Vision of the Church as God's Testimony


	Vision of the Church as God's Testimony The Vision of the Church Can Only Follow the Previous Visions Psalm 122 shows us a vision of the church, the Body of Christ. We need to see this vision as we continue our ascent. We must realize that the vision of the church can only come after the vision of the world. If we do not see through the world, we cannot fully see the church. Furthermore, the vision of the church follows the vision of the Lord. If we have never seen who the Lord is and what He is for, then we will not know how to properly treasure the church life. Healthy Fellowship Brings Us to the Church Psalm 122 begins with a healthy fellowship: "I rejoiced when they said to me, Let us go to the house of Jehovah" (v. 1). The ones who spoke to the psalmist did not talk about other things. Their fellowship was only concerning the house of Jehovah. Today, the Lord's house is the church life. In our experience, the vision of the church life began with God's grace. By God's grace, out of God's government, we were able to meet a few saints who really loved the Lord and who loved His testimony. When they came to us, their declaration was simply, "Let us go to the house of the Lord!" This fellowship brought us into the church life. We Are Separated from the World and Are Standing in the Church Life The psalmist then says, "Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem" (v. 2). Jerusalem is a city that stands for God as His testimony. Formerly we stood outside of this city, meaning we were outside of God's testimony. We may have seen through the world and we may have seen who the Lord was, but we still didn't fully see what the Lord Himself was doing. Neither did we have any experience of His testimony. But then some saints told us to come to a church meeting, or a conference, or a gathering of a few saints. They said to us, "Let us go and enjoy the Lord in His house together!" Then we began to enjoy and experience the church life. Once we enjoyed the church life, a separation occurred. Our feet were not only being kept from the world, as in Psalm 121. Now our feet were in Jerusalem. "Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!" Formerly we were out, but now we were in! Formerly we had nothing to do with the church life, but now we came into the church life! Once we came into the church life, our feet were standing within the gates of Jerusalem. This means that we had truly left the world. We dropped the world and wanted nothing more to do with it. From that point on, we belonged to the Lord. We were now for the church life. This is a sweet verse. We should learn to declare this. "Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem" (v. 2). If we have experienced the church life we will taste the richness of this verse. Those who do not know the church life could never enjoy such a verse. It means nothing to them. But after coming into the church life this verse has such a good taste. When we enjoy this verse we realize, "From now on there is a separation! I have left the world! I gave up the world! I belong to the church! I belong to the church life! O, Jerusalem!" This makes us so happy! The church life is a joyful life. We should enjoy that our feet are standing within the gates of Jerusalem. We should all declare, "Now I see the church! Now I enjoy the church life! Now I enjoy all the saints! Now I enjoy God's purpose! Now I am different! O, Jerusalem! O, church life!" In the church life we should have a lot of declaring and shouting like this. Praise the Lord, we stand within the gates of the church life! This is marvelous! The Testimony is Built on the Experiences of Christ Compacted Together The next verse in this psalm says, "Jerusalem has been built as a city that has been compacted together" (v. 3). This verse is hard to understand because it is related to the geography of Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem is built upon five hills. The number five in the Bible signifies the bearing of responsibility. "Five" is equal to "four" plus "one," with "four" being the number of man as God's creature and "one" being the number of God as the Creator. The number five signifies that God and man are operating and standing together to bear responsibility. In the church life, in Jerusalem, the hills are compacted together. There are actually many "hills" in the church life. There are many saints with large amounts of Christ and with many experiences of the Lord. Yet all of the hills are compacted together. This means that not one brother exalts himself for his own gain. No one in the church life exalts in his or her own attainment. In the church life all the saints are for one goal, which is God's purpose. The saints only care for God's economy. There are many "hills" in the church life. There are many saints with a lot of experiences, but there is only one reality. Because all of the hills are compacted together, there is no place for anything else to come in. Praise the Lord for all the mature ones, who are compacted together to stand for God's testimony. All of the Saints "Go Up" for the Lord's Testimony Then the psalm continues, "To which the tribes go up, the tribes of Jehovah - a custom [or testimony] for Israel - to give thanks to the name of Jehovah" (v. 4). All of the tribes go up unto the testimony of Israel. All of the tribes mean all of the saints, from all of the localities. They go up to establish, build up, and display God's testimony. The world only "goes up" for self-gain. Everyone in the world goes up to try to gain something for themselves. But in the church life, all the tribes go up for the sake of the Lord's testimony. They go up to give thanks to the name of the Lord. In the church life, there is nothing else to "go up" for. There is only the Lord Himself. In the church life we don't exalt ourselves. We only exalt Christ. When we all go up and exalt Him, it becomes His testimony. In the church life we don't care for any other topics. We only have one focus. In the church life we only care for God's testimony. When we really care for God's testimony, then there is nothing to gain, or attain, or achieve for ourselves. There in no such thing as "I gained," "I attained," or even "I failed." All such considerations become nothing in the church life. Our only concern is, "What is the best for the Lord's testimony?" In this psalm there is a progression. Verse one tells us that we are in