The Purpose of the assembly — David Petterson

It's very nice to be here and to see you all. I wasn't sure I was going to be here. I called the airline on Thursday. I said, there's no way the flights are going to be running tomorrow out of Charlotte.

So I said, is there any way I can get on a flight today? She said, there's one flight with one seat. I said, I'll take it. It leaves in two hours. I said, bye, honey. So here I am. I do appreciate the kind invitation to join you for this conference, and it's great to see you all again.

It's an honor, as well, to preach with my dear friend, Lindsay Parks. And thank you very much for the invitation and for coming to this conference to hear from God's word. Let's turn to God's word. First Corinthians, please, chapter three.

The Assembly as God’s Field, Building, and Temple

We're going to look at the first part of this subject about the assembly, and we're going to look at the purpose that the assembly presents. The purpose the assembly presents. First Corinthians, chapter three.

What we're going to do with these readings, and there'll be a number of them, is to look at metaphors, pictures of what an assembly is. And I think in looking at what these metaphors are, we're going to be able to understand what the purpose of an assembly is.

So, First Corinthians, chapter three, beginning at verse six, or breaking into the reading. First Corinthians three and six, Paul says, I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then, neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase.

Now, he that planteth and he that watereth are one, and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are laborers together with God. And then he summarizes all of that by saying, ye are God's husbandry, or ye are God's field.

That's the first metaphor. The second one is this, ye are God's building. Ye are God's building, according to the grace of God, which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.

But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work shall be made manifest.

For the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire. And the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss. But he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. Now, here's the third metaphor. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you?

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God defile. It's the same word. Defile and destroy are the same word. For the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Now, turn back, please, to Acts chapter 20.

Acts chapter 20. Acts chapter 20 and verse 28. Paul has gathered together the elders at the assembly in Ephesus. He says to them in Acts 20 and 28, take heed, therefore, unto yourselves and to all the flock, the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

Now, back to 1 Corinthians, please, chapter 12. These last readings will be very short. 1 Corinthians 12 and verse 12. 1 Corinthians 12 and 12. For as the body is one, there's the next metaphor, the body, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ.

Verse 26. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it. Or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now, ye are the body of Christ and members in particular. Now, 1 Timothy, we're almost finished.

1 Timothy chapter 3. 1 Timothy 3, verse 15. Breaking into the sentence, but 1 Timothy 3, 15, Paul says, if I tarry long, but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God.

There's the next metaphor, and then there's another one coming, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. The house of God, and then the pillar and ground of truth. Finally, Revelation chapter 1.

Revelation 1, verse 12. John is describing the vision of the Lord Jesus in Revelation 1. And he says in verse 12, I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks, or lampstands.

And in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the Son of Man. The end of the chapter, the last sentence, last phrase, verse 20. The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

God has designed the assembly for many purposes. And we'll emphasize many of those, not only in this message, but in messages to follow. That the function of the priesthood of all believers might be possible.

That's one thing that we'll be speaking about. And that the Lord's Supper might be able to be carried out the way that he has intended. And that we might really be able to carry out New Testament truth in a gathering as God intended.

Many purposes that we could look at. Now, I want to look at this heading though in maybe a different way. We can see the purpose of an assembly by looking at the different metaphors for the assembly in the New Testament.

And look at their function. And look at their purpose. This will hopefully give us a very, I think it's a very complete picture, a very satisfying picture of what God intends as his purpose for a New Testament assembly.

The Meaning of Ekklesia and the Called-Out Company

I know Brother Lindsey will emphasize this in greater detail. The word assembly itself. It's a good translation of the Greek word ekklesia, right? And I know we've heard these things many times. It's good to go over them again.

Ekk is the preposition out of. Klesia is to call. Called out. A called out company of people. A called out company of believers. Now, primarily I think what that means is not necessarily called out from other places, although that may be true.

But there were no other places. There were no other places. There were just people. And God called out certain people. He saved them. He gathered them together. A called out company of believers. And he's still doing that today.

Aren't you glad he's doing that? Aren't you glad that you were called out from all of the people that there are in this community? All the people that there are in this world. God put his hand on you.

And God worked in your life. Called you to himself. And saved you by his grace. And God is still doing that all over this world. Thank God. Called out. A called out company. Now, I want to look at this handful of metaphors that we've read together.

There might be one or two more. And you might be able to make an argument for one after the meeting. You can come up and say, brother, you left out this one. And there might be a reason why I did. But these, I'm not, I'm very certain that these are clearly metaphors that we've read together that describe a New Testament assembly.

