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The Church of God |
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Author: Fred Pruitt |
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A message delivered by Bro.
Fred Pruitt at the Oklahoma State Campmeeting, August, 1951.
I don't feel that I need to make an apology for getting up here
in the pulpit, because I have a definite call from the Lord to
give out his word and proclaim his gospel. The subject on my
heart will be good for everyone of us. I am sure that with your
prayers God will make it a blessing to your if you have an open
heart and an unbiased mind to receive the truth today. This
subject is ''The Church.'' We need your prayers.
The Church of God is an institution in the world which God
himself has given or created for us, has given in the world to
functions to his glory. It seems that if people can have a clear
vision of the church they can be better established in the
truth. Some people say, ''Why don't you just preach Christ to
the people?'' Well, we can't preach the church and not preach
Christ, for the church is the body of Christ that is functioning
in the world today.
Great darkness is enveloping souls concerning the church. Not
many people have a clear vision of the church. Many, it seems,
have a vision of the church at one time, but we find today they
are mixed up with all manner of sectism and failing to see the
church as a distinct body of people free from all religious
institutions or ''isms'' or movements that are in the world,
their vision has become dim and they seem to see the church
mixed up in the different sect; but we see it different then
that. We are persuaded that folks who have that kind of vision
have a blinded vision. In other words, they have become dim in
vision and are not able to see clearly an more. But the church
of God which has been represented in the word of God, is a body
of people who are not of sectism, not of an ism or schism, what
ever they may call themselves-some could have been called the
''Church of God'' and yet be a sect and attached to the world in
different ways and manners; therefore could not be the clear
Bible definition for the church.
We read in the word of God that in every nation they that fear
God and work righteousness are accepted of him. ''In every
nation.'' Now I say that people who discriminate between the
different races in any way concerning their association and
fellowships in Christ do not see the church clearly. I believe
that with all my heart. I do not believe that God makes any
difference in race and color in any way but every nation he that
fears God and worketh righteousness is accepted of Him. That is
the church I see in the world today, and it is a separate,
distinct body. It is not a mystic, or as some say, ''a mystic
church;'' but it is something that we can see, a visible working
body of men and women in the world, standing out clear from all
the earthly religious institutions.
Now we want to read some out of the word of God to verify these
truths by the Word of God . Heb. 3:1, ''Wherefore, holy
brethren,''‹you notice here that he is speaking to ''holy
brethren.'' ''Holy brethern, ''so that would bar out anyone who
is not holy. He would not be talking to any unholy person , but
to the ''holy brethren." And he says, "Wherefore, holy brethren,
partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High
Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; who was faithful to him
that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his
house." He is the one we want to consider: "Who was faithful to
him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his
house." According to that, Moses had a house, and Jesus has a
house, and those houses are the church. Someone may ask, "Was
the church before Christ?" Well, it is spoken of in Acts as the
church in the wilderness, etc,; and it is also spoken of as the
kingdom of God. It is referred to in that sense as being the
kingdom of God because they were God's chosen people. the
Israelites were God's chosen people. The Israelites were God's
chosen people. God set his love upon them and they were counted
his people. Hence the apostle, in writing, says: "Who was
faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful
in all his house." Moses was a faithful servant in the house of
God at that time. "For this man was counted worthy of more glory
than Moses"-this man, Jesus has a house; Moses had a house; but
now we are in the house Jesus built. We are in the tabernacle
which the Lord pitched and not man. We are dwelling in it, and
every saved soul, every one who is holy through the Lord Jesus
is dwelling in that house; and that is the house of the Lord
which is functioning in the world today. "For he who has builded
the house has more honor than the house." "For every house is
builded by some man, but he that built all things is God. And
Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a
testimony of those things which were to be spoken after." Moses'
house was just a testimony; it was typical of the real house. It
was a shadow, and we have the real today. We are living in the
real house, the habitation of God through the Spirit. He is
inhabiting each of his children, and that makes us the house of
God in the world at present.
"But Christ as a son over his own house"-Christ has a house.
that makes it very plain what that house is. "For Christ as son
over his own house, whose house are we"-Isn't that sufficient?
