总题：繁殖复活、升天、包罗万有的基督作为神国的发展
第六周 保守自己在主工作的一道流中，为着召会的扩展，并且受主怜悯蒙拯救脱离撒但的诡计
壹 神圣生命的涌流从五旬节那天开始，历经所有世代，一直涌流到今天，乃是唯一的水流，为着神的目标，就是建造召会作祂团体的彰显─太十六18，参结四七1，12：
一 当我们让主在我们全人居首位，使祂作我们起初的爱，祂对我们就成了神圣的水流，在我们里面涌流，并从我们里面流出，作为起初所行的；起初所行的乃是由主作我们起初的爱所推动、从祂流出并彰显祂的工作─约四14下，启二二1，二4，5。
二 只有由起初的爱所推动的工作才是金、银和宝石─林前二9，三12。
贰 召会基本的原则是永远的、宇宙的，所以，召会必须在地上不断地扩展；召会的长大和召会的建造就是基于这个扩展─徒一8，八1，九31：
一 召会的扩展，乃是借着主生命的长大以及主生命的流出，就是生命的涌流而有的─弗四16，约七37，39，徒二42、46，47，五20，六4、7，十二24，十九20。
二 当召会一扩展时，错误的观念─无论是地域的、种族的或彼此歧视的观念─就都冲破了；借着扩展，所有的封闭就被除去─参林前十二24，西三10，11。
三 行传八章给我们看见，召会扩展的第一步乃是到撒玛利亚（1，25），第二步是到埃提阿伯，到非洲（26，39）；这表明我们必须将福音传给各支派、各方言、各民族、各邦国，因为召会是宇宙的，召会需要扩展（启五9，10，七9）。─引用经文
四 行传九章给我们看见神拣选扫罗（后称保罗），这与人的观念相反；我们人狭窄、错误的观念需要借着召会的扩展来冲破、来打碎；我们必须相信，一个人在一小时前反对召会，一小时后却能传福音─10，22节。
五 行传十章指明，主在地上的福音行动，是在祂天上宝座行政的管理之下，并且福音需要扩展到居人之地的四方，聚拢各类不洁净（有罪）的人，借着基督救赎的血洁净他们，并借着更新人的圣灵洗净他们─11，12、15、28节，参来八1，徒七56。
六 行传十三章启示，安提阿的召会中事奉主的五位申言者和教师，是由犹太人和外邦人组成的，各有不同的背景、教育和身分；这指明召会是由各种不同种族和阶层的人组成的，与他们的背景无关，也指明神将属灵的恩赐和功用赐给基督身体的肢体，不是根据他们天然的身分─1节，四36，罗十六21，路九7，9，徒二二3：
1 借着基督身体上这五位忠信并寻求主的肢体，主采取一大步骤，分别巴拿巴和扫罗，为着祂将国度的福音开展到外邦世界的工作和行动。
2 这完全是借着基督身体上那些忠信并寻求主的肢体，在地上与诸天之上的元首配合，凭着那灵、在那灵里并同着那灵的行动─十三1，4。
七 在使徒保罗第一次扩展福音的行程中，他到了居比路，然后到小亚细亚，设立了好几个地方召会─1节，十四28，启一4。
八 当保罗和巴拿巴分手后，他就第二次出外尽职，到了欧洲（腓立比、帖撒罗尼迦、庇哩亚、雅典、哥林多，之后经过以弗所，回到安提阿）─徒十五35，40，十六6，十八22。
九 保罗第三次的行程是从安提阿到加拉太、弗吕家、以弗所、马其顿和希腊，再到耶路撒冷─23节，二一17。
十 保罗第四次的行程是从该撒利亚到罗马─二七1，二八31。
叁 我们必须受主怜悯，蒙拯救脱离撒但打岔召会扩展和建造的诡计，并保守自己在时代的流中，为着建造祂的身体─参来四16，哀三22，25：
一 我们必须蒙拯救，脱离外面死的规条、人的意见、己同其老旧的观念；我们中间什么人受主怜悯，什么人就在这些事上蒙拯救；我们蒙拯救有多少，召会建造也有多少─罗五10，腓一19，21上，二12，16，徒十五1，12，加二21，五1，二4。
二 我们必须从彼得身上学习功课，蒙拯救脱离我们宗教传统和老旧背景的帕子，使我们能看见神永远经纶的异象并活在这异象之下，以持守福音的真理─徒十9，16，加二11，14。
三 我们必须从巴拿巴身上学习功课，蒙拯救脱离人的意见和天然的关系─同工中因着人事关系而起的争执是可怕的；当切记─徒十三13，十五35，40，西四10。
四 我们必须从亚波罗身上学习功课，蒙拯救脱离缺少神新约经纶完整启示的职事，免得不与时代的职事完全是一─徒十八24，十九2，林前一12，十六10，12。
五 我们必须从行传十六章六至十二节保罗的事上学习功课；这些经文指明，作工的人到一个地方一“作”下来，就有“坐”下来，甚至“座”下来，而不肯动的难处；老旧的关系、老旧的感情、老旧的味道和老旧的观念，使我们不能跟随内住之灵内里的引导：─引用经文
1 圣灵禁止保罗和他的同工，耶稣的灵不许他们；圣灵的禁止分别我们、圣别我们，而耶稣的灵或者许可我们，或者不许我们。
2 圣灵说，“不”，为要圣别我们，耶稣的灵说，“去”，为要在耶稣的人性里差遣我们出去，在十字架下完成神的旨意。
六 我们必须从保罗身上学习功课，实行身体的生活，把那灵借着基督身体一些肢体所说的话，当作从元首来的，接受并顺从─二十23，二一4、7，8、11，14。