And I think they give us a very complete picture. The first one in 1 Corinthians 3. Paul speaks about a field. He speaks about the Corinthians as that field. But he says in verse 9, he tells them that, he says, you are God's field.

It's not just a field. But it's God's field. Paul, you know, you almost expect Paul to say something like, you are my field. I invested a lot of time in you. I went in there and worked and worked. And Apollos did the same thing.

You're Paul's field. You're my field. And you're Apollo's field. He doesn't say that. He says, you're God's field. Now, I'm just going to say a note on the metaphors as a whole before I go any further.

I want to, it's important to stick with the purpose of the metaphor as stated within the text. Without going beyond it. Now, an example of going beyond it might be something like this. Well, Paul's talking about a field here.

And of course, in any field, there are rocks that have to be thrown away. And there are weeds that grow up that have to be removed. Well, that's not in the text. And that's dangerous. Because then you're starting to read implications that are not really there.

But he speaks about, we're going to stick with the purpose of the metaphor as stated within the text. So what does he state in this text about the field? He says, he says, I planted. Paul says, I planted.

What did he plant? What did he plant? Well, it doesn't say in the text. I think you know what he planted. He planted seed. And that seed he planted was the Word of God. In fact, the Word of God is called incorruptible seed by Peter.

The Word of God is called seed by the Lord Jesus. When he gave the parable of the four soils and the seed that was planted, he said, the seed is the Word of God. Paul goes in to Corinth. He preaches the Word of God.

He sows the seed of the Word of God. And what happens? God gives the increase. He says, I planted. Now, it's important to point this out. That he planted the Word of God. Because when we go into areas, and when we preach, when we preach the Gospel, as we will do here today, and as you do here every week, what are we sowing?

What are we planting? Are we planting the Word of God? Listen, it's very easy. And you can get lazy with it. To get up and just say, well, you know, I read this great story this week online. And somebody told me this the other day.

I'm going to say this and I'm going to say that. And we might just, well, we read something at the beginning because that's what we do. You have to read a verse and then you get to say whatever you want.

But are we going through the text? Are we giving people the Word of God? It is the Word of God that has life. Nothing else does. And Paul knew it. He says, the only thing I can plant here that will produce anything is the Word of God.

Our preaching. Let's do a little self-analysis. Those that preach the Word of God here. Preach the Word of God in other assemblies. Are we preaching the text? Are we sticking with what the Bible says?

And letting it get in. Paul says to Timothy, the Scriptures. To get in. The Scriptures getting in to even a young person are able to make them wise unto salvation. It's seed that we must plant. And it will produce results.

He says, I planted. And he says, and Apollos watered. What does that mean? Well, I don't think that Apollos went there and didn't preach. I think he preached the Word of God as well. Reinforcing and helping the seed that had already been sown by sowing more.

And probably by praying. And probably by showing God's love to those people that He cared about them. There's a lot of things that you say that we might be able to apply as watering the Word. But the two things together, planting and watering represent the entirety of what man can do.

You can plant seed and you can water it, but that's it. Right? It's in the ground now. And there really isn't anything else you can do but to wait. He says, I planted and Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

And what was the increase? What's the increase in any field? You're hoping for the harvest. You're hoping to get the fruit of your labors. And that's what happened. The fruit. What was the fruit? The fruit.

The fruit was the Corinthians. They were the fruit. They were the increase that He's speaking about. He says, you are God's field. The Corinthians themselves were the fruit. They were saved. And only God could bring that about.

And it's still the same today. Only God can bring it about. We can preach the Word and we can pray for people and we can show them that we love them. It's God that gives the increase. And I hope that we will stick with that method in the preaching of the Gospel, in the outreach of the Gospel.

You know, it's very easy to try to invent ways that will produce what looks like fruit. Listen, I'm from the South. It's everywhere. And everybody got saved this week at church. How is that possible when everybody got saved at church last week?

I'm not trying to be funny. It's just sad that people have developed ways to produce what looks like fruit. We can preach the Word with confidence and we can pray to God that He will bless His Word and leave things with Him.

Planting, watering, but it's only God that can give the increase and save souls. Now, the assembly then should be a place. Here's where we look at the purpose. The assembly, the New Testament assembly ought to be a place where there's fruit.

It ought to be a place where people are being saved. It ought to be a place where there's growth. I know this is how the assembly started in Corinth, but he doesn't say, you know, you were God's field and now you're something else.

