May 28, 2025 • 32 mins
In this Address #3b of 4 meetings, John Brereton explains the spiritual truth that all believers in Christ are united into one body, the body of Christ, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit—a work that began at Pentecost. 1 Corinthians 12 shows that while believers may come from diverse backgrounds (Jews, Gentiles, bond, or free), they are baptized by the Spirit into one body, forming a living connection not only with each other but also with Christ, the Head in heaven. This unity is symbolized and expressed practically through the partaking of the one loaf at the Lord’s Table, representing the one body.
John emphasizes that while human failures and divisions exist outwardly, the spiritual reality of the one body remains intact, and believers are encouraged to endeavor to maintain the unity of the Spirit in love and peace.
Submit questions and comments to www.ThoughtsofChrist.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Mark (00:00):
We now come to the second half of the third meeting
delivered in the late 1970's byJohn Brereton, who went to be
with the Lord Jesus shortly afew years after at the young age
of 49.
In this third meeting we pick upthe transistion that our brother
John is making on the divineground of gathering that God
would desire to meet with mansince the early pages of Genesis
and we progress further into theNew Testament.
(00:22):
And now we pick up with brotherJohn is taking us into first
Corinthians chapter 12.
You turn now to 1 Corinthianschapter 12.
1 Corinthians chapter 12 andverse 12.
For as the body is one and hathmany members, and all the
members of that one body, beingmany, are one body, so also is
(00:45):
Christ.
For by one Spirit are we allbaptized into one body, whether
we be Jews or Gentiles.
Whether we be bond or free andhave been all made to drink into
one Spirit.
Now, brethren, we have theexplanation here of what took
(01:08):
place on the day of Pentecost.
I have no doubt in my own soulthat if you had asked Peter that
day, just what the significancewas of what had happened, all he
would have been able to say was-it was the promise of the
Father.
The Holy Spirit has come, thatHe might be with us and in us.
The Lord had told them that.
(01:30):
But now the Apostle Paul isgiven to us to reveal the
significance of what happened onthat day of Pentecost.
By one Spirit are we allbaptized into one body.
(01:50):
It was not that they were notbelievers before.
It is not that they were notsaved.
But they had not been puttogether into one body.
For that to happen, the Spiritof God had to come, and that had
(02:10):
to wait for the day ofPentecost.
But now we're told that on thatday, one body was formed.
And beloved brethren, by God'swondrous grace, the Spirit of
God, not only, precious as itis, not only joined all
believers together into onebody, but He also joined us to
(02:36):
the Head, which is in Heaven,the Lord Jesus Christ.
And that is why it says here in1 Corinthians chapter 12.
And the end of verse 12, As thebody is one and hath many
members, and all the members ofthat one body, being many, are
one body, so also is Christ.
(03:01):
Now brethren, what's it talkingabout?
It's talking about the body.
And the body has a name.
The name is Christ.
Isn't that a marvelous thing?
You remember how it says of Adamand Eve- That God looked upon
them and it says, and, He calledtheir name Adam.
(03:24):
Eve was so closely identifiedwith Adam that she took his
name.
Here we find the body is soclosely identified with the
Head.
There is one body, the Head inheaven, the body here on earth,
and so much is it one.
So closely are you and Iidentified with our Head in
(03:46):
heaven.
So much is the body one with theHead, that the word of God gives
the Head and the body one name.
And that name is Christ.
So also is Christ.
By one spirit are we allbaptized into one body.
Now can I put it very simply.
(04:07):
Do you belong to the Lord JesusChrist?
Have you believed the gospel ofyour salvation?
If you have, then the word ofGod says you were sealed with
the Holy Spirit of promise.
That moment that you acceptedChrist as your Savior, believed
the gospel of your salvation,the Spirit of God came to dwell
(04:32):
in you.
You were sealed by theindwelling of the Spirit of God,
and at the same moment- you weremade part of the body of Christ.
That which was formed on the dayof Pentecost- you were brought
(04:53):
into it by the indwelling of theSpirit of God.
And if you belong to Christtonight, the Spirit dwells in
you and forms the divine link.
That links you not only withevery other believer on the face
of the earth, but with yourHead, which is in heaven.
(05:15):
Now I'd like you to go on in 1Corinthians chapter 12 for a
moment, to the 25th verse.
That there should be no schismin the body, but that the
members should have the samecare one for another.
And whether one member suffer,all the members suffer with it.
Or one member be honored, allthe members rejoice with it.
(05:37):
Now, ye are the body of Christand members in particular.
Do you recall how we read backin Deuteronomy chapter 16?
How Israel was instructed thatthey were to have a care one for
another?
That God's eye was upon them andthat they were to see to it that
they provided for one another inthe care that was to
(06:01):
characterize them as one nation.
Here we find the Lord speaks ofthe same thing.
Not one nation now- one body.
And as members one of another,we're called upon to have that
care, one for another.
Now, brethren here, it tells usthat the body was formed.
(06:23):
Now, I'd like you to turn withme to Ephesians chapter four for
a moment.
Ephesians chapter four and verseone.
I, therefore, the prisoner ofthe Lord, beseech you that ye
walk worthy of the vocationwherewith you are called, with
all lowliness and meekness, withlong suffering, forbearing one
(06:44):
another in love, endeavoring tokeep the unity of the Spirit in
the bond of peace.
