We will continue reading The Advance of the Lord’s Recovery Today for the churches in Anaheim, Cypress, and Orange. Detailed information including the full reading schedule is available at churchinanaheim.org/gowreading/.
This week we will be reading The Advance of the Lord’s Recovery Today, Chapter 2. This book is available for purchase from Living Stream Ministry. You can also read it online at ministrybooks.org.
In The Advance of the Lord’s Recovery Today Chapter 2 we want to see three crucial matters concerning the priesthood of the gospel in the New Testament. First, we want to see what it means to carry out the priesthood in the reality of the New Testament. Second, we want to see how the Apostle Paul functioned as the unique pattern of the priests of the gospel in the New Testament. Third, we want to see the defects of the big gospel meeting.
The New Testament ministry to carry out God’s economy is the preaching of the all-inclusive gospel of God. Included in this gospel are the three small, practical points of arranging Christ as the showbread, trimming the saints in the churches to make Christ shine through them with the sevenfold Spirit of God, and burning the incense in prayer to God.
According to the New Testament record, Paul did his work as a priest of the gospel in three steps of offering. First, Paul saved sinners to offer them up to God as acceptable sacrifices (Rom. 15:16). Second, he brought the believers up to lead them to present themselves to God as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1). Third, he warned and taught every saint in all wisdom to present each one full-grown in Christ (Col. 1:28-29). He did this by laboring and struggling according to God’s operation which operated in him in power.
On the one hand, the big gospel preaching meeting saves sinners, but on the other hand, it annuls the function of the believers in preaching the gospel. The evangelists should perfect the saints to preach the gospel as they do. All the believers need to practice the priesthood of the gospel in the New Testament.
Quote from page 43:
“We should not understand the fellowship in this book [concerning the New Testament priests of the gospel of God] in a common way or think that we have heard this before….The way that I have presented is particular and unique. It is not the common preaching of the gospel but the preaching of the priests….Our preaching is our priestly service, and we have to make it our daily work and our daily life. We have to make it a part of our being.”
Week 26: November 18th through 24th
If you have any questions or comments contact us at: gowreading@gmail.com.