3 companies connected to the Living God
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…
In Matthäus, Gospel, Kapitel 16.
Und, äh, Vers 15.
The Lord Jesus saith unto his disciples,
By whom say ye that, but whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said,
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And then in 2 Corinthians Chapter 6.
And, äh, 2 Corinthians 6 and Verse 16.
2 Corinthians 6, Verse 16.
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?
For ye are the temple of the living God.
As God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them,
and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
And, äh, 1 Timothy Chapter 3.
1 Timothy Chapter 3, Verse 14.
These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly.
But if I tarry long, that thou mayst know
how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God,
which is the church of the living God,
the pillar and ground of the truth.
And, äh, finally in Hebrews Chapter 12.
Hebrews Chapter 12 and Verse 22.
Hebrews 12, Verse 22.
But ye are come unto Mount Zion
and unto the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to an innumerable company of angels,
the general assembly.
You've no doubt noticed that in each of these verses
we had the phrase, the living God, the living God.
And, äh, it's not so much, äh,
I want to bring before you the living God, ähm,
because I trust we had a sufficient, äh, presentation of him
this afternoon to get something of the greatness
and the grandeur of this living God.
But it's to see what is connected with this living God.
Companies, we saw there are three companies there,
and a glorious person.
And what was laid upon my heart
towards the end of the reading as we read that last verse
was what gives character to these companies.
And it's the living God.
These are not all the references, of course, to the living God.
There are another two in Hebrews, as you well know,
and they're very subtle ones,
but they're not connected with a company.
And then, of course, there's that very classic one
that we always refer to in 1 Thessalonians,
how ye turn to God from idols
to serve the living and the true God
and to wait for his Son from heaven.
But the burden really on me
was to show that companies
are characterized by belonging to the living God.
The living God.
And, of course, we must begin
right at the beginning
with the glorious person
of our blessed Lord and Savior,
the Son of God, God the Son,
the Son of the living God.
And it was mentioned in the Bible reading this afternoon
that all devout Jews, and in fact most of them,
they grew up, they understood
that the Messiah who would come
would be the Son of God.
And, of course, John in his epistle,
that's where a lot of his line of reasoning is, you see.
Line of reasoning is
that he takes up this point
that the Messiah and the Son of God are synonymous.
And that's the grounding basis of his reasoning
to the Jews.
And so Peter,
he may well, we don't know,
he may well have understood that,
he may have listened to the rabbinical teaching on this line.
We're not absolutely certain.
But we do know that whether he knew it or not,
whether he'd observed the Lord
and it had come to him,
it was a matter of revelation.
Flesh and blood hath not revealed unto thee,
but my Father which is in heaven.
It was a matter of revelation.
And if we want to come to the truth
of the Trinity or any of these matters,
we get it from the New Testament.
We can corroborate certain things
and trends in the Old Testament,
but it's revealed to God in the New Testament.
So here the Lord says to them,
Whom say you that I am?
And Simon Peter answered,
Thou art the Christ.
Yes, before him.
He'd been in company with him.
Possibly for nearly three years
he'd been in company with him.
And he'd observed him.
He'd seen that blessed one
stand and still the storm
and things he did,
laying his hand on the blind,
feeding the multitude.
Oh yes, he'd been with him
in all these various scenes.
Sure it must have come upon him
that this was the powerful one,
the Messiah.
But they were looking, you see,
for the Messiah on the line
of to take up the reins of government.
But more than that,
they met the Messiah, the Christ,
the Son of God.
This was a blessed
and wonderful revelation to him.
This person was no less
than the Son of God,
revealed in flesh as a man.
And then he adds this bit,
he brings out this thing
which gives the real key
and the impetus to it,
the force to it,
that he is the Son of the living God.
The source of absolute
and utmost vitality in life.
Nothing that's dead
or a half-heart or anything,
but the source of life in God himself.
The whole vast universe
gone to being.
All the vast stars and galaxies
that man can see.
