The Believers (1)
Message Nine
Pillars and Luminaries
THE EXTRACT OF THE OUTLINES
Scripture Reading:
Phil. 2:15-16 That you may be blameless and guileless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as luminaries in the world, holding forth the word of life, so that I may have a boast in the day of Christ that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.
I. For us to become pillars in The Triune God, we must take the God-ordained way for the church, which is the way of Philadelphia; only the recovered church can accomplish God’s eternal purpose and satisfy the desire of His heart—Rev. 3:7-13; cf. 21:22: (Monday)
A. The overcoming believers in Philadelphia are pillars who know the present truth, maintain the absoluteness of the truth, and are constituted with the truth for the church, the pillar and base of the truth—2 Pet. 1:12; 1 Tim. 3:15-16.
B. The overcoming believers in Philadelphia hold fast what they have, and what they have is the ministry, the unique ministry of the New Testament; the Lord’s recovery is to bring us back to this unique ministry of the New Testament—Rev. 3:11; 2 Cor. 4:1:
1. The ministry of The Spirit is the ministry of the New Testament; this ministry deifies us by writing on our hearts with the Spirit of the living God as the divine and mystical ink to make us living letters of Christ—3:3, 6, 8, 18; 4:1.
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2. The ministry of reconciliation is the ministry that reconciles the world to Christ, which gives them judicial redemption through the forgiveness of their sins, and which makes them persons living in the spirit, that is, living in the Holy of Holies, so that they may receive organic salvation—this is to shepherd people according to God—2 Cor. 5:18-21; 1 Pet. 5:1-4. (Tuesday)
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C. That the overcomers are pillars in the temple means that they are to be pillars in The Triune God, because the temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb; God is built into them, and they are built into God, to be incorporated with God as a mutual dwelling place of God and man—Rev. 3:12a; 21:22. (Wednesday)
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D. The overcomers in Philadelphia are characterized by their brotherly love; love prevails among them so that they shepherd people according to God, that is, according to the loving and forgiving heart of God their Father and the shepherding and seeking spirit of Christ their Savior—1 Cor. 12:31b; 13:4-8, 13; 1 John 3:14. (Thursday)
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II. In the midst of the dark and corrupt world, our function is to shine as luminaries, holding forth the word of life—Phil. 2:12-16: (Friday)
A. Christ is the sun, and the church and the believers reflect Him by holding forth the word of life; to hold forth the word of life is to apply, present, and offer the word of life to the world by living out Christ—Acts 5:20.
B. The God who operates in us is the supplying Spirit, the power of resurrection, and the empowering Christ; to shine as luminaries is to magnify Christ, and to hold forth the word of life is to live Christ—Phil. 2:13; 3:10; 4:13; 1:20-21.
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C. Both murmurings and reasonings frustrate us from experiencing and enjoying Christ so that He cannot shine in us and through us for His glory—Phil. 2:14. (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 put before you an opened door which no one can shut, because you have a little power and have kept My word and have not denied My name—Rev. 3:8.
He who overcomes, him I will make a pillar in the temple of My God…—Rev. 3:12.
That you may be blameless and guileless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as luminaries in the world, holding forth the word of life…—Phil. 2:15-16.
Word of Appetizer
How can we become pillars in The Triune God?
To become pillars in The Triune God, we must take the way ordained by God for the church, which is the way of Philadelphia; only the recovered church (signified by the church in Philadelphia) can fulfill God’s eternal purpose and satisfy the desire of His heart. The overcoming believers in Philadelphia are pillars, knowing the present truth, maintaining the absoluteness of the truth, and being constituted with the truth for the church, the pillar and base of the truth. The overcoming believers in Philadelphia hold fast what they have, and what they have is “this ministry,” which is the unique ministry of the New Testament; in fact, the Lord’s recovery is to bring us back to the unique ministry of the New Testament.
Spiritual Burden
To become pillars in The Triune God, we must take the way ordained by God for the church, which is the way of Philadelphia; only the recovered church (signified by the church in Philadelphia) can fulfill God’s eternal purpose and satisfy the desire of His heart.
