The Assembly: Called out company - Fellowship (Part 2)

So interpersonal fellowship now, just looking at this, basically the principles are the same, the realization of it, you know, the meaning, the motive, the means, these are all the same. Is there a difference between fellowship and friendship? Absolutely. Friendship can, you don't have to be born again to have a friend, but you need to be born again to have true fellowship.

So it's spiritual. Fellowship is spiritual. So would this, in Galatians, the next verse speaks about a burden.

Would the brother that was overtaking the fault be burdened by the fault? He would be impeded. You know, and then you share in that burden with him, knowing that you yourself could be tempted. You're seeking to relieve him of that burden, not necessarily by carrying it, although that could be the case, but by showing him the weight of it.

For example, Hebrews tells us about, well, let's lay aside the sins, the weights, right? Rather the weights. And so a thing could be a burden to someone that might not be good either. And it may not be that it's really clear what the fault might be.

Just going back to that for a minute, Frank, to this detestable thing called a cell phone that hangs on my hip. Let me say this. If you come to me in the break, not for laurels on my part, I will show you two texts that came from this week, that came this week.

Here's all it said. Thanks for the encouragement. There were people that needed the lift so you could use it profitably for that.

That's right. I had been thinking about that because a lot of this that we're studying will be avoided if we are continually encouraging, loving, encouraging, helping one another. Our problem is I think we're all so busy and we're maybe into our cell phones too much or whatever you've been talking about.

So the point is, I appreciate brethren who have a little foresight and sisters as well that can say, I see that this person is not going as well as they should be. Maybe they're missing meetings. Maybe they're there all the time, but there's something that you can detect that's not right.

And when you can come alongside and just give that word of encouragement, I think, whatever it takes, take them out Starbucks or whatever. He mentioned that one time. Take them out in a Starbucks, whatever it takes, help them over whatever it is they're going through so that there's not a continual downgrade that's going to take his place.

That's funny. Oh, right here. In this fellowship, what you brothers are saying, it has to be a sacrifice of self, personal and corporate.

We have the love that we've been talking about. If we are sacrificing self, Paul says, I die daily. When that sacrifice of self is helping you, you will see the need of your brother or sister and you will go to them.

You will sacrifice yourself to go and meet that need. That is what love, that is what, doesn't Agape have that thought too, of self-sacrifice. I remember something Murray said a couple of years, a number of years ago, it doesn't matter who rings the till, as long as the company makes a profit.

Really, we're all working together in sacrifice so that he will have his place. Will my love for believers in the assembly increase if I pray for them personally each day? Absolutely. Depends on what you pray for them, yes.

But David had a few imprecatory psalms, but yes, it does. I was praying that Mr. Putin would get saved. And there's a sister, she's here, and she came to me after that.

I feel convicted. I was praying that he would have a heart attack. Now the fault is left so that we can apply it.

That was what Murray was saying. We can apply it. That's why we don't know exactly what it was, but it could be just not walking in the spirit.

That's another subject here. We're just going to now get ready to move on to the next section, which is assembly fellowship. We're going to focus on that more now.

But again, all these things spill over into what we are personally will spill over into the assembly. And that's the important thing of having this first. But one of the things I was thinking, Tom, as you said that about looking at believers, keeping your eye on them, watching, caring, and love, the joy.

David says, restore unto me the joy of my salvation, of thy salvation. And you can't lose your salvation, but you can lose the joy of it. And that is one of the sources of our strength of fellowship, the importance of fellowship, the joy of our salvation.

So that when we believers, we should not be looking like we've all eaten lemons. I mean, we shouldn't be like downcast. Of all the people in the world, I mean, look at the situation in the world, but what we have to look forward to.

And I have to admit, I'm preaching to myself right now because it's easy to get down. But think about God is our father. The word of God is a living book.

The spirit of God lives in us. Christ is our savior. We have the only hope, not more hope than anybody.

And yet we can lose the joy of our salvation because of it. So Frank, just before you move out of there, friendship versus fellowship, are you thinking like friendship is more based on personality likeness? Yeah. Fellowship is more a spiritual doctrinal light? Yeah.

And I'm thinking also because I think sometimes we, in our circles, emphasize the importance of our fellowship with other believers based on friendships. So that what happens is there are clicks and not only clicks that we have, but then we also, the other side of the coin is we will ostracize others. And that's not right either.

We need to include, it needs to be, the fellowship is inclusive. There's one word of, sorry, keep in mind this, be careful with your friendships, but you do not have to be as careful with your fellowship. Okay.

Now that doesn't mean there are believers that maybe are walking disobedient and you're going to enjoy fellowship with them. You're not. We're being taught that very clearly.

But our friends, and we can't come down just too, too hard on it because remember the Lord Jesus said, you're my friends. This is my beloved. This is my friend.

True fellowship should produce friendship between those believers. So I don't have to like you, but I do have to love you. But you are my friend.