There is one body and oneSpirit.
Even as you are called in onehope of your calling.
Brethren, what took place on theday of Pentecost was that the
(07:07):
body of Christ was formed.
Now we're told that it isn'tsimply a question of there was
one body, but there is one body.
And tonight, just as true as itwas on the day of Pentecost.
There is one body and oneSpirit, even as you are called
(07:34):
in one hope of your calling.
Now, on the day of Pentecost,the believers were all together
with one accord in one place.
But their all being together didnot make them into one body.
(07:55):
The three thousand were not mademembers of the one body of
Christ because they went on withthe others.
They were made part of the bodyof Christ by the indwelling of
the Holy Spirit.
And on the day of Pentecost,when a soul got saved, he was
(08:16):
indwelt with the Spirit of God.
And when a soul gets saved inthe city of Montreal tonight, he
is indwelt by the same Spirit ofGod.
On the day of Pentecost, thesaved soul was added to the
assembly.
And the soul that gets savedtonight is immediately added to
(08:37):
God's assembly by the Spirit ofGod.
Nothing has changed as far asGod is concerned and as far as
that which is vital.
There is still one body and oneSpirit.
Now, you and I look around todayand we see very little outward
(09:00):
evidence that there is one body.
But there is.
There is one body.
The Spirit of God has maintainedthat which He formed on the day
of Pentecost.
The Spirit of God has not beenfragmented.
(09:20):
I trust I say that reverently.
The Spirit of God has not hadHis work demolished by man's
frailty and man's failure.
What He forms still exists.
But the Word of God says,"Endeavoring to keep the unity
(09:43):
of the Spirit in the bond ofpeace." Endeavoring to keep it.
God has formed it by His Spirit.
It is unbreakable.
The unity of the body, but theunity of the Spirit.
That which is to symbolize, topicture before this world, that
(10:07):
the one body of Christ is areality.
You and I know how fragmentedthat is today.
Now, brethren, the fact that thetestimony to the truth of the
one body of Christ that Godintended to be seen in this
(10:28):
world seems to be so broken updoes not in any way set aside
your responsibility and mine toendeavor to keep the unity of
the spirit and the bond ofpeace.
Would you turn with me to 1stCorinthians chapter 10 and verse
(10:52):
15.
I speak as to wise men, judge yewhat I say.
The cup of blessing which webless, is it not the communion
of the blood of Christ?
The bread which we break, is itnot the communion of the body of
Christ?
For we being many are one breadand one body.
(11:16):
For we are all partakers of thatone bread.
Behold, Israel after the flesh,are not they which eat of the
sacrifices partakers of thealtar?
What say I then, that the idolis anything, or that which is
offered in sacrifice to idols isanything?
But I say that the things whichthe Gentiles sacrifice, they
(11:38):
sacrifice to devils and not toGod.
And I would not that ye shouldhave fellowship with devils.
You cannot drink the cup of theLord and the cup of devils.
You cannot be partakers of theLord's table and of the table of
devils or demons.
Now we find, beloved brethren,that God has formed this body by
(12:01):
His Spirit.
We find that we are instructedto endeavor to keep it.
That is, to keep, to do what wecan, by the grace of God, to act
in such a way in ourrelationship one to another so
that scripturally we can act onthe truth of what God has formed
(12:24):
by His Spirit.
God has formed one body and wewant to, in endeavoring to keep
the unity of the Spirit, act insuch a way as to show out that
there is one body formed by theSpirit of God.
Now we find that one of theways, indeed the principle way
(12:51):
that God has given to us, Godhas given to his people to
manifest, to show out that thereis one body, is in the believers
all partaking of the one loaf.
We 1 Corinthians chapter 10 thatthe cup of blessing, which we
(13:16):
bless, the communion of theblood of Christ is mentioned
first.
Because, beloved brethren,before we can take the step that
would bring us to the Lord'stable, we need to know the
ground for our acceptance there,and that's the precious blood of
(13:38):
Christ.
By being saved through theprecious blood of Christ, you
were indwelt with the HolySpirit.
By being indwelt with the HolySpirit, you were made a member
of the body of Christ and bybeing a member of the body of
Christ your place is at theLord's table.
(14:01):
The Lord's table.
To have fellowship with the Lordat the Lord's table.
He next speaks of the body, thebread which we break, is it not
the communion of the body ofChrist.
Now, brethren, when we look uponthat loaf on the table, we see
(14:23):
represented there in that loaf,every member of the body of
Christ.
They are all represented there.
One loaf- one body.
Verse 17,"For we being many areone bread.
(14:44):
Or one loaf, one body." I lookat that loaf on Lord's Day
morning.
And what I see there is thatsymbol that God has given to us
to represent what God has formedby His Spirit.
The one body of Christ.
(15:06):
But now it goes on to say, inverse 17,"We being many are one
bread and one body.
For we are all partakers of thatone bread." One bread.
One loaf.
O beloved brethren- at Corinth-they were indeed partaking of
(15:30):
one loaf.
But what about today?
What about today?
How many places will there betomorrow morning in the city of
Montreal where there will be aloaf and a glass of wine on the
table?
And each one of these companies,so many of them, will say-they
will claim that we are gatheredunto the name of the Lord Jesus
(15:52):
Christ.