七 我们必须从雅各的错误，以及在耶路撒冷召会里那蹂躏召会的搀杂，学习功课─18，26节，太二二7，二四1，2：
1 耶利米说到那能写在我们心上的生命之律（耶三一31，34），保罗说到我们灵中生命之灵的律（罗八2、4、6），但雅各宝贵并高举字句的律法（徒二一20）。─引用经文
2 保罗说到与基督同钉十字架，并凭着基督复活的大能模成基督的死；乃是这样的生活产生基督身体的生活，终极完成于新耶路撒冷─加二20，腓三10。
3 在神圣启示的光中，基督的十字架乃是雅各最大的缺欠；自我的修养不能完成神的经纶，否认己才能。
4 雅各夸口在耶路撒冷的召会有多少万的犹太信徒都为律法热心；但保罗热心赢得基督、给人看出在基督里、认识基督、取得基督、追求基督、只高举基督，为要最完满地享受基督─徒二一20，腓三6，14，西一18下。
八 我们必须从保罗身上学习功课，蒙拯救脱离犹太教作法与神新约经纶的混杂；这混杂不仅是错误的，在神眼中也是可憎的─徒二一18，27、31、36，来十29。
九 我们必须从保罗上诉于该撒的事上学习功课，他利用他罗马公民的身分，救自己脱离逼迫他的人，使他能完成尽职的路程─徒二二25，29，二三10，11，二五8，12，二六32：
1 保罗乐意为主牺牲性命，但他仍然竭力要活得长久，使他尽可能完成主的职事─二十24。
2 神在祂的主宰权柄里拯救保罗，为要将他从一切的险境和陷害里分别出来，送到安静的牢狱；这使他无论在该撒利亚（二四27）或在罗马城（二八16、23、30），得有安静的环境和时间，将他从主所得神那新约经纶的奥秘启示，借着他末后所写的几封书信，详尽地释放给历代的召会。─引用经文
3 历代的召会所受惠获益于这几封书信的，需要整个的永世来估量其价值（见徒二五11注1）。─引用经文
肆 我们众人都该跟随使徒保罗的榜样，为着那独一的身体，作同一宇宙的工作─林前三12，十五58，十六10，弗四11，16：
一 主恢复的工作乃是为着建造众地方召会，以建造基督宇宙的身体─二21，22，林前十六10。
二 今天的工人分四种：
1 头一种是应付神今日时代职事需要的同工；这班人是同心合意，经神对付过的少数人。
2 第二种是后进的同工，他们愿意顺服年长同工的引导、支配，并愿意谦卑跟随学习。
3 第三种是不肯服从前面先进的同工，又不属于公会，却又喜欢与我们交通的人。
4 第四种是在公会中的传道人、自由布道家等。
三 我们今天需要的，乃是头一种与第二种的同工；关于第三和第四种同工，我们只能让他们拣选他们自己的道路；有些人，神没有预备安排他们与我们走一样的路，我们对他们不敢有怎样的表示。
四 无论如何，我们在此乃是作神所托付我们的一分工作；至于别人的工作如何，我们不能干涉，我们在此并不破坏别人的工作。
PROPAGATING THE RESURRECTED, ASCENDED, AND ALL-INCLUSIVE CHRIST AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Message Six
Keeping Ourselves in the One Flow of the Lord's Work for the Spreading of the Church, and Receiving the Lord's Mercy to Be Saved from Satan's Schemes
Scripture Reading: Acts 1:8; 5:20; 6:4, 7; 9:31; 12:24; 19:20
I. The flowing of the divine life, which started on the day of Pentecost and has been flowing throughout all generations to this day, is just one stream for God's goal to build up the church for His corporate expression—Matt. 16:18; cf. Ezek. 47:1-12:
A. When we give the Lord the preeminence in our entire being, making Him our first love, He becomes the divine stream to us, flowing within us and out of us as the first works; the first works are works that are motivated by, issue from, and express the Lord as our first love—John 4:14b; Rev. 22:1; 2:4-5.