Moving on. So now we're going to look at assembly fellowship. We're going to really focus on that for the last 45 minutes of this Bible reading.

And I just make a few distinctions because when we speak the word of God does use at times the word church for the entire body of Christ from the day of Pentecost until the rapture, regardless of location, regardless of association, as long as people are believers in this dispensation, they are part of the body of Christ. Now this is a little different. So I'll just give you four distinctions that might help, help all of us to keep in mind between what is local and what is universal.

We'll say the wide aspect versus the local aspect. So number one, the foundation is different. The foundation of a, of the body of Christ is formed upon the apostles, the prophets.

We were told that it's Christ himself, right? So that's the foundation. And there was one time that foundation was laid once. That's it.

But there are local churches that are planted and they come into existence at different times in different localities. And the foundation of those as first Corinthians three tells us is the gospel, the preaching of the gospel in that locality, souls are saved. The spirit of God works upon them in conviction and conversion, and he draws them to Christ, but then he further draws them to Christ in the gathering center.

So the foundation is different one foundation versus many foundations, as opposed to in different times. The other thing is the duration in terms of the body of Christ, which began on Pentecost, it will exist forever. It will never cease to be.

And it will be completed one day, but it will never cease to be. It's eternal. Whereas local testimonies have come and they have gone.

And so they have a time limited existence. The location apart from the book of Acts early in the book of Acts, believers were in, all believers were in the one location. And now they've been scattered throughout the world.

And some are not even in the world, they're in heaven. In fact, most are in heaven. So we have the location of a local church.

You'll remember that Paul writes to the saints who are at Corinth, at Philippi and so on. Seven churches in Revelation are written to specific locations, seven letters. Whereas the location of the body is, it's spread.

It's spread from here to heaven as well. And then lastly, the population is different. There are some that have never broken bread.

They have never remembered the Lord. They have never been part of a local assembly. It doesn't mean they're any less in the family and they're any less in the body, but they're not in the local assembly.

So the population, the people are different too. So those are just four basic distinctions as we look into this subject. So we want to look at now a collective company, called out company, assembly fellowship.

And we can look at, I just mentioned the basis of it, the beauties of it, and then the boundaries of it. So we can touch on that. What is the basis of this company now, as opposed, is it salvation or is it something more? Something more.

Apostle's doctrine. The apostle's doctrine, because of the fact that it's, they continue steadfast in the apostle's doctrine and a fellowship, or the fellowship. The idea is we don't have fellowship just because we all like the same kind of things.

And a fellowship is not related to our likes or our dislikes. The fellowship is related to the scriptures and the apostle's doctrines that they have taught him. That's the reason why, sad to say, there is a great gulf in many ways between denominationalism and the assembly, the way we gather, because we try as much as possible to stay as close to the apostle's doctrines if it's possible.

I would say that maybe just to make a little, I know what you're saying, to rather than the way we gather, but maybe the way the New Testament teaches. That might be better. One important aspect of that too is we do not agree to have fellowship.

We have fellowship because we agree. So that's the difference. We can, you know, I don't see it your way, but you know what, let's just agree to disagree.

No, no, no. We have fellowship because we do agree. Can two walk together except they be agreed? So that would be the basis of it, right? Yeah.

So in Acts chapter two, before you get to Acts chapter nine, is it just gospel hall theology that there is a chronology here or is this what the Bible teaches? That's a big question. Acts chapter two and verse 40. 41, 42.

41 and 42. See, this is what I'm hearing today. I don't want to say from the younger folk, but maybe people that haven't studied these things out.

Well, that's just your interpretation of it. We are not here today to give you gospel hall theology. Thank God gospel halls most follow the word of God.

We're here to get down to what the Bible teaches and there is a right and there is a wrong. So take the very simple thing you have from Acts chapter two, 41, 42. You'll hear this commonly spoken of closed table, open table or control table versus open table.

What does that mean? There are Christian groups out there that will allow you to break bread before you are part of that local assembly, if it is a local assembly. That would be wrong, dear child of God, according to the word of God, because everything springs from the apostle's doctrine and flows from that. It's not that it comes later when we all get to know one another.

No, that is what the Bible teaches. So that'll become more evident as we move. So you probably see where I was coming from with my... So submission to the apostle's doctrine.

If there's a oneness of heart amongst the people of God of submitting to the apostle's doctrine, it will produce one thing. Absolutely. One form of fellowship.

Absolutely. And one pattern for fellowship. Paul wrote to Timothy, second Timothy chapter one.

I had it here. Hold fast that form, that pattern of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. So the words from the apostle, he was to hold it fast as a pattern.

And if that company, if that fellowship is formed by submission to the apostle's doctrine, we are to hold that fast. That's right. And it will produce one thing, one kind of fellowship, a local assembly fellowship.