They will claim that this is theLord's table.
They will claim that they areshowing out that there is one
body.
And yet, beloved brethren, theWord of God suggests in the
strongest possible language thatthere is only one way, one way
(16:17):
in which it can be manifested.
It can be shown out that we areall members of one body, and
that is by partaking of oneloaf.
Not a dozen loaves, or 20loaves, or 50 loaves, but one
loaf.
One loaf.
Now, very obviously, it isn't aquestion of everyone trying to
(16:39):
get into one building.
Someone might say how could thatbe?
How could you get every believerin the city of Montreal together
into one building?
Brethren, that's not thedifficulty.
The difficulty is that everyone,so many, partake of different
loaves.
Now, beloved brethren, it cannotbe, it cannot be that two
(17:02):
companies can partake of twoloaves, independent one of the
other, and both express thetruth that there is one body.
If that is true, then I say itreverently, we have to take 1
Corinthians 10 out of our Bible.
It won't stand the test.
One body, one loaf.
(17:23):
And if I may say to any of mybeloved brethren here tonight, I
say this perhaps particularly tothe younger ones, but it doesn't
matter who, if you are heretomorrow morning, and you sit
there as a member of the body ofChrist, you know that you're
saved, you know that the Spiritof God dwells in you, you know
that you've been made a memberof the body of Christ- and you
(17:45):
let the loaf go by.
You do not partake of the loaf.
You are, if you are truly saved,you are a member of the body of
Christ.
But in letting the loaf go by,what you are saying is that you
are not.
That's what you're saying.
(18:06):
You're saying that you're notpart of that loaf.
That's why you don't partake ofit.
Now you say, I'm sure, thatisn't what I mean.
I don't mean to say that.
But the word of God says, herein the strongest possible
language.
We, being many, are one bread,one loaf, one body, for we are
(18:28):
all partakers of that one bread.
Perhaps before I pass from 1Corinthians 10, if I could just
clear up one suggestion that issometimes made, and it's an
appalling one.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 10, itspeaks of the Lord's table.
Not tables, but table, theLord's table.
(18:51):
And at the Lord's table,gathered scripturally, we
partake there in fellowship withthe Lord at His table.
We have fellowship with Him.
Now it also talks about thetables of demons.
The reference here, I don't meanto turn to it tonight, our time
(19:11):
is just about gone.
But the reference here is to the32nd chapter of Deuteronomy.
You're welcome to look it up anytime you choose, but the
suggestion that the tables thatman has established the tables
where many dear children of Godcome together that they have set
(19:37):
up for one reason or another,the suggestion that such tables
are tables of demons is not onlyunscriptural, but it is
appalling.
It is a terrible thing to evensuggest or think.
God never intended us to eventhink of the truth of God that
(19:57):
way.
When he speaks of the table ofdemons, he was talking here
specifically in Corinth of thosewho were partaking of that which
was offered to idols.
And he speaks of that which wasoffered to idols as coming from
the table of demons.
There may be, and undoubtedlyis, many a table that is man's
(20:20):
table.
But let us never even think inour hearts of such a thing as
tables where the Lord's peoplemeet, even if in division, they
may be, and undoubtedly manyare, man's tables, but not the
tables of demons.
1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse23.
For I have received of the Lordthat which also I delivered unto
(20:44):
you, that the Lord Jesus, thesame night in which He was
betrayed took bread.
And when He had given thanks, Hebreak it, and said, Take, eat.
This is My body.
Which is broken or given foryou.
This do in remembrance of Me.
(21:04):
After the same manner also Hetook the cup.
When he had supped saying thiscup is the new testament in My
blood.
This do ye as oft as ye drink itin remembrance of Me.
For as often as ye eat thisbread and drink this cup ye do
(21:26):
show the Lord's death till Hecome.
Wherefore, whosoever shall eatthis bread and drink this cup of
the Lord unworthily shall beguilty of the body and blood of
the Lord.
But let a man examine himselfand so let him eat of that bread
(21:47):
and drink of that cup.
He that eateth and drinkethunworthily eateth and drinketh
damnation or judgment to himselfnot discerning the Lord's body.
For this cause, many are weakand sickly among you, and many
sleep.
For if we would judge ourselves,we should not be judged.
But when we are judged, we arechastened of the Lord, that we
(22:10):
should not be condemned with theworld.
Now, beloved brethren, yourecall how last night, for those
who were here, we spoke of thevery foundation of the truth
that we've been looking at forthese last three meetings is the
death and resurrection of theLord Jesus Christ.
(22:30):
We noticed how that first typein Genesis chapter 22 was the
father and son going together tothe place of sacrifice.
We found over and over again aswe went through how God brings
this number"three" before us.
In a most striking way, inconnection with the testimony,
to remind us that to try tounderstand the truth, to try as
(22:56):
it were to enter into the truth,to walk in any measure into the
in the truth, Without theheart's affections being
engaged, without the faith beinginvolved, can only lead to
tragedy.
We find when we come to the NewTestament that nothing has
changed.
That here God has, by HisSpirit, given us a wonderful
(23:19):
privilege, available to everychild of God that will walk
consistently in any measure thewondrous privilege of partaking
of the Lord's Supper at theLord's table.
