Brothers and sisters, let us turn to 2 Timothy 4. I will begin by reading the verses which we have read previously, beginning from verse 6.
For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith:
henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved His appearing.
Brothers and sisters, please also turn to Revelation 2, verse 5.
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent.
Then Revelation 3, verse 3.
Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear, and keep it, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Also, Revelation 3, verse 20.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.
Let us also turn to Colossians 3, beginning from verse 15.
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God.
We thank the Lord that we have come to the last evening of this conference. From our brothers’ sharings, we have come to see what we have longed to hear from the Lord. May we look to the Lord to be the very vessels for Him to use to begin the recovery work of His testimony.
With such a work before us, the first matter we encounter is how we ought to go on this way. In this way of recovery, what conditions should we expect to face?
Our brothers’ sharings have shown us very clearly, because the Lord’s words have been spoken so clearly. We will encounter much hardship, much opposition, and much doubt. We will also face severe experiences, even experiences of being trodden upon.
But we praise and thank our Lord. The very reason the way of recovery is filled with such seemingly abnormal conditions is that God’s arrangement upon us is filled with such glory, riches, and authority.
Brothers and sisters, we call that the very grace of God’s salvation. His redemption is to bring us back to His original purpose in creation, and not merely for the pardon of our sins and the receiving of life. Those matters are very important, but they are only the beginning points of the grace of His redemption.
After we have gone through those points of His salvation, there is still a far path before us according to God’s own arrangement. He is reconciling and restoring us to a condition that will satisfy His own heart, so that we would not only become sons, but glorious sons.
It is according to His will when He created man. We praise and thank our God. Because this is such a glorious and great matter, it provokes the adversary of God to have much opposition. He continues to attack and scheme in order to draw us away so that we will depart from God.
But we thank our Lord that, through His finished work, even from the very foundation He has already defeated the enemy.
Therefore, such intervention from the enemy is merely for us to come before God to enjoy even more fully and richly His glorious purpose upon us.
At the very end, when Paul mentioned to Timothy his spiritual journey, he clearly said, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.”
He had kept the faith which he believed. Now what lay before Paul was no longer battle or path, but the glorious reward. There was a crown of righteousness laid up for him to receive from the hand of the Lord.
We praise and thank our God. This is how the entire testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ is to be accomplished in us. God’s own work, He will accomplish Himself.
On our part, it seems that we have gone through much difficulty. But we thank God that He allows us to see the end. That end is not sorrow upon sorrow. All sorrow ceases, and what we receive is the riches of His glory.
Now, as we continue to look at spiritual experience, we have to see certain facts. According to the Lord’s work, our Lord already stands in absolute and complete victory. He has already gained a triumphant victory.
Therefore, He was raised from the dead, ascended on high, and seated at the right hand of God the Father. The adversary can never change this fact.
It is based on this truth that He leads and guides those who belong to Him in His salvation as He leads them forward according to His plan.
Therefore, it seems that we who are in His redemption ought to have smooth sailing into His glory, and that there ought not to be any disruption. This is the condition in our way of thinking.
But through our brothers’ sharings we see that, on the one hand, we see how corrupt we are in ourselves. We very easily fall into the condition of being self-centered.
On the other hand, we feel that the great and glorious grace which God bestows upon us seems so far away. It does not seem as if it is an immediate need for us.
But we praise and thank our Lord. He knows where we come short. Therefore, God allows us to encounter all such disruptions, so that through afflictions and hardships we would know how to depart from our foolishness and learn to appropriate His victory.
His victory becomes our enjoyment.
Therefore, in each of our minds, it seems as if the completion of God’s glorious will is still very far ahead of us. Brothers and sisters, please take note: I said that it seems to us that it is far ahead.
But the fact is that each and every day we experience that spiritual reality. If that spiritual reality is a fact today, then that moment when His victory is manifested, regardless of how far it may appear to be before us, is still just as true.
Now that we have this understanding, we must solve this issue: what is the issue?
