Living and Serving according to God’s Economy
concerning the Church
Message Eight
The Function of the Church (1) The House of the Living God
and the Pillar and Base of the Truth
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
1 Tim. 3:15 But if I delay, I write that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth.
Eph. 2:21 In whom all the building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord.
1 Tim. 2:4 Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth.
Word of Appetizer
what is the church described in First Timothy 3:15 ?
The house of God modifies the church, and the pillar and base of the truth also modifies the church; the church of God is the house of the living God; because God is living, the church as the house of God is also living in Him, by Him, and with Him. The church is the supporting pillar and the holding base of the truth; as the pillar that bears the truth and the base that upholds the pillar, the church testifies the reality, the truth, of Christ as the mystery of God and the church as the mystery of Christ.
Spiritual Burden
The Lord wants His church to know Him as the truth and to receive and enjoy Him as life. The content of the church should be the growth of Christ in us as truth and life. The standard of the truth should constantly be raised higher among all the churches in the Lord’s recovery.
When every brother and sister is full of life and truth, the church will be strong as the house of the living God and the pillar and base of the truth; this is what is needed in the Lord’s recovery today.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
The house of God modifies the church, and the pillar and base of the truth also modifies the church; the house of God and the pillar and base of the truth describe what the church is.
The church is the house of God; the church of God is the house of the living God.
The Lord wants His church to know Him as the truth and to receive and enjoy Him as life.
The church is the supporting pillar and the holding base of the truth.
The Experience of Life
The living God who lives in the church must be subjective to the church and not merely objective…God is living, the church is also living in Him, by Him, and with Him. A living God and a living church live, move, and work together. The living church is the house of the living God. Therefore, in our meetings, service, and ministry we should give people the impression that the living God is living, moving, speaking, and acting among us.
Practice and Application
The church being the pillar and base of the truth implies that every member of the church should know the truth. We need to make a decision to learn the truth.
To see the reality, we first need to spend time in the Word to be nourished and to become familiar with the doctrines of the Bible. The basis for enlightening is our knowledge of the doctrines. Then we need to daily walk in Christ, looking to Him for enlightenment.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1 The church of God which is in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:2)
(Please illustrate the spiritual significance of “the church of God which is in Corinth”.)
T2 The church is the house of God (1 Pet. 2:5)
(Please illustrate that the word oikos means not only the house, the dwelling, but also the household.)
Day 2
T1 According to God’s New Testament economy, God’s house is His family (Heb. 3:6)
(Please illustrate that in Old Testament times, the house of God was the house of Israel, today the house of God is the church.)
T2 The church has a twofold function (1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Pet. 4:17)
(Please illustrate that to Christ, the church is the Body; to God, the church is the house.)
Day 3
T1 As the house of God, the church is the dwelling place of God (Eph. 2:21; 1 Pet. 2:5)
(Please illustrate that the church, the dwelling place of God on earth, is the place in which God can have His rest and put His trust.)
T2 The dwelling place of God, is in the believers’ spirit (Eph. 2:22; 1 Pet. 2:5)
(Please illustrate that God’s dwelling place is in our spirit, not in our heart or in our mind.)
Day 4
T1 The church is the firm foundation of God that stands forever against any heresy (2 Tim. 2:19)
(Please illustrate that the foundation here does not refer to Christ as the foundation of the church but to the church as the foundation of the truth.)
T2 The four pillars of the Lord’s recovery (John 14:6; 17:17)
(Please illustrate the four pillars on which the Lord’s recovery is mainly founded upon.)
Day 5
T1 Christ and the church, the Head and the Body, are the contents of the reality of God’s New Testament
economy (Col. 2:2; Eph. 3:4)
(Please illustrate the intrinsic significance of the church as “the pillar and base of the truth”.)
T2 Truth is not simply a solid reality but also the expression of this reality (1 Tim. 3:15-16)
(Please illustrate what the reality borne by the church is.)
Day 6
T1 Reality comes from knowledge of the Bible plus heavenly enlightenment and personal experience (Titus 1:1; 1 Tim. 2:4)
(Please illustrate that to see the reality, we first need to spend time in the Word to be nourished and to become familiar with the doctrines of the Bible.)
T2 All the saints have a deep sensation that they are responsible to bear the truth (Titus 1:1, 3; 1 Tim. 2:4)
(Please illustrate to understand what it means to bear the truth, we may consider the example of Paul in Galatians 2:11-14.)
