© 2012 Jasper Life Publications SERIES: THE REVELATION OF THE REALITY OF THE CHURCH LIFE
Title of this volume: The Church is Revealed 1ST edition - March/2012 - 36,500 copies Translated with permission of Editora Árvore da Vida Published by Editora Árvore da Vida in Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, French, Italian and German. All rights reserved by Jasper Life Publications 725 Viscount Road London, ON, Canada N6J 4G9 Phone: (519) 472-0350 http://jasperlife.com ISSN 1920-8510 Printed in Brazil
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ENJOY! Individually 1. Meet with the Lord early in the morning. 2. As soon as you rise, before doing anything else, take a breath of life, deeply calling on the name of the Lord, “Oh Lord Jesus”. When doing this, drop all your cares, fears, sadness and sin, and receive the Lord Jesus as life, joy, peace and encouragement. Call “Lord Jesus” several times throughout the day. 3. Read the verses given each day in order to have a complete idea of the subject to be covered. Remember that the Bible explains the Bible; because of this, you will find quotations from many other books of the Bible aside from the one which we are presenting in this Daily Food. 4. Prayerfully read the verse suggested each day. To do this, each word ought to be repeated, emphasized and proclaimed without haste, as if one were chewing. Do not read the verse too fast, but spend time on each word. In this exercise, do not worry about understanding the verse, but “eat” it, taking it by faith as spiritual food. 5. Underline and highlight the phrases and words in the explanatory text that most impress you. Pay special attention to the Key Point. This point will function as a key to unlock the spiritual significance of the text. “Digest” it during the day, repeating it to yourself. In this manner, the text that you read in the morning will be your spiritual food all day long. 6. Share what you gain with those you are related to at home, at school, at work, etc. They need the life that you receive through the word.
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Enjoy! In Small Groups 1. Daily Food is an excellent tool for small groups meeting to study the Bible. These small groups may be informal and be characterized by mutual care among the members. 2. A small group meeting can be formed of household members, relatives and neighbours, friends who live nearby, classmates, or work colleagues. 3. Try to meet regularly with members of your small group meeting in order to read Daily Food together. 4. When together, read the suggested passages for each day and prayerfully read the verse of the day. 5. Try to apply the Key Point to your daily life and its difficulties, and to your personal and professional life. Make the word of God applicable to your living. In this way everyone can actively participate and be mutually edified. 6. Take the opportunity to pray together for individual needs or problems. 7. Whenever possible, bring guests to your small group meeting. Then more people can be supplied by God’s word.
May you all receive life abundantly!
The editors
PS: Don’t forget to look at the Additional Reading suggested at the end of each week. It is very helpful.
CONTENTS Week 1 – Message 1 The Church is Revealed (Matt. 16:18-19) What is the Church?.................................................................................. 7 Forsaking All Kinds of Leaven................................................................. 10 Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Loving God........................................ 12 The Revelation of Living the Church Life.............................................. 14 The Reality of the Church Life................................................................ 16 Faith, Hope, Love.................................................................................... 18 Life for All................................................................................................ 21 Week 2 – Message 2 The Soul-life is Exposed (Matt. 17:5-8) Appearing before the judgment Seat of Christ........................................ 24 Listening to the Lord and Repenting....................................................... 26 Other Lessons from the Apostle Peter..................................................... 29 Shepherding the Flock............................................................................. 31 The Fire of the Spirit............................................................................... 33 Spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom throughout the Whole Earth..... 35 Taking Part in the Lord’s Move in Other Continents............................. 37 Week 3 – Message 3 The Reward for Those Who Follow the Lord (Matt. 19:28-29) Identifying that Which Prevents Us from Doing God’s Will.................. 41 The Meaning of Following the Lord........................................................ 44 Serving the Church in Oneness............................................................... 46 The Main Efficacy of the Cross................................................................ 48 The Reward for Those Who Follow the Lord......................................... 50 Following the One Who Loved Us.......................................................... 52 Working Out Our Salvation with Fear and Trembling............................ 54 Week 4 – Message 4 The King’s Entrance into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:6-10) The Lord’s Determination in Going to Jerusalem................................... 57 Not Fearing the Sufferings....................................................................... 60 The Way to Be Useful to the Lord........................................................... 63 Feeding on the Healthy Words................................................................ 66 Being Transformed by the Abundant Life............................................... 69 Are you ready?......................................................................................... 72 Jesus Enters Jerusalem in a Humble Way................................................ 74
