I will continue to fellowship with the brothers and sisters concerning finishing the course. Last night, we fellowshiped concerning what the apostle Paul told us: that when we are changed and sent forth in order to finish the ministry we received from the Lord, we are to be the testimony of Jesus Christ.
We need to run in the course that the Lord has set before us. To finish the course is the same thing as to finish the ministry we received from the Lord. Today, we want to testify of the Lord.
The first thing we need to pay attention to is whether we are running in the course the Lord wants us to run. We mentioned last night that if we are running the wrong way, then the testimony will be lost.
Of course, today we want to run in the right way. The first thing we need to be clear about is the goal. Only the way that can reach the goal is the right way.
This is a very important matter for all the churches and all the saints. Not only do we need to run in the right way; we also need to run it well.
Running in the right way concerns our understanding. If we understand God’s eternal purpose, then we have a set goal. When we know the goal, then we will know what is the right way. This is something to do with our understanding.
But in order to run well, it is something to do with the man. If we want to run in this way well, our condition before the Lord is very important. Tonight, we would like to share with the brothers and sisters concerning the people who run in the way.
Let us first turn to Exodus 25. We will read from Exodus 25:10-15.
And they shall make an ark of acacia wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four feet thereof; and two rings shall be on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.
And thou shalt make staves of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
And thou shalt put the staves into the rings on the sides of the ark, wherewith to bear the ark.
The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
Now let us turn to Joshua 3:1-3.
Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel; and they lodged there before they passed over.
And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the midst of the camp;
And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.
Acts 1:8 says:
But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Acts 9:1-2 says:
But Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
And asked of him letters to Damascus unto the synagogues, that if he found any that were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Here it says, “the Way.” Let us also read Acts 26:16 and 19.
But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things wherein thou hast seen Me, and of the things wherein I will appear unto thee.
Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.
Galatians 2:1-2 says:
Then after the space of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.
And I went up by revelation; and I laid before them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately before them who were of repute, lest by any means I should be running, or had run, in vain.
Let us read 1 Thessalonians 3:7-9.
For this cause, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith:
For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.
For what thanksgiving can we render again unto God for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God?
Lastly, let us turn to Job 31:4-8.
Doth not He see my ways,
And number all my steps?
If I have walked with falsehood,
And my foot hath hasted to deceit
(Let me be weighed in an even balance,
That God may know mine integrity);
If my step hath turned out of the way,
And my heart walked after mine eyes,
And if any spot hath cleaved to my hands;
Then let me sow, and let another eat;
Yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
We can clearly see that God chose men to be the witnesses of Jesus Christ. This means that the testimony of Jesus is entrusted to men. As a matter of fact, if there is a witness, then there is a testimony.
From church history, we can also see that the testimony of Jesus is passed on from generation to generation through men. This is true in the Old Testament, and it is also true in the New Testament.
It is God’s heart to gain some men, and He works in these men so that His testimony can be manifested and passed on through them. If we read the Bible carefully, we can see that God has never entrusted His testimony to an organization or to a work.
In the Old Testament, God chose the Israelites and used the people of Israel as His witnesses. In the New Testament, God uses the church to testify of Him.
What is the church? I think all the brothers and sisters here are very clear. The church is not a building. The church is not an organization. The church is composed of all God’s people who are saved by grace.
Therefore, it is very clear that the testimony is entrusted to us who are saved by grace. We have a very clear picture of this in the book of Exodus.
When the children of Israel came to Mount Sinai, the Lord revealed the pattern of the tabernacle to Moses. They built the tabernacle according to the pattern revealed on the mountain.
Among all the articles in the tabernacle, the most important article was the ark. We know that the ark is one of the most important types in the Old Testament. The ark is also called the ark of the testimony. This is the testimony of Jesus.
There were many articles in the tabernacle. Some articles could be placed upon carts, but certain holy articles had to be carried by the priests. Especially concerning the ark, God’s commandment was that it had to be carried upon the shoulders of the priests.
As the Israelites were in the wilderness, we can say that the ark was carried by the priests in the heavenly way. Although only a few priests carried the ark, this was a type in the Old Testament. These few represented the entire people of Israel.
When the tabernacle was built, the ark was the center of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle was the center of the people of Israel. We can clearly see that God entrusted His testimony to the entire people of Israel.
The ark was to be carried on the shoulders of the priests. Although there were only a few, the Bible does not tell us how many priests carried the ark. I believe there is a special meaning in this.