What do you suppose the apostle's doctrine was at Pentecost? It was verbal. Paul wasn't saved. We have the written word, but I think likely a lot of it would be more to bring them out of Judaism, bring them the occupation with Christ.

I'm not bringing it down, but what I want to bring out the point, Frank, is this, that most denominations still have law. It's not all grace. They have a separate priesthood and so on.

And they have a music and things that shouldn't be in the New Testament. Yeah. A clergy and a laity separation and that type of thing.

Yeah. So if you lead the assembly, what are you going to? You should consider. We know a couple that left an assembly years ago and the family came back, but they said, we've lost our children and our grandchildren.

They don't hear the gospel, the plain simple gospel. Yeah. I think verse 42 is retrospective though.

I think it would be impossible to say that at that point, because there was no doctrine in the sense of development of it. Luke is writing it 30 years later. And he's looking back and saying, this is exactly what they did.

That they did continue steadfastly. But teaching was given as it was needed by the prophets, by the apostles. Yeah.

But, but, but don't forget the Lord was with them 40 days. Yeah. But right.

Not that he wasn't. I'm taking this right to the very day when this thing was formed here in Jerusalem, the Lord had been with them for 40 days teaching them. Now, do I not learn a very simple principle from the old Testament? When God gave the pattern for the tabernacle structure in the old Testament, was it ready to go day one? Yes, it was.

It was all laid out for Moses. It wasn't some wobbly calf that I heard of last night that was trying to walk. God was in it.

God had the rules. God had the priesthood and she was ready to go. I've had people try to tell me the only, only doctrine they knew back here was just the gospel.

Christ died and that was it. I, I simply do not believe that. No, no.

What I'm trying to say is that I think it's even more important to look at it after the fact than before the fact. It's one thing to say, this is what I'm going to do. It's another thing to say, this is what I've done.

And I think that's what the spirit of God is telling us. This is what they did. Okay.

Because this is what they had. So he's telling us they actually followed the apostles doctrine. And by this time in 65 AD, whatever, many of your epistles were already written.

So, so that would add further weight and credence to what they were doing. They weren't going on their own ideology. They weren't coming up with bright first century ideas.

They were adhering to what was written at the time. And they agreed upon that. The danger, I know you're not going down that road, but I've had someone try to tell me that, well, it wasn't until they got to Acts 20 that they discovered that you could only break bread the first day of the week.

Dear child of God, that is, that is making God just unaware of what he's purposing on this earth. God is a God of order and go through the old Testament. You will discover that God has a purpose and he makes it very known.

And as you said, brother, verbally, the written word of God did not come until later. So Paul would remind Thessalonians, a very young assembly. Do you not remember? I told you about the Lord's coming.

Right. But the written word, which we have now. Yeah.

Okay. That is completely compatible with what was being taught then verbally by the apostles. Now it's written down.

It's codified. Would you, would you want to say something about baptism would be part of the apostles doctrine. That's very important.

Isn't it baptism by immersion? Yes. It was a distinctive baptism as well from John's baptism. So even time-wise it was different.

Yeah. John's was a baptism of repentance. This is a baptism that, that actually identified yourself with a risen Christ and one that was beyond that.

So yes. And that's the first step of identification. Yeah.

Wasn't there an element of repentance and baptism in Acts chapter two? Yeah, that was a little bit distinctive though. Right. Because it was entirely Jewish.

Yes. At that point. And that nation had just crucified their Messiah.

Yeah. And to receive Christ, there was a disassociation from the action of the nation and that was expressed in their baptism. So getting, sorry, we're going to have to move on.

Just if I could add, just to clarify that point, you don't think that there was Gentiles that got saved here? Because you got quite a list there. They were Jews. They were Jews.

They were, they were, they were those. Yeah. It was Jewish.

Yeah. Gentiles that had adopted a Jewish. Well, for all intents and purposes, they were those.

You have the Samaritans brought in under the ministry of Philip. And Cornelius in Acts chapter two. And those are distinctive outlines.

But these were Jews that came for the feast. Yes. Yes.

They were there for the feast of Pentecost. This was entirely Jewish. So we're looking at the Jew, the Gentile in the church of God, or what are we looking at the church of God? I just think Gentiles saved on the day of Pentecost.

Could we say something about the apostle doctrine? It's singular. Yes. Later on, there's going to be doctrines of men.

There are going to be doctors of demons, doctors, strange doctors. So it's very important to realize that there's only one. That's right.

Yeah. It's one, it's one cohesive unit. That's it.

Yeah. So, okay. So I can see because of the time we're going to have to, I'm going to have to manipulate a little bit here, but okay.

So we have the basis. We already have that. And again, people are called out.

So it's distinctive. It's not on the basis of salvation. And the other reason we know it's not on the basis of salvation.

I think this is very simple, very clear is that you can be put away from the church. You cannot lose your salvation. You can't, you're eternally secure.

