THE FORTH PART: THE PATHWAY OF THE LORD’S RECOVERY
God-Ordained Way
Message Three—Building Up Zion—the Overcomers in the Church
and the Reality of the Body of Christ
Scripture Reading: Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26-28; 3:5, 12, 21; 12:11; 14:1; 19:7; Eph. 4:16; Psa. 48:2, 11-12
I. The Lord’s recovery is to build up Zion—the overcomers in the church, the reality of the Body of Christ—Rev. 14:1; Eph. 4:16: (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
A. In the New Testament the overcomers are likened to Zion—Rev. 14:1: (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
1. In Revelation 14:1 the 144,000 overcomers are not just in Jerusalem—they are on the peak of Zion. (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
2. In the book of Revelation what the Lord wants and what the Lord will build up is Zion, the overcomers. (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
B. The church life is today’s Jerusalem, and in the church there must be a group of overcomers; these overcomers are today’s Zion: (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
1. Zion is the beauty of the holy city (Psa. 48:2; 50:2); likewise, the overcomers are the beauty of a local church. (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
2. Psalm 132:13-18 is Jehovah’s speaking concerning Zion; this is a picture of the top church life—the situation of the overcomers in Zion. (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
3. Psalm 134 indicates that those who are in Zion, the highest people, can bless everyone and teach everyone; the blessing comes from Zion, from the highest peak, from the ones who have attained to the top, the position of the overcomers. (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
C. Zion—the highest peak in God’s economy—is the reality of the Body of Christ consummating in the New Jerusalem—Eph. 1:22-23; 4:16; Rev. 21:2, 10-11: (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
1. We may have a good church life, but among us there is almost no reality, actuality, and practicality of the Body life; this is the need in the recovery today. (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
2. The church life in the Lord’s recovery must go on and on until some of us, if not all, reach Zion—Psa. 84:4, 7. (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
II. The Lord needs the overcomers to carry out the economy of God to have a Body and to destroy His enemy—Eph. 1:10; 3:9; 1 Tim. 1:4; Rev. 12:11: (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
A. Revelation is a book on the overcomers who consummate God’s economy— vv. 10-11. (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
B. The recovery is the Lord’s way to help us to be overcomers. (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
C. The overcomers are for the building up of the Body of Christ to consummate the New Jerusalem—Eph. 4:16; Rev. 2:7b; 3:12, 21: (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
1. The will of God is to obtain a Body for Christ to be His fullness, His expression—Rom. 12:2, 5; Eph. 1:5, 9, 11, 22-23; 5:17, 30. (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
2. The building up of the Body of Christ is by the overcomers produced by Christ as the sevenfold intensified life-giving Spirit—1:4; 4:5; 5:6; 3:1, 12. (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
3. The building up of the Body of Christ by the overcomers in this age is for the initial consummation of the New Jerusalem in the kingdom age and eventually for the full consummation of the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth—2:7; 21:2. (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
D. The overcomers see the Body, know the Body, and care for the Body—Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 2:16; 4:4. (2003 ITERO-F, msg. 9)
III. The church life on the ground of oneness is today’s Jerusalem; within the church life there must be a group of overcomers, and these overcomers are today’s Zion—Psa. 48:2, 11-12: (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
A. As the highlight and beauty of the holy city Jerusalem, Zion typifies the overcomers as the high peak, the center, the uplifting, the strengthening, the enriching, the beauty, and the reality of the church—20:2; 53:6a; 87:2. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
B. The overcomers as Zion are the reality of the Body of Christ and consummate the building up of the Body in the local churches to bring in the consummated holy city, New Jerusalem, the Holy of Holies as God’s dwelling place, in eternity— Rev. 21:1-3, 16, 22. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
C. The church life is the right place for you to be an overcomer, but this does not mean that as long as you are in the church life, you are an overcomer; it is one thing to be in the church life, but it is another thing to be an overcomer—2:7, 11, 17, 26-28; 3:5, 12, 20-21. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
IV. In order to be today’s overcomers, we must enjoy Christ with God on the ground of oneness for the exhibition of Christ, the building of the church, and the preparation of Christ’s bride—Matt. 16:18; Rev. 19:7: (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
A. The children of Israel could enjoy the rich produce of the good land in two ways:(2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
1. The common, private way was to enjoy it as a common portion at any time, in any place, and with anyone—Deut. 12:15. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
2. The special, corporate way was to enjoy the top portion, the firstfruits and the firstlings, with all the Israelites at the appointed feasts and in the unique place chosen by God—vv. 26-27; 14:22-23; 15:19-20. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
B. Likewise, the enjoyment of Christ by His believers is of two aspects: (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
1. The common, private aspect is to enjoy Christ as our God-allotted portion at every time and in every place—Col. 1:12; 1 Cor. 1:2, 9; Eph. 6:18; 1 Thes. 5:16-18; Rom. 10:12-13. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
2. The special, corporate aspect is to enjoy the top portion of Christ in the meetings of the proper church life on the unique ground of oneness, the place chosen by God—1 Cor. 14:3, 4b, 26, 31. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
C. We need to live a life of laboring upon Christ, a life of enjoying Christ personally so that we may enjoy Him together collectively for the building up of the Body of Christ as the house of God for God’s expression and as the kingdom of God for God’s dominion—3:17; 1 Tim. 3:15; Rom. 14:17-18: (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
1. God’s will is for us to enjoy Christ; we must seek to enjoy Christ and experience Him in every situation—Heb. 10:5-10; Phil. 3:7-14; 4:5-8. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
2. Christ is rich beyond measure, but the church today is groveling in poverty because the Lord’s children are indolent—Prov. 6:6-11; 24:30-34; 26:14; Matt. 25:26, 30; 1 Cor. 15:58. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
3. We must labor on Christ, our good land, so that we may reap some produce of His riches to bring to the church meeting and offer; thus, the meeting will be an exhibition of Christ in His riches and will be a mutual enjoyment of Christ shared by all the attendants before God and with God for the building up of the saints and the church—Col. 2:6-7; 1 Cor. 1:9; 14:3, 31. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
4. Whenever we come to the meetings to worship the Lord, we should not come with our hands empty; we must come with our hands full of the produce of Christ—v. 26; Deut. 16:15-17. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
5. We meet together to have an exhibition of the Christ upon whom we have labored, the Christ whom we have enjoyed and experienced—14:22-23. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)