The corporate service of the whole Body is the scriptural way. It causes every member to fulfill his or her organic function in the Body. There are four main items in such a service. First, we must preach the gospel to save sinners (Rom. 15:16). We must continually bring the gospel to people to lead them to salvation, either by visiting them by knocking on their doors, calling them on the phone, or writing them letters. Second, we must feed the Lord’s lambs and shepherd His flock (John 21:15-17). Third, we must perfect the saints to build up the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-12). This matter is not found in Christianity, and yet it is revealed in the Scriptures. It is the Lord’s mercy that we have adopted it as part of the Lord’s recovery. The gifted ones should not be the only ones who perfect the saints; the saints themselves should become gifted ones to perfect others. Fourth, every saint can prophesy and speak for the Lord to build up the church, the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 14:1, 3-5, 12, 24, 31).
The Body of Christ builds itself up through every joint of the supply and through every functioning member (Eph. 4:16). There are two kinds of members in the Body, the supplying joints and the operating parts. The operation of our physical body depends on the joints. In the Body of Christ, we also need some who can be joints for the purpose of supplying others. The supply stations of the blood are the joints in the body. Without the joints, the Body cannot receive the supply. In addition to the joints, there is the need for another group of members, such as the hands and fingers, with their own particular functions. With the joints of supply and every functioning part, the Body can now build itself up in love. Our physical body builds itself up. If we do not eat, we are unable to build up our body. This is the same with the church. We all are members. But some are joints supplying, while the other parts are being active in fulfilling their function as members. In this way, the Body will build itself up.
Finally, we have to mention the three steps of offering by the priests of the gospel in the Body service. The first step is to lead sinners to salvation and to offer them as sacrifices to God (1 Pet. 2:9b, 5b; Rom. 15:16). Next we have to nourish them so that they may grow up and present themselves as living sacrifices to God (1 Pet. 2:2; Rom. 12:1). Initially, they were saved and offered to God, but now, as they have grown up, they offer themselves to God. Lastly, the gifted ones still need to labor and struggle in all wisdom to present every saint full-grown in Christ to God (Col. 1:28-29). At this point, the saints will have become full-grown in the stature of Christ, and the Body of Christ can be fully built.
I hope that after these four meetings the church here has seen something and that the brothers and sisters know the origin of the Body of Christ as well as its elements, essence, and reality. I hope that they will have the living of the Body of Christ and the service of the Body of Christ to fulfill their function in the Body service. Then the Lord will have a way among us. May the Lord give grace to each of you, and may each one of you receive these words and practice them diligently by His grace.
(A message given by Brother Witness Lee on April 15, 1990, in Taipei, Taiwan.)
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