So again, the total, the basis of it is totally distinct in that sense. Now, maybe while we're looking at that, I'm going to just skip ahead to go to reception. So when a person is received to the assembly, they are basically in agreement with what they see.

And we can look at, let's go, we have two examples. I'm just going to read them quickly. Let's go to Acts chapter nine.

So we want to make a little bit of our switch. Acts chapter nine, we're going to look at Saul and verse, verse 27, just very quickly, but Barnabas took him, here's Saul, verse 26. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples.

Now that, that is literally the word for glue and he glued himself. Okay. And, but they were all afraid of him and believe not that he was a disciple, but Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way that he had spoken to him and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. So now here's Saul's case. Let's go over to Acts, sorry, first Corinthians 14.

We can draw from these two passages. First Corinthians 14. And it's interesting.

The subject matter is tongues and their abuse of tongues. And so that it got to the point where a person couldn't even agree because he didn't understand to simply say amen at what? At the giving of thanks. So that the basic, the basic feature of being saved to be thankful is negated.

They couldn't even understand. So now he goes on, this is something that they can understand. And that's the point here.

So now in chapter 14 and verse, let's go to verse 16 just for connection. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understands not what thou sayest. So there's this room of the unlearned.

It's not a literal room, but it's literally the place of the unlearned. Then he says, let's go down to verse 23. If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, again, signifying that this is a distinctive community, a company from the body.

This is complete in itself. It's the whole church, not every believer everywhere. And all speak with tongues.

And there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers. So there's a distinction of the two. Will they not say that you are mad, but if all prophesy and there come in one that believeth not or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all.

And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest. And so falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth. So basically you have four things here, maybe five.

He's convinced of all, so you have his conviction. You have his submission falling down on his face. He's submitting.

He will worship God. There's adoration. And then he will admit that God is, report that God is among you of a truth.

That's revelation. And then there's transmission. He'll report this so that it has the desired effect.

This man has seen these things as a spectator. So now what is he being, this reception is then on the basis of what? We can be clear of two things. It's not on the basis of salvation and it is not on the basis of the breaking of bread or to the Lord's supper because there are those that they affect if some come even during the week to assemblies and they have a letter, they will not read their letter unless it's Sunday morning.

What we're doing is we're actually practicing against what we're preaching. So we need to take these things in consideration. It's interesting in what you read in Acts chapter nine that Saul assayed to join himself.

And that word, that verb is that constantly he was coming back. I don't think it, it seems like he was coming constantly and observing what was going on there in the assembly of Jerusalem and it was his desire to be there. And I think that desire sprang from what he learned in the Arabian desert when God revealed his son in him.

And the point was that he was, once he had learned the truth of gathering, I believe that was revealed to him at that time, there was no other place he could go. So he continued to come and then the brethren, they were afraid of him, it's the same verb, they were at the same tense, they were constantly afraid about bringing him into the assembly. So there was a desire on one side and then there was a caution on the other side.

So Frank, do you believe that Paul was in assembly fellowship in Damascus before going up to Jerusalem? I do. I've wondered that. Well, I just, I believe there's some words here.

Look at verse number 28, where the context is Jerusalem. You have that lovely preposition with them coming in, going out. I'm an Acts 9, sorry.

Acts 9. And then if you go back to verse number 19 of Acts 9, where the context is Damascus, then we'll solve certain days with the disciples. There's another clue in verse number 21. Context is Damascus.

Them which call on this name. What did you read in first Corinthians chapter one? Them which call on the name of the Lord Jesus in every place. So what this shows us is just because he was in assembly, in the assembly in Damascus, that didn't give him automatic right to be part of the assembly in Jerusalem because there's a different government in Jerusalem as opposed to Damascus.

So you will see that consistently through. So there was a caution exercised at Jerusalem. Absolutely.

But then he was received and he was with them coming in and going out. There was an ongoing steadfastness about that fellowship. Yeah.

And so there is a verbal commendation for him here. Yes. As they're afraid of.

So we can see that today. And I'm not putting away or putting down letters in any sense, but there are times when I know that they can be emailed or whatever, but it's nice when they're brother, listen, I know this brother and there is a verbal commendation. And as you brethren have pointed out rightly so it's not receiving to the breaking of bread.

I think it is a delightful thing. When it is a weeknight meeting, somebody comes in half. I may know him half the saints don't announce.

At least he's here and tell him if he's a letter, read it or give the verbal commendation. Welcome to fellowship of the assembly. Then that man is expected to participate.

Is that not a meeting of the fellowship? Sure. Sure. It is not just as much.

We're demeaning. We're demeaning that meeting by doing that. I noticed in the verse you read there in chapter 14 that it said the whole church came together.

So it's important that all should be at every meeting if possible. So, so just two things maybe to discuss. I know I'm going to get ahead.

