Golden Nuggets from the October 2021 Jackson, MS Blending Weekend

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Created: Sunday, 24 October 2021 22:00

Further Word on Life and Service for the Building Up of the Body of Christ

Message 1
The Judgement Seat of Christ Being a Major Factor for Our Living and Service

• We will all be judged at the judgement seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10) - This judgement has nothing to do with your eternal salvation. That was taken care of by Christ when He was judged on the cross as our Substitute. Now no one can snatch you out of the Father's hand. This judgement judges our living before the Lord and their work for Him after they have been saved - what they have practiced "whether good or bad."
• This truth has been almost completely hidden from the believers over the centuries. Many Christians claim that as long as they are saved there will be no problem in the future judgement.
• We need to pay close attention to 1 Cor. 3:13-15. A Christian can "suffer loss" in verse 15 if his work (during his life) is burned. This is not the loss of salvation, because Paul says of the man whose work is burned that "he himself shall be saved."
• This judgement will determine whether the believer gains a reward or suffers a loss during the millennial kingdom. This is not a myth. This will happen.

Message 2
An Additional Word on Being Watchful in Life

• Our being watchful in life is for our maturity and for our early rapture.
• Reaping depends on ripening. The picture in Exodus 23:19 illustrates this
  • The “firstfruits” of the good land were to be offered in the temple. Firstfruits ripen (mature) earlier than the rest of the crop; they are picked first. The saints who mature earlier will be raptured first and taken to the heavens for the Father's enjoyment. - Rev. 14:1-4
  • The majority of the saints (ripening later) will be raptured only to the air. - 1 Thes. 4:16-17
• One of the signs of the Lord's coming is the similarity to the days of Noah among the worldly people.
• We must seize every opportunity to be vitalized and wake up (Eph. 5:14), walk wisely, redeeming the time in these increasingly evil days (vs.15-16), and be filled in spirit (vs. 18-20).

Message 3
An Additional Word on Being Faithful in Service

• Our being faithful in service is for receiving a kingdom reward.
• Whether we are faithful in service is based entirely on our maturity
• Maturity is a condition for entering into the kingdom and receiving a reward; faithfulness is related to the content of the reward that we receive. - cf. Lk. 19:11-27
• To be faithful is to supply people at any time according to their need by exercising the gifts that we have received - Matt. 24:45-51
• The faithful slave ministers the Word of God and Christ as the life supply (“food”) to the saints in the church.
• May we, as those who also love the Lord’s appearing, be His faithful, supplying slaves today.

Message 4
Our Fallen Disposition Greatly Affecting Our Life and Service

• Our disposition is the real enemy of our growth in the divine life and service in the Body. - Matt. 16:21-26
• Most Christians start strong, growing well, because our salvation and enjoyment of the Lord is so fresh. But eventually, our peculiar traits, what we are by birth, our dispositon, comes in to frustrate our growth.
• Being ambitious and opinionated often join together to cause turmoil; these nullify our usefulness and ability to coordinate and cause us to be easily offended.
• We need a realization of this truth - We have been crucified with Christ. - Gal. 2:20
• This is our objective truth, our solid foundation. We must stand on this.
• Subjectively, we need to oppose, deny, reject our self, continuously living under the cross. - Rom. 8:13²

Message 5
The Vital Groups and Our Life and Service for the Building Up of the Body

• The vital groups are a proper setting for our growth in life and perfecting in service.
• As vitalized persons, our emphasis is moving from the hall to the home, from big meetings to small intimate gatherings.
• A vital groups has three characteristics:
  • A purpose - the increase, perfecting, and building up of the church.
  • A nature - spiritual, daily filled with the Holy Spirit within and without.
  • A condition - loving one another in oneness and with one accord.
• Such a vital group becomes a vessel for the Lord to continue to do today what He did while He was on the earth.
• In the vital groups, we will no doubt be produced as the overcomers.