In other words, the ark was to be put upon the shoulders of the entire Israelite people. These few people represented a very important principle: the testimony of God is entrusted to a corporate body. The ark could not be carried by one person.
Here we can see that God clearly revealed His heart. God uses a corporate body to manifest His testimony. In the Old Testament, these few people were representatives.
I think that when these priests were chosen to carry the ark, their hearts were full of joy. They were also filled with glory. It was such a glory to be chosen to carry the ark of the Lord.
The construction of the ark was very special. There were two cherubim made of pure gold, the mercy seat was made of pure gold, and there was a golden molding. The ark itself was made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. We know that the ark was very heavy.
The way to carry it was also very special. The rings were to be placed at the four feet of the ark, and two poles had to pass through the rings. The ark was heavy at the top, and this arrangement was not very stable.
People might naturally think that the rings should be placed in the middle of the ark so that it could be carried more steadily. But this was not according to God’s commandment. The rings had to be placed at the feet.
We can imagine that those who carried the ark had to go through training, because the ark had to be carried by several people. Brothers and sisters, there are principles here that we can apply to our church life today.
I believe that when the priests took up the ark, they were very cautious. The ark was the most holy article in the tabernacle; it represented God Himself. As they carried the ark, they had to give their entire attention to it. They could not think of anything else.
If we would carry the testimony, we must pay all our attention to this matter. We cannot carry the ark and still be thinking about something else. We cannot do it casually.
I think they even held their breath as they took up the ark. They could not simply take it up and continue talking casually. They put their entire attention to it because it was such a holy matter.
This tells us, brothers and sisters, that carrying the testimony is not a small matter. We may be relaxed in many matters, but concerning the testimony, we have to be very serious.
Because several priests carried the ark, they had to be of one heart. They had to care for one another and help one another. We can see this principle in 1 Corinthians 12. This is the principle we need for our church life.
As they walked in the wilderness, there were no level roads. There were often stones and uneven places. Therefore, those carrying the ark had to help one another. They had to learn to lay down themselves.
Whenever I think about these priests carrying the ark of the Lord, I feel a sense of seriousness concerning how God’s people should work together in the church.
Those who truly love the Lord and understand God’s entrustment will not live casually. They will be very serious in their service. They need to give their entire being to the Lord.
You can imagine that if one of those carrying the ark had emotional instability, or if there were fluctuations in his movement, the ark would topple. We can see that this is the difficulty we have in our church life.
I pray that the Lord will give us this seeing. Today the Lord has given His entrustment to us. As we face this matter, we need to know how to cooperate with our brothers and sisters.
From the Bible, we can see that God truly values the principle of the corporate body. Of course, before the time of the nation of Israel, the forefathers were individual testimonies.
God also had His will in that period. Individual testimony tells us that we need to have a very intimate relationship with the Lord. Although God gained some people to have an intimate relationship with Himself, and this was very precious, God’s heart could not be fully satisfied.
From Abraham onward, God revealed His heart: God wants to gain a corporate body. In the Old Testament, what God gained was the people of Israel.
In our church life, it is often hard for us to distinguish the difference between individual matters and the corporate body. In the Bible, we see many spiritual giants, and there are many records concerning their personal experiences. This may have a great influence upon us.
Many times, we care only about our own personal development before God. Yet, as we look at God’s original purpose, He wants to gain a corporate body.
There is a small yet important principle we need to keep: each individual is for the corporate body, and the corporate body is for perfecting each individual. The individual and the corporate body are inseparable.
In the New Testament, this is why God tells us that the church is His Body. Every individual member of the Body cannot exist alone.
This thought was in God’s heart from the beginning, but man’s fall hindered God from revealing His thought. God had patience from the creation of man. More than fifteen hundred years later, the people of Israel came to Mount Sinai.
At that time, God entrusted the ark to Israel. When the tabernacle was built, the tabernacle was covered by the cloud and filled with glory. What does that represent? It shows that God’s eternal purpose was manifested at that moment, even though it was only a type.
God’s heart was filled with joy. Brothers and sisters, if we truly love God, we need to be mindful of His heart. We know that His heart has never changed. God wants to gain men to be His witnesses.
In the Old Testament, the ark had to be carried by men. There is a story in the Bible that is a great warning to us. It is the story of David.
God uses a person who loved the Lord to warn us. This was not a mistake made by people who did not love the Lord. Yesterday we mentioned Abraham. David also was a person who loved the Lord in the Old Testament.
Yet a great mistake happened in the life of one who loved the Lord. Therefore, it is an even more serious warning to us.