We should not doubt the Word of God. Christ has a house. He is
over that house, "whose house are we." We who are saved, we who
have the spirit of God in our house are His house. We are the
tabernacle that God pitched, and not man. Man doesn't have
anything to do with this house. It is God that made it; and it
is written in Isaiah, ninth chapter that he is the ruler, the
government is on his shoulders, and he is the governor. In
another place it is written that He sets the members in the body
as it pleases him. I believe we all should be satisfied where
God places the members, and honor the members in their
respective places in the body. I believe we ought to do that,
and it will take the love of God in our life infilling each of
our hearts in order to be humble enough to allow each one to
function in his proper place in the body. That is the church of
the living God that is in the world today. It is the house of
the Lord , and we are only members in that house, and we are
only faithful while we function in our proper places in the
body. As we do that, we find the favor of God upon our souls; as
we continue on in that place, some day the lord will say, ''It
is enough,'' and we can go up higher. Glory to God!
It is wonderful to think of the church of the living God, which
he says is the pillar and ground of the truth. It is the pillar
-not pillow-p-i-l-l-a-r, something that holds up- the pillar and
ground of the truth. In other words, all the truth that God is
giving to men today is coming through that body, through that
church. There are others who steal the truth and use it for
there own selfish interests, etc., to deceive souls; but, I say,
originally, all the truth that God has given to us is coming
right through the members of his body that is functioning in the
world. The devil is very cunning. He is a thief and a robber,
and steals the truth and uses it for his selfish interests and
purpose to make up a church of his own; and then maybe calls it
the church of God -yes, to deceive the people, but that doesn't
hinder the fact that the real church is functional in the world
functioning. The devil is making up all kinds of imitations, all
kinds of institutions, and calling them churches, often bearing
the name church of God.'' But I want to say that the true church
of God is standing out clear and distinct in the world,
absolutely free from these religious institutions that governed
by men in any degree or manner. I say it is functioning to the
glory of God, separate from these things, free from the world
and all its ways of evil and wrong. They are a peculiar people,
zealous of good works. They dress like saints ought to dress.
They dress themselves according to the Word of God. They are not
afraid of the people, because they have the one who rules the
universe back of them, and they are willing to bear the reproach
of the cross. They are willing to go forth and weep and suffer
for Jesus Christ because they know that heaven is their home.
Glory to God! It is wonderful what the Lord has done for us.
Now, I want to turn and read just a little more in the 43rd
chapter of Ezekiel. In this chapter the prophet is speaking of
this house; in fact, he speaks of both houses, and we want to
bring some truth today that is going to be good for us. I am
interested in people becoming settled and established in the
truth. I am interested in folks seeing the church clearly. I
want to say unto you, if any soul among us is looking around for
something else, according to God's word they have not yet seen
the true church of God. is functioning in the world, and a
number of people have seen it clearly and have fled the ruins of
Babylon, and have come out clean for Christ, come out on the
promises of God, clear of Babylon institutions that are in the
world. They are not mixing up, there vision is in clear, they
see the church, his body, and hold to it, and every member who
sees it has sweet fellowship with the others, and Jesus Christ
himself will be the head. He is the governor and the ruler.
Ezekiel 43:10, ''Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of
Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let
them measure the pattern.'' Here we have two the houses. Israel
was a house; but know we have a house, which belongs to the Son
of God. Moses had a house, and Christ has a house. The
instruction is ''Show the house to the house .'' Oh, he is going
to bring them in to this grace dispensation. The prophet is
prophesying long years before Christ came, and he says; ''Show
the house to the house.' 'He wants to show them the real house.
They had the real shadow, but we have the real now. ''Show the
house to the house of Israel that they may be ashamed of their
iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. ''They were away
behind of what the Lord has for us today. Israel, I say, had
just a shadow, but today we have the real. We ought to see the
real house today. We do not want to back under the law, have our
eyes blinded and a veil over us so we cannot see clearly. God
wants us to come out into the light, get away from the rubbish,
etc., and shine for God as a body of people that belongs to him
in this time world.
