The Heavenly Calling - Part 1 — T. Austin-Sparks

May I just say, because the one object in you is the glory of the Lord Jesus. That stands over everything. But as to the method of the ministry, this is not strictly a time for preaching. It is a time especially for instruction in the things of the Lord.

That means that there is a work side to it. It is something that we have to apply ourselves. And work in the word of God. But when we have said that, of course it is a time for exportation. And a time for encouragement in the spiritual life.

Having said that, let us come to the word. In the letter to the Hebrews, chapter three, verse one, Holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, verse fourteen, we are becoming partakers of Christ, if we hold fast with what I have said just now about working, we are going to work for a minute or two with one word.

In the two verses which we have read, this one word occurs. In this translation it is the word partakers. Partakers of a heavenly calling. Partakers with Christ. That one Greek word is translated into a number of other words in our New Testament.

As here, it is partakers. And in two other places in this letter to the Hebrews, it is so translated. Chapter six and verse four. And chapter twelve and verse eight. I am not going to read all of these verses.

I am not going to read all of these verses. Otherwise we would spend the whole morning with them. In the book of the gospel, chapter five, verse seven, the same word is translated as partners. And in chapter nine, it is translated fellows.

God has anointed thee about thy fellows. It is the same word, about thy partakers, thy partners, about thy fellows. And in other forms, the word occurs quite a number of times in the New Testament. In Hebrews 2, verse 14, it is take part of.

A number of times in the first letter to the Corinthians, it is be partakers of. Again in Hebrews 7, verse 13, it is pertain unto. You will see that in every case, it refers to a relationship. I have looked very carefully into this word.

And I have found that its true and deepest meaning is not given us in many of these translations. And I have found that its true and deepest meaning is not given us in many of these translations. It ought to be translated into the word companions.

So that what we ought to read is this. Wie wir dies aber lesen sollten, wäre folgendes. Holy brethren, companions of a heavenly calling. We are becoming companions of Christ. If we hold fast. So putting these two verses together, we are going in these days to be occupied with companions of Christ and the heavenly calling.

Companions of Christ and companions of the heavenly calling. This idea of companions. Behind everything that is official in relationship to the Lord, there is always a personal element. Behind everything that is official in relationship to the Lord, there is always a personal element.

Remember Abraham. And he served the Lord very faithfully. But the deepest thing about Abraham was that he was God's friend. Abraham as my friend. That carries with it this idea of companion of God. Moses was a great servant of the Lord.

The Lord often spoke of Moses as Moses my servant. But we know that there was something deeper in it than that. God spoke with Abraham as a friend speaking to his friend. There was a very intimate relationship between God and Moses and Moses and God.

There was a very intimate relationship between God and Moses and Moses and God. In reality Moses was a companion of the Lord. And what about David? We say many things about David. But the greatest thing he ever said was, he's a man after my own heart.

And that is the meaning of a companion of the Lord. Now when the Lord Jesus came onto this earth. When the Lord Jesus came onto this earth. He chose his disciples and apostles on the basis of companionship.

Call them disciples if you like. Those who had not to enter the school of Christ to be taught. Call them apostles if you like. Those who were to be sent forth by him. But the deepest thing in their relationship to him was that they were his companions.

But the deepest thing in their relationship to him was that they were his companions. At the end of his earthly life he said of them, you are those who have gone with me into my tribulation. Companions in life and companions in suffering.

The Church as Christ’s Companion

When we come to the church it is not some official ecclesiastical institution. That's very cold. That is very formal. That is very distant. But when the Lord speaks about his church he always speaks of it in terms of love.

Church of God which he purchased with his own blood. Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Perhaps we've got to recover this idea about the church.

It is called to be the companion of Christ. Its deepest relationship with him is a heart relationship. Just to be his companion in life, in work, in suffering and in glory. Now having said a word about the idea of companions, let us go on in the second place to think of the purpose of companionship.

God’s Purpose Centered in His Son

The bible is a book of one purpose. That one purpose lies behind all his stages and all his faith. That one purpose lies behind creation. It lies behind divine foreknowledge. It lies behind election. It lies behind the persons whom God chose.

It lies behind all the movements of God through the bible. It lies behind all the figures and all the types. It lies behind the three main sections of the old testament. The section of priesthood. Followed by the section on kinship.

And then followed by the section of the prophets. Those three sections comprise the old testament. Behind everything in the old testament lies one purpose. In the bible God is revealed as a God of purpose.

Ever moving in his sovereignty as governed by this one purpose. What is this one purpose in and through all? It is centered in God's Son. In all things God. The all things is perfect. But all is comprehended by God's Son.

As we are going to dwell very much in this letter to the heathen. Take note of this very chapter at the beginning of this letter. The first great statement is concerning all God's past ways. In time past God moved by this means and by that means.

