Taking Christ as our person and living Him in and for the church life
Message Seven
Being Fully Reconciled to God
and Enlarged in Heart to Represent God Rightly in His Economy
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
Reading the verses in each day:
Reading the main points in the outlines:
Pray-reading the verses:
But all things are out from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; namely, that God in Christ was reconciling the world to Himself, not accounting their offenses to them, and has put in us the word of reconciliation. On behalf of Christ then we are ambassadors, as God entreats you through us; we beseech you on behalf of Christ, Be reconciled to God.-2Cor.5:18-20.
Word of Appetizer
What should we do to represent Him properly in God’s economy?
All the members of the Body are representatives of the Head, His ambassadors, When we have been fully reconciled to God and have been enlarged in heart, we can represent God rightly in His economy，In order to represent God in His economy, we need to be fully reconciled to God；How large our heart is depends on the degree of our reconciliation to God.
Spiritual Burden
Lord needs some qualified ones to be His ambassador on the earth. All the members of the Body are representatives of the Head, His ambassadors；When we have been fully reconciled to God and have been enlarged in heart, we can represent God rightly in His economy.
We need to learn a serious lesson from the one time that Moses failed to represent God; In all that we say and do concerning God’s people, our attitude must be according to God’s holy nature, and our actions must be according to His divine economy.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
In order to represent God in His economy, we need to be fully reconciled to God; The first step of reconciliation is to reconcile sinners to God from sin; The second step of reconciliation is to reconcile believers living in the natural life to God from the flesh.
Being fully reconciled to God causes us to be enlarged in our heart; How large our heart is depends on the degree of our reconciliation to God.
When we have been fully reconciled to God and have been enlarged in heart, we can represent God rightly in His economy.
The Experience of Life
In order that we may be reconciled to God in full, the Father exposes our natural life and unveils our real situation to us, As a result, we condemn our natural being and apply the cross subjectively, and this application of the death of Christ crucifies our natural life. As our natural man is crossed out, we experience the second step of reconciliation; in this step the veil of our natural man is rent so that we may live in God’s presence.
Practice and Application
Being fully reconciled to God causes us to be enlarged in our heart; In order to be strict with ourselves and not with others, we need to be enlarged.
In all that we say and do concerning God’s people, our attitude must be according to God’s holy nature, and our actions must be according to His divine economy.
A person who represents God rightly must have the following qualifications: He must submit to authority; He must realize that in himself he has no authority; He must be one with the Lord and live in constant and intimate fellowship with Him; He must not be subjective and not act according to his own feeling
Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline
Key Verses (1)
But all things are out from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; namely, that God in Christ was reconciling the world to Himself, not accounting their offenses to them, and has put in us the word of reconciliation. On behalf of Christ then we are ambassadors, as God entreats you through us; we beseech you on behalf of Christ, Be reconciled to God.-2Cor.5:18-20.
In order to represent God in His economy, we need to be fully reconciled
to God
A.The ministry of reconciliation is to bring us back to God fully, thoroughly, completely, and entirely.
B.Two steps are required for us to be fully reconciled to God：
. In 2 Corinthians 5:19 it is the world that is reconciled to God, but in verse 20 it is the believers, who have already been reconciled to God and are to be reconciled further to God.
. The first step of reconciliation is to reconcile sinners to God from sin, for this purpose Christ died for our sins that they might be forgiven by God.
. The second step of reconciliation is to reconcile believers living in the natural life to God from the flesh, for this purpose Christ died for us—the persons—that we might live to Him in the resurrection life. Instead of taking place once for all, the second step of reconciliation is continuous.
Key Verses (2)
Our mouth is opened to you, Corinthians; our heart is enlarged. You are not constricted in us, but you are constricted in your inward parts. But for a recompense in kind, I speak as to children, you also be enlarged.-2Cor.6:11-13.
Being fully reconciled to God causes us to be enlarged in our heart
A.How large our heart is depends on the degree of our reconciliation to God.
B. Narrowness of heart is a strong indication that we have been reconciled to God only partially and that the percentage of our salvation is quite low.
C.In order to be strict with ourselves and not with others, we need to be enlarged;
those who are constricted are usually narrow as well, and thus they need to have their heart enlarged.
D.Wisdom and largeness of heart are two aspects of one thing; the secret of wisdom is to have a large heart.
Key Verses (3)
For which I am an ambassador in a chain, that in it I would speak boldly, as I ought to speak.-Eph.6:20.
But the centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not fit for you to enter under my roof; but only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my slave, do this, and he does it.-Matt.8:8-9.
III. When we have been fully reconciled to God and have been enlarged in
heart, we can represent God rightly in His economy
.Because the apostle Paul had been fully reconciled to God and enlarged in heart,
he was qualified to be an ambassador of Christ, representing God.
.We need to learn a serious lesson from the one time that Moses failed to represent God：
. In striking the rock twice and in calling the people rebels, Moses did not sanctify God in the sight of the people of Israel.
. In all that we say and do concerning God’s people, our attitude must be according to God’s holy nature, and our actions must be according to His divine economy.
C.A person who represents God rightly must have the following qualifications:
. He must submit to authority, He must realize that in himself he has no authority
. He must be one who denies the self; He must not be subjective and not act according to his own feeling; He must have a consciousness of his inability and unsuitability.
Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week
D1
T1 the full significance of reconciliation（2 Cor. 5:18-20）
（Please explain that The ministry of reconciliation is not merely to bring sinners back to God
but, even the more, to bring believers absolutely into God.）
T2 In order to represent God in His economy, we need to be fully reconciled to God. (2 Cor. 5:20)
（Please explain that Until we are wholly one with the Lord, we will need the ministry of reconciliation.）
D2
T1 Two steps are required for us to be fully reconciled to God（2 Cor. 5:19-20）
（Illustrate what are the two steps for us to be fully reconciled to God.）
T2 our natural man is crossed out, we experience the second step of reconciliation.（Rom6:6）
（Why the second step of reconciliation is not once for all, but continuous.）
D3
T1 Being fully reconciled to God causes us to be enlarged in our heart（2 Cor.6:3~10）
（Please explain that To be enlarged requires the aspects of the all-fitting life covered in verses 3 through 10.）
T2 How large our heart is depends on the degree of our reconciliation to God.（2 Cor.6:12~13）
（Please explain that Our narrowness is a strong indication that we have been reconciled to God only partially）
D4
T1 The highest authority in this universe is God（Matt28:18）
（Please explain that God has given all authority in heaven and on earth to Christ.）
T2 An ambassador of Christ is one who represents God, the highest authority in the universe（Eph6: 20）
（Please explain that We are not only the captives of Christ. Eventually, we have to be the ambassadors of Christ)
D5
T1 to be an ambassador of Christ, representing God.（2Cor1:3~4、12）
（Please explain that As an ambassador of Christ, Paul was “the acting God”.）
T2to learn a serious lesson from the one time that Moses failed to represent God（Num. 20:2-13）
（Illustrate which time did Moses offend both God’s holy nature and His divine economy. ）
D6
T1 learn to know authority and find out to whom they should submit.（Matt8:8~9）
（Illustrate how the centurion learn to know authority and submit to the authority in Matt.8:8~9. ）
T2 We are merely representatives. Authority does not belong to me;（Matt28:18，2Cor10:8）
（Illustrate which qualifications do the people who represent God properly must have.）
