The subject of our studies together will be
the New Testament Assembly a subject that I
believe is very important to the heart of
God Certainly very important to the Lord Jesus
Christ He loved the church and gave himself
for it It should be important to us
as well People today have the attitude that
the church perhaps does not fulfill their needs
I Went there, but it didn't do anything
for me.
I Say such people are foolish That misses
the whole concept of the church You get
out of the church what you put into
it and we'll be saying a lot more
about that in their classes to come We'd
like to read with you Ephesians chapter 4
1 through 6 I Therefore the prisoner of
the Lord beseech you to have a walk
worthy of the calling with which you were
called with all lowliness and gentleness with long
-suffering bearing with one another in love Endeavoring
to keep the unity of the spirit in
the bond of peace There is one body
and one spirit just as you were called
in one.
Hope of your calling one Lord one faith
one baptism One God and father of all
who is above all and through all and
in you all First of all, let's think
about definition definition of the church Definitions are
very important in the study of the Word
of God Was a man years ago named
Bengal David told me his first name was
Johan Johan Bengal and he he made a
list of 20 words 20 New Testament words
And he said if you knew if you
could define those 20 words you were well
on your way to becoming a good theologian
I Have searched for those words for years
and have never been able to find them.
The result is obvious Now I could tell
you that the word church as it's translated
in the New Testament Comes from a Greek
word Ecclesia, but that wouldn't help you a
bit.
I don't think you'd be any of the
wiser if I told you that so I
Won't tell it.
I won't say it You can live a
very normal life without knowing that but let
me say this that the word that is
translated church really means Assembly, it really means
a gathering of people It's used in different
ways.
It's a neutral word.
It doesn't necessarily mean a church as we
think of it today When we think of
church we think of a building with steeple
perhaps and maybe stained-glass windows and a
pulpit and the like But the word really
is a gathering of people.
That's really what it means And that's why
some of us like the word assembly better
than church.
I say it's a neutral word It's used
of Israel wandering through the wilderness the church
in the wilderness wasn't the church as we
think of it But it was the church
and the assembly in the wilderness the crowd
in the wilderness It's also used of a
heathen mob in Ephesus in Acts chapter 19
a heathen mob you say well, where did
it get the religious connotation?
Well, you have to check the Context in
order to find that for instance, if it's
a Christian church, it would say like the
Church of God or the Church in Christ
in 1st Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 1 it
speaks of the Church of the Thessalonians in
God the Father and in the Lord Jesus
Christ There the word means the assembly an
assembly of people in Thessalonica who acknowledge God
as Father and Jesus Christ as Lord Now
we don't want to make a man an
offender for a word But for instance if
somebody should say to you are you going
to church?
I suppose technically the right answer would be
no.
I'm in the church.
I'm going to a meeting of the church
Because if you are saved you are already
in the church, but you go to meetings
of The church it's a gathering of Christian
people There are two forms of the the
church the assembly in the New Testament is
what we think of as the universal church
and There's the local church as well The
universal church is made up of all believers
from Pentecost to the rapture and really a
large segment of the church is already in
heaven People who have died in faith and
have gone To heaven enjoying the glories of
the Lord Jesus at the present time all
believers From the day of Pentecost to the
rapture.
We believe the day of Pentecost was the
birthday of the church That's when the Holy
Spirit was given as the permanent indweller of
the church and of all true believers This
universal assembly is called a mystery in the
New Testament mystery Once again definitions are very
important mystery in the New Testament doesn't mean
what it means in language today when we
think of a mystery we think of a
story usually with a murder in it and
It's woven in such a way You really
don't know who the murderer was until you
get to the end and it wasn't who
you thought it was That's a mystery today.
It's not that at all in the New
Testament a mystery in the New Testament Is
a truth never hitherto known A truth that
you could never come to by your own
intellect unaided But a truth that has now
been made manifest to the church by the
Apostles and prophets The church is a mystery
Paul speaks of it oftentimes in that way
a mystery In other words God had a
secret from all eternity that after his dealings
with Israel down through the Old Testament and
into the Gospels as well and the rejection
of Christ at Calvary that God would establish
a new society known as the assembly a
Society with a heavenly calling and a heavenly
destiny There was never anything like it in
the history of the world and never will
be again So we live in that church
age today where Israel has been set aside
nationally the church is now the people of
God and Then when the church is taken
out at the rapture God will resume his
dealings with the nation of Israel The church
is a mystery therefore it did not Exist
in the Old Testament Don't look in the
Old Testament for any Mention of the assembly
it isn't there Don't look in Matthew Mark
or Luke For any mention of the assembly
it's not found in those Gospels that will
shock some of you I know and I
think I'll probably get sparks from that but
it's not there.
