That True and Faithful Church of the Living God
…upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. – Matthew 16:18
To what trials, my brethren, has not the Church of God been subjected? What new invention can Satan bring forth? The fire, the rack, imprisonment, banishment, confiscation, slander, all these have been tried, and in them all the Church has been more than conqueror through Him who loved her. False doctrine without, heresy and schism within; hypocrisy, formalism, fanaticism, pretenses of high spirituality, worldliness-these have all done their worst. I marvel at the wondrous ingenuity of the great enemy of the Church, but methinks his devices must nearly have come to an end. Can he invent anything further? We have been astounded in these ages by the prodigy of an infidel bishop; we have been struck dumb with sorrow and amazement at a decree which declares that a Church professing to be a Church of Christ must permit men to be her ministers who deny the inspiration of Holy Scripture. This is a new thing under the sun. Popery and infidelity are to be both legalized and fostered in a Church professing to be Christian and Protestant…Ask me “Where is the Church?” In one unbroken line our apostolic succession runs; not through the Church of Rome; not from the superstitious hands of priest-made popes, or king-created bishops, but through the blood of good men and true, who never forsook the testimony of Jesus; through the loins of true pastors, laborious evangelists, faithful martyrs, and honorable men of God; we trace our pedigree up to the fishermen of Galilee and glory that we perpetuate, by God’s grace, that true and faithful Church of the living God, in whom Christ did abide and will abide until the world’s crash. ~ C.H. Spurgeon
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0560.cfm
His Glory and Majesty
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… – Philippians 2:10
Jesus Christ is greatly to be reverenced; the familiarity with which we approach Him is always to be tempered with the deepest and most reverent adoration. He is our brother, bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, but still, He counteth it not robbery to be equal with God. I know He made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and He calleth Himself to-day our Husband, and maketh us to be members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones; but yet we must never forget that it is written, “Let all the angels of God worship Him,” and “At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Yes, Christ is majestic in His Church. I would, brethren, we always thought of this. There is a glory and a majesty about all the laws of Christ, and all His commands, so that whether we baptize at His command, or break bread in remembrance of Him, or lift up His cross in ministry-in whatever we do, in His name, which is in fact, what He does through us, there is an attendant majesty which should make our minds feel perpetually reverent before Him. O that the world could see the glory of Christ in the Church! O that the world did but know who it is that is in the midst of the few, the feeble, the weak, the foolish as they call them…There is a true and mysterious presence of Christ with His people, according to the promise “Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world;” it is because the world ignores this that she despises and sneers at the Church of God. Therein is our comfort and our glory. We have a majesty about us if we be the people of God, which is not to be gainsayed; angels see it and wonder-a majesty of indwelling Godhead, for the Lord is in the midst of us for a glory and around us for a defense. ~ C.H. Spurgeon
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0560.cfm
Jehovah-Jesus
“He shall feed in the strength of Jehovah.” – Micah 5:4
Do not fail to discern that the empire of Christ in His Church is effectually powerful in its action; “He shall feed in the strength of Jehovah.” Wherever Christ is, there is God; and whatever Christ does is the act of the Most High. Oh! it is a joyful truth to consider that He who redeemed us was none other than God Himself; He who led our captivity captive was Jehovah-Jesus; He who stands to-day representing the interests of His people is very God of very God; He who has sworn that every one of His people whom He hath redeemed by blood shall be brought safe to His Father’s right hand, is Himself essential Deity. O my brethren, we rest upon a sure foundation when we build upon the Incarnate God; and O ye saints of God, the interests of each one of you, and of the one great Church, must be safe, because our champion is God; Jehovah is our Judge, Jehovah is our Lawgiver, Jehovah is our King, He will save us. How can He fail or be discouraged? When He maketh bare His arm, who shall stand against Him? Let us rehearse the mighty deeds of the Lord and tell of His wonders of old. Remember how He got Him victory upon Pharaoh and the pride of Egypt! With a high hand and an outstretched arm did the Lord bring forth His people from the house of bondage. When the proud high stomach of Egypt’s king again rose against the Most High, the Lord knew how to lay His adversary lower than the dust…”Let us sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and His rider hath He thrown into the sea.” Surely it shall be so at the last day with Jesus our King, and all His saints; we also shall sing “the song of Moses, the servant of God, and of the Lamb,” in that day when the arch-enemy shall be overthrown, and the hosts of evil shall be consumed, and they who hate the Lord shall become as the fat of rams, into smoke shall they consume, yea, into smoke shall they consume away. ~ C.H. Spurgeon
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0560.cfm
His Watchful Care
“He shall stand and feed…” – Micah 5:4
It is said, “He shall stand and feed;” not ” He shall feed now and then, and then leave His position;” not, “He shall one day grant a revival, and then next day leave His Church to barrenness.” Beloved, there is no such pastor as Christ. “I know My sheep,” He can say, in a very high and peculiar sense. He knows them through and through; He feels with them; in all their afflictions He is afflicted; He is one with them eternally. There is no such wakeful watchman as the Lord Jesus. Is it not written, “I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.” Those eyes never slumber, and those hands never rest; that heart never ceases to beat with love, and those shoulders are never weary of carrying His people’s burdens. The Church may go through her dark ages, but Christ is with her in the midnight. She may pass through her fiery furnace, but Christ is in the midst of the flame with her. Her whole history through, wherever you find the Church, there shall you find the Church’s Lord. The head is never severed from the body, nor is the watchful care of this gracious Husband towards His spouse suspended for an instant.
