THE ELDERSHIP IN GOD’S NEW TESTAMENT ECONOMY
SERIES THREE
THE ELDERSHIP IN GOD’S NEW TESTAMENT ECONOMY
The Living of the Elders
Message One
Building up a Personal and Affectionate Relationship with the Lord
Scripture Reading: Acts 6:4; 7:55; 10:28-31; 1 Pet. 5:1-3; 1 Tim. 2:1-4, 8; S. S. 1:2-4; Prov. 4:18; Phil. 3:7-14; Rom. 8:16; 2 Tim. 4:22; Heb. 4:16; 1 Cor. 2:9; Mark 16:7; John 13:23; Eph. 2:22
I. The carrying out of God’s New Testament economy in a particular place depends entirely upon the elders; it is an ironclad principle that the condition of the elders is reflected in the condition of the church—Acts 10:28-31; 1 Pet. 5:1-3; 1 Tim. 2:1-4, 8; Acts 6:4: (2007 ITERO-Fall, msg. 7)
A. Whether the church is living and fresh and enriched depends on this one thing—that we are being filled continuously with the Spirit—Eph. 5:18; Acts 13:52: (2007 ITERO-Fall, msg. 7)
1. The wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and skill for the noble work of building up the church must be God Himself as the Spirit to us; only the Spirit of God can build His own dwelling place through us—Exo. 31:1-3; Zech. 4:6. (2007 ITERO-Fall, msg. 7)
2. In order to be filled continuously with the Spirit, we need to be those who are willing, empty, and praying—Phil. 2:13; Matt. 5:3, 8; Luke 1:53. (2007 ITERO-Fall, msg. 7)
B. A prayer ministry is a prerequisite for the administration and shepherding of a local church; the leading ones, those who minister the word in the church, should take the lead to have a prayer life—1 Tim. 2:1-4, 8; Acts 6:4: (2007 ITERO-Fall, msg. 7)
1. The first thing that the elders should do in caring for the church is to pray; instead of talking so much and even instead of working so much, we should pray more—Col. 4:2. (2007 ITERO-Fall, msg. 7)
2. All in the Lord’s recovery should be prayerful and stand against the sin of prayerlessness; if we exercise ourselves to have a prayer life, the church will be living and uplifted—1 Sam. 12:23. (2007 ITERO-Fall, msg. 7)
II. As lovers of Christ, we must seek and pursue Him for satisfaction—S. S. 1:2; Phil. 3:8: (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
A. We have to pursue Christ to gain Him—vv. 7-14: (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
1. This is the basic, elementary, and governing principle of the Christian life—vv. 7-14. (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
2. All things other than Christ are refuse and vanity; only Christ is excellent—v. 8. (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
B. The seeker in Song of Songs is drawn to run after the king because of three things—S. S. 1:2, 3a, 4a: (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
1. His love is attracting—”Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!” —v. 2:
a. The seeker longs for kisses, not just one kiss; this is the most personal and affectionate thing—v. 2. (Crystallization-Study of Song of Songs, msg. 1)
b. This word indicates that to some extent the seeker has obtained a part of Christ’s love, but now she wants something more intimate—v. 2. (Crystallization-Study of Song of Songs, msg. 1)
2. His name is charming—”Your name is like ointment poured forth”—v. 3a. (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
3. His person is captivating—”Draw me; we will run after you”—v. 4a: (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
a. Draw me is personal; we want a drawing from the Lord that is His personal and affectionate doing—v. 4a. (Crystallization-Study of Song of Songs, msg. 1)
b. We want Him to be with us in a personal and affectionate way—v. 4a. (Crystallization-Study of Song of Songs, msg. 1)
III. We need to build up a personal and affectionate relationship with and seeking of Christ—vv. 2-4; 1 Cor. 2:9: (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
A. After we believe in Christ, we have to love Him; faith is to receive Christ, and love is to pursue Christ—1 Cor. 2:9 and note 3: (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
1. According to the New Testament, God’s ordained way for man to receive Him in this kind of personal and affectionate way is first to believe in Him—John 1:12. (Crystallization-Study of Song of Songs, msg. 1)
2. After we receive Him as the divine life into us, we have to love Him—Mark 12:30: (Crystallization-Study of Song of Songs, msg. 1)
a. After you have received Christ as your life, you must have a very personal seeking after Christ—S. S. 1:4. (Crystallization-Study of Song of Songs, msg. 1)