We say that we must go through the good fight, and we must finish our course. Brothers and sisters, then this question is raised to us: according to what can we say that the fight we fight is the good fight? Based on what can we say that the course we have run is right?
If we have not found that basis, of course we can have many excuses. But whether those excuses and reasons are acceptable is one thing. Secondly, whether those reasons can bring us into the result which we desire is another matter.
But we thank the Lord, because He has shown us this entire spiritual matter as it unfolds. Each and every item has already been made known to us according to the light of His word.
Not only are these things already made known to us, but God also makes known to us the end result of the things through which we will go. This is connected with the responsibility of keeping the faith.
Now we are sure that our fight is the right fight and that the course we are on is correct because it is the word of God that confirms this for us.
The word of God not only shows us what will take place; God also tells us ahead of time what to expect along this way. Even more precious is the fact that He tells us long ago that the end result is victory.
Therefore, as I shared with brothers and sisters previously, we must be sure of Paul’s confidence. Paul’s confidence is the fact that, no matter what he encounters—whether victory, weakness, dangers, or perils—there is one thing he does not lose.
The Son of God is his goal. The Son of God is the source that provides him strength. The Son of God is the very reward which he will receive once he has gone through such experiences.
Now, as we come to understand all these things, we discover that the children of God, whether as individuals or as the spiritual organism which is the church of God, may find that the visible path before us does not seem smooth.
Although we encounter much hardship, even to the point that we might describe the condition as desolation, we thank our Lord. When the Lord describes these conditions to us, He gives us the whole picture of what the church is to encounter.
Yes, we may be weak. As a body, we are weak. Why is it that we would be weak, since the word of God itself shows us that His work is complete and perfect?
Why is it that, when we come to appropriate His victory and His fullness, we still have times of weakness? The Lord points out the reason so that we may know where our problem is.
Then we will know that, at our weakest point, we have to appropriate the victory of Christ so that we can avoid the attacks of the enemy.
I believe brothers and sisters are very familiar with the contents of the seven epistles in Revelation. We know that the Lord spoke very clear words to the churches in those seven letters.
From the letter of the word, it seems to tell us the general condition of the church, whether they had failed or whether they had stood firm. But we clearly know, when the Lord shows us those seven letters, where the Lord’s heart is.
Of these seven churches, five were under the rebuke of the Lord. Forgive me for putting it this way: the other two churches were somewhat praised by the Lord. But, to be very strict, these seven letters give us the feeling that the whole church was in a condition of weakness.
The church as a whole had not completed the arrangement which God had for her.
Why would I put it this way? Brothers and sisters, if you pay attention, then you are able to understand this condition. I have especially mentioned the two churches that were not rebuked by the Lord.
Was the Lord satisfied? Yes, He was. But we cannot say that He was pleased to the utmost. Brothers and sisters, as you read, you can have this sense.
The reason is that, to these two churches which were not rebuked by the Lord, the Lord still had a longing. What was the Lord waiting for? The Lord was waiting for them to enter into the utmost victory.
Therefore, even with these two churches, the Lord did not remove or decrease the standard which He has for the overcomers.
From this point, we are able to see that the church as a whole requires mercy from the Lord. In other words, even the two churches that were not rebuked by the Lord could not remain in their condition.
They were pleasing to the Lord, but I say again that this pleasure of the Lord was not His utmost pleasure. This is a point worthy of our careful attention.
As we read these seven letters, we can sense a very heavy desire of the Lord.
If we speak of the five churches which had fallen, they did not all fall completely. Of those five, some may be said to have completely fallen. But regardless of the degree of their fall, we should take note that the Lord points out the reason for their condition.
As to the two churches which were praised by the Lord, the Lord also points out the very reason He was pleased with them. We will attempt to identify these points: whether the Lord rebukes them for failure or shows why He is pleased with them.
Then we will know the lessons for us to learn as we go along the way before the Lord. How, then, are we able to be led into a condition that would please the Lord to the utmost?
