The Development of the Kingdom of God
in the Christian Life and the Church Life
Message Three
The Kingdom and the Church
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
…and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in the heavens—Matt. 16:18-19.
Who delivered us out of the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love—Col. 1:13.
Word of Appetizer
How the kingdom and the church are related?
The life of God is the kingdom of God; the divine life is the kingdom, and this life produces the church.
The kingdom is the reality of the church; therefore, apart from the kingdom life, we cannot live the church life; without the kingdom as the reality of the church, the church cannot be built up.
The genuine church is the kingdom of God in this age; today the believers live the kingdom life in the church.
Spiritual Burden
The kingdom is the reality of the church; therefore, apart from the kingdom life, we cannot live the church life; since the kingdom life issues in the church life, as we live corporately in the kingdom life, we spontaneously live the church life.
Although the church today is God’s kingdom, we are in the kingdom in reality only when we live, walk, and have our being in the spirit, not in our natural man.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
The Bible first presents the kingdom and thereafter presents the church; the presence of the kingdom produces the church.
The genuine church is the kingdom of God in this age; today the believers live the kingdom life in the church.
The Father has delivered us out of the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
The Experience of Life
The Father has delivered us out of the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love; the kingdom into which we have been transferred is the kingdom of the Son of God’s love; this realm of life is in love, not in fear.
The Son in resurrection is now the life-giving Spirit, and He rules us in His resurrection life with love; when we live by the Son as our life in resurrection, we are living in His kingdom, enjoying Him in the Father’s love; here we have the church life.
Practice and Application
The church today is God’s kingdom, we are in the kingdom in reality only when we live, walk, and have our being in the spirit, not in our natural man.
Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”; in the church as the kingdom, we are under rule, government, discipline, and exercise.
Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline
Key Verses (1)
And Jesus went about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom…—Matt. 4:23.
Because narrow is the gate and constricted is the way that leads to life, and few are those who find it—7:14.
…and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in the heavens, …—Matt. 16:18-19.
Ⅰ The Bible first presents the kingdom and thereafter presents the church; the presence of the kingdom produces the church
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- The life of God is the kingdom of God; the divine life is the kingdom, and this life produces the church.
- The kingdom is the reality of the church; therefore, apart from the kingdom life, we cannot live the church life.
- Without the kingdom as the reality of the church, the church cannot be built up.
- The purpose of the vital groups in the church life is to live the kingdom life—the God-man life; a vital group is a real representation of the church.
Key Verses (2)
John to the seven churches which are in Asia…and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—Rev. 1:4-6.
For the kingdom of God is not in speech but in power—1 Cor. 4:20.
For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit—Rom. 14:17.
Ⅱ The genuine church is the kingdom of God in this age; today the believers live the kingdom life in the church
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- Each time the Lord Jesus spoke of the church, He mentioned it in relation to the kingdom; this indicates how intimately the kingdom and the church are related.
- Romans 14:17 proves that the church in this age is the kingdom of God.
- The kingdom of God in 1 Corinthians 4:20 refers to the church life (v. 17), implying that in the sense of authority, the church in this age is the kingdom of God.
- The word kingdom in Revelation 1:6 reveals that where the church is, there the kingdom of God is; the church represents the kingdom.
- Although the church today is God’s kingdom, we are in the kingdom in reality only when we live, walk, and have our being in the spirit, not in our natural man.
Key Verses (3)
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.
And this is the testimony, that God gave to us eternal life and this life is in His Son—1 John 5:11.
When Christ our life is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory—Col. 3:4.
Ⅲ The Father has delivered us out of the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love
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- The kingdom of the Son of God’s love comprises three ages: the present age, in which the church is; the coming age, in which the millennial kingdom will be; and the eternal age with the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth; the kingdom of the Son of God’s love in this age is the reality of the church.
- We need to understand the intrinsic significance of the church as the kingdom of the Son of God’s love; the kingdom in which we find ourselves today is a realm full of life, light, and love.
- In the church as the kingdom of the Son of God’s love, we have the reality and practicality of the organic Body of Christ.
- In the church as the kingdom of the Son of God’s love, we have the reality and practicality of the universal one new man.
Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week
D1
T1 The Bible first presents the kingdom and thereafter presents the church（Matt4:23 16:18~19）
（Please explain that the divine life is the kingdom, and this life produces the church）
T2 without the reality of the kingdom, the church is empty（Matt5:3，16:18~19）
（Please explain that The reality of the kingdom of the heavens (Matt. 5—7) is the content of the church life）
D2
T1Where the authority of the kingdom is absent, there the building of the church will be lacking. （Matt.16:18~19）
（Please explain that The keys of the kingdom are given to make the building of the church possible）
T2 in order for the church to be built up, we must submit to the authority of the Head. (Eph.4:15~16）
（Please explain that Anyone who refuses to submit to the authority of the kingdom can at best be a saved person.）
D3
T1 The church is the kingdom of God（Eph2:19）
（Please explain that we are in the kingdom in reality only when we live, walk, and have our being in the spirit）
T2 The genuine church is the kingdom of God in this age（Rom14:17）
(According to Rom14:17 illustrate how can we live the kingdom life in the church life.)
D4
T1 The kingdom of the Son of God’s love comprises three ages（Col. 1:12-13，Matt3:17）
（Please explain that The church life today is the kingdom of the Son of the Father’s love, which is as delightful to God the Father）
T2 There is no need to commit some gross sin in order to be in darkness. (Col1:12~13）
（Please explain that Simply living according to the self puts us in darkness, for it causes us to be separated from Christ. with experience.）
D5
T1 We are ruled and restricted to the uttermost in the sweetness of love. （1Pet.2:9）
（Please explain that what is the kingdom of the Son of His love by example.）
T2 the kingdom of the Son of His love is for our enjoyment of Christ as life and live by Christ. (John.1:4)
（Please explain that The more we are willing to be restricted and ruled by the Lord Jesus out of our love for Him, the more we shall grow in life.）
D6
T1 To be transferred into the kingdom of the Son of the Father’s love. （1John5:12）
(Please explain that We have been transferred into a realm where we are ruled in love with life.)
T2 only Christ is the light of the world（John.1:4）
（Please explain that if we do not read the Word in the Lord’s presence, even our reading of the Scriptures will be in darkness. ）
