Will you please turn to the Gospel according to John, chapter 1? We will read from verse 19 through verse 28. I will read it through, and then my brother will read it in Chinese.
John 1:19-28
And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent unto him from Jerusalem priests and Levites to ask him, Who art thou?
And he confessed, and denied not; and he confessed, I am not the Christ.
And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered, No.
They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.
And they had been sent from the Pharisees.
And they asked him, and said unto him, Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Christ, neither Elijah, neither the prophet?
John answered them, saying, I baptize in water: in the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not, even He that cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose.
These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Please turn also to Acts chapter 11, verse 26.
Acts 11:26
And having found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people; and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Dear Lord, we come together with hearts full of gratitude. We praise and thank Thee that Thou hast invited us to Thine own table.
We thank Thee for all that Thou hast done for us—for Thy blood for us. We are what we are today; it is all because of Thee.
Dear Lord, we come together with hearts of gratitude. We wait before Thee. What hast Thou to say to us? Lord, speak; Thy servants hear. We ask in Thy precious name. Amen.
Yesterday morning, we spoke about our past. We said that the reason we want to know something about past history is because these things are for our admonition.
Admonition means two things. On the one hand, it is encouragement; on the other hand, it is a warning. We are warned to avoid all the things that should not happen, and we are encouraged to go on with what the Lord has led us into.
So I do hope that we may learn something from our past.
Now this morning, I would like to ask a question: What is our identity? Who are we who are gathered together? Who are we, really? Do we know who we are? Do people know who we are?
You know, people are full of curiosity. They want to know who we are, and they will have all kinds of ideas. Brothers and sisters, if we do not know who we are, why should we gather in this way? When people ask us, will we be able to answer them?
I remember a number of years ago, a man was discovered who did not know who he was. They took him in and tried to find out who he really was. He did not even know what his name was. He did not know where he came from. His mind was completely blank.
But in the house there was a piano. When he saw the piano, he went to it and began to play beautiful music. Yet he did not know who he was. Finally, after a long while, they discovered his identity.
It is very important to know who you are.
When our Lord Jesus was on earth, people wondered who He really was. Some thought He was the Messiah; others thought that He was not. According to Jewish tradition and the teaching of their fathers, they were looking for the Messiah.
But their idea of the Messiah was political. At that time they were under Roman control, and they were looking for a Messiah who would come to deliver them from the Roman yoke.
At the beginning of our Lord’s ministry, it seemed as though they welcomed Him. But gradually it became clear that He was not interested in politics. His whole desire was to seek and to save the lost.
Eventually, they rebelled against Him and even crucified Him. But all the while, our Lord Jesus knew exactly who He was. He knew He was the Son of God. He knew He was sent by His Father for a mission. He knew exactly what He came to do.
The people who truly knew Him received eternal life. Those who misunderstood Him were condemned. What a difference it makes to know who He is.
Brothers and sisters, John the Baptist first came on the scene after four hundred years in which God had been silent to His people Israel.
Suddenly, a voice came from the wilderness. John was there preaching. He called people to repent, because the kingdom of heaven had drawn near.
Many people flocked to him, especially sinners. They came to him, repented, and were baptized. But the religious hierarchy did not trust him.
They heard about all these things and wanted to know who he really was. So Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to inquire of him. They asked, “Who are you? Are you the Christ, the Messiah?”
John said, “I am not.”
Then they asked, “Are you Elijah?” Why did they ask such a question? Because the last message in the Old Testament, in Malachi chapter 4, told the children of Israel that before the great and terrible day of the Lord, He would send Elijah.
Malachi 4:5-6
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers.
In other words, they were asking, “If you are not the Messiah, are you the forerunner of the Messiah? Are you that Elijah who has come to prepare the hearts of God’s people?” John said, “I am not.”
Then they asked, “If you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, are you the prophet?” They knew the Bible very well. In Deuteronomy chapter 18, Moses prophesied that God would raise up from among their brethren a prophet, and that God’s word would be with Him.
Deuteronomy 18:18-19
I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak unto them all that I shall command Him.
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which He shall speak in My name, I will require it of him.
In other words, God would judge the one who did not obey Him. So they asked, “Are you the prophet?” John said, “I am not.”
You find that this man John knew what he was not. He did not pretend to be what he was not.
Finally, they asked him, “If you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet, who are you?” John knew exactly who he was. He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord.’”
This was taken from Isaiah chapter 40. John knew his identity. He was a voice, sent to prepare the way of the Lord.
The Pharisees then asked, “If you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet, why do you baptize people?”