And no matter how great
they bring out these
computer-controlled telescopes
and probe the sky,
and beyond it all is God
in the infinitude of his majesty
and splendor.
The one who has given life
and breath to everything.
Yes.
The wonderful glory and grandeur
of that blessed living God
that has touched everything
that has breath.
The wonderful power of God.
Here in the presence
of these disciples
was no less a person
than God the Son,
the person of the Trinity.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
that the Son was here before him.
The Son of the living God.
What a blessed consideration
and occupation for them.
And this is a wonderful title
and expression.
The Son of the living God.
Meditate on it, dear saint of God.
Get it into your heart and soul.
Get down on your knees
and enjoy him.
The Son of the living God.
Is he that to you?
Is he that to me?
What is he?
The Son of the living God.
What a blessed, powerful one.
Everything.
You never...
You consider him
and you see great power
and wonder and majesty.
The source of everything there.
The Son of the living God.
We know, of course,
that from that same source
comes forth the wonderful love of God
as we sung in our hymn.
But the great stress
is on the vitality
that is connected with God.
And so he is the Son of the living God.
Glorious subject for our praise
and homage.
Glorious subject.
Sorry.
Glorious subject
for our homage and adoration.
I use the word subject guardedly.
An object conveys the thought
of what is inanimate.
But a subject is what is animate, isn't it?
And he's a glorious subject.
He's not the object of eternal pleasure.
He's the subject of eternal pleasure.
Perfect in his work divine.
Lord of glory without measure.
Worship with joy and praise be thine.
The glorious object for our hearts.
The Son of the living God.
Oh, there's much more.
That we could revel and marvel
in the depths that's in his blessed
and glorious person
as the Son of the living God.
Now realizing who this living God is
and the companies that are connected with him
we can then in the light of that
consider the scripture in 2 Corinthians 6
and verse 16
where it says
ye are the living God's temple
the temple of the living God
and every blood-bought saint
is part of that company.
They may not know it
or in fact it may be just a letter to them
they may certainly not enjoy it
but nonetheless it doesn't alter the fact
that they're of that temple
that company
the house of God.
I know there's slight difference of emphasis
but nonetheless
for the sake of brevity
equate the temple with the house of God
the great thought in the house of God
is where God dwells
where God is approached
and where what characterizes God is known
and God's love of course is known
from the house of God
and his grace is known isn't it
at the very first mention of the house of God
in Genesis 28, 29
we see the grace of God made known there
and God's faithfulness to such a one as Jacob
isn't it
shows the wonderful sovereignty and love and choice of God
at such a character as Jacob
he could manifest his grace to him
and promise to bring him back
and his love and his faithfulness
and so from the house of God
God's grace and faithfulness are known
God is faithful
wonderful grace and love
and faithfulness of God are known there
but also God's holiness is known
yes
God's absolute utter holiness is known in his house
and that is where we approach to God
made known and manifested
and today saints of God
this dignity rests upon us
that we are the temple of the living God
this great God that commanded
and it stood fast
and it called everything into life
and being the one who is the source of it all
that's what characterizes this house today
it's the temple of him
the living God
and this great privilege is upon us
and so we must walk in the light of that
with vitality
as we consider this blessed fact
that we are the temple of the living God
where God is shown
where God is made known
where God is approached
and we walk in that way
and it's one building
I was led a fortnight ago
when ministering on 1 Peter chapter 2
to stress very much
that it says
we are also as living stones built up spiritual house
these stones are not just left around here and there
like a lot of rubble
no, they are put together as one house
and that house still stands
it's not broken down into a lot of fragments
no, it's not broken down into a lot of fragments
it still stands
don't let us get man's view of it
let's get God's view of it
and let us answer to that
in the faith of our souls today dear beloved
