“THE WAY TO GOD’S END”

We are not going to read at ‘the moment’, but we want to have ‘the Book of Joshua’ open before us, for ‘ready reference’ as we go along.

The End of the Way.

It is necessary for us at ‘the outset’, before considering ‘the way to the end’, to bring ‘the end of the way’ right into view.  

We commenced by noting that ‘God’ began with ‘the heavens’ and then proceeded to ‘the earth’, and at ‘the end of the Bible’ it is that which ‘comes down out of heaven’ which consummates the whole process of ‘His activities’ through ‘the Ages’, so that ‘the end’ is a ‘full expression of all what is heavenly’, or an ‘expression’ of what is ‘heavenly in fullness’.  

That is ‘the end’.  

We said to begin with that ‘the heavens’ govern ‘everything’!

As it is in ‘nature’, so it is in ‘the things of the Spirit’.  

‘Everything’ is governed by ‘the heavens’, and ‘the earth’ and all that is ‘earthly’ has to ‘reckon with’ and ‘answer to’ what is ‘heavenly’.  

Please, get that as a ‘Spiritual Truth’.

What is true in ‘the realm of the natural Creation’ is only an ‘expression’ of ‘the Spiritual Mind of God’: and that means that, just as this ‘world’, this ‘earth’, is so governed and controlled by ‘heavenly forces’ and ‘heavenly bodies’ that if it should get out of ‘right adjustment’ or ‘relationship’ with those ‘bodies’ it would disintegrate, it would cease, it would freeze up or burn up, it would cease to function as an ‘organic whole’: the same thing is ‘spiritually true’.

‘The Holy Bible’ is taken up with this fact, that what is here  is related to what is in ‘heaven’, and everything comes out from ‘heaven’ and has to answer to ‘heaven’ and keep adjustment to ‘heaven’ - everything in our lives: because ‘the Holy Spirit’, having come down from ‘heaven’, is ‘the link’ between what is here and what is there.  

These things are not just ‘abstract ideas’. 

They are ‘the factors’ which lie right behind everything we have of ‘Divine Revelation’ in ‘the Scriptures’.  

‘The whole of the Bible’ from the ‘first verse’ to ‘the last’ can be summed up in that ‘one thing’ - that ‘heaven’ is challenging this ‘earth’, and this ‘earth’ has got to make an answer to ‘heaven’. 

Of course, there are ‘countless details’ covered by that, but it is a fact; so that ‘the end of all things’ will just be that ‘heaven’ is fully realized in ‘the Creation’, and, especially in a ‘Spiritual way’, in ‘the people of God’.  

That is ‘the end’ which we bring into view at once.  

Now, in relation to that ‘end’, we must note another ‘governing Truth’.  

But let me first say something in ‘parenthesis’. 

Some of these ‘phrases’ are ‘very familiar’, and I am always a little afraid that ‘familiarity’ with ‘phraseology’ may take something of their edge away.  

When we use that ‘phrase’ “a governing thing”, let us stop to get ‘the force’ of it.  

It means that, if we are under ‘the government of a law’, we cannot escape that ‘law’.  

There are ‘laws of nature’, in ‘our bodies’, in this ‘world’.  

They are there, and if we disregard those ‘laws’ it does not put them out of ‘operation’.  

We find that in the long run they will break us; in the long run they will find us out.  

But come into them, and they will mean ‘our Salvation’, 
‘our Life’. 

They are governing, whether we like it or not. 

And accordingly, “Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” (Gal.6:7) 

That is a ‘law’; we cannot ‘escape’ it. 

There are numerous ‘laws’ like that.  

And so when we speak of a ‘governing law’ or ‘Truth’, it is something established by ‘God’ in ‘His Universe’, and it is best discovered and obeyed.  

God’s Sovereign Choice of Vessels.

Let us come, then, to this further ‘governing Truth’, in relation to ‘God’s end’: that ‘God’ chooses “Vessels”, ‘individual’ and ‘collective’ or ‘corporate’, and brings them in 
a ‘peculiar way’ sovereignly into relationship with ‘His full end’, and then ‘He’ does that in them which ‘He’ means 
for a much larger ‘company’ than ‘themselves’. 

‘He’ sovereignly chooses “Vessels” - whether ‘individuals’ or ‘companies’ - ‘the Bible’ is just full of that - and then sets to work with those “Vessels” to do something in an ‘extraordinary way’, in a ‘very much fuller way’, in order that, by means of what ‘He’ is doing in such “elect Vessels”, ‘He’ may reach out to many others beyond them.  

Notice: that is a ‘governing Truth’.  

‘He’ does something in an “elect Vessel” which is meant for many more than ‘itself’ or ‘its members’.

Representative Values.  

Now we want to stop with that for a moment, because ‘our mentality’ always needs helping.  

It might very well be that some of you would say, “Well, I cannot see that I am an ‘elect vessel’, in that specific way”.  