When David became king of Israel, his first desire was to bring back the ark. Psalm 132:6 says:
Lo, we heard of it in Ephrathah:
We found it in the field of the wood.
Ephrathah was David’s hometown. This tells us that even in his youth David cared much about God’s ark. We truly desire that God would gain more Davids among the young people—those who, from their youth, care much about God’s testimony.
When David became king of Israel, we thank the Lord that his heart still cared about God’s ark. Many kings in Israel, after becoming king, cared only for themselves. Yet David was different.
David knew that God loved him and had given him the opportunity to be king of Israel. Therefore, he used the opportunity God gave him for God Himself. How many people have this kind of condition?
Many times we ask for blessings from the Lord, and when the Lord blesses us, we forget Him. David never forgot God. When he became king, the first thing he wanted to do was seek the ark.
Later, he found that the ark was at the house of Abinadab, and they joyfully came to receive it. But David used a new cart to carry the ark. They forgot God’s commandment.
We know that David loved the Lord. His intention and motives were good. Yet God did not allow that mistake.
As the ark was on the cart and they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the ark was about to topple. Uzzah put forth his hand to hold the ark, and God struck Uzzah there.
Second Samuel 6 says that God struck him because of this error. Brothers and sisters, this is such a great reminder.
In our service today, many brothers and sisters love the Lord. Because of their love for the Lord, they do something for Him. Perhaps our intentions and motives are good. Yet if we are against the will of God, our good intention cannot be accepted.
We remember John 14:21:
He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself unto him.
God does not care merely about our intention, nor does He care merely whether we are good. This is the greatest definition of those who love the Lord: those who have the Lord’s commandments and keep them are those who love the Lord.
As we serve the Lord today, there may be many people with good intentions and motives. We may accept them, but they cannot be accepted by God. This is a very important reminder.
Why did David forget God’s commandment? Uzzah was a priest, and he also forgot God’s commandment. There may be a reason. After the people of Israel entered Canaan, the ark was placed in Shiloh. After the time of Joshua and the many years that followed, the total period was more than five hundred years.
Perhaps because the time was long, some people had already forgotten that the ark had to be carried. David made a great mistake when he put the ark on the cart.
When he saw that Uzzah was struck by God, David was afraid. Brothers and sisters, time may change, and people may change, but God’s will will never change.
We cannot say that because twenty-one centuries have passed, we can now make changes to God’s will. No matter how time changes, God’s will has never changed.
In our service, even if our intentions and motives are good, they cannot replace the will of God. We cannot use our intentions to go against God’s will.
The ark had to be placed upon the shoulders of the priests. Later, the ark was placed in the house of Obed-edom for three months, and God greatly blessed that household.
In some way, God encouraged David, and David knew that he had not been forsaken; he had simply used the wrong method. Then he realized that the ark had to be carried by the priests.
We thank the Lord that David truly loved the Lord. His spirit was soft, and he was willing to receive God’s correction. He knew that he was wrong. This time, he used priests to carry the ark.
The Bible uses this story to warn us. In God’s will, man can only be obedient. Brothers and sisters, we have to trust and obey all the words in the Bible.
We can never change God’s will or God’s word according to our living environment or our experiences. We have to believe that God will never be wrong. We have to closely follow His commandment.
If we do this, we are the people who truly love the Lord.
In the Old Testament, God entrusted His testimony to men—that is, to a corporate body. As we come to the New Testament, the revelation becomes clearer.
We know that the testimony of Christ has been entrusted to the church. When we mention the church, we need to have a strong understanding within us: this is the corporate body to which God has entrusted His testimony.
Besides the church, no other group can take up this testimony. Therefore, the building of the church is the most important ministry for us.
We can see this from the book of Acts. We see the building of the church; then, when we come to Ephesians, Paul reveals the meaning of the church so clearly. In Revelation, God places the seven churches in Asia before us.
This tells us that God has a strong demand concerning the church as a corporate body for His testimony.
Even though we have many difficulties in our church life today, we may feel frustrated and disappointed. But, brothers and sisters, no matter how frustrated or disappointed we are, we still need to remember that the testimony of Christ is entrusted to the church.
No matter how difficult it is, we need to move forward. We may not see the church in a perfect condition, but if we have this desire, it is pleasing to God.
We cannot say that because the church condition is so chaotic, we should change our direction. If we do this, God’s heart will fail, and we will suffer great loss.