I would that our Churches could be more influenced by a belief in the abiding power, presence, and pre-eminence of their living and reigning Lord. He is no dead King whose memory we are bidden to embalm, but a living Leader and Commander whose behests we must obey, whose honor we must defend. ~ C.H. Spurgeon
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0560.cfm
He Stands and Feeds
And He shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD… – Micah 5:4
It is said “He shall stand and feed.” The great Head of the Church is actively engaged in providing for His people. He does not sit down upon the throne in an empty state or hold a scepter without wielding it in government. No, He stands and feeds. The expression “feed,” in the original is like an analogous one in the Greek, which means to shepherdize, to do everything expected of a shepherd: to guide, to watch, to preserve, to tend, as well as to feed. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Head of the Church, is always actively engaged for the Church’s good. Through Him the Spirit of God constantly descends upon the members of the Church; by Him ministers are given in due season, and all Church-officers in their proper place. When He ascended up on high He received gifts for men; “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Our Lord does not close His eyes to the state of His Church. Beloved, He is not a listless spectator of our wants. He is this day standing and feeding His people. They are scattered, I know, wide as the poles asunder, but our mighty Shepherd can see every sheep and lamb of His flock, and He gives them all their portion of meat in due season. He it is that like a mighty Breaker, goes forth at the head of His flock, and they follow where He clears the way, “He shall stand and feed.” Oh! blessed carefulness and divine activity of our gracious King! ~ C.H. Spurgeon
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0560.cfm
Our Shepherd King
And He shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God… – Micah 5:4
Notice that His reign is shepherd-like in its nature. The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, but our Master washed His disciples’ feet. Earthly monarchs are often tyrants; their yoke is heavy, and their language domineering; but it is not so with our King; His yoke is easy, and His burden is light, for He is meek and lowly of heart. He is a shepherd-king; He has supremacy, but it is the superiority of a wise and tender shepherd over His needy and loving flock. He commands and receives obedience, but it is the willing obedience of the well-cared-for sheep, rendered joyfully to their beloved Shepherd, whose voice they know so well. He rules by the force of love and the energy of goodness. His power lies not in imperious threatenings, but in imperial lovingkindness. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King, for “men shall be blessed in Him; all nations shall call Him blessed.” Never people had such a king before. His service is perfect freedom; to be His subject is to be a king; to serve Him is to reign. Blessed are the people who are the sheep of His pasture; if they follow in His footsteps their road is safe; if they sleep at His feet no lion can disturb their peace; if they are fed from His hand they shall lie down in green pastures and know no lack; if they abide close to His person they shall drink of rivers of delight. Righteousness and peace are the stability of His throne; joy and gladness are the ornaments of His reign. Oh! how happy are we who belong to such a prince. Thou King in Jeshurun, we pay Thee homage with loyal hearts; we come into Thy presence with thanksgiving and into Thy courts with praise for Thou art our God, and we are the people of Thy pasture and the sheep of Thy hand. ~ C.H. Spurgeon
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0560.cfm
He Hath Said 