Now, brethren, the one who hasinvited us there is the Lord
(23:42):
himself.
It is His table.
Paul was not present on thenight when this was instituted.
And so the Lord gives him aspecial revelation.
He received it from the Lord,not from Peter.
And that was that there was tobe a memorial, a remembrance of
(24:06):
the Lord Jesus made up of a loafand a cup.
A loaf of bread, a cup of wine,the simplest of things.
And yet how precious to see thatloaf and to recognize that God
is saying to us in the loaf ourplace is there because we are
(24:29):
members of the one body ofChrist.
To see in that bread broken,that bread given, the body of
the Lord Jesus in His death atCalvary.
That body that was prepared forHim.
The wood that was laid uponIsaac.
(24:52):
There He is, His body.
And He dies for us.
And that body prepared for Him.
And now we find that in theremembrance, in partaking of
that one loaf, I remember theLord Jesus in his death.
(25:13):
And I express, I lay claim, Iact upon the truth that I am
part of that one body portrayedin that one loaf.
We find at Corinth that therewas much that grieved the heart
(25:35):
of the Apostle.
Grieved even more the heart ofthe Lord Jesus.
Conduct that was tragic.
And so the Apostle Paul writesto them concerning this
remembrance of the Lord.
He gives them to see that inacting in the scriptural order,
(25:55):
partaking of the one loaf,partaking of the cup, they
showed out the Lord's death tillHe come.
They showed out that in thoseemblems was pictured the picture
of death, the blood pictured inthe cup separate from the body.
(26:22):
And then he brings before themthe solemnity of partaking of
that which symbolized the deathto put sin away and yet still
going on in sin.
So he says, in the 27th verse,Wherefore, whosoever shall eat
this bread and drink this cup ofthe Lord unworthily, that is, in
(26:46):
an unworthy manner, in a mannerthat was not worthy of the Lord,
shall be guilty of the body andblood of the Lord.
That is, such a one fails tosee, fails to act upon, fails to
express, that it took the bodyand blood of the Lord, it took
(27:07):
His death to put those very sinsaway that they were now going
on.
And beloved brethren, when wetalk about the Lord's table,
when we talk about the Lord'ssupper, we are talking about
that which is infinitelyprecious.
And yet, beloved brethren, Itrust it's with the sense that
(27:31):
"Holiness becomes Thy house, OLord forever." They are told in
the 28th verse,"Let a manexamine himself, and so let him
eat of that bread.
and drink of that cup." Theywere to examine themselves, to
judge themselves, to put awaythat which was contrary to the
(27:53):
word of God.
And then they were to partake ofthat bread and drink of that
cup.
But brethren, what has happenedso much in Christendom today?
Oh, a man examines himself todayand he says I don't like it.
I think those people are toonarrow.
They're too strict.
(28:13):
I'm going to start my own.
I'm going to start my own table.
And I'll claim the Lord'spresence, too.
I'll claim that I'm meeting inthe name of the Lord, too.
Perhaps discipline, that is tocharacterize, that is to be part
of that which bears the name ofthe Lord.
Perhaps discipline comes in andthe result is that man, set
(28:36):
aside, forms his own table asJeroboam did.
And so we look around today andwe see the saints of God divided
into so many companies.
Beloved brethren, the word ofGod in language I trust that we
see cannot be clearer in showingto us that there can only be one
(29:04):
testimony owned of God to thetruth that there is one body.
There can only be one loafpartaken of.
I trust we'll have, if the Lordtarries, the opportunity to go
into a little further theproblems and difficulties that
beset the Lord's people inacting on this principle.
(29:27):
But the fact remains that God,by His Spirit, is still
gathering to the name of theLord Jesus Christ.
That which is to characterizethose thus gathered remains the
same.
Consistency of walk gathered,conscious of the sense in our
(29:52):
own souls of whose Name we meetin, Who is there, a house of
prayer A place where disciplineis exercised to maintain
holiness.
And a place, beloved brethren,above all else, where the Lord
is worshiped.
Now, beloved brethren, inclosing, I would just like to
(30:13):
add this further comment.
If you and I tonight knew beyonda shadow of a doubt that the
Lord Jesus Christ, was to be ina certain place in Montreal.
Where would we be tonight?
I believe I can safely say thateach and every one of us would
(30:35):
be where He is.
And we would be there because Heis there.
But let's suppose for one momentthe Lord Jesus was to say that
tonight He is going to be intwenty places in the city of
Montreal.
I believe that we would be intwenty different places, some in
one, some in another, somesomeplace else, perhaps some
(30:58):
closer to their homes, otherswhere they like the people
better.
For a variety of reasons, wechoose one or the other.
Beloved brethren- Why?
Why would we be apart?
Can I say it reverently?
Whose fault would it be that weare not together if such were
(31:18):
true?
Is not the honest answer, thefault would be the Lord's?
He put himself in twentydifferent places.
He must expect his people tomeet in twenty different places.
But, beloved brethren, the Lordhas already shown us, already
(31:40):
told us, His desire is that theyshould be together.
In the seventeenth chapter ofJohn, the Lord Jesus prayed that
they all might be one, that theworld might believe that thou
hast sent Me.
That was His desire.
That they all might be one.
