In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of living according to the consciousness of the body of Christ. He uses the example of Ananias and Paul to illustrate how the body consciousness is natural and essential for believers. The speaker also highlights that the church is a vessel with Christ as its content, and therefore, when speaking about the church, one must not forget the Lord. He further explains that the church is meant to be a testimony for the Lord and that our living should be in accordance with the life of Christ.

You ought to translate it this way. 都恆心遵守師徒的教訓和教通,白餅祈禱。 They were continually devoting themselves to the Apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 我們祭壽禱告。 Let us bow with a word of prayer. 求我們實在滿心感謝乍妹女。 Lord, we are full of thanksgiving and praise unto you. 因為在你主子的面前,我們再一次溫習你的慈愛。 Because before your table, once again, we come to reveal your mercy. 我們感謝乍妹女。 We thank and praise thee. 你愛我們愛到極處。 You love us to the uttermost. 你把你自己完完全全地賜給我們。 You have given yourself completely to us. 我們的主,我們實在願意你的愛充滿了我們的心。 Lord, we do ask that your love may fill our hearts. 叫我們從心的深處願意來滿足你的心。 That we may be willing from the depths of our hearts to satisfy your heart. 我們把這個時間公共進行交在你自己的手裡。 Lord, we entrust this time into your precious hands. 求你的靈釋放你的話語。 We ask that your spirit may set free your word. 把你的話種在我們每一個弟兄姊妹的心裡。 That you may plant your word in each and every heart here. 好叫你的旨意能通信在地上,如同在天上一樣。 That your purpose may be fulfilled on earth as it is in heaven. 我們這樣禱告是奉祝耶穌的名。 We pray this way in Jesus' precious name. 感謝戰略族帶領我們到這個特會最後的整天。 We thank the Lord for leading us to this last day of this conference. 我想我不用再提醒弟兄姊妹,我們這一次特會的題目是什麼。 我想我不用再提醒弟兄姊妹,我們這一次特會的題目是什麼。 如果我們還不清楚的話,那實在是可憐的事情。 如果我們還不清楚的話,那實在是可憐的事情。 雖然我們這一次的重心是重在教會。 雖然我們這一次的重心是重在教會。 但是我們都清楚,教會是一個器皿。 內容乃是基督。 內容乃是基督。 所以當我們在那裡提到教會的時候, 所以當我們在那裡提到教會的時候, 我們千萬不要忘記我們的主。 我們千萬不要忘記我們的主。 因為聖經很清楚地告訴我們, 因為聖經很清楚地告訴我們, 在格林頓前書的十二章十二節, 在格林頓前書的十二章十二節, 他說,生子只有一個,卻有許多肢體。 他說,生子只有一個,卻有許多肢體。 肢體雖然多,仍是一個身體。 肢體雖然多,仍是一個身體。 基督也是這樣。 基督也是這樣。 所以當我們提到教會的時候, 所以當我們提到教會的時候, 我們必須要記得, 我們必須要記得, 主是教會的一切。 主是教會的一切。 教會乃是為了我們的主作見證。 教會乃是為了我們的主作見證。 我的責任是與弟兄姊妹交通到身體的生活。 我的責任是與弟兄姊妹交通到身體的生活。 但是在過去兩次, 好像我還沒有提到身體的生活。 但是在過去兩次, 我還沒有提到身體的生活。 因為如果我們對於生命不清楚的話, 因為如果我們對於生命不清楚的話, 我們就談不上生活的問題。 我們就談不上生活的問題。 因為生活完全是根據生命而來的。 因為生活完全是根據生命而來的。 怎麼樣的生命就產生怎麼樣的生活。 如果你順著你的生命來活的話, 如果你順著你的生命來活的話, 生活就是非常自然的一件事。 生活就是非常自然的一件事。 在我們第一天的早晨, 在我們第一天的早晨, 我們特別提到身體的歧視或者說意象。 我們特別提到身體的歧視或者說意象。 我們在一弗書第三章裡頭給我們看見, 我們在一弗書第三章裡頭給我們看見, 司徒保羅在那裡提到一個奧秘。 司徒保羅在那裡提到一個奧秘。 那個奧秘叫做基督的奧秘。 那個奧秘叫做基督的奧秘。 他說這基督的奧秘是歷史時代隱藏的奧秘。 這個奧秘是我們的神在基督裡所定規的一個旨意。 這個奧秘是我們的神在基督裡所定規的一個旨意。 在創世之前, 我們的神在基督裡面就立定了一個旨意。 Our God had a purpose in his son. This purpose is for his son. This purpose is not just precious, but also glorious. But this purpose was hidden in God. Throughout the ages, it was hidden. Even though when we read the Old Testament, we see that God as if he sprinkled here and there some hints. Sometimes he uses people and things. Sometimes he uses types. Sometimes he uses prophecy. Through many methods as if he is there giving us hints. But man did not comprehend. Not until our Lord came to this earth. He lived in this world and accomplished the work of redemption on this earth. That mystery, it wasn't until the time of the apostles. Ephesians chapter 3 tells us. This mystery which has been hidden through the ages, now has been revealed to the apostles and prophets. So Paul knew deeply what is the mystery of Christ. Simply speaking, the mystery of Christ is his body. It is that mysterious body. It is what we speak about today as the church. Because Christ is the head. The church is his body. That which fills all and in all. Dear brothers and sisters. If this is a mystery hidden from before the foundation of the world. And you need the Holy Spirit to reveal it. Then we immediately know how important such a thing is. The heart of God is for his son. To give his son a body. It is not just that word that became flesh, that body. It is that after he resurrected and ascended. And then on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was given. In one spirit he baptized the 120 into one body. In this body our Lord continues to speak and to do. So you see how precious is this body of Christ. This body needs to slowly grow up. Until it is filled with the stature of Christ. This is what Ephesians chapter 4 tells us. When this body is full of the stature of Christ. And then in Ephesians chapter 5 you see how our Lord will take up this body as his bride. This church, this body is complete without blemish, without wrinkle. Wholly unblemished. And presented to himself as the glorious bride. This is the revelation of God about the body. May each and every brother and sister. That we not just hear this in our ears. Not just understand with our heads. We need the revelation from the Spirit in our spirits. This way this mystery will be fulfilled in our lives. Otherwise the mystery is out there and we are here. The purpose of God is that this mystery may be