GENERAL SUBJECT:
CRUCIAL PRINCIPLES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CHURCH

Message Fourteen
The Vital Practice in Both Personal and Corporate Aspects for the Church Life

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:42-47; Gal. 1:16; Judg. 5:3; 1 Tim. 4:7; Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Cor. 14:1, 31; John 21:15-17

I. Having breakthrough in prayers—Acts 2:42-47:

A. We have to sense the atmosphere of the meeting and follow the flow—the flow of prayer.

B. Touching the spiritual burden.

C. Bringing in the flow and burden through reading the Bible, singing and fellowshipping.

D. Having proper skills:

1. Short, quick, real, fresh, strong:

a. Quick: follow quickly; connect quickly; add to quickly; do not fight—fighting causes confusion; do not wait—waiting results in depression.

b. Short: short sentences pick up the spirit; we have to forget about organizing a long prayer, but we need to say only a short sentence or a phrase.

c. Real: release the spirit by forsaking the self; the feeling is real when it is expressed from deep within.

d. Fresh: follow the Spirit to express fresh feelings; do not try to be funny.

e. Strong: the spirit is living, strong, released, and rich.

2. Connect to one another fitly; move forward in spirit; avoid formalities.

3. Listen to others’ praying carefully and say “Amen”, not merely according to the thoughts in our mind.

II. Having revelation in reading the Bible—Gal 1:16:

A. Feature of the Bible Recovery Version:

1. Text: embodying extensive research into the meaning of the original text and attempts to express this meaning with English that is to the point, easy to understand, and readable.

2. Footnotes: it not only becomes an open Bible, but also an interpreted Bible.

3. Subject and outline: they are clear at a glance, not only for you to master the central thought but also to know the emphasis.

4. Cross-references: they are rich and detailed, leading not only to other verses with the same expressions and facts but also to other matters related to the spiritual revelation in the divine Word.

5. Charts and maps.

B. Different ways to read the Bible: reading Bible personally, in group, with the new ones and study the Bible.

III. Having revival in morning revival—Judg. 5:31; Prov. 4:18:

A. We must be those who are living a life of morning revival and daily victory—Psa. 119:147-148; Rom. 8:37.

B. Two aspects of morning revival—Matt. 6:6; 2 Tim. 2:22:

1. Personal morning revival—Exo. 34:3; Matt. 6:6.

2. Corporate morning revival—2 Tim. 2:22.

C. Practicing morning revival:

1. Praying shortly.

2. Selecting a proper portion.

3. Pray-reading God’s word—Eph. 6:17-18a.

4. Today’s reading.

5. Shortly sharing.

6. Studying the outline.

7. Revelation, experience, and application.

8. Concluding in one sentence.

9. Digesting through prayer.

10. Planing the time.

IV. Releasing in exercising spirit—Prov. 20:27; 1 Tim. 4:7; 2 Tim. 1:7:

A. The divine Spirit mingled with our human spirit—the secret of God’s organic salvation and the key to the entire Christian life—Rom. 8:2, 4, 16; 1 Cor. 6:17.

B. Knowing the spirit, releasing the spirit, exercising the spirit, by the spirit, protecting the spirit, caring for the spirit, not quenching the Spirit, not grieving the Holy Spirit of God, focusing on spirit, and living in the spirit—John 4:24; Rom. 10:13; 8:4; Eph. 5:18-19; 1:17; 3:16-17; 4:30; Gal. 5:16, 25; 1 Thes. 5:23, 19, 17; Col. 4:2.

C. The way to exercise the spirit:

1. Exercising the spirit through calling on the Lord, pray-reading the Lord’s word, praying, and singing hymns—Rom. 10:13; Eph. 6:17-18; Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:18-19.

2. Exercising the three parts of the spirit—conscience, fellowship, and intuition.

a. Conscience being sensitive—Acts 24:16.

b. Fellowship being refreshing—2 Cor. 7:13; 1 Cor. 16:18; Luke 1:46-47.

c. Intuition being bright—1 John 2:27; Rom. 8:6; 1 Cor. 2:11.

