Living and Serving according to God’s Economy
concerning the Church
Message Five
How to Conduct Ourselves in the House of God—
Exercising Ourselves unto Godliness
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. 3:15 But if I delay, I write that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth.
1 Tim. 4:7-8 …Exercise yourself unto godliness. For bodily exercise is profitable for a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the present life and of that which is to come.
Word of Appetizer
what two governing principles that we must follow in order to know how to conduct ourselves in the church life?
First,…we must respect the headship of Christ. Whatever we are, do, and say should be in a spirit that respects the headship of Christ. Respecting the headship of Christ safeguards us from many kinds of mistakes in the church life. The second matter…is that the entire church is the pillar and base of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). Not the leading ones only but every member in the church should practice to know the truth so that we can be a pillar to bear God’s truth in this dark age. Respecting the headship of Christ and bearing the truth are two governing principles we must follow in order to know how to conduct ourselves in the church life.
Spiritual Burden
Respecting the headship of Christ and bearing the truth are two governing principles we must follow in order to know how to conduct ourselves in the church life.
As believers in Christ, we should pursue godliness; to pursue godliness is to live a daily life that manifests God. In order for God to be manifested in the flesh, godliness needs to be expressed in our whole living.
The way to conduct ourselves in the church life is to exercise ourselves unto godliness. To exercise ourselves unto godliness is to exercise our spirit to live Christ in our daily life for the building up of the church as the Body of Christ.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
“I write that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God”.
“Confessedly, great is the mystery of godliness”.
“Exercise yourself unto godliness”.
The Experience of Life
God’s economy is God coming into us, and godliness is God going out of us. The Christian life is simply God coming in and God going out. Our church life, our daily life, and our family life are simply God coming in and God going out all day.
Whenever the church comes together properly, God’s presence is there—God is manifested in the flesh. Whatever we say, express, do, and wear should give an impression of God being manifested in us.
When we set our mind on the spirit, we have the inner sense of life and peace, the sense of strength, satisfaction, rest, release, liveliness, watering, brightness, and comfort.
Practice and Application
We all have to exercise our spirit because the mystery of God is with our spirit. We need to build up the habit of exercising our spirit.
To exercise our spirit is to discern our spirit from our soul. We should always be on the alert to discern and deny anything that is not of the spirit but of the soul, the self.
To exercise ourselves unto godliness is to exercise our spirit to live Christ in our daily life for the building up of the church as the Body of Christ.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1 Respecting the headship of Christ and bearing the truth are two governing principles (1 Tim. 3:15)
(Please illustrate that which two governing principles we must follow in order to know how to conduct ourselves in the church life.)
T2 The proper teaching is not a matter of our taste but a matter of what is healthy (2 Tim. 4:3-4)
(Please illustrate that heeding only healthy teaching is another governing principle for our conduct in the church life.)
Day 2
T1 The proper definition of the term godliness is God manifested in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Cor. 14:24-25)
(Please illustrate that God’s being manifested in the flesh refers not only to Christ but also to the church.)
T2 God’s economy is God coming into us, and godliness is God going out of us (1 Tim. 3:16; 6:11)
(Please illustrate that God’s economy, which issues in godliness, should be the unique topic of our fellowship.)
Day 3
T1 Whatever we do, whatever we are, and whatever we wear should give others an impression of godliness (1 Tim. 2:2)
(Please illustrate with examples that godliness is not an outward regulation but an inward reality.)
T2 In order for God to be manifested in the flesh, godliness needs to be expressed in our whole living (1 Tim. 3:16; 1 John 3:2)
(Please illustrate that whatever we say, express, do, and wear should give an impression of God being manifested in us.)
Day 4
T1 To exercise ourselves unto godliness (1 Tim. 4:7-8)
(Please illustrate the way to conduct ourselves in the church life.)
T2 God’s dispensing produces a life of godliness (1 Tim. 4:8)
(Why is it said that a godly life issuing from God’s dispensing depends upon the exercise of our spirit? )
Day 5
T1 Learning to set our mind on the spirit (Rom. 8:6)
(Please illustrate why the habit has to be built up in us. )
T2 To discern the thoughts and intents of the heart equals the dividing of the soul from the spirit (Heb. 4:12)
(Why must we discern our spirit from our soul?)
Day 6
T1 To exercise ourselves unto godliness (1 Tim. 4:7-8)
(Please illustrate the spiritual meaning of “exercising ourselves unto godliness”.)
T2 Fan into flame the gift of God within us (2 Tim. 1:6-7)
(Please illustrate with experiences that if we want to fan our spirit into flame, we need to open up our mouth, open up our heart, and open up our spirit.)
