The Body Life - Part 1 — Stephen Kaung

Reading Ephesians on the Church as Christ’s Body

请我们看以弗所第一章 Can we turn to Ephesians chapter 1. 以弗所书第一章 Ephesians chapter 1 我们从15句念到23句 We will read from verses 15 to 23. 我先用中文念一遍 然后我请我的弟兄用英文念一遍. 我先用中文念一遍 然后我请我的弟兄用英文念一遍.

因此我既听见你们信从主耶稣 亲爱的宗圣徒 就为你们不住的感谢神 祷告的时候常提到你们 求我们主耶稣基督的神 荣耀的父 将那使人智慧和启示的灵赏给你们 是你们真知道他 并且照明你们心中的眼睛 是你们知道他的恩兆有何等指望 他在圣徒中的基业有何等丰盛的荣耀 并知道他向我们这信的人 所显的能力是何等好大 就是照他在基督身上 所运行的大能大力 是他从死里复活 叫他在天上 坐在自己的右边 远超过一切执政的 掌权的 有能的 组织的 和一切有名的 不但是 经世的 历来世的 也都超过了 又将万有 扶在他的脚下 是他为教会 作万有之首.

教会是他的身体 是他充满 万有者 所充满的. For this reason i too having heard of the faith in the lord jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints do not cease giving thanks for you while making mention of you in my prayers that the god of our lord jesus christ the father of glory may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints and what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe.

These are in accordance with the working of the strength of his might which he brought about in christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places far above all rule and authority and power and dominion in every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come.

And he put all things in subjection under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church which is his body the fullness of him who fills all in all. Let us bow with a word of prayer. Lord our hearts are full of thanksgiving and praise unto you.

It is your hand that has led us here.

Lord we gather today in your name. Lord we thank and praise you.

Because you had promised us once wherever two or three are gathered in my name i will be in their midst. Lord we believe that you are here. Lord we are indeed upon holy ground. Lord we want to remove our sandals and prostrate before you and say lord lord what do you have for us.

Speak thy servant here lord. May you through your spirit that you may enlighten your word that your word may enter each one of our hearts according to your promise that it would become spirit and life.

Lord we give you all the glory in jesus precious name. Thank you. We thank the lord for gathering us before his presence. I deeply believe that in these last days god has given us this super or extra grace that we can still have the privilege to hear his word and to receive his grace.

The Conference Theme and the Testimony of Jesus Christ

The theme of the conference this time the testimony of jesus christ. In his church there are three speakers. A brother lance lambert he will share with us the revealed pattern. So it is from a biblical viewpoint.

A brother christian chen he will share with us the footsteps of the flock. And it is to look at this theme from a historical view. My responsibility is to share on the body life. Take a team to look at the thing from a practical viewpoint.

In the past conferences we repeatedly share on this matter of the testimony of jesus christ is because we deeply feel that the whole bible reveals our lord jesus christ. We remember that our lord himself once said this he spoke to the disciples on the way to emmaus that through the book of moses and the prophetic books he was speaking about himself.

Not only that him that evening he appealed to his approach showed himself to the disciples. And once again through the law of moses the prophetic books and also the psalms he shared everything regarding himself to his disciples.

Good. So we know that the whole old testament reveals our lord jesus. We thank the lord that our lord was the word that became flesh and came to this earth in his life. In the flesh he was a testimony for his father our god god.

The father also testified of him because the father and the son are one our lord died he was buried and he rose again. And then he ascended into heaven to the right hand of the father. Then the holy spirit was given to and through his church his body his mysterious body to continue that testimony.

All the epistles speak of this testimony. And when you come to the end to the book of revelation so we know that in the beginning of the book of revelation it speaks about the testimony of jesus. God continuously testifies of his son.

So we know that the whole revelation of the bible is the testimony of jesus. This is god's eternal purpose. God wants us to pay attention to his son. God wants us to know his son. God wants us to know his son just like he knows his son.