fellowship. Verse two tells us we are taking a stand. Verse three tells us we are built up together. Then verse four tells us that out of this building God Himself is exalted. We are here coming together as the Lord's testimony. No "self" is here. Only Christ, and the purpose of Christ, are here. This psalm presents such a joyful and prevailing picture of the church life. In The Church Life We Experience the Thrones of Judgment The psalmist then tells us, "For there thrones are set for judgment, thrones of the house of David" (v. 5). It is easier to enjoy the first four verses of this psalm than verse five, because those verses are so sweet. After declaring that we are in the Lord's testimony to which all the tribes go up, why would the psalmist bring in something of judgment? It seems that the church life is too sweet to have judgment. Yet here it tells us, not only are we built up together to bear the Lord's testimony, but within this testimony there are thrones set for judgment. We should realize that the more we are in the church life then the more we experience judgment. The more we are in the church life then the more the church life judges us. In the world, for everything we do, we have a good reason. But in the church life it seems that everything we do by our self becomes wrong. Everything we do by our self is under judgment. When we were in the world we could justify everything we did, even the things which were false by nature. We could always find a reason to justify ourselves. But once we came into the church life, the church life became a judging life. Those who are in the church life live under judgment. There is not only one throne, there are "thrones set for judgment." There are multiple thrones. It seems that many brothers and sisters in our experience our nothing but judgment to us. This doesn't necessarily mean that they come to us and tell us we are wrong. They themselves are thrones of judgment. When we are with them we sense a shining, and we realize, "Oh Lord Jesus, I am so short." For this reason we should give ourselves to be with those who are spiritually more mature than we are. When we are with mature saints they may not always be pleasant to us. They may be very frank with us. Sometimes they may not say much, yet as we are with them we experience judgment. Even when they are silent, in their presence there is a judgment. We begin to realize that something is wrong. We realize that something is wrong with our person, with our desire, or with our exercise. We realize that something is not so healthy about our involvement in the church life or the serving life. In the Lord's testimony there are many such thrones of judgment. The best meetings in the church life are those that nourish us the most. Yet at the same time, the most nourishing meeting is often where we experience the most judgment. Sometimes when we are meeting with the saints and are so filled with Christ, we realize, "Lord, forgive me. Forgive me. Cover me with Your blood." Before the meeting we may have felt that we were very good. We even came prevailing and joyful. But after a rich enjoyment of the Lord with the saints, we have the feeling, "Oh Lord, have mercy. Have mercy. I need You." Again, often this sense of judgment comes from just being around certain saints in the church life. Their person, their presence, exposes us. If we have never experienced this, it actually means we are not so healthy. If we are healthy, then we will be judged. When I was young, I was really on fire for the Lord. I was never at ease. It seemed day and night I was struggling and fighting for the Lord. I was one of a group of brothers who were high school seniors in the church. Entrance exams to the universities were very difficult, and so one day I said something wild. I said, "I love the Lord so much! I have given so much to the Lord! Out of His righteousness, He must get me into a good university!" These were like wild words from a beast's mouth. Just at the very moment I was making this declaration, an elder walked by and looked at me. I can never forget the way he looked at me. Just from that one look, I wondered, "What am I doing? What can I say? How should I repent?" I was scared. I was not scared of the brother; I was scared before the Lord. I said to the Lord, "Lord, is this really me? Am I that impure? When I give myself to You, do I have something hidden in my heart that You must pay me back? Do I really think that You must bless me because of my service to You?" There was such a judgment. When that judgment came, it brought my whole person into repentance. Without Judgment There Will Be No Testimony The more the church life is healthy, the more judgment we will experience. It is when the church life becomes weak that there is little judgment among us. Instead, there are opinions and unnecessary talk. There is self-vindication, complaining, excuses, and many other things. That means there is no judgment. When there is no judgment, then there is no building or testimony among us. In this psalm, we firstly came into the church life and gave ourselves to the church life. After we gave ourselves, we were built up into the church life. By being built up, we became the testimony of the Lord. It is when we are experiencing the church life in such a high way that the judgment comes in. If we are lacking this judgment then we will begin to lose those previous experiences. When there is no judgment eventually there is no separation from the world, no consecration to the church, no being built up with other saints, and no testimony of the Lord. This is why, in our experience, we must allow ourselves to be judged in the church life. We should be thankful that the church life is not a "sugar-coated" life. The church life is a life of judgment. The more we love the Lord and give ourselves to the Lord in the church life, the more we will be thoroughly judged. We will realize, "Lord, I need Your mercy." Before we came to the church we may have had a high regard for ourselves. But the more we follow the Lord, the more the judgment comes. Sometimes an elder's presence is a judgment. Sometimes an older brother's presence is a judgment. We see an older brother and don't even know why we are scared. It doesn't mean that we are caught in some sin. The brother may not have any feeling that his presence is judging us. But for some reason that brother just makes us realize we are off. We experience the throne of judgment, and we realize we need the Lord's mercy. This is what makes the church life so precious. Why? Because it is full of judgment. Before we loved the Lord and came to the church life we could always have our way. Once we came into the church life, our way disappeared. Whenever we want to do something our own way there's a judgment. For this reason we should appreciate this verse. This verse shows there is an advancing, an elevating, an ascent in our experience. The thrones of judgment in this verse are part of the church life. When there is a healthy church life, there is a healthy judgment. The stronger the church life, the stronger the judgment. Judgment Issues in Three Positive Items Usually judgment is related to condemnation. In a court of law, for example, after a judgment there is a sentencing, which is a kind of condemnation. But the judgment described in this psalm does not issue in condemnation. Instead it issues in three precious and positive items. