The Local Churches Typified in the Book of Psalms

Additional Quotes about the Local Church by Witness Lee and Watchman Nee

In Psalm 66:13 the Psalmist says, “I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows.” The burnt offerings are the praises of Christ. The Lord has caused us to dwell in His courts, and now we may come to the house of God with praises of Christ as an offering. We learn to offer these praises as offerings to God. In all the local churches we need to be trained to praise Him that we may always have praise concerning Christ as an offering to God.

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 97)

Psalm 27:6…“I will offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of shouts of joy!”….Praise the Lord, we must shout for joy forever! Where? In the local churches, in the house of God.

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 61)

It is rather difficult to find a verse in the Bible telling us that we must study the Word in the house of God, give a message in the house of God, or listen to a good speaker in the house of God. It is also difficult to find a verse in the Psalms telling us to wait in silence in the house of God. But we have Psalm 27 showing us that the house of God is not only a place to behold His beauty and inquire of Him, but also a place to shout. And this shouting is a kind of sacrifice.

The house is also the place to sing praises unto the Lord. We do need an abundance of singing in God’s house. We may need a few messages and a little listening, but how much more we need the singing of praises! All these things are in the house. I just love the house! I do not know how much you love the local churches. Sometimes my family says that I may not be so happy at home, but when I am in the church, I am a different person!

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 62)

Now with Psalm 73 we begin Book III [Psalms 73-89] of the Psalms. Book III indicates how the saints, in their experiences, realize that the house and the city of God with all the enjoyments thereof can only be preserved and maintained through Christ properly appreciated and exalted by God’s people. This means that if we would have a consistent experience of the house and the city of God with all their enjoyment, we must appreciate Christ and know Christ in a proper way. Only when we exalt Christ adequately and properly will the enjoyment of God’s house and God’s city be preserved and maintained. Otherwise, we will lose the enjoyment of the house, and the city of God will vanish. By keeping this in mind, we may realize how Book III is a further improvement in the progression of the Psalms.

By the end of Book II [ Psalms 42-72] we have reached the climax, the highest peak. But such a glorious situation, such victory, such ascension, and such wealth of blessing does not often last long. Because we are lacking in our appreciation of the exaltation of Christ, there is a real problem associated with our enjoyment of the house and city of God. God would even allow the enemy to intrude and destroy the enjoyment of His house and city. This is exactly why we have Book III.

… There is always the problem of maintaining and preserving any good situation. It is not so easy to perpetuate such a condition for any length of time. When we reach the highest peak in the local churches, we usually do not stay on the mountaintop very long. Too often some kind of desolation intervenes and brings us down. Bear this in mind.

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 126-127)

3. Receiving the Blessing in God’s House

The second item [in Psalm 84] is the praising: “Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be praising thee all the day long. Selah” (v. 4). Henceforth, whenever we meet together, we must spend much time in praising. The praising should occupy more of the time in our meetings than the teachings. “They will be praising thee all the day long.” Learn to praise Him.

The third aspect of the enjoyment is that in the local church we have the very God to trust in: “O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee” (v. 12). Indeed, we may all trust in God outside of the local church, but it is rather difficult. In the local church, we can testify, it is so easy to trust in God. If you have not tasted, you do not know. Even the young ones can bear witness to this fact. Come into the local church and stay there for just two months, and you will see how easy it is to trust in God when you are in the meetings. At home it is rather arduous, but in the meetings it is spontaneous. In the local churches we have the very God to trust in.

There are other blessings issuing from the house of God in this Psalm, but I mention just these…the continual praise (it is praise to the Lord, but it is our enjoyment); and the place where we have the very God, in whom we may trust. These are the main blessings of making our home in God’s house.

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 149-150)

Main

God’s House

Zion

City of God

Bride

Practical Salvation

Built Up

Victory

Bibliography

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