fulfilled in us. We may enter into that mystery. And this way needs revelation. So we need to ask the Lord to give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation. That we may truly know him. Just like Paul on his way to Damascus he saw that vision. In the second morning. We spoke about the law of the body. If it is the body. It must have a direct relationship with life. This life is not the natural Adamic life. Because that life cannot produce the body of Christ. It cannot not produce the body of Christ. It is actually the greatest enemy to the body of Christ. Often times we think that Satan is the greatest enemy of the church. But strictly speaking the greatest enemy of the church is ourselves. Because the church is the body of Christ. That body comes from the life of Christ. It is a new creation. So all of the old creation has no part with it. We need to see that the body of Christ is formed through the life of Christ. It is his life that produces this body. It is his life that allows us to grow up into maturity. To be filled with the full stature of Christ. So from beginning to end is a matter of the life of God. In other words it is the matter of the life of Christ. Christ growing up in us. Christ is formed in us. Then this body becomes a mature man. Then we are worthy to be the bride of Christ. We often say here. We wait for our Lord's return. You know that in the first century. Those who love the Lord they also waited for the Lord. The waiting heart is correct. Even though the Lord did not return in the first century. But their heart towards the Lord was correct. When the church was persecuted in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. When Christians were there selling out each other. They said Lord come quickly. This is their only hope. This is their only comfort. This is what they were waiting for. They were not wrong. Even though the Lord did not return in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. We have come to the 21st century. If your heart is towards the Lord. Your longing is that the Lord may return quickly. This heart is pleasing to God. Is it we that are waiting for the Lord's return? Or is the Lord waiting for us to be completed? The bridegroom. What is the bridegroom's heart longing for? That he may receive for himself a bride. As far as I can remember. I am afraid that in history. There was only one thing. Which was the bridegroom waiting for the bridegroom. And that was the great grandfather of Hudson Taylor. Now the great grandfather of Hudson Taylor when he was young. Even though he was a believer. But he had no heart for the Lord. The day that he was going to be married. He woke up in the morning. He suddenly realized. This is an important matter. I have to get married. I have to marry a bride. So then he went into the field to pray. He prayed and prayed and prayed. He forgot that the time of his wedding ceremony had already arrived. But after he finished praying. He all of a sudden remembered. He said that his bride was waiting for him in the church. Everybody was there waiting for the bridegroom. Didn't know where he went. So he ran into the church building. This is the only time I know. In all wedding ceremonies. The bridegroom is always waiting for the bride. Dear brothers and sisters. This is the heart of the bridegroom. Doesn't our Lord long to come back? Doesn't the Lord want to receive the bride to himself? But the bride has not grown up. You cannot marry an immature person. Then you are not fit for each other. So brothers and sisters. Strictly speaking. It's not that we wait for the Lord. It's the Lord waiting for us. The Lord already waited for us for 20 centuries. But his bride has not yet grown up. Has not yet fulfilled the full stature of Christ. Dear brothers and sisters. Look at how great our responsibility is. We cannot live our lives loosely. We have to rise up. For the Lord's sake. That we may become mature. That the stature of Christ may grow up in us. This way. Then our Lord will return immediately. So dear brothers and sisters. We see that the body of Christ needs to grow up. But the growth of this body has its growing law. And that is the law of the spirit of life. As this law moves in the body. If we live according to that law. Then you will see growth. But if you go against this law. You will see destruction and death. So all of us who love the Lord. If you love the body of Christ. What is the law of the spirit of life? So yesterday we had a brief fellowship on this matter. The first law is to hold fast to the head. Because the head has already placed all of its fullness in the body. The head through the nervous system controls every member. So for this body to grow up. You need to hold fast to the head. So for this body to grow up. You need to hold fast to the head. All of us members of the body of Christ. We have a responsibility. We have to submit to the authority of the head. God is the only authority in the universe. Man