It's not in Matthew Mark or Luke It
is in John it is in John very
clearly taught in John the truth of the
assembly that is We might look in Ephesians
chapter 3 verses 3 through 5 To show
that the church is a mystery that did
not exist in the Old Testament Paul Is
speaking about his ministry He says verse 3
how that by revelation He made known to
me the mystery as I wrote before in
a few words By which when you read
you may understand my knowledge in the mystery
of Christ Which in other ages was not
made known to the sons of men as
it has now been revealed By the Spirit
to his holy apostles and prophets Well that
says it very clearly doesn't it that the
truth of the church?
Was not made known to the sons of
men in other ages but it has now
been revealed to by his spirit to his
holy apostles and prophets and also in Colossians
chapter 1 verse 26 some people argue from
Ephesians they said well It wasn't made known
in the Old Testament as it has now
been made known but turned to Colossians chapter
1 and verse 26 Colossians 1 26 He
says the mystery which has been hidden from
ages and from generations But now has been
revealed to his saints It just says that
it doesn't qualify it as it has now
been revealed.
It just says flatly it was not revealed
The mystery which has been hidden from ages
and from generations, but now has been revealed
to his things Now a lot of people
think that the church today is just a
continuation of Israel They use that word a
continuum they say well Israel is going along
here and all of a sudden it just
metamorphosized into into the Church in the New
Testament.
No Israel and the church are very distinct
if somebody were to ask me what are
Two of the subjects that probably would open
up the Bible more than any others One
of those subjects would be the difference between
Israel and the church Because as you might
know there are many Christians today that believe
that that we are the Israel of God
and all the Promises made to God in
the Old Testament apply to us and God
has no further dealings with the nation of
Israel The nation of Israel blotted out as
far as God is concerned all the promises
made to Israel are for us today They
don't say all the curses made on Israel
are for us today That's very convenient for
them to leave that up let me give
you some differences between Israel and the church
First of all Israel is not a mystery
From Genesis 12 right down to the end
of Malachi.
It's all told out there Israel Nothing secret
about it at all, but the church as
we've already emphasized is a mystery a truth
never hitherto known Israel began with the call
of Abram the church began with the coming
of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost Abraham is
the head of Israel Nominal head of the
nation of Israel it all began with him
Christ is the head of the church You
entered Israel by natural birth You became an
Israelite by having the blood of Abraham flowing
in your veins at least some portion of
it But church is entered by spiritual birth
quite different, isn't it?
entered by spiritual birth remember Jesus said Except
a man be born again He cannot see
or enter the kingdom of God and there
is a phase of the kingdom of God
which is contemporary with the church But we
can't go into that now Israel is God's
earthly people Now don't misunderstand me I don't
mean that Israel didn't have a heavenly hope
it says that Abraham looked for a city
which has foundations whose builder and maker is
God there was a heavenly hope but the
the emphasis in the Old Testament with Israel
is Christ's reign here on earth the millennial
reign of the Lord Jesus on earth There
are very few passages in the Old Testament
which speak Clearly about for instance life after
death or the heavenly hope very few Job
had it Dave had it but I couldn't
name ten verses in the Old Testament clear
verses that speak about The heavenly hope of
the nation of Israel They were God's earthly
people.
The church is God's heavenly people Heavenly people
Christ is going to come and take his
church home to be with himself But where
he is there may be also where is
that the father's house where there are many?
Mansions as far as the future kingdom is
concerned Israel will be subjects of the kingdom
whereas the church will reign with Christ over
the earth at that time and in these
and other ways the church is distinguished in
the scriptures from the nation of Israel the
Universal Assembly There's only one body.
This is interesting.
There's only as far as God is concerned
There's only one church the Universal Church as
I said made up of all true Believers
in the Lord Jesus Christ and that one
of the marvelous features of This church is
Jew believing Jew and Gentile.
I made one new man in Christ You
know, that's marvelous.
