You can all prophesy one by one… —1 Cor. 12:31

2021 ICSC Message Three

The Intrinsic and Organic Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ 

Message Three

The Intrinsic Building Up of the Church for Its Organic Function

OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING

Reading the verses in each day.

Reading the main points in the outlines.

Pray-reading the verses:

Eph. 4:11~12 And He Himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as shepherds and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ,

16 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.

Word of Appetizer

According to the revelation in Ephesians 4, who is the one that directly builds up the church?

Ephesians 4 reveals that the Head, Christ, builds up the church by making the saints gifts, and by giving these gifts to the church for the building up of the Body of Christ. This shows that the Head does not build up the church directly. Furthermore, the gifted persons, who are used by the Head to perfect others, do not build up the church directly either. The perfected saints are the direct builders of the church. 

Spiritual Burden

The intrinsic building up of the church is through all the perfected members of the Body of Christ; for the building up of the Body of Christ we need to hold to the truth in love so that we may “grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ”.

The organic function of the church is for the building up of the church as the organic Body of Christ, the fullness of the all-inclusive One who fills all in all.

Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting

The Revelation of the Truth

The intrinsic building up of the church is through all the perfected members of the Body of Christ; Christ, the ascended Head, has given gifts—the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers—for the perfecting of the sain ts in the local churches.

The organic function of the church is in the organic Body of Christ and in the local expressions of the organic Body of Christ; because we are this organic Body, we should be organic and function organically in the church life.

The Experience of Life

When the grace of God in Christ as the divine element comes into our being to be our life for our enjoyment, it brings with it the element of certain spiritual skills and abilities, which, accompanying our growth in life, develop into the gifts in life that we may be able to function in the Body of Christ. While we are functioning organically, the Triune God, who is within us, moves together with us; The Triune God does not move apart from us; when we move, He moves.

Practice and Application

We already have the oneness of the divine life in reality. We only need to keep it. But we need to go on until we arrive at the oneness of our living in practicality. This aspect of oneness is of two things: the faith and the full knowledge of the Son of God.  

For the building up of the Body of Christ we need to hold to the truth in love so that we may “grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ”.

PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK

Day 1

T1: The perfected saints are the direct builders of the church (Eph. 4:11~12)

(Please illustrate that the Head does not build up the church directly, but the perfected saints do the direct building work.)

T2: The four categories of gifts were given by the Head to his Body for a particular  purpose (Eph. 4:11~12)

(Please illustrate that the perfecting is carried out with a view to the building up of the Body of Christ.)

Day 2

T1: The intrinsic building up of the church is by the Head-given gifts perfecting the saints (Eph. 4:11~12)

(Please illustrate that how the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers enables every member of the Body to function.)

T2: All the saints should be perfected to function(Eph. 4:11~12)

(Please illustrate that the gifts are joined together in coordination to perfect the saints to bring out their function.)

Day 3

T1: We are being perfected until we all arrive at the goal (Eph. 4:3, 13)

(Please illustrate that what is the goal that we all need to arrive.)

T2: We need to go on until we arrive at the oneness of our living in practicality (Eph. 4:3, 13)

(Please illustrate the difference between the oneness of reality and the oneness of practicality.)

Day 4

T1: The Body is joined closely together through every joint of the rich supply (Eph. 4:16)

(Please illustrate that how we may become a joint in the Body.)

T2: Every member of the Body needs not only to be supplied but also to function (Eph. 4:16)

(Please illustrate that through the joints supplying and the parts operating, all the Body causes the growth of the Body.)

Day 5

T1: Grace and the Gifts (Rom. 12:4~8)

(Please illustrate the relationship between grace and the gifts.)

T2: The gift of grace in life (Rom. 12:4~8)

(What are the seven gifts that are necessary for the practicing of the Body life for the local church?)

Day 6

T1: God the Father’s operations, God the Son’s ministries, and God the Spirit’s gifts (1 Cor. 12:4~6)

(Please illustrate that how Paul mentioned the Triune God in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6.)

T2: The organic function of the church is for the building up of the church as the organic Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:4~6)

(Please illustrate that while we are functioning either as supplying joints or as operating parts, the Triune God, who is within us, moves together with us.)