Taking Christ as our person and living Him in and for the church life
Message Six
The Apostolic Ministry in Cooperation with Christ’s Heavenly Ministry
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
Reading the verses in each day:
Reading the main points in the outlines:
Pray-reading the verses:
Jesus said to Simon Peter,……….do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs. He said to him again a second time,………. do you love Me? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Shepherd My sheep. He said to him the third time,………. do you love Me? Peter was grieved that He said to him the third time, Do you love Me? And he said to Him, Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You. Jesus said to him, Feed My sheep.-John21:15-17.
Word of Appetizer
The Gospel of John has twenty-one chapters, but it actually ends with chapter 20;the entire book covers the earthly ministry of Christ, beginning with His incarnation as the Word of God to become a man in the flesh and ending with His resurrection as the last Adam to become the life-giving Spirit; hence, John 21 should be an appendix. Although it is correct to say this, more intrinsically speaking，what does the John 21 tells us?
John 21 is the completion and consummation of the Gospel of John; chapter 21 consummates
the entire Gospel of John by showing that Christ’s heavenly ministry and the apostles’ ministry on the earth cooperate together to carry out God’s New Testament economy. This is to incorporate the apostolic ministry with Christ’s heavenly ministry to take care of God’s flock, which is the church that issues in the Body of Christ.
Spiritual Burden
If we do not know what shepherding is, the entire Gospel of John will be in vain to us; it is only when we shepherd others that we can know John in an intrinsic way; shepherding is the key to the Gospel of John，We need to shepherd people according to the pattern of the Lord Jesus in His ministry for carrying out God’s eternal economy.
I hope that there will be a genuine revival among us by our receiving this burden of shepherding. If all the churches receive this teaching to participate in Christ’s wonderful shepherding, there will be a big revival in the recovery.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
John 21 is the completion and consummation of the Gospel of John; In this appendix, when the Lord stayed with His disciples after His resurrection and before His ascension, in one of His appearings, He commissioned Peter to feed His lambs and shepherd His sheep in His absence, while He is in the heavens.
The main purpose and goal of the apostolic ministry incorporated with Christ’s heavenly ministry are to build up the Body of Christ, which will consummate the New Jerusalem for the accomplishment of the eternal economy of God.
We need to shepherd people according to the pattern of the Lord Jesus in His ministry for carrying out God’s eternal economy.
The Experience of Life
I have come that they may have life and may have it abundantly. I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.-John10:10-11.
I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine; He pastures his flock among the lilies.-S.S.6:3.
In His heavenly ministry Christ as the High Priest, with a golden girdle about His breasts, is cherishing and nourishing the churches.
Practice and Application
We must take the shepherding way to preach the gospel and revive the church; We must take care of the saints in everything and in every way for the dispensing of Christ into them. We must contact and visit the saints and invite them to our home for meals.
We need to cherish people (to make them happy and to make them feel pleasant and comfortable) in the humanity of Jesus; We need to nourish people (to feed them with the all-inclusive Christ in His ministry of three stages) in the divinity of Christ.
Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline
Key Verses (1)
Jesus said to Simon Peter,……….do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs. He said to him again a second time,………. do you love Me? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Shepherd My sheep. He said to him the third time,………. do you love Me? Peter was grieved that He said to him the third time, Do you love Me? And he said to Him, Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You. Jesus said to him, Feed My sheep.-John21:15-17.
Therefore the elders among you I exhort……… Shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing not under compulsion.-Pet5:1-2.
I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine; He pastures his flock among the lilies.-S.S.6:3.
John 21 is the completion and consummation of the Gospel of John- The Apostolic Ministry in Cooperation with Christ’s Heavenly Ministry
. John 21 is the completion and consummation of the Gospel of John; chapter 21 consummates
the entire Gospel of John by showing that Christ’s heavenly ministry and the apostles’ ministry on the earth cooperate together to carry out God’s New Testament economy.
. In this appendix, when the Lord stayed with His disciples after His resurrection and before His ascension, in one of His appearings, He commissioned Peter to feed His lambs and shepherd His sheep in His absence, while He is in the heavens. This is to incorporate the apostolic ministry with Christ’s heavenly ministry to take care of God’s flock, which is the church that issues in the Body of Christ.
.Peter was so impressed with this commission of the Lord that Peter tells the elders that their obligation is to shepherd God’s flock according to God.
. The matter of shepherding God’s flock for the main purpose and ultimate consummation of the eternal economy of God is referred to even in Song of Songs.