He says, you are God's field. That's what you are. A place where there's growth. A place where there's fruit. A place where there's blessing. Those are challenging questions for us to ask about our own assemblies.

Is the assembly that we are a part of creating an environment where there's growth and where we're seeing fruit and where people are being saved? Is it the exception that you'll hear, oh, did you know somebody got saved here?

Is it the exception? I hope it's not the exception. In our gatherings and in our preaching, we are seeing God work and we're seeing him saved because he says, you are God's field. You are God's field.

Building on Christ as the Foundation

The second thing, he goes right into the second one. I'm going to have to do better time-wise. He says, you're God's building. You are God's building. He moves right away from one metaphor to another.

You are God's field and you are God's building. And notice again, he says, you're God's building. He doesn't say, you're my building. Even though Paul says, I laid the foundation. He says, that's just a part of it.

You yourselves are a building of God. God has done this. Then he speaks about the foundation. Verse number 11. He says, for other foundation can no man laid than that is laid which is Jesus Christ. What's the foundation of a New Testament assembly?

Christ. Jesus Christ. Now what does that mean? He must be the foundation. If he is the foundation of every assembly, what does that mean? It tells us it means at least this anyway. It tells us what Paul must have preached when he went there.

That he not only preached the Word of God, but he preached Christ and him crucified. That was the message that he brought to them. He was the one that they embraced as Lord and Savior and so he is the foundation in at least that sense.

In fact, when Paul summarizes the message that he preached in the previous chapter, chapter 2 and verse 2, he says I preached Christ Jesus and him crucified. That's what he preached when he came. So let's analyze again in our preaching, in our gospel preaching.

Is that what we're emphasizing? Christ Jesus and him crucified. Listen, I'm talking to myself. I look at my notes sometimes and I say, David, you're out of balance. It's real easy to get up and we're going to preach about sin and we're going to preach about judgment and we're going to preach about hell and we're going to preach about the lake of fire and we're going to preach about false professions and we're going to...

I'm not saying don't ever talk about those things. It's in the Word of God. We have to preach about sin and judgment to come. Are we preaching Christ Jesus? The solution. The answer. The remedy. And him crucified.

His work upon the cross. Are we just going to kind of throw something, a finishing statement for one minute to make sure that nobody can accuse us of being... Listen, that's not balanced. It's not balanced.

The message is Christ Jesus and him crucified. And it ought to be clear. If a visitor comes in and sits and listens, would they say, you know, when people preach there, Christ Jesus and him crucified?

Or are they going to say, well, you know, they preach on this chart. Listen, I'm not going to bash the chart. They just see Christ Jesus and him crucified on the chart. Let's point people to the one who can save them and make sure that they know that there's a Savior from their sins.

All of those, listen, all of those things can be useful tools. And I use them. We all use them. Let's make sure we're preaching Christ Jesus and him crucified. That was Paul's role at the very beginning.

But now he says, you know, I laid the foundation, but then he says, you have a part to play in that. Verse 12. He says, but take heed how any man builds thereon. If any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble.

He's talking about the Corinthians that are now builders on that foundation that has already been laid. I know some will say that he's primarily referring to teaching. That may be true. He talks about building these things.

What are these things? Gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble. What is he talking about? What do they have in common, the first three? And what do they have in common, the last three? Well, something is brought into the text just afterwards that will tell you what's, they're all going to face the fire, right?

The fire is going to try every one of these works of what sort it is, what's going to happen to the wood, hay, and the stubble? It's going to be gone. There's going to be nothing there. It's not a permanent building material, but gold and silver and precious stones are.

Yeah, you could say that one of them is valuable and one of them is not very valuable, but I think the primary point is that one of them is durable and permanent and the other is perishable. What are you building into the assembly?

I know, I've thought about this before that the precious stones, there are some gems that will melt in the fire, I'm told. I don't think he's talking about gems. People generally don't build a large structure with little tiny pearls and diamonds and they might decorate it, but I think he's talking about the costly stones that would be carried there and require great effort to bring them there and require great effort to unearth them.

In fact, in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament translation of the Old Testament, in 1 Kings chapter 7 and verse 10, when we're reading about Solomon's great temple and the massive stones that were used, the costly stones.

It's the same word here in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 12 for precious stones. So I think he's talking about massive, costly stones that are built. They will endure, in fact, they did endure the fire when the fire was set to that temple, Solomon's temple.