In the midst of the dark and corrupt world, our function is to shine as luminaries, holding forth the word of life.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
To become pillars in The Triune God, we must take the way ordained by God for the church, which is the way of Philadelphia; only the recovered church (signified by the church in Philadelphia) can fulfill God’s eternal purpose and satisfy the desire of His heart.
In the midst of the dark and corrupt world, our function is to shine as luminaries, holding forth the word of life.
The Experience of Life
The overcomers in Philadelphia are characterized by their living a God-man life through enjoying the riches of Christ; the overcomers in Philadelphia have a little power; this indicates that what pleases the Lord is not how much we can do for Him, but whether we do the best of what we have and can do for Him.
The God who operates in us is the supplying Spirit, the power of resurrection, and the empowering Christ; to shine as luminaries is to magnify Christ; to hold forth the word of life is to live Christ. The empowering Christ is the secret to our shining out and expressing Christ in any kind of environment or circumstance; the secret of this secret is the all-inclusive Spirit of Jesus Christ in our spirit as our daily and hourly salvation.
Practice and Application
The way to be perfected into pillars is to hold fast this ministry, take the positive content of God’s economy as food, remain in the current flow of the Lord’s move under the Lord’s headship, and stay away from death and division.
The way to be saved from murmurings and reasonings, to live Christ, and to shine as luminaries expressing Christ is to remain in contact with Him as the driving power within us; this is to enjoy Him as the word of life, to remain in fellowship with Him in prayer, and to live a life of joy, thanksgiving, and praise in our wonderful spirit by the wonderful Spirit of The Triune God, so that Christ may have a glorious Body.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1: The unique ministry is the ministry of the new covenant (2 Cor. 3:3, 6, 9)
(Please illustrate that The Spirit and righteousness are the two aspects of the essence of the new covenant ministry written into us.)
T2: Experiencing The Spirit living and working in us, resulting in us becoming righteous (2 Cor. 3:6, 9)
(Why is it that even if we have not done anything wrong, we may still not be right with God?)
Day 2
T1: Man’s complete reconciliation to God involves two steps (1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:14-15)
(Please illustrate that through the objective and subjective aspects of Christ’s death, God’s chosen people are completely reconciled to God.)
T2: The second step of reconciliation brings us not only out of sin but also out of the flesh and the natural man (2 Cor. 5:14-15)
(Why did the Corinthians still need the second step of reconciliation even though they were already saved?)
Day 3
T1: Forsaking the teaching of the apostles is a terrible thing (Rev. 3:8)
(Please illustrate why the Lord highly commended the church in Philadelphia.)
T2: The believers are overcomers among the believers in the temple of God in the coming age and in eternity (Rev. 3:12)
(Please illustrate how the Lord makes us pillars in the temple of God.)
Day 4
T1: The reformed church has recovered somewhat to the Lord’s word, but they have denied the Lord’s name (Rev. 3:8)
(Please illustrate how the most prominent sign of degraded Christianity contrasts with the most touching testimony of the recovered church.)
T2: The deeper, the higher, and the richer you call on the name of the Lord, the more your inward feeling is intensified (Eph. 6:24)
(Please illustrate with experience that whenever you call on His name: “O Lord Jesus,” you feel sweet and joyful inwardly.)
Day 5
T1: The believers shine as luminaries among the people of this crooked and perverted generation (Phil. 2:15-16)
(Please illustrate that in our daily life, we should not just walk according to a certain standard; we should shine.)
T2: The word of life is the living breath of God (Phil. 2:15-16; 2 Tim. 3:16)
(Please illustrate that to hold forth the word of life is to apply, present, and offer the word of life to the world by living Christ.)
Day 6
T1: Murmurings and reasonings are the major factors that frustrate our Christian life (Phil. 2:14-15)
(Please illustrate that any kind of murmuring or reasoning is a disobedience to the operation of The Triune God within us.)
T2: One who obeys authority and lives under authority does not live in reasoning (Phil. 2:14-15)
(Illustrate that man’s rebellion against authority is manifested in words, reasonings, and thoughts.)