We think of some of the racial strife
in this country We think of that's probably
the biggest chasm in human relations But it
isn't the biggest chasm in human relations with
the difference between Israel and the Gentiles in
the Old Testament Israeli and if you told
a Jew in the Old Testament that by
believing in the Messiah He would become a
fellow heir with Israel where he would laugh
at you ridiculous Couldn't be so but that's
the truth of the gospel that when a
Jew believes in Christ and a Gentile believes
in Christ They become one new man in
Christ Jesus and I could take you over
to Haifa Israel to a little assembly there
in Haifa and you'll see converted Arabs You'll
see converted Jews and they're all worshiping the
Messiah together.
It's really beautiful The it's the solution to
all the problem of the Middle East and
it's right there in Haifa But they don't
want it the people in general don't want
it.
Well this truth of only one body is
something that we have to bear witness to
and we do we believe that there's only
One true church and that's why we don't
like denominational names We don't like any name
that separates us from other believers in the
Lord Jesus Christ We feel this is good
to testify to the unity of the body
of Christ It's interesting I could take this
expression Roman Catholic, you know that word Catholic
means universal but Roman It's not so Universal
is it Roman?
That narrows it and so the two words
are contradictory Well, some other words that are
contradictory would be Plymouth brethren.
I mean Brethren is pretty expansive, isn't it?
It takes in all the people of God
But the minute you put Plymouth before it
you'd almost have to put Plymouth car to
make it applicable, wouldn't you to most people
today?
Plymouth brethren A Christian brethren usable Christian brethren
sounds pretty good to me.
Yes It's good as long as you don't
use it to separate yourself from other believers.
It's good I think if you have brethren
with a small B instead of a capital
B And you say well, what do you
say to people when they ask you what
you were?
Well, I say I'm a Christian if of
course you're a Christian, but I'm sorry I'm
a disciple of the Lord Jesus.
Well, of course you are We're all that
but what else are you and you know
They can never rest at night until they
get you into some pigeonhole some Denominational pigeonhole,
but frankly I refuse to be put into
one of those denominational pigeonholes.
They say well your brethren Well, I see
if you're a believer you're a brethren, too
You know, I like what Ironside used to
say when they asked him what what?
Denomination he belonged to he said he said
I'm a companion of all those who love
you and who keep your priest I'm a
companion of all of those who love you
and who keep your Precepts sometimes when people
try to get me in a corner as
to what denomination I belong to I say
well What denomination did Paul belong to?
That rather stops people because I mean if
you read your New Testament Paul didn't belong
to any denomination Did he there's only one
church and that's the church made up of
all true believers all born-again Believers in
the Lord Jesus Christ and we want to
bear witness to that thing No denominations no
denominational headquarters Where do you find that in
the New Testament denominational headquarter?
You don't find it at all But in
that fact you see the wisdom of God
the wisdom of God in not having denominational
headquarters for instance when an oppressive government comes
Like the communist government and One of the
things they want to do is close down
the church Well, all they have to do
is get hold of the denominational headquarters.
Isn't that right if they can control the
denominational?
headquarters Then they control all of the churches
in that denomination And that's been the history
that was the history under Hitler under communism
and and so forth Whereas in China today
All through China probably the healthiest church in
the world today is in China You have
these little house groups you have these little
assemblies meeting in homes.
They're meeting quietly They're meeting underground.
They're meeting secretly and You know the government
could never root them out might catch one
or two But that doesn't do it.
They can catch one or two, but there's
still Thousands more meeting that way in China
the wisdom of God in not having denominational
headquarters And not only does it hinder government
control But it also hinders the spread of
error and this comes right back to our
own assembly Most of the mainline denominations have
their own Seminaries and those seminaries are the
ones that provide ministers for their churches all
the forces of liberalism and modernism and apostasy
have to do is just seize those seminaries
sometimes this takes years for them in infiltrate
the faculties of these seminaries with modernistic men
and It's like communism.
It's a timeless struggle that pretty soon.
They've taken over the denomination and Once again,
we see the wisdom of God and not
allowing this to happen and having the church
is independent and not under one rule And
that brings us to the subject of the
local church that you have the universal church
But you also have a local church and
a local church should be a representative a
representation of the universal church It should do
new it should do or say nothing that
would deny the truth of the universal church
You say well now you said definitions are
important what is the definition of a local
church and For instance, what is a meeting
of the local church?
