The Great Need For a New Revival
Message Five
The Apostolic Ministry in Cooperation with Christ’ s Heavenly Ministry to Shepherd the Church of God as His Flock for the Building Up of the Body of Christ and a New Revival
THE EXTRACT OF THE OUTLINES
Scripture reading:
John 10:11 I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
I. Psalms 22 through 24 are a group of psalms revealing Christ, from His crucifixion, through His shepherding, to His kingship in the coming age; Christ in His heavenly ministry has been shepherding people, and if we receive this fellowship, there will be a great revival on earth to bring the Lord back. (Monday)
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II. John 21 is the completion and consummation of the Gospel of John; this chapter shows us Christ’s heavenly ministry and the earthly ministry of the apostle cooperating together to carry out God’s economy—John 21:15-17. (Tuesday)
III. The Lord revealed to the disciple that He is the good Shepherd who came that the sheep might have life abundantly and to lead the other sheep to be joined with them as one flock under one Shepherd—John 10:11, 16.
IV. The Lord commissioned Peter to feed His lambs and shepherd His sheep; this is to incorporate the ministry of the apostle with Christ’s heavenly ministry to take care of God’s flock, which is the church, issuing in the Body of Christ—John 21:15-17; 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:1-4.
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V. Paul told the elders in Ephesus to shepherd the church of God; Paul said that God brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, in the blood of an eternal covenant, for the ultimate consummation of the New Jerusalem—Acts 20:28; Heb. 13:20. (Wednesday)
VI. The main purpose and goal of the incorporation of the ministry of the apostle with Christ’s heavenly ministry are to build up the Body of Christ and to reach the ultimate consummation of the New Jerusalem to accomplish God’s eternal economy—Eph. 3:2, 8-9; 1 Pet. 5:10.
VII. Shepherding God’s flock for the main purpose and ultimate consummation of God’s eternal economy is mentioned even in the Song of Songs; my beloved is mine, and I am his; he pastures his flock among the lilies—S. S. 1:7-8; 2:16; 6:3.
VIII. Shepherding the believers is extremely crucial for their growth in the divine life; we must preach the gospel and revive the church by the way of shepherding, learning to flock people together so that they can experience blending—John 10:16; 21:15-16.
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IX. The organic maintenance of the golden lampstands is Christ’s heavenly ministry, to cherish the churches in His humanity and nourish the churches in His divinity; Christ dresses and snuffs the lampstands, nourishing us with the All-Inclusive Christ that we may grow unto maturity to become His overcomers, so that He may produce the overcomers through His organic shepherding—Rev. 1:13; 2:1, 7; Exod. 30:7; 25:38. (Thursday & Friday)
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X. By Christ’s wonderful shepherding, we are able to enjoy Him as our blessing from now unto eternity—Isa. 49:10; Rev. 7:9-17; John 6:35; Psa. 36:7-9; Rev. 22:1. (Saturday)
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
… I have come that they may have life and may have it abundantly. I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep —John 10:10-11
… Simon, son of John, do you love Me? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Shepherd My sheep —John 21:16
Word of Appetizer
What is the revelation given to us in John 21? How can we be for the building up of the Body of Christ and have a new revival?
John 21 reveals the merging of the apostolic ministry with the heavenly ministry of Christ.
The main purpose and goal of the merging of the apostolic ministry with the heavenly ministry of Christ is to build up the Body of Christ and consummate the New Jerusalem, to fulfill the eternal economy of God; Christ is always shepherding people in His heavenly ministry, and we need to cooperate with Him in shepherding people; if we accept this fellowship, there will be a great revival on earth to bring the Lord back.
Spiritual Burden
Christ is always shepherding people in His heavenly ministry, and we need to cooperate with Him in shepherding people; if we accept this fellowship, there will be a great revival on earth to bring the Lord back.
Shepherding the believers is crucial for their growth in the divine life; we must preach the gospel and revive the church by the way of shepherding.
The organic maintenance of the golden lampstand is the heavenly ministry of Christ, cherishing the churches in His humanity and feeding the churches in His divinity, to produce overcomers through His organic shepherding; through Christ’s wonderful shepherding, we are able to enjoy Him as our portion from now until eternity.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
Psalms 22–24 are a group of psalms that reveal Christ, from His crucifixion, through His shepherding, to His kingly office in the coming age.
John 21 reveals the merging of the apostolic ministry with the heavenly ministry of Christ; this chapter is the completion and conclusion of the Gospel of John.
