極大的奧秘 - 基督與教會

Meaning

- Complete dependence on God's leading and supply

- Denying self and following the Lord

- Building intimate relationship with God

- Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

- Psalm 62:8 "Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge."

- Relying on the Body of Christ

- Building close relationships with brothers and sisters

- Being built up in the Body

- Ephesians 4:16 "From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."

- 1 Corinthians 12:21 "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!'"

Distinction

- Vertical relationship

- Direct connection with God

- Spiritual dependence

- John 15:5 "Apart from me you can do nothing."

- Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you."

- Horizontal relationship

- Connection through member

- Practical life dependence

- Ephesians 4:25 "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body."

Expression

- Taking up the cross daily

- Denying self

- Following the Lord

- Luke 9:23 "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."

- Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."

- Not being independent from brothers and sisters

- Building proper relationship with the Body

- Functioning in the Body

- Romans 12:4-5 "For just as each of us has one body with many members... so in Christ we, though many, form one body."

- Ephesians 4:16 "From him the whole body... grows and builds itself up in love."

Examples

- Seeking the Lord's guidance in prayer

- Waiting on the Lord in decisions

- Seeking the Lord's presence in all things

- Philippians 4:13 "I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

- Jeremiah 17:7-8 "Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD..."

- Accepting help from brothers and sisters

- Participating in church life

- Coordinating with members in service

- Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds... not giving up meeting together."

- 1 Corinthians 12:12 "Just as a body, though one, has many parts..."

Application

- Practicing reliance on the Lord in daily life

- Cultivating trust in the Lord

- Building personal prayer life

- Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you."

- Proverbs 16:3 "Commit to the LORD whatever you do."

- Active participation in church life

- Being built up together with members

- Maintaining proper relationships with members

- Colossians 2:19 "They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body... grows as God causes it to grow."

- Ephesians 2:21-22 "In him the whole building is joined together..."

Results

- Experiencing the Lord's presence

- Gaining genuine peace

- Growth in life

- Isaiah 26:3-4 "Perfect peace... for they trust in you."

- Psalm 125:1 "Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion."

- Being built up in the Body

- Harmonious coordination with members

- Corporate life manifested

- Ephesians 4:15-16 "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body..."

- Colossians 2:19 "The whole body... grows as God causes it to grow."