Message Eight
Being Measured by God’s Building
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
You, O son of man, describe the house to the house of Israel, ……And if they feel humiliated because of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the house, the arrangement, its exits, its entrances, its whole design, and all its statutes-indeed its whole design and all its laws; …… that they may keep its whole design and all its statutes, and do them.- Ezek.43:10-11.
……you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth.-1Tim3:15.
Word of Appetizer
In Ezek.43:10 You, O son of man, describe the house to the house of Israel, that they may feel humiliated because of their iniquities, and let them measure the pattern. The Lord told Ezekiel to describe God’s house to God’s people, what does it mean to us?
It was God’s intention to check the living and conduct ofthe people of Israel by the house. The living of the people must match the temple of God. He described God’s house to God’s people, exposed their sin and Shortcomings and caused them be ashamed of their iniquities.
Spiritual Burden
Today the Lord’s concern is not the law—it is the house; His concern is not spirituality—it is the church; We need to see from the book of Ezekiel that the requirements of the indwelling Christ are according to His house; everyone must be measured and checked according to the measurement of God’s house; Our behavior and conduct should be examined not only according to moral regulations and spiritual principles but also according to the church, the house of God.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
The entire Bible is a book of building; the main subject of the Bible is the building of God.
the glory of the Lord,the judgment of God, and the recovery of the Lord are all for the holy building of God.
According to the prophecy in typology in 2 Samuel 7:12-14a, Christ is both the One who builds the church as God’s house and the element with which the church is built.
The Lord instructed Ezekiel to describe God’s houseto God’s people so that they would be measured by the house and be ashamed of their iniquities.
The Body life is the greatest test of our spirituality; if we cannot pass the test of the Body life, our spirituality is not genuine.
The Experience of Life
When we believe into Christ, He enterd into us and work within us, building Himself into us. God is working Himself into us, not only making a home for us but also build us up to be His house.
Practice and Application
We need to see from the book of Ezekiel that the requirements of the indwelling Christ are according to His house; everyone must be measured and checked according to the measurement of God’s house. We need to check our humanity by the building and take the humanity of Jesus as our humanity.
We must keep the oneness of the Body and practice blending, which is most helpful in keeping the oneness of the Body of Christ.
Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline
Key Verses (1)
When your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your seed after you, which will come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom；It is he who will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever；I will be his Father, and he will be My son…..- 2 Sam. 7:12-14a.
That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love,- Eph. 3:17.
the main subject of the Bible is the building of God
Christ is the builder, and the element with which the church is built
I. The entire Bible is a book of building; the main subject of the Bible is the building of God.
II. The book of Ezekiel begins with a vision of the appearance of the glory of the Lord and ends with a vision of the holy building of God; this indicates that the glory of the Lord, the judgment of God, and the recovery of the Lord are all for the holy building of God.
III. According to the prophecy in typology in 2 Samuel 7:12-14a, Christ is both the One who builds the church as God’s house and the element with which the church is built:
•Christ is the house, His Body, and Christ is also the Builder.
•Christ builds the church by building Himself into us, that is, by entering into our spirit and spreading Himself from our spirit into our mind, emotion, and will to occupy our entire soul.
Key Verses (2)
You, O son of man, describe the house to the house of Israel, ……And if they feel humiliated because of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the house, the arrangement, its exits, its entrances, its whole design, and all its statutes-indeed its whole design and all its laws; …… that they may keep its whole design and all its statutes, and do them; This is the law of the house: Its entire area on the top of and all around the mountain shall be most holy. Indeed this is the law of the house.- Ezek.43:10-12.
be measured by the house
IV.The Lord instructed Ezekiel to describe God’s house to God’s people so that they would be measured by the house and be ashamed of their iniquities:
•It was God’s intention to check the living and conduct of the people of Israel by the house; in the book of Ezekiel God measured His people by the temple.
•We need to see from the book of Ezekiel that the requirements of the indwelling Christ are according to His house; everyone must be measured and checked according to the measurement of God’s house.
• “This is the law of the house: Its entire area on the top of and all around the mountain shall be most holy. Indeed this is the law of the house” The church must also be holy, separated and sanctified from anything worldly.
• Today the Lord’s concern is not the law—it is the house; His concern is not spirituality—it is the church.
Key Verses (3)
Out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love. -Eph.4:16.
Now you are the Body of Christ, and members individually.-1Cor. 12:27.
The Body life is the greatest test of our spirituality
V. The Body life is the greatest test of our spirituality; if we cannot pass the test of the Body life, our spirituality is not genuine:
• Spirituality is a Body matter; everything we have is in the Body,through the Body, and for the Body.
•In the Body there can be no independence or individualism.
•The reality of the Body of Christ is a corporate living of conformity to the death of Christ through the power of resurrection.
•A basic requirement for the growth and development of the Body is that we recognize our measure and not go beyond it.
• We need to care for the growth of the Body and the Body’s building up of itself in love.
Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week
D1
T1 The main subject of the Bible is the building of God(Gen. 28:10-22; Matt. 16:18; Rev. 21:2-3)
(Please illustrate that the entire Bible is a book of building)
T2 We need Christ to be wrought into our being.(2Sam.7:12-14)
(What does 2 Samuel 7 show to us by the unveiling of a prophecy through typology?)
D2
T1 Christ is building Himself into us( Ephesians 3:17)
(Please illustrate that Christ is making His home in our hearts. This is building.)
T2 All our problems today are due to one thing—our shortage of having God in Christ built into our being. ( Ephesians 4:16)
(Please illustrate that our need today is not merely to be holy, spiritual, and overcoming. Our need is for God to carry out His building work within us)
D3
T1 It was God’s intention to check the living and conduct of the people of Israel by His house, His habitation, as a rule and pattern. (Ezek. 43:10-12)
(What does it mean by that God measures His people by the temple in Ezekiel?)
T2 The temple of God is a pattern(Ezek. 43:10-12;1Tim.15-16)
(Please illustrate that our behavior and conduct should be examined not only according to moral regulations and spiritual principles but also according to the church, the house of God)
D4
T1 We all need to be checked by the building, the house, in our comings in and goings out. (Ezek. 40:16)
(Please illustrate that if [a] person is measured by the house, he will realize that he is lacking in many ways. )
T2 fitting into God’s house being measured by God’s building
(If we are measured by the cherubim and palm trees carved into the walls, please illustrate that our main concern should not be with behaving ourselves or with becoming spiritual but with fitting into God’s house)
D5
T1 The law of God’s house is related to God’s character(Ezek. 43:12)
(Please illustrate the two points that the law of the house can be summed up in )
T2 The church life, is the greatest test of real spirituality.(1Cor.12:23-27)
(If we cannot pass the test of the church life, our spirituality is not genuine.)
D6
T1 Spirituality is a Body matter(1 Cor. 12:21-22;27;Rom.12:5;Eph.5:30)
(Please illustrate that in the Body there can be no independence or individualism)
T2 We must be willing to be limited to our measure.( Rom.12:3;Col.12:9)
(Please illustrate that a member functions in the Body according to what he has received from the Lord. It is according to the “measure of faith”)