b. As those who have been born of God, we are the children of God, the same as God in life and nature but not in the Godhead; therefore, our relationship with God has to be personal and affectionate—1 John 5:1; 1 Pet. 1:4. (Crystallization-Study of Song of Songs, msg. 1)
B. God works in a personal and affectionate way, not in the way of a movement; we do not want a movement in the Lord’s recovery; a person can be moved to join a movement and not have any personal contact with the Lord—2 Cor. 2:3-5. (Crystallization-Study of Song of Songs, msg. 1)
C. In order to practice the high truth, we need the personal and affectionate experience of Christ—S. S. 1:2-4. (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
D. The very God whom we pursue is personal and affectionate; there should be a warm, intimate, and close affection between us and Him—Mark 16:7; John 13:23: (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
1. The Lord Jesus mentioned Peter’s name and John reclined on the Lord’s bosom, both in a personal and affectionate way—Mark 16:7; John 13:23: (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
a. Regardless of how great, sovereign, almighty, and majestic God is, when He wanted to build up His relationship with man He took the personal, affectionate way; He took the way of becoming a man—Phil. 2:7-8. (Crystallization-Study of Song of Songs, msg. 1)
b. If the Lord Jesus had come to Peter in a majestic way, Peter would have felt threatened; but He did not come to Peter as the majestic, untouchable God; instead, He came to Peter as his countryman; Peter was a Galilean, and Jesus was also a Galilean; this is personal and affectionate—Matt. 3:13; 4:18. (Crystallization-Study of Song of Songs, msg. 1)
c. The apostle John could lie on the Lord’s bosom (John 13:23); how personal and affectionate that was! The very God, the very Lord whom we seek, sets up a feast and invites us to feast with Him (Rev. 3:20); we must have such a personal and affectionate contact with Him. (Crystallization-Study of Song of Songs, msg. 1)
2. Only the face of tears that Peter saw, only the face of glory into which Stephen looked, and only the heart that wept with Mary can keep us away from idols, the attractions of this world (Hymns, #437)—Luke 22:61; Acts 7:55; John 11:35. (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
E. We all need this kind of intimate contact with the Lord every morning and every day; no one can represent you or do anything for you in this matter; it must be personal—Lam. 3:23. (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
F. you have to start seeking the Lord in a personal and affectionate way; I want to stress these two words: personal and affectionate; the very God whom we pursue is personal and affectionate; we all need this kind of personal, affectionate, intimate contact with the Lord every day—S. S. 1:2-4. (Crystallization-Study of Song of Songs, msg. 1)
IV. As seekers of Christ, we must go to our mingled spirit for fellowship with Him—Rom. 8:16; 2 Tim. 4:22; S. S. 1:4: (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
A. Jesus today is no longer a physical Savior but the pneumatic Christ—John 7:39; 2 Cor. 3:17: (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
1. In resurrection Christ became the life-giving, compound, consummated, all-inclusive Spirit as the consummation of the processed and con-summated Triune God—1 Cor. 15:45. (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
2. This One is private and spiritual; He visits us privately and not openly, spiritually and not physically—S. S. 1:4 with footnote 2. (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
B. The seeker in Song of Songs was brought into the king’s chambers, his dwelling place, to have fellowship with him—S. S. 1:4b; Heb. 4:16: (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
1. The inner chambers of Christ refer to our regenerated spirit mingled with and indwelt by Him as the life-dispensing Spirit—Rom. 8:16; 2 Tim. 4:22. (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
2. It is the practical Holy of Holies in us for our participation in and enjoyment of the pneumatic Christ—Heb. 4:16. (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)
3. Since the Triune God dwells in our spirit, we must go to our spirit to have fellowship with Him—Eph. 2:22. (2000 ITERO-Fall, AFTERNOON SESSIONS, msg. 1)