''Shew the house to the house of Israel that they may be ashamed
of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.'' God has
a pattern for his house. He wants us all to measure to the
pattern. He wants us all to move up. Now we want to talk about
this house. ''And if they be ashamed of all that they have done,
shew them the form of the house.'' This truth would be good for
the people in sectism. It would be good for them. Show them the
house. They don't see it, that's what's the matter. God wants
the people who are in darkness to see the house, the real house,
the house that the Son of God has built, over which he is ruler
today. "Show the house to the house, and if they be ashamed of
all they have done, show them the form of the house and the
fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in
thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances
thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight,
that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the
ordinances thereof, and do them." DO THEM. That's why God has
his ministers in the world, to declare the truth to the people,
show them the form of the house, the ordinances of the house,
the goings out and the comings in, and all the things that are
taking place in the house of God. That's what the ministers are
for; that's why they proclaim the gospel on this line and on
that line, because they are showing the house to the people, so
that they can measure the pattern. And he says here, "This is
the law of house." Now, he is going to show us the law of the
house: "This is the law of the house: Upon the top of the
mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy.
Behold, this is the law of the house." Oh, glory to god! We are
on a mountain, folks. He did not put us down in the valley in
the smudge and smoke and in the fog, but he has us upon a
mountain. "The whole limit thereof round about shall be most
holy. Behold, this is the law of the house." The law of the
house is coming from the top of the mountain-the most holy; not
the justified people, but the sanctified people. When you get
sanctified you are most holy and you are up on the top of the
mountain, and the law is going forth from the sanctified people,
the most holy people. We're on the top of the mountain, most
holy people-yes, clear around about, the whole limit thereof.
The whole top of the mountains just full of the law of God. it
is going forth from that source today. That's what God has,
that's the house of God, that's God's house in the world today.
he is not using the worldly people to proclaim his truths,
wisdom and knowledge; neither the justified to any great extent;
but he is using the sanctified ministers, and the law is going
forth from the top of the mountain where the limits round about
are most holy. It is going forth today. I thank God for that.
When we see and have a clear vision of the church of God, we are
not looking for something else. Should someone come among us
speaking perverse thins, he won't draw away the real children of
God who have a vision of the church. He won't draw them away I
say; but will cause them to draw closer to the Lord. I say when
people begin to lose the vision of the church, and you will find
them getting into sects, into divisions , following out after
divisions, this way and that way. But so long as they keep a
clear vision of the church of the living God that is functioning
in the world, when divisions and there arise those that speak
perverse things to draw them out of the way, they will just
nestle up closer the Lord.
I see the church. I am a member of the Lord. I am the body and
I belong to the Lord. Everyone who will do that will remain in
the body. That is the church that is in the world, but not of
the world. The prophet said to show it to the people, to write
it in their sight, get it out to the people, let them see the
fashion of it. If I were in any question about the church of the
living God , I would surely get down before God in humility of
heart, and I wouldn't move till God showed me the church of the
living God. Just as surely as you move without a clear vision of
the church of the living God, you will move out of the order of
God. God wants his people to see these things. That makes an
institution, a divine institution that is working in the world
free from schisms, isms, divisions, etc. It is shining in the
world. It belongs to God alone He sets the members in; he takes
them out at his will. If they sin against Him, they go out. When
they repent of their sins, ask God to forgive them, and the
blood cleanses, He just takes them right in as a member of the
body. They come in and go out. Oh, we find that some folks have
lost their vision of the church , and they have gone off into
little sections, divisions, this thing and that thing, following
after some man. Oh, you will go to destruction. If we keep our
eyes on the Lord and the body of Christ we will function
together to the glory of God. We are just human, and we find
that a number of people before us that who once had this truth
went into darkness, lost sight of the church, and today they are
in such a condition that one cannot tell them from the sects
around them-just taken up with the world filled up with those
things, claiming still to be the church of God; lost their
vision; lost their vision! Now we could do that if we are not
watchful, if were not we're not careful, if we don't keep humble
before the Lord in humility of heart and mind, looking to him
for grace and strength to keep a clear vision of the church of
the living God, we could begin to get in darkness and gradually
drift away into some ''ism.'' Think about this!
The prophet says, ''This is the law of the house; Upon the top
of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be
mostly holy. Behold this is the law of the house.'' There is
where the law comes from. That is the law of the house. They are
mostly holy people. They have the laws of God. They have the
truth of God and our proclaiming it to the people, and the whole
limit of the mountain round about there. They're the most holy
people, the sanctified, retaining the sanctifying grace of God
in their hearts, and see these things clearly and proclaim them
to the people.