Baptism was a very serious thing to them. It was generally received by Gentiles who wished to become Jews. It represented a thorough change—a complete turning from being a Gentile to becoming a Jew. It was as though one had become a new man.
So they were asking John, “What right do you have to baptize people?” John answered, “I baptize with water, but there is One among you whom you do not know. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. I am not even fit to unloose the latchet of His sandals.”
This is the witness of John the Baptist.
Dear brothers and sisters, it is very important to know our identity. We should know it very clearly ourselves, so that when people ask us, we know how to answer them.
People are really curious. They always want to know who you are, because without knowing who you are, they do not know what to do with you. It is important that we know who we are, so that people will not be mistaken.
When we meet another Christian, probably the first thing he will ask is, “Are you a Christian?” We say, “Thank God, I am a Christian.” There should immediately be a bond between the two.
But unfortunately, people often continue to inquire: “Which denomination do you belong to?” If they find that you do not belong to the same denomination, then they say goodbye. That is the problem in this world.
I remember in the 1960s, I went to Peru to visit a couple of American missionaries. They loved the Lord and spent years in Peru. Half of the year they travelled by boat along the Amazon River, visiting villages; the other half they travelled by truck through the high mountains to visit villages there.
I was invited by a dear brother to meet this couple. I spent three weeks with them. They lived in a place along the Amazon River where there was no road; one had to fly in.
The day before I was to leave, there was a conference in that village. People came from neighboring villages, some travelling through the forest. Since I was leaving the next day, they asked me if I could speak on the first night.
Before the meeting began, an English missionary from a neighboring village came. Before supper, he came to talk with me. He wanted to know who I was, so he began to ask questions. The questions came closer and closer.
I knew that he came from the Exclusive Brethren, and I knew what he believed. So when he asked me questions, I tried to answer very carefully.
He was not satisfied merely that I was a Christian. He wanted to know what I believed. The Exclusive Brethren believed that the whole church would be raptured before the great tribulation.
I did not think so, and I knew he was trying to examine me. He asked, “When the church is raptured, do you believe the whole church will be raptured?”
I said, “Of course the whole church will be raptured.” But he was not satisfied. He asked, “Once, or more than once?”
I told him, “Brother, it so happens that I believe more than once. I believe that those who are overcomers will be raptured before the great tribulation, and the others will follow after the great tribulation.”
Do you know what he said? “You do not believe the Bible.”
I said, “Brother, I believe the Bible just as you do. It so happens that we have different interpretations. But I am open. If one day the Lord shows me that there is only one rapture, I will believe it. But today I do not feel that it is that way.”
As we walked to the meeting place, he told me, “If you speak, I will not speak.” He said it repeatedly.
I was leaving the next day, and I did not want to interfere with their meeting. So I told the brothers, “I am not going to speak.”
The next morning I was leaving, and the native brethren wanted to know why I had not spoken. Brothers and sisters, do you see the point?
How often God’s people are divided! We all believe in the Lord. We all belong to the body of Christ. Yet often, for other reasons, God’s people are divided.
People today are not satisfied with merely being Christians. This is why there are so many divisions.
You remember the church in Corinth. Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers because they had many questions, but there was one question they did not ask: the question of division.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 1, Paul said, “I hear that there are divisions among you.” The people in Corinth took divisions as usual. They thought nothing about it. But to Paul, it was very important.
Some said, “I am of Paul.” Some said, “I am of Apollos.” Some claimed, “I am of Cephas.” Others, trying to appear more spiritual, said, “I am of Christ.” There was a party spirit among them.
It is true that God used Paul to lead many people in Corinth to Christ. It is true that Apollos was a great teacher. It is true that Cephas was one of the chief apostles. But Paul asked, “Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?”
Paul belongs to you. Apollos belongs to you. But we all belong to Christ.
This is a real problem among God’s people today. This is the reason that Christianity is so divided.
When the church began on earth, on the day of Pentecost, one hundred and twenty believers were gathered in the upper room.
When our Lord Jesus left the earth, there were one hundred and twenty of His followers. There were apostles, women who loved the Lord, and even the mother and brethren of our Lord Jesus.
These one hundred and twenty people obeyed the Lord’s command. They returned to Jerusalem and gathered together for ten days. They prayed together with one accord and waited for the promise from above.
You cannot find a better congregation than those one hundred and twenty people. They prepared themselves for the coming of power from on high.
They were together for ten days, and they even prayed with one accord. That is most unusual. We are all individuals. We have our own ideas.
But on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they were baptized in one Spirit into one body.
