The Genuine Church Life
Message Two
The Church Life—a Life of Being Headed Up in Christ
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
Unto the economy of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him;–Eph.1：10
Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall by no means walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.—John 8:12
Word of Appetizer
What is the purpose for that God has chosen us, predestinated us, redeemed us, forgiven us, and graced us?
We are accustomed to saying that God’s goal is neither holiness nor spirituality, but the church. But the ultimate goal is not even the church; it is the heading up of all things in Christ.
Spiritual Burden
The church life is a life of being headed up in Christ. The heading up in the church life is by life and light
In order to be delivered from the heap of collapse in a practical way, we need to grow in life; the more we grow in life, the more we will be headed up and the more we will be rescued from the universal collapse
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
God’s eternal intention is to head up all things in Christ, who has been appointed to be the universal Head
Satan’s goal is to corrupt God’s creation and to cause confusion
We all need to be delivered from the heap of collapse and headed up in Christ
The church life is a life of being headed up in Christ
In the church life we are being headed up through the divine dispensing in the divine economy
The heading up in the church life is by life and light
The Experience of Life
God’s abounding grace will accomplish the heading up of all things in Christ; this abounding grace is working on us so that all things might be headed up in Christ
When God comes into us as life, the light of life shines within us; this life swallows death, and this light dispels the darkness
Practice and Application
The heading up in the church life is by life and light. In order to be delivered from the heap of collapse in a practical way, we need to grow in life; the more we grow in life, the more we will be headed up and the more we will be rescued from the universal collapse
Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline
Key Verses (1)
Unto the economy of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him;–Eph.1：10
For the creation was made subject to vanity, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, In hope that the creation itself will also be freed from the slavery of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.—Rom.8:20-21
God’s eternal intention is to head up
Satan’s goal is to cause confusion
I. God’s eternal intention is to head up all things in Christ, who has been appointed to be the universal Head
• It is God’s eternal purpose that in the economy of the fullness of the times, He might head up all things in Christ
II. Satan’s goal is to corrupt God’s creation and to cause confusion
•When Satan injected himself into man, Satan became death and darkness to man; sin brings in death, death brings in darkness, and darkness brings in confusion.
•God is working to liberate His creation from bondage and to bring it into liberty by heading up all things in Christ
Key Verses (2)
Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you for a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light; Who delivered us out of the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,– Col.1:12-13
But holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ,–Eph.4:15
to be delivered from the heap of collapse
The church life –a life of being headed up in Christ.
• According to the Bible, God’s salvation is to save us not only from our fallen, sinful condition but also from the heap of collapse
• God will subject all things under Christ by heading up all things in Christ through the church
• In the proper church life we are being headed up in Christ
• When the church takes the lead to be headed up in Christ, God has a way to head up all other things
Key Verses (3)
If indeed you have heard of the stewardship of the grace of God which was given to me for you—Eph.3:2
Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall by no means walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.—John 8:12
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.– John 1:4
through the divine dispensing
by life and light
In the church life we are being headed up through the divine dispensing in the divine economy
• God is working Himself into His chosen ones through an administration that is a sweet dispensing, an intimate stewardship, a comfortable household arrangement
The heading up in the church life is by life and light
• God’s way of recovery is Christ versus Satan, life versus death, light versus darkness, and order versus confusion.
• God’s way to recover the oneness among His creation is to impart Himself into us as life
• In order to be delivered from the heap of collapse in a practical way, we need to grow in life; the more we grow in life, the more we will be headed up and the more we will be rescued from the universal collapse
• When God comes into us as life, the light of life shines within us; this life swallows death, and this light dispels the darkness
Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week
D1
T1 God’s eternal intention is to head up all things in Christ, who has been appointed to be the universal Head —Eph. 1:10
(Please illustrate that what is the first step God takes to accomplish this)
T2 God has made Christ the Head over all things —Eph. 1:22
(What are the three main items concerning the church in the economy of God?)
D2
T1 Satan’s goal is to corrupt God’s creation and to cause confusion—Rom.8:19-23
(Please illustrate by examples that sin brings in death, death brings in darkness, and darkness brings in confusion.)
T2 Satan has brought death to the entire creation of God. —Rom.8:20-21
(What is the reason that Romans 8:20 and 21 say that the creation has been subjected to vanity and is under the slavery of corruption?)
D3
T1 to be delivered from the heap of collapse—Cor.1:12-13
(What is the reason that today’s human society and creation itself are such a mess?)
T2 the oneness of the saints in the church life.—Eph.1:22
(Please illustrate that we are not one by means of organization; we are one in the divine transmission.)
D4
T1 Today we in the church are taking the lead to be headed up in Christ.–Eph.1:10
(Please illustrate that the church life is a life of being headed up in Christ)
T2 The proper heading up is the growing of life.—Eph.4:15
(Please illustrate that according to the experience the more we grow, the more we come out of the collapse. )
D5
T1 The “stewardship of the grace of God” is the dispensation of the grace of God. –Eph. 3:2
(What is the meaning of the dispensation of the grace of God?)
T2 a sweet dispensing, an intimate stewardship—Eph.3:2
(What is God’s way to head us up?)
D6
T1 This life swallows death, and this light dispels the darkness —John 8:12
(Please illustrate that according to the experience when we are in the life and under the light, then we are delivered out of confusion and brought into order, and harmony.)
T2 When we are controlled by this light, then we have oneness and harmony, which will be the real building. —John 1:4
(Please illustrate that what is the difference between God’s way of recovery in redemption and His way in creation.)
