Christ's present exaltation in heaven holds significant administrative authority over the Church on earth, a truth often neglected by believers. He is appointed the sole head of the Church, a spiritual and organic union, not merely an organizational one, and all believers are placed into this one body by the baptism of the Spirit. As the chief administrator, Christ alone possesses all authority and is the source of the Church's development and growth, bestowing gifts upon true servants for ministry and edification. Therefore, believers are called to recognize and submit to Christ's supreme authority as the head of His house.
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Beloved radio friends, we welcome you to the ministry of God's precious word in that name which is above every name, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We continue our blessed theme, repeating the theme text that we have begun with and with which we continue. What think ye of Christ? My beloved radio friend, do you think of Christ? How many times in a day? Do you spend thinking of Him? Are your thoughts ever centered upon the Blessed Lord Jesus? Oh, grand indeed, through the ministry of the precious Word, and the thoughts and the truth that we are bringing before us concerning this person, you and I will have deeper, richer, and more precious thoughts concerning the Savior, the Son of God.
We continue the theme of our exalted Lord. that he's exalted in heaven above. God has highly exalted him and given him a name that is above rename. We've not only touched upon the coming exaltation and the glory of his authority in the ages to come and even in the eternity to come, but we would now seek to manifest by God's help and grace from the precious word that the present exaltation of Christ in heaven above has something to do with the Church which is upon the earth below. For in heaven above, where he now is, there is an administrative authority that he has over the Church, which is his body.
May I repeat that in substance? May I say lovingly and earnestly and sadly, we who are members of his body, we who comprise and constitute The true Church of God, believers upon the earth, little do we enter into the truth of what he is doing and what he should be doing and permitted to do in relation to ones here upon the earth. Please let me emphasize the truth concerning the present session of our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven on the behalf of his church is a neglected and it is virtually an unknown subject, not even emphasized today by the professing church.
The majority of Christians, and I say this with regret, the majority of Christians are too unaware of the great realities concerning the present work of Christ in heaven in relation to the church upon the earth. Can I repeat that? The majority of Christians are unaware of the great realities concerning the present work of Christ in heaven on the behalf of the Church which is upon the earth. There are many believers, they know, they may know, the historical facts regarding his earthly life, regarding his ministry, but very few realize that even now, and in heaven above, in his present session in heaven, this session of the Lord Jesus in heaven above, is to determine the destiny and the service of all those who have placed their trust in him.
My beloved, let me say humbly, but faithfully to my own heart, my service, my testimony for my Lord upon the earth, his link most importantly with the Lord Jesus in heaven above in his present ministry in regard to the church. Now let's consider one fact, first of all. This first fact, Christ was appointed the head of the church. Let me read two scriptures. Christ was appointed head of the church. Ephesians chapter one and verse twenty-two, God hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head, the administrative head if you please, over all things to the church.
Let me quote the words of Paul once again, now written in Colossians chapter one and verse eighteen, saying that Christ is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. He is the head of the church. I'd like to ask you a blunt question. Who do you consider, my Christian friend, or even non-Christian, who do you consider is the head of the church? Do you look at some earthly person?
Do you look at some great official of the church? Do you look at some local person as constituting and being the head? My beloved, frankly, you're looking at the wrong person. When you look around on the earth, when you fix your attention or give credit to a certain person of ecclesiastical recognition, as being the head. My beloved, let me say, there's only one head to the whole church, but that head is not on the earth. The head is in heaven, and that head is the Lord Jesus, the Lord Jesus himself.
May I quote again some of the words of the Apostle written to the Hebrews in chapter three and verse six? where the beloved apostle speaks of Christ being as a son over his own house. Whose house are we? I'm sure that many of you may find in the Scriptures you that are acquainted with it that the Scriptures teach that the church is the house of God, meaning the habitation of God. Now who's the head of that house? Says the apostle, Christ. the Son of God. He's the head of the house. Beloved, may I raise the question, Do you ever think?
Do you ever consider? Do I properly consider Christ in this authority, head over his own house? Now let me make a statement that I hope you clearly understand. This headship of Christ over the church is not organizational, but it is an organic, real relationship and union. He's the head. We are likened as the members of his body below, constituting his body.
But let me go further. Let's consider a second fact regarding this. All believers, all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, are placed in this one body, the Church, of which Christ is the head, and they are placed there by the baptism of the Spirit. Now may I raise the question, it's a sensible one. Do you belong to the Church of which Christ is the head? For may I say, if you do not belong to the Church of which He is the head, you're not even saved. For when one is saved, and here I quote, what Paul declares in First Corinthians chapter twelve and verse thirteen, writing to the believers of Corinth and even to us who are believers today, by one Spirit, meaning the Holy Spirit, were we all baptized or placed into one body?
My beloved, when God saved my soul, Many years ago, that same moment that I trusted Christ as my Savior, the Spirit joined me to the body of Christ, which is the Church. I became a member of that body immediately, having life. And may I repeat, from Ephesians chapter four in verse four, there's only one body, writes the Apostle. Not many bodies, and all believers. Now I admit, sorrowfully, you may find the believers scattered in many different places, taking many different names.
But if they are believers born again, they are in the one body, to which all believers belong. Therefore Christ is over them as the head, for it is a spiritual union. and a vital and a real one. Now consider the third fact we'd like to mention. As the head of the church he is the chief administrator. He possesses all authority. May I say the authority of the church is not invested in the elders and in the deacons or in the ecclesiastical officials that some may profess to be. The chief administrator over the church possessing all authority is the Lord Jesus in heaven.
And he alone is the source of development and growth for his body, the church. And this growth is to be externally as well as internally manifested. And for that purpose, as we can when we do read in Ephesians four, verse eleven and twelve, listen to the words. He gave some apostles, he gave some prophets, he gave some evangelists, he gave some pastors and teachers. Now let me repeat again, let me go back and read it, and note the emphasis I make. He gave some apostles, he gave some prophets, he gave some evangelists, he gave shepherds and teachers. Now beloved, let me say bluntly, I may be criticized for it, but it matters not.
Wherever the gifts come. may be, whatever the gifts may be. Who supplies them, the head of the church? He gave them. He gives them for the perfecting, the maturing of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Can I say something that may not very well be accepted, but may I state according to the Bible every true servant of God is bestowed with a gift, not from the seminary, not from the Bible school, not from the church, not by the elders, not by the deacons, but by the risen head in heaven above.
Beloved, what a solemn thing to realize. What do you and I think of Christ? For he alone is the administrator. possessing all authority, and would to God and all believers in the world would submit themselves to his authority. For unto every one of us he gives some gift and grace that we can be used for his glory. My beloved fellow believer, let me just say this. Look to the Lord himself to show you and to give you whatever gift is yours to be used for His glory while here below.
O blessed Father, what do we think of Christ? Do we not neglect His great administrative authority? Bless thy word, to His glory we ask. Amen.