In this way and in that way. But at the beginning of those times he concentrates in his Son. He gathers all the rest up together and focuses it in his Son. The Son of God comprehends the whole of the world.

He chose God and does everything that is written in the old testament. And draws in everything that is written in the old testament. And then to emphasize that, this letter goes on through the first two chapters to bring the greatness of God's Son into view.

You know that one little thing said about God's Son in the first chapter. Here is the one who is above all others. Who comprehends all else in the thought of God. So God's interest in his Son is brought before us right now.

And the declaration is that God's purpose is all centered in his Son. And it is clear that all eighty people have their center in his Son. And this Son is now made known to man as Jesus Christ. But the point here is this.

Having introduced and presented the Son. And having magnified the Son. The Holy Spirit through the writer goes on in this way. And there ought to be no break in chapters here. Why? For this reason. Because of this.

Because of God's purpose concerning his Son. Because of the infinite greatness of the Son. Greater than all others and all else. For that reason, holy brethren, you are called in. Companionship with God's Son.

And companionship in the heavenly calling of God's Son. Now we come to our third point. There are two principles related to divine purpose throughout the Bible. The first is what we have just pointed out.

God works ever and only in relation to his purpose. The statement of the Apostle Paul is about God, that he works in all things after the counsel of his own will. And that will is to be, therefore, works ever, always and only in relation to his Son.

The Bible contains almost uncountable things. What a great mass of things there are. Things which God created and things which God used. And then what a lot of persons there are that God laid his hand upon.

A whole multitude of persons. And then how many are the different ways that God went to realize his purpose. The ways of God are very many. The means that he employed. The Bible is just full of these things.

Then we have God's blessings. God is very often a blessing. On the other hand, there are the judgments of God. He is a God of judgment. And the Bible contains many of the judgments of God. But when we have said all that, and of course we can never really comprehend all that, this book is always far, far too big for us.

But when we have said all that, not one of these things, person or judgment, if God is the God of creation, if God chooses men, if God uses things, if God blesses or God judges, he always does so with one object in view.

He created all things for his son. That is a definite Bible statement. He took hold of these persons with his son in view. So in Abraham, and through Abraham, we see God's son. Well, let us be content with making the statement.

God’s Blessing and Judgment in Relation to Christ

If God blessed, it was because that thing stood right in line with his son's interests. If you want the blessing of the Lord, get alongside of the Lord Jesus. Be wholly committed to the Lord Jesus. The Father never sees us apart from the Lord Jesus.

It is in him that the blessing of God is to be found. In him, we will find the way of God. If the Bible has much to say about divine judgments, and how much is said by the prophets about the judgments of God, it is because things then were contrary to his interests and his son.

His eye focused upon his one object. That object is his son. God wastes nothing. He is not just interested in little things as such. The little things become very big things with God when they are related to his son.

Are you a very little person? Very unimportant? If you are vitally related to his son, God looks upon you as very important. But it is not your importance nor mine. It is the importance of his son. See, this is true about any faithful school teacher.

I suppose all of us have been to school. And we have had our school teachers. And some of us in our school days, we didn't want to stand well with our teachers. We tried to please them because we wanted to be happy with our teacher and we wanted to get all that the teacher could do for us.

But my recollection of schoolmasters is this. They did not have me in view. The only thing that they had in view where I was concerned was how their object was going to be realized. They had got to have good scholars who passed examinations and came out top.

They had got to have good students who were going to pass their exams. And everything that they thought of related to that end. Sometimes they would be very pleasant to me. And then I thought, what a good boy am I.

And sometimes it was the other way. And I knew something about the judgment. Now this was not because they liked me or disliked me. What they really did like was the end when the examination came. So everything about me was looked at in the light of the one object.

Now I don't like to call God a schoolmaster. But the principle is the same. He is looking at us in the light of his son. How does that man or that woman answer to my thought in my son? How much of my son is there in that man or that woman?

Later on we shall see how God works on that ground. But know this is a principle in God's purpose. That leads us to the second principle. Why God is the God of purpose. Ever moving in relation to that purpose.

Human Responsibility and God’s Sovereign Purpose

Going on no matter what happens, going on with his love. Working on the ground of his own sovereign lordship. And no man can prevent him. He is going to reach his end. That is why he has given us the book of Revelation.

Before we reach the end he has told us what it's going to be like. His purpose is going to be realized. Nevertheless he keeps to this other principle. He always retains man in a place of responsibility.

He never lets man off from responsibility. Why is that? Because his purpose in his son is to be realized in God. The great corporate man in which Christ is to have his fullness. Christ is not going to realize God's purpose alone.

He will not be in glory just as one isolated unit. So we come back to our verse. Holy brethren, companions of our heavenly calling. We are made companions of Christ. If we hold fast. Paul says that the church is the fullness of him that filleth all in all.