Well, frankly, it doesn't give a definition in
So many words in the New Testament of
a local church But I'd like to suggest
two passages of Scripture to you which if
you take them together Will give you a
good definition of a local church the first
is in Philippians chapter 1 and verse 1
if he Philippians chapter 1 and Verse 1
Paul and Timothy Servants of Jesus Christ to
all the saints in Christ Jesus who are
in Philippi With the bishops and deacons here
you have the composition of a local church
saints bishops deacons nothing else Saints of course
that means those who have been set apart
to God from the world through the new
birth Bishops here are the same as elders
They're the same as overseers the same as
presbyters all refer to the same persons elders
This is different from the current Concept in
the world today a bishop in most church
circles today is a man Who presides over?
Several parishes not just one church for instance,
but over several parishes a bishop it never
means that in the New Testament a Bishop
is an elder and there are always a
plurality of elders There is always a plurality
of elders in a local church Deacons the
word here is a minister's servants Servants of
the church.
This is the composition of a local church
in the New Testament now just turn to
Acts chapter 2 42 and you'll find the
activity of a local church Acts chapter 2
and verse 42 You'll find what the local
church is engaged in in doing Acts 242
I think it says they continued steadfastly they
continued steadfastly in the Apostles Doctrine Fellowship in
the breaking of bread and in prayer the
Apostles Doctrine would be synonymous with the teachings
of the apostles as Found in the Word
of God today Fellowship would mean gathering together
as Believers and enjoying the company of fellow
believers holding things in common the breaking of
bread of course refers to the communion service
the Lord's Supper and prayers Now put that
verse together with Philippians 1 1 and you'll
find that a local church is a an
assembly made up of saints elders deacons who
gather together for the Apostles Doctrine for fellowship
for breaking of bread and prayers Seems quite
simple Doesn't it?
That's a definition of an assembly somebody else
has defined an assembly this way an assembly
is a group of nobodies who gather to
exalt somebody and somebody is spelt with a
capital F an Assembly is a group of
nobodies who gather together to exalt somebody and
somebody else has said that our an assembly
a New Testament assembly is a fellowship of
forgiven sinners Very good, isn't it?
fellowship of forgiven sinners Let me emphasize here
That an assembly is not to be thought
of in terms of an amusement center It
was not designed to amuse God's people To
a moot amuse means to think away doesn't
it or non?
Think a is negative muse is thing non
think and of course, this is the world's
Activity to amuse people on their way to
hell listen to what Leighton Ford said Jesus
did not intend his church to provide bigger
and better amusement for bigger and more upscale
audiences His vision vision was of a church
that would inject his light and life into
a dark and dying world So we had
better take the vision of Jesus seriously, or
we won't just be amusing ourselves to death
We'll be amusing people to hell The church
is not intended to be an amusement center.
The church is not to be run on
business principles today There's been an awful lot
of talk in recent years about applying market
principles to the church and many of the
many of the strategies of the world have
been transferred into the church it quite misses
God's Intention for the church.
This church is a spiritual gathering of people
and it's to be conducted on spiritual basis
Again I say a local church should be
a miniature and display of the universal church
people should be able to look at that
local church and say that's the way the
Universal Church is as well It should say
or do nothing that would deny the truth
of the universal church in the New Testament
every Church is autonomous That means self ruling
self ruling.
It's independent of any other church This is
very important.
It's not only autonomous as far as self
-governing.
It's also self-financing and Self-propagating this
is very important to emphasize this.
I believe self-governing Self-financing Self-propagating
in Revelation chapter 1 you find the Lord
Jesus Standing in the midst of seven churches,
and there's nothing between him and the seven
churches There's no intermediary body at all.
They're responsible directly to Him and this is
what's meant by the indigenous church Indigenous there
you go McDonald using big words.
Well, we don't have to be afraid of
the word indigenous Indigenous really means native for
instance if I say to you Orchids are
not indigenous to the Arctic Circle Well, that
means they don't grow naturally, you know there
in the Arctic Circle If you see one
there, it's a surprise.
You don't expect to see it there must
be in a hothouse Native well, this is
God's plan for the church that every church
should be individual should have its own elders
Should have its own propagating Evangelizing as the
church in Thessalonica was and should be Self
-financed and directly responsible to the Lord Jesus
Christ himself But the New Testament also suggests
that while each church is independent there is
such a thing as inter-assembly fellowship inter
-assembly fellowship we recognize other Believers and join
with them as far as we can in
Accordance with the principles of the Word of
God as we see them.