I'm going to kind of kind of scrap this because we have to move around, but we're on the letters, letters of commendation. So there are times, for example, Paul was public enemy number one. He had gone and I have no doubt he went knowing the location of assemblies.

They are public testimonies. They are lampstands. He knew where they were and he went with letters and he hailed men and women.

And he actually, I believe there were times he could have even went to assembly gatherings and to break up that because he despised them. So he, he knew he was exposed to what assemblies were, not just what believers were, but what assemblies were. And he probably likely saw those in direct conflict with the synagogues and what the Jew Judaism represented.

So that, that being behind it, you know, they would have been afraid. They would have been cautious. They would have, it would have been only care to be careful for their own.

But there are times in which a living commendation is actually more beneficial than a written commendation. I'm not saying it shouldn't, it shouldn't accompany each other or compliment one another. But if, if, if someone knew someone and you had confidence in that person, they called ahead.

The other side of that is this. It is sad when letters of commendation are used as permission slips or they are used to, to, to, to penalize individuals just because we don't want them going somewhere else or we don't want them doing that way we're in fellowship with. And I think we can do that too.

That is not the point of a letter of commendation. Just, just on that point, scriptural authority for a letter of commendation. One example you'll find in Acts chapter 18, Apollos, the case of Apollos, when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren, the assembly in Ephesus, the brethren wrote exhorting the disciples to receive him.

And when he went there, he was received and he was a big help to them. That's right. So there's, there's one example.

Romans chapter 16 would be a letter again to Phoebe. Second Corinthians chapter 3 would be a reference to the apostle Paul himself, as he could say, need we letters of commendation as some of you. Right.

So now in Romans, um, an objection might be raised in chapter 14 or chapter 15, rather verse seven, wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God. And the argument is put up that to be received to the fellowship would be just on the same basis as we have been received by Christ to the glory of God. Um, no mention made of a letter.

Right. But your contexts are different. Romans 14, Romans 15, and Romans 16 in our English Bible receive, receive, receive Romans 14 and 15.

It's a different Greek word. Exactly. Than Romans 16.

The, the, the grammar is even different. Romans 14 and 15 than 16. And the context is our different dear child of God.

The context is in Romans 14 and 15 is that personal eating of meats, the reception. I'm not to judge you because you don't have steak and I have steak. Right.

Where you come to Romans chapter 15 or 16, it's a completely different story. This sister's traveling and she's going from one Islamic to another. So I'm going through that quick, but I feel a need to emphasize again, thank God for the practices of the gospel halls that I'm aware of, but dear child of God, they're based in the word of God.

It's not fanciful thinking. This is what the Bible teaches. And that's what we seem to be missing today, where we start to know, no, just let the Bible speak to you and you will find out.

This is what's in Romans 15. Those believers were already in fellowship together. They were to receive one another in unity.

They were already in fellowship. Chapter 16, it's Phoebe moving to Rome and there's a need for a letter. If chapter 15 was just being received just because you're a believer, right? With no letter involved, then why would you have chapter 16 where he writes a letter? But you receive them into your heart and you can receive them into your home.

If you want another H, you can receive them into your hall. So the simplest way to really put it is that one is intra-assembly fellowship. The other is inter-assembly fellowship.

And good to keep in mind, even those that don't want to look up the different word that is used, it's lambano and decamer, the two different words. One is the formal word. The other is the informal.

That's when you come to chapter 15, where for receive you one another. Okay. That's the informal word or Philemon verse 12, receive them.

It's the informal, but come to Romans 16. What's it say in the Lord? Lordship. So there's your formal word that is used.

So a different word is used. So whenever you see reception in the Lord, that makes the distinction. One other point for overseers, those making the announcements to the assembly, someone comes during the week.

Don't be afraid to say, listen, so-and-so has called us and knows this brother and his wife, and we're receiving them. Let the saints know the grounds in which you're receiving them. So getting to these things now, we need to move on brethren.

So we've got reception to it. So let's incorporate just some of the points that we've all discussed here. It could be on the basis of there's initial reception.

And that initial reception is based on continuity. It's not trying out the assembly. Like you would try on a sweater, try on some clothing or let me see if I like this.

Let me see. Basically a person is in fellowship before they are in the fellowship. So that they are observing and they are agreeing.

And they say, I want to be part of that because this is what the word of God says. And this is where the Lord Jesus is. That would do away then with what happens years later, or maybe not so long later, where individuals come in and say, we have to change this assembly.

We have to change our practices. Did you lie? Did you come under false pretenses when you came initially into that assembly? Because you should have been saying, I agree with what they're doing. And I want to join in the fellowship of this.

But now if I see something, I want to change that. That would be a good question maybe to ask when people are being received. What would you want to change in this assembly when you're being received? You might have some interesting comments.

Frank, just to help the younger people, you said a little while back that you're not received to the Lord's supper. Breaking bread, you're received to the assembly. Now, could you sort of expand that out? Because that is something that is very, very important.

