Meeting 1 – God’s Goal – The church as God’s Dwelling Place (Part 1)

1.       God’s desire for a dwelling place in the Old Testament

a.       The proper building material as revealed in the beginning of the Bible – Gen. 2:11,12; 1 Cor. 3:12; Rev. 21:18, 19, 21

b.      The tabernacle in the wilderness – Exo. 25:3

c.       The temple in the good land – John 2:13-16

d.      David being a man after God’s heart – Psa. 132:4, 1 Chro. 17:1-14

2.       God’s Desire for a dwelling place in the New Testament

a.       The Lord being consumed by the zeal for God’s house – John 2:17; Matt. 16:16-17, 1 Pet. 2:5

b.      The church being the house of the living of God – 1 Tim. 3:15

c.       The New Jerusalem being the tabernacle of God with man – Rev. 21:3

3.       The need to build according to God’s way and standard

a.       Coming out of Babylon – Rev. 18:4

b.      On the proper ground of oneness

c.       By life through the word and the Spirit – Acts 20:32

d.      By being transformed into precious stones – Rom. 12:1, 2 Cor. 4:17

Meeting 2 – God’s Goal – The church as God’s Dwelling Place (Part 2)

1.       Oneness – essential for God’s building

a.       The place chosen by God in the Old Testament – Jerusalem – Deut. 121:1-9; Psa. 133:3

b.      The sins of Jeroboam – caused division by creating 2 other places of worship – 1 Kings 12:26-31

c.       The proper ground of the church – as revealed in the New Testament

i.         One city, one church, one golden lampstand – Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5; Rev. 1:11-12

ii.       Enables us to keep the oneness of the spirit in a practical way – Eph. 4:1-6

iii.      Until we all attain unto the unity of the faith –Eph. 4:13; Phil. 2:2, 14

d.      The Lord’s last prayer was for the oneness of His people – for the world to see – John 17:20-23

e.       The Lord abolished all the wall of partition on the cross – Eph. 2:14

2.       Coming out of Babylon – Rev. 18:4

a.       Babylon in the Old Testament – Babel – Gen. 11:1-9

i.         Confusion of tongue

ii.       Division

iii.      Dispersion into different nations

iv.     A place of captivity for God’s people in the Old Testament for seventy years – 2 Kings 25:8-11

b.      Description of today’s Babylon – Rev. 17:1-6

i.         Arrayed in purple and scarlet

ii.       Adorned with gold precious stones and pearl

iii.      Having in her hand a golden cup full of abomination and filthiness of her fornication

iv.     Mother of harlots   

v.       Drunk with the blood of the saints


 

c.       God’s judgment on Babylon  

i.         Receiving the double portion of God’s wrath – Rev. 18:4-9

ii.       Bringing great rejoicing among the multitude – Rev. 19:1-5

Meeting 3 – Becoming the proper material for God’s Building

The Basics

1.       The Blood

a.       The Passover as a picture in the Old Testament – Exo. 12:7, 13

b.      Without shedding of blood there is no remission – Heb. 9:22

c.       Demonstration of the Righteousness of God – Rom.3:23-26

d.      We have redemption and forgiveness of sins through His blood – Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:13-14; Heb 9:12

e.       Reconciled with God – Col. 1:19-22; Rom. 5:1-2, 9-10

f.        To serve and worship God as priest – Heb. 9:14; 10:19-25

2.       The Conscience

a.       Our conscience before the salvation – Rom. 2:12-15

b.      Our conscience after the salvation – Act. 23:1; 24:16; Rom. 9:1; 2 Cor. 1:12; 4:2; 1 Pet. 2:18; 3:21

c.       Having good conscience for our Christian life and the church life

d.      The work of the blood of Jesus – Heb. 9:9-15

e.       There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus – Rom. 8:1

3.       Our human spirit

a.       Regeneration – Gen. 2:7; John 3:6; Heb. 4:12; 1 Thess. 5:23

b.      To worship God – John 4:23-24

c.       Taught and led by the Holy Spirit – 1 John 2:27-29

d.      Knowing and exercising our spirit

i.         Watch and pray – Matt. 26:41

ii.       In our daily life – 1 Tim. 4:7-8; 1 Cor. 9:24-27; Gal. 5:25; Phil. 2:12-14; 3:12-14

iii.      Eating and drinking of the Lord – John 6:63

Meeting 4 – Becoming the proper material for God’s Building

Enjoying Christ as our Good Land

1.       Christ as our Good Land – Deut. 8:7-10

a.       It is an exceedingly good land – Numbers 14:6-9

b.      Freed from Egypt for the good land – Exodus 3:7-8

c.       Count all things loss for the excellence of Christ – Phil. 3:7-8

2.       Picture in the Old Testament of the good land

a.       The land is for our enjoyment – Joshua 1:15, Neh. 9:8-12

b.      Not enjoying the world or religion – Eph. 5:18, Rev. 14:9

c.       Enjoying the good land together in Jerusalem – Deu. 12:8-10; Ezra 3:10-13; Neh. 10:35-39

