Page 131 - The Christian Life and the Church Life_Government of God

The Recovery of the Church as the Israel of God 130

another church – we have to get permission.” There is no such thing! They
would just open the matter up and it is up to the elders and the churches what
to do.
About four weeks ago, I received an e-mail from the elders of the church
in Anaheim. I’m not an elder there. I’m a happy brother just to be there and
not have the weight of that responsibility, and I am so thankful. These elders
in Anaheim asked me, “Would you consider coming on January 11th to
have two special meetings?” Then they said, “We would like to invite other
churches to come.” I did have the leading to go, and a few hundred came
from Anaheim and from other places. Once again, the elders did not have
the thought, “Wait a minute, we have to fill out a form. We have to have the
approval of the co-workers.” But some workers do not think that way. I do
not know after this weekend if they will repent, meaning, change their mind
– that is their responsibility, not mine.
Some leading brothers in churches told us, “If two churches want to
come together, have a blending meeting, the workers would say ‘No, this is
a matter of the work’” – that is a lie; that is false. This thought, which is not
just a fleeting thought, but also a concept wrought into the minds of certain
persons, both on the workers’ side and on the side of the dear saints, “The
workers are superior. They have authority over the churches. They can direct
this and that. They can contact elders that sympathize with them and tell
them, ‘Remove that elder from the Lord’s table meeting because we do not
agree with what he did.’” Because (as Brother Mark emphasized so clearly
and faithfully), the workers did not know the truth, or did not regard it, and
the saints were afraid, thinking, “We do not want to touch authority, we do
not want to be rebellious,” certain workers can use that to manipulate people.
But if we realize the truth – we respect the work, we want the work to be
blessed and to increase, we want many, many more to be saved and baptized,
we want more churches to be raised up, and we support this work – the work
and the ministry are for the church.

In Matthew 16, the Lord did not say, “Upon this rock I will build My
work.” He did not say, “Upon this rock I will establish My ministry.” Rather,
he said, “I will build My church.” Read the New Testament again on how the
church is described in its nature. The local church is called the church of God,
the church of Christ, and the church of the saints. Of the saints! Your church