Brothers and sisters, there is a great difference between a congregation of one hundred and twenty members and a body with one hundred and twenty members. A congregation may consist of one hundred and twenty individuals gathered together. But a body with one hundred and twenty members is one.
This is the miracle of Pentecost.
People today often think of Pentecost in terms of sound and sight: the sound as of a rushing mighty wind, and tongues of fire resting upon each of the one hundred and twenty. But what is the real meaning of Pentecost? What is the real meaning of baptism with the Holy Spirit?
In the Bible, it is not the Holy Spirit who baptizes us. God baptizes us with the Holy Spirit. In one Spirit, we are made into one body.
Our brother mentioned 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 12:
1 Corinthians 12:12
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.
When we read this verse, our first reaction may be that something is wrong. We might think it ought to say, “So also is the church.” But the Bible says, “So also is Christ.”
Why is this so?
In the 1960s, we had a conference near Washington, D.C., between Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis. Brother Sparks, Brother Frank, and I were the speakers.
One time we were talking about the church, and I tried to help the brothers and sisters have a clear knowledge of what the church really is.
I tried to use a formula. I knew that Brother Sparks was against formulas; he was so spiritual that there was no form! So before I said it, I turned to Brother Sparks and said, “Brother Sparks, what I am going to say, you have to forgive me, because I am going to use a formula.”
The formula was very simple. I said, “What is the church? Suppose there are only three Christians in the world. Who would you think of? Of course, you would think of Peter, John, and James.”
Suppose there are only these three Christians. What is the church? Is it Peter plus John plus James equal to the church? Everybody said, “No.”
Then I said, “Is it Christ in Peter, plus Christ in John, plus Christ in James, equal to the church?” Again, everybody said, “No.”
Suppose you have these three people together, and they all have Christ in them. Do you know what happens? Peter wants to be the chief. James and John want to sit at the right hand and the left hand of the Lord. They maneuver against one another.
When our Lord was going to Jerusalem, James and John thought He was going to be crowned. They regarded it as their last opportunity. Their mother, who was related to our Lord, came with her two sons and said, “Lord, we want to ask You something.”
The Lord asked, “What do you want?” Finally, they said, “When You come into Your kingdom, let one sit on Your right hand and one on Your left hand.”
Brothers and sisters, suppose you have Peter, John, and James. They have Christ in them. Unfortunately, they also have Peter, John, and James there.
That is the trouble with the church today. We are all saved by grace, but when we come together, what happens? As long as the flesh is still there, sooner or later problems will arise.
So what is the church? The formula is this:
Brothers and sisters, do we see the lesson here? God has united us into one, and yet, since man sinned, no two people can truly be one in themselves.
Before Adam and Eve sinned, they were one. But after sin entered, division immediately happened. When the Lord came and inquired of Adam, Adam said, “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me.” When the Lord asked the woman, she said, “The serpent.”
As long as our flesh remains with us, no unity is possible. How important it is that there be a dealing with our flesh.
No wonder our Lord Jesus said again and again that we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. That is the only way we can be one.
Thank God for gathering us together to believe Him. But we must remember that we have to deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow Him. Then Christ will be manifested, because the church is nothing else but Christ.
When you read the book of Acts, you know that on the day of Pentecost not only were the one hundred and twenty joined into one body, but on that same day three thousand were added.
I will say a little more about the Holy Spirit. The experience of the apostles concerning the Holy Spirit came step by step.
When they believed in the Lord Jesus and became His disciples, no doubt they received God’s life. The Lord said that if you receive Him and believe in Him, you become children of God.
So they had the life of Christ and became followers of our Lord Jesus. But did they have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them? No. That is why they could not understand the Lord fully.
But the Lord said that one day they would understand. When the Holy Spirit came, He would teach them, and they would no longer need to ask Him in the same way.
Then, on the day of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, the disciples were together and the Lord appeared to them. He breathed into them and said, “Receive ye the Holy Spirit.”
This was not merely symbolic. When God breathed into Adam’s nostrils, Adam became a living soul. In the same way, at the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, when He breathed into the disciples and said, “Receive ye the Holy Spirit,” they received the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Otherwise, how could they have been together for ten days, praying with one accord?
But on the day of Pentecost they received the baptism with the Holy Spirit. With the three thousand people, their experience was different.
What happened to those three thousand? They believed in the Lord Jesus. They received the life of the Lord, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
This is our experience. When we believe in the Lord Jesus, we not only receive new life; we receive the indwelling Holy Spirit, and we are baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Yet we need experiences such as consecration and awakening, through which what God has done in us is reactivated. These things that have been given to us begin to appear in our lives.