3.       Enjoyment in the presence of our enemies

a.       A table in the face of our enemies – Ps. 23:5

b.      Laboring in the good land and standing in oneness – Ex. 17:8-16

c.       The spirit of Joshua and Caleb – Numbers 13:17-20, 27-30; 14:1-10, 24

d.      Gaining the good land in faith and entering into his rest – Heb. 4:1-10

Meeting 5 – Becoming the proper material for God’s Building

Word of God

(John 1:1; 1 John 1:1; Prov. 30:5 )

1.       Living and operative – Heb. 4:12; Rom. 10:8

a.       Religion (Knowledge and Law) vs. Word – Matt. 12:9-14; Mark 7:13; 1 Tim. 4:4-6; 2 Cor. 4:2; 2:17

b.      Separating spirit and soul – Heb. 4:12

c.       Know the word to have impact on our every day life – Luke 11:28; 1 Pet. 1:23; Col. 2:6-7

2.       The way we should connect to God – Jer. 17:7-9

a.       Word spoken to each specific person – John 21:21-22; Matt. 7:2-4

b.      Need to know the Word accurately

c.       Food and nourishment to us – 1 Pet. 2:2-3; Luke 4:4; John 15:4-7

i.         Pray over the word – Eph. 6:17-18

ii.       Eat the Word properly – Jer. 15:16

3.       The functions of the word – Psa. 33:6; Isa. 55:11; Rom. 1:2; 1 Pet. 1:24-26; Heb. 11:3

a.       Wisdom of life – Col. 3:16-17

b.      Receiving the word hot, not lukewarm – Rev. 3:14-21

c.       Causing us to grow – 1 Pet. 2:2; Psa. 103:20; James 1:22; 1 John 2:5

d.      Word will be established – Rom. 15:18

Meeting 6 – Becoming the proper material for God’s Building

Transformed and Conformed into Living Stones

1.       Living Stones being built up a spiritual house – 1 Pet. 2:5-8

a.       Transformed – 2 Cor. 3:16-18

i.         Individually – through the environment of our spouse, family, children, work place, etc. – Phil 2:12-15

ii.       Corporately – through our service together – Rom 12:1-2

b.      Conformed – Rom 8:29

2.       Denying our soul life – Matt. 16:24-27

a.       Overcomers – Rev. 12:10-11

b.      First Fruits – Rev. 14:4-5

3.       Building with the right materials – 1 Cor. 3:9-17

a.       We are God’s building – v. 9

b.      Christ is our foundation – v. 11

c.       Building with gold, silver, and precious stones – v. 12

d.      Building with wood, hay, straw – v. 12

e.       Tested by fire – v.13-15

f.        We are God’s temple – v. 16-17

4.       How are we building the church practically today? – Col. 3:16-17

Meeting 7 – Conducting ourselves in the house of God (Part 1)

1.       Our love and consecration for God’s House – Haggai 1:2-11

a.       Our priority – v. 2

b.      The condition of God’s house – v. 3

c.       Spending much time in the world, but not gaining much – v. 5-7

i.         Where our treasures are laid up – Matt. 6:19-21; 24-34

ii.       The world’s destiny

a)       Fading away – 1 John 2:15-17

b)      Destruction – Rev. 18:8-19

d.      Gathering the building material – v. 8

e.       Burnt offering – 1 Sam 6-7

2.       Living a practical consecrated life

a.       Consider our cost – Luke 14:25-30, 31-33

b.      Not withholding anything from the Lord – Exo. 10:26; Luke 21:1-4; Acts. 5:1-10

c.       Not seeking the Lord in making decisions leads to compromise – Josh. 9:9-15

d.      The Lord will provide everything for you, if we give ourselves to His purpose – Psa. 132; Gen 22:14; Matt. 6:32

e.       Reward – Rev. 20-22

i.         Crown of righteousness – 2 Tim. 4:7-8

ii.       Not being ashamed when the Lord returns – 1 John 2:28

Meeting 8 – Conducting ourselves in the house of God (Part 2)

1.       Meeting together – Heb. 10:25

a.       Fellowship to be in the light – 1 John 1:7

b.      Fellowship in the homes – Acts 2:46-47

c.       Fellowship in the meetings – Eph. 5:18-19

d.      Fellowship between the churches – Receiving saints in hospitality – Rom. 12:13; 1 Pet. 4:9

2.       Marriage Supper of the Lamb – Rev. 19:6-10

a.       Bride has made herself ready

b.      Fine linen

c.       Righteous acts of the saints

3.       New Jerusalem – Rev. 21:9-27

a.       Having the glory of God – v.11

b.      According to God’s measurement – v. 16-17

c.       Precious stones – v. 18-20

i.         Clear, transparent – v. 18

d.      Expressing God – v. 22