Knowing Christ Through Inner Revelation

Dear brothers and sisters our understanding and knowing of our lord jesus christ is so superficial. Oftentimes we only know him in our minds in our knowledge of him. But to know him in our inner life in the depths.

Very few of us know him that way. But this is the heart of god. So the bible tells us that we have to truly know him to truly know him. It needs revelation because when we come upon the spiritual things if we want to touch eternal things man is hopeless according to our own intellect or our own wisdom.

We can never completely come to know our god our lord. So you see that paul had this prayer in ephesus. So he asked that god would give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation that we may truly know him.

So brothers and sisters as we gather here from the depths of our hearts we have a prayer. We admit that by ourselves we will not come to know what is the testimony of jesus christ. But we cannot receive this truth and enter it into the reality.

We must come with a humble spirit before god. We have to look upon our lord that he may give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation. What is wisdom? Wisdom is what is in the heart of god himself. It is what god is thinking about.

It is what he wants. This is also the eternal purpose of god. Now this wisdom needs god's revelation to us. We thank and praise the lord. Our god is a god of revelation. We remember that in the book of galatians it's told us that god desires to reveal his son in us.

So it pleases god to want to reveal his son in us. This is the heart of god. Now how can we receive such a revelation. We need to have a longing heart because the bible tells us. So those who are seeking will receive.

If we have a longing heart then it pleases god to reveal the testimony of jesus christ to us even though the theme this time is the testimony of jesus christ in the church. But the focus this time is upon this matter of the church.

But don't misunderstand the church is never the center. The center is always our lord jesus christ. If we really see christ jesus if we truly understand what is the testimony of jesus christ then very naturally we'll see the church.

But the church is never the center. We cannot exalt the church above christ. Christ is forever the purpose of god. In order to complete christ then there is the church. So i hope that brothers and sisters will not misunderstand because we have many times spoken of the testimony of jesus christ.

The Church as the Vessel of Christ’s Testimony

So this time we want to look at the testimony of jesus christ in the church because the church is the vessel for the testimony of jesus christ. So god has entrusted the testimony of jesus christ into the hands of the church.

The church is the fullness of christ and the expression of christ. So this is what we hope brothers and sisters can see at this conference my responsibility is on this matter of the body life. So because i have three times to share so today i like to share on this vision of the body.

Tomorrow we would like to share on the law of the body and then the last the last day we will share on this body living. We've already spoken the church is the body of christ because in ephesians chapter one when you come to verse 23 it says the christ which is his body and the church which is his body the fullness of him who fills all in all.

So in the bible it shows us that the church is the body of christ and this ought to be the fullness of him who fills all in all. In other words he wants to through his this body express himself through this body he wants to testify of himself.

Strictly speaking you cannot separate the christ and the church just like the head and the body cannot be separated because when the head and the body separate that is death. So you can also say that the body is an outgrowth of the head.

All the fullness of the head is encompassed in the body and then through this body it is expressed it is lived out. So the church is the body of christ. We know that in the bible god often first shows us the facts then he gives us revelation because god's revelation is always based on facts.

The Incarnation and the Expression of the Father

So when we speak about the church being the body of christ so then we have to start from the truth. In john chapter 1 verse 14 it said the word became flesh and tabernacled among us. It is full of grace and truth.

God's son our lord jesus he is the word. In john chapter 1 verse 1 it says in the beginning was the word our lord jesus is that word it is the word of god. He is the expression of god. He expresses god to us.

But thank god one day this word became flesh. He came into this world and like a tabernacle he tabernacled among us full of grace and truth. Our lord when he came upon this earth he took upon flesh. Through his flesh he spoke he did things.

And in his flesh he expressed the father outwardly because no one has seen god at any time. But the only begotten son who is in the bosom of the father he has explained him. So when the lord was upon this earth he expressed god through his body to tell us what kind of god is our god.

He is not just a theory but in his flesh he expressed god in reality. So the lord said when you see me you have seen the father because his body fully expresses the father. When he was on the earth he spoke many words he did many things.

So no matter if it was his words or what he did his word is truth. What he did was grace. So you saw that there was not just truth but also grace. We remember when the lord jesus was lastly with his disciples.

