在身體裏過犧牲的生活，並為着身體的長大把生命供應給身體

讀經：  腓二17，羅十二1，約壹五16上，林後四12，弗四13~16，西二19

週　一

壹　在身體裏我們需要過犧牲的生活—羅十二1：

一　葡萄樹表徵犧牲的基督，就是將祂自己一切全都犧牲的基督；本於祂的犧牲，祂產生了新酒，使神和人歡喜—申八8，士九13，詩一○四15上：

1　基督是產酒者，犧牲自己以產生酒，使神和人喜樂；作為葡萄樹，基督出產喜樂給神和人—士九13，詩一○四15上。

2　在主的主宰下，我們可能被擺在某些處境中，需要我們犧牲自己，好使別人喜樂—羅十二1，弗五2：

ａ　我們若在這樣的處境中接觸主，我們就會經歷祂作出產酒的葡萄樹，使神和人喜樂的一位—腓三1上。

ｂ　經歷基督作葡萄樹的結果，就是我們在祂裏面、同着祂並藉着祂，成了葡萄樹，出產一種能使神和人喜樂之物—士九13。

3　我們若接觸葡萄樹所表徵的基督，並經歷祂犧牲的生命，祂就會使我們有力過犧牲的生活，產生酒使別人和主喜樂—羅十二1，弗五2，林後一24：

ａ　在自己裏面我們無法過犧牲的生活，因為我們的生命是天然的生命、自私的生命；我們若是接觸主，經歷祂犧牲的生命，祂就要加給我們力量，加強我們，使我們為神為人而犧牲—太十六25，約一29，二十22，