Key Verses (2)
And he rose up and came to his own father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and he ran and fell on his neck and kissed him affectionately.-Ruke15:20.
Now the God of peace, He who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, in the blood of an eternal covenant. – Heb. 13:20.
Nor as lording it over your allotments but by becoming patterns of the flock.-1Pet5:3.
We need to shepherd people according to the pattern of the Lord Jesus in
His ministry for carrying out God’s eternal economy
. In Luke 15 the Lord Jesus unveiled the saving love of the Triune God for sinners. We need to cherish people in the humanity of Jesus; we need to nourish people in the divinity of Christ.
.Christ came not as a Judge but as a Physician to heal, recover, enliven, and save the lepers, paralytics, the fever-ridden, the demon-possessed, those ill with all kinds of diseases, despised tax collectors, and sinners that they might be reconstituted to become people of His heavenly kingdom.
.In His heavenly ministry Christ is the great Shepherd of the sheep to consummate the New Jerusalem according to God’s eternal covenant.
.We must take the shepherding way to preach the gospel and revive the church; The elders should shepherd one another and love one another to be a model of the Body life; We must contact and visit the saints and invite them to our home for meals.
Key Verses (3)
you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.- 1 Thes. 1:5b
But we were gentle in your midst, as a nursing mother would cherish her own children. -2:7.
Just as you know how we were to each one of you, as a father to his own children, exhorting you and consoling you and testifying, -11
The apostles were a pattern of the glad tidings that they spread
. We need to follow the pattern of the apostles to pay more attention to life than to work; In the church the most important thing is the person; the person is the way, and the person is the Lord’s work; what you are is what you do.
. Paul shepherded the saints as a nursing mother and an exhorting father.
. Paul indicated in his teaching that the church is a home to raise up people, a hospital to heal and recover them, and a school to teach and edify them.
.The position of the prayer is the position of ascension and also the position of heavenliness.
. I hope that there will be a genuine revival among us by our receiving this burden of shepherding. If all the churches receive this teaching to participate in Christ’s wonderful shepherding, there will be a big revival in the recovery.
Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week
D1
T1 John 21 reveals the apostolic ministry in cooperation with Christ’s heavenly
ministry.（John21:15~17）
（Illustrate John21 that He commissioned Peter to feed His lambs and shepherd His sheep）
T2 He was the good Shepherd who came that the sheep might have life abundantly（Matt. 9:36，1Pet5:4）
（Please explain that First, the Lord’s shepherding was in His earthly ministry. Second, the Lord’s shepherding is in His heavenly ministry）
D2
T1Christ being the Shepherd and Overseer of our soul,（1Pet2:25，5:1~2）
（How do we realize that Peter was so impressed with this commission of the Lord.）
T2 the Lord’s shepherding is in His heavenly ministry to take care of the church, issuing in His Body. (1 Pet. 5:4)）
（What is The main purpose and goal of the apostolic ministry incorporated with Christ’s heavenly ministry)
D3
T1 shepherding is the key to the Gospel of John.（John21:15~17）
(Why the Without John 21 the Gospel of John does not have an adequate and complete ending.)
T2 Shepherding and teaching are our obligation as a charge given to us by the Lord（1Pet5:1~3）
（Illustrate how can we exercise to take the shepherding way to preach the gospel and revive the church.）
D4
T1 We need to shepherd people according to the pattern of the Lord Jesus in His ministry（Matt9:36，John10:11）
（Please explain that In Luke 15 the Lord Jesus unveiled the saving love of the Triune God for sinners）
T2 cherish people in the humanity of Jesus and nourish people in the divinity of Christ（Matt. 9:10，24:45~47）
（illustrate the Christ came not as a Judge but as a Physician to heal, recover, enliven, and save them so that they might be reconstituted to become people of His heavenly kingdom.）
D5
T1 Christ, carried out His ministry by shepherding.（Heb13:20）
（According to John4:1-14, 8:1-11, Luke19:1-10，Please explain that Christ came not to condemn the lost but to save them.）
T2 “you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake”—(1 Thes. 1:5b)
（illustrate The apostles were a pattern of the glad tidings that they spread）
D6
T1 the fostering of a holy life for the church life（(1 Thes. 2:7、11）
（Please explain that Although the word fostering cannot be found in 1 Thessalonians 2, the fact
of fostering can be seen in this chapter.）
T2 He had an intimate concern for the believers（2 Cor. 7:3，12:15）
（According to 2 Corinthians 12:15，Please explain that It was with a loving, concerned spirit that Paul wrote the book of 1 Corinthians.）