let us give it up
we are being asked on all sides to give it up
don't give it up
hold fast to the truth of scripture
be held by the truth of scripture
as well as holding the truth of scripture
and that is one house
God sees one house
let us see one house
enact in the light of it
maybe feebly and weakly
oh yes, there is failure
but don't let a human failure
say that then the standard must be lowered
we must dilute the truth of God
no, let us seek grace and faith
to answer today
perhaps in weakness
but in these last and closing days
we feel of the church's history here on earth
as a simple answer to it
dear beloved, where are we found
to seek in some way to represent this
blessed truth that the saints
are the house of God
and walk in the light of it
in these days
and it's the temple of the living God
it's not a dead creed
no, it's characterized by life and vitality
and let us be living, active
in our approach to God
in our representation of God here
and remember
we are never out of that house of God
that was a thing that struck me very much
in the Bible reading
at Kukenzi 30 odd years ago
when the brethren there stressed
that you are never out of the house of God
when you are in the fishing boat
when you are in the factory bench
when you are in the house
the hospital ward in the school room
travelling on the bus or the train
in the motor car
you are never out of the house of God
if we grasp that dear beloved
wouldn't it have an effect upon us
wouldn't it let us consider what we look at
and what we desire
and how we walk
and how we talk
we realize that we are never out of the house of God
and holiness become a fine house
O Lord God of us forever
and in God's house every quick
utters glory
or am I in a feeble measure
responding to that glory
or am I in some feeble way
to the glory of God
I search my heart dear beloved
I trust yours will be searched also
are we answering in this day
to the blessed truth of this
that we are the temple of the living God
I am just touching on these things
there is much more in them as most of you know
but it is just a little bit to whet your appetite
so that you might go away
and meditate on these things
and you young men
give yourselves whole to them
that your profiting may appear to all
and it says then in 1 Timothy
chapter 3
Paul was desirous to come to Timothy
but he was held back
he said he had written that
you may know how you ought to conduct yourself
in God's house
in God's house
and I shouldn't need to say it in this company
but I did once come across a dear brother
now with the Lord
that this
he thought this meant
how you should conduct yourself
when you come into the meeting
and of course obviously
you should conduct yourself in a proper way
but it is really saying
you see in view of the fact
that we are never out of God's house
our conduct wherever we are
must be consistent with it
and with the features
that marks God's house
of his love, his grace
his faithfulness
and his holiness
and his glory and his honor
we must walk
and conduct ourselves
consistent with that
and so that's what it means
by conducting oneself in God's house
then it says
what is God's house you see
which is the assembly of the living God
the assembly of the living God
and this is another truth
that is being done today
the link between the house of God
and the assembly is being broken by some
yes
but they are the same company
and let us never forget that
oh yes
every blood bought saint
is a member of the assembly
and we embrace them
but let us realize
that there is a dignity
that attaches to the house of company
house of God
attaches to that same company
and God's honor
and his rights
and his holiness
and these features
must be upheld
and we must act
towards all believers
in the light
of these blessed truths
and we'll hear more of course later
about the body
on Tuesday God willing
and let us realize
that it's the assembly
of the living God
the assembly of the same living God
the source of all being
and life and true vitality
and here it says
the assembly is the pillar
and base of the truth
and oh let us hold fast to the truth
the truth of the glorious
trinity that we had this afternoon
the truth of the father
the truth of the person
of our blessed Lord
and the truth of the Holy Spirit
and so on
from all these wonderful truths
the truth of the heart
of the love of God
that has sent his son
to die upon Calvary's cross
yes only God could
die on Calvary's cross
and atone for sin
and you know
it's all very well
that people might acknowledge
that Jesus is God
and Jesus is the son of God