is never the authority. God can delegate his authority to man. But this delegation is according to his life. It's not an external delegation. It is a authority from life. How much of Christ he has placed in you. Then that life becomes authority. Because it's not the authority of man. It is God's own authority. So we have to submit to our God. And we have to submit to one another. When we submit to God it's complete submission, complete obedience. Now when we submit to one another we can have complete submission but not complete obedience. Because men all have shortcomings. When the will of man and the will of God are in conflict. Just like the apostle says we have to submit to God. Even though we can submit to you but we cannot obey you. We cannot do according to what you have said and not to preach the word. So dear brothers and sisters let us remember that the first law of the body of Christ is to hold fast to the head. How about the second? That in Christ there is one body. Because there is only one body so we have to diligently preserve the unity of the spirit. We can have many different viewpoints and many different methods of doing things but thanks be to God in this Godhead we are all one. So we have to maintain fellowship. We cannot have divisions among us. We have to see that Christ gave up his life for us. So we have to diligently preserve the unity of the spirit. Then we can attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. Then the third law in this law of the body we see that all of the members are different. This is the glory of God but in these differences the Lord wants us to be joined together and to minister to one another. Not one member is useless. This body needs all the members to be joined together and to minister to one another. Fourth, this body restrains us but also protects us. Often times you think that as an individual you can do whatever you want to do but if you have so many brothers and sisters you feel restrained but this restraining is good for us. Then we can walk in the will of God. Thank God that the body is a protection for us. If we are alone we will be easily tricked. I saw some brothers and sisters they live a life of individual even though they loved the Lord before but because they refused to have fellowship with brothers and sisters they said I just need my relationship with the Lord. I don't need to have fellowship with the other saints but what was the result? They either became dogmatic or they were lost. So we have to remember we cannot leave the body. We need the protection of the body. This is what we shared on briefly yesterday. This last morning we want to speak about body living. I don't know if brothers and sisters are prepared to share on body living. You know there is a very wondrous thing body consciousness we call it the body consciousness when you believe in the Lord there are two things that happen one thing you become conscious of God another thing you become conscious of the children of God I remember I used to have a co-worker he once said this he said he got married the first time he returned to the home of his wife and then when he saw his father-in-law so according to Chinese tradition you have to call him dad but he said that that day when he said the word dad it was so difficult it was so unnatural many people that grow up in Christian families they pray I am one of them when I prayed I said our father who art in heaven as if I'm calling him as my father-in-law it was so unnatural because there is no relationship of life but thank and praise God the day that I was saved all of a sudden it changed when I was praying to the Lord it was so close it was so intimate as if there was a relationship of life I think all of us who have been saved by grace have this story so when you pray our father who art in heaven like you're memorizing a book then it's like calling him calling a father-in-law it's unnatural so all of us who have been saved by grace naturally it comes immediately you don't have to wait so when you pray you have a life relationship with God it is so intimate that God is indeed your father but thank God other than this consciousness every believer that has been saved by grace also has another consciousness and that is body consciousness why? because after you have been saved by grace if you meet somebody you discover that he is also a believer I ask you, what do you feel inside? don't you feel that oh, this is just like my brother or my sister and yet this relationship is even closer than that relationship of the flesh and blood but if you're not in the body how can you have this sense? if you're not in the body how can you feel the head? if you're not in the body how can you feel the other members? maybe before you used to be enemies you know Saul and Ananias they used to be enemies so Paul took the books to capture the saints in Damascus and Ananias was one of the believers in Damascus the two were enemies they couldn't meet