Living and Serving according to God’s Economy
concerning the Church
Message Two
The Gospel of the Glory of the Blessed God
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
1 Tim. 1:11 According to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, with which I was entrusted.
2 Cor. 4:4 …the illumination of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God…
6 Because the God who said, Out of darkness light shall shine, is the One who shined in our hearts to illuminate the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Word of Appetizer
What is the gospel of the glory of Christ?
This gospel not only brings good news concerning forgiveness of sins and justification by faith; the gospel of glory is the gospel of God’s economy. Glory is God expressed. Thus, the gospel of glory is the gospel of the expressed God; it is a gospel that expresses God’s glory. The gospel of the glory of the blessed God is an excellent expression. It refers to God’s economy mentioned in verse 4. By dispensing God’s life and nature in Christ into His chosen people, this gospel shines forth God’s glory, in which God is blessed among His people. This is the commission and ministry the apostle received of the Lord. This should be commonly taught and preached in a local church.
Spiritual Burden
Christ is the image of God and the effulgence of His glory; hence, the gospel of Christ is the gospel of His glory that illuminates and shines forth. The gospel of the glory of Christ is the gospel of the glory of the blessed God. The expression the gospel of the glory of the blessed God refers to God’s economy in 1 Timothy 1:4.
In our preaching of the gospel, there should be an illumination; we need to shine forth the gospel of the glory of Christ from within us. In proclaiming the gospel of the glory of Christ, we should not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, who is the content of the gospel.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
Glory is an attribute of God; glory is the expression of God, God expressed in splendor.
The glory of God is intrinsically related to the economy of God.
The glory of God is involved with Christ’s incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and coming again.
Christ is the image of God and the effulgence of His glory; hence, the gospel of Christ is the gospel of His glory that illuminates and shines forth.
The Experience of Life
God created us as vessels unto honor, prepared unto glory; we were predestinated in His sovereignty to be His vessels to express what He is in glory.
The gospel is the gospel of the glory of Christ, which illuminates, radiates, and shines in our hearts. God’s shining in our hearts results in the illumination of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, that is, in the enlightenment that causes us to know the glory of God in the gospel of Christ. If we drop our concepts and turn our heart to the Lord, the veils will be taken away, the god of this age will have no ground in our being, and the gospel of the glory of God will shine in our hearts.
Practice and Application
God shines in our hearts that we may shine on others so that they may have the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ—the knowledge of Christ, who expresses and declares God.
In our preaching of the gospel, there should be an illumination; we need to shine forth the gospel of the glory of Christ from within us. In proclaiming the gospel of the glory of Christ, we should not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, who is the content of the gospel.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1 The God of glory called Abraham, and Abraham was attracted and caught by that glory (Acts 7:2; 1 Tim. 1:11)
(Please illustrate with experiences that one day the God of glory came to us through the preaching of the gospel, and we were attracted and convinced and began to appreciate Him.）
T2 God’s economy is “according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God” (1 Tim. 1:11-12)
(Please illustrate that by dispensing God’s life and nature in Christ into God’s chosen people, this gospel shines forth God’s glory, in which God is blessed among His people.)
Day 2
T1 The god of this age is Satan, the deceiver, the ruler of this present age. He dominates today’s world and hunts for man’s worship by blinding his mind and his thoughts (2 Cor. 4:3-4)
(Please illustrate that all people today, whether primitive or highly cultured, have been blinded by the god of this age.）
T2 The only way revelation can come to us is if we drop our concepts (2 Cor. 3:16)
(Please illustrate that the more you turn your heart to the Lord, the less ground the god of this age will have in your life and in your being. Then you will be under the shining of the heavenly light, and you will receive the revelation of the living person.)
Day 3
T1 Christ as the second of the Triune God possessed the divine glory from eternity past (John 1:1, 14)
(According to John 1:1, Please illustrate that what is the divine glory.）
T2 As God, Christ Himself was glory, but this glory was concealed in the shell of His humanity, and thus His divine glory could not be seen (John 12:24)
(Please illustrate that His incarnation caused His divine glory to be concealed in His flesh, but through His death His glory was released for the producing in His resurrection of the many grains, which become His increase as the expression of His glory.)
Day 4
T1 The gospel of Christ is the gospel of His glory that illuminates and shines forth (Heb. 1:3; 2 Cor. 3:18)
(Please illustrate that Satan, the god of this age, has blinded the thoughts and the minds of the unbelievers so that the illumination of the gospel of Christ’s glory might not shine into their hearts.）
T2 If man’s heart is not veiled with anything or blinded by Satan, the god of this age, man can see the illumination of the gospel (2 Cor. 4:4, 6)
(Please illustrate that what the very content of the gospel is.)
Day 5
T1 Second Corinthians 4:4 indicates that the terms God, image, Christ, glory, gospel, and illumination are all refer to the same wonderful person (2 Cor. 4:4)
(Please illustrate that God is the image, the image is Christ, Christ is the glory, the glory is the gospel, and the gospel is the illumination.）
T2 Christ is the most excellent One in the whole universe (Heb. 1:3; 1 Cor. 12:3)
(Please illustrate that since we have Christ as the treasure, the most excellent One and the most lovely One, we do not love the world.)
Day 6
T1 The gospel of the glory of Christ first shines into us, and then it shines out from within us (Phil. 2:15-16)
(Please illustrate that such a shining cannot come by way of teaching; it can come only through the experience of Christ.）
T2 In order to experience God’s shining, we need to have direct, personal, and intimate contact with Christ (2 Cor. 3:18; 4:7)
(Please illustrate that whenever we call on the Lord in a dear, intimate way, we are before His face, and the shining of God is in our heart.)