(32:02):
Beloved brethren, I say to yourheart and mine, don't ever
expect the Lord Jesus to ever dothat which would frustrate His
own purpose and His own prayer.
He will, and still does, makeHimself the center to which he
(32:25):
would gather all his peoplearound Himself, where they can
partake of one loaf and expressthat they are one body.
This concludes the 3rd meetinggiven by John Brereton.
Please look in the links belowfor his fourth meeting on the
divine ground of gathering.
We now come to the second half of the third meeting
delivered in the late 1970's byJohn Brereton, who went to be
with the Lord Jesus shortly afew years after at the young age
of 49.
In this third meeting we pick upthe transistion that our brother
John is making on the divineground of gathering that God
would desire to meet with mansince the early pages of Genesis
and we progress further into theNew Testament.
(00:22):
And now we pick up with brotherJohn is taking us into first
Corinthians chapter 12.
You turn now to 1 Corinthianschapter 12.
1 Corinthians chapter 12 andverse 12.
For as the body is one and hathmany members, and all the
members of that one body, beingmany, are one body, so also is
(00:45):
Christ.
For by one Spirit are we allbaptized into one body, whether
we be Jews or Gentiles.
Whether we be bond or free andhave been all made to drink into
one Spirit.
Now, brethren, we have theexplanation here of what took
(01:08):
place on the day of Pentecost.
I have no doubt in my own soulthat if you had asked Peter that
day, just what the significancewas of what had happened, all he
would have been able to say was-it was the promise of the
Father.
The Holy Spirit has come, thatHe might be with us and in us.
The Lord had told them that.
(01:30):
But now the Apostle Paul isgiven to us to reveal the
significance of what happened onthat day of Pentecost.
By one Spirit are we allbaptized into one body.
(01:50):
It was not that they were notbelievers before.
It is not that they were notsaved.
But they had not been puttogether into one body.
For that to happen, the Spiritof God had to come, and that had
(02:10):
to wait for the day ofPentecost.
But now we're told that on thatday, one body was formed.
And beloved brethren, by God'swondrous grace, the Spirit of
God, not only, precious as itis, not only joined all
believers together into onebody, but He also joined us to
(02:36):
the Head, which is in Heaven,the Lord Jesus Christ.
And that is why it says here in1 Corinthians chapter 12.
And the end of verse 12, As thebody is one and hath many
members, and all the members ofthat one body, being many, are
one body, so also is Christ.
(03:01):
Now brethren, what's it talkingabout?
It's talking about the body.
And the body has a name.
The name is Christ.
Isn't that a marvelous thing?
You remember how it says of Adamand Eve- That God looked upon
them and it says, and, He calledtheir name Adam.
(03:24):
Eve was so closely identifiedwith Adam that she took his
name.
Here we find the body is soclosely identified with the
Head.
There is one body, the Head inheaven, the body here on earth,
and so much is it one.
So closely are you and Iidentified with our Head in
(03:46):
heaven.
So much is the body one with theHead, that the word of God gives
the Head and the body one name.
And that name is Christ.
So also is Christ.
By one spirit are we allbaptized into one body.
Now can I put it very simply.
(04:07):
Do you belong to the Lord JesusChrist?
Have you believed the gospel ofyour salvation?
If you have, then the word ofGod says you were sealed with
the Holy Spirit of promise.
That moment that you acceptedChrist as your Savior, believed
the gospel of your salvation,the Spirit of God came to dwell
(04:32):
in you.
You were sealed by theindwelling of the Spirit of God,
and at the same moment- you weremade part of the body of Christ.
That which was formed on the dayof Pentecost- you were brought
(04:53):
into it by the indwelling of theSpirit of God.
And if you belong to Christtonight, the Spirit dwells in
you and forms the divine link.
That links you not only withevery other believer on the face
of the earth, but with yourHead, which is in heaven.
(05:15):
Now I'd like you to go on in 1Corinthians chapter 12 for a
moment, to the 25th verse.
That there should be no schismin the body, but that the
members should have the samecare one for another.
And whether one member suffer,all the members suffer with it.
Or one member be honored, allthe members rejoice with it.
(05:37):
Now, ye are the body of Christand members in particular.
Do you recall how we read backin Deuteronomy chapter 16?
How Israel was instructed thatthey were to have a care one for
another?
That God's eye was upon them andthat they were to see to it that
they provided for one another inthe care that was to
(06:01):
characterize them as one nation.
Here we find the Lord speaks ofthe same thing.
Not one nation now- one body.
And as members one of another,we're called upon to have that
care, one for another.
Now, brethren here, it tells usthat the body was formed.
(06:23):
Now, I'd like you to turn withme to Ephesians chapter four for
a moment.
Ephesians chapter four and verseone.
I, therefore, the prisoner ofthe Lord, beseech you that ye
walk worthy of the vocationwherewith you are called, with
all lowliness and meekness, withlong suffering, forbearing one
(06:44):
another in love, endeavoring tokeep the unity of the Spirit in
the bond of peace.
There is one body and oneSpirit.
Even as you are called in onehope of your calling.
Brethren, what took place on theday of Pentecost was that the
(07:07):
body of Christ was formed.
Now we're told that it isn'tsimply a question of there was
one body, but there is one body.
And tonight, just as true as itwas on the day of Pentecost.