each other if they met each other either you die or I die so when God sent Ananias to go meet Paul he said, I have heard about this man he is very famous he comes to capture ones like me how can I just give myself to him? but the Lord said, you go he is my vessel you know that when Ananias came to Paul he placed his hand upon Paul he said, brother Saul and Ananias lay hold of Saul and said, brother brothers and sisters this body consciousness is so natural because this is life because if you have life you have the consciousness if you don't have this consciousness then we wonder if there is an issue with your salvation even though the Lord saves us individually but after he has saved us he has put us together this is the Lord's amazing doing so if you follow the body consciousness and live naturally you will live out the life of the body if you do not follow this body consciousness then you do not have body life many children of God today ought to have a body life according to God's salvation it is very natural but many children of God they have lost this body consciousness what is the reason? I think there are many reasons some have been restricted by tradition we know when we meet somebody the first question we ask are you a believer? he said, I am then immediately we are connected but that tradition comes what kind of meeting do you go to? once you speak about this you are divided you did not follow that body consciousness you were delegated by tradition that is why you become divided some people after they believe they really feel that the church is their home so then he puts himself completely in it of course you ought to do this but when he thrusts himself into it then he is restrained maybe someone stepped on him maybe he was pushed by someone and then he becomes discouraged so is it better for me to have my own devotion? I do not need brothers and sisters you see there are many problems some people were hurt in the church so because when you come to the church you think you come to heaven of course the church is paradise it is always happy you come into the church you feel that the difficulties are greater than that in the world then you become discouraged then you retreat it is better for me to have my own devotion brothers and sisters you see this for many reasons the children of God cannot have the body life but when we come to the word of God when we come to the book of Acts when the body begins the life of the body comes out do you remember when our Lord ascended into heaven he said to his disciples you have to return to Jerusalem there you have to wait until you receive the Holy Spirit of promise and then you have to preach be a testimony to me to the end of the earth there were 120 believers they obeyed the word of God and they returned to Jerusalem and went into the upper room of Mark's home and they were together 10 days and they were diligently in unison praying together we already said this is a tremendous thing 120 that they can pray with one heart and they could pray for 10 days it's very difficult at that time in Acts chapter 1 verse 15 it said Peter stood up so the scripture had to be fulfilled concerning Judas he has lost his responsibility so amongst those that follow the Lord from John the Baptist until our Lord ascended into heaven those that walk with us we have to pick one to fulfill the place of Judas so they chose two people and then they asked to pick one to pick one to pick up that last disciple this happened before the Pentecost Peter stood up individually alone so he was there fulfilling the word of the Bible but when you come to Acts chapter 2 as those 120 were waiting then the Pentecost came all of a sudden there was a roaring wind God was there breathing and it filled the room and there were tons of fire that came upon the heads of those and they started to speak in tongues they were filled with the Holy Spirit they spoke forth of God's doing and this was passed forth and then this happened in the upper room of Mark's home but this message went out many people came of course they cannot all be in the upper room if they all go upstairs the floor would collapse very possibly they went to the portico of Solomon many people came they said what is this thing they are also speaking languages we understand so then people started laughing these people are drunk so at that time in Acts chapter 2 verse 14 what did the Bible say Peter and the eleven apostles stood up it was not Peter alone very naturally the twelve apostles stood together because this is the life of the body the body is already here now the body needs to live so the twelve rose up together of course we know it was Peter speaking but of course we know the one who spoke was Peter but when Peter spoke was also the other eleven speaking because this is a body so immediately you see the life of the body so immediately you see body living coming forth three thousand were saved that day three thousand were saved then what