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Week 5 – Message 5 Preaching the Gospel of God (Rom. 1:1-4) Saved by the Death of Christ on the Cross............................................. 77 David is a Type of All Sinners.................................................................. 80 As the Son of David, Jesus Received God’s Chastening in Our Place.... 83 Serving God in the Spirit......................................................................... 85 The Growth in Life and the Preparation for the Kingdom..................... 88 Yielding the Space for God’s Life............................................................. 90 The Lord Needs Us.................................................................................. 92 Week 6 – Message 6 The Gospel of Grace (Rom. 1:5-6) Love is the Fulfillment of the Law........................................................... 95 The Notion of Sin According to the Divine Culture.............................. 97 We are Saved by Grace!........................................................................... 99 The Eight Steps of the Gospel of Grace................................................ 101 The Experience of True Repentance..................................................... 103 Restored to God’s Presence................................................................... 106 God Wants to Be with Us...................................................................... 109 Week 7 – Message 7 The Gospel of the Kingdom (Rom. 1:4) Acknowledging that Our Sufficiency Comes from God........................ 113 The Pattern Left by the Lord Jesus........................................................ 116 Created to Receive God’s Plan, Pleasure, and Will............................... 118 The Consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin and the Way to Obtain Salvation.................................................................................... 120 Saved through God’s Life to Supply Life to All..................................... 123 Closely Following, Seeing, and Testifying.............................................. 125 The Gospel of God according to Paul and John.................................... 127 Week 8 – Message 8 It is Necessary to Be Born Anew (John 3:3-5) The Importance of Being Born Anew................................................... 130 God Became Accessible......................................................................... 132 The Spirit Leads Us to Practice the Word............................................. 134 Practicing the Word Leads Us to a Complete Salvation....................... 136 Being Prepared to Reign........................................................................ 138 Taking Advantage of the Time to Mature............................................. 140 Bringing People to God.......................................................................... 142
Week 1 – MONDAY Scripture reading:
Matt. 7:21; Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 12:12-13; 16:19; Heb. 3:6 Read with prayer:
To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours (1 Cor. 1:2).
In the previous series of the Daily Food, we learned that we must repent, for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand. In this series, we will consider the revelation of the reality of the church life. In order to live this reality, we need to deny ourselves and grow in life, thus being perfected in the Lord’s work and prepared to govern the coming world with Him. The Lord has commissioned the church to preach the gospel of the kingdom throughout the whole world (Matt. 24:14), which means that He desires not only that man be saved and have merely the knowledge of biblical truths, but especially that they may practice them (7:21, 24). In the church, we have the opportunity to practice God’s Word, but what is the church? We know that the church is the gathering of all those called by God, that is, those who have been regenerated with His life after having believed in the gospel of grace. It is also the place where we grow in the divine life. For many, however, the church is merely a temple or a place for meetings and messages. Generally speaking, religions have a temple, which they may call a church where gatherings
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WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
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of their followers take place. Nevertheless, God’s Word does not refer to the church as a physical meeting place, but as the people who have been sanctified in Christ (1 Cor. 1:2). Whenever these people are together, the church is there; conversely, if they are not there, the church is simply not there either. In certain places, some brothers presume that only those who break the bread with them are to be considered the church. However, this is not what the Bible says, for all those who have believed are members of the Body of Christ, being baptized into the same body (12:12-13). According to God’s Word, the revelation of the reality of the church life has to do with its living. Hence, the church life is not limited to a few meetings held in a temple which brothers and sisters attend merely to hear the messages spoken there. The church life concerns the living of God’s children and the daily practice of His Word. It is for this reason, perhaps, that we find various references that the church gathered in the homes of the saints (Acts 16:40; Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15). In the New Testament, the church is firstly mentioned in Matthew 16 while the Pharisees and the Sadducees tempted Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven (v. 1). Despite being able to give them a sign, the Lord chose not to do so and answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. And He left them and departed” (v. 4). What is the sign which Jesus referred to? In Assyria, there was a profusely sinful city which God decided to destroy (Jon. 1:2). Before carrying out His intent, however, God sent Jonah the prophet to warn them about the imminent destruction and grant them the opportunity to repent. Jonah, however, decided to flee God’s presence and boarded a ship to Tarshish
(v. 3). As he attempted to flee, Jonah was thrown into the sea and swallowed by a great fish, where he remained for three days and three nights (v. 17). This portion points to the death of the Lord Jesus, who was crucified and resurrected on the third day (1 Cor. 15:4). This was the sign Jesus referred to while being questioned by the Pharisees and Sadducees. We praise the Lord Jesus for begetting the church through His death and resurrection! Hallelujah!