The church began in Jerusalem and spread to the ends of the earth. At the beginning, people thought it was simply a sect within Judaism, because all the believers were Jews.
But in Acts chapter 11, the gospel began to spread to the Gentiles. In Antioch, Jews, Greeks, and Gentiles were together.
When you read the book of Acts, you find that the word Christian does not appear at the beginning. When the world looked at these people, what word did they use to describe them? They called them “people of the Way.”
They had a manner of life different from every other manner of life in the world. They did not live the Jewish way of life, and they did not live the Greek way of life. They lived a way of life the world had never seen before.
The first nickname given to these believers was that they were people of the Way. In the book of Acts, Saul persecuted the people of the Way. Later, after he believed in the Lord Jesus, he testified that he had persecuted that Way.
It was not until Antioch that the disciples were called Christians. The people looked at them: they were Jews, Gentiles, Greeks, and others, yet they were together as one in the name of the Lord Jesus.
They prayed to the Lord Jesus. When they opened their mouths, they spoke of the Lord Jesus. Christ was everything to them.
So the world looked at them and said, “These people are all Christians—Christ people, Jesus people.” At first, the word Christian was a sarcastic word. They knew nothing but Christ.
The word Christian occurs only three times in the Bible: Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16.
1 Peter 4:16
But if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name.
Finally, this word became something honorable. Brothers and sisters, do you think the word Christian is enough for you?
People are often not satisfied that you are simply a Christian. They want to know your denomination. They want to know what special teaching or doctrine you believe. Because of this, Christianity is divided today.
If you read Ephesians chapter 4, you find that we are all called. How can we live the body life? How can we maintain the unity of one body?
Ephesians 4:3
Giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The Holy Spirit has given us a unity. We have been baptized with the Holy Spirit into one body. There is a unity already given to us.
This unity is expressed in the sevenfold oneness: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all.
In the Holy Spirit, we are one. But this does not mean that we are already one in doctrine and in experience.
In Ephesians chapter 4 there are two unities. In verse 3, there is the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Then, in verse 13, we read:
Ephesians 4:13
Till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
We begin with the unity of the Spirit, but we need to keep it diligently. Why must we be diligent? Because it can be lost very easily.
If you have something very precious, you want to keep it diligently. There is nothing more precious than this unity of the Spirit. We have one Spirit, one Lord, and one Father. In God, we are one. Let us diligently keep it.
Then we need to continue in fellowship with one another. We must be open to one another concerning our understanding of the Scriptures and our experience of Christ.
Fellowship is not fellowship in ourselves. Fellowship is fellowship in Christ—in the word of the Lord and in the experience of the Lord.
We all have different understandings and different experiences. So let us share with one another. Let us listen with open hearts. Let us be willing to receive whatever is from the Lord, and not insist upon whatever we particularly have.
If we can fellowship in this way, we will arrive at the unity of the faith and the unity of the knowledge of the Son of God.
One faith is our basic faith: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This is the truth in the word of God.
We all have experience of Christ, but we do not all have the same experiences of Christ. Some are more advanced than we are. How can we arrive at that unity of the living knowledge of the Son of God?
Brothers and sisters, do not insist upon your own ideas. Be open. Hear your brothers and sisters. If we continue in fellowship, we will come to oneness.
Finally, let me give you a real case. When I was in New York, there was a couple who had graduated from Moody Bible Institute. They loved the Lord and came to New York as missionaries to the Jews.
They were connected with a Baptist church, but unfortunately they became involved with Unitarian teaching. They came to us seeking fellowship, and they were very honest. They told us what they believed.
We tried to help them see what was wrong with Unitarianism, but we could not convince them at first. Yet they were real children of God and they loved the Lord.
Finally, we told them, “You are welcome to come and fellowship with us. But you must promise one thing: you should not propagate universalism.”
They began to fellowship with us. But because they believed in universalism, they could not have full fellowship with us.
So they went back to the Lord and sought Him concerning it. Without our knowing, they cut off all their relationship with universalism and came into full fellowship.
Thank God. God has His way. He wants us to be one, and He will work in His way so that we may maintain the unity of the body.
This is our testimony.
Brothers and sisters, if anyone asks you, “Who are you?” I hope you can courageously say, “I am a Christian.”
The only question is whether we are worthy of that name. May the Lord help us.
As we gather together and go on together, may we know exactly who we are. We are Christians. Christ is all and in all.
Lord, we want to thank Thee for the privilege that Thou hast given to us to live for Thee. Help us to know who we are and to maintain the unity of the body. Amen.