There is one body and oneSpirit, even as you are called
(07:34):
in one hope of your calling.
Now, on the day of Pentecost,the believers were all together
with one accord in one place.
But their all being together didnot make them into one body.
(07:55):
The three thousand were not mademembers of the one body of
Christ because they went on withthe others.
They were made part of the bodyof Christ by the indwelling of
the Holy Spirit.
And on the day of Pentecost,when a soul got saved, he was
(08:16):
indwelt with the Spirit of God.
And when a soul gets saved inthe city of Montreal tonight, he
is indwelt by the same Spirit ofGod.
On the day of Pentecost, thesaved soul was added to the
assembly.
And the soul that gets savedtonight is immediately added to
(08:37):
God's assembly by the Spirit ofGod.
Nothing has changed as far asGod is concerned and as far as
that which is vital.
There is still one body and oneSpirit.
Now, you and I look around todayand we see very little outward
(09:00):
evidence that there is one body.
But there is.
There is one body.
The Spirit of God has maintainedthat which He formed on the day
of Pentecost.
The Spirit of God has not beenfragmented.
(09:20):
I trust I say that reverently.
The Spirit of God has not hadHis work demolished by man's
frailty and man's failure.
What He forms still exists.
But the Word of God says,"Endeavoring to keep the unity
(09:43):
of the Spirit in the bond ofpeace." Endeavoring to keep it.
God has formed it by His Spirit.
It is unbreakable.
The unity of the body, but theunity of the Spirit.
That which is to symbolize, topicture before this world, that
(10:07):
the one body of Christ is areality.
You and I know how fragmentedthat is today.
Now, brethren, the fact that thetestimony to the truth of the
one body of Christ that Godintended to be seen in this
(10:28):
world seems to be so broken updoes not in any way set aside
your responsibility and mine toendeavor to keep the unity of
the spirit and the bond ofpeace.
Would you turn with me to 1stCorinthians chapter 10 and verse
(10:52):
15.
I speak as to wise men, judge yewhat I say.
The cup of blessing which webless, is it not the communion
of the blood of Christ?
The bread which we break, is itnot the communion of the body of
Christ?
For we being many are one breadand one body.
(11:16):
For we are all partakers of thatone bread.
Behold, Israel after the flesh,are not they which eat of the
sacrifices partakers of thealtar?
What say I then, that the idolis anything, or that which is
offered in sacrifice to idols isanything?
But I say that the things whichthe Gentiles sacrifice, they
(11:38):
sacrifice to devils and not toGod.
And I would not that ye shouldhave fellowship with devils.
You cannot drink the cup of theLord and the cup of devils.
You cannot be partakers of theLord's table and of the table of
devils or demons.
Now we find, beloved brethren,that God has formed this body by
(12:01):
His Spirit.
We find that we are instructedto endeavor to keep it.
That is, to keep, to do what wecan, by the grace of God, to act
in such a way in ourrelationship one to another so
that scripturally we can act onthe truth of what God has formed
(12:24):
by His Spirit.
God has formed one body and wewant to, in endeavoring to keep
the unity of the Spirit, act insuch a way as to show out that
there is one body formed by theSpirit of God.
Now we find that one of theways, indeed the principle way
(12:51):
that God has given to us, Godhas given to his people to
manifest, to show out that thereis one body, is in the believers
all partaking of the one loaf.
We 1 Corinthians chapter 10 thatthe cup of blessing, which we
(13:16):
bless, the communion of theblood of Christ is mentioned
first.
Because, beloved brethren,before we can take the step that
would bring us to the Lord'stable, we need to know the
ground for our acceptance there,and that's the precious blood of
(13:38):
Christ.
By being saved through theprecious blood of Christ, you
were indwelt with the HolySpirit.
By being indwelt with the HolySpirit, you were made a member
of the body of Christ and bybeing a member of the body of
Christ your place is at theLord's table.
(14:01):
The Lord's table.
To have fellowship with the Lordat the Lord's table.
He next speaks of the body, thebread which we break, is it not
the communion of the body ofChrist.
Now, brethren, when we look uponthat loaf on the table, we see
(14:23):
represented there in that loaf,every member of the body of
Christ.
They are all represented there.
One loaf- one body.
Verse 17,"For we being many areone bread.
(14:44):
Or one loaf, one body." I lookat that loaf on Lord's Day
morning.
And what I see there is thatsymbol that God has given to us
to represent what God has formedby His Spirit.
The one body of Christ.
(15:06):
But now it goes on to say, inverse 17,"We being many are one
bread and one body.
For we are all partakers of thatone bread." One bread.
One loaf.
O beloved brethren- at Corinth-they were indeed partaking of
(15:30):
one loaf.
But what about today?
What about today?
How many places will there betomorrow morning in the city of
Montreal where there will be aloaf and a glass of wine on the
table?
And each one of these companies,so many of them, will say-they
will claim that we are gatheredunto the name of the Lord Jesus
(15:52):
Christ.
They will claim that this is theLord's table.
They will claim that they areshowing out that there is one
body.
And yet, beloved brethren, theWord of God suggests in the
strongest possible language thatthere is only one way, one way
(16:17):
in which it can be manifested.
It can be shown out that we areall members of one body, and
that is by partaking of oneloaf.
