THE ELDERSHIP IN GOD’S NEW TESTAMENT ECONOMY
SERIES TWO
KNOWING THE THREE ASPECTS OF THE LORD’S RECOVERY
Knowing the Three Aspects of the Lord’s Recovery
The Oneness of the Body of Christ
Message Three
Serving in Blending and Coordination
Scripture Reading: Col. 1:28; 1 Thes. 2:7, 11; 2 Cor. 12:15; 1 Cor. 12:24; 10:17; Acts 1:14; 2:46; 5:12; 15:25; Ezek. 1:5, 9-14, 20, 26; Rom. 12:4-5; Exo. 19:4; Isa. 40:31; 2 Cor. 12:9
I. In our service to God, we must be brought by God to the point where we have the consciousness of the Body and do not serve individually but in coordination with the brothers and sisters—Acts 1:14; 2:46; 5:12; 15:25: (Being Up-to-date for the Rebuilding of the Temple, msg. 5)
A. We must realize that there are two kinds of coordination: one kind is the coordination involved in outward arrangements, and the other kind of coordination is a coordination that grows out of the life within and is spiritual—Exo. 4:14-16; Heb. 10:24: (Being Up-to-date for the Rebuilding of the Temple, msg. 5)
1. Coordination requires that our natural being, the world, our disposition, and our flesh all be dealt with so that the Lord can grow out of us; when He grows out of you and me, we are spontaneously in coordination—John 15:5; 1 Cor. 10:17. (Being Up-to-date for the Rebuilding of the Temple, msg. 5)
2. Many have had the experience that as soon as they were put in the coordination, their condition was exposed; once they began to serve, their self immediately became manifest, particularly in their opinions—cf. Acts 15:25. (Being Up-to-date for the Rebuilding of the Temple, msg. 5)
3. The most important thing in the church service is not that we perform our tasks successfully; rather, the important matter in our serving together in coordination is how much our flesh, our disposition, and our individualism are being dealt with—cf. Gal. 2:20. (Being Up-to-date for the Rebuilding of the Temple, msg. 5)
B. The greatest indication that we see the Body is that we cannot be independent; we feel that we need the Body, that we need the brothers and sisters—cf. 1:1; 12:20-22: (The Administration of the Church and the Ministry of the Word, msg. 2)
1. Coordination means that we cannot do anything without one another; there is a sense that we need others and that others need us—vv. 20-22. (The Administration of the Church and the Ministry of the Word, msg. 2)
2. Those who truly coordinate in spirit should have a strong feeling that they cannot do anything without the help and coordination of others; have the spirit of a learner and the spirit of needing help—v. 17-22. (The Administration of the Church and the Ministry of the Word, msg. 2)
3. Those who feels that we do not need one another; we do not need to fellowship; this is the greatest form of pride; it is the most offensive thing to the Lord and to the Body—vv. 15-18: (The Administration of the Church and the Ministry of the Word, msg. 2)
a. Those who do not need to coordinate are dry, lack blessing, and useless—vv. 14-22. (The Administration of the Church and the Ministry of the Word, msg. 2)
b. We should humbly minister to others and restrict our cleverness through coordination—Ezek. 1:9. (The Administration of the Church and the Ministry of the Word, msg. 2)
4. If we lack coordination with others, we will always criticize what they do; because we lack coordination in our service and do not rely and mutually depend on one another, we often step on others—cf. v. 12. (The Administration of the Church and the Ministry of the Word, msg. 2)
II. We must learn to serve in a blended way; without the blending, the Lord has no way to go on with us; blending is the Body, blending is the oneness, and blending is the one accord—1 Cor. 12:24; 10:17: (Fellowship Concerning the Urgent Need of the Vital Groups, msg. 10)
A. God has blended the Body together; the word blended means adjusted, harmonized, tempered, and mingled; God has blended the Body, adjusted the Body, harmonized the Body, tempered the Body, and mingled the Body; the Greek word for blended implies the losing of distinctions—vv. 24-25; 1:10: (The Divine and Mystical Realm, ch. 6)
1. In order to be harmonized, blended, adjusted, mingled, and tempered in the Body life, we have to go through the cross and be by the Spirit, dispensing Christ to others for the sake of the Body of Christ—Rom. 1:11; 2 Cor. 4:11-12: (The Divine and Mystical Realm, ch. 6)
a. Whatever we do should be by the Spirit to dispense Christ—Col. 1:24-25. (The Divine and Mystical Realm, ch. 6)
b. What we do should not be for our interest and according to our taste but for the church—cf. 2 Cor. 12:15a. (The Divine and Mystical Realm, ch. 6)
2. If we would practice the blending, we should not forget the matter of fellowship; fellowship is the basis for blending; by practicing fellowship we will lay the foundation for the blending—1 Cor. 10:16-17: (Fellowship Concerning the Urgent Need of the Vital Groups, msg. 10)
a. We should not be afraid of being known by others; the more we are known in a proper way, the better—Eph. 5:13b. (Fellowship Concerning the Urgent Need of the Vital Groups, msg. 10)
b. This will put down our pride, take away our boasting, annul our superiority complex, and even put aside our inferiority complex—1 Cor. 12:22-25. (Fellowship Concerning the Urgent Need of the Vital Groups, msg. 10)
3. Fellowship tempers us; fellowship adjusts us; fellowship harmonizes us; and fellowship mingles us; we should not do anything without fellowshipping with the other saints who are coordinating with us—cf. 10:16-17. (The Divine and Mystical Realm, ch. 6)