So his disciple philip asked him. He said if he show us the father then we will be satisfied. So this actually saddened our lord greatly. He said philip i have been with you all these years. You still saying show us the father.

Don't you know that the father is in me and i am in the father. When you see me you see the father. So brothers and sisters in the body of our lord jesus he completely expressed the father. When you see him you understand who god is without any any deduction in his body.

He completely expressed the testimony of the father. As he testified of who the father is is also a testimony of himself because he and the father are one. We thank and praise the lord that in order for him to complete this work of self-redemption how he went to the cross for us he is the lamb of god.

He came to bear our sins because he shed his blood on the cross his blood before god washed away all our sins because on the cross he broke his body for us. And then he set forth and forth his life through his death and resurrection imparted the life of god.

Pentecost and the Formation of Christ’s Corporate Body

And 40 days later he ascended into heaven. This speaks forth how in the flesh our lord jesus expressed the father and expressed himself on the day of pentecost. We know that 120 saints gathered on the upper room of mark's house and there they prayed together for 10 days on the day of pentecost all of a sudden there was a sound from heaven.

It is the sound like someone breathing deeply. God was there breathing. Then the holy spirit descended upon these 120. These 120 were then baptized into one body. This is spoken of in first corinthians chapter 12.

They were baptized into one spirit into the body. And then they also drink from the same one spirit. Dear brothers and sisters on the day of pentecost what happened. Many people pay attention to the sound and the commotion of the pentecost.

So when people pay attention to this great wind that filled this room and made this great sound and the holy spirit came upon the 120 like fire. And they spoke in tongues. They spoke of the power of god.

Many people think that the pentecost is nothing but a bunch of noise and fire. But these are all but external things. What is the true meaning of the pentecost. What did god do on the day of pentecost.

And this explanation is found in the epistles. And in first corinthians chapter 12 and verse 13 it said that in one spirit they were baptized into one body. Whether jews or gentiles they all drink of the same spirit.

So what is the pentecost. The pentecost is our lord jesus the ascended lord jesus that he made for himself a body a spiritual body made up of 120 members. So from mary's womb he took upon himself flesh and upon his own flesh he lived 33 and a half years.

Now he died. He was buried. He also rose again. He also ascended. Now he has sent the holy spirit on this earth. He took for himself another body. He has become the head of the church. He took this 120 and baptized them into one body.

This is the beginning of the church. The church is the body of christ. Our lord took him upon him took for himself a corporate body of 120. In that body he continues to speak and continues to do. So we see in the book of acts and in acts chapter 1 verse 1 luke said this said on my first account of course refers to the gospel of luke.

I showed you all that jesus did and what he spoke of. That's where he began to speak to teach and to do. Now he's going to write a second book and that is the book of acts. So what is the book of acts.

The book of acts is nothing but our ascended lord taking this uh corporate body to continue to do and to speak to teach. So we see this that the testimony of jesus christ is now in the church now it's in his corporate body.

Israel’s External Testimony and the Church’s Life Within

Brothers and sisters we all know that in the old testament saying god entrusted his testimony to the people of israel. The rest of the world were worshiping idols. So god the glorious god appealed to abram to leave his own relatives to leave his own country to go to a place that god prepared for him through faith.

God submitted uh abram submitted to god. Now from abram there descended the people of israel. So god brought back uh the people of israel from egypt brought them to mount sinai gave them the law because the law also speaks about himself the law shows us that our god is a righteous and just god.

So he entrusted his testimony to the people of israel. He wants them to be his testimony throughout the earth. Brothers and sisters when we come to the new testament we see this. Yes our lord jesus christ after he ascended he entrusted his testimony to the church which is his body.

But this entrusting is different from the entrusting in the old testament. Because in the old testament when god entrusted his testimony to the people of israel this testimony was to give the law to the people of israel.

The people of israel obeyed god's commandments. Then they are being a testimony for god on earth. If they do not obey the commandments of god then they lose the testimony of god. This is an external relationship.