They were still standing. There are things that will be durable. Word is trying to tell us, Paul is trying to tell us, build into the assembly what will last, what will endure, and what will endure His presence.

Our God is a consuming fire and we're all going to stand before Him one day. And what we built into the New Testament assembly will either be burned away as showing that it was not durable and not useful or it will stand and it will receive a reward.

So what are you building in? There are some examples of things that we're building that will last. People might say, I still remember what he said. I still remember what he said. It was on this date and I will never forget it.

Something that was built in to last. I will never forget what she did. I will never forget how she came and helped. It's lasting. It's durable. We can build things like this into the local assembly. Are we building anything permanent?

So the purpose then of a New Testament assembly from this metaphor is to provide a place where every believer has the opportunity to build something valuable and lasting that will receive a reward in a coming day.

Verse 14 says, If any man's work abide which he has built thereon, he shall receive a reward. A tilled field, a place where there's fruit and where there's growth. That's your assembly. A building, a place where everyone is building that which is permanent and lasting into the structure.

The Assembly as God’s Temple and Place of Worship

He moves into the third metaphor. Paul talks about the temple of God. Now I still think he's talking about the local assembly. I know some writers and some commentators don't think that. I don't think he's talking about the individual believer.

I don't think he's talking about the entire church when he says, know ye not that ye are the temple of God. First of all, he says ye plural are the temple of God. Ye plural are the temple singular of God.

So he's not talking about individual believers. He will in chapter 6 telling us all that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. He's talking about the assembly. Now the temple some people say well just because it's you plural and the temple singular doesn't mean he's talking about the assembly.

He could be talking about the whole church. Right? Well the word temple here doesn't have the article the temple in verse 16. He says you are a temple of God. Why does he say that? Because there are other temples.

That's why. Corinth was not the only temple of God. Corinth was not the only church. Corinth was not the only local assembly. There were others. And so he says ye are a temple of God. But then in verse 17 he does use the article with temple and he says the temple, the temple.

If any man defile, the temple. Him shall God defile. Now why is he using the article there? Well it's just a very basic thing that you would do in English. For example if I said I'm going through this for a reason by the way.

If I said this is a building I didn't use the article. I didn't say this is the building here. This is the building. I said this is a building because there are other buildings around. Now if I want to refer to the building here after I say that, I would say the building here the building here you're going to use the article.

That's what Paul is doing. First he says ye are a temple of God. No article. Now he says if any man defile, the temple. The one that I'm just referring to which is you. Him shall God defile. And I'm emphasizing this point for a reason.

Because I believe that Paul is teaching that the local assembly that the local assembly is a temple of God. What does that imply? It implies well what happened when there was a temple whenever Israel had their temple what was it?

It was a place for worship wasn't it? It's where they met to worship. Where they met with God. It's implied by the metaphor. Centered around the temple. It was there that God was meeting with them. I'll say this.

When we come together to meet with God when we meet with God in any meeting there ought to be worship. I know sometimes we refer to the breaking of bread as the worship meeting. I certainly hope every meeting is a worship meeting.

If we're meeting with God how could there not be? And worship is expressed in a number of ways. The temple metaphor certainly implies that there ought to be worship. But another thing that's stated in the text is well it's a temple.

It's a dwelling place of God. Indwelling presence. This is humbling. It should produce tremendous reverence that God is here. That when God's people gather together to the name of the Lord Jesus in assembly capacity that God is here.

It's okay to enjoy one another's company. It's okay to have a sense of humor. I get that. I really do. But we're in God's temple. This is the holy place. When the high priest went into the holy place in the Old Testament temple and when he went into the holy place in the tabernacle, you can believe for sure that there was carefulness and there was reverence because one little mistake in the way that he went in.

He's going behind the veil. He's going behind the curtain. There's the ark of the covenant. There's the mercy seat on top of it. There are the cherubim facing each other. And the Lord dwells between the cherubim.

He goes in with the incense maybe to shield him from actually being right where the presence of God was. He goes in with the one little slip. They used to count the steps. How many steps around to the curtain and how many when they got in and they'd be right in front of the ark and then they would offer the incense and they would get out.

One little slip. I'm glad we're not under that system now. But we could all maybe adjust our behavior a little bit more when assembly meetings are taking place. It's easy to forget. It's easy to just come to meeting and be focused on one another and enjoy one another's company and enjoy the participation of the brothers and yet we're in the presence of God because he says you are the temple of God.

He talks about damaging the temple in verse 17. The possibility of doing that. If any man defile the temple him will God defile. Now it's the same word in both cases there. I don't know if defile is the I'm not really sure what the best translation is.