Okay. So what I was going to get to in my next point with the realization, I'll stress one thing and then get to that. So that reception to the fellowship is on the basis of not his saviorhood, but his lordship.

So that's important to understand. It's submission to his authority. So we are now saying, and that's why there are two expressions, maybe to help younger ones, that are found over and over again, several times in the New Testament, within and without.

The within and without. So for example, you have it in Colossians 4 verse 5, walk in wisdom to them that are without. First Corinthians 5, what have I to do with them that are without? Do not ye have to do with them that are within.

Within and without what? Again, First Thessalonians 4 verse 12, walk honestly to them that are without. First Timothy 3 verse 7, the overseers, that they should have a good report of them that are without. Without what? Without assembly fellowship.

Outside the circle of assembly fellowship. So that the New Testament recognizes what is in God's assembly as part of that fellowship and everything else that is outside of that, including believers and unbelievers. That's why in First Corinthians 14, he says, if he's an unlearned one, which is a saved person, but he hasn't learned or an unbeliever.

So it's clear there's a distinction here. And all of those occupy who are not part of assembly fellowship, the without. Now getting to your question, the breaking of bread or the Lord's supper, the Lordly supper, the Lord is an adjective there.

It's describing the supper, the character of the supper, the one who is, who the supper is an honor for really the Lord Jesus himself. That is a visible representation of the fellowship in action. Every believer sharing in terms of who is in that fellowship.

It is one aspect of assembly testimony. It falls under the umbrella of assembly testimony. So therefore, when we receive individuals, we receive them to the assembly.

We don't receive them to the breaking of bread as if to say, you can do this, but you can't do this. When we receive individuals, the New Testament teaches you receive them to all the privileges and responsibilities of the Lord. So, so just to back that up with scripture, no one in the word of God is received to the Lord's supper.

Acts chapter two, add it onto them. Acts chapter nine, he was added to the church at Jerusalem, the Lord's supper prayer ministry. That's all functions of a New Testament church.

And this is just a very elementary thing, but the word of God is very systematic. Where do we find the Lord's supper? First Corinthians. It's addressed to a local church.

How come we don't find it in Ephesians? Because it's not dealing with the local church. It's dealing with the body of Christ, the bride of Christ. So even where the spirit of God has allowed it to come in, shows you the distinction that is being made in the word of God.

Could I raise an objection? Mr. Putin shows up Sunday morning. He claims to be an orthodox Christian and he wants to break bread and he quotes the Bible. He says, let a man examine himself and so let him eat.

Now what are you going to say about that? He's quoting the Bible to you. So let him eat. I've examined myself, he says.

That's been quoted often. So what's the answer? Follow the pattern. The answer is just talking to believers, not talking to people that come in that you don't know.

It's not talking about assembly reception at all. Those people were already in the fellowship when you come together five times over in Murray's chapter. That's right.

It's not so examine yourself and decide whether you're going to eat or not. That's right. Examine yourself and so let him eat.

So those who partake of the Lord's supper are those who are not only in agreement with the doctrine of the New Testament assembly, but they are in association with assembly testimony already. Okay. So now let's take that 15 minutes left.

We've looked at reception to it. So when we receive individuals, like I said, they are already in fellowship in the sense of there is agreement. Now that doesn't mean they have to know everything, obviously.

That's the other side of it, right? I mean, how much do they have to know? So maybe that's a good question, actually. To be received to the assembly, someone is being interviewed. What would, I mean, there are overseers here too.

It would be interesting, in fact, some of them are very interesting. Some of the questions that do get asked when a person is going to be received in. But what would you brethren say, and it would be interesting for some overseers to hear this, what would you like for those people to express or what would you like to, what do you think they need to see? What did the man of 1 Corinthians 14 see there? What he learns, what he doesn't know up until that point is that God is in you of a truth.

That's right. And once he learns that falling down, he worships God. That's right.

So he has grasped that truth that this local assembly is a place where the presence of God is known, and I want to be in there. That's right. And he learned that observing in my seat.

That's right. So when he came in, there was further learning, okay? Wherever the place was. And that's Acts 2, gladly received the word of God.

So attitude, a teachable spirit, right? So you don't have to know, you don't have to be able to delineate. Could you break down the truth of head covering for me? But you have a spirit of wanting to know that. That's right.

Because we have it in the word of God. So that's where, again, personal fellowship is built upon. So that this person, by having a spirit that is cultivated by submission to the Lordship of Christ, now is in further place to be able to learn and see what God has for you.

What was your objection? Oh yeah, sorry, you did that already. So just to clarify in a very practical level, if a person is constantly protesting against something before they come in the assembly, that attitude has to be addressed before they come in. Because a person who is constantly dissatisfied with authority is going to be trouble in the fellowship.