So you remember then in the book of hebrews there was a phrase in hebrews chapter 8 it says this how god led the people of israel led them with his hand forward just like a mother leading a child. So but this child was looking back and forth he saw something that was fun to play.

So then he let go of the hand of the mother and they ran away. So in the old testament it's such a thing god led the people of israel forth. But you know they left go of god's hand. But thank god in the new testament when our lord entrusted his testimonies to the church this is now and not an external entrusting.

It's not to give the commandments to the church. If the church obeys these commandments then there is testimony. If they don't obey these commandments then there is no testimony. It's not such a thing in the new testament it always is internal it is always something of life.

So you see this when our lord jesus entrusts his testimony to the church it's not to give the church a commandment. It's not just to give some truths to the church or not just some methods he has given to the church his own life.

So this entrusting is an entrustment of life. This giving is a story of something happening within. It is something spiritual thank and praise god. It is no longer something outward but it's something within.

The Church as an Organism and Union of Life

Why. Because the church is not an organization but the church is an organism it is a body. This body receives the life of the head and will receive the fullness of the head completely. The book of colossians tells us all the fullness of the godhead dwells in our lord bodily and in him we are completed.

So dear brothers and sisters we thank and praise the lord. The testimony of the lord jesus christ is in the church. But this is not something outwardly. This is a union in life. If in life we can come to know our lord much more then on earth we can be a more complete testimony for him.

But in life if our unknowing of him is limited then our testimony will be incomplete. So dear brothers and sisters may we remember the testimony of jesus christ in the church is a story of life in life we have to know our lord much deeper.

Because what is the heart of god the heart of god is that we may know our lord just like our father knows him. So we all have to know our lord jesus christ to know who he is to know all his works. If we know our lord deeply or it's not just in our heads or in our knowledge.

But if we can express it in our daily living then this is the testimony of jesus christ in the church. Because of this truth acts shows us a truth acts shows us that even though christ has ascended into heaven and he's become head over all things.

But it is for the church on the earth there is his body and this body is full of himself and this also expresses himself to the world. Do you remember how our lord had a prayer before he died. And that is in john chapter 17 the father is in me and i am in the father.

You are in me and i am in you. This way the world will know that the father has sent me. How can the world know the lord jesus christ. How can the world see our lord jesus christ. He in the he needs to see it in the church.

The Church’s Testimony Is Christ, Not the Church

Because the lord is in us.

We are also in the lord so when people see us.

They see the lord jesus christ. This is the testimony of the church. Strictly speaking the church does not have a testimony of her own. The testimony of the church is christ. Didn't paul say this. We do not preach ourselves.

We preach our lord as lord today. The church has no words of her own. The words of the church are the words of christ. The church does not have a testimony because the church does not testify of herself.

The church only testifies of our lord. So it's a shame. We see the condition of christianity as if we just see the church and christianity. But we did not see christ. This is how the church has lost the testimony of jesus.

So thank and praise god. Today the testimony of jesus christ is in the church is in the body of christ. This is such a glorious entrustment. Think about it. God is willing to entrust the testimony of his own son to us.

It is such a glorious thing. But it's also a great responsibility. If we have not we have not entered into our responsibility. If we want to enter into our responsibility is not that outwardly. We have a lot of activities but that in our inner life we can know our lord more this way.

Then we have a testimony. Thank and praise god. So in the book of acts we thank god. We saw how the church on the earth the body was on earth we saw how this corporate body how our lord was speaking there continuously how lord continuously did work there starting from jerusalem.

To judia to samaria to the ends of the earth.

In 30 odd years the gospel was preached all the way to rome. Rome at that time was the ends of the earth. In that short period of time we see how the testimony of jesus christ spread forth many people.

Whether jews gentiles they all came to the lord and they all stood up to be a testimony for our lord jesus christ. This is indeed a glorious testimony. And this testimony is already there. So now we want to look at this revelation in other words.

Saul’s Persecution and the Revelation of Christ’s Body

So we have already seen the reality of the body. God already did a work on earth. He has already received for himself a body and he placed himself in this body. And this body started the work of testimony as he was there testifying.

