Rochester Conference Part 4: The Church in Ephesians 3 (1996)

I’m in 3:19. Hence, know the knowledge of the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up. Filled up with the fullness of God Himself. All that God is in the church, all His fullness, each of us carrying a little of Him. Amen.

The chapter kind of ends in a fizzle here. This glorious, glorious, glorious prayer. I’m just going to read it because I don’t know anything else to say about it. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly everything else I have written in this book up until now beyond all that I have asked of Him as I am laying here sitting kneeling here on my knees for you, now, to Him who is able to do even exceedingly abundantly all these superlatives that I’ve stuck into this book, speaking of the grace, the glory, the gentleness, and the kindness of God’s mercies and graces, now, to Him who is able to encourage you who are in prison, because I’m in prison, now to Him who is filling up every little part of you that the fullness of God might come and rest in the church. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that which I have asked of Him and which we have asked of Him, or thought about, according to the power that works within us. Go ahead and clap? It’s worth it.

What power is working in us? It’s the power of an indwelling Lord in each member, and then the power of a living Lord also indwelling a girl, a body, a people, a building, a house, a citizenship of a country, and I left out two or three others, but in an indwelling Lord, the power that comes about because of an indwelling Lord? No! The power that comes about through an indwelling Lord in the church. He will do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask, all that we think, according to the power that works within a body of believers, a plurality, a corporation. And then just he ends with a praise: to Him, be glory through all generations forever and ever and ever.

This is one of the most sectarian statements I have ever read in my life. This is, talk about denominating. Oh, brothers, we need the glory of God. Oh, brothers, to Him be glory. Glorify Him, brother. Glorify Him, sister. I hate to tell you this, but according to that passage, this is a very narrow-minded man. The glory of Jesus Christ and the glorying, do you understand what I’m saying? The glorying of Jesus Christ belongs chiefly in the church, in the assembly. To Him be the glory in the church forever and forever world without end. Amen, amen, amen. Well, one of the things I hope someday to do is get around to churches and teach them how to worship the Lord; I’ve never had that privilege, so that they might know what it is to glory Him, to glorify Him for that place for Him to receive glory for glory to be in His body.

Now, sister, I ask you, have you ever asked, have you ever heard of a more sectarian man than that? He is putting Jesus Christ almost exclusively in the church. How many lines do we have, brother David? 63. And those 63 lines and 93 plurals are references to the church. Is that not true? Are references in the church, to the church, or from the church? 90. How many, and we’re at the end of chapter one? Tell me you’re not impressed.

I must say it again so simply, the Christian life was not designed to be lived. The scripture wasn’t even designed to be read…alright, we’re going to read it individually for the rest of our lives, but brothers and sisters, context is plural. What a load to lift and what a load to lay down. It is not me; it’s us. It is not my journey; it is our journey. It is not my Christian life to satisfy Him; it is our Christian life to satisfy Him. It is not my longing to know Him; it is her longing to know Him. And I’m part of her, and the height and the depth and the breadth and the length do not belong to me as an individual to be responsible for, but rather it is to her.

Now I would pray to the Lord that God would open our eyes further, Lord Jesus, until we literally see by revelation. We walk into a room together, and I’m just a part. There is a human being in this room. There is only one human being in this room. This human being is on the journey. I’m helping this human being discover Christ by bringing my little discovery, but she, or this person in this room, is the one who’s doing the discovery, not me. And if you’ve ever been in a meeting when you have seen someone unveil Christ and someone else got it and unveil more of Him spontaneously, and the revealing of Christ then bounced over to someone else, and to someone else, and we said here the other day, the church can always outreach any man. And another one sees something, and suddenly you are caught up corporately in an understanding of the heights and the depth and the breadth of the riches and the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus in the church. To Him be glory in the church forever and ever, world without end. Amen and amen.

You talk about freedom. You know, Lord, I have a feeling that the half has not been fancied. And I pray for the strengthening of the churches. Pray for the saints who love the Lord, just because it feels so good, sisters there and brothers there; all of her. May the churches be strengthened, oh Lord, may the churches see the church, may we as individuals both remain individuals before you with all of our relationships, and walk with you. Oh Lord, melt us too, until we see ourselves as a part of the whole. We have asked so many times, God bless us. Lord, I ask You, God, bless the girl. Lord, pour Your blessings out on her, and surely, we will be blessed. Pour out your faithfulness on her, and surely, we will be faithful. And when she stands before You a glorious church without spot or wrinkle, without blame or indictment, we will be in her as part of that glory. Lord, open a revelation to us that’s been lost. Let us see. Lord, show me that I am just a member there, but you’re flowing through me. Show me more than I know now of what membership means within her walls and within her. Show me this nation that is she. Show me the citizenship that is hers. Show me the body that is hers. Show me the city that is that girl. Show me that my strength lies in her, and that her strength lies in You indwelling her and her many pieces. And Lord, show us things we cannot understand or speak or know except by experience and do exceedingly above all that we ask or think. Amen.