Not a dozen loaves, or 20loaves, or 50 loaves, but one
loaf.
One loaf.
Now, very obviously, it isn't aquestion of everyone trying to
(16:39):
get into one building.
Someone might say how could thatbe?
How could you get every believerin the city of Montreal together
into one building?
Brethren, that's not thedifficulty.
The difficulty is that everyone,so many, partake of different
loaves.
Now, beloved brethren, it cannotbe, it cannot be that two
(17:02):
companies can partake of twoloaves, independent one of the
other, and both express thetruth that there is one body.
If that is true, then I say itreverently, we have to take 1
Corinthians 10 out of our Bible.
It won't stand the test.
One body, one loaf.
(17:23):
And if I may say to any of mybeloved brethren here tonight, I
say this perhaps particularly tothe younger ones, but it doesn't
matter who, if you are heretomorrow morning, and you sit
there as a member of the body ofChrist, you know that you're
saved, you know that the Spiritof God dwells in you, you know
that you've been made a memberof the body of Christ- and you
(17:45):
let the loaf go by.
You do not partake of the loaf.
You are, if you are truly saved,you are a member of the body of
Christ.
But in letting the loaf go by,what you are saying is that you
are not.
That's what you're saying.
(18:06):
You're saying that you're notpart of that loaf.
That's why you don't partake ofit.
Now you say, I'm sure, thatisn't what I mean.
I don't mean to say that.
But the word of God says, herein the strongest possible
language.
We, being many, are one bread,one loaf, one body, for we are
(18:28):
all partakers of that one bread.
Perhaps before I pass from 1Corinthians 10, if I could just
clear up one suggestion that issometimes made, and it's an
appalling one.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 10, itspeaks of the Lord's table.
Not tables, but table, theLord's table.
(18:51):
And at the Lord's table,gathered scripturally, we
partake there in fellowship withthe Lord at His table.
We have fellowship with Him.
Now it also talks about thetables of demons.
The reference here, I don't meanto turn to it tonight, our time
(19:11):
is just about gone.
But the reference here is to the32nd chapter of Deuteronomy.
You're welcome to look it up anytime you choose, but the
suggestion that the tables thatman has established the tables
where many dear children of Godcome together that they have set
(19:37):
up for one reason or another,the suggestion that such tables
are tables of demons is not onlyunscriptural, but it is
appalling.
It is a terrible thing to evensuggest or think.
God never intended us to eventhink of the truth of God that
(19:57):
way.
When he speaks of the table ofdemons, he was talking here
specifically in Corinth of thosewho were partaking of that which
was offered to idols.
And he speaks of that which wasoffered to idols as coming from
the table of demons.
There may be, and undoubtedlyis, many a table that is man's
(20:20):
table.
But let us never even think inour hearts of such a thing as
tables where the Lord's peoplemeet, even if in division, they
may be, and undoubtedly manyare, man's tables, but not the
tables of demons.
1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse23.
For I have received of the Lordthat which also I delivered unto
(20:44):
you, that the Lord Jesus, thesame night in which He was
betrayed took bread.
And when He had given thanks, Hebreak it, and said, Take, eat.
This is My body.
Which is broken or given foryou.
This do in remembrance of Me.
(21:04):
After the same manner also Hetook the cup.
When he had supped saying thiscup is the new testament in My
blood.
This do ye as oft as ye drink itin remembrance of Me.
For as often as ye eat thisbread and drink this cup ye do
(21:26):
show the Lord's death till Hecome.
Wherefore, whosoever shall eatthis bread and drink this cup of
the Lord unworthily shall beguilty of the body and blood of
the Lord.
But let a man examine himselfand so let him eat of that bread
(21:47):
and drink of that cup.
He that eateth and drinkethunworthily eateth and drinketh
damnation or judgment to himselfnot discerning the Lord's body.
For this cause, many are weakand sickly among you, and many
sleep.
For if we would judge ourselves,we should not be judged.
But when we are judged, we arechastened of the Lord, that we
(22:10):
should not be condemned with theworld.
Now, beloved brethren, yourecall how last night, for those
who were here, we spoke of thevery foundation of the truth
that we've been looking at forthese last three meetings is the
death and resurrection of theLord Jesus Christ.
(22:30):
We noticed how that first typein Genesis chapter 22 was the
father and son going together tothe place of sacrifice.
We found over and over again aswe went through how God brings
this number"three" before us.
In a most striking way, inconnection with the testimony,
to remind us that to try tounderstand the truth, to try as
(22:56):
it were to enter into the truth,to walk in any measure into the
in the truth, Without theheart's affections being
engaged, without the faith beinginvolved, can only lead to
tragedy.
We find when we come to the NewTestament that nothing has
changed.
That here God has, by HisSpirit, given us a wonderful
(23:19):
privilege, available to everychild of God that will walk
consistently in any measure thewondrous privilege of partaking
of the Lord's Supper at theLord's table.
Now, brethren, the one who hasinvited us there is the Lord
(23:42):
himself.
It is His table.
Paul was not present on thenight when this was instituted.
And so the Lord gives him aspecial revelation.
He received it from the Lord,not from Peter.
And that was that there was tobe a memorial, a remembrance of
(24:06):
the Lord Jesus made up of a loafand a cup.
A loaf of bread, a cup of wine,the simplest of things.