You are thinking of ‘the men’ to whom we have been  referring as ‘the Pioneers of the heavenly way’ - ‘Abraham’ and ‘Moses’ and so on.  

You say, “I am not a ‘Moses’ and an ‘Abraham’; I do not see how I come into that ‘category’ at all”.  

Well, while it may be that there are ‘individuals’ among us who are ‘chosen of God’ for something of this ‘nature’ beyond ‘the ordinary rank and file’, as we say: while that may be ‘true’, there is this ‘other side’ - that you may be a part of a ‘collective’ or ‘corporate vessel’, just a part of it; and if you are - and most probably you are - if ‘the Lord’ has laid ‘His hand’ upon you and put in you this ‘sense of destiny’, of having been ‘called’ to something more than just ‘being a Christian’, a ‘strong sense of calling’ - if that is in  you, you may take it that you are related to a ‘larger purpose’. 

If that is true, you must not just regard ‘yourself’, as an ‘individual’, and therefore ‘your experiences’ and ‘God’s dealings’ with you, as though you were ‘the only person’, as though you were something ‘very special’.  

Let me put it the other way round. 

You may be going through what ‘God’ is doing with a ‘collective vessel’ and you may not see, so far as ‘your own  individual and personal life’ is concerned, any meaning for what ‘you’ are going through.  

You ask, “Why am I going through this”? 

Well, because you are a part of a ‘larger whole’ - that is the answer. 

Listen, I have never looked upon this ‘fellowship’ as something ‘ordinary’; my ‘prayers’ have always been that ‘God’s dealings’ with us should result in being made an  example of ‘His ultimate intention and purpose’.  

And therefore I have been reluctant to invite people, for I know what is involved and ‘the misery’ it brings upon anyone whose motives are not in line with ‘God’s will’ and ‘purpose’, whose ambitions are other than living totally unto ‘the Lord’, without regard of ‘position’ or ‘recognition’, and whose attitudes have not been turned from ‘the earthly things’ to ‘the heavenlies’. 

So often we find that a ‘great pressure’ is upon us ‘individually’.  

When we begin to compare ‘notes’, we find that other people ‘spiritually related’ to us are having ‘the same experience’.  

It is ‘the great law of the body’.    

“Whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with it”. (1.Cor.12:26) 

What is it all about? 

Well, you see, it is ‘collective’, it is ‘corporate’; and although we cannot follow it all, to see how it is working out, ‘God’ is doing something in a ‘related way’, and we are a part of that.

We are bearing ‘the brunt’ of something very much bigger than ‘ourselves’.  

That ‘spiritual relatedness’ is involving us in this ‘larger purpose of God’, which has to do with ‘the heavenlies’, much bigger than this ‘earth’. 

It is that that makes us ‘one’.  

It is not that we join something, that we have our name on a ’membership roll’, or that something is done to recognize us ‘publicly’ as a member of a ‘certain company’.  

It is not that at all.  

In fact, you may be many miles, ‘hundreds’ or ‘thousands of miles’, apart, and yet, because you are bound up with this ‘heavenly thing’ that ‘God’ is doing, you may be feeling ‘the  repercussions’ ‘thousands of miles’ away. 

Because when you get into ‘the heavenlies’ all these ‘earthly things’ disappear; ‘geography’ and ‘distances’ and ‘time’ all go; they do not prevail up there.  

If only we could get ‘the heavenly conception’ of ‘the church’! 

Oh, how foolish ‘our earthly conceptions’ of ‘the church’  really are! 

We must get off this ‘earth’, and all that is here, as to what is called ‘the church’.  

You find it is just ‘one unit’ in ‘heaven’.  

All this does not prevail there.  

That is where we were when we were speaking about ‘the passage of Jordan’ earlier.  

In that ‘Jordan’ something was left behind. 

Please see this, ‘the people’ moved off ‘earthly ground’ on 
to ‘heavenly’.  

We shall come back to that again.  

But that is to be a ‘spiritual reality’, a consciousness into which we enter.

While ‘we ourselves’ cannot explain and understand why we may be having such a ‘bad time’, ‘the heavenly explanation’ is that we are involved in something related to ‘God’s fuller purpose’, and we are ‘suffering’, or we are going through this ‘experience’, in a ‘related way’, and it is very wonderful, 
as from time to time we meet others with whom we know ‘spiritual fellowship’, how we find they have been going through exactly ‘the same thing’ as we have.

‘The Lord’ has been saying something to them, and doing something with them, which is not ‘the ordinary’ or ‘the usual thing’, but something quite ‘extra’. 

Well, so much for ‘the Representative Values’.

We shall stop here for tonight, and when we continue next Sunday, Lord willing, we shall take a close look at another aspect of ‘God’s Sovereign Choice of Vessels’.

First, ‘the Representative Values’, and then ‘the Intrinsic Values’.

Last Sunday, we stated that it was necessary to bring ‘the end of the heavenly way’ into view; and ‘the end’ is a ‘full expression’ of what is ‘heavenly’, or an ‘expression’ of what is ‘heavenly fullness’.

