Crystallization-Study of Deuteronomy
Message Eleven
Aspects of the Church Life under the Government of God
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
Rev. 4:2 Immediately I was in spirit; and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and upon the throne there was One sitting;
Deut. 25:13-15 You shall not have in your bag differing weights, one heavy and one light. You shall not have in your house differing measures, one large and one small. A full and righteous weight you shall have, and a full and righteous measure you shall have, in order that your days may be extended upon the land which Jehovah your God is giving you.
Deut. 33:8a …May Your Thummim and Urim be with your faithful man.
Word of Appetizer
God has a government in the universe, and there is also a government in the church; what is God’s government in the administration of the church?
God is a God with principles, rules, order, and discipline. For this reason, God must establish His administration and government in the universe. God’s government in the administration of the church is neither autocracy nor democracy; autocracy is a kind of dictatorship, and democracy is government by the people according to the opinion of the people. In the church life we honor God’s authority as our government; thus, the government in the church is a theocracy. Today God’s rule is based on the Bible outside of us and on the Holy Spirit within us.
Spiritual Burden
God has a government in the universe, and there is also a government in the church; God’s government in the administration of the church is neither autocracy nor democracy; in the church life we honor God’s authority as our government; thus, the government in the church is a theocracy; Today God’s rule is based on the Bible outside of us and on the Holy Spirit within us.
Only by faith can we live the church life under the government of God; God wants His people to do whatever He requires not by self-effort but by faith.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
The history of the children of Israel is a type of the church; In the Old Testament we have a type, a picture, of God’s economy concerning the church, whereas in the New Testament God’s economy concerning the church is fulfilled.
God has a government in the universe, and there is also a government in the church; God’s government in the administration of the church is neither autocracy nor democracy; in the church life we honor God’s authority as our government; thus, the government in the church is a theocracy.
God’s word spoken through Moses describes aspects of the church life under the government of God.
The Experience of Life
Today God’s rule is based on the Bible outside of us and on the Holy Spirit within us.
Rom. 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
2 Tim. 3:16 All Scripture is God=breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
Practice and Application
In the church life we should love the Lord Jesus, love His Body, and take care of the needs of all the members; Today we should also care for the needy ones among us; In the Lord’s recovery, we need to care for the full-timers, and the other needy ones.
We should not have differing scales in the church life, one scale for weighing ourselves and other scales for weighing the brothers and sisters; May we all receive mercy from the Lord to no longer have differing scales but, like our God, to have the same scale for everyone.
Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline
Key Verses (1)
1 Cor. 10:11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our admonition, unto whom the ends of the ages have come.
10:1 For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
1 Cor. 10:6 Now these things occurred as examples to us, that we should not be ones who lust after evil things, even as they also lusted.
I. The history of the children of Israel is a type of the church
- In His administrative arrangement, God chose the children of Israel, the descendants of Abraham, and made them his people as a type of the church.
- The children of Israel, as the chosen people of God, are the greatest collective type of the church, in which we see that the church is chosen and redeemed by God, enjoys Christ and the Spirit as the life supply, builds God’s habitation, inherits Christ as its portion, degrades and is captured, is recovered, and awaits Christ’s coming.
- Paul applies the history of the children of Israel to the New Testament church life.
- The Bible contains two histories—the history of Israel and the history of the church; In the Old Testament we have a type, a picture, of God’s economy concerning the church, and in the New Testament God’s economy concerning the church is fulfilled.
Key Verses (2)
Rev. 4:2 Immediately I was in spirit; and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and upon the throne there was One sitting;
Deut. 16:18 You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your cities which Jehovah your God is giving you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
Deut. 33:8a And concerning Levi he said, May Your Thummim and Urim be with Your faithful man,
Rom. 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
2 Tim. 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
II. God has a government in the universe, and there is also a government in the church
- God desires to execute His government in the universe through the church.
- Among the children of Israel there was a situation full of God’s government and administration; the coordination and building in Exodus and Numbers were under God’s administration and government.
- The divine government among God’s people is a theocracy.