B. Only works that are motivated by the first love are gold, silver, and precious stones—1 Cor. 2:9; 3:12.
II. The basic principle of the church is that it is eternal and universal, so the church must constantly spread on the earth; the growth of the church and the building up of the church are based on spreading—Acts 1:8; 8:1; 9:31:
A. The spreading of the church is brought about by the growth in the Lord's life and the flowing out of the Lord's life, the overflow of life—Eph. 4:16; John 7:37-39; Acts 2:42, 46-47; 5:20; 6:4, 7; 12:24; 19:20.
B. When the church begins to spread, erroneous concepts are shattered, regardless of whether the concepts are regional, racial, or mutually discriminatory; it is through spreading that all our close-mindedness is eliminated—cf. 1 Cor. 12:24; Col. 3:10-11.
C. Acts 8 shows that the first step in the church's spread was to Samaria (vv. 1-25), and the second step was to Ethiopia, to Africa (vv. 26-39); this shows that we must preach the gospel to every tribe and tongue and people and nation, because the church is universal and needs to spread (Rev. 5:9-10; 7:9).
D. Acts 9 shows God's choosing of Saul (later Paul), which is against the human concept; our narrow, erroneous human concept needs to be broken and shattered through the spreading of the church; we must believe that a person can be persecuting the church one hour and preaching the gospel the next hour—vv. 10-22.
E. Acts 10 indicates that the Lord's evangelistic move on earth is under His administration on the throne in heaven and that the gospel needs to be spread to the four corners of the inhabited earth to collect all kinds of unclean (sinful) people, cleansing them with the redeeming blood of Christ and washing them with the renewing Holy Spirit—vv. 11-12, 15, 28; cf. Heb. 8:1; Acts 7:56.
F. Acts 13 reveals that in the church in Antioch, the five prophets and teachers who were ministering to the Lord were composed of Jews and Gentiles, each having a different background, education, and status; this indicates that the church is composed of all races and classes of people regardless of their background and that the spiritual gifts and functions given to the members of the Body are not based on their natural status—v. 1; 4:36; Rom. 16:21; Luke 9:7-9; Acts 22:3:
1. Through these five faithful and seeking members of the Body of Christ, the Lord took a great step to set apart Barnabas and Saul for His work and move to spread the gospel of the kingdom to the Gentile world.
2. It was absolutely a move by the Spirit, in the Spirit, and with the Spirit through the coordination of the faithful and seeking members of the Body of Christ on earth with the Head in the heavens—13:1-4.
G. On the apostle Paul's first trip to spread the gospel, he went to Cyprus and then to Asia Minor to establish many local churches—v. 1—14:28; Rev. 1:4.
H. After Paul separated from Barnabas, he went out on his second ministry journey to Europe (Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, and returning through Ephesus back to Antioch)—Acts 15:35-40; 16:6—18:22.
I. Paul's third journey was from Antioch to Galatia, Phrygia, Ephesus, Macedonia, and Greece to Jerusalem—v. 23—21:17.
J. Paul's fourth journey was from Caesarea to Rome—27:1—28:31.
III. We must receive the Lord's mercy to be saved from Satan's schemes to frustrate the spreading and building up of the church, keeping ourselves in the flow of the age for the building up of His Body—cf. Heb. 4:16; Lam. 3:22-25:
A. We must be saved from outward and dead ordinances, human opinions, and the self with its old concepts; whoever receives mercy from the Lord will be saved in these matters; the degree to which we are saved is the degree to which the church can be built up—Rom. 5:10; Phil. 1:19-21a; 2:12-16; Acts 15:1-12; Gal. 2:21; 5:1; 2:4.
B. We must learn from the lesson of Peter to be saved from the veils of our religious traditions and old background so that we may see and live under the vision of God's eternal economy to hold the truth of the gospel—Acts 10:9-16; Gal. 2:11-14.