Right on. Now, I'm not saying that to tell tales of the school, but after he's in, it's a little more difficult. Fellowship has to be real.

That's it. It has to be a real sharing in common. Absolutely.

Common values, common beliefs, common convictions. I remember being, actually, there was one individual that had been saved in meetings that we had had, and they were interviewed. And one of the brethren, they said to him, now look, don't worry about worshiping.

You don't have to worship if you come in. And I was like, what? Why are you telling, why are you giving a free pass? That's not what the assembly is about. The assembly is about putting your shoulder to work and being part of it, participating.

That's one of the meanings of the word, joint participation. Brother Frank, one of our best brethren at home, told me, he said, now listen, I am coming in. I'm sorry, Murray.

I'm not a public man. I can't take part. I said, well, we'll see how that goes.

He would take more part than anybody does now. So we do allow, because we do know that some are so intimidated by the actual coming in that after a while, the spirit of God develops and says, turn your mic in. I need my technician to adjust things here, but we've only got a few minutes left.

This Bible reading has become like a living entity. It's kind of moving along. But maybe just to say one more thing on that, because no, these are helpful comments.

And the thing is this, worship is different than preaching and teaching and serving as a deacon or deacon work in the sense of service and ministerial work. It is everyone, everyone, as far as public worship for the men, everyone worships, but not everyone is a public man. And that's gift.

There's difference. But worship is not a gift. That's right.

Worship is our privilege. It's our honor. It's our right as worshipers.

Responsibility. A person should be teachable. I think that's very important.

There were some didn't discern the Lord's body. That's right. So you should know something about the breaking of bread and what the bread represents and the cup.

So let's take that because visible, I have the realization of it. And one of my points, so the reception to it, we've looked at the realization of it. And in terms of its testimony, it's a lamp stand.

So there are several visible manifestations of what the local assembly practices. And so this man says, the Lord is among you. He sees that it's something he sees.

So the seat of the unlearned is one. The assembly is really God's great university to teach and to learn from as far as then the bread and the cup and what they are signifying. And interestingly enough, with both the bread and the cup, the order is reversed in 1 Corinthians 10 so that you have the cup first and then you have the bread.

And so there, again, the link with a fellowship of life, the cup. This is my blood which is shed for you, a fellowship of light. We being many are one bread.

And so we share in that, your body of Christ. In fact, in chapter 11, when they were carrying out the Lord's supper and improperly, he said, despise ye the church of God. So there's the both there.

And then you have the head covering, the covered heads of the sisters and the, as well, their long hair. Those are visible, one complimenting the other. The long hair is creatorial, but the covered head is congregational.

That's right. With the cup first in chapter 10, I've often thought it was the same way at the beginning in the Passover. It was the blood first before they ate.

And I think too that sometimes we don't think too much about like, why is the bread? Well, that's the body of Christ. And my sin was condemned in his body. So that was taken care of.

And then we think of the cup, my sins, and they were taken care of. So it's wonderful. Everything's so complete.

Amen. Don't need anything else. And we'll get to that more.

I think that's your business. I should just stay out of my chapter, if you don't mind. You'll have more time.

Repetition is a good way to teach, isn't it? That's the way to teach. I know they're all coming back tomorrow. So there's no worries.

So then we have restrictions of it. And again, we'll touch on that more with Brother Tom's reading too. But there are things that are incompatible with assembly testimony, with Christian experience, never mind assembly testimony.

There are people that have said, well, I'm going to do all these things now because once I come into the assembly, I can't do them now. And if you think like that, I wonder if you're saved. Because salvation itself doesn't allow you to think that way.

I think the Lord's coming. You can max out all your credit cards. So you have, there's doctrinal restrictions.

There's moral restrictions. There are associations that are restrictive. A number of these things.

Maybe one question to ask is how much do you have to agree on to come into the assembly? Like there are assemblies, for example, that I do not want to open this door. So I'm just going to say divorce and remarriage and no divorce and remarriage. OK, and some will not receive on that basis.

So at what point do we say, well, these are things we all need to agree on? And what are those things? But is that not solved with the individual governments that God has raised up? One assembly over here does not have the right to dictate and order and demand, right? But that's an age old question. I guess what I'm getting at is this. There are basic tenets of assembly gathering.

And, you know, on top of that, there are other things. Maybe that that assembly makes individual choices on. OK, but there are basic tenet breaking of bread once a week.

The Lordship of Christ, eternal security, baptism of all believers, you know, headship and headship and so on. These are basic assembly truths. And this is what Paul taught everywhere.

We don't want to disturb fellowship between assemblies, you know, on things that are controversial. Right. If somebody asked me what I believe, I'll tell them.

But I'm not going to preach and cause trouble. Someone asked Mr. Paisley, what do you hold in divorce? He says, I hold my tongue. But if I were to disagree with the tenets of a practice like divorce or marriage, one way or the other, should I ask for reception into the assembly if I'm a new believer? Well, knowing that you'd have to receive your reception is a two way street so that you are receiving them and they are receiving you.