4. Fellowship requires us to stop when we are about to do something; in our coordination in the church life, in the Lord’s work, we all have to learn not to do anything without fellowship—Philem. 1:14; 1 Cor. 12:21. (The Divine and Mystical Realm, ch. 6)
B. Among us we should have the blending of all the individual members of the Body of Christ, the blending of all the churches in certain districts, the blending of all the co-workers, and the blending of all the elders—Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:24: (The Divine and Mystical Realm, ch. 6)
1. Blending means that we should always stop to fellowship with others; then we will receive many benefits; if we isolate and seclude ourselves, we will lose much spiritual profit; learn to fellowship; learn to be blended—vv. 23-24. (The Divine and Mystical Realm, ch. 6)
2. When we blend together, we have the cross and the Spirit; without the cross and the Spirit, all that we have is the flesh with division; blending requires us to be crossed out; blending requires us to be by the Spirit to dispense Christ and to do everything for the sake of His Body—Col. 1:24-29; 2 Cor. 4:12. (The Divine and Mystical Realm, ch. 6)
3. Such a blending is not social but the blending of the very Christ whom the individual members, the district churches, the co-workers, and the elders enjoy, experience, and partake of—1 Cor. 12:24; 10:16-17. (The Divine and Mystical Realm, ch. 6)
C. The way to be blended is by much and thorough prayer, as fine flour of the wheat, with all the members of our group, with the Spirit as the oil, through the death of Christ as the salt, and in the resurrection of Christ as the frankincense—John 12:24; 1 Cor. 10:17. (Fellowship Concerning the Urgent Need of the Vital Groups, msg. 10)
III. The central point in Ezekiel 1 is the revelation that God needs a group of living creatures who can coordinate together as one corporate entity, the corporate Christ, for His expression, move, and administration; coordination is the key to understanding the vision in Ezekiel 1—vv. 5, 10, 12, 20, 26. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
IV. The coordination of the four living creatures is not in themselves but in God and by the divine power, the divine strength, and the divine grace, because the eagle’s wings are the means by which they are coordinated and move as one—vv. 9, 11; Exo. 19:4; Isa. 40:31; 2 Cor. 12:9; 1 Cor. 15:10: (2016 WT, msg. 4)
A. God Himself is the coordinating factor that enables all the parts of the divine building to be one—Exo. 26:29-30; cf. 1 John 4:8; 2 Tim. 1:6-7; 1 Cor. 12:31; 13:5, 7. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
B. Whatever we are in ourselves, have in ourselves, and do in ourselves results not in coordination but in division and separation—cf. Phil. 3:3; Rom. 8:16. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
C. The wings of an eagle are not only for moving but also for protection; whatever we do and whatever we are must be by the grace of the Lord and the power of the Lord—1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 1:12; 4:7. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
D. At the same time, we are under the overshadowing, the covering, of the Lord’s grace and the Lord’s power—Psa. 17:8; 57:1; 63:7; 91:4; 2 Cor. 12:9b. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
E. The living creatures look like a man, but they move like an eagle—Ezek. 1:5, 24; 3:13:
1. This indicates that we must always express ourselves like a normal man—1:5. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
2. However, the moving and overshadowing wings should give others an impression of the Divine Being, an impression that we have God with us as our power and protection—vv. 23-26. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
V. Ezekiel 1:9 and 11b-12 present a beautiful picture of the coordination that we need in the church life: (2016 WT, msg. 4)
A. Each of the living creatures faces one direction (respectively facing north, south, east, and west), and two of their wings spread out and touch the adjacent creatures’ wings, forming a square—vv. 9-10. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
B. No matter in which direction the living creatures are moving, there is no need for any of them to turn; one simply goes straight forward; one returns, moving backward; and the other sides move sideways—vv. 9, 12. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
C. This is a beautiful picture of the coordination in the church as the Body of Christ, in which each member has his particular position and function, or ministry—Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:14-30; Eph. 4:7-16; 2 Tim. 4:5; Col. 4:17. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
D. When one member functions, he moves “straight forward” to fulfill his function, and the other members accommodate him by moving in the same direction, some moving “backward” and others moving “sideways,” doing everything through the cross and by the Spirit to dispense Christ into others for the sake of His Body—Ezek. 1:9, 11b-12; 1 Cor. 12:14-30. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
E. In the church service we all need to learn not only how to walk straight forward but also how to walk backward and sideways—Ezek. 1:9, 11b-12: (2016 WT, msg. 4)
1. In coordination there is no freedom or convenience; coordination keeps us from making turns—cf. Eph. 3:18. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
2. Before doing anything, we need to stop to fellowship and coordinate with those who serve with us—Ezek. 1:9. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
