What confusion is brought into the Lord’s testimony when men make themselves out to be so important! Message Seven is full of TAS’s hard-won wisdom regarding the need for men to humble themselves before God and to stop putting their self-important human hands all over the things of God. This message is very convicting and is certainly “solid food”. I find myself very humbled by this message.
Dear brother Roger’s last post is a perfect lead-in to a discussion of message seven. Roger mentioned the older saints who had been with WN in China and the blessing that was still on them. I am always so impressed that Watchman Nee's former co-workers all testify that WN never allowed the brothers and sisters in China in exalt him. In fact, WN hardly allowed them to even mention his name! James Chen, a former co-worker of WN who was led to the Lord by WN in 1926 and who received a lot of help from WN regarding loving the Lord and seeking the Lord, said this in the book
The Passing of the Torch:
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“If Watchman Nee were here and if he heard me mentioning his name, he would be very unhappy. I feel I am saying too much about him. He never wanted anyone to exalt Watchman Nee more than Christ. He felt very deeply that his name should never take up even a little bit of the attention due the name of Jesus Christ. The Christians and the churches all over China, although they respected Watchman Nee, seldom mentioned his name – but they exalted Christ. Brother Watchman Nee was not our head, but Jesus Christ was our Head.”
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TAS also refused to allow others to exalt him, and, like WN, always wanted the focus to be on Christ and Christ alone. TAS opened his heart and spoke regarding this matter in message seven:
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“Sometimes I go to some places. I am introduced to the congregation. The one who introduces me says, 'Mr. Austin-Sparks, the great Bible teacher from Europe.' And then a lot of other things. My heart sinks; I feel ill. I have to stand up and say, 'Do not take any notice of that. I am nobody. The Lord is everything.' Man has no place in the House of God. We come into God's House in our own importance, in our own strength, putting our hands on things, our minds on things, our wills on things. We are changing the whole nature of the House of God. The Lord will be limited there. Indeed, He will not have a clear way for Himself. This Jesus Who was the very presence of God says, ‘I am meek and lowly in heart.’”
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