hast given me, that's the glory that his father gave him as a man.
We might explain it simply as the glory of redemption I have given them.
And so we see that company at the end of that chapter as the complement, the companion,
the vessel that God will use to fill the universe with the glory of Christ.
I believe that is what that verse is saying.
The assembly or the church, whichever you prefer,
will be that vessel that God will use to fill the universe with the glory of Christ.
We read at the end again of chapter 3 that that same vessel will be that which will bring glory to God
until the ages of the ages, which of course is eternity.
But it's the same vessel, a vessel competent to exist in the glory of God
and be for the glory of God, for his pleasure and for the satisfaction of the heart of Christ,
which leads us on to the last verse I read in Ephesians.
Christ loved the assembly and gave himself for it.
There was an objective in view and it was that moment when it will be presented unto himself,
now notice the next words of scripture, a glorious church.
There won't be any spot or there won't be any wrinkle.
There will be nothing missing from that glorious vessel
and there will be nothing there that shouldn't be there.
It will be in a state that is absolutely competent to bear and display the glory of God
throughout a thousand years as far as this world is concerned.
Now the reason why I have raised this with you dear brethren is for our encouragement
because these things are put in the scriptures for our present encouragement.
And whenever the truth of God concerning what he is doing and what he is about to do
is brought home to us and by the power of the spirit we believe it,
these truths carry with them always a responsibility.
And it is with regard to the responsibility that all our problems are connected.
But the truth of God is not given to us to make problems.
It's given to us that we might be established in regard to what God has been pleased to reveal
concerning himself and what he is doing and what the Lord Jesus is doing
and what he will be in the world to come
and what the spirit of God is doing on earth at the present time.
So I've read to you the description of this vessel which there is referred to as a holy city.
Briefly we'll try and explain what these terms mean.
But it's put there, the vision was given to John in order that you and I today
might see clearly what God is moving on to, what his objective is.
And the reason being is that God wants you and I to have the same objective in view as he has in view.
You know if we looked round about, and I don't encourage anybody to do it,
but if we did it, we would see, thank God, in the world today millions of believers.
There's probably more believers in the world today than there has ever been in the world's history.
Don't let us forget that, brethren.
We live in a day of small things in the UK.
But I honestly believe there are more believers alive in the world today
than there have ever been in the history of the world.
But sadly they're all divided.
That is not of God.
That is of man.
That is of man.
But that in no way will thwart what God is going to do
and turn him away from the purpose that is before him.
And neither should it have that effect on you and I either.
In a practical way, and I want to just go down some of these features of this holy city
and take account of what the Spirit of God says about these features
with a view to them having a moral effect practically in each one of our hearts and lives.
Now the reason why I do this, and I can prove it and give authority for it from Scripture
and I'll just say this now.
The word in verse 11, having the glory of God and her light.
The word should be her shining.
Her shining.
And I believe I am right in saying that the only other occasion when that word is used in the New Testament
is Paul's word to the Philippians in chapter 2, I think it's verse 15.
Among whom ye shine as lights in this world.
Same word.
So we see clearly that the shining that will come out through the holy city
in character, in essence, in substance
is exactly the same that Paul said was shining out from that little Philippian company 2,000 years ago.
Same thing, same word, not different.
God would not work to one end before him that will be seen in glory
and work to a different end in the hearts and lives of his saints today.
So what God will display in glory, morally and as far as we are able, practically
should shine from us as individuals and as companies in the world today.
And that is what Paul said to the Philippians.
They were shining in the world and it was exactly the same shining forth
as will be seen from this holy city in the thousand years reign of Christ.
Therefore, I conclude that the rest of the things that he says about this
marvellous vessel, this glorious vessel, can likewise be taken up in a practical way.
I'm not going to go through all the details, I cannot.
This is not the first time that one of the angels has said to John,
come hither and I will show thee.
The previous time, I think it's chapter 7, it was the false church.
Satan's imitation of what God is producing.
And to see that, John was carted away into the wilderness.
But when it was a matter of John coming hither and being shown the bride,
the Lamb's wife, the true work of God having arrived at its final state,
John is carted up into a high mountain.
That's the first thing.
What does that mean to you and I?
To be in the good and in the enjoyment of heavenly things.
We need to know a little bit practically about being spiritually elevated
out of the world in which we live.
Because this world is completely incapable of taking in anything of God
apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in sovereign grace.
So he's taken away into a high mountain.
He's taken me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain
and showed me that holy city.
