The Preparation of the Bride
Message Three
The Maturity of the Bride
THE EXTRACT OF THE OUTLINES
Readings:
Heb. 6:1 Therefore leaving the word of the beginning of Christ, let us be brought on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith in God,
James 5:7 Therefore be long-suffering, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer eagerly awaits the precious fruit of the earth, exercising long-suffering over it until it receives the early and late rain.
I. The Greek word for “maturity” literally means “end” or “goal”; the last stage of transformation is maturity, which is the fullness of life; mature believers know and care for the Body of Christ, have the Body’s sense, and take the Body as the center—Heb. 6:1, 1 Cor. 12:16: (Monday)
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A. In the New Testament, the word “maturity” is used to signify believers growing in the life of Christ which they received at the time of their regeneration and becoming complete—Heb. 6:1; cf. Heb. 6:1. (Tuesday)
B. We need to go forward, pressing on to reach maturity, that we may have the uttermost enjoyment of Christ in the Millennium—Phil. 3:12, Titus 3:5, 1 Pet. 1:3, 23.
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II. James in the book of James uses the illustration of a farmer long-sufferingly awaiting the precious fruit of the land—James 5:7: (Wednesday)
A. The Lord Jesus is actually the real farmer, the unique farmer—Matt. 13:3.
B. While we are long-sufferingly awaiting the Lord’s coming, He as the real farmer is also patiently awaiting us to become mature in life to be the firstfruits and the harvest of His field—Rev. 14:4, 14-15.
C. Maturity is Christ being fully formed in us; this means that we have been fully transformed into His image—Gal. 4:19, 2 Cor. 3:18.
D. Song of Songs 3 shows us the maturity of the seeker, and chapter 4 explains that such maturity is reached through the surrender of the will; the secret of the seeker’s maturity is that her will has been fully surrendered and resurrected—S.S. 3:4.
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III. The goal of Paul’s ministry was to present every man mature in Christ, for the sake of one new man; Paul’s ministry was to dispense Christ into people so that they may grow unto maturity in Christ and be perfected and complete—Col. 1:28-29, 3:10-11. (Thursday)
IV. Genesis 37 through 47 are the record of Jacob’s process of maturity:
A. In Genesis 27 we see a grasping man, in chapter 37 we see a transformed man, and at the end of chapter 47 we see a mature man.
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B. Jacob’s entire life reveals that everything we experience is under God’s sovereignty for us to be transformed and become mature; nothing is accidental. (Friday)
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V. The mature bride is the goal of God’s desire and purpose—Rev. 19:7-9: (Saturday)
A. The preparation of the corporate bride is in the maturity of life of the overcomers—Rev. 19:7.
B. The wedding of the Lamb is the result of the consummation of God’s New Testament economy; God’s New Testament economy is to gain a bride for Christ, who is the church, through His judicial redemption and by His organic salvation in His divine life—Rom. 5:10, Rev. 19:7.
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
Phil. 3:12-15 …I pursue, if even I may lay hold of that for which I also have been laid hold of by Christ Jesus…One thing I do: Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I pursue toward the goal for the prize to which God in Christ Jesus has called me upward. Let us therefore, as many as are full-grown, have this mind…
Col. 1:28 Whom we announce, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man full-grown in Christ.
Word of Appetizer
As used in the New Testament, what is the word mature refers to?
As used in the New Testament, the word mature refers to the believers’ being full-grown and perfected in the life of Christ, which they received at the time of regeneration. To be transformed is to be metabolically changed in our natural life; to be matured is to be filled with the divine life that changes us.
Spiritual Burden
The prerequisite for maturity in the spiritual life is to grow continually in the divine life. We need to go on, to be brought on, to maturity by forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, pursuing toward the fullest enjoyment and gaining of Christ for the uttermost enjoyment of Christ in the millennial kingdom.
The mature bride is the goal of God’s will and purpose. The readiness of the corporate bride depends on the maturity in life of the overcomers. A mature believer knows and cares for the Body of Christ, being Body conscious and Body-centered.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
The meaning of the word mature in Greek is “at the end point”.