I believe I will read just a little more from Isaiah. We want to
get the sum of these things, to show up this house just like it
is in the sight of the God. 4th chapter: ''And in that
day,''-what is the prophet talking about? This gospel day. I
believe we all understand that. When the Lords prophet said ''in
that day,'' he didn't mean the day in which he lived, but the
gospel day, the day of grace, the day of Holy Spirit. ''In that
day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, we will eat
our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called
by thy name, to take away our reproach.'' I think of how that
Scripture is being fulfilled in the world today. We find that
the church of God, in name, has multiplied and multiplied. It
was told me that there were fifty churches of God recorded in
Washington, D. C. Fifty of them. It wasn't that way in D. S.
Warner's time. No; there was but one church of God (unless it
was the Winebrenarian church. I believe it existed, but it was a
sect). And so it was a different proposition then that what we
have today. We have something to go against, and we are going to
have to put out the truth clearly that man can may see the
difference between the false and the true. They have the name.
And why do they take the name? It says very plainly here, ''we
will eat our own bread, wear our own clothes.'' In other words,
we will take from the word what suits us. ''We will eat our own
bread,''-take what suits us; ''wear our own clothes,'' just the
doctrines we want, etc. We will only take them, but we want the
name so we can full the people. That's what it is-''to take away
our reproach.'' Why, if they had some other name, they would
fell reproached because they are wise enough to know now that
the ''church of God'' is the Bible name. They are wise enough to
know that.
This truth concerning the church was preached in the morning
time, then there was a time of darkness when it was lost from
sight, then D. S. Warner brought it forth to the people again
and began to proclaim the church of the living God. The saints
saw it, taught it, and practiced it and God blessed in a great
way and sign and wonders followed. Miracles were done because
God was putting his approval upon the light of the gospel he was
bringing forth to the people. But how long did they stay in the
light? The devil got in his work, dimmed their vision of the
church, of the living God. They held on to the name-they eat
their own bread and wear their own clothes, but want the name to
take away their reproach. ''Why,'' they say, ''Yes we're the
church of God. Warner brought this to us. We are the original
church of God.'' Just like the Catholics claim that Peter
founded their church. They say that they are the original church
of God and that Peter was the first Priest, pope, ect. ''We are
the church of God.'' And so these people, though they have
drifted away from the truth, gone into darkness, and taken up
with the world and all its ways, still hold the name. They wear
their own clothes. God wants them to measure the pattern. They
still wear their own clothes, eat their own bread-wrest the
Scriptures around so cleverly and make folks believe it means
that and just take them right on down to the flames with their
doctrines that they are wrested around about, and cause the
people to err from the truth. They do that, I say, in the world
today And I want to say it behooves God's children to keep a
clear vision of the church of God, love it, love its ways, love
its forms, love its ordinances, love its going and its coming
out, love all these things, practice them proclaim them, work in
them, live in them day by day, keep our hearts open to the will
of God; and He will lead us on as a group of people after his
name, and accept us when he comes back to claim his own. But
nothing else will be it. Anything else will not stand in that
day-only that which is real These sham religions and different
churches of God that are tainted by the world and other things
which our contrary to true doctrines of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the Word of God, I say, will not be recognized by the Lord
when he comes after his bride.
Now let us read from the new Testament. We could say much more
from the prophets, but we want to hasten along and get some
truths that may do us more good then ant other. Eph. 2:19; ''Now
therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow
citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.'' That
are in connection with heaven. They draw there strength , their
wisdom, their knowledge and all that is worth while right down
from God out of heaven to their souls. They are in touch with
heaven. Their spirits are in working order and they have
communion with the Father in heaven. We have the truth of the
Bible today to proclaim to the people. ''Ye are not strangers.''
''Ye are no more strangers then foreigners, but fellow citizens
with saints, and of the household of God.'' We are the household
of God and we have fellowship with the saints. Every soul, I
say, that is out clear for God, separate from the world and the
religious institutions of the world, will have no trouble in
having fellowship with others that are like wise clear. These
things of the world that men take up with will hinder the
fellowship between brother and brother and sister and sister.