I rejoice whenever I meet another Christian When
he's a true believer, I rejoice I rejoice
when I come across other Christian churches It
doesn't mean I can do everything they do
I have the what I have to do
is be faithful to the Word of God
and to go by what I See in
the Word of God Let me emphasize this.
Let me emphasize this that the test of
An a local church is not the number
of people in it But the holiness of
Its members.
I think that's very good to remember Because
in the United States today, there's such there's
such Emphasis on numbers, you know, and the
bigger the church is the more successful that
isn't true in the Word of God God
doesn't emphasize numbers He can use the weak
and the poor and the base and despise
to bring to naught the things that are
that no flesh and glory In his presence.
So let me say that again the real
test of a New Testament Assembly is not
the number of its members But the holiness
of its members.
I think it's marvelous to remember that the
local church The church is the only society
on earth Where it's your unfitness that makes
you eligible Isn't that wonderful?
That isn't true with the fraternities and the
sororities of this world is it They want
you to be somebody they want you to
have something in the bank.
You have to have these assets to your
account But God takes sinners lost hopeless helpless
sinners saves them by his Marvelous grace Makes
the members of the church to be with
him and like him for all Eternity, it's
surprising.
We aren't more surprised The church is used
in there are types various types of the
church in the New Testament I'll just go
over them rather quickly First of all, it's
a temple Paul says in first Corinthians chapter
3 you plural are a temple of God
Temple is a place of worship speaks of
the church as being a gathering of people
who worship the Lord And that's true because
you know The Lord gets precious little worship.
Did you know that?
Precious little thanksgiving and Precious little worship and
I'm interested when I come across a group
of Christian people who are worshippers Who can
pour out their hearts and love and praise
and adoration To the Lord Jesus Christ for
who he is and for what he has
done The church is a flock to be
shepherded.
The Lord Jesus is the Good Shepherd He
gave his life for the sheep that he
might have not only one full but one
flock and the church is that Flock it's
a garden pot plot to be useful for
him to be fruitful for him a Tilled
field is really the word that's used in
first Corinthians 3 9 a tilled field a
garden plot for the Lord That's a beautiful
picture of the church.
Are we bearing fruit for him?
It's a building a building to be enlarged
and A Building to be added to all
the time until the last stone is added
the last believer is saved and the rapture
takes place The church is a new man
Abolishing differences between Jew and Gentile as we've
already said it's a habitation of God Through
the spirit.
I Think that's interesting.
The church is a gathering of people where
God may feel at home isn't that wonderful
a habitation of God Through the spirit and
of course the church is spoken of as
the bride of Christ How can you have
anything that speaks more of affection and intimacy
than that?
we Believers are members of the bride of
Christ That was never said of Israel in
the Old Testament And we're going to reign
with him Over the earth for a thousand
years come back with him and reign over
the earth for a thousand years the church
is the house of God where God teaches
order and Discipline you have that in first
Timothy 3 15.
It's the pillar and ground of the truth
The pillar was used in those days for
making notices for propagating Facts and the church
is the pillar and it's the ground of
the truth.
It holds fast to the truth of God
making Sure that it's not attacked Is the
assembly important?
I say yes, the assembly is very important
It's the only society on earth to which
the Lord has promised Perpetuity he said what
do you mean?
I mean, it's the only society on earth
that the Lord has promised It will never
vanish.
I know that was a marvelous prophecy when
you think of all the church has endured
Down through the years.
It's a marvel.
It hasn't passed long ago, isn't it?
He said you are Peter and upon this
rock I will build my church and the
gates at Hades shall not prevail against it
the church will Endure the only society on
earth to which the Lord has promised perpetuity
The importance of the church secondly can be
seen in the amount of space that's devoted
to it in the New Testament I think
this is a valid test How much time
is devoted a great deal?
Ephesians Colossians all through the Old Testament you
find truth concerning the church The church is
an object lesson to angelic beings That's marvelous.
I mean the angelic beings are looking down
and they're seeing the manifold wisdom of God
in the church That's a subject I can't
Go into in detail tonight, but just think
of it this way We're all kind of
rough stones in a way that we need
a lot of polishing and God brings them
together brings us together in the local church
and we're rubbing against one another and Studying
the Word of God and seeking to obey
the Lord and pretty soon.
A lot of the roughness is gone and
we're melded and unified together and Singing the
praises of the Lord in unison.