- God’s government in the administration of the church is neither autocracy nor democracy; autocracy is a kind of dictatorship, and democracy is government by the people according to the opinion of the people; in the church life we honor God’s authority as our government; thus, the government in the church is a theocracy; Today God’s rule is based on the Bible outside of us and on the Holy Spirit within us.
Key Verses (3)
Deut. 12:19 Be careful that you do not forsake the Levite all your days upon the earth.
Deut. 15:10-11 You must give to him, and your heart shall not be displeased when you give to him; for on account of this matter Jehovah your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings… You must open your hand to your brother, to the poor one with you and to the needy one with you in your land.
Deut. 25:13-15 You shall not have in your bag differing weights, one heavy and one light. You shall not have in your house differing measures, one large and one small. A full and righteous weight you shall have, and a full righteous measure you shall have, in order that your days may be extended upon the land which Jehovah your God is giving you.
Deut. 22:9a You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed…
Gal. 6:10b …do what is good toward all, but especially toward those of the household of the faith.
III. God’s word spoken through Moses describes aspects of the church life under the government of God
- In exercising His government, God required the children of Israel to worship Him in the unique place—Jerusalem—the worship center chosen by Him; they did not have the right to select a place according to their concept
- God takes care of the needs of all those who are part of His expression
- If God’s people would give to the poor, God would bless them in all their work and in all their undertakings.
- Deuteronomy 25:13-16 is the ordinance concenring differing weights and measures
- The prohibition against sowing two kinds of seed in one’s vineyard may typify the prohibition against teaching differently in the church.
- Only by faith can we live the church life under the government of God.
Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week
D1
T1 The history of the children of Israel is a type of the church. (1 Cor. 1:6m 11) (see I. A. 2).
(Please illustrate what we can see from the children of Israel, as the chosen people of God, are the greatest collective type of the church.)
T2 The Bible contains two histories—the history of Israel and the history of the church. (Acts 7:1-53, Rev. chapter 2 and 3)
(Please illustrate that the histoy of the hcildren of Israel is a type, and the history of the church is the fulfillment of the type.)
D2
T1 God is not a God of Confusion. He is not a god without principle and rule. (Rev. 4:2, 5:6)
(Please illustrate that God has a government in the universe, an administration.)
T2 Every book of the Bible shows God’s government and administration. (Deut. 1:9-18, Acts 14:23, Titus 1:5)
(Please illustrate with Bible verses, that God’s administration was among the children of Israel in the Old Testament, and the church in the New Testament.)
D3
T1 The divine government among god’s people is a theocracy （Rev. 4:2, 5:6, Psa. 89:14)
(Please illustrate that theocracy is a government by God according to what He is.)
T2 When the elders follow the Holy Spirit in discussing matters, there is neither an autocracy nor a democracy but a theocracy, the rule of God. (Eph. 1:10, 22, Col. 2:19)
(Please illustrate God’s government in the administration of the church, is neither autocracy nor democracy, but theocracy.)
D4
T1 In order to administrate the church, the elders must be constituted with the word of God (1 Cor. 12:14-27, Phil. 4:14-20)
(Please illustrate that a proper king among the children of Israel was one who was instructed, governed, ruled, and controlled by the word of God.)
T2 God chose the unique place of worship for the purpose of keeping the oneness of His people. (Deut. 12:1-12)
(Why, in exercising His government, God required the children of Israel to worship in the unique place—Jerusalem?)
D5
T1 Christ takes care of every member of His Body (1 Cor. 12:14-27, Phil. 4:14-20)
(Please illustrate that in the Lord’s recovery, we need to care for the full-timers and the other needy ones.)
T2 The believers needed grace to overcome the power of mammon and material things (Matt. 6:19-21, Luke 12:13-19)
(Please illustrate that all of fallen mankind are under the domination of mammon and material possessions).
D6
T1 In the house of God, the church, only one scale should be used to weight everyone (Deut. 25:13-15, 1 Tim. 3:15)
(Please illustrate with experience that we might have different weights and measures, one scale for measuring others and a different scale for measuring ourselves.)
T2 Only by faith can we live the church life under the government of God. (Eph. 1:22-23, 4:15)
(Please illustrate that God wants His people to do whatever He requires not by self-effort but by faith.)