‘The end of all things’ will be that ‘heaven’ is fully realized in ‘the creation’, and especially in a ‘spiritual way’, in ‘the people of God’.

That is a ‘spiritual Truth’, which ‘the Pioneers of the heavenly way’ discover.

Then we discovered another ‘spiritual Truth’, established by ‘God’; namely, ‘His Sovereign Choice of Vessels’.

‘He’ chooses ‘vessels’ and brings them in a peculiar way ‘sovereignly’ into relationship with ‘His full end’.

‘He’ sets to work with those ‘vessels’ to do something in an ‘extra-ordinary way’, in a much ‘fuller way’, in order that, by means of what ‘He’ is doing in such ‘elect vessels’, ‘He’ may reach out to ‘many others’ beyond them.

‘Pioneers of the heavenly way’ are bearing ‘the brunt’, of something very much bigger than ‘themselves’; and here we now continue, and as I indicated last week, we want to take a close look at ‘the Intrinsic Values’.

Intrinsic Values.

Let me ask you, does everyone know ‘the meaning’ of the word ‘intrinsic’.

It means: ‘belonging to a thing by its very nature’; inborn, inbred, innate, ingrained.

Now that is all connected with ‘the fact’, mentioned earlier, that ‘God’ chooses ‘individual’ or ‘collective vessels’, and does in ‘them’ that which is meant for a ‘very much larger company’. 

Those ‘vessels’, be they ‘individual’ or be they ‘collective’, are ‘representative’ of something that ‘God’ is after on a ‘larger scale’, a ‘larger sphere’.  

It begins in ‘them’.  

I think that is what ‘Paul’ meant when he said, “In me as chief (firstborn)...for an example”. (1.Tim.1:16)  

I think he meant by that that he was a ‘representative’ of what ‘God’ was going to do through him.  

All that ‘the Lord’ was going to do through him in ‘the larger realm’, in ‘the churches’, ‘the provinces’, and ‘the nations’, was ‘representative’, was in token. 

‘God’ was going to operate in ‘the wider scale’ through this ‘man’ - not by giving him something to say, but by doing something in him.  

Listen, that is where we have gone astray.  

‘God’ does something ‘first’. 

‘The Lord’ brings into being a ‘living representation’ of ‘His fuller thought’, by means of peculiar, unusual and 
extra-ordinary dealings with a ‘vessel’.

In fact, there is very little that is ordinary in ‘the life’ and ‘experience’ of such a ‘vessel’.  

It is all extra-ordinary, unusual.  

Such representative ‘vessels’, ‘individual’ or ‘collective’, are chosen that in them there shall be established the essential, intrinsic values intended for ‘the larger sphere’ and ‘realm’; something which can be ‘expanded’, which is capable of ‘great enlargement’ and ‘expansion’. 

In ‘the field of chemistry’ there is a term referred to as ‘the mother-tincture’.

And what is meant by that, is something you can enlarge upon and distribute.

It is of ‘the very essence’, ‘the concentrated essence’.  

But the effecting of this kind of thing in any ‘vessel’, in order to produce ‘intrinsic values’, ‘concentrated essence’ 
is a ‘tremendous work’.  

Listen, there is nothing ‘ordinary’ about it.  

Some of us may be able to understand this from ‘experience’.  

‘God’s dealings’ with us are by no means ‘ordinary dealings’. 

Sometimes we feel that ‘the concentration’ in ‘our experience’ is far too concentrated! 

We wonder how we are going to get through at all under this kind of handling from ‘the Lord’. 

I am keeping very close to ‘the Bible’.  

Please, do not think that I am talking outside ‘the Bible’.  
I am talking with ‘the background’: this is what ‘the Word of God’ reveals. 

This is ‘the experience of Abraham’ - no ‘ordinary experience’; a concentration of ‘God’ upon that ‘man’. 

Think of ‘the vast host’ who have derived ‘the values’ from that.  

‘Abraham’ more than once got to ‘the breaking-point’, where he could not support it.  

‘God’ had to intervene to get him through.  

‘The intrinsic value’ of ‘heavenliness’ is ‘the most testing thing’ that anybody can ever have to do with.  

In our ‘nature’ we are so utterly ‘earthly’ and ‘earthly’ in every way.  

We must see things - that is ‘earth’; we must feel things - that is ‘earth’.  

We must have all ‘the evidences’ - we must have so much that is ‘earthly’. 

But ‘God’ takes us off ‘the earth’, right off ‘the earth’ - 
I mean in a ‘spiritual way’ - and dangles us, so to speak,  in ‘mid-air’.  

It is a ‘most precarious kind of existence’, exceedingly trying.   

We do not know where we are, we cannot explain things; we cannot put our foot down solidly and feel that we are sure about anything.  

