It is so encouraging to see the pattern of the apostle Paul in shepherding the saints, in particular to see that he was living in spirit and by the Spirit, he was filled with the Spirit and clothed with the Spirit, he exercised to have a good conscience, he rejoiced in the Lord and he was allied with God and assisted by God to speak the gospel.
What the Lord wants to gain today is not preachers and teachers but shepherds, those who are a pattern to the flock in their daily life and living.
The Lord wants to gain many like the Lord Jesus and like the apostle Paul who shepherd others by ministering Christ to them and imparting their living of Christ into them.
The elders and responsible ones in the church are not there merely to take care of the practical arrangements or finances of the church, but their primary duty is to shepherd the saints mainly by visiting them in their home and speaking to them all the counsel of God.
We need to read the book of Acts again, together with the epistles of Paul, and we will be discipled to know how to shepherd others according to God. Our shepherding is not of ourselves or with ourselves but from God and according to God.
First of all, we need to see Christ, hear Christ and learn Christ as the reality is in Jesus. We need to allow the Lord to put us in Himself as the mold so that we may learn Him.
We need to realise that we are vessels to contain God and be filled with God, and our service to Him is the flowing out of God. We are not merely an instrument in God’s hand for Him to do His work – we are vessels to contain God and be filled with God, so that we may overflow with God for His fulness.
Therefore, we need to be men of prayer, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto prayer with thanksgiving concerning all things and all the saints.
When we are up, we need to pray; when we are not so happy, we need to pray; and all throughout the day we need to pray, contacting the Lord in all things and concerning all men.
We need to depend on the Body and do everything in the Body, through the Body, and for the Body. Every member of the Body is absolutely necessary, and we need the portion of all the members of the Body.
We need to appreciate the portion of all the members of the Body, in particular those around whom the Lord has placed us – the immediate members of the Body, and we need to do everything in and for the Body.
We need to call on the name of the Lord, practicing to call on His name all the time. This is our spiritual breathing. In shepherding the saints we need to do all these things, being one spirit with the Lord so that we may set up a pattern of living Christ before the saints.
May the Lord make us proper patterns in the church life for the shepherding of the saints, unto the building up of the church as the Body of Christ.
Living by the All-inclusive Spirit of Jesus for our Ministry for the Building up of the Body
The apostle Paul lived by the all-inclusive spirit of Jesus (the Spirit of a man with abundant strength for suffering) for his preaching ministry, a ministry of suffering which was carried out among human beings and for human beings in the human life for the building up of the Body of Christ (John 7:37-39; Acts 9:16; 16:7, 22-34; Phil. 3:10; Col. 1:24; 2 Cor. 6:4; 11:23; Heb. 6:19-20; 13:13).
He called on the name of the Lord and lived by the Spirit. In this Spirit there was the abundant supply for his suffering, for Paul suffered in his ministry for the sake of the gospel, for the building up of the church as the Body of Christ.
When he tried to go to Bithynia, the Spirit of Jesus did not allow him. Later, they were beaten and put into prison. The Spirit of Jesus was a constant supply to Paul in his ministry and he endured all things by this Spirit.
He sought to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, and he commended himself as a minister of God in much endurance, in afflictions, in necessities, and in distresses.
He truly was one who went forth unto the Lord outside the camp, bearing the Lord’s reproach.
As we call on the name of the Lord, we touch the consummated all-inclusive Spirit of Jesus Christ, and in this Spirit there’s a bountiful supply for our ministry and service.
As we call on the name of the Lord, we enjoy the supply of the Spirit of a Man who can endure intense suffering.
This is how we propagate Christ on earth – by calling on the name of the Lord to have a fresh and continual touch with the Spirit of Jesus Christ and receive His strengthening, empowering, and supply for us to endure all opposition and persecution and speak the word with boldness.
Lord Jesus, we come to You to enjoy You and receive the bountiful supply of the Spirit for our work and ministry. Thank You Lord, there’s a bountiful supply in the Spirit of Jesus, and this supply can strengthen us to endure any persecutions and suffering. Keep us contacting You, Lord, and receiving this supply for our service and ministry.
Living in the Mingled Spirit, the Divine Spirit Mingled with our Spirit as one Spirit
The apostle Paul was a pattern of one who lived in his mingled spirit, which is the divine Spirit mingled with his human spirit we one spirit (Acts 17:16; 19:21; Rom. 8:4, 6, 16; 1 Cor. 6:17).
As he was waiting for the disciples in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him at this city full of idols and he spoke the gospel, confronting the ones there.