C. We must learn from the lesson of Barnabas to be saved from human opinions and natural relationships—disputes that arise among the co-workers because of personal relationships are terrible; remember this well—Acts 13:13; 15:35-40; Col. 4:10.
D. We must learn from the lesson of Apollos to be saved from a ministry that lacks a complete revelation of God's New Testament economy and from not being fully one with the ministry of the age—Acts 18:24—19:2; 1 Cor. 1:12; 16:10-12.
E. We must learn from the lesson of Paul in Acts 16:6-12; these verses indicate the problem of workers coming to a place and tending to become set and settled down, not wanting to move; old relationships, old affections, old inclinations, and old concepts keep us from following the inner leading of the indwelling Spirit:
1. The Holy Spirit forbade Paul and his co-workers, and the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; the Holy Spirit's forbidding separates us, sanctifies us, and the Spirit of Jesus either allows us or does not allow us.
2. The Holy Spirit says "no" to sanctify us, and the Spirit of Jesus says "go" to send us out in the humanity of Jesus to accomplish the will of God under the cross.
F. We must learn from the lesson of Paul to practice the Body life and to take the word of the Spirit through the members of the Body, obeying it as a word from the Head—20:23; 21:4, 7-8, 11-14.
G. We must learn from the lesson of the mistake of James and the devastating mixture of the church in Jerusalem—vv. 18-26; Matt. 22:7; 24:1-2:
1. Jeremiah spoke of the law of life that could be written upon our hearts (Jer. 31:31-34), and Paul spoke of the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit (Rom. 8:2, 4, 6), but James treasured and uplifted the law of letters (Acts 21:20).
2. Paul spoke of being crucified with Christ and being conformed to the death of Christ by the power of Christ's resurrection; it is this life that produces the Body life that consummates in the New Jerusalem—Gal. 2:20; Phil. 3:10.
3. In the light of the divine revelation, the greatest lack of James is the cross of Christ; self-cultivation does not carry out God's economy, but self-denial does.
4. James boasted that there were thousands of believing Jews in the church in Jerusalem who were zealous for the law, but Paul was zealous to gain Christ, be found in Christ, know Christ, lay hold of Christ, pursue Christ, and uplift only Christ for the fullest enjoyment of Christ—Acts 21:20; Phil. 3:6-14; Col. 1:18b.
H. We must learn from the lesson of Paul to be saved from the mixing of Judaic practices with God's New Testament economy, which is not only erroneous but also abominable in the eyes of God—Acts 21:18-27, 31, 36; Heb. 10:29.
I. We must learn from the lesson of Paul's appealing to Caesar, utilizing his Roman citizenship to save himself from his persecutors so that he might fulfill the course of his ministry—Acts 22:25-29; 23:10-11; 25:8-12; 26:32:
1. Paul was willing to sacrifice his life for the Lord, but he still endeavored to live longer that he might carry out the Lord's ministry as much as possible—20:24.
2. God in His sovereignty rescued Paul so that He might separate him from all the dangerous situations and entrapments and sent him to a quiet prison; this was to afford him a quiet environment and give him time, whether in Caesarea (24:27) or in Rome (28:16, 23, 30), so that through his last Epistles he might release exhaustively to the church throughout the generations the revelation of the mystery of God's New Testament economy that he received from the Lord.
3. The benefit and profit that the church throughout the generations has received from these Epistles will take eternity to measure (see Acts 25:11, footnote 1).
IV. All of us should follow the pattern of the apostle Paul to do the same one work universally for the unique Body—1 Cor. 3:12; 15:58; 16:10; Eph. 4:11-16:
A. The work in the Lord's recovery is for the building up of the local churches unto the building up of the universal Body of Christ—2:21-22; 1 Cor. 16:10.
B. Today there are four kinds of workers:
1. The first kind is the co-workers who match the need of the ministry of God in the present age; this is a small group of people who have been dealt with by the Lord and who are in one accord.
2. The second kind is the younger co-workers; they are willing to receive the direction and to come under the coordination of the older co-workers, and they are willing to follow and to learn in humility.
3. The third kind is those who are unwilling to submit to the senior co-workers, who do not belong to the denominations, yet who are happy to remain in fellowship with us.
4. The fourth kind is the preachers and free evangelists among the denominations.
C. What we need today are the first and second kind of co-workers; concerning the third and fourth kind of co-workers, we can only let them choose their own pathway; with some people God has not assigned them to take the same way as we do, and we dare not say anything to them.
D. Whatever the situation may be, we are here to do the work that God has committed to us; we cannot interfere with others' work, and we are not here tearing down others' work.