but you know
they might not realize
that that death of his
was a vicarious death
and many think it was just
it was only
I'm not saying just sorry
but they think it was
limited to being
a martyr's death
but we know
it was more than that
there was the three hours
of darkness
when the master's
sufferings finished
and he who knew no sin
was made sin for us
yes
the holocaust
of the wrath of God
fell upon him
the sun was not allowed
to shine
in those three hours
of darkness
the men passed
hurrying by
yes
don't let us belittle
or deny
the atonement
the full reality
of the atonement
dearly beloved
and hold to it
oh there's a vast
measure in the truth
measure in the truth
and today
there's an attempt
to limit the truth
let us hold fast
to the truth
John he could have
no greater joy
than that he saw
to the lady he wrote
he said
let your children walk
in the truth
in their blessed occupation
be walking in the truth
well might we do so
and it's the
assembly of the living God
is the pillar
and base of it
the pillar of course
is a
used for display
and the testimony
sounds both
from the assembly
and what is the testimony
we have it in verse 6
of the previous chapter
God is one
God is one
the mediator between God
and men is one
the man
Christ Jesus
who gave himself
for once and for all
the testimony
to be rendered
in its own times
and that time is now
and that's the testimony
that sounds both
and the
assembly of the pillar
displays this
wonderful testimony
to God
and that's the
start of our testimony
to this weary
world around
to tell forth
the fame and name
of Jesus
oh yes
the testimony
to the truth of God
and from that
flowing out
all the wonderful truths
that are connected
with God
and Christianity
and the Christian life
and it's the base
of the truth
yes
the Lord Jesus
of course
is the truth
but to the assembly
is committed
to hold this truth
and it's stabilized
on it
and it's all that
wonderful truth
that will keep
the assembly going
and she must hold fast
to it
and hold it forth
holding forth
the word of life
and she must also
hold the truth
and as it says
in Ephesians
speaking the truth
how?
speaking the truth
in love
that's how we do it
we don't castigate
people
and berate them
and use
all the
vituperative
words in the
English language
you won't win them
that way
no
you must
approach them
in a loving
and a kind way
and
bring the truth
to them
speaking the truth
in love
and that's
what will affect them
not naturally
but the
work of the spirit
of God in our hearts
because some of us
of course
very naturally
approach
and we need to be
yielded
to the spirit of God
to give us the right way
of approach
and so we approach
in that way
so the assembly is
it's the assembly
of the living God
and that assembly
is the pillar
and base
of the truth
then the
fourth
scripture I read
was in
Hebrews
where
it says
you have come
to
the
city
of
the living
God
heavenly
Jerusalem
now
of course
I've always
read
and been told
that this
city
is actually
a physical
city
that
we have
in chapter
11
you see
Abraham
looked for
a city
which has
foundations
of which the
builder
and maker
is God
but I
would submit
dear beloved
apostle
Paul
while in
its primary
bearing
it maybe
means a
physical city
and that
will appear
in the
millennium
but I
think
you know
really
the
beloved
apostle
is trying
to win
these
Jewish
Christians
away
from
materialism
to get
them
out of
the
city
of
God
and
that
city
will be
composed
of the
saints
and it
says they
shall reign
over the
earth
and it
will be
the
junction
between
the link
between
heaven and
earth
and in
that
coming
kingdom
for the
pleasure of
God
in that
kingdom
scene
and he
will have
the saints
with him
of the
assembly
and we
of course
will be
there
like as if
we are
between
earth and
heaven
to help
him in
his
administration
of that
God
to come
to
the
new
Jerusalem
and that
company
is the
same
company
as are
the
assembly
of the
living
God
and the
house of
God
is composed
of all
the saints
who
own
no
saviour
but the
living
stone
that
goes
through into
eternity
and it is
significant
she is
referred to
as a
bride
because a
bride is
only a
bride for
a
day
a
wife is
a
wife
throughout
the
life
but the
bride is
only a
bride for
the
day
and surely
that
is
that
anyway
if anybody
has any
doubts
perhaps
God
willing
on
Tuesday
we will
have that
cleared up
but notice
the
glorious
person
the
son of
the
living
God
and then
these
companies
the
house
thank
you
very much
we
love you
and I
commend
that
to you
for your
consideration
and trust
that the
Lord
will bless
each and
everyone
of us
Amen …