do you do with them how do you organize them how do you teach them how do you live it's amazing when you come to chapter 2 verse 42 there is a phrase there and they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship to the breaking of bread and to prayer very natural if it is a body this life will naturally live out and it will follow the law of the spirit of life to live forth teaching comes later first there is living then there is doctrine if it is an organization you have to have doctrine or law first then you have living so this is a difference there so you see the believers at that time they were baptized into one body naturally they live forth the life of the body no one taught them you cannot be selfish if you see a body lacking then you ought to provide for them you don't have to teach them he knows it you know at that time it was during the time of Pentecost Jews came from all over the world now they have been saved they don't go home and they stayed in Jerusalem they have no place to live they have nothing to eat they have many needs what do you do? very naturally those who lived in Jerusalem they opened up their homes invited brothers and sisters to stay with them no one said this is for myself this is the Lord's this is the body of Christ so you see they love one another not one had a lack if you wanted to do it through teaching you wouldn't be able to do it so well this is the manifestation of life then the living comes forth it's very natural if you read chapter 2 chapter 4 you see they were of one heart they love one another and then they were concerned for each other no one had any lack isn't it amazing? and then they broke bread in each of the homes every time they ate and they would break bread to remember the Lord very natural because the love of the Lord was in them dear brothers and sisters the life of the body is natural it's the nature of the forest it's the nature of life if you live in that life you will naturally have that result teaching can help but living comes before doctrine I think this is very clear remember Paul he was there leading brothers and sisters he went to Galatia to preach many were saved he went to Corinth to preach many were saved he was in Corinth for a year and six months and spoke many words to them but there are many words he didn't speak especially on this matter on how to meet isn't it amazing? believers have to meet together because the church is nothing but the called out ones gather together but what do you gather together for? you gather together you have fellowship this is life but I think Paul didn't teach them how to meet it wasn't until he wrote the epistles of Corinthians then he showed them how to meet so it proves that life immediately comes out of the life you know there is an amazing thing today we call ourselves Christians but in the beginning this name Christian didn't exist so when they didn't have this term Christian so what would they call these that believe in the Lord Jesus? disciples of Jesus and the other one and those who believe the way in the Chinese it's not apparent in the Bible because in the Bible it says those who believe in this way and the word way in Chinese is equated to teaching no and the original is those that walk in this way it's a way it's a road those that walk on this way when I went to the United States and I was meeting with some saints in the United States so as we were meeting we would discuss certain things and those precious brothers and sisters from the US they often said to me this is not the American way of life our American way of life is special we have a way of doing things I am from China you cannot bring your methods of China here to the US and I told them I said it's not the American way of life or the Chinese way of life it's Christ's way of life so you see here the term Christian was not existing yet but the people of the world already recognize these people have a certain way of living it's different from any of the nation in this world the Jews have their way of life the Gentiles have their way of life the Chinese have their Chinese way of life every nation has their own unique ways of life so this is what people can understand in this world but now came this people are they Jews? Yes, they are Jews you say they are Gentiles they are Gentiles but their method of living is not the Jewish method or the Gentile method the way they live is nothing ever seen in this world how can you place Jews and Gentiles together? the Jews despise the Gentiles you are dogs and then the Gentiles were jealous of the Jews you've taken up all our money how can the Gentiles be together with the Jews? they cannot live together when I was in India and this was many years back their caste system was very strong and then you would separate into different classes very prominently so it was very difficult to preach the gospel in India because if you preach the gospel and someone from one caste was saved the others from other