Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (2)
Message Nine
The Mystery of 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:
Eph. 3:3-5 That by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I have written previously in brief, by which, in reading it, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in spirit.
Rev. 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he is about to trumpet, then the mystery of God is finished, as He has announced the good news to His own slaves the prophets.
Word of Appetizer
What is the mystery that were hidden in times of the ages?
The mystery of Christ, the church, was hidden in other generations but has been revealed in the New Testament age. In the dispensation from the incarnation of Christ to the millennial kingdom—the church age, the age of grace—everything is a mystery. Christ Himself (Col. 2:2), the church (Eph. 3:4-6), the kingdom of the
heavens (Matt. 13:11), the gospel (Eph. 6:19), the indwelling of Christ
(Col. 1:26-27), and the coming resurrection and transfiguration of the
saints as the end of this dispensation of mystery (1 Cor. 15:51-52) are all
mysteries that were hidden in times of the ages (Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:5;
Col. 1:26).
Spiritual Burden
The church is the hidden mystery in God’s eternal economy. The mystery of the church is the ultimate mystery in the universe. The economy of the mystery hidden in God throughout the ages is the mystery of the church as the Body of Christ.
The Body life is the ultimate satisfaction of our spiritual experience. The mystery of Christ and the mystery of the church should be our daily life; without this mystery, our life would be merely the life of a human being, not the life of a Christian.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
Ephesians 3:3-11 reveals that we may experience and enjoy Christ as the mystery of the church.
The seventh trumpet, as the conclusion of the eternal economy of the processed Triune God, closes the present age of mystery; hence, Revelation 10:7 says, “The mystery of God is finished”.
God’s hidden purpose is the mystery, and the unveiling of this mystery is revelation; the Bible speaks of the revelation of the mystery.
The mystery of the church is the ultimate mystery in the universe.
The Experience of Life
The mingled spirit is the means by which the New Testament revelation concerning Christ and the church is unveiled to the apostles and prophets. When our spirit is mingled with the divine Spirit, our spirit becomes the organ to which the mystery of Christ is revealed.
The desire of God’s heart is to have the mystery of Christ—the Body of Christ as the increase and expression of Christ. The Body life is the ultimate satisfaction of our spiritual experience.
Practice and Application
If we would see the revelation of the hidden mystery, we need to be strengthened into our inner man, our regenerated spirit, and allow Christ to make His home in our heart.
Our spirit needs to be strong and full of wisdom and revelation so that we may know the mystery of the church. The mystery of Christ and the mystery of the church should be our daily life; without this mystery, our life would be merely the life of a human being, not the life of a Christian.
