The Increase of Christ for the Building Up of the Church
Message One
The Increase of Christ in the Continuation of the Book of Acts
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
And he remained two whole years in his own rented dwelling and welcomed all those who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, unhindered—Acts 28:30-31.
And the word of God grew, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly…—6:7.
Word of Appetizer
When you read Acts 28, you feel as if the book has not yet concluded. This book does not have an ending. Why?
The book of Acts is a record of the work of God; after Acts 28 many vessels are still carrying on with His work; His work is continuing and has not stopped.
The Acts of the Apostles is a book without an ending because this book is still being continued for the increase of Christ
Spiritual Burden
The Acts of the Apostles is a book without an ending because this book is still being continued for the increase of Christ; the work of the Holy Spirit in preaching Christ for His increase, propagation, multiplication, and spread through the believers of Christ has not yet been completed and has needed to be continued for a long period of time.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
The Acts of the Apostles is a book without an ending because this book is still being continued for the increase of Christ.
The word of God is still growing and being multiplied for the increase of Christ.
The continuation of the book of Acts is the continuation of Christ; the apostle Paul, as a pattern to all the believers, the members of the Body of Christ, lived Christ for His magnification as His continuation.
Acts 26:18 reveals the work that we must do today for the increase and building up of the Body of Christ.
The Experience of Life
The word of God is still growing and being multiplied for the increase of Christ; grew refers to the growth in life,indicating that the word of God is a matter of life that grows as a seed sown into man’s heart for the increase of Christ, the growth of God, within us.
Practice and Application
We need to pray over the contents of our divine commission in Acts 26:18, asking the Lord to make them ourexperience and reality.
If we would be in the continuation of the book of Acts, we need to continue to live in the divine history in the unique stream of the work of the Lord by having an upper-room consecration.
Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline
Key Verses (1)
And the word of God grew, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly…—Acts 6:7
Thus, the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed—Acts 19:20.
The Acts of the Apostles Is Still Being Continued for the Increase of Christ; The Word of God Is Still Growing for the Increase of Christ
I. The Acts of the Apostles is a book without an ending because this book is still being continued for the increase of Christ:
• The book of Acts is a record of the work of God; after Acts 28 many vessels are still carrying on with His work; His work is continuing and has not stopped.
II. The word of God is still growing and being multiplied for the increase of Christ:
• Grew refers to the growth in life, indicating that the word of God is a matter of life that grows as a seed sown into man’s heart for the increase of Christ, the growth of God, within us; multiplied refers to the increase of Christ in numbers.
Key Verses (2)
For I know that for me this will turn out to salvation through your petition and the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I will be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, even now Christ will be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death. For to me, to live is Christ…—Phil. 1:19-21a
The Continuation of the Book of Acts—the Continuation of Christ
Paul—Lived Christ for His Magnification as His Continuation
III. The continuation of the book of Acts is the continuation of Christ with the corporate living of the perfected God-men as the reality of the Body of Christ; the apostle Paul, as a pattern to all the believers, the members of the Body of Christ, lived Christ for His magnification as His continuation:
• Paul was a man of prayer, practiced calling on the name of the Lord, lived in his mingled spirit.
• Paul’s fourth ministry journey shows in a particular way his life of living Christ, magnifying Christ, doing all things in Christ, and pursuing Christ in order to be found in Christ.
Key Verses (3)
To open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me—Acts 26:18.
And when they entered, they went up to the upper room where they were residing,…These all continued steadfastly with one accord in prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers—Acts 1:13-14.
The Work That We Must Do for the Increase and Building Up of the Body of Christ;
An Upper-Room Consecration
IV. Acts 26:18 reveals the work that we must do today for the increase and building up of the Body of Christ:
• This verse unveils the all-inclusive contents of our divine commission.
V. If we would be in the continuation of the book of Acts, we need to continue to live in the divine history in the unique stream of the work of the Lord by having an upper-room consecration:
• It is a small number who will turn the world and change the age; we need to pray in a specific way.
Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week
D1
T1 This book [of Acts] was not actually ended; rather, it was left open that more may be added (Acts 28:31)
(Please explain that this book [of Acts] is still being continued for the increase of Christ.)
T2 “My Father is working until now, and I also am working” (John 5:17)
(Please explain that His work will go on until the kingdom and even until the new heaven and new earth.)
D2
T1 The vessel God is after is a corporate one (Rev. 1:11-12)
(Please explain that God desires the church to be a shining vessel, a vessel of testimony.)
T2 The testimony of the overcomers is maintained on behalf of the corporate whole (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17)
(Please explain that they [the overcomers] stand on the ground of the church, and they are there to bring the whole church to perfection.)
D3
T1 In Acts we are told three times that the word grew and that the word multiplied (Acts 6:7; 12:24; 19:20).
(Please explain that the multiplication of the disciples depends on the growth of the word.)
T2 The description of the life of one of Christ’s living witnesses (Phil. 1:19-21a) (Please refer to Outline III. A-J)
(The apostle Paul, as a pattern to all the believers, lived Christ for His magnification.)
D4
T1 In Paul’s living and ministry he expressed the very true God (Acts 27-28)
(Please explain that Paul’s fourth ministry journey shows in a particular way his life.) (Please refer to Outline III. M. 1-4)
T2 The beautiful Body life that existed in the early days among the churches and apostles (Acts 28:13-15) (Please refer to Outline III. M. 5)
(Please explain that while he was suffering the persecution of religion in the empire of Satan, he was enjoying the church life in the kingdom of God.)
D5
T1 The complete, perfect, whole gospel (Acts 26:18)
(Please explain the seven points of the uplifted gospel revealed in Acts 26:18.)
T2 To experience the gospel that the Lord revealed to Paul (Eph. 3:8-9)
(How can we pray to the Lord over the contents of our divine commission in Acts 26:18?)
D6
T1 An upper-room consecration (Acts 1:13-14, 17:6b)
(Please explain that the Lord’s move was with those in the upper room.)
T2 Do you intend to be in the crowd or in the upper room? (Matt. 24:14)
(For the recovery of Lord’s testimony, what kind of specific prayer do you have to consecrate yourself anew to the lord?)
