October 20, 2013
Scripture:
Let’s turn to Genesis 49:10. Before Jacob died, he called all his sons together. When you consider how long ago this was spoken and written, it is interesting to read the prophecies. Read v. 10. You might be saying, “Isn’t Shiloh a place?” That is true, but Shiloh is also a person. Shiloh means peace: so here we have a person that brings peace, and the people are gathered to him. We are here to remember the Giver of peace this morning. He was spoken of so long ago, yet this truth is our blessed reality.
Hymn 341 - Jesus bids us shine
Prayer
Today we are going to look at the life of King Uzziah. In the book of Kings he is known as king Azariah.
2 Chronicles 26
When Uzziah took the throne, he was 16 years old and he reigned for 52 years. We are told that Uzziah did all that was right in the eyes of the Lord and that he sought the Lord. He honoured the Lord and he prospered because of it. Uzziah’s prospering was God’s blessing on his life.
Proverbs 2:4 & 5
We should seek after wisdom as if it were silver or treasure. About 120 years ago, there was a gold rush in the Yukon. I read that over 100,000 people went there to look for gold; only half of them came back, and only a few of those actually found gold. These people were seeking to get rich. We should search the Bible with the same diligence.
Proverbs 3:13 - 15
Wisdom is more precious than rubies, gold, and jewels. The Lord promised that if we seek Him, we will prosper. Uzziah sought the Lord and he prospered. Then, the Lord helped him defeat the Philistines and he became known as a king that prospered.
Uzziah also liked to farm. He had vineyards and gardens. He dug wells so that he could water his crops. We can dig into the scriptures so that we can water our spiritual needs. Uzziah prepared his armour for his army. In Scripture, we are told of different pieces of spiritual armour that we can wear for protection against the enemy. Then, Uzziah’s men invented different equipment for war. This spread his name even further. God helped him and he was able to do so much.
Unfortunately, Uzziah’s end wasn’t as good as his beginning. After all of his success, he became proud. He went into the temple and did something that God had gave only the priests to do. Eighty priests went in after him and told him to get out. Uzziah got angry and God smote him with leprosy. Uzziah had been so blessed by God, but his pride ruined him.
Proverbs 16:8
Uzziah’s pride brought destruction. God smote him with leprosy to show him that God was in charge. May we realize that everything that we have was given to us by the Lord and may we learn from Uzziah not to be proud.
Acts 2:41-47
The Lord has promised His presence in certain types of assembly meetings (not personal meetings, though they may be spiritual). Here in Acts 2:42 we have a few types of such meetings: the breaking of bread, the prayer meeting, and the open meeting (a time for edification). We can enjoy the Lord’s presence individually elsewhere, but only collectively in assembly meetings.
1 Corinthians 5:4. This is important. We gather to the Lord’s name, with Him in the midst, seeking for the Spirit of God to direct the meeting and bring His truth. We did that this morning.
We had the breaking of bread this morning, but we also had a worship meeting along with it. That’s not always necessary; you can have the breaking of bread elsewhere without a worship meeting (e.g., visiting the isolated, or those in hospital). That’s probably what these believers were doing when they broke bread daily.
Another assembly meeting is the prayer meeting. As with the breaking of bread, the whole assembly is invited and the brothers are cast on the Lord to direct.
We then have the open meeting. 1 Corinthians 14:26a, 29-30. What is a prophet? Corinth had many gifted people: teachers, evangelists, prophets, etc. A prophet doesn’t necessarily tell the future, but he speaks God’s mind for the present occasion. In a meeting, two or three prophets are allowed to speak, no more. Even if the Lord gives a fourth person a thought, he is to hold it. A reading meeting is similar, but multiple brothers can share their thoughts on a passage. It shouldn’t be a sitting address.
Speaking of addresses, they are not assembly meetings and neither are gospels. In an address, the brother speaking takes all the responsibility, not the whole assembly. With a gospel, you invite someone to speak, not wait around to see who the Lord gives the word to. Also, there are other gatherings of the assembly that are not assembly meetings (money decisions, etc.).
When we are dependant on the Lord to lead, we are His mouthpieces. Psalm 22 tells us that He will lead the praises in the assembly; but to have that we must be gathered in the His name. Some think that they gather in that name, but they don’t realize that they have to gather in all that that name stands for: separation from the world, systems, and moral evil.
If these early believers were steadfastly continuing daily, how were they also in the temple? The temple was Jewish. At this point, they didn’t have Paul’s doctrine, which includes the ground of gathering; they were learning as they went. They obviously didn’t remember the Lord’s death in the temple, or they would have been kicked out. The two were incompatible.
These people were able to have all things in common because they were all in one place. Once the church started to spread, it was impossible. Also, the breaking of bread wasn’t necessarily migrating from “house to house” all the time, Mr.Darby’s translation just says, “in the house.”
Verse 47 shows us that as these believers were faithful to do what they were supposed to, the Lord added to them. It was His responsibility to save people, not theirs. The church is His body, and He will give the increase to it.
Hymn 180 – Whom have we, Lord, but Thee
Prayer