Hence there is a responsibility resting upon man. And there is no book in the Bible which emphasizes that more than the letters of the Hebrew. In that connection this letter is one of the most terrible letters in the Bible.

Indeed it is going to be the thing which governs all our consideration through these days. If God takes up a vessel in which they have to do his purpose. It may be individuals. Or it may be a company of people.

Like Israel. Or like the man whom God took up in the Bible. If God takes up a vessel in relation to his purpose. And that vessel does not respond to God's will. God will pass by that vessel and find another.

He will call in others to take its place. This is in the greatest instance what we have regarding Israel. God chose Israel. To be the vessel through which he would bring in his son. Israel was called and chosen of God in relation to his son and his purpose in his son.

And what did Israel do with his son? They refused the son. And therefore they refused God's purpose. And God put them aside and passed on. Jesus said therefore shall the kingdom of heaven be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof.

Now this is the very meaning of this letter to the Hebrews as we shall see. No one can say of Israel now they are the companions of God. Israel was once the companion of God. And the companion of God failed God.

What a lot of life this throws upon the Lord Jesus calling Judas. Judas was one of the twelve. Called to be a companion. Betrayed his Lord. Israel was called to be the companion. Companion of God. Israel betrayed the son of God.

And Israel has suffered the doom of Judas. A companion set aside. Who rejected. But God carried on with his purpose. And bringing in others to take their place. So this explains this wonderful letter to the Hebrews.

The letter of the place and the greatness of Jesus Christ. It tells of the wonder of being called to be a companion of Christ. And then it makes it so clear what a terrible thing it is for those who are called to be companions to fail the Lord.

It says how shall we escape it when it takes such great strife. You can never understand that phrase so great salvation until you understand the meaning of being a companion of Christ. Is there anything greater than being a companion of Jesus Christ.

When you think of who he is. And when you think of all that God has published concerning his son. Then to think that you and I are called to be companions of that son of Jesus. That is indeed a very great salvation.

It is the so great salvation. Well now this morning we have spent our time just going around this one word companions. The New Testament is built around that one word. Around the one idea of companions of Christ.

Companionship Tested Through Suffering

Christ is first seen choosing his companions. And then he is seen teaching them by word and by deed. And then he is seen testing and sifting them. Are they true companions? Or are they only associated with him for what they are going to get from him.

You can have plenty of companions if you give them everything. You can even get all that they want from you. But what about the day when you can give them nothing but suffering. And persecution. And everything that is against their natural interest.

You can only offer them a place in the fathers house. So he sifted them. He tested them. And on more than one occasion it is said they walked no more with him. From that day many of his disciples went away.

Companionship is something tested. And sifted through adversity. And if you have an extra lot of testing. An extra lot of suffering in your relationship with Christ. Try to do this thing which we all find the most difficult thing to do.

That is he is seeking to have us as his closest companions. In fellowship with him not only in his glory but in his suffering. So the relationship with Christ as in the gospel is on the basis of fellowship.

Oneness in life. Oneness in public. Oneness in experience. Oneness in the church. Oneness in death burial. Oneness in his anointing. And then at last oneness with him in his heavenly glory. I close this morning with this important.

Christ’s Continuing Work in Believers

He is repeating himself in a spiritual way. Wrote the book of the Acts. What Jesus began. And Luke's implication is I am now going to write what he is going on doing and teaching. It is the same Jesus.

He is doing the same work and teaching the same things. But there is a difference. Then it was by illustration in a temporal way. Now it is the meaning of those things in a spiritual way. The meaning that was in the things then is now in what he is doing with us.

Is he opening physically blind eyes? He is now opening spiritually blind eyes and that is very much more important. So that is just an indication of what I mean. This same Jesus is going on with the same work in meaning now.

The same Jesus is going on with the same work in us, in you and me in a spiritual way. He is repeating his earthly life in a spiritual way. He is more on the line of meaning than of acts now. Why do we say that?

Well when we were children we used to sing again. And I think when we are grown up we often feel the same. We used to sing I think when I read that sweet story of old. When Jesus was here among men and then it finishes I should like to have been with him then.

Do you feel you would like to have lived with him then on the earth? Is that the best thing that you can think about? Let me tell you you have got something far better than that now. That same Jesus is with us.

But on a much more wonderful basis than then. We are called now to be companions of Christ. Companions of the heavenly calling. And his dealings with us are perhaps a far more real. Because his dealings with us are spiritual and eternal.

While his dealings then were only physical and for the time being. It is a good thing to look after people's bodies. And to help them in this night. But there is something very much more than that. It is that heavenly calling.

That which is eternal. That which will not pass as our life works when time is no more. Wherefore holy brethren companions of a heavenly calling. We are made companions of Christ if we hold fast. All that is only by way of laying a foundation.

As the Lord helps in these coming days we shall build on that foundation.