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Those who love you will prosper" (v. 6). Firstly, this judgment issues in peace. Secondly, it issues in love. Thirdly, it issues in prosperity. All of these precious items come out of judgment. Individually and Corporately, Peace Comes Out of Judgment The first item that follows judgment is peace. How can the church life be in peace? It can only be in peace when the church life is a life of judgment. The more judgment we experience, the more peace we will have. If we don't have any judgment then we will be filled with our own opinions and ways. This is just who we are. All of us are wild. Wherever we go we are filled with opinions, and whenever there are opinions there can be no peace. Peace can only come when judgment is there. For example, three brothers may have three different opinions about the carpet in the meeting hall. One brother thinks, "The carpet should be red, for redemption." The second brother thinks, "The carpet should be white, because we are washed white as snow." The third brother thinks, "The carpet should be purple, a royal color." But suppose one of these brothers comes into the meeting hall and is about to voice his opinion about the carpet. Just as he is about to open his mouth, he sees an elder. Then judgment comes. The brother tells himself, "Just be quiet. Everything is fine." He will drop his opinion. This shows us that judgment is the source of peace. This is true of us individually and corporately. Peace comes out of judgment. If we have struggling, strife, anxiety, and unrest in our personal lives, if we are confronting a lot of hardship and difficult decisions, then we should come to the Lord in the church life for judgment. We should not just come for the enjoyment of the Lord's presence. We should come so that we may let ourselves be judged by the Spirit through the meetings and through the saints. Once judgment comes, peace comes. Once judgment comes, rest comes. Then we realize, "There are no more frustrations." The more judgment we experience in the church life, the more peaceful we become. Peace is for the Building Up of the Church When the Lord's grace is applied to us in the church life it is often through judgment. The more we are judged, the more we enjoy His grace. This causes us to be peaceful. Judgment brings in the peace. The more the church is judged, the more the church is peaceful. This is what builds up the Body of Christ. The more the saints are judged, the more they can be built up together. Out of judgment the church has the reality of being built up. Judgment does not bring us under condemnation, but grants us grace and peace that we may be built up together into His testimony. We have seen that verse six says, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." This means to pray for the peace of our local church. When a local church has thrones of judgment, then in that church peace will be there. Opinions and unhealthy things come into the church life only when judgment is not there. We should love judgment. This is not judgment to bring in condemnation, but judgment to bring in peace and building up. We should even pray, "Lord, judge me through the church life. Lord, judge me through the saints and through the leading ones. Judge me through the experiences of life and the enjoyment of the riches. Judge me through the meetings and the gatherings of the church. In my local church life, may You set the thrones of judgment!" Then the real peace will come in. Judgment Brings in Love and Prosperity Judgment not only brings in peace, but love and prosperity. Verse six continues, "Those who love you will prosper." In our experience, when we love the Lord we also love the saints. Out of our love we will enjoy prosperity. Prosperity is a matter of life. The more we are flourishing in life, the more we are prosperous. The thrones of judgment in verse five lead to these three precious items. We experience the building in peace, the love for the Lord and for all the saints, and the prosperous riches of life. The psalmist continues, "Peace be within your bulwarks, and prosperity within your citadels" (v. 7). Within the church, there is peace for building. Within Christ, there is prosperity in life for us to grow. Praise the Lord, now we are growing in the church life. This Vision Causes Us to Seek the Goodness of the Church Life Psalm 122 concludes, "For my brothers' and companions' sake I will now say, Peace be within you. For the sake of the house of Jehovah our God I will seek your good" (v. 8-9). Once we have seen the church we say, "I will seek your good." "Your good" refers to the goodness of the church. It means that we declare, "Now I see the church. From now on I will be for nothing else but for the church life." This psalm is a marvelous picture of the church life. First, there is the enjoyment of fellowship. Second, there is separation from the world. Third, there is the building up of the Body. Fourth, there is a testimony unto the Lord. Fifth, there is judgment for us. This judgment issues in peace, love, and prosperity in life for us to be built up with all the saints. This psalm surely gives us a clear vision. This vision will cause us to declare, "Peace be within you! I will seek your good! I will seek the goodness of the church life!" We have seen a vision of the world, a vision of the Lord, and a vision of the wonderful church life. Praise the Lord! To purchase the book Journey of Life; the Psalms of Ascent and Song of Songs