Using the topic of this conference, how can the Lord lead us to the complete recovery of His testimony? As long as brothers and sisters take note of this matter, that will be sufficient. If we see it and also look at its opposite, then we will realize how we may be brought into the utmost pleasure of the Lord.
Out of the seven churches in conditions of weakness, I will summarize their condition in two points.
Strictly speaking, these are two sides of one matter. How is it that they did not honor the position of the Lord? Brothers and sisters, you can clearly see this point.
Their coming short of the Lord was not because they did not know the word of the Lord. It was not because they did not hear the word of God. They had heard the word of the Lord, and they knew the word of the Lord.
Just as the Israelites, or the people of Judah, in the Old Testament: before they were taken into captivity, did they know of that result? Did they realize the content which the Lord continued to speak to them again and again?
You cannot say that they were unaware, because the Lord used many prophets to speak to them continuously. The Lord’s words were very clear. There was no confusion at all.
Very practically, He stated that they would be taken into captivity. The people had heard these words. But to hear is one thing; to honor the word of God is another matter.
Therefore, when the Lord pointed out their error, their response was, “We are very comfortable where we are. As long as I feel comfortable now, that is fine.”
This was the manifestation of the spiritual condition of Israel and Judah before their captivity. If God had not spoken to them that they were going into captivity, then they could grumble before God and say, “God, You say that You love us. Why is it that we will be in captivity, but You did not warn us beforehand?”
But were they qualified to say such words? They were not. God did not speak to them only once, nor only twice. God spoke many, many times to them. They heard the words, but they did not enter into them.
The issue was not that they did not physically hear the word of God. The problem was that, in their hearts, there was no position for the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, when we read Jeremiah, we see this very clearly. When God spoke to the king of Judah, Jeremiah recorded those words and sent them to the king. God clearly spoke what the people of Judah would face.
When the king of Judah encountered this message, did he submit? Did he have any heart of repentance? No.
He had an absolute attitude of rebellion. Perhaps it was cold weather, so he had the fire going. What did he do? He cut up the scroll written by Jeremiah and threw it into the fire.
Brothers and sisters, this was the condition of the people of Judah before God.
Is it only the people of Judah who were in this way? When we read these seven letters, we discover that the church also seems to be in this weakness.
Just as our brother especially mentioned this afternoon, we must ask this question: if man still honors the position of God, how could there be any ground for Satan in the church?
How could the doctrine of Jezebel control the church? How could this condition exist in which the Son of God cannot have His presence made known in the church, while those who are called under His name push Him outside the door?
Brothers and sisters, when we see such things, we are very clear: they have heard the word of God, and they know what God is to do. But the issue is that they do not honor the position of the Lord.
They feel that whether the Lord is there or not, it is fine. Even in the organization of the church, they say, “I can be the lord. I am the one who is in charge of this place.”
Brothers and sisters, when such thoughts are in the heart of man, of course the Lord will be pushed out. Then the Lord’s seat will be taken over by Satan. This is a very solemn matter.
Because we do not honor the Lord’s position, of course we will not pay attention to His words.
Now, brothers and sisters, if we are in such a condition, how can we fight this spiritual battle? How can we go on this course? There is no path, and there is no strength for battle.
Our brother mentioned to us that we must put on the full armor of God. But we cannot put that armor on if we merely know of the full armor of God and do not feel that it has anything to do with us.
We may know the path we ought to be on, but in our heart there may be this way of thinking: besides this way, we have another way. Brothers and sisters, this is indeed a very solemn issue.
In the seven letters in Revelation, why is the church in such a condition of desolation? Why has the church lost the testimony of the Lord? Why is it that in the church man can no longer see Christ and His cross, but other things have replaced Christ?
Very naturally, I think of the previous Sunday, when we fellowshipped in a sharing meeting. There was a brother who shared the thoughts in his heart. This brother had not believed in the Lord for very long, but he had a longing for the Lord.
What did he share during that meeting? Perhaps brothers and sisters are aware of this news from television or the newspapers. I read the article, but I have forgotten some details. I think it was on the East Coast.