V. Strengthening all kinds of perfecting meetings—Eph. 4:11-12:

A. Trainees: the persons need to be right, punctual, having atmosphere and sharing intensively.

B. Trainers: have prayers; have preparation before the meeting; be strong in the spirit; be concise in words, not being lengthy; supply life and get rid of teaching.

VI. Uplift the Lord’s table meeting and prophesying meeting—1 Cor. 11:17-34; 14:31:

A. Preparing ourselves for the meeting—v. 26.

B. Being familiar with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; selecting hymns; singing, speaking, speaking to one another and pray-reading hymns—Col. 3:16.

C. Preparing the prophecy:

1. Arranging for prophesying and concluding at the end of the meeting.

2. To prophesy is to speak for the Lord, speak forth the Lord, and speak the Lord into others.

3. Composing a prophecy less than three minutes with the revelation we receive in God’s word and the experience of the Triune God during the week—1 Cor. 14:26.

4. Enlightening one’s mind through the word as the spirit, moving his emotion, and conquering his will, to make his living different.

VII. Uplifting the contents of small group meeting—Acts 2:42-47:

A. In order for the church life to arrive at the original situation in Acts 2:42-47, we have to emphasize the “eight definite things”, “three crucial elements”, “four stages”, and “six mutual matters” in the vital group, for the organic building up of the Body of Christ.

B. “Eight definite matters” in practicing the vital group:

1. Definite companions—you should first pray that the Lord add you companions for forming the new group—2 Tim. 2:22.

2. Definite blending between companions—practicing morning revival, praying, pursuing, caring one another in the daily life, and serving in discussing the saints.

3. Definite list for intercession—1 Tim. 2:1.

4. Definite gospel move—separate two periods of two or three hours each week for fruit-bearing—John 15:16.

5. Definite feeding targets—feed the new ones in their homes at definite time every week, and invite the new ones for love feasts, morning revival, or enjoy the morning revival through phone.

6. Definite materials for feeding.

7. Definite gathering of the vital group.

8. Definite goal of the vital group—every vital group definitely increases by one vital group every year.

C. Three crucial elements in the gathering of the vital group: flowing the divine love, shining the divine light, and executing God’s will—1 John 4:8; John 13:34-35; 1 John 1:5-7; John 8:12; 21:15-17.

D. Four stages in the gathering of the vital group: heart being warmed, spirit being stirred up, mouth being opened, and saints being cared:

1. Fellowship with one another and praying for one another that people’s hearts would be warmed to flow the divine love. (About 20 mins.)

2. Singing praise to the Lord, singing and praising to fan people’s spirits. (About 15 mins.)

3. Through mutually asking and teaching, everyone’s mouth is open to bring in the perfecting of truth and life. (About 30 mins.)

4. Bringing in the functioning of all the members through care for people that the Body may be built up in love. (About 20 mins.)

E. Six mutual things in the gathering of the vital group: fellowshipping with one another, praying for one another, caring for one another, shepherding one another, asking one another, and answering one another.

VIII. Stressing the shepherding and perfecting of the new believers—John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:1-3; Luke 15:4-24, 32:

A. Have insight, be thoughtful, seek the Lord’s leading through prayer, and have the burden to contact specific people.

B. To shepherd is to take comprehensive, tender care of the flock; shepherding is to care for all the needs of the sheep—John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28.

C. Shepherding should be ninety percent, and teaching should be ten percent; nine tenth is shepherding and one tenth is teaching.

D. Both shepherding and teaching need love; love prevails; love is the most excellent way—John 21:15-17; 1 Cor. 12:31b.

E. We need have shepherding candidates; from the beginning to the end of the year, there are always two or three under your nourishing and perfecting.

F. Paul fed his spiritual children with his own living of Christ; the best way to shepherd people is to give them a proper pattern—1 Thes. 2:1-12.