by T. Austin-Sparks
First published in A Witness and A Testimony magazines, May-June 1933.
A Conference Message as Spoken.
What is the assembly? It is not just a congregation, it is not just the coming together of people for services, meetings, conferences, public worship and so on. The assembly is the bringing together on the part of a company of the Lord's people, of the features of the Lord Jesus so that as the Father looks down He sees His Son befeatured by that company. In effect the Risen Lord said: "Oh, do not make an earthly thing of Me, I am no longer related to this earth, I am related to heaven now, My family is related to heaven. And as Head of the Church, the Church is a heavenly Body; do not try to tie Me to earth, do not make something of Me here. No, I and My members are heavenly in life, in relationship, in interests, in everything." That is the Church, that is the nature, and basis of the Church, and Christ is the centre as the resurrection, as the first-fruits, in the presence of God.