In front of a church building, there was a man-made statue of Jesus. When they put this statue in front of the building, they called it “Touchdown Jesus.”
The statue was made with its hands raised, as though signalling a touchdown in football. Therefore, many people would go to see this figure because they regarded it as a piece of art.
But one day there was lightning and thunder, and the lightning struck the statue. Nothing remained except the frame. The picture was posted in the newspaper.
At first, the brother who shared this matter thought, “Why did God not protect His own image?” If He did not protect His very own image, how could that show that He is true?
But very quickly he was enlightened. He said, “If this was not struck and destroyed, then what is the meaning of it being there?”
If we go back to the Old Testament, it clearly says, “Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image.” If man creates an image—even an image of a touchdown in football—and others come to see that figure, what has been presented to them?
Our brother’s heart was illuminated. In man’s view, perhaps people would ask why God did not protect His own image. But we must ask this question: can God acknowledge that it is His image?
We would say that it is not the image of God. Yet man may treat it as the image of the Lord Jesus. Of course, that has to be destroyed.
Do you imagine that the people in that congregation had read the commandments in the Old Testament? If they had not read them, surely they had heard of them.
Even though we live in the New Testament and are not under the letter of the law in the Old Testament, the essence of the law is still something to which we need to pay attention.
God does not show us that there is any image that can make Him known. God allows us to receive Him in faith, not through any material thing by which we would say, “This is God.”
Yet man has such boldness as to put forward this figure of a “Touchdown Jesus.” Very clearly, we can see what it means not to honor the position of the Lord.
When we do not honor the Lord’s position, how could it be that we would obey? If we do not obey the word of God, then His word is not important to us.
Of course the church will be in desolation. The church cannot face the spiritual battle, and the church cannot go through the path which the Lord Himself has set before her.
But we thank our God. God will always awaken us through many things. Brothers and sisters, let us not speak too much of these discouraging matters. They are discouraging matters, but we must look at the opposite side.
God desires for us to see the position into which He has placed us when He redeemed us. We have been redeemed back to the original purpose of God’s creation, that we would be the manifestation of God’s own glory and the people who execute the delegated authority of God.
Brothers and sisters, we must ask this question: where do we come from? We come from the dust.
Before God, not only are we dust, but because of our rebellion we have fallen even lower than the dust. Brothers and sisters, if you do not believe that you are made of dust, you can do this very common test.
It is not pleasant to hear, but it confirms the fact that we are dust. Each time you take a bath, what is rubbed off? When you see those things, you realize that we are but dust. Why can we boast?
But we praise and thank our Lord. In His redemption, He has restored us.
Again, we mention to brothers and sisters that He restores us to the sons of His glory, to receive the original purpose of His creation.
If the purpose of God’s creation can be completely fulfilled, brothers and sisters, forgive me for saying it this way. Perhaps if I say it this way, I may confuse some brothers and sisters.
When we are brought back to the original purpose of God’s creation of man, the purpose of that creation, when manifested, is manifested only upon the earth.
Brothers and sisters may say, “Are you not satisfied with that?” In California, the houses are not too big. If you compare the size of houses in California with those in the Midwest or on the East Coast, the houses on the West Coast are quite small.
But if you have a big house in California, you may say that you are doing quite well. Even if you are doing quite well, it is only a big house.
But when you see the fulfillment of God’s purpose, how grand is that boundary? It is the whole earth. It is the whole globe.
You may ask again, “Are you not satisfied with that?” Brothers and sisters, it is not a matter of whether we are satisfied. We must take note of God’s own desire.
Then we must stand on the ground of the church to see God’s work upon us. Brothers and sisters, do you realize what is the purpose of God’s salvation upon us?
The more we look into the Lord’s heart, the more we understand that we cannot merely be satisfied with our own personal salvation.
Yes, we are saved individually, and that is very important, because that is the very starting point at which each one of our relationships is restored with God. If this beginning point is not right, then everything else is in vain.