We can see many abnormal conditions in present-day Christianity. There are many programs, activities, and organizations outside the church. People often have greater fervency for these organizations, activities, and programs than for the church.
They have great interest in matters outside the church, but much negligence toward the building of the church. Some even want to attract the church to support their work. This is such a great mistake.
I often receive phone calls from people who say, “Brother, could you give me an opportunity to come to your assembly to introduce our work and seek your support?” That means they want the church to support their work.
I would like to say again: these organizations and works may have good intentions and motives, yet we need to remember that God’s heart is on the church.
This is not because of any background. This is a revelation from the Bible. This is God’s heart.
May the Lord allow us to understand this. Time has come to its end. The heart of our Lord is urgent. His eyes are upon the church on earth.
He desires to see whether there is a locality, whether there is a group of people, who are pursuing and serving according to His will—whether He can find a resting place.
If we want to please the Lord and prepare ourselves to receive His return, we need to live a church life that is according to His will.
I believe this is God’s important calling toward His church in the end time. God wants to gain the church to be His witness and to carry His testimony.
The testimony that the church carries for the Lord is a corporate manifestation of witnesses. This means that in the church, everybody should be a witness. This is a very important matter.
God is not calling only a few to be His witnesses. God is calling everyone to be a witness for Him.
Whether the testimony of a local assembly is strong or not depends upon how many witnesses there are in that assembly. If every brother and sister in an assembly is a witness, then the testimony will be strong.
If there are only a few who understand the testimony and are being witnesses for the Lord, then the church condition will be very weak. If we read carefully about the seven churches in Asia Minor in Revelation, we can clearly see this principle.
As we have been saved, the Lord has put us in His Body. We need to have a very strong sense of the Body.
In the first century, the apostles who were running in the way of the Lord had good personal conditions before the Lord. Yet there is one very important point: those who truly knew the Lord ran according to the principle of the corporate Body.
As we run in the way of the Lord, we need to run according to the principle of the Body. We need to understand the Body of Christ and strive to live a Body life.
In our service, we need to be disciplined and restrained by the Body. This means that we do not run our own way. We do not try to build up our personal fame or career. We cannot simply use the church.
As we see the present church condition, may the Lord have mercy upon us. May He deliver us from these many mistakes. Brothers and sisters, we need to be joined to the church with all our brothers and sisters.
Some may say that in Revelation we see that we need to be overcomers. Many say that “the overcomer” in the original language is singular. But we cannot forget that God calls overcomers from the various churches.
The intention is very clear: we need to pursue personal overcoming for the sake of the Body—for the church. Why? Because the testimony of Jesus is entrusted to the church.
In the early churches, the apostles had a very strong understanding of this through their sense of the Body. In 1 Thessalonians 3:8, which we just read, Paul said, “For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.”
Paul was a man of great gift. He was zealous in serving the Lord and was highly motivated. Yet we can see that he lived according to the principle of the Body.
Paul put his own faith together with the entire Body. If the church was not standing firm, then even if he himself was successful, he could not truly live.
We need the mercy of the Lord. Consider Caleb. He was a mighty warrior, but he could not simply take his family to possess Hebron while the entire household of Israel had not entered into Canaan.
Caleb stood on the principle of the Body in order to live an overcoming life.
The church is composed of witnesses. Today, God is making every brother and sister into a witness. Not only has He called us to be His witnesses; He is making us into His witnesses.
Of course, God’s work begins with each individual. Yet, very interestingly, the fruit of the work God does in each individual is spread throughout the entire Body.
From the life of Paul, we can see how God made him into a witness. I would like to briefly fellowship concerning several points.
In order to be a witness of Christ, we need to have a vision and be governed by the vision. Those who run in the heavenly way have a vision.
They can be successful because they are governed by the vision, directed by God’s revelation. This was true for the prophets in the Old Testament, and it was also true for the apostles in the New Testament.
Peter is one example. Peter was directed by God’s revelation. In Acts 9, Peter’s shadow fell upon some people, and their sicknesses were healed. He also raised Dorcas from the dead.
We can see that Peter was very mature at that time. Yet when we come to Acts 10, God was leading him into the house of a Gentile. God had to direct his steps by a vision.
Because of that vision, Peter went to the house of Cornelius. The same was true for Paul. After fourteen years, Paul went to Jerusalem because of a revelation.
As they ran in this heavenly way, they were directed by God’s revelation. Paul said in Acts 26, “King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.”
This was the mercy of God. Paul’s desire was right, yet his circumstances were very difficult. The Lord’s hand upheld him so that he was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.