castes wouldn't come even the driver of the car he wouldn't wash clothes because there is the caste of those people that wash clothes it was very clearly delineated by brothers and sisters so it was very difficult to preach the gospel in India if you gained one caste you lost the other caste he wouldn't come because they couldn't intermarry they couldn't even eat together so it was all separate but brothers and sisters now it's amazing the free and the bondmen are all together some are free some are slaves this class is very clearly delineated but when you come to the church there is no free man there is no slave I remember our dear brother he had a brother there is a brother that helped serve him and we called him Master Wong he loved Brother Ni Brother Ni couldn't say a dish is very good otherwise he eats that every day he loved Brother Ni but in the breaking of bread when he entered into the meeting he looked around where is Brother Ni sitting so he went to sit in the back and Brother Ni saw him told him to come to sit next to him but in the body of Christ there is no free man there is no slave we are all brethren this living is completely different in your home you can feel you are a servant but in the church you are a brother brothers and sisters an amazing thing has happened no matter where the gospel went and everyone was different in each locality they had different ways of living after they believed it was completely different you don't need to teach them naturally everyone gathered together and then to be members of one another and because they always had Jesus in their words so when people of this world saw these people those that walk in this way and you know in Acts it's mentioned many times in order to help the young people in Acts chapter 9 and verse 2 and Paul asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus so that if he found any belonging to the way both men and women he might bring them to Jerusalem chapter 9 Paul when he was in Ephesus because people blasphemed him and then they blasphemed the way and then they spoke against this kind of living so then Paul separated from them in verse 23 because of this way because of this teaching there was a great commotion it was not because of this teaching it was because of the way because those that believe in the Lord walk in this way this way is completely opposite to the way of the world just like Jesus said you have to walk the narrow way many walk the broad way but this leads to death those that walk the narrow way are few and then those that walk the narrow way are few but this leads to eternal life dear brothers and sisters this way has become apparent this life became apparent these people were different you will never find it in the world and then chapter 22 in verse 4 Paul was captured in Jerusalem he spoke to the Jews and he appealed to them in chapter 22 verse 4 he said I persecuted this way to the death he also persecuted this way and then chapter 24 verse 14 and 22 and then he also mentioned this way Paul spoke to the Philistines and then he spoke to Felix yes so those that thought it was heresy I serve my God according to this way and then verse 22 and then Felix used to know this way very well so you know that even before this term Christian was common when the world saw this special group of people they said these people are those on that way what is the way the way is no longer doctrine if it's just doctrine then it's not the way the way you have to walk in it it is a living of these brothers and sisters no matter where the gospel went you don't need to teach them the way that they walk was the same of course there are different conditions and different localities so if it's teaching everything will be in unison everything will be identical then you know this is dead this is rules and regulations if it's life it's living even though there are minute differences but in principle it's the same it is all to manifest Christ so you see this the name Christians appeared so you know the Gentiles unbelievers like to know what you are about even today is this way if someone met you he wants to know your secrets what are you about if he does not know it he doesn't have a handle on you he cannot handle you he has to know something about you so those unbelievers when they saw the Lord Jesus those who walked on that way what are such people they don't understand if it was a sect of Judaism then they could understand the Pharisees there's the Sadducees and then those that follow Jesus but it's not many Gentiles they believe in the Lord Jesus then who are these oh they meet in the name of the Lord Jesus they pray to the Lord Jesus they sing and praise the Lord Jesus they use the Lord as a theme of their fellowship so whatever they say here and there they always speak about Jesus they go out with Jesus come back with Jesus everything is Jesus, Jesus, Jesus then who are these these are Jesus people Christ men so then Christians this term