But we praise and thank God. If God leads us point by point into His glorious arrangement, then we must understand that being saved by grace is only one stroke in the work of the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, in Chinese characters, if you have only one stroke in a character, what does that mean? It is meaningless, because there is no word.
But we praise and thank God: when He begins that stroke, He does not stop there. His hand continues, point by point, until it is no longer merely one stroke; it is a word. Then we understand the meaning of it.
We who are saved by grace have been brought by the baptism of the Spirit into the fact of being one body.
Therefore, in the fact of being the body of Christ, we continue to receive the riches of God.
Perhaps your question is this: what is the difference between my individual salvation and the body of Christ?
If we do not know the way in which God works, then we say that there is no difference. It is either an individual experience, or we come into a corporate body where other individuals have similar experiences.
Brothers and sisters, we cannot think in this way. Can we truly see the body of Christ?
Then we realize how great and how high the purpose of God is upon us. If the fulfillment of God’s purpose in His creation of man is fulfilled in us, that boundary is only this earth.
But if God brings us into His divine plan for the universe, then brothers and sisters, you will see why God is so gracious to us who are from the dust.
If we read Ephesians, we find that this is too great. Even if we use the most scientific mind that we have, and all the scientific equipment available to us, their conclusions and findings cannot give us a clear sense of how great the universe is.
Brothers and sisters, do you understand this? Then we will see what a great salvation this is.
I think it was yesterday or today that we sang a hymn which speaks of the glorious return of the Lord. There is a line that is very meaningful: on the day when we see the Lord, we will realize how grand is salvation.
Those words are correct, but they cannot fully describe the condition in which we shall be. When you return to the word of God and see the eternal purpose of God in Ephesians 1, you see that first He shows us how He will complete His eternal will through His own Son.
If we add the words in Colossians, we see even more clearly that God will allow His Son to be Lord of all.
Now the issue is this: how great is “all”? We do not have an answer. Scientists cannot give an answer. Only God Himself knows this answer.
Even with the knowledge we have today, we can realize how infinite this universe is. But we praise and thank God: even in this infinity, God has proclaimed this matter.
In the fullness of time, God will cause all things to be gathered together and summed up in Christ.
Brothers and sisters, I have already mentioned that, in our present condition, there is no way for us to fathom and grasp this matter of infinity. But we thank God that He has already proclaimed this matter.
One day, God will gather and sum up all things in Christ. Today we cannot completely know this matter of all things, but God will do one thing on that day: all things will be gathered together as one.
At that time, we will be sure of how infinite all things are. Let us first take note that God has already proclaimed this glorious fact.
Let me go off on a tangent and say this first: why is it that Satan opposes God so greatly, and those who follow God? It is because Satan wants to usurp this position from God.
From that point, you realize how great this position is. But we thank God: Satan is sure to fail.
Now we can see this will of God. When God gathers and sums up all things in Christ, how is this accomplished?
Again, we are unqualified, because we do not even know how great all things are. How can we rule over all things so that they submit under one authority?
But we thank God. When we see the Son of God, we can see a very clear fact. When He was raised from the dead and ascended on high, did our Lord not proclaim this matter?
All authority hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth.
In other words, all things are now in His hand. Therefore, there is no problem at all for Him to gather all things as one in Himself. Not only is He qualified; He is assured.
Now, then, the issue is this: how does our Lord gather and sum up all things in Christ?
It is not through any other special arrangement, but through you and me—those who have received grace in His redemption.
Brothers and sisters, go home and read Ephesians 1 carefully. Very clearly, you will discover the secret.
If I did not remind you to pay attention to this, perhaps you would read it over without noticing. But since I have mentioned it, when you read it at home, immediately you will discover it.
Who is it that proclaims that He will sum up all things in Christ? And how is He to do this? Ephesians tells us that this glorious work of the Lord begins with those who first trusted in Him.
God says beforehand that He will gather all things in Christ, and then we read that this praise and glory begins with those who first hoped in Christ.
