Unsearchable Riches of Christ - Part 7 — T. Austin-Sparks

The Lord’s Table and the Bread of Life

We are going to turn aside from the course which we have been following in the earlier meetings and for the little time this morning be occupied with that which has been engaged in in this little while, the Lord's Table, and I would ask you to turn to one or two passages.

Firstly, in the Gospel by Mark, chapter 6, Mark 6 at verse 34,. And he came for a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were a sheep, not having a shepherd, and he began to teach them.

The Gospel by John, chapter 6, at verse 4, The Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Jesus therefore, lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude cometh unto him, saith unto Philip, Whence are we to buy bread that these may eat?

And this he said to prove him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little. Verse 33,. The bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

They said therefore unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall not hunger, he that believeth on me shall never thirst. The first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 11, verse 23, I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, how that the Lord Jesus, in the night in which he was betrayed, took bread.

And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, This is my body, which is broken for you. Philip estimated that two hundred pennyworth of bread, the very least to feed the multitude. He was priced on their human resources.

To him it represented a very costly undertaking to meet the need of that hungry multitude. He valued those scattered and hungry sheep without a shepherd. But when he had put so large a value and estimate upon what was necessary, he was far below the cost of what was represented.

That is, the heavenly bread. If he had multiplied a thousand times the two hundred pennyworth, he would never have reached the cost and the value of that which was symbolic. At that time in the wilderness, bread, that which was in the mind of the Lord, he knew what he would do.

The Lord had in his mind the real meaning of what was taking place. And what was in the mind of the Lord was infinitely more precious than two hundred multiplied many times. This indeed, from heaven's standpoint, from the Lord's heavenly bread, very costly.

The Lord proceeded to take the loaves and give them to the disciples. At that time they little realized that they were being brought into actual association. Infinite cost of the heavenly bread. Being called in fellowship with his Son, they little knew it.

They little recognized it at the moment. That he could have applied to this matter what he said in another connection at another time. What I do now, thou know'st not, but thou shalt know. He took what an infinite fullness is found in that word.

The pity that the revisers have taken from the text and put into the margin. As you notice, it was there. Recognized that it was there. My body, which is not only for you, infinite cost of that. When he called them into partnership with this great breaking and distributing.

The Disciples’ Fellowship in Christ’s Sufferings

He was really only in a symbolic way calling them into the fellowship of his sufferings. Which were to become the life, gives us the full explanation. The incident in the wilderness. The feeding of the multitude.

Jesus explains his act. What it is in the first place, the infinite preciousness and costly. Every fragment is offered to us. Broken from him, so to speak, and presented to us. Contains the grace of his redeeming love.

Of his broken. At any time, there is offered to us a life, a ministry, a ward. The other way, offered to us some small portion of Christ. As we have taken the fragment this morning, each one of us. If there is offered to us a fragment of Christ.

In every fragment, embodied our redemption of the life, which he is offered to us. Feel dear friends, that the ministration of Christ to his people. Needs to be redeemed from the matter of fact, matter of course.

Not repeated, receiving that which really does represent him. We have become so accustomed to hearing. Going and coming, going and coming. Through the years and being offered. We begin to take it for granted.

And if we do not do that. I think I would find your agreement if I said. We don't recognize how infinitely costly every fragment of Christ is that is offered to us. You and I need to be delivered from the weakness of familiarity.

In a sense needs to be redeemed from our lack of appreciation. Any little bit of him really does mean. That is the first thing that comes to us out of this record. Disciples did not at first realize what it meant.

The Lord Jesus put the fragments into their hand to give to us. But in afterlife they did. You find that they realized. That the ministry which was committed to them. Was not only a costly ministry. The ministry of him.

They entreated. They sought that those to whom it be alive. To what was really being presented to them. They saw the tremendous issues bound up. With every little bit of Christ. That they had to offer.

It is a word for us to realize that. We take the loaf. And break a small fragment. In that fragment. In a symbolic way is represented all. That the Lord Jesus had to give. By his death. Of course that follows this.

Ministry Born from the Brokenness of Christ

Fellowship of his suffering. Separable from any kind of ministration of Christ. Carry very strong. You know something of it. I wish I could say this. To a great number of those who have ambition. To be preachers.

Ambition to get into what is called. To think of it as something to gratify. Their own. Make it serve their own glory. A reputation for themselves. The fact is. If what we have read. Means this. That the fellowship of Christ's suffering.

Cannot be separated. From any ministry of Christ. Any true ministry. That ministry must be born out of. Fellowship with the Lord in his suffering. The brokenness must be transmitted from him. To all who would serve him.