Then he encountered many difficulties as if our lord just like our lord when he was on this earth. When he came from heaven to earth he was a testimony for our lord our god. But this world did not receive him because he was completely different from this world.

The world rejected him. Crucifix crucified him. They did not know he came to this earth was to save the world. But the same way we see the body of christ on this earth as he is as she's there testifying for our lord jesus and also encounters many oppositions from the world number so among those that persecuted the church and the most famous one was Saul.

This Saul he was a great man because by himself he received all the best education of the whole world. According to his birth he was born among one of the tribes of israel. He is a chosen person of god.

Not only that after he grew up he learned under at the feet of gamaliel he became a pharisee. The pharisees were those that studied the law and obeyed the law. He received the best religious education.

Many gentiles they became part of it took part of judaism because they felt that the teaching of judaism was so pure. So paul had the greatest religious teachings. Not only that you see he was born in tarsus.

Tarsus was a gentile city. It was one of the centers of the greek culture. So he received and absorbed all of the greek culture. Not only that he was born a roman citizen he experienced the greatest right under the roman rulership.

This young man was a great man. If many young men if they had such a great environment they probably would go into the world to want to receive a high position. But this young man he pursued spiritual things as if he left us the world aside.

Because he knew that the world was temporary. He was looking for something eternal. But a shame was this because he did not have revelation. He had the best heritage he had the best tradition. But he felt that our lord jesus was a rebel.

So he felt that he had a responsibility to persecute those who followed the lord jesus to destroy everything related to believing in jesus. Then he would be serving god. So brothers and sisters you see this he was a zealous man.

He was a powerful man. He believed that by doing this he was serving god. He was completely in darkness. How many people they live under tradition. Even believers today live under tradition. We lack spiritual understanding.

But thank god god examines hearts. Examined his heart and knew his heart was pure. So god remembered him when he went to damascus to persecute the church. When he went to do this all of a sudden there was a light that shone it was brighter than the sun and he was struck down by this light.

He heard a voice he said, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goats. Brothers and sisters. Saul did not know jesus. He misread jesus. He felt that he should destroy the lord jesus.

But our lord knew him. He said, Saul, why do you persecute me? This voice was not a reprimanding voice. This voice was a voice of compassion. Why are you persecuting me? You don't know what you're doing.

You are there kicking against the goat. You know that in the olden days if you were there tilling the field use an ox or a horse and then you would put a yoke upon him. And then you would take this yoke and this ox and move him forward to till the land.

But the ox or the horse has his own thoughts. So when he sees something good to eat on the side he'll try to take a detour. So now if you till the field then it will be crooked. So then the farmer would take a goat on his other hand.

It's a long stick with a sharp edge. And then he would prick on the leg of the ox or the horse.

He didn't want to hurt him just to warn him.

To remind him you have an owner. They're working for somebody. You can't do what you think you want to do. But this horse and this ox he has his own thoughts. Then he would want to kick against that goat.

And when he kicked he would get hurt. Then he'd get really hurt. After a few times they would learn this is what the lord said to Saul. Don't forget you have a lord. All of us created beings have a lord.

We were created for god not for ourselves. But we forgot. The lord was reminding us we have a master. We have to obey him. We have to do his things. We cannot disobey him. If we rebel against them or fight against them we suffer.

So. That's why the lord said to Saul for you to kick against the goat it is difficult. When Stephen was stoned to death he saw the heavens open. He saw the lord jesus there welcoming him. When he died he prayed do not put the sin upon them.

Don't you think that the conscience of Saul was bothering him. God was using the goat to prick his conscience. But then he was going against his conscience. Once twice three times he went to to capture christians men and women and then condemn them make them blaspheme.

He is a uh uh uh honorable man. Gentle gentlemen. He is a pharisee. He is a moral person to do such things. Doesn't his conscience bother him. Of course. But he went against his conscience. But and he uh even more so went and persecuted the christians.

He wanted to suppress that voice in his conscience but god loved him. The lord said it is hard for you to kick against the goats. Then Saul said lord who are you people. The lord said i am the jesus whom you persecute.