Who are those who first hoped in Christ? Of course, you are included. I am included. All those who are saved by grace are included.
As a corporate body, this is the body of Christ. This is the church.
Brothers and sisters, now you see: when we speak of the restoration and recovery of the glorious testimony of Jesus Christ, where do we begin?
Of course, it begins with your individual spiritual pursuit. We need to pay attention to that, because if the individual is not right, then the corporate body is not right.
The corporate body is right because all the individuals who make up that body are right. We praise and thank God: He shows us very clearly those who first trusted and first hoped in Christ.
This is the first procedure of God in His completion of all things. If we are clear on the eternal plan of God, we can say it this way: because of the completion of the church, the kingdom will be brought forth.
This afternoon we already heard of the matter of the gospel of the kingdom. We are saved by grace for the kingdom. Whether we know of the kingdom or not, since we are saved by grace, God has placed us in this position.
But how can the kingdom be brought forth? Israel has become history; she cannot go back to it. God has replaced Israel with the church to complete that which was not fulfilled.
When the church fulfills her completion and becomes full-grown, the kingdom will be brought in.
When the church is able to manifest the authority of God in the kingdom, then the new heaven and new earth will be brought in.
When we see the New Jerusalem, we see the glorious church. That New Jerusalem is the church.
When that is completely fulfilled, brothers and sisters, then all things being gathered and summed up in Christ will become a reality.
We praise and thank our Lord. From our individual salvation, we see what a grand position God has placed us in. Through the maturity of the body of Christ, we can see the glorious will of God enter into its completion.
We do not have much time this evening. On the one hand, the Lord is coming near, and on the other hand, I do not have much time to speak, even though there is still much work to cover.
But brothers and sisters, you have already realized one thing: when we see this glorious will of God, we realize how spiritual experience is brought about along our path.
When we look forward, how can we receive that crown of righteousness? We realize that God has such glorious plans for each one of us.
When we see this glorious arrangement of God, we must confess one thing: we are still in a condition of desolation.
Our God is still waiting. He is still awaiting our following on according to His desire. Even though we cannot do any great thing, at the very least we are all qualified to be mindful of God’s will.
Therefore, we look to our Lord. While we remain on earth, our focus ought to be the goal which God has set before us, allowing that goal to determine our path ahead.
We are willing that, one day, when we see the Lord face to face, we will hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
Brothers and sisters, what is good? Good is that you have completely submitted under the authority of the Lord.
In the Lord’s eyes, this is a good people: those who have lived under the Lord’s authority and under the direction of the Lord.
What is faithful? What God has entrusted to us, we have not lost any part of it. We can settle our account before Him.
We thank our Lord. We are those who are foolish. We are but dust. But now God has placed us in such a glorious will.
The Lord has such a longing for us: that we are to manifest the testimony of Christ. The end result of this testimony is brought into full completion under the condition that God is completely satisfied.
May the Lord show us how honorable we are. Our brother shared with us that we are fighting a noble fight. Of course it is noble. Not only is that work noble; we ourselves are noble.
May the Lord show us the fullness of His grace. The grace which we have received from the Lord cannot be compared with anything on this earth. May all the glory be given to the Lord.
May the blessing from God strengthen us to finish the course we ought to finish, so that, just like Paul, we can receive that crown of righteousness from the hand of the Lord.
That crown of righteousness is not reserved for Paul alone, but also for you—and, of course, that includes me. Let us all look to the Lord.
Lord, we bow our heads and worship You, because indeed You have done a wonderful thing. You have allowed us, who are of the dust, to receive such high grace from You.
You have given us such a wonderful end. It is to satisfy Your heart and to complete Your will. Lord, we are nothing, but You have been so gracious.
May we enjoy the fullness of Your grace, as we are those who completely follow Your footsteps. May we be delivered from the captivity of this world, and from all those things, people, and matters that have nothing to do with You.
Lord, may You be satisfied because of us. Because You are pleased with us, we also rejoice with You.
May our praises, thanksgiving, glory, and adoration be given to our Lord.
We pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.