started brothers and sisters today we call ourselves Christians we think it's glorious at that time the name Christian was a term of despisement you Christians, you're crazy you Christians you have something wrong in your head just like Paul when he testified he said I wish that you were all like me then the king said so are you trying to convince me to be a Christian the term Christian is something to be despised thank and praise God so to be shamed because of the term Christian it is our glory so you see this the church is the body of Christ because it's a body so it has a certain living yet this living is according to life and the flowing of life is the living there is no pretense you do not need law or rules to move it rules and regulations come later to help but in the beginning it was but a manifestation of life brothers and sisters this is body living body living is not that everyone follows one order you go to Taipei you see how brothers and sisters meet there if you come to Kaohsiung you see how Christians meet if everyone follow one system then it becomes an organization but thank God even though we're different but we're very similar this is the amazing thing because we all have Christ as our center and we also express Christ so dear brothers and sisters when we speak about body living we cannot say do this or do that then it's body living because the 21 centuries until now in each locality in this world the same living it is yet different this is life so if you want to use one phrase to describe it that is Acts 2.42 this is body living they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship to the breaking of bread and to prayer everybody continually upheld this it's not something that emotionally was just for one instance it was one excitement they unceasingly, continually, diligently devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching now in the English this word apostle is plural apostles there are at least 12 apostles but this word teaching is singular even though there were many apostles but their teaching was just one when we study the Bible we say this is Paul's teaching this is John's teaching this is Peter's teaching this is James' teaching James' teaching is in conflict with Paul's teaching because Paul speaks about justification by faith James speaks about justification by works they all have their own teachings brothers and sisters no if they are apostles don't talk about false apostles the false apostles have their own teaching if they are true apostles where do their teaching come from come from what origin what I received I have given you I did not invent it every apostle has his special feature because every vessel is different when you put water in a long vessel as if this water is long in a round vessel this water is round but water is still water so brothers and sisters this is the Bible even though Paul had his own teaching Peter has his special focus on his teaching John has his special focus but thank and praise God none of them belong to themselves all were received from the Lord brothers and sisters because of this what is the apostles' teaching it is the teaching of the Lord today we have the Lord's teaching it came from the apostles so that's why in 1 John 1 it says this we apostles have fellowship with the Father and the Son the things that we have seen with our eyes the things we have handled that we have experienced we give to you so that you and us can have fellowship so you see this the apostles have fellowship the teaching of the apostles is the teaching of the Lord if we want to have body living we have to obey preserve the apostles' teaching it's a shame today people have forgotten about the apostles' teaching they say this today we don't understand the Bible who has the authority to interpret the Bible it's the bishops of the first century the so-called church fathers these people have the right to interpret the Bible so if you want to understand the Bible you have to listen to their teaching but we know many heresies came from these church fathers the Holy Spirit is the one that interprets the Bible and the Bible is the word of God it is the word of our Lord Jesus and through the apostles have been given to us so we have to return to the beginning to the word of the Lord we cannot listen to the words of men we cannot listen to the church fathers we cannot listen to the so-called spiritual giants if what they say is from the Bible we can accept it if it's not according to the Bible we will not follow it this will lead us into body living not only do you have apostles teaching you also have the fellowship of the apostles now again apostles is plural and the fellowship is again one Paul did not have his own fellowship the Corinthian church wanted to make Paul into a special fellowship we are of Paul Paul said did Paul give up his life for you no such thing the apostles only have one fellowship 1 Corinthians 1 verse 9 God is faithful he calls us into