I think that's one way in which the
church is a witness to angelic beings The
the church forms the capstone of scriptural revelation
in Colossians chapter 125 Paul uses a strange
expression.
He says to fulfill the Word of God
Colossians chapter 1 verse 25 to fulfill the
Word of God.
Well, you'd think well then Colossians is the
last book of the New Testament But it
wasn't really he says of which I became
a minister according to the stewardship from God
Which was given to me for you to
fulfill the Word of God in what way?
And does the truth of the church fulfill
the Word of God?
Well, it's the last great truth to be
added here in Colossians and The church is
the unit on earth that God has chosen
to propagate the first the faith The church
is the unit on earth that God has
chosen to propagate the faith Somebody has said
Everywhere the Apostles went they planted assemblies Everywhere
we go we start organizations missions or organizations
That's been the history of the church, hasn't
it?
Everywhere the Apostles went they founded assemblies everywhere
we go we establish missions or Organizations God
loves the church.
God Loves the assembly his purpose in this
age is to call out of the nations
a people for his name.
I Take that very seriously at 1514 God's
present purpose is to call out of the
nations the Gentiles of people first name Listen,
if I'm going to be walking with God,
that's what I'm going to be doing Right
if I'm going to be walking with if
I'm going to be on the same wavelength
as God That's what I'm going to be
interested in Seeing people saved and gathered into
local New Testament Christ loves the assembly God
loves the assembly Christ loves the assembly a
friend of mine wrote this if we could
but realize that the dearest object in this
World to our Lord Jesus is his church
We would spend less time on peripheral activities
and concerns our efforts would then be Directed
toward the upbuilding of the local church where
we fellowship and our love would reach to
every member of the body Thus we would
be caring for that which he loves most
in this world God loves the assembly Christ
loves the assembly.
I love the assembly too.
I've been Attending an assembly long before I
would say my father used to carry my
brother and myself on his shoulders through snowdrifts
to get to the assembly My first memory
is of a little assembly meeting in the
living room of a home a few elderly
ladies And maybe one or two brothers But
they knew God They knew God and I
tell you that had tremendous impression On my
life, I love the assembly We should all
love the assembly and we should be enthusiastic
about the assembly I noticed down through the
history of the church that men God has
used in planting churches are men who were
enthusiastic about it I think of boxing in
India.
I Don't know exactly.
I think that man saw at least 250
local fellowships planted I Think a watchman knee
in China.
He was enthusiastic about the assembly.
He saw great work done in China before
he was imprisoned I think of JN Darby
Traveled for 23 years over the over the
continent of Europe and everywhere.
He went he left New Testament assembly planted
his writings filled 34 volumes a Man whose
life was all for God and he was
enthusiastic about it and they're in our own
time There are men like that who have
who have the work of apostles on their
hearts I don't say they're apostles, but their
their ministry is apostolic and they're going throughout
the world and they're seeing Assemblies planted we
should all love the assemblies.
I want to tell you tonight an Elder
in a local assembly means more to God
than the ruler of a great Empire So
why do you say that?
Because I find more devoted in the New
Testament to elders 1st Timothy chapter 3 Titus
chapter 1 I don't find chapters devoted to
kingship.
Do you?
To presidents.
I don't see that in my Bible an
elder in the smallest most despised assembly means
more to God than ruler of an Empire
You know parents say now eat your Cheerios
and someday you may be president I say
eat your Cheerios someday.
It may be an elder and If we
could see from God's standpoint, that's the the
burden of the emphasis we would have in
our hearts I Tell you tonight that the
weakest assembly on earth means more to God
than the greatest Empire God speaks of the
nations as being a drop in the bucket.
That isn't much is it?
But he speaks of the church as being
the body and bride of Christ that's something
isn't it That shows you God's view of
things But having said all of this, I
just want to close with this and you'll
hear me say this again in our meetings
It isn't just enough to follow The divine
pattern you have to have the divine power
to it It isn't just enough to go
through the proper routine You've got to have
a living faith.
That's reaching out to others.
We must never lose sight of that fact
Shall we pray Father tonight we feel that
we've felt something of the heartbeat of yourself
and of your lovely son forgiving us forgive
us father for Treating the church the assembly
so lightly Help us to be renewed in
the spirit Lord That we might have a
desire not only for evangelism to see people
saved But that they might be gathered together
on New Testament principles with New Testament power
to honor glorify Your great name We pray
in your peerless name.
Amen You