‘God’ is upsetting all ‘our powers of reckoning’ and ‘calculation’ and ‘interpretation’, and making it utterly necessary to have ‘another kind of wisdom’ and ‘understanding’, which does not belong to this ‘earth’ or ‘world’ or ‘man’ at all.

It is ‘heavenly’!

That is the experience of these ‘Pioneers of the Heavenly Way’.

Hear them crying out of their ‘earthliness’, sometimes even complaining to ‘the Lord’.

Listen to ‘Jeremiah’, “Lord,...I am only a child”; - ‘he is out of his depth’. 

It was ‘the intensive, intrinsic values’ that ‘God’ was after.

Spontaneous Ministry.

Then further, ‘Spontaneous Ministry’.

I emphasize that word ‘spontaneous’ - not ‘organized ministry’ but spontaneous ministry.

When it is like that, we have only got to be and it happens.

Let me ask, do you understand that?

We only have to be like that and it happens.

We can no more shut that up than we can shut up ‘the sun’.

We notice that that is what ‘the Lord’ was after at 
‘the beginning’ of ‘His ministry’.  

‘He’ first of all got hold of a ‘set of men’, individuals, and ‘He’ put them through it.

It was not so simple as ‘the reading of the story’.  

We may read ‘the Gospels’, covering ‘the story of three years’ companionship’ between those ‘disciples’ and ‘the Lord’, and we may read ‘the record of those last days on ‘the earth’, and then ‘the Cross’.  

Well, it is a tremendous story in itself; but we have not recorded, - because it was not possible to record, - all that went on inside those ‘men’.  

Even during those ‘three years’, I venture to say that they were again and again at ‘the end of their rope’: they did 
not know where they were, what this meant, what it was 
leading to.  

They were all the time trying to bring things within ‘the compass’ of their ‘own ideas’, their ‘own mentality’; to interpret in ‘the light of prophecy’, and so on; to bring it down and have it according to ‘the text-book’. 

‘He’ was frustrating them all the time, ‘He’ was a continuous enigma. 

They could not ‘fathom this Man’.  

‘He’ never did things according to ‘the text-book’, not even according to ‘Moses’.  

‘He’ is upsetting ‘the whole thing’.  

What is ‘He’ doing? 

What does ‘He’ mean? 

And then ‘the Cross’.  

We cannot read the depths of their ‘soul-anguish’ and ‘perplexity’ in those days. 

We can only understand it out of ‘our own experience’ of when ‘the Lord’ begins to do things like that - getting us out of ‘our depth’ and contradicting all ‘our expectations’, seeming to go entirely ‘the opposite way’ from what we felt we had a right to expect of ‘Him’.  

‘He’ does not do what we expect. 

Sometimes we are altogether with our back to the wall because of ‘the Lord’s dealings’ with us.  

‘He’ got hold of ‘men’ who went through that with a ‘very deep experience’.  

Then through those ‘men’ ‘He’ got ‘churches’, ‘He’ got ‘companies of believers’, and ‘the business’ started. 

Notice: there is a ‘peculiar kind of discipline’ and ‘training’  which belongs to ‘corporate life’, when we cease to be just a ‘separate unit’, even as a ‘Christian’, and we have to live a ‘related life’, come into relationship with other ‘believers’ and live this ‘corporate life’, a ‘heavenly life’ on ‘earth’.  

‘The New Testament’ shows that that is anything but an 
‘easy thing’.  

We may think, viewing it ‘objectively’, that is a ‘very lovely thing’ to be in a ‘fellowship’; but it is not always ‘lovely’. 

That ‘fellowship’ may be going through it.  

There is something happening, there is a ‘handling of God’  there, which is sometimes so ‘deep’ and ‘terrible’ that we do not know what ‘the Lord’ means by it; we are all registering  this.  

It is a ‘deep way’, a ‘suffering way’.  

We suffer together as a ‘fellowship’; this is ‘corporate suffering’, ‘corporate travail’.  

And so these ‘churches’ were brought into being, and they went through it.  

They were instructed, too; but, whatever happened to them  in the way of ‘instruction’ and ‘teaching’, there was always ‘the parallel’ and ‘the corresponding discipline’ of ‘the Holy Spirit’.  

‘The Holy Spirit’ had ‘His hand’ upon them and was dealing with them in a ‘drastic way’.  

‘Things’ were happening. 

Look at all ‘the happenings in Corinth’.

What was it ‘Paul’ said to them? 

“For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep (have died)”. (1.Cor.11:30) 

(By the way, the word ‘sleep’ is a ‘euphemism’ for ‘death’ in ‘the Sciptures’.)

There is a secret ‘spiritual history’ there.  

‘The Holy Spirit’ has got hold of ‘the situation’.  

They might have looked at it in a ‘natural way’.  

Somebody is ‘ill’ - send for ‘the doctor’! - But wait a minute!   

May there not be some ‘spiritual factor’ bound up with it? 

May not ‘the Holy Spirit’ have something to do with this? 