In John 10:10-11 and 16, the Lord revealed to the disciples that He is the good shepherd, who came to give the sheep life more abundantly, and that He has other sheep (the Gentiles), whom He must also bring to become one flock (one church) with them (the Jewish believers) under one shepherd.
The main purpose and goal of the merging of the apostolic ministry with the heavenly ministry of Christ is to build up the Body of Christ and consummate the New Jerusalem, to fulfill the eternal economy of God.
Shepherding the flock of God for the main purpose and ultimate consummation of the eternal economy of God is mentioned even in the Song of Songs.
The Experience of Life
Christ dwells in us as our life and everything, but He also oversees and watches over the condition and situation of our inner being; He shepherds us by caring for the benefits of our inner parts and overseeing the condition of our soul, which is our real person.
Christ in His full ministry of three stages feeds us with Himself as the all-inclusive Christ, that we may grow and mature in the divine life to become His overcomers for the fulfillment of His eternal economy; through Christ’s wonderful shepherding, we are able to enjoy Him as our portion from now until eternity.
Practice and Application
Christ is always shepherding people in His heavenly ministry, and we need to cooperate with Him in shepherding people; “We will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4); this is to cooperate with Christ’s heavenly ministry, which is a ministry of intercession (Heb. 7:25) and a ministry of dispensing God into people (8:2).
Shepherding the believers is crucial for their growth in the divine life; we must preach the gospel and revive the church by the way of shepherding. We should pray, “Lord, I want to be revived; from today on, I will be a shepherd; I will go to feed people, shepherd people, and gather people into one flock.”
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1: Psalms 22 through 24 are a group of psalms that reveal Christ (Psa. 22:22; 23:1; 24:9-10).
(Please illustrate that Psalms 22 through 24 reveal Him from His crucifixion to His kingly office in the coming age.)
T2: Shepherding and teaching should be like two feet for us to move together with the Lord (Psa. 23:1; John 10:11).
(Please illustrate that shepherding people is the way to bear fruit, and the way to have increase and multiplication.)
Day 2
T1: John 21 reveals the merging of the apostolic ministry with the heavenly ministry of Christ (John 10:10-11; 21:16).
(Please illustrate what John 21, as the completion and conclusion of the Gospel of John, shows us.)
T2: Shepherding is the all-inclusive, tender care for the flock (John 21:15-17).
(Please illustrate that Christ dwells within us to oversee and watch over the condition and situation of our inner being.)
Day 3
T1: Christ shepherds those who seek Him and pursue Him (Song of Songs 1:7; Heb. 13:20).
(Please illustrate that shepherding the flock of God for the eternal economy of God is mentioned even in the Song of Songs.)
T2: Learning to feed people, shepherd people, and make people one flock (John 21:15-16; 10:26).
(Please illustrate that in John 10 and 21, the Lord uses three terms to speak of shepherding: feeding, shepherding, and becoming one flock.)
Day 4
T1: Christ is the Son of Man, not only for the accomplishing of redemption, but also for the church life (Heb. 9:24; Rev. 1:12-13).
(Please illustrate that Christ is, on one hand, the High Priest interceding for the churches in the heavens; on the other hand, He is walking among the churches, caring for the churches.)
T2: The golden girdle signifies that Christ’s divinity has become His strength (Rev. 1:13; Exo. 28:4).
(Please illustrate the difference between Christ being girded about the breasts with a golden girdle and being girded about the loins.)
Day 5
T1: Christ is the High Priest in humanity, caring for us by cherishing us (Heb. 4:15-16).
(Please illustrate that our High Priest, Christ, cares for the lampstand by trimming the wicks, cutting off the charred parts of the wicks.)
T2: Every morning the priest must trim these lamps, cutting off the charred wicks (Exo. 30:7).
(Give examples of what things or concepts are the things that cause the wicks to be charred, which must be cut off.)
Day 6
T1: Overcomers will enjoy Christ as the tree of life in the paradise of God in the kingdom age (Rev. 2:7; Isa. 49:10).
(Please illustrate that if we do not enjoy Christ as the tree of life in the church life today, we certainly will not participate in the tree of life in the kingdom age.)
T2: Christ’s speaking is based on what He is and also on the condition of the church (Rev. 2:1, 7).
(Please illustrate that when He walks, He is Christ, and when He speaks, He is the Spirit.)