In his gospel work he was led by the Spirit in his spirit, and he purposed in his spirit to go and visit certain places.
Later he encouraged us to set our mind on the spirit, be led by the Spirit, and know that the Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God. Hallelujah, we who are joined to the Lord are one spirit with Him, even one spirit!
We need to exercise our spirit, enjoy the supply of the Spirit with our spirit, and live in the mingled spirit.
Our Christian life and work should be in the spirit and by the spirit.
Hallelujah, we have a mingled spirit, for through regeneration our human spirit has been mingled with the divine Spirit, and now the Spirit is with our spirit. In shepherding others, we need to be a pattern to them of one who lives in the spirit and who knows they mingled spirit.
Lord Jesus, thank You for coming as the Spirit to be mingled with our spirit. Hallelujah, we have a mingled spirit, and the divine Spirit dwells in our human spirit. Amen, Lord, we want to exercise our spirit, fan our spirit into flame, set our mind on the spirit, and live by the spirit. May this be our daily living, Lord, living by the spirit and in the spirit. May we realise the importance of our mingled spirit, treasure our spirit, and seek to live in spirit!
Being Filled with the Spirit of Joy essentially and with the Spirit of Power Economically
The apostle Paul was filled with the Spirit of joy essentially for his existence, and he was clothed and filled with the Spirit of power economically for his function (see Acts 13:9, 52; Eph. 5:18).
One time when Elymas the magician opposed him, Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit economically for power, and he spoke the word of God.
Inwardly Paul was filled with the Spirit essentially for his living and outwardly he was clothed with the Spirit economically for his work. And he encouraged us not to be drunk with wine but be filled in spirit.
Hallelujah, we need to not only have the Spirit within for our supply and without as our power, but we also need to be filled in spirit!
To be drunk with wine is to be filled in the body with something that makes us dissolute, whereas to be filled in the spirit (our regenerated spirit, not God’s Spirit) is to be filled with Christ (1:23) unto the fullness of God (3:19).
To be drunk with wine in our physical body causes us to become dissolute, but to be filled in our spirit with Christ, with the fullness of God, causes us to overflow with Christ in speaking, singing, psalming, and giving thanks to God (vv. 19-20) and also causes us to subject ourselves to one another (v. 21).
Amen, Hallelujah! For our living we need to be inwardly filled with the Spirit and for our work we need to outwardly be clothed by the Spirit.
Lord Jesus, we want to be filled with the Spirit. Fill us now, Lord, as the Spirit! Be the Spirit of joy filling us within for our existence and living of Christ, and fill us without with the Spirit of power economically for our function and work. Lord, we seek to be filled in spirit. We don’t want to be filled with or by any other thing – we just want to be filled with the Triune God in Christ as the Spirit!
Exercising to Always have a Good and Pure Conscience
In shepherding others we need to follow the pattern of the apostle Paul to exercise ourselves to always have a good and pure conscience (see Acts 23:1; 24:16; 1 Tim. 1:19; 3:9).
Actually, when we call on the name of the Lord and exercise our spirit to touch Him and live in the mingled spirit, our conscience will be keen, and we will have a good and pure conscience.
We need to conduct ourselves in all good conscience before God and man, thus being recovered from man’s fall to being under the ruling of our mingled spirit.
We need to exercise ourselves to always have a conscience without offense toward God and men.
We do this by holding faith and a good conscience, concerning which some, thrusting these away, have become shipwrecked concerning the faith.
Whenever there’s an offense in our conscience, there’s a leakage, and our faith is leaking away; therefore, we need to confess any offense and deal with any sin, so that our conscience would be void of offense and good.
Lord Jesus, we want to exercise our spirit to hold faith and a good conscience. We want to always have a good and pure conscience before God and man. Shine on us, Lord, and cleanse us from any spot, any offense, and any sin in our conscience. May our service before You and our testimony before men be one of a good and pure conscience.
Living a Life of Always Rejoicing in the Lord, Praying Unceasingly, and Thanking Him in Everything
The apostle Paul lived a life of always rejoicing in the Lord, praying unceasingly, and thanking Him in everything (Acts 16:25; 27:35; Phil. 4:4; Col. 3:16; 1 Thes. 5:16-18).
He didn’t only charge the believers to always rejoice and unceasingly pray, but he himself practiced this.
When Paul and Silas were in prison, with their feet in stocks, they were not complaining or murmuring, neither were they praying begging prayers to God; rather, at midnight, they were singing and praying, and all those around them were listening.