‘Paul’ says, Yes! - Notice: it does not mean that everybody who is ‘sick’ is a ‘spiritual delinquent’, but ‘the principle’ is there.

‘The church’ is being dealt with by ‘the Holy Spirit’ in relation to ‘God’s full purpose’.  

And so, ‘the point’ is quite clear, that ‘God’ gets hold first of ‘individuals’ and then of ‘companies’, and ‘He’ deals with them in this way: so that, not because they have been given a ‘Message’ or a ‘Truth’, but because of what ‘God’ has done in them, they have a ‘spontaneous ministry’.

It just happens, that is all; somehow or other, it happens, without our being able to explain it - except in this way: -
that ‘the Holy Spirit’ has taken account of something and ‘He’ is using it; ‘He’ is seeing that what ‘He’ has done 
there is expanded, is reaching out.  

We shall continue, next Sunday, Lord willing.
Last Sunday we occupied ourselves with ‘Intrinsic Values’ and their meanings.

And then we turned to consider ‘Spontaneous Ministry’.

Without going over what we have already looked at, I just want to repeat a ‘point’ we concluded with last week.

‘The point’ is quite clear, that ‘God’ gets hold first of ‘individuals’ and then of ‘companies’, and ‘He’ deals with them in this ‘way’: so that, not because they have been given a ‘Message’ or a ‘Truth’, but because of what ‘God’ has done in them, they have a ‘spontaneous ministry’.

It just happens, that is all.

How often we find those who step out to minister before they have become and there is no ‘spontaneous ministry’ coming forth but rather ‘ministry by methods’, ‘gimmicks’, ‘formulas’, through ‘organized effort’, and so on.  

And then you have to constantly ‘work it up’ and ‘keep it going’; what a ‘drag’, - no ‘life’ - no ‘spontaneity’. 

But notice what ‘Paul’ said about ‘the church of Thessalonica’, “From you has sounded forth the word of 
the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every 
place...”. (1.Thess.1:8)

Let me ask you, do you think that that necessarily meant  that they sent out ‘Evangelists’? 

They may have done, but it does not say so.  

Look at ‘the context’. 

You will see that ‘Paul’ is saying, “all over the place in other ‘churches’ they are talking about you; I need not speak of you - it is known.” 

It is ‘spontaneous ministry’ out of what ‘God’ does. 

‘God’ takes in hand to get these ‘intrinsic values’, and ‘He’ is not going to waste them.  

And so ‘the end’ that ‘God’ has in view is governing all 
‘His dealings’ with ‘His instruments’.  

‘Heavenly fullness’ is ‘His end’, and it motivates all ‘His dealings’ with ‘the instruments’ that ‘He’ has chosen in relation to that ‘end’.  

‘He’ is bringing to ‘heavenly fullness’.  

We must realize that nothing with ‘God’ is an ‘end in itself’.  

‘Conversion’ is not an ‘end in itself’.  

It is an ‘awful tragedy’ to regard ‘conversion’ as an ‘end in itself’ and leave it there, feeling quite ‘satisfied’.  

Listen, you stop with ‘conversion’, and see what happens, with ‘your own’ or ‘anybody else’s’.  

What happens? 

All ‘the sense of purpose’ is quenched, all that ‘vitality’ in ‘the conversion’ subsides, and you get simply a lot of ‘converted people’.  

They are ‘converted’ - they have believed on ‘the Lord Jesus’; but they are just a lot of ‘converted people’ over
this ‘earth’.  

They have stopped; their ‘conversion’ has become an ‘end in itself’.  

‘Fellowship life’ is no ‘end in itself’. 

Gather a company of ‘the Lord’s people’ in a ‘corporate expression’, and let them put their own hedge around and be something to themselves, having a nice time on their own - and this same thing happens.  

‘The work of the Lord’: if ‘the work of the Lord’ is an ‘end in itself’ - that is, so that it becomes some ‘thing’ - oh, here again is a ‘tragedy’.  

We take up ‘the work of the Lord’ in some way, perhaps ‘missionary work’ as it is called, or some other kind of ‘specified work’, and then that particular thing closes down in itself, that ‘sphere’ is shut up or that ‘line of things’ is brought to an end - and you have to start all over again  and you have lost everything.  

‘The work’ was something in itself.

Now come back to this - if ‘the Lord’ has done something in you, in me, or in a company, after this ‘character’, with this concentrated essence of ‘heavenliness’, nothing is an ‘end in itself’.  

‘The sphere’ may change, ‘the form’ may change, but ‘the thing’ this there.  

‘God’ has got what ‘He’ wants and will find a way for it, if it is there, if it is truly ‘heavenly’.  

We only cut off our own ‘usefulness’ and ‘ministry’ when we bring it down to ‘earth’.  

That is a ‘true saying’!  

Make it your ministry, my ministry, and you have narrowed  it right down to ‘earth’.  

It will not move out, it will not realize ‘God’s end’.  

Oh, this possessing of ‘things’ in ‘the realm of God’ and making them ours.  