Cross out the words if you read the authorised great city, shouldn't be there.
Great is connected with what man does.
Holy is connected with what God is and consequently what he does.
And so the second thing concerning this city is
it's completely compatible with what God is in his nature.
Holy.
This city which speaks of administration in scripture
that means by which God disperses his blessing to men
that city in the world to come will be characterised by holiness.
If it wasn't so, it could never have been said that it has the glory of God.
The two things must go together.
What does that say to you and I today brethren?
About ourselves individually or our gatherings collectively?
Dare we say that in their composition and in the way that we act in them
and the way that we carry them on
dare we say that they are compatible to what God is in his nature?
Are our gatherings not only characterised by love?
Thank God that that is the case so often and how glad we are to see it.
But the first feature that God takes account of almost of this city
is not love.
It's holiness.
It's holiness.
So here again we are faced with a practical responsibility
in regard to the response found in our hearts and in our lives and in our assemblies
to what God reveals about what he is about to do.
I mentioned that there was a shining out from this
and it has the blessing of men in view on the one hand
but we could put a lot of other things in that as well.
It has the glory of Christ in view.
Because this light will shine down on the very scene
and that's where it will start as far as this earth is concerned
into that very city where he was crucified
Isn't it a marvellous concept of the grace of the love of God
that that very spot in this material world
although of course at this point of time it will have been cleansed by judgement
but nonetheless that very spot and in the midst of that little nation
drawn back to that geographical place
that very spot where Christ was crucified
is the place, the first place on earth
where the shining of the holy city will be perceived and enjoyed
and its blessing worked out.
What a wonderful thing that is.
He who bore the crown of thorn
shall be seen to be wearing the diadems of glory
and that will be brought about by the fact that he will be in the midst
of this glorious heavenly vessel.
Now God would have that consideration affect us practically today.
Christ should be in the midst.
Christ should be exalted in the midst of his saints
and all that he is in response to what he suffered on the cross
should be there cherished and responded to and form part
of that outshining of the grace of God in the world today.
It had a great war.
God always protects what is precious to him
and will ever keep out what would damage it
and keep in because if anything got out
something would be lacking.
So it's enclosed in a great war.
There were 12 gates and you can't miss the repetition of the number 12
in the mathematics of this chapter.
That would tell us clearly that God has in view
the administration of his blessing on a cleansed earth
from himself, from Christ, through the assembly
down to that little nation of Israel
and reaching out to every nation in the world,
the nations that are saved.
That's the way the channel will flow.
That is why that the 12 gates have got the names
of the tribes of the children of Israel.
The gates of the city in Old Testament
were the place where the city was administered
and this blessing is going out through the gates,
through the shining, via the 12 tribes
to the saved nations of the earth.
Its outlook was in every direction.
There's no corner of the earth that's going to miss it.
North, East, South and West.
There was the perfect outflowing by the number 3
which always represents God in the scriptures.
There is an outflying, so to speak, from God himself
to every corner of the earth
and it will be done through this city.
Now again, verse 14 refers to the wall of that city
which had foundations, 12 foundations.
What's the good of a wall
if it hasn't got the ability to stand up?
And this wall is built on 12 foundations
and the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb
are written thereon.
It's not quite Israel this time.
We've now moved on to New Testament terms
and we've got the 12 apostles of the Lamb.
Ephesians 2 verse 20
refers to the apostles and prophets of the New Testament.
And this wall that keeps out what shouldn't get in
and keeps in what needs to be retained
is built up upon a foundation
and that foundation is the teachings
of the New Testament apostles and prophets.
So it's a wall that is reared up
on the doctrine of God that came out
from the apostles of the Lord Jesus
in the power of the Spirit of God
and established not only the church
but the truth of God which includes the revelation of God
as we know it today.
Sadly, one has to acknowledge
that amongst Christians
many walls have been erected
with a view to trying to do
what God will ultimately do perfectly.
And I believe that that is right and proper.
But what is absolutely essential
is that those walls that we may put up today
to protect what we value
are based upon the teachings of the apostles
and not upon the thoughts and ideas of men.
So again you can see the wall
so again you can see that what God will display
perfectly in the world to come
has a reflection upon you and I today
in the way that we act in our gatherings together
which locally are the local representation
of the body of Christ
in whatever locality we may live in.
Doesn't make a difference
because the size of our gathering
does not in any way alter the truth of God.
It may make it more difficult to maintain, granted
but it doesn't alter the truth.