the fellowship this is according to the original God is faithful he calls us all those who believe to enter into one fellowship what is this fellowship called? it is the fellowship of the Son of God Jesus Christ what is the fellowship of our Lord Jesus Christ it is that fellowship which he had with the Father in the eternity past the Father and the Son had fellowship in life there was no hiding completely open all that the Father had he fellowshiped to the Son what the Son had he fellowshiped to the Father all of this fellowship was in the Holy Spirit this is the most complete fellowship exclusive fellowship was also the most exclusive fellowship because only had 3 members according to what? according to life the life of God no one can participate in that fellowship no one had a part in that fellowship but thank God because God loves us he has opened this fellowship he asks us to enter into the fellowship of his Son in other words he calls us to enjoy the fullness of the riches of Christ in that fellowship there is no reservation that fellowship is completely open and completely sharing there is no selfishness and it is most abundant thank and praise God this fellowship became the fellowship of the Apostles because the Apostles first had fellowship with the Son and the Father and then they opened up this fellowship to us so we are also in this fellowship oh brothers and sisters this fellowship is so abundant all that belongs to God in Christ now belongs to us and then the enjoyment we have in this fellowship is tremendous just like the Bible says all the riches of the Godhead dwells in the Lord bodily and you are complete in him this is fellowship so dear brothers and sisters fellowship is only one the fellowship of the saints is the fellowship of the Apostles the fellowship of the Apostles is the fellowship of the Son of God we are all called into this fellowship and in that fellowship we live the body life then there are two things that are visible as if it is making the teaching and the fellowship more apparent and that is the breaking of bread and prayer why is the breaking of bread so important because the breaking of bread causes us to remember the one who loved us our Lord not only to remember the Lord you know that the Lord knows that we are forgetful people he loves us to such an extent that we forget he left for us the breaking of bread so that we can remember him he proves that he loves us this way every time we come to break the bread we remember our Lord how he shed his blood for us how he gave up his body for us and we offer up our praises and thanks to him that we not forget him if you love a person to such an extent you don't want that person to forget you you remind him remember me this is the pinnacle of love thank God not only that as we remember him then we become a testimony for him we have exhibited his joy exhibited to the world this is the only salvation and also we wait for his return dear brothers and sisters the breaking of bread is so important not just in this matter of teaching breaking of bread is also a fellowship because in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 it says this table is a fellowship as we remember him not just to remember the past even now in our spirits we have fellowship with our Lord once again receive the grace of his salvation from him once again receive his life through his provision we can walk the way forward so then this displays the teaching and the fellowship of the apostles throughout the ages those that truly live the body life they always cherished the breaking of bread but it's a shame today in Christianity that they despise such a thing prayer this is not about personal prayer of course individually we need to have a prayer life but this prayer is a corporate prayer it's a prayer of the church it's not that I just have my individual prayer we need the church to rise up together and to pray together in Christendom today they despise prayer there are many who come to listen to messages on the Lord's Day so those who pray during the weekdays are just but a few we comfort ourselves and say I pray at home but the purpose of God is so tremendous is not something that our individual prayers can help fulfill it so our Lord teaches his church to pray our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name may thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven dear brothers and sisters the prayer is the true ministry of the church the Lord has entrusted this prayer to his people for his righteousness sake for his kingdom sake we pray with one heart especially in these last days we have to press on in our prayer because the day of his coming is soon in reality this will demonstrate the body life how much of body living do you have just look at places prayer meeting if the prayer meeting is weak then body life is also weak otherwise if the prayer is strong with power before God then body living is also strong may the Lord remember us