Brothers and sisters, before the Lord’s return, we have to go through many tests in our circumstances. Whether we can stand these tests depends upon whether our life and service are governed by the vision of the Lord.
I think the most important vision for us is the vision concerning the testimony of Jesus.
The second point is that the inner man must be strong. Paul prayed in Ephesians 3 that the inner man would be strengthened.
This means that the spiritual condition of our spirit needs to be strong. The condition of our spirit needs to be good.
If a Christian’s spiritual condition is weak, then the testimony will be weak. There was a very important reason why Paul wrote to Timothy: at that time, Timothy’s spiritual condition was weak.
Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy that the spirit we received from the Lord is a spirit of power and love and discipline. In his final greeting, Paul said, “The Lord be with thy spirit.”
Paul knew that if Timothy’s spirit was weak, then the testimony would be damaged. How can our spirit be strong? We need to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit in our spirit.
We need to live a life filled by the Holy Spirit. If our spirit is strong, we will be full of faith, and the indwelling Christ within us will become evident.
In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul says that our inner man is renewed day by day. This means that our spiritual condition grows and becomes stronger.
If a person’s spiritual condition is strong, there are certain signs: that person will care for the things that are eternal, not the things which are seen.
If our eyes are still upon the things that can be seen, that proves one thing: our inner man is very weak. Our inner man must be strong.
The third thing is that in 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy, Paul mentioned several basic experiences for Christians which cannot be neglected. These are very important.
As Christians, we need to have a good conscience. We need to have sincere faith. We need to have a mind of sobriety. We need to cleanse ourselves and flee youthful lusts.
These are very important reminders from Paul to Timothy. Lastly, he told Timothy that he needed to lay hold on eternal life. That means he needed to live in the feeling of life.
We need to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in the sense of life. A Christian needs to live a life that is full of life. Our spirit should be fresh, vibrant, and full of power. Within us, we should be full of light.
We need to hold fast to this. That means we cannot relax. Brothers and sisters, this is a great encouragement from the epistles. These are the experiences we need in order to become witnesses of the Lord.
Lastly, we will use the words in Job as an encouragement to run in this race. These are very good words spoken by Job.
Job said that God sees his ways and numbers all his steps. God is not looking at us casually. God numbers every step we take.
Job was reminded of this, and he said “if I” many times. He said, “If I have walked with falsehood,” and, “If my foot hath hasted to deceit.” The second phrase is in parentheses.
Then he said, “Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.” He said, “If my step hath turned out of the way,” “If my heart walked after mine eyes,” and, “If any spot hath cleaved to my hands.”
Then Job expressed a strong desire: “Let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.” In other words, let all my possessions be gone. We can see that Job had a strong desire.
Brothers and sisters, as those who are running in this heavenly way, we also need to have this desire.
Perhaps you have heard the message tonight and you may say, “Oh, it is so difficult. Who can do it?” But we thank the Lord. We cannot do it, but God can.
If we truly have a heart for the Lord, we can place our desire before Him. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that enables us to become witnesses of the Lord.
Before the Lord’s ascension, He said to His disciples that they had to wait and receive power through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Then they would have power, and then they would be His witnesses.
We can see that God’s will is entrusted to us. In the first century, those who truly testified of the Lord were called the people of the Way.
Often, because of their personal love for the Lord, they moved the entire church toward the Lord. Because the entire church turned to God, the testimony became strong.
Brothers and sisters, today our way has to be right. We also need to run well. In order to run well, we need to pay much attention to ourselves as persons.
I believe that the Spirit of the Lord is moving among us, and His work is being done in us. We will learn to be more obedient to Him. We will yield more to the Holy Spirit.
Then we can be made into witnesses. Then we can run well in this course. Then His testimony can be recovered from its lost condition.
Lord, we thank You with all our hearts. Although we are weak people, You have chosen us to be Your witnesses.
Throughout the generations, we have seen that You have chosen people to be Your witnesses and that some testified for You well in their generations. It was not because of their own power. It was because they knew how to rely upon You.
They knew how to be obedient to Your leading. They were willing to keep Your commandments.
Lord, as we are here, we also would like to give ourselves into Your hands. May You do Your work according to Your will.
Lord, make each one of us to be Your witness, so that Your testimony will be strong in every church.
So that the testimony of Jesus can be manifested, and so that You may fulfill Your own purpose.
We want to give You worship from the depth of our hearts. Listen to our prayer. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.