We live in a world that because it's impossible
to maintain these things today
we modify them and we give them up
or we introduce an idea
to try and give an appearance of keeping them.
You can write an awful lot of things into that
but I'm not going into that today.
But whatever walls that we erect
round our gatherings
to protect as far as we are able the truth of God
and I say again we have to do it
but let us make sure that they are based
upon the teachings of the New Testament
apostles and prophets.
Otherwise they're not real walls
and they could do more harm
than we may think they do good
and they may let out
what God considers to be vital and precious.
The only way to maintain that
yes I'll use the word separation
is a separation that is based
upon the apostles' doctrine.
The angel that talked with John
had a reed, a divine measurement
not man's measurement
it was a reed that had measurements on it
that were in accord with the mind of God
and he measured the city with it
and it was 12,000 furlongs
which for your information is 1,375 miles.
It's astonishing isn't it?
Do you ever realise that scripture says
this building, this city
is bigger than the United Kingdom
and it's not a square, it's a cube.
Everywhere the measurement was uniform
everything was equal
wasn't lopsided
it wasn't top heavy
it wasn't deficient in its base
everywhere was a perfect uniformity.
Why?
Because it was completely of God.
Man doesn't build like that
he can't build like that.
Bear in mind that this is figurative language
it's not actual language
I don't think for one moment
it's figurative
but it's meant to convey something to us
and here is a great
no I shouldn't use that word should I?
a holy city
whose proportions we would consider
are very large
but they are uniform
because they are of God.
Can we say that of what you and I are building?
Of course we can't use these measurements
but in our building
locally or wherever we are building
in seeking to promote the things of God
is there an equality
a uniformity
a measure
that is according to God
and a divine standard.
And again you come across the multiple of the word twelve
and the next verse again refers
to the measure of the wall
144 cubits
144 cubits
now I cannot for the life of me explain
why a thing on the one hand can be 1375 miles long
and the next verse says
that it's 144 cubits
and I'm not trying to
because it's figurative language
but the cubit is the measure of a man
I think it's from here to here
about 18 inches
and it's used in the scriptures
to describe that measurement
which in Old Testament days
was a measurement that was compatible
and known
of men and used of men
but
it not only says that
that when he measured this
it was not only according to the measure of a man
it's also according to the measure of angels
I'm not suggesting that angels use cubits
they don't need that
angels are the greatest
beings
in the creation of God
but what is the measure of an angel
that can be compared equally
to the measure of a man
well the psalmist tells us
that angels
great in strength
they do the will of God
in other words
they are
tremendously
wonderful beings
but their one objective in life
is to do the will of God
and man at the outset
was put in the garden of Eden
to do the same thing
but he fell
but that doesn't alter the fact
that the measure of a man
is the same as the measure of an angel
and that one measure
is
obedience
the thing that characterizes this city
and those that inhabited it
will be
doing
the will
of God
and that is why God can dwell there
and again brethren
we have to turn it back on ourselves
is our main objective
when we gather together
or whatever we do
is it
to do explicitly
what is the will of God
without the interference of my will
or somebody else's will
in order that we
might be characterized
by being
to quote the scripture
not only hearers of the word
but doers of the word as well
in obedience
that was the measure
of that city
the building over the wall
was of Jasper
this is not the first time we've had this
there isn't time to go into this
but if you look up
elsewhere in scriptures
you will probably come to the conclusion
that it describes
that glory of God
that he can communicate to men
that men can
not only see
but have part of
now I'll just have to leave with you
to prove that out
and look it up in the scriptures
we haven't got time
the building of the wall
of Jasper
the city was pure gold
like unto clear glass
I don't think it's possible
that men today
to obtain absolutely
pure gold
there's always impurities in it
and that's why it's gold
if you got rid of all the impurities
in gold
it would be clear
this city
had no impurities
its composition
was completely of God
according to what God is
in his nature
and according to God's righteousness
and holiness
and as a consequently
it was crystal clear
not just opaque
like that glass over there
which lets a little light through
but you can't see through it
it was crystal clear
there wasn't anything there
that was being covered up
everything could be seen
for what it is
and that it was completely conformed
to he who put it there
is that true of our assemblies?
are they crystal clear?
or are they opaque?