Seeing Both the Head and the Body

Dear brothers and sisters on the way to damascus saw saw a vision. What is that vision. First he saw the lord. The bible tells us it pleases god to reveal his son in me. He not just looked at physically look at the lord physically.

But because this light struck him blind his inner eye opened. He saw the lord jesus. He saw not the jesus of nazarene that was persecuted. He saw that jesus was lord. He is the god above all he is the son of god.

Brothers and sisters he saw the lord. He saw how god saw his son. When god sees his son he is one of honor. Now he sees that god. Jesus is the son of god. God sees his son as the lord of all. Now saw also saw.

God sees his son as the king of kings and lord of lords. Everything is under subjection to his feet. Saw also saw it. When he saw this then he gave up all. He said lord what do you want me to do. But brothers and sisters he not only saw the head christ he also saw the body.

Why. Because the lord jesus said saw saw. Why do you persecute me. Saw was a pharisee. Pharisees are best when it comes to logic. According to logic saw could respond to the lord. You're in heaven. I am on earth.

How can i persecute you. I did not persecute you. But saw didn't say this. Why. In his spirit he saw it is when you touch any of the members of the body. You already touched the head. He was there trying to capture killing christians persecuting them.

Now the head was speaking. Why do you persecute me. On the way to damascus he saw the body of christ. He not only saw christ he saw the body of christ. So from that time on that there was a great change in his life.

Before he was one who liked to be in the high place. His name from jerusalem all the way to damascus was famous. But god used a person named ananias someone no a no-name person. And then laid his hand upon his head said brother saw god has opened your eyes and you will be filled with the holy spirit.

You see that a great man. The answer now was there being laid hands upon by a small member of the body. He learned to be a member of the body. Now you are brother saw. Dear brothers and sisters if we see the vision of the body that vision will reduce us.

We will see. But we are but one member in the body. We need our brother to lay his hand upon us to be united with our brothers. Then we can become the body of christ. So brothers and sisters ever since he received that vision he not only changed his work for the rest of his life it also changed his living for the rest of his life and all of his daily living.

Even though he was a great apostle even as he wrote the epistles he always would bring a timothy or a silas to write it with him. He didn't say i paul i don't need the others. So in work he would always be co-working with others.

He's not there going solo and in his living as well. He would always seek for fellowship in damascus he received grace. Then he would come go in and forth out and forth forth and back with the the saints.

When he came to jerusalem he wanted to have fellowship with the saints of jerusalem. But everybody was afraid of him. Because they know of his past they dare not approach him. But thank god through barnabas god brought him amidst the apostles.

So then the bible says that paul went forth and back with the people of the church.

No matter where he went he was seeking for fellowship.

Because he was living in the body. So dear brothers and sisters what we need today is the vision of the body. We have to remember the vision of the body along with the vision of christ is one vision. You cannot separate the head and the body.

If you truly see christ you must see the church. If you see the head you'll see the body because it's one revelation. If we truly see this revelation in our living in our work in our service there will be a great change.

So dear brothers and sisters today our need is to ask the lord that we may truly receive a spirit of wisdom and revelation to know christ and to know the church. Christ is the head. All the fullness of the godhead dwells in him.

You cannot find anything outside of christ. Everything is in christ. At the same time today we want to have a testimony for our lord jesus christ. In the body. We have to have a testimony. We cannot do it solo.

All our work is not our work but it's the work to build up the body. This is according to the heart of god. May the lord have mercy on us. Let us have another word of prayer. Our lord we thank and praise you.

Closing Prayer for a Complete Testimony

You are willing to entrust yourself to the church. You are willing to entrust your testimony to your body. We admit we fall short in many ways. Lord we want to repent before you. Lord we look to you to reveal more of yourself to us.

There may be a more complete testimony for you on earth. We think about how your coming is so soon yet your testimony is not yet complete. Lord may you raise up raise up. Many of your children may enter into your testimony and to be a testimony for you.

In these last days we pray in jesus precious name.