This again was something that these disciples came to know afterward. That day. That day outside. The multitude. The distribution. Through their hand. How they understood. What they were doing. Or what the Lord was doing.

What the Lord meant. How little. But they were baptized into his sufferings later. And out of that baptism of his passion. Which they shared. Came their ministry. And it was therefore ministry. Impregnated.

With the very passion. Travail. Of his soul. It became. For them a soul. Not a professional thing. Which they were paid to carry out. Not even a duty. Something from their souls. In many a guest ceremony.

Before God to say not my will. At very great cost. This of course has two sides. I'm not speaking to a lot of preachers. Those who would call themselves ministers. Although it is such a mistake. To put certain people into that category.

Every Believer as a Minister of Christ

And leave the rest out. We are all ministers. It works both ways. To us as those who are. Every one of us. Something of Christ. To this world of need. And to his scattered and hungry. To give something.

In some way. By life. By word. But if it is going to be effective. It will be just exactly. As his giving of himself was effective. On the same principle. It just cost. That is of any value. If we want our lives.

Be channels and vehicles. For the transmission of something of Christ to us. Let it be understood. Christ necessitates. Our fellowship with him in his soul. Will explain why the Lord. Brings us into that fellowship.

Why the suffering. Why the trial. The adversity. Of so many kinds. Why? To have something of Christ to give. Carries the real value. We could say very much about. Why much ministry. Does not go very far.

Does not come. For very much. Those in it are not prepared to pay the price. What's that way so far as. Minister Christ to others is concerned. It will. Inevitably come out of experiences. Of suffering.

And affliction. If it is going to be as effective. As his has. On the other hand. In the other way dear friends. Is not this. A call to us. For a new evaluation. Of everything and anything. That really is Christ.

Receiving the Word Through Spiritual Travail

If the Lord really does give a word. Which is. The content of himself. Tells him he holds us. To recognize that. This is not something. Which we can. Regard lightly. There is here. The potential. Of his own.

A new appreciation. Of any ministry. That is a ministry. That of our relationship. To the Lord. Either. As from him to others. From him to ourselves. The receivers. Must enter into his suffering. As much as the giver.

If there is to be bad. This is not a brief word. But it's just an emphasis. Upon this one. He took. He break. He gave the brokenness. To them. Gave of his own brokenness. That they might. Him. All the virtue of his.

It's a word of comfort. Because it explains very much. It explains very much. It explains why the Lord. Brings us into that. Fellowship of his passion. His sorrow. His suffering. His disappointment. His reproach.

His. Despising. His rejection. His loneliness. To make up. He brings us into it in some way. We are going really to serve him. It requires. Broken. Ministers. Of broken. To come into the good. Every bit.

Of Christ. That comes our way. Presented to. We shall only do it. The pathway. Of his. It has to be something that happens. Between our hearing. Between it being offered to us. And it becoming. A return movement.

The Word Must Be Broken Down Before It Bears Fruit

To his satisfaction. Something has to happen. We take our food. And presently. Our food. Something's happened between. Something's happened between. That food that we took. At our meal. Is going through.

A breaking up. And a breaking down for us. You don't know what's going on. Or you do sometimes know what's going on. In your bodies when you've had a meal. Some don't. But some do. That there's a mighty struggle going on.

That all being broken. Transmuted. Between the taking in. And then the giving out in energy. And what we have to give. Can be made effective. There's something to got to go on in us. Over this thing. A real conflict over that word.

A real challenge. Transmuting. From the thing received. Is that true? Always of the congregation. Congregation comes. Together and. The word is preached. Sermon is given. The hymn is sung. Up and out.

Until the next time. I'm afraid that is true. Very largely. And very often. Not for me to judge. Of course. But having some long experience of that sort of thing. One has. Oh often had to ask the question.

What was the good. Of that pulling out? What has. Resulted from it. That giving. Which was costly giving. And one. Has so often to say. Well it was just taken. Perhaps forgotten. And another time. And yet another.

No battle over it. No exercise over it. No cost. You and I are really going to be built up. With the increase of Christ. Just in this way. He took. He took himself. Suffering the sorrow and travail. Of that break.

Might come into. The good of it. Might have the good of it. Make this. Not only a word. Perhaps of correction. Perhaps of. Enlightenment. Well that's what we need. As he takes us. Adversity and suffering.

Various kinds. One this way. And another that way. And we feel that it is. A breaking process. That it is in order that we shall have something. Really vital. That comes down from heaven. The information.

For the life.