do you know beloved brethren
we may not have realised
it before
but this is one of the most practical
chapters in the word of God
if you read it in the way
that I'm trying to explain it
you must agree with me
that if this is what
God is working to
it must be what
I should be working to
today
in the assembly
pure gold
like unduclear glass
punished with all manner
of precious stones
now I wish I knew something
about this list
of twelve precious stones
but I don't
and I don't understand it
to use the language of others
here is the perfect harmony
of various hues of colour
another has said
that pure beauty
is the perfect harmony
of parts
or colours
and I believe here
you have a perfect spectrum
of colours
that if you join them
all together
you'd finish up
with pure light
most of you know
that if you get light
and shine it through a spectrum
shine it through a prism
sorry
the light that goes through
will split up
into the various colours
of the spectrum
that's the reverse idea
here are the various hues
of the beauty of Christ
shining out from the foundations
of this city
and surely it's
the foundations
that the earth will take account of
that they will see
when they look up from earth
to the city
what will they see?
pure gold?
clear as crystal?
the glory of God?
yes
but shining out from its base
will be a perfect
representation
of the all various
beauties of Christ
I believe that's what
these various stones
speak of
wouldn't it be a wonderful thing
when that blessed man
will thus be perceived
by men
on earth
I know it was said in Mark's gospel
that he couldn't be hid
that was true
there was that which of himself
was seen
but in this scene
this city
and let us remind ourselves
you and I
compose this city
it's a building of persons
but persons
who have been conformed
to the image of Christ
and as a consequently
are able to display
to a wandering universe
the beauties
and the glories
of that blessed man
who is in the midst
of this scene
the twelve gates
were twelve pearls
that just isn't possible isn't it
you can't find a pearl
on earth
that's big enough
to use as a garden gate
it's descriptive language
a very large
pearl
and what do pearls speak of
in scripture
there are two things in the scripture
that I understand
are the product of suffering
the other is pearl
that which produces a pearl
is in a muscle
is the introduction of something
that irritates the little animal
and to get over that irritation
it covers it with a beautiful
hue
a pearl
it's what Christ did on the cross
wasn't he
he took that which was so
dreadful in the sight of God
and he dealt with it
in such a way
that afterwards
it shone with a hue
that had a unique
and precious value
in his sight
and that is the reason
he gave himself for it
that merchantman
that man of discernment
when he found one pearl
of great value
not price
he didn't just
sell all that he had
he did that
he laid aside his glory
he laid aside every claim
to earthly glory
but he not only did that
he gave himself
that he might have
that pearl
you and I
for himself
so the thing
that will be seen
from the twelve gates
of this city
are what the assembly
is to the heart of Christ
is that true of our local assemblies
are we a display
of what the assembly is
to the heart of Christ
I must move on
the time is just about gone
there was no temple there
the reason is
because the whole edifice
was in effect
of temple character
they didn't have a special building
that represented the presence of God
in this city
because the whole city
was of temple character
and by the word
that's the word naos
which means the inner shrine
not the outward buildings
the very inner shrine
of the temple
the very presence of God
this holy city
was of that character
and because God was there
all earthly lights
even though they may
be in the heavens
are dispensed with
there was no night there
there was no need of it
because God and the Lamb
were there
and the gates were never closed
they were guarded
by angelic forces
and nothing was allowed in
and they are listed for us
in the last verse
which includes everything
anything that defileth
another translation
changes that to that
which is common
things that are common
are of men
there is absolutely
nothing of men
that will ever enter
into that city
there will be no
abomination there
abominations are those
things like idols
that take the place
that alone should be
given to God
so God will be held
in the affections
and in the minds
absolutely
by those who form this city
and nothing
that makes a lie
everything
will be according to
the truth
that came by Jesus Christ
isn't it a marvellous thing
to realise
that this is what God
is moving onward to
and let us make no mistakes
God will achieve it
and when this vessel
is taken out of earth
and placed into heaven
alongside of his son
the work of God
will be complete
we shall be conformed
to his image
and this vessel
will be that which
God will use
eternally for his own glory
and for the satisfaction
of the heart of Christ
because let us remind
ourselves
in John's writing
it's called the bride
the bride
and she's that eternally
we've considered her
in her wife character
but she will eternally be
to the heart of Christ
his bride
and we can do no better
than quote the words of Isaiah
he shall see
of the travail of his soul
and shall be
satisfied
and beloved brethren
so
with you and I
to God's glory
sing the rest of that hymn
from verse 9
called
by that secret name
of undisclosed delight
blessed answer
to reproach and shame
graved
on the stone of white
God
and the Lamb
shall there
the light
and temple be
and radiant hosts
forever share
the unveiled
mystery
so we'll sing from
verse 9
to the end
of hymn number 79 …