Key-point: We who have believed in the Lord Jesus, are the church. My key-point:
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Question: What is not the church?
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Week 1 – TUESDAY Scripture Reading:
Matt. 16:12; Mark 8:15; 1 Cor. 5:7-8; Gal. 5:9 Read with prayer:
But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Heb. 5:14). FORSAKING ALL KINDS OF LEAVEN
In Matthew 16, we read, “Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.’ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘It is because we have taken no bread’” (vv. 5-7). However, Jesus did not refer to the lack of bread for food; He wanted them to beware of the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees (v. 12). Jesus’ concern was that His disciples would not be contaminated by such teachings. When leaven is added to the flour, the whole lump becomes puffed up, which results in a loaf that is more easily consumed (Gal. 5:9). The Lord wanted them to realize that although the words of the Pharisees and Sadducees seemed quite beautiful, easy to digest, they were filled with leaven. We must be very simple. Our “bread” must have nothing but life, no additives. Although adding leaven may soften the words in the Bible, this will dilute and alter its true meaning. Throughout the Bible, we see the Lord’s disapproval concerning many kinds of leaven such as the teachings of the Herodians and of Jezebel, which strongly displeased God (Mark 8:15; Rev. 2:20, 24).
Once the disciples had understood the matter concerning the leaven, Jesus led them to a place called Caesarea Philippi, where there was a clear environment, free from contamination and the leaven of religion which permeated Jerusalem. In Caesarea Philippi, away from the influence of the degraded religion, the disciples were able to hear the Lord’s Word and receive revelation. The same may happen to us today if we are filled with the leaven of religion—holding to old concepts and religious teachings; we will not be able to receive that which the Lord truly wants to speak to us. Therefore, we must cast out all leaven that tries to infiltrate God’s Word, including that which associates the church with the place of meetings. God wants us to feed on solid food that is unleavened food (1 Cor. 5:7-8; Heb. 5:14). Hence, we must always have the desire to receive God’s Word, forsaking all leaven, doctrines, and teachings that do not align with His purpose.
Key-point: Beware of the old concepts and teachings. My key-point:
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Question: What is necessary in order to receive a revelation from the Lord?
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Week 1 – WEDNESDAY Scripture Reading:
John 19:34; Rom. 6:6; 8:3; 1 John 1:1-9; Rev. 1:5b Read with prayer:
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20).
JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD
When the Bible mentions that church, it refers neither to a meeting place nor to a temple. Unfortunately, however, this concept has been absorbed by Christianity over time. For this reason, various religions call their temples churches. In order to hear what the Lord has to speak today, we must get rid of every sort of leaven, doctrine, and the old concepts that have not originated in Him. Although we know this is not a simple task, it will help us to better know the Lord’s will. After taking His disciples to the regions of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked them, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (Matt. 16:13). They knew the Scripture and answered, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (v. 14). They held the Lord Jesus as a mere prophet, judging Him equal to those other prophets. The Lord was still not satisfied with their answer, and asked, “But who do you say that I am?” (v. 15). Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v. 16). Despite being the disciple who always spoke too quickly and often led by his soul-life, Peter had answered correctly,
and Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (vv. 17-18). It was as if Jesus said, “I am the Son of God; I have God’s life and I desire to supply you with this divine life.” How can we receive God’s life if we are all sinners? It was necessary for Jesus to come first and deal with the source of our sins, the old man, nailing it to the tree (Rom. 6:6; 8:3). After that, He shed His blood in order to purify us from every sin (1 John 1:9; Rev. 1:5b). Through believing in His redemptive work, we receive redemption, forgiveness of sins, and God’s eternal life. This is how we become qualified to be a part of His church. Praise the Lord!
