THE VITAL GROUPS

MESSAGE THREE

THE CONSTITUENTS OF THE VITAL GROUPS

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Scripture Reading: Rom. 12:5; 8:29; John 20:17; 1 Cor. 14:1,31

OUTLINE

4. The members of Christ—Rom. 12:5:
   1. The organic salvation of God is with Christ as the center and His Body as the spreading.
   2. The members of Christ constitute His Body for His spreading by His multiplication.
   3. Christ's multiplication is by Him as:
      1. A grain of wheat producing many grains—John 12:24.
      2. The vine tree bearing much fruit as His multiplication through His branches (members)—John 15:5.
   4. Such multiplications spread God through speaking for the increase of Christ (His bride)—John 3:29-30:
      1. He speaks the words of God for the dispensing of the Spirit without measure—John 3:34.
      2. His words spoken by Him and received by His believers minister spirit and life—John 6:63.
5. The brothers of Christ—Rom. 8:29; John 20:17:
   1. In His New Testament economy, the speaking God speaks in the Son—Heb. 1:2.
   2. The divine sonship of glory (Rom. 8:15, 23; John 17:22) is corporate, consisting of:
      1. Christ as the firstborn Son of God—Rom. 8:29.
      2. His believers as the many sons of God—Heb. 2:10.
   3. As the firstborn Son of God being the Word of God (John 1:1) is God's oracle for the speaking and dispensing of God to carry out His eternal economy, so the many sons of God being members of the Word of God are God's oracle speaking and dispensing God for the spreading of God and the increase of Christ.
6. The prophets of God—1 Cor. 14:1, 31:
   1. Since all the sons of God are God's oracle, they become God's prophets, the ones who speak God, speak for God, and speak forth God.
   2. According to 1 Corinthians 14 the meetings of the believers should be meetings for God's speaking.
   3. The first verse of this chapter says that we should pursue love and desire earnestly and especially that we may prophesy, speaking God, speaking for God, and speaking forth God.
   4. Verse 31 says that all the believers can prophesy, speaking God, speaking for God, and speaking forth God, one by one.
   5. Verses 3 through 4 unveil to us that prophesying, speaking God, speaking for God, and speaking forth God, builds up, encourages, and consoles people.
   6. Verse 5 says that the apostle Paul desired especially that we would prophesy, speaking God, speaking for God, and speaking forth God, and that greater is he who prophesies, speaking God, speaking for God, and speaking forth God.
   7. For this reason God desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth, that they may prophesy, speaking God, speaking for God, and speaking forth God—1 Tim. 2:4.
   8. Hence, we, the believers as the sons of God to be the prophets of God, should speak God's word in season and out of season for the carrying out of God's eternal economy—2 Tim. 4:2.