I want to say here that, if you have a ‘mandate from God’, if you have an ‘anointing from heaven’, if you have a ministry ‘God-given’, and you are not holding it as yours or contend for its realization as yours, it will be ‘fulfilled’, and neither ‘earth’ nor ‘hell’ can stop it. 

‘Heaven’ will see to it.  

But it must be held in ‘relation to heaven’.  

‘The anointing’ is from ‘heaven’ and everything that ‘the anointing’ means has to be held in ‘relation to heaven’, and then ‘heaven’ will see to it.  

Yes, put ‘Paul’ in prison and his ministry will be ‘fulfilled’ just the same.  

It is related to ‘heaven’, and “the heavens do rule”. 
(Daniel 4:26)  

But if we have brought it down to ‘earth’ somewhere, then ‘heaven’ is not going to sponsor it.  

Listen, there is a lot of ‘history’ behind that. 

Now, seeing that ‘God’s end’ is ‘heavenly’ and ‘spiritual fullness’, and that it is by the way of ‘progressive enlargement’, we should be very concerned as to what
that way is.

It should really concern us as to what ‘heaven’s way’ is, what is ‘the heavenly way to God’s end’? 

“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction,” (Rom.15:4), and ‘the Book of Joshua’ is among the things written ‘earlier for our instruction’, and gives us a ‘very great deal of light’ on this matter of ‘the heavenly way’. 

(Please, read ‘the Book of Joshua’ very carefully over the coming weeks.)

But ‘the heavenly way’ is so contrary to ‘the earthly way’.  

I do not know what you are expecting to happen, or to experience, when we talk of ‘God’s end’ being ‘Spiritual fullness’, and this being something ‘God’ is working at.

What do you expect to happen? 

I think ‘the first phase’ of this ‘Book of Joshua’ contains 
quite a ‘lot of light’ upon that. 

The Servant Spirit.

Let us just look at ‘Joshua himself’.

And we want to remember that ‘Joshua’ here is representative in ‘the thought of God’ of all ‘God’s saints’ and all ‘God’s servants’, and what ‘God’ did in ‘Joshua’ is what ‘God’ is going to do in all those to whom he is to minister.

‘God’ did it in him in relation to ‘the larger company’.

Well, how does it begin?

‘The book’ begins like this: “Now it came to pass after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister...” Josh.1:1), - that word is really ‘attendant’. (the N.A.S.V. has  it ‘servant’). 

Now notice: with all that is in view in this ‘Book’, you would think that he, ‘Joshua’, would get a better start than that.

‘Moses’, the servant of the Lord’, and ‘Joshua’ just his ‘attendant’.  

He is not brought in with some ‘official title’, such as ‘the servant of the Lord’. 

He is not brought in on that official ground at all.  

All that he is is an ‘attendant’.  

Follow that ‘word’ through and see where it will lead you.  

‘The same word’ is used of ‘John Mark’ - “they had also ‘John’ as their attendant”. (Acts 13:5)

What is an ‘attendant’?

Well, if there is one thing about an ‘attendant’, surely it is that he knows that ‘kind of subjection’ that makes it possible for him to do as he is told.  

That is ‘the mighty Joshua’ that is to be, and that is where he begins.  

I am sure, we are well aware of that ‘great significance of Elisha’.

What a tremendous place ‘Elisha’ came to have, with a ‘double portion of Elijah’s spirit’ and greater works than ‘Elijah’ did! 

But do you remember what was said about ‘Elisha’.  

“Elisha ... poured water on the hands of Elijah”. 
(2.Kings 3:11)  

He was his ‘attendant’.  

That is where he began.  

In ‘Joshua, chapter 10’, when ‘Joshua’ commanded ‘the Sun’, “Stand still”, (verse 12), it says, “...there was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man”. (verse 14)

The man is touching ‘heavenly things’.  

That is tremendous! 

But where does it begin? 

With ‘Moses’ attendant’! 

He has learned ‘subjection’: to do ‘as he is told’, to do  ‘trivial things’, to be ‘obedient’, to take a ‘humble position’. 

And do not think it was easy for ‘Joshua’. 

You see, ‘Joshua’ had as much ‘soul’ as ‘anybody else’.  

There was a time when there were others in the camp  prophesying, and it was ‘Joshua’ who went to ‘Moses’ and said, “my Lord Moses, forbid them”.  

And ‘Moses’ said, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets...”! (Num.11:26-30)

‘Joshua’ had ‘soul’; ‘Joshua’ could assert ‘his own ideas’.

He was a ‘young man’ then.

But there at last he comes out at ‘the commencement of his great life work’; now he is emerging into ‘the real purpose’ of ‘the Sovereign Calling of God’: and the narrative  begins - “Moses the servant of the Lord...Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ attendant”.  

I ask you, is that not a ‘principle’? 

There is something in that.  

