Living in the Reality of the Kingdom of God
Message Three
The Kingdom and the Church
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
Matt. 16:18-19 …Upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in the heavens.
Rom. 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Word of Appetizer
Although the church and the kingdom are interrelated, what is the difference between them?
The church today is Christ’s increase in life, but the eternal kingdom of God is Christ’s increase in administration.
The Bible first presents the kingdom and thereafter presents the church; the presence of the kingdom produces the church; the divine life is the kingdom, and this life produces the church. The kingdom is the reality of the church; therefore, apart from the kingdom life, we cannot live the church life.
The genuine church is the kingdom of God in this age; today the believers live the kingdom life in the church. In the church as the kingdom, we are under the kingdom’s rule, government, discipline, and exercise.
The church was brought into being for the purpose of bringing in the kingdom. The work of the church on earth is to bring in the kingdom of God.
Spiritual Burden
In the church as the kingdom, we are under the kingdom’s rule, government, discipline, and exercise. As those who are under the dispensing of the Divine Trinity, we need to live a kingdom life in the church, growing and developing in the divine life until we reach maturity.
The church should pray to bring in the kingdom of God. The coming of the kingdom is not automatic; if there is no prayer, the kingdom cannot come; thus, we must pray for the coming of the kingdom. Genuine prayer is a joint labor with God to bring His kingdom to the earth and to carry out His will on earth.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
The church today is Christ’s increase in life, but the eternal kingdom of God is Christ’s increase in administration.
The Bible first presents the kingdom and thereafter presents the church; the presence of the kingdom produces the church.
The genuine church is the kingdom of God in this age; today the believers live the kingdom life in the church.
The church brings in the kingdom; the church, which comes into being under the rule of heaven, by reason of her submission to the heavenly rule, deals with God’s enemy.
The Experience of Life
Since the kingdom life issues in the church life, as we live corporately in the kingdom life, we spontaneously live the church life. When the kingdom of the heavens is able to assert its authority over a company of believers, those believers can be built up into the church.
In the church as the kingdom, we are under the kingdom’s rule, government, discipline, and exercise. Although the church today is God’s kingdom, we are in the kingdom in reality only when we live, walk, and have our being in the spirit, not in our
natural man.
Practice and Application
The church brings in the kingdom; the work of the church on earth is to bring in the kingdom of God. The church, which comes into being under the rule of heaven, by reason of her submission to the heavenly rule, deals with God’s enemy.
The church should pray to bring in the kingdom of God. The coming of the kingdom is not automatic; if there is no prayer, the kingdom cannot come; thus, we must pray for the coming of the kingdom.
Those who always put God’s kingdom before them—that which touches God’s will and His enemy—are the most useful workers in the hands of God.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1 Christ can increase (Dan. 2:35; John 3:29-30)
(Please illustrate that both the church and the kingdom are His increase.)
T2 The purpose of the new birth is to enable us to enter the kingdom (John 3:3; Matt. 24:14)
(Please illustrate that the gospel always has the kingdom of God in view; it is therefore called “the gospel of the kingdom”.)
Day 2
T1 To produce the church and to build up the church, we need the kingdom (Matt. 16:18~19)
(Please illustrate that the kingdom actually is the reality of the church.)
T2 The church is intimately related to the kingdom (Matt. 16:18~19)
(Please illustrate that although the church and the kingdom are interrelated, there is nonetheless a difference between them.)
Day 3
T1 The Bible first presents the kingdom and thereafter presents the church (Matt. 16:18-19)
(Please illustrate that where the kingdom of the heavens is in authority, there a church will be built up.)
T2 The kingdom produces the church, the church brings in the kingdom (Matt. 16:18-19)
(Please illustrate that the church [was] brought into being…for the purpose of bringing in the kingdom.)
Day 4
T1 The kingdom is today’s church life(Rom. 14:17; Eph. 2:19)
(Please illustrate that the reality of the church life is the kingdom.)
T2 The proper church life is the kingdom life (Rom. 14:17; Eph. 2:19)
(Please illustrate that we are in the kingdom in reality only when we live and walk in spirit.)
Day 5
T1 Jesus Christ is the seed of the kingdom of God, and this seed has been sown into those who believe in Him (Mark 4:26-29)
(In the parable of the seed in Mark 4:26-29, how do we see the development of the kingdom seed?)
T2 The church is that of being joined to Christ (Eph. 1:20-23)
(Please illustrate that through Christ’s resurrection the church received its life, and through His ascension the church assumed its position of authority.)
Day 6
T1 Learning to exercise the overcoming authority of Christ to rule over the power of darkness (2 Cor. 10:4; Eph. 6:12)
(Please illustrate that the church has a great responsibility on the earth today, what are the negative side and the positive side.)
T2 Prayer overturns the power of darkness and opens the way for God’s will to be executed on earth (2 Cor. 10:4; Eph. 6:12)
(Please illustrate that God delivers men with the purpose of saving them to the extent that God’s authority can be fully manifested through them.)