ｂ　我們越經歷基督作有犧牲生命的葡萄樹，就越有力量犧牲自己，使神和人喜樂；我們會使接觸我們的人快樂，也會將喜樂帶給神—林後一24，五13上。

週　二

二　藉着經歷基督作出產酒的葡萄樹，並藉着被祂這新酒充滿，我們就能在祂裏面並同着祂成為奠祭，使神和人喜樂—創三五14，出二九40~41，腓二17，提後四6：

1　奠祭不僅豫表基督自己，也豫表這位基督以祂自己作新酒浸透我們，直到祂與我們成為一而被澆奠，使神滿足，並為着神的建造—太九17，提後四6，創三五14。

2　奠祭就是我們經歷與基督成為一，到一個地步，祂成為我們，並且我們在祂犧牲的生命上成為與祂一樣—腓二17，提後四6。

週　三

貳　當我們在身體裏過犧牲的生活，我們就把生命供應給身體—約壹五16上，羅八2、6、10~11，弗四16：

一　我們所有的一切都是在身體裏，都是經過身體，也都是為着身體；因此，我們的生活該是在身體裏，經過身體，也是為着身體—16節。

二　身體乃是藉着肢體間彼此的供應被建造起來的；神是要藉着每一個肢體，將生命傳輸到身體裏去—16節。

三　一個人只能把他從基督所得的供應身體；我們職事的度量，乃是根據基督在我們裏面的度量—15~16節：

1　只有作到我們裏面的基督，纔是對身體有用的，纔能供應生命給人—三16~17。

週　四

3　我們從元首基督所接受的，身體自然就接受，因為我們的就是身體的，我們無須努力把它傳給身體—約一16，弗三2，林後十二9，林前十五10。

四　哪裏有十字架，哪裏就有生命的供應；要被使用來供應生命給身體，我們平日在主面前的生活中，就必須讓十字架在我們身上運行—林後四10~12：

1　身體一個不變的原則就是：『死是在我們身上發動，生命卻在你們身上發動』—12節。

2　任何神藉由十字架帶我們經過的事，都自然而然帶來身體上生命的擴增；我們在隱密中與主一同經過的，就足彀把生命供應給身體—太六16~18，西三3~4。

3　生命的交流使身體得到供應；當死在我們身上發動，生命就流通到身體裏—林後四12。

五　我們藉由內裏的實際將生命供應給基督的身體；聖靈只會為真實和實際的事作見證—約十六13，約壹五6。

六　藉着供應生命，我們就服事身體並幫助身體長大；當我們從主所接受的生命流進身體裏，基督身材的度量就增加—弗四13~14。

週　五

參　我們需要把生命供應給身體，為着身體的長大—西二19，弗四15~16：

一　神的心意是要使用基督身體上的肢體作管道，將基督的生命流通到全身體裏，藉着他們加增身體的分量—林後四12，弗四16。

二　身體的長大在於有東西從基督這位元首出來—15~16節：

1　當身體藉着持定元首而得着供應，身體就以神的增長而長大—西二19。

2　身體是從頭長出來的，因為一切的供應都是從頭而來—弗四15~16。

三　身體的長大在於我們裏面神的增長，神的加添，神的增多—西二19：

1　神是主觀地把祂自己給了我們，而叫我們生長。

2　神越加到我們裏面，就越使我們生長；這是神叫我們生長的路—林前三6~7。

3　惟有神能叫人生長；惟有神能把祂自己給我們；沒有祂，我們就無法長大—6~7節：

ａ　神加到我們裏面，就是祂使我們生長。

ｂ　神使我們生長，事實上乃是把祂自己賜給我們—羅八11。

週　六

四　身體的長大就是身體的建造—弗四16，西二19：

1　以弗所四章十一至十六節在新約裏佔有特別的地位，因為它顯示建造基督身體的奧秘。

2　基督身體的長大，就是基督在召會裏的加增，結果叫基督的身體把自己建造起來—16節，三17上：

ａ　當基督進到聖徒裏面，活在他們裏面，眾聖徒裏面的基督就成為召會—西三10~11。

ｂ　基督的身體因着基督在我們裏面的長大而長大，也就得着了建造—一18，二19。

WEEK 8 — OUTLINE

Living a Sacrificing Life in the Body and Ministering Life to the Body for the Growth of the Body

Scripture Reading: Phil. 2:17; Rom. 12:1; 1 John 5:16a; 2 Cor. 4:12; Eph. 4:13-16; Col. 2:19

DAY 1

I. In the Body we need to live a sacrificing life (Rom. 12:1):

A. The vine typifies the sacrificing Christ, the Christ who sacrificed everything of Himself, and out of His sacrifice He produced new wine to cheer God and man (Deut. 8:8; Judg. 9:13; Psa. 104:15a):

1. Christ is the wine-producer, sacrificing Himself to produce wine to cheer God and others; as the vine, Christ produces happiness for God and happiness for others (Judg. 9:13; Psa. 104:15a).

2. Under the Lord’s sovereignty, we may be put into situations where we need to sacrifice ourselves to make others happy (Rom. 12:1; Eph. 5:2):

a. If in the midst of such a situation we contact the Lord, we will experience Him as the wine-producing vine, as the One who gives cheer to God and to others (Phil. 3:1a).

b. The issue of experiencing Christ as the vine is that in Him, with Him, and through Him we become a vine that produces something to cheer God and man (Judg. 9:13).

3. If we contact the Christ typified by the vine and experience His sacrificing life, He will energize us to live a life of sacrifice, producing wine to make others and the Lord happy (Rom. 12:1; Eph. 5:2; 2 Cor. 1:24):

a. In ourselves we are not able to live a life of sacrifice, for our life is a natural life, a selfish life; if we contact the Lord and experience His sacrificing life, He will energize and strengthen us to sacrifice for God and for others (Matt. 16:25; John 1:29; 20:22; 1 Cor. 15:45b; 6:17; Phil. 4:13; Rom. 12:1; Eph. 5:2).

b. The more we experience Christ as the vine with His sacrificing life, the more we will be energized to sacrifice ourselves to make God and others happy; we will bring happiness to those who contact us, and we will bring cheer to God (2 Cor. 1:24; 5:13a).