3. Fellowship blends us, mingles us, adjusts us, tempers us, harmonizes us, limits us, protects us, supplies us, and blesses us; the Body is in the fellowship—cf. v. 4; 2 Cor. 13:14. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
F. If brothers with different functions do not know to coordinate, they will compete and even strive against each other, which could result in division—cf. Phil. 1:17; 2:2; Gal. 5:25-26: (2016 WT, msg. 4)
1. When a brother who is burdened for the gospel is functioning, moving straight forward, the brother who is burdened for shepherding should learn to walk backward; the other saints should follow these two, walking sideways—cf. Ezek. 1:9, 11b-12. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
2. To walk backward and sideways is to say Amen to another’s ministry, function, and burden—Rom. 12:4; cf. 1 Cor. 14:29-31. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
3. If we care only for our particular service and do not have these four kinds of walk, eventually we will become a problem in the church—cf. 3 John 9. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
4. The one who is walking straight forward has the responsibility of following the Spirit—Ezek. 1:12; cf. Acts 2:14; 16:6-10. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
G. We should apply this matter of coordination not only in a particular local church but also among the churches; this means that we are followers of the churches—1 Thes. 2:14; Col. 4:16. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
VI. In order to coordinate with others, we need to deny our self, experiencing the dealing of the cross, and live and act by God’s grace and God’s power, signified by the eagle’s wings—Ezek. 1:9, 11; Isa. 40:31: (2016 WT, msg. 4)
A. We must not act or do anything to express our self; rather, we must do things in the Father’s life with the Father’s nature to express the Father; this is glory, and it is in this glory that we all are one—John 17:22-24; 1 Thes. 2:12. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
B. In order to coordinate with others, we need to take the forgiving Lord as our forgiving life to forgive others and seek to be forgiven, letting the peace of Christ arbitrate in our hearts—Col. 3:12-15; Eph. 4:32. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
C. In order to coordinate with others, we need to deal with the idols in our heart, counting all things as loss on account of Christ and counting them as refuse that we may gain Christ—Ezek. 14:3-5; Phil. 3:7-8, 12-14. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
D. If we abide in God, rely on God, dwell in God, and express God, we can coordinate together in God—Ezek. 1:12; John 15:5, 7; 8:31; Psa. 90:1; 26:1; 31:20; 91:1, 9, 14; Phil. 1:20; 1 Cor. 10:31. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
VII. The living creatures follow the Spirit, indicating that in order to coordinate with others in the Body of Christ, we need to walk by the Spirit and according to the spirit—Gal. 5:16, 25; Rom. 8:4: (2016 WT, msg. 4)
A. Our spirit is universally spacious; God dwells in our spirit, and our spirit is today’s Jerusalem—Eph. 2:22; Num. 16:22; Heb. 12:9: (2016 WT, msg. 4)
1. When the Bible speaks of “your spirit,” it includes the spirits of all the saints—Gal. 6:18; Phil. 4:23; 2 Tim. 4:22; 1 Cor. 6:17. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
2. “The words ‘our spirit’ [in Romans 8:16] include Paul’s spirit, Martin Luther’s spirit, John Wesley’s spirit, Brother Nee’s spirit, your spirit, and my spirit”—Life-study of Ephesians, p. 213. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
B. The book of Ephesians reveals that we need to be in the mingled spirit to be in the blending for the reality of the Body of Christ—1:17; 2:22; 3:5, 16; 4:23; 5:18; 6:18; cf. Lev. 2:4; 1 Cor. 12:24. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
VIII. In order to coordinate with others, we need to be one with the coordinating Triune God—1 Cor. 6:17; Matt. 18:19: (2016 WT, msg. 4)
A. The move of the Divine Trinity with the divine coordination in Matthew 12:28 is an excellent and beautiful example for us to follow; this is a good pattern that our Head has set up for our coordination as members of His Body: (2016 WT, msg. 4)
1. The way the Lord cast out demons, by another One and for another One, shows that He did not act individualistically but with humility and selflessness—v. 28. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
2. The Son as the center of the Divine Trinity was altogether not by Himself, for Himself, or to Himself; whatever He did was by the Spirit of God and for the kingdom of God the Father—v. 28; John 5:19. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
3. This shows us the harmony, beauty, and excellency in the Divine Trinity—Matt. 12:28; John 5:19. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
4. Today in the church life the Body of Christ has not been built up adequately because of the shortage of the proper coordination—1 Cor. 10:17; cf. Rom. 12:4-5. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
5. We may do something according to the will of God, but what we do should not be by ourselves but by some others; furthermore, what we do should not be for ourselves but for the interest, the right, of God on this earth—vv. 4-5. (2016 WT, msg. 4)
B. Every day we need to move out of ourselves and into the coinhering and coordinating Triune God—2 Thes. 3:5; Jude 19-21; John 17:17. (2016 WT, msg. 4)