We all need to practice to always rejoice in the Lord, pray unceasingly, and thank Him in everything. In every situation – whether it is a positive or a one of suffering, whether it is joy or pain, we need to thank the Lord and praise Him.
This will make us as a pattern before others, shepherding them into the enjoyment of Christ.
May we be saved from complaining and murmuring, and may we learn to thank the Lord for all situations, all things, and all people!
Praise the Lord! Amen! Thank You Lord Jesus for everything and everyone in our life. We may not like the things going on and some people around us may give us a hard time, but we thank You Lord Jesus! We want to always rejoice in You, unceasingly pray, and thank You in everything! Lord Jesus, we praise You and we thank You!
Being Allied with God and Assisted by God to Speak Boldly in the Name of Jesus
Paul was allied with God and assisted by God to speak the gospel boldly in the name of Jesus to spread the testimony of Jesus unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 9:20, 27; 26:22-29; 28:31; 1:8; 1 Thes. 2:2; cf. Rom. 15:24, 28).
Whatever Paul did, he did not do of himself or by himself; he obtained help from God, and he stood before men and kings to declare boldly the word of God.
As we exercise our spirit to contact the Lord and be filled with Him, and as we deal with anything in our conscience, we will obtain help from the Lord, and we will be allied with Him and assisted by Him in our speaking of the gospel.
If we look at the Lord’s move and the spreading of the gospel on the whole earth, we can only worship and praise the Lord, for He Himself is the help of all those who go out in His name, and God is moving everywhere.
God helps, God opens doors, God opens countries, and we only cooperate with Him, being allied with Him to further His move and propagate Christ.
We simply need to be allied with God, and we will be assisted by God to speak the word boldly.
Amen, Lord, we praise You for being our ally, our help, and our assistance in speaking the gospel boldly in the name of Jesus! Praise the Lord! We cannot do anything in and of ourselves – we can simply turn to the Lord, be one spirit with Him, and propagate Him with His help to the uttermost part of the earth! Yes, Lord Jesus, we pray that You will be propagated on earth!
Shepherding the Saints by Teaching them the Things of God’s Economy
We need to learn what God’s New Testament economy is, and we need to shepherd the saints by teaching them the things of God’s economy.
Paul was a pattern in this, for he did not shrink back from declaring to the saints all the counsel of God, all the profitable things of God’s economy. We need to learn all the things of God’s economy, dive into them, and minister God’s economy to the disappointed saints, thus comforting them.
When we know God’s eternal economy, we will be solidly grounded and deeply rooted. Then, we will be filled with God’s economy and we will minister to others the things concerning God’s eternal economy, thus encouraging them and comforting them.
Many problems in the church are due to our lack of a deep understanding and realisation of God’s eternal economy. Therefore, we need to take heed to ourselves and to all the saints, learning to shepherd the saints by being watchful and ministering to them the things of God’s economy.
God obtained the church through His own blood; He purchased it with His blood, and we are here to shepherd the saints as the flock of God by ministering the things of God’s economy to them.
The church is so dear and near to God’s heart, and He is not happy when there are wolves coming from outside and people rising up from inside to speak different things. May the Lord keep us in the healthy teaching of His economy, and may we reject any different teachings!
Lord Jesus, keep us in the healthy teaching of Your economy. We want to dive into the things related to God’s eternal economy and learn to shepherd the saints by speaking these things to them. Amen, Lord, grant us Your heart and Your view of the church which You purchased with Your own blood. Grant us to see the church the way You see it, and treasure the saints the way You do. Make us one with You and Your heart’s desire to shepherd the flock by ministering the healthy teaching of God’s economy into the saints.
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, the message by James Lee for this week, and portions from, Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1989, vol. 4, “Talks concerning the Church Services,” pp. 212-214, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Propagating the Resurrected, Ascended, and All-inclusive Christ as the Development of the Kingdom of God (2018 fall ITERO), week 4, Shepherding the Flock of God according to God by Being Patterns of the Flock.
- Hymns on this topic:
# God and man will have one living, / Always in the mingled spirit; / We two are incorporated / One organic entity! (Song on, God has called us for His purpose)
# Oh, by Thy Spirit, fill me, Lord, / The Spirit of Thy life divine, / And saturate me thoroughly / Till all my life is filled with Thine. (Hymns #244)
# God’s intention in this universe is with humanity, / So the Lord became the Spirit just with man to mingled be. / We rejoice that we can all partake of His economy. / Yes, mingling is the way. (Hymns #1199)
About aGodMan