Key-point: The Son of God came to redeem and give life! My key-point:
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Question: How did the Lord qualify us to be a part of the church?
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Week 1 – THURSDAY Scripture Reading:
Exo. 17:6; 1 Cor. 3:11; Gal. 5:16, 19-23, 25 Read with prayer:
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16).
THE REVELATION OF LIVING THE CHURCH LIFE
After God revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Lord said to him: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church…” (Matt. 16:18a). Jesus was saying here that Peter typified a stone and that He would build His church on a rock, that is, upon Himself. The Lord established this foundation and wanted His disciples to build upon Him (1 Cor. 3:11). The rock mentioned in Matthew 16 is the same rock smitten for our sake. God crucified His own Son, smiting the rock that water might flow from it (cf. Exo. 17:6). This flowing water represents the divine life we received upon believing. This water is still available to supply us not only in the church meetings (John 4:10, 14; 7:38), but throughout our entire church life: at home, at work, in school, amidst spiritual warfare, etc. (Eph. 5 and 6). The purpose of the church life is that we may deny our soul-life and receive more of God life. Concerning the family life, for instance, we can see that many sisters are quite submissive and that many brothers demonstrate a great deal of love for their wives in the meetings. When they get home, however, they forget everything they heard. There, the sisters forget all about being submissive and
the brothers about being good husbands. Not only should we deny ourselves in the church meetings but also at home. In order for a husband to truly love his wife, he must have God’s life and live by it. The wife, likewise, needs to live by the life of God in order to be submissive to her husband. In the family life, both the husband and the wife have many opportunities to deny their soul-life. If they learn to take advantage of these opportunities, the result will be a home filled with love and mutual building up. Conversely, however, when a husband is constantly angry and his wife is always impatient with their disobedient children, we can see the manifestation of their soul-life. The anger and a bad temper here are manifestations of the self, the natural ego of each one of them. The best way to deal with a situation like this is to turn to the Lord, cry out for His precious and available blood, and to live more in the spirit by calling on His name (Gal. 5:16, 19-23, 25). This is how we allow more and more of God’s life to be added into us. Also, as we contact people in our daily living, whether they are subordinate to us or not, we need God’s life to love them, for in doing so, we deny our soul-life and receive more of God’s life.
Key-point: Living more in the spirit. My key-point: The Church is Revealed
Question: What is the purpose of the church life?
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Week 1 – FRIDAY Scripture Reading:
Matt. 16:23-24 Read with prayer:
He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life (John 12:25).
THE REALITY OF THE CHURCH LIFE
God’s life grows in us to the same degree that we deny our soul-life. The Lord said that in order to follow Him, we cannot preserve our self, that is, our soul-life, which is full of opinions (Matt. 16:24; John 12:25). We all like to express our opinions and although it may not be wrong to have one, we must be willing to give it up and deny ourselves no matter how good it may seem. When Peter, moved with compassion for the Lord, manifested his soul-life by telling Him not to suffer and die, Jesus said, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matt. 16:23). We can neither preserve the good side of our natural being, nor our opinions, whether good or bad. The Lord Jesus said that if anyone wants to follow Him, he must deny himself, the ego which hinders God’s will from being carried out. God wants us to grow in life and has, therefore, placed us in the church life where we can mature. I always like to use the following illustration to explain how this takes place: if a glass is already filled with water, which represents my natural life, there will not be a way to add more water. Likewise, God will not have any room to add His life into me if I am filled with my
natural life. Hence, God can only find room to add more of His life into me if I dispose of some of my natural being. Whenever I call “Oh Lord Jesus!”, more of God’s life is added into me. Try eliminating some of your soul-life so that God can add more and more of His life into you. In short, the church life is for denying the soul-life so that God’s life can grow in us. Being together these many years, I believe that the majority of us are denying the soul-life. This is the true church life; it is not a meeting place or a temple where we hear beautiful messages and where large numbers of people gather. The church life is the place where God’s life grows daily in those who deny themselves.
Key-point: Following the Lord! My key-point:
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Question: How can God’s life grow in you?
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Week 1 – SATURDAY Scripture Reading:
Matt. 16:25; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Heb. 2:5 Read with prayer:
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Cor. 13:13).
FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE
The church life has three aspects: faith, hope, and love (1 Cor. 13:13). Faith has to do with our spirit, which was saved when we believed in the Lord Jesus. We were saved through faith and not by our works (Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9). I believed in the Lord Jesus and He saved me. I was not crucified, but Christ was crucified in my place. If I had been crucified, I would have died and would not be useful to God; He did not create us to die. Satan, who has the power of death, wanted to keep us in bondage through the fear of death, but God came to give us His life (Heb. 2:14). Now, He wants us to live the church life by denying the soul-life, so the divine life may grow in us. Hope is related to the Lord’s coming, when our body will be transfigured and become a body of glory. Let us not put our hope in this present world; our hope is in the coming world. Regarding the coming world, God’s Word says in Hebrews that He has not subjected the coming world to angels, but to man, so that he may govern it together with Him. Hence, if you are filled with your soul-life and sins, how will you be able to govern the coming world? Today, if you are living the church life, denying your soullife, God’s life will grow and you will be filled with love for God
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is love. The result of the growth of God’s life in us is love, and with every passing year, the saints have manifested more and more of this love. Hallelujah! The church does not have authority in itself, but through God’s life growing in its members. Many misinterpret the passage where it says that whatever we loose on the earth will be loosed in the heavens (Matt. 16:19). If God’s life is not there, there is no authority. If you have the divine life, the authority you have will be proportional to your growth in life. The one who denies his soul-life will have authority both in this age and in that which is to come. Among all the over two hundred countries in the world today are government leaders, presidents, and kings who are under Satan’s rule (1 John 5:19b). They are not the ones who make decisions, for God’s enemy manipulates them. The government in the coming world, however, will not be subjected to angels, but God will entrust its government to man and Christ. Nevertheless, how can we govern the coming world if we are so full of opinions, full of the soul-life? This is why the Lord has placed us in the church life where we have the opportunity to be fully saved. There are three aspects to our salvation. In His first coming, the Lord Jesus died on the cross to deal with the problem of sin and saved our spirit when we believed in Him. The salvation of our body, in turn, will take place at His coming. The third aspect of our salvation is related to our soul; through denying our self and being filled with the divine life, we obtain this complete salvation (Matt. 16:25). The church revealed by the Lord Jesus reflects this living. It is not a physical place, much less a temple used to control people. Rather, it is a living of denying the self, thus allowing God’s life to grow in us that we may govern the coming world.
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Key-point: Being fully saved. My key-point: Question: What are the aspects of our salvation?
Week 1 – SUNDAY Scripture Reading:
Matt. 24:14; Rev. 20:6b Read with prayer:
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing (Matt. 24:45-46).
In order to carry out God’s commission for the His church, we must preach the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 24:14), which can be accelerated by means of these two tools given to us by the Lord: one is the bookafé—an environment with books that will lead people to the faith—and the other is the colporters. Through these tools, we have been able to reach many people, supplying them with God’s Word. Many of these people have already believed in the Lord and received the gospel of grace: they were regenerated and received God’s life. Now, they must all advance by denying their soul-life and by receiving more and more of the divine life. This way, they will be prepared to reign together with Christ in the coming world (Rev. 20:6b). Not only must we have fellowship with the brothers and sisters who meet with us, but we must widen our circle of fellowship to reach more and more sons of God. God has commissioned us to feed our fellow servants with His Word and spiritual books that explain His will as revealed in the Bible (Matt. 24:45-47). We praise the Lord for revealing more and more of His
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LIFE FOR ALL
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will to us daily. Our desire is that all of us will cast away our old concepts, will live according to God’s desire, and that His divine life will grow more and more in every one of us. Let us be free from all old concepts about the church and have meetings in all neighborhoods and places—in the bookafés, places of prayer, home meetings, etc.—so that God’s life may not only grow in us, but in all God’s children. Life for all! Hallelujah! Jesus is the Lord!
Key-point: Using the tools God has given us to reach as many people as possible. My key-point: Question: What is the commission God has given us? Complementary Reading: “God’s Focus: the Kingdom” - chap. 6 - Dong Yu Lan. “The Advance of the Gospel” - chap. 2 - Dong Yu Lan. “Walking According to God’s Will” - chap. 7 - Dong Yu Lan.
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