We must always remember that ‘the Holy Spirit’ wrote ‘the Bible’ - and ‘the Holy Spirit’, being Who ‘He’ is, is always consistent with ‘Spiritual Principles’. 

Keeping this in mind, we shall stop here for tonight and pick it up again next Sunday, Lord willing.

After concluding the aspect of ‘Spontaneous Ministry’, last Sunday, we started to bring into view ‘the Servant Spirit’.

I do trust you took the opportunity to read ‘the Book of Joshua’ as it sheds much light upon our present meditation.

For the sake of continuity, permit me to just repeat ‘the last statement’ I made at ‘the end of our study’ last week.

We must always remember that ‘the Holy Spirit’ wrote ‘the Bible’ - and ‘the Holy Spirit’, being Who ‘He’ is, is always
consistent with ‘Spiritual Principles’.

It does not matter in what guise they are found; it does not matter of when, where or how: ‘the principle’ remains exactly the same.  

‘The Levites’ commenced this ‘ministry’ at ‘the age of 25’, but they were not allowed to assume ‘full responsibility’ until they were ‘30’.  

They were ‘understudies’ of ‘full-fledged Levites’ for ‘five years’.  

‘The principle of the attendant’ is maintained all through ‘the Scriptures’.  

A ‘probationary period’ or ‘phase’ always precedes ‘full approval’.  

‘Fullness’ is suspended until the particular purpose of that period as an ‘attendant’ is learned. 

It is ‘the inculcating’, ‘the ingraining, ‘the instilling’, of ‘the ability’ to obey, to take orders, to be in subjection, to serve.  

We must not assume that we are anything.  

What we may be has to come ‘naturally’ out of what we have been made.  

Do not expect that, if ‘God’ calls you to serve ‘Him’, there will immediately and inevitably be some great demonstration of ‘His power’ and ‘fullness’.

‘Joshua’ was the attendant of ‘Moses’ long before he was ‘his successor’ and before ‘the manifestation’ of ‘the spirit of Moses’ was seen in ‘Joshua’.  

‘God’ digs deep, ‘He’ has no pleasure in ‘superficiality’, and ‘the measure of our usefulness’ in relation to ‘His full purpose’ will be ‘the measure of our discipline’ by ‘testing’.  

We shall never be ‘Spiritual leaders’ until we have learned ‘meekness’ as ‘faithful attendants’.  

And so remember - ‘succession’ is never ‘official’ in ‘the things of heaven’.

It is never by ‘human election’ or ‘appointment’.  

It is never assumed by ‘the persons concerned’.  

You cannot assume that you are ‘the successor’ of what ‘God’ has been doing.  

You cannot assume that you come in and have a ‘place’ there, and certainly no one can put you into it.  

It is ‘heavenly’; ‘succession’ is ‘Sovereign’ and ‘Spiritual’.  

You never know how ‘the Divine Sovereignty’ is going to work, but you can be fairly sure that ‘the Divine purpose’
is going to work contrary to ‘your expectations’, ‘your ideas’. 

Sovereign Grace.

‘The next movement’ was to send out ‘spies’.

‘Joshua’ sent out ‘the spies’. (Joshua 2:1) 

What was ‘the result’? 

‘All the land lies before you: I have given it to you’.    

“This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel”. (Joshua 3:7) 

Oh, listen, there is immense ‘fullness’ in view.  

Well, then, surely there must be something very ‘dignified’ about this? 

No, ‘Rahab’, a harlot, is ‘the key’ to ‘the whole situation’.  

A woman without ‘reputation’, or rather with a bad ‘reputation’, who has no ‘status’ or ‘standing’ at all in ‘the world of repute’: everything is bound up with that. 

Notice: what ‘the Apostle Paul’ tells us in 1.Cor.1:26-29.
       (someone please,read).

Do you see ‘the principle of Sovereign Grace’?

That is ‘Sovereign’, and that is ‘Grace’: and you are not going to get into ‘the land of heavenly fullness’ except through those ‘two things’.  
Even ‘the great Joshua-to-be’ finds that everything becomes dependent upon a ‘woman of ill-fame’. 

You know, ‘God’ has strange ways of humbling us.    

“That no man (no flesh) should boast before God”. (1.Cor.1:29)

How often we look for something ‘wonderful’ and ‘big’ and ‘glorious’ and ‘noble’, something of ‘repute’, in relation to ‘the great things of God: and then ‘God’ brings us down to having to accept something that has no ‘recognition’ at all, no ‘acceptance’ at all; ‘He’ puts us in a ‘position’ where, if we want ‘commendation’, that will not ‘commend us’; if we want something that will ‘introduce us’ as an ‘influence’ in  ‘the realm of usefulness’, well, this will not do it. 

Notice: there is no chance of getting anywhere along that line in this ‘world’.  

See what ‘influence’ that ‘woman’ had in ‘Jericho’.  

Do you think ‘her word’ would have carried ‘any weight’? - 
not at all.  

There was no ‘introduction’ from ‘high quarters’.  