And yet how precious to see thatloaf and to recognize that God
is saying to us in the loaf ourplace is there because we are
(24:29):
members of the one body ofChrist.
To see in that bread broken,that bread given, the body of
the Lord Jesus in His death atCalvary.
That body that was prepared forHim.
The wood that was laid uponIsaac.
(24:52):
There He is, His body.
And He dies for us.
And that body prepared for Him.
And now we find that in theremembrance, in partaking of
that one loaf, I remember theLord Jesus in his death.
(25:13):
And I express, I lay claim, Iact upon the truth that I am
part of that one body portrayedin that one loaf.
We find at Corinth that therewas much that grieved the heart
(25:35):
of the Apostle.
Grieved even more the heart ofthe Lord Jesus.
Conduct that was tragic.
And so the Apostle Paul writesto them concerning this
remembrance of the Lord.
He gives them to see that inacting in the scriptural order,
(25:55):
partaking of the one loaf,partaking of the cup, they
showed out the Lord's death tillHe come.
They showed out that in thoseemblems was pictured the picture
of death, the blood pictured inthe cup separate from the body.
(26:22):
And then he brings before themthe solemnity of partaking of
that which symbolized the deathto put sin away and yet still
going on in sin.
So he says, in the 27th verse,Wherefore, whosoever shall eat
this bread and drink this cup ofthe Lord unworthily, that is, in
(26:46):
an unworthy manner, in a mannerthat was not worthy of the Lord,
shall be guilty of the body andblood of the Lord.
That is, such a one fails tosee, fails to act upon, fails to
express, that it took the bodyand blood of the Lord, it took
(27:07):
His death to put those very sinsaway that they were now going
on.
And beloved brethren, when wetalk about the Lord's table,
when we talk about the Lord'ssupper, we are talking about
that which is infinitelyprecious.
And yet, beloved brethren, Itrust it's with the sense that
(27:31):
"Holiness becomes Thy house, OLord forever." They are told in
the 28th verse,"Let a manexamine himself, and so let him
eat of that bread.
and drink of that cup." Theywere to examine themselves, to
judge themselves, to put awaythat which was contrary to the
(27:53):
word of God.
And then they were to partake ofthat bread and drink of that
cup.
But brethren, what has happenedso much in Christendom today?
Oh, a man examines himself todayand he says I don't like it.
I think those people are toonarrow.
They're too strict.
(28:13):
I'm going to start my own.
I'm going to start my own table.
And I'll claim the Lord'spresence, too.
I'll claim that I'm meeting inthe name of the Lord, too.
Perhaps discipline, that is tocharacterize, that is to be part
of that which bears the name ofthe Lord.
Perhaps discipline comes in andthe result is that man, set
(28:36):
aside, forms his own table asJeroboam did.
And so we look around today andwe see the saints of God divided
into so many companies.
Beloved brethren, the word ofGod in language I trust that we
see cannot be clearer in showingto us that there can only be one
(29:04):
testimony owned of God to thetruth that there is one body.
There can only be one loafpartaken of.
I trust we'll have, if the Lordtarries, the opportunity to go
into a little further theproblems and difficulties that
beset the Lord's people inacting on this principle.
(29:27):
But the fact remains that God,by His Spirit, is still
gathering to the name of theLord Jesus Christ.
That which is to characterizethose thus gathered remains the
same.
Consistency of walk gathered,conscious of the sense in our
(29:52):
own souls of whose Name we meetin, Who is there, a house of
prayer A place where disciplineis exercised to maintain
holiness.
And a place, beloved brethren,above all else, where the Lord
is worshiped.
Now, beloved brethren, inclosing, I would just like to
(30:13):
add this further comment.
If you and I tonight knew beyonda shadow of a doubt that the
Lord Jesus Christ, was to be ina certain place in Montreal.
Where would we be tonight?
I believe I can safely say thateach and every one of us would
(30:35):
be where He is.
And we would be there because Heis there.
But let's suppose for one momentthe Lord Jesus was to say that
tonight He is going to be intwenty places in the city of
Montreal.
I believe that we would be intwenty different places, some in
one, some in another, somesomeplace else, perhaps some
(30:58):
closer to their homes, otherswhere they like the people
better.
For a variety of reasons, wechoose one or the other.
Beloved brethren- Why?
Why would we be apart?
Can I say it reverently?
Whose fault would it be that weare not together if such were
(31:18):
true?
Is not the honest answer, thefault would be the Lord's?
He put himself in twentydifferent places.
He must expect his people tomeet in twenty different places.
But, beloved brethren, the Lordhas already shown us, already
(31:40):
told us, His desire is that theyshould be together.
In the seventeenth chapter ofJohn, the Lord Jesus prayed that
they all might be one, that theworld might believe that thou
hast sent Me.
That was His desire.
That they all might be one.
(32:02):
Beloved brethren, I say to yourheart and mine, don't ever
expect the Lord Jesus to ever dothat which would frustrate His
own purpose and His own prayer.
He will, and still does, makeHimself the center to which he
(32:25):
would gather all his peoplearound Himself, where they can
partake of one loaf and expressthat they are one body.
This concludes the 3rd meetinggiven by John Brereton.
Please look in the links belowfor his fourth meeting on the
divine ground of gathering.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.