It is not God's will, but it is the working of Satan to disturb,
divide, and separate, if possible; and I want to say that Gods
desires that every one of us see the church and be willing and
humble enough to function in our place in the body and allow
others to function in their places in the body separate from the
world and all its folly and foolishness, out clear for God, and
we all have fellowship one with another, and god will be
glorified in the whole body,
The Apostle Peter said, ''Thou art the Christ, the son of the
living God.'' Jesus answered him, ''Flesh and blood hath not
revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.'' And
he said, ''I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and unto this
rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it''-IT, not THEM, only one church. He has only
one church in the world today. He never will have but one. If
men and women who are in these institutions are saved at all, it
is merely because of the great mercy of God toward their
ignorance. God is calling them out of these institutions. ''Come
out of her, my people, and be not partakes of her sins.'' I want
to say that God is calling all away from those things, and if
there is a soul today mixed up in any ism or schism or church of
this world, I beg you in Jesus name, take your stand against
these things. Come out clean for God. Have fellowship with the
white -robed throng that have washed their robes and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb.
The Scriptures says that God's heritage is as a great speckled
bird, all other birds are against her. They are against God's
true children, and will make plans among themselves to oppose
the true ones. A crooked preacher will have fellowship with
other crooked preachers, but their spirits will not blend with
those who have the holy spirit. God is calling his people to
have a better vision of the church of God. Oh, yes, she is a
speckled bird-some are white, and some are black, and some are
red, etc., and they are all shining in their places in the
church of the living God. He says, ''Ye are all one in Christ
Jesus .'' We have forgotten about race and color, and are clear
on the promises of God, living together in the spirit. having
fellowship together because we are free from all worldly
institutions. We are not hanging on to them . We do have to bow
down to the idols of Baal. We don't have to do these things
because we have come out free from them One time just before the
Assembly meeting I received word that two crooked preachers
planned to attend the meeting. They were noted fellows, and I
became troubled about it. We didn't want them to come and
disturb the meeting and teach some false thing, maybe get the
children of god confused and troubled in soul. We knew they were
false and they had been in the way a long time and knew a lot of
things. But, oh, as we prayed to God, concerning this matter, He
spoke to our soul, saying, "When He giveth quietness, who then
can make trouble?" Oh, that was wonderful to me-wonderful to me!
it is good to be in touch with heaven, folks. When we can take
our troubles to the Lord and hear from heaven, we have something
that is real. We have something that we can depend upon. That
just settled the whole matter. Why? Because the son of God had
spoken. I knew He had the matter in hand. When he assembly
meeting came on, He didn't let one of those men come. Now it is
wonderful what God will do for us.
We are in the body of Christ and each one needs to be in touch
with God for himself. Each of us needs to know that we are a
member in the body; and it is God's will for us to be
individually in touch with Him and draw down food for our own
souls from God above. That's the body working in the world
today; and if you draw down food from the Lord and I draw food
down from the Lord, I say it will be just the same. Now, there
could be a misunderstanding, and someone might misunderstand the
Lord; but even when such is the case, each one should have
enough of the love of God in his heart to wait on God till he
clears it up-the whole thing. The body then would function right
on. Now that's the working of God's body in the world today.
When any member becomes so stiff that they are not willing to
listen to brethren and humble down and wait on God, God will
just put them out. That is some of the ''going out,'' God puts
them out; we don't have to do it. We think God it is not our own
shoulders. We can just leave it to him and he will take care of
the whole thing. It has worked over and over, and will keep on
working till Jesus comes. We need to know what the body of
Christ is.
''Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens
with the saints, and of the house hold of God.'' The house hold
of God-I believe one place it is called the ''household of
faith.'' Here it is called ''the household of God.'' The whole
family of God. We are in fellowship with the whole family of
God. Someone says, ''You fellows think you are just think you
are about the only ones there are.'' We do not think that. We
just know we are it. We know that. ''Oh'' they say, ''You just
think you know nobody else knows.'' We just know what God gives
us. That's all we know. And if you will get in touch with God,
get lose from your idols in the world which darken your souls
and darken your vision, and look to God to get truth from God to
get truth from God in your soul, that which you receive from God
will harmonize with that which He has revealed to his body, and
all will be one in Christ Jesus. I tell you God never did
sanction separation and division. There is no place in the Bible
where God sanctioned division. He is always bringing together.
In the very beginning it was prophesied that Shiloh would come
and ''unto him shall the gathering of the people be,'' and we
are instructed to join ourselves unto the Lord in a perpetual
covenant. The only thing God ever told us to join is Him. I am
afraid to join anything else. I want join an institution of this
world will dim their vision. God may bear with them, and he does
bear with them; but I say when you go after this old world, you
are going contrary to the word of God, and it will dim your
vision more or less, and it will hinder you in having fellowship
with those who are out clear and distinct from all of these
things. God has a clean holy people. He doesn't accept anything
but cleanness.