If this is not of ‘heaven’, then ‘everything’ is against it; we are getting no ‘help’.  

No; rather are we out of ‘court’ here, we have no ‘way’, no ‘ground’ here if it is not of ‘heaven’.  

‘He’ has not got ‘people’ with ‘influence at court’ in this matter. 

This is all of ‘heaven’; it is ‘Sovereign’ or not at all.  

And it is of ‘Grace’, for ‘Rahab’ is in ‘the genealogy of Jesus Christ’.  

When you come to that ‘New Testament genealogy’ - ‘Rahab’! 

Oh, what ‘Grace’! 

Let me ask you, what can recommend ‘Rahab’? 

What can put her on ‘the inspired record’, into ‘Holy
Scripture’, in ‘the line of Jesus Christ’? 

Nothing but ‘Grace’, and that is of ‘heaven’.  

Listen, it is all like that! 

If there is going to be anything of ‘real value’, it will be because of ‘Sovereign Grace’, and nothing else; no ‘commendation’.  

We are out of ‘court’; we have nothing to support ‘our  claim’, nothing to go upon ‘naturally’.  

It is right down on ‘the level of Rahab’. 

Just think, of a ‘great Joshua’ having to come there.

But it is ‘the principle’ all the time throughout ‘the Word of God’.  

If only I could show you how again and again it is that.  

You would say, “Why, ‘God’ seems to go out of ‘His way’ to prejudice ‘His own interests’, to prejudice ‘the success of ‘His purposes’, really to make it ‘difficult’.  

‘He’ might at least have chosen a ‘respectable person’, even if they were not ‘important’ or ‘prominent’.” 

But ‘He’ takes a ‘disreputable person’; ‘He’ goes out of ‘His way’ to keep this thing ‘true to principle’.  

It is of ‘heaven’ or it is nothing, and less and worse than nothing.  

That ‘woman’ is ‘the key’ to ‘Jericho’ and ‘Jericho’ is ‘the key’ to ‘the land’.  

That is the kind of ‘key’ ‘He’ uses. 

The Natural Man ruled out.

When we come to ‘the passage of Jordan’ and when they are over, ‘Joshua’ commands that there should be taken a ‘man’ representing every ‘tribe of Israel’ and that they shall take ‘twelve stones’ and put them in ‘the bed of the Jordan’ and leave them there.  

All ‘Israel’ has been left in ‘the bed of Jordan’, every ‘man’.  

That is what he is in ‘God’s sight’ - right down there, and left there.  

Notice: something is left behind in ‘Jordan’.  

That which goes through and comes out on ‘the other side’ is a ‘testimony’ to the fact that something has been left behind, because ‘Gilgal’ follows immediately.  

Something has been left behind.  

We cannot bring that over here; that has to be left in ‘Jordan’.  

This has no standing over here in ‘heaven’.  

This ‘natural man’, this ‘Corinthian idea of man’ - he is down there, and ‘God’ has left him there. 

The waters cover him and flow on, and he is underneath, buried forever.    

“They are there, unto this day”. (Joshua 4:9)

It is the way of ‘enlargement’.

But ‘God’ has to bring that home to us, and it seems to me that ‘Gilgal’ was ‘the practical application’ of ‘the principle’ implicit in ‘the stones’ in ‘the river-bed’. 

Those ‘stones’ represented ‘the union’ of ‘God’s people with Christ in death and burial’ - ‘the natural man’ who was so in ‘evidence’ in ‘the Wilderness’ being put out of sight.

‘Gilgal’ takes up that ‘Truth’ and applies it perpetually.  

‘Colossians 2:11-12’ confirms this. 

“and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead”. 

We have to experience in our ‘souls’ - our ‘flesh’ - ‘the severing work of the Cross’ - ‘the death of Christ’.  

We can believe all ‘the doctrine of Romans 6’, and yet there may be ‘great contradiction’ of it in ‘ourselves’.

‘Heaven’ will not commit itself to ‘the flesh’ or ‘natural life’.  

If we are occupied with ‘ourselves’; talking about ‘ourselves’, our ‘work’, our ‘ministry’, our ‘vision’, our ‘having been used’, and so on, we are not in ‘the full values of an open heaven’.

We only cut off ‘our own usefulness’ and ‘ministry’ when we make it ours, bringing it down to ‘earth’.  

It must be held in ‘relation to heaven’! 

It is ‘heaven’s ministry’ of which we become ‘the expression’, ‘the vessel’, ‘the instrument’, ‘the vehicle’.  

It is so easy to slip all unconsciously from giving ‘glory to God’ to glorifying a ‘piece of work’ or glorying in ‘the work itself’; and when this happens ‘the atmosphere’ changes and ‘spiritually sensitive people’ know that something has happened, a ‘cloud’ has descended.  

‘Heaven’ is so ‘transparent’ that no ‘earth-vapour’ can come there, and ‘heavenly fullness’ demands ‘transparency’ in 
‘our spirit’.