But they're much bigger than you are. OK, so and they're already there before you got there. So I don't know.

Yeah, maybe three or four, you know. Sorry, I'm saying like if I was to be about to be asking for fellowship. Yeah.

And I disagreed with the way divorce and remarriage was being handled in that assembly. Yeah. Should I not ask that? Should I actually look for an assembly I agree with? Yeah.

Well, that goes back to my point again, knowing, you know, you didn't come here to change it, right? Yeah. But the other issue you got is God never intended people to live in the community where there is an assembly and drive 50 miles down the road to another. There is a local aspect to it.

And you're not gathered to a particular doctrine of divorce or remarriage. You're gathered to the person of Christ. And if you're being led by the spirit of God, it'd be wrong to disobey that.

Right. You have to honor God. So we have five minutes left.

I just want to touch on this because it's very important. And I wish we'd had more time for it. But we looked at the responsibility in it.

Now we're checking as far as restrictions responsibility. We looked at our responsibility. You mentioned about worship.

We mentioned about participation. What about the assembly's responsibility to those who are received? Okay. I remember on my father-in-law's shelf, I thought it was really interesting.

He had two books and one was first aid. And the next book is the assembly of God. And I thought, boy, those two things go together real well.

And there are people that are hurting. There are people that need help. I'm not saying that the assembly is a place like a halfway house or, you know, a soup kitchen where we're just doing that.

I'm saying, though, we need to care. There is care for one another. And that is in 1 Corinthians 12.

If one member suffer, we all suffer. So what about in terms of responsibility? Say care. Brother Frank, it's the in keeping, eh? All right.

So go ahead. Just with what you're saying, what our brother Frank said, very important. To come to the end and took care of them.

So it is a place where care is showed right at the beginning. Which I would say the care starts before they're received. Right.

With shepherding. But when when they're received, we we also have to to. I guess admit that nobody is coming in strong.

We all need care. Right. And nobody is existing on their own as a strong believer.

We all need care. So I think that's absolutely essential to discuss. But just back to your point that you mentioned earlier back.

The Bible only envisions one thing for every believer. Baptism and assembly reception. There's not a second group of Christians in there that God says, no, I don't want you.

So so keep that in mind. And I love the picture in First Corinthians, a tilled field. And isn't it marvelous that only the Gospel of John refers to the Lord Jesus as the gardener? What does a gardener do in a field? He mends.

So I simply take the picture from the word of God that any believer not in assembly fellowship, you're unprotected. There's a protection that goes with God. And that was his purpose, where the education is and the care and the protection.

The question Frank asked earlier about friendship and fellowship, which we didn't get your answer on, Frank, is a big problem in this context, because positionally, meaning I'm in fellowship and I have other brothers in fellowship, especially the elders. If they're not in position as my friend, we do not have good fellowship. If you look at that from the parable of the good Samaritan, the other two that passed by on the other side were positionally in better shape.

The Samaritan was a despised man, but he came to the position of the man to get the healing, get the correction. Yeah, but I think, again, the basis of that whole point is love. It's not friendship.

It's the point that what the Lord Jesus came to do was because he loved. Even though they despised him, that's the point. The disconnect between the two is so great.

The disparity between the two is so great. And it really displays what he is, who he is, and what we are to do. But friendship, love, and the question at the end of that parable is, who is his neighbor? So it's all the same.

But I don't think friendship enters into that. I think the point is that you help whoever is closest to you. Whoever's within arm's length, you help them.

That's the point. From the aspect of the man who's being recovered, if you ask him after he recovers, who is your friend, what does he say? So how can we care then? Let's just say that. What are some very practical ways we can care? We can put these in general terms.

We care. But I'll give you one. Assembly of Jerusalem, they actually went through horrific times.

And yet they actually became poor so that they could enrich the lives of others. OK? In a practical way, they saw needs, and they met those needs. Well, people who are hungry, people who needed clothing, people who needed... Now, this is in their own circles.

We're not talking about not going outside. I mean, I'm saying that we do as an individual. And I think there's a confusion between what the assembly's role is and what my role is as an individual.

My role as an individual is my neighbor. The assembly's role is to care for one another within the context of our own fellowship. And the assembly's role is not to meet the needs of the world.

OK? The assembly's role is to serve God in terms of a testimony for him. As individuals, we do that. But we are told what to do.

Now, I'll read this last verse in Ephesians 4 because it sums up... Turn with me to Ephesians 4. He has told them about the risen Christ. He's told them about his ascension and giving gifts unto men. And verse 11, this sums up the whole point of personal fellowship, assembly fellowship.

And he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge, the full knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. And this is done so that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness, et cetera, et cetera. Verse 16, or rather verse 15, but speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Thank you for your help, brethren.