''And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets''-who was the foundation of the apostles and
prophets.'' The prophets spoke of Christ as their foundation.
''Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.'' Jesus
Christ is the chief corner stone in the building today. Peter
says that we are all lively stones in the building. The spirit
of Christ will cause every one who possesses him and look to Him
daily to be lively in the things of God. They will be interested
in these things. They will believe to these things There is not
a dead stone in the building. Mother Winn used to tell us that
often, and it got down into my heart, and I believe it with all
my heart-not a dead stone in the building. That is another way
of going out. He says he will show the way out, and that's a way
out. If you just want to trifle with the Lord and be careless
about your salvation, neglect it, the first thing you know you
will just be outside. You will have no life, and the Lord will
have to put you out. You will automatically go out that way. It
behooves every member to keep in touch with Him, individually,
and draw strength and grace day by day down into our hearts,
thus be a lively stone in the building of God. That is the
church we are talking about-showing the house to the house. We
are trying to show house to the house. You saved young people
are the house, and we are trying to show the house to the house,
its goings and its comings out, the form thereof and the fashion
thereof, the ordinances thereof, and all these things. We want
us to see what manner of folks we are. Oh, it is wonderful to
me!
The 21st verse: ''In whom-''oh, listen, this is good-''In whom
all the building fitly framed together groweth into a holy
temple of the Lord.'' There's holiness true holiness. We are the
building-all the building is fitly framed together! ''Fitly
framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. ''In
whom ye-''talking to us-''In whom ye also are builded together
for an habitation of God thru the Spirit.'' It would be very
hard to build a thing together if it were tied up with something
else. If you were going to build a house or this tabernacle and
you had part of the lumber tied up on the west side of town,
some of tied up on the hill, I say so long as it is tied up, you
could not build it into a building. You could not put any of it
into a building. Let people get loose from institutions of this
old world, and it will be easy for God to put them into the
building. He will just fit and frame you right in, you will be a
member of the building-a holy building. He will do that.
The Bible is just full of this, and the Lord has brought many of
these things to our hearts. Now I will read from the first
chapter of 1 Corinthians: ''Now I beseech you, brethern, by the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing,
and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be
perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same
judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren,
by them which are of the house of Chloe that there are
contentions among you. Now this I say , that every one of you
saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of
Christ.'' Now just think of this . There was a division
starting. That is the way divisions start today right among us
oftentimes. Someone says, "This is my preacher." Another, "That
is my preacher, and if my preacher isn't in the pulpit, I don't
care anything about it." That's a divisional spirit. We exhort
the brethren to have respect unto God's ministers. When God puts
one in the pulpit, you back him up with your prayers and be
encouraged as much as possible by the speaking. You do not know,
it may be that God is using that minister to get some truth to
some poor soul and that some other minister could not get to
them at all. We ought to bear with one another and respect God's
humble ministers whom He puts into the pulpit. If they make some
blunders and mistakes, they an be talked to afterward about it,
unless it is such a big open one that it is going to damage. God
will teach us how to deal with one another if we keep our hearts
open to the Lord. He will teach us how to do these things, and
there need be no friction. When one begins to say, "This is my
preacher," and another says, "This is my preacher," there is no
division. I have seen it in a congregation. there was division
in a congregation-hidden-like. It wasn't open, but it was
division just he same, and it hindered the working of God's
Spirit among the people If there had been enough of the love of
God in each heart toward one another, I say it would have put to
death any divisional spirit that started. division ought not to
be in the house of God. Someone might say, "Oh, I am not going
to listen to that old crook." Don't you think God will take care
of a crook? Some folks think no one sees those things but them.
I say every anointed minister in the house sees it when a crook
gets into the pulpit. They may suffer and wait on God to know
what to do about; but I say God will take care of the thing, and
He won't let it do any damage if we will just let Him have His
way about it. We could do a lot of damage if we would jump in on
it before God would lead-do a lot of damage. ''Is Christ
divided?'' Christ is not divided. Whenever you see any one
pulling away from the saints, you may know that fellow is going
to die spiritually. One cannot exist out of God; nor exist
fighting Christ and his body. One cannot keep alive that way.
One may keep alive carnally, but not spiritually, not in Christ.