I read that maybe the word destroy maybe the word destroy is the best. Doesn't refer to demolition. Doesn't refer to demolition but to some sort of damage. Maybe the word damage is better because the word appears in building contracts from that time period.

Sadly we can sadly we can do things that will damage that will bring damage to God's assembly. God says that the person who does the person who does will receive judgment in kind. Whoever damages the temple him will God damage.

God's fair. God is always fair. Those of you that have lived longer than I have listen I've seen it happen more than once or twice and those of you that have lived longer have maybe seen it more than this.

Men who have come into God's assembly I've seen it. They've come in the assembly where I was in and they've caused division and they've wreaked havoc and they've turned people away and they've driven people away and I've seen those same men battle sickness and I've seen those men their bodies be put in the ground because God says this is serious this is my temple and whoever does damage to my temple that judgment in kind will happen.

Now I know that doesn't occur to anybody here. Maybe that doesn't apply to anybody here. Maybe it does. I don't know. But we need to take great care how we handle the things of God. He says you are the temple of God.

So the purpose of the purpose of the assembly in this metaphor to honor and worship God when we gather together to honor Him to worship Him remembering that He is in our very midst. What a noble and high purpose for us to fulfill.

The Assembly as God’s Flock and the Work of Shepherds

So God's field and God's building and God's temple forth God's flock God's flock. Paul gathers those Ephesian elders together and Acts chapter 20 he says take heed to yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers to feed the church of God.

So the first thing in this metaphor of the flock he talks about the Holy Spirit raising up elders, raising up shepherds that will be responsible to help feed the flock and to guide the flock. This happened in Ephesus.

How did God do this? Men had the qualifications as described in 1 Timothy 3 and in Titus 1 and those qualifications were recognized God guiding in the whole process. The Holy Spirit raising them up. We might emphasize that in a later session but shepherds were raised up for the flock.

Why? Well for one to feed the flock. He says that right? To feed the church of God which He has purchased with His own blood. So one additional purpose of a New Testament assembly is to provide a place where God's people can be fed by capable men.

If He raises up shepherds among the flock and tells them to feed the flock that must be another purpose. To be in a place where we can be fed by men whom God has raised up. I've talked to a number of people back home some of which are part of the house church movement.

I don't know if it's popular here but there's a lot of places back home where the father and the mother and the kids get together and they would have what is called a home church. Now there's a number of issues with meeting as a home church.

First of all you don't have the plurality of elders and you certainly don't have the plurality of shepherds. And so you begin to apply some of the New Testament concepts that we look at to these situations and say this isn't going to make sense.

This is not what God intended. Meeting in your home with your family makes it impossible for all of you to be fed by shepherds whom God has raised up. This is also of course the problem of being fed by one man every Sunday.

And we might have something to say about that. God, that's not what God intended. He raised up shepherds and He tells them all to feed the church of God. Feeding the flock, guiding the flock would be another purpose that we could benefit from, the leading and the example of these shepherds.

If we're on our own who do we have to help us and to lead us in the right paths? So let's ask some very practical questions about this metaphor. Are we providing food for God's people in the assembly?

When it's the meeting for teaching is it good, we're going to get some good food today? Or is it it's His turn and so we're not going to get good food today? And we have to recognize, this will be a later message as well on the gifts.

Are we making sure that God's people are getting food for their souls? And the way that that happens with them, He tells them first take heed to yourselves. He tells those men, take heed to yourselves.

In other words, you've got to make sure that you're in a right relationship with God and that you're spending time with the Lord so that you'll have food to give to the flock. And sisters aren't going to be able to get off easy either.

Maybe they like hearing some of this and say, yeah, we would like to have a little bit more food whenever the meetings take place. But sisters can do the work of shepherding too. I'm not saying they can do the work of the elder.

They absolutely are not doing the work of the elder. But they're told. And Titus too. Older sisters are instructed to teach the younger sisters. And so to some degree, we're all responsible. We're all responsible to some degree to be shepherds and to follow, but also to follow the shepherds that are raised up as elders in the local assembly.

And there ought to be a willingness to be led too among the assembly. Is the good food that's being handed out, is it being eaten? Is it being digested? Is it having an effect upon us? Are you following?

I'll ask younger believers here. Well, maybe everybody. Are you following your shepherds and the gods? Or are you rebelliously going in the wrong direction saying, I don't have to listen to them and I don't...