As used in the New Testament, the word mature refers to the believers’ being full-grown and perfected in the life of Christ, which they received at the time of regeneration.
In his Epistle, James uses the illustration of a farmer awaiting with long-suffering the precious fruit of the earth.
The goal of Paul’s ministry was to present every man mature, full-grown, in Christ for the one new man.
Genesis 37—47 is a record of the process of Jacob’s maturity.
The mature bride is the goal of God’s will and purpose.
The Experience of Life
To be mature is to have Christ fully formed in us; it also means that we have been fully transformed into His image. Since the time of our regeneration, the Lord has been working in us so that we may have His image.
God will sovereignly use persons, things, and events to empty us of everything that has filled us and to take away every preoccupation so that we may have an increased capacity to be filled with God. everything that happens to us is under God’s sovereignty for our transformation and maturity; nothing is
accidental.
Practice and Application
The secret of the maturity of the seeking one is that her will has been completely subdued and resurrected. The Lord considers the submission of our will a most beautiful thing. If we have a submissive will, our will is expressed like the tower of David that holds all kinds of weapons.
We should never be content with ourselves but pursue growth and maturity in the life of Christ. We need to go on, to be brought on, to maturity by forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, pursuing toward the fullest enjoyment and gaining of Christ for the uttermost enjoyment of Christ in the millennial kingdom.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1 The difference between transformation and maturity (Heb. 6:1; Rom. 12:2)
(Please illustrate that the last stage of transformation is maturity; maturity means the fullness of life.)
T2 Maturity is a matter of having the divine life imparted into us again and again until we have the fullness of life (Heb. 6:1; Rom. 12:2)
(Using Jacob as an example to show how a transformed person, could be filled with life.)
Day 2
T1 The Lord commands us to be perfect (in life) as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matt. 5:48; Phil. 3:12-15)
(According to Philippians 3:12-15, please illustrate that the apostle Paul tells us in how he pursued growth and maturity in the life of Christ.)
T2 Continuing growth is a prerequisite for becoming full-grown and mature (Phil. 3:15; 1 Pet. 2:2)
(Please illustrate that the prerequisite for maturity in the spiritual life is to grow continually in his life.)
Day 3
T1 Only our maturity can hasten the Lord’s coming back (James 5:7; S. S. 4:4)
(Please illustrate that if we are serious about awaiting the Lord’s coming back, we need to grow in life.)
T2 First of all, our will must be subdued; then it must be strong in resurrection (James 5:7; S. S. 4:4)
(Please illustrate that the natural will must be dealt with, and then we will have a resurrected will.)
Day 4
T1 The meaning of the word mature in Greek is “at the end point” (Col. 1:28; Heb. 12:10)
(Please illustrate that this word is used many times in the New Testament, referring to the believers’ being full-grown, mature, and perfected in the life of God.)
T2 The discipline of the Holy Spirit in our outward environment (Rom. 8:28; Heb. 12:10)
(Please illustrate that the work of this outward discipline coordinates with His inward moving and leading.)
Day 5
T1 Everything that happened to Jacob was for his transformation and maturity (Gen. 43:14; 48:15-16)
(Please illustrate that we must believe that everything in our daily life is under God’s sovereign hand, for our transformation and maturity. )
T2 The strongest sign of Jacob’s maturity: his blessing of others(Gen. 47:7, 10)
(Please illustrate that blessing is the overflow of life, the overflow of God through someone’s maturity in life.)
Day 6
T1 The judgment at the judgment seat of Christ will decide whether we will receive a reward from the Lord or suffer a loss (1 Cor. 3:15; Rev. 20:6)
(Please illustrate that if we are not rewarded, we will not perish but will suffer a loss.)
T2 The readiness of the bride (Rev. 19:7; 20:6)
(Please illustrate that the readiness of the bride depends on the maturity in life of the overcomers.)
