Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1)
Message Ten
Glory and Glorification as Revealed in the Gospel of John
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
John 17:1 …Jesus…said, Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You.
John 17:5 And now, glorify Me along with Yourself, Father, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
22…The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, even as We are one.
Word of Appetizer
What is glory and being glorified?
Glory is an attribute of God; glory is the manifestation of God, the glorious manifestation of God.
The Son, Christ, as the embodied Triune God, is the glorification of the Father; being glorified means being manifested; to be glorified is to be manifested. Christ is glorified by the Father with divine glory in resurrection; “being glorified” refers to “resurrection,” because the Lord was glorified in resurrection; His resurrection brought Him into glory.
Spiritual Burden
The Lord Jesus prayed that we would enter the highest stage of oneness, oneness in divine glory, so that the Triune God would be corporately manifested: “The glory which You have given Me, I have given to them, that they may be one, even as We are one.” This is the deepest oneness for believers; this oneness is in divine glory, for the corporate manifestation of God; on this side of this oneness, believers have completely denied themselves, enjoying the glory of the Father as the element of their perfected oneness, to be built up and corporately manifest God.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
Glory is an attribute of God; glory is the manifestation of God, the glorious manifestation of God.
God’s glory has an internal relationship with God’s economy.
God’s glory is related to Christ’s incarnation, His going through life, His crucifixion, His resurrection, His ascension, His return, and His being the light in the New Jerusalem.
In the Gospel of John, we can see the glory and being glorified of the Lord Jesus.
The Son, Christ, as the embodied Triune God, is the glorification of the Father.
The Experience of Life
Sin is the lack of God’s glory, thus manifesting sin and the sinful self, and loving the glory of man more than the glory of God; God, through the gospel of Christ’s glory, has called us into His eternal glory with His eternal glory.
The all-inclusive Christ dwells within us as our glorious hope; when we look at and reflect upon the glory of the Lord, we are gradually transformed into His image, from glory to glory.
Practice and Application
The Lord Jesus prayed that we would enter the highest stage of oneness, oneness in divine glory, so that the Triune God would be corporately manifested: “The glory which You have given Me, I have given to them, that they may be one, even as We are one”; on this side of this oneness, believers have completely denied themselves, enjoying the glory of the Father as the element of their perfected oneness, to be built up and corporately manifest God.
The more we live by the divine life and divine nature, the more divine glory there will be in the church; when we are one, Christ is glorified, and the Father is glorified.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23-25, Acts 7:2)
(Please illustrate that how Christ, as the Lamb of God, took away the sin that caused the separation between man and God, satisfying all of God’s requirements for holiness, righteousness, and glory.)
T2 The glory of God is a great encouragement and strength that enables Abraham to follow God (Gen. 12:1, 4, 2 Pet. 1:3)
(Please illustrate that how God also uses His unseen glory to call New Testament believers according to the same principle. )
Day 2
T1 When Christ comes, we shall be glorified in Him, and He shall be glorified in us (Col. 1:27, Heb. 2:10)
(Please illustrate that how we believers are now being transformed into God’s glory and will be brought into this glory; ultimately, we will be glorified together with Christ in the new Jerusalem, manifesting God’s glory.)
T2 The final step in God’s great salvation is to bring many sons into glory (Rom. 8:29-30, Heb. 6:20)
(Please illustrate that Jesus, as the pioneer and forerunner, has already entered glory; now we who follow Him are on the same path and will also be brought into the same glory God ordained for us.)
Day 3
T1 The Lord does not speak on His own authority, nor does He seek His own glory, but the glory of the One who sent Him (John 7:16-18)
(Please illustrate that how the Lord lives a life of constraint, not acting for His own sake, but for God’s satisfaction, seeking God’s glory.)
T2 The resurrection of Christ is His glorification (Luke 24:26, Acts 3:13a)
(Please illustrate that Christ was glorified in His resurrection.)
Day 4
T1 When Christ was transfigured on the mountain, His divine glory was briefly revealed to His disciples (Matt. 17:1-2, 2 Pet. 1:17-18)
(Please illustrate that on the Mount of Transfiguration, the divine element of Christ was released from His flesh and manifested in glory, seen by three disciples.)
T2 The Father is glorified in the Son’s glorification (John 1:14, 12:23)
(Please illustrate that in what three stages will the Lord Jesus’ prayer for glorification in John 17 be fulfilled.)
Day 5
T1 The Father’s glory has been given to the Son, and the Son has given it to the believers (John 17:1, 22-23)
(Please illustrate that what three grounds the believers have for their oneness. )
T2 To be made complete as one (John 17:22-23)
(Please illustrate that what the ultimate oneness is among believers.)
Day 6
T1 The Son of God is to be glorified in the one-ness of the church (John 17:5, 22)
(How does the Son get glorified today, so that the Father is in the Son, and through the Son, is glorified?)
T2 The divine Trinity has this wonderful mutual inward one-ness (John 17:22, Eph. 3:21)
(Please illustrate that how this mutual inward one-ness is repeated in Christ and His believers. )