DAY 2

B. By experiencing Christ as the wine-producing vine and by being filled with Him as the new wine, we may become a drink offering in Him and with Him to cheer God and man (Gen. 35:14; Exo. 29:40-41; Phil. 2:17; 2 Tim. 4:6):

1. The drink offering typifies not only Christ Himself but also the Christ who saturates us with Himself as new wine until He and we become one to be poured out for God’s satisfaction and for God’s building (Matt. 9:17; 2 Tim. 4:6; Gen. 35:14).

2. The drink offering is our experience of being made one with Christ to such an extent that He becomes us and that we become the same as He is in His sacrificing life (Phil. 2:17; 2 Tim. 4:6).

DAY 3

II. As we live a sacrificing life in the Body, we minister life to the Body (1 John 5:16a; Rom. 8:2, 6, 10-11; Eph. 4:16):

A. Everything we have is in the Body, through the Body, and for the Body; thus, our living should be in the Body, through the Body, and for the Body (v. 16).

B. The Body is built up by the mutual supply of the members; God conveys life to the Body through every member (v. 16).

C. One can supply the Body only with what he has received of Christ; the measure of our ministry is determined by the measure of Christ in us (vv. 15-16):

1. The only thing that is useful in the Body is the Christ who has been wrought into us, and only this can render the supply of life to others (3:16-17).

2. What we minister to the Body is Christ, and what the Body receives is Christ, because Christ is all and in all in the Body (Col. 3:4, 10-11, 15-16).

DAY 4

3. What we receive from Christ the Head, the Body spontaneously receives, for what is ours is the Body’s, and there is no need to struggle to pass it on (John 1:16; Eph. 3:2; 2 Cor. 12:9; 1 Cor. 15:10).

D. Where there is the cross, there is the ministry of life; the way to be used to minister life to the Body is to let the cross operate in us in the normal course of our life with the Lord (2 Cor. 4:10-12):

1. It is an abiding principle of the Body that “death operates in us, but life in you” (v. 12).

2. Anything that God takes us through by way of the cross spontaneously brings an increase of life in the Body; what we go through in secret with the Lord is sufficient to minister life to the Body (Matt. 6:16-18; Col. 3:3-4).

3. The Body is ministered to by a communication of life, and life is communicated to the Body as death operates in us (2 Cor. 4:12).

E. It is by inward reality that we minister life to the Body of Christ; the Holy Spirit will witness only to what is true and real (John 16:13; 1 John 5:6).

F. Through the ministry of life, we serve the Body and contribute to the growth of the Body; when the life we receive from the Lord flows into the Body, the measure of the stature of the Body increases (Eph. 4:13-14).

DAY 5

III. We need to minister life to the Body for the growth of the Body (Col. 2:19; Eph. 4:15-16):

A. God’s intention is to use the members of the Body of Christ as channels for Christ’s life to flow into the Body and to increase the measure of the Body through them (2 Cor. 4:12; Eph. 4:16).

B. The growth of the Body depends on what comes out of Christ as the Head (vv. 15-16):

1. When the Body is supplied by holding the Head, the Body grows with the growth of God (Col. 2:19).

2. The Body grows out from the Head, for all the supply comes from the Head (Eph. 4:15-16).

C. The growth of the Body depends on the growth of God, the addition of God, the increase of God, within us (Col. 2:19):

1. God gives the growth by giving Himself to us in a subjective way.

2. The more God is added into us, the more growth He gives to us; this is the way God gives the growth (1 Cor. 3:6-7).

3. Only God can give growth; only God can give us Himself, and without Him we cannot have growth (vv. 6-7):

a. The addition of God into us is the growth He gives.

b. For God to give us growth actually means that He gives us Himself (Rom. 8:11).

DAY 6

D. The growth of the Body is the building up of the Body (Eph. 4:16; Col. 2:19):

1. Ephesians 4:11-16 occupies a special place in the New Testament because it shows the mystery concerning the building up of the Body of Christ.

2. The growth of the Body of Christ is the increase of Christ in the church, which results in the building up of the Body by the Body itself (v. 16; 3:17a):

a. When Christ enters into the saints and lives within them, the Christ within the saints becomes the church (Col. 3:10-11).

b. The Body of Christ grows by the growth of Christ within us and is built up this way (1:18; 2:19).