When God begins to reveal things to one and that one begins to
think he knows all of it, God has a way of letting him down. Oh
I want to say, we need to keep self dead. That big ''I'' wants
to pop up. That fellow wants some praise; he wants some honor. I
say whenever he gets any honor for himself, he will take it away
from God. Jesus Christ is the one to honor. He said (John 5:44),
''How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and
seek not the honor that cometh from God only?'' Oh, he is all we
want to honor. It isn't the man. We do not want man exalted. We
want Christ exalted. We want men to see him and come to him and
attach themselves to Him and work with Him and be a member of
his body. We don't want any honor. We want folks to see Jesus.
''Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? or were ye
baptized in the name of Paul?'' You see how the apostle Paul, as
soon as he saw division working, jumped right on that thing to
fight. He just began to clear it out and show them the right
way. We need to know the right way today.
Chapter 3:(Paul speaking still), ''And I, brethren, could not
speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as
unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with
meat" for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now
are ye able. For ye are yet carnal''-Now listen, I can prove to
you by the bible that if you prefer preachers in the church of
God you are carnal; that's carnality working-"whereas there is
among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal
and walk as men?" they are not walking with God any more. "For
while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are
ye not carnal?" There it is. whenever we get to preferring
Christians in the kingdom of God, we are showing carnality. If
you do that, you are going backwards. You are going down in your
experience, and the first thing you know you will automatically
be out of the church of God, be out of Christ. None of that kind
remain in the church. they won't stay in there. I say there is
not a sinner in the church of God. thee is not an unclean person
in the church of God. They are all washed in the blood and made
clean. God's people are a clean people. God wants us to manifest
that life, that cleanness, that humility until we can bear and
suffer and wait on God until He works. When God works and clears
things up, they are cleared up-they are cleaned up!
We are talking about the house of God, the house of God which is
the pillar and ground of the truth, and want to read a little
more before we close. All of the truth is in the house of God.
In the 87th Psalm it says, "All my springs are in thee." All of
God's springs. You know, a good spring is something that gives a
refreshing drink; and all those springs, the good things that
God may have, come right through the members of God's body out
to the people-something refreshing, springs of water, the waters
of salvation just flowing free, right out of the church of the
living God. In Revelation 22:1 it says, "And he shewed me a pure
river of water of life, clear as crystal proceeding out of the
throne of God and of the Lamb." A river of life flowing right
down from God from under His throne-right down to the people in
the world today, feeding hungry souls on the good things of God.
I Corinthians 12:13, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into
one body"-one Spirit, just one Spirit. Now there are other
spirits in the he world; but we are baptized into one body by
one Spirit. There are other spirits and they may have a baptism
of some kind. Some people are filled with some kind of spirit,
but it is not God operating. The devil is imitating everything
God is doing in the world. That is why we need to keep in touch
with heaven for ourselves. "For by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether
we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one
Spirit"-just one Spirit. "For the body is not one member, but
many." The body isn't one member, but many." Many of us make up
the body, the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the
Spirit. "If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am
not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear
shall say, Because I am not of the eye, I am not of the body, is
it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye,
where were the haring? If the whole were hearing, where were the
smelling? But now hath God set the members everyone of them in
the bode as it hath pleased him.'' The Lord wants us to be
careful. If you are a member in the body that God may not be
using so much, don't say your not of the body. The natural body
has many members. I don't know how many bones they say our in
the body-208-well, they all have there places. If you take one
of those bones out, it weakens the body. You take one little
member away from the body it weakens the body. God may want to
use that member some time and He reaches for it and its gone. I
had a little joint taken off my finger. You may say, '' That is
just a little member, you'd never miss that.'' Well, I hardly
ever miss it, but some times I do. When I want to pick up
something or reach for something, sometimes I don't get it.
What's that matter? The joint is gone; that little joint is gone
and it just want function. I say every member is vital
importance to the body of Christ. They may be insignificant ,
seemingly, but they are of great use to God. God may not be
using them very much, but when he wants them, they need to be
there so God can use them. Some folks get the idea, ''If I can't
be 'so and 'so in the body, I want be at all.'' That all belong
to carnality and the devil. It belongs to other family, not to
God's family. I want to say that when God saves a soul, that
soul is humbled down. He says, ""As ye have received Christ
Jesus, so walk ye in Him.''
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