EP743
Paul remembered those glorious truths while he was in jail, which made him the most joyous.
  1. Paul is a very good example showing that even when in jail, he could rejoice.

  2. In the book of Philippians, he reminded brothers and sisters to rejoice.

  3. God Himself is the God of joy.

  4. God gives us great gifts and blessings.

  5. God swore to give us the Lord as our High Priest. He established the new covenant for us.
EP744
What happened to the Church is the most wonderful; we can rejoice in and celebrate for it.
  1. In Ephesians Chapter 3, God showed us His secret. He is the most glorious and infinite God who reveals His heart to us as His friends.

  2. Ephesians 3:8–9 — The Church is the mystery, and Christ is the mystery of God. These two mysteries are related.

  3. Ephesians 3:9–10 — Through the Church, the whole universe will come to know God’s glory and wisdom.

  4. We are the main characters and we enjoy the greatest blessings.

  5. If we don’t know the truth, we will lose our joy and miss the blessings.
EP745
The Church is the object lesson to show God’s glory; the angels desire to look into this (1 Peter 1:12).
  1. The Church is God’s object lesson to show His glory. May we know the Church and God’s whole plan in accomplishing His will.

  2. God has much preparation, sacrifice, and commitment in His plan. We also need to know how the Church came into existence, progress, and is going to be accomplished. We should know the Church’s role and position in different generations.
About Joy
  1. 1 Peter 1:8 — Rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

  2. Psalm 43:3–4 — It’s not saying God is the most joyous, but that we are going to God, who is our exceeding joy. Every day we should go to God, who can make us the happiest.

  3. If you want to be happy without drawing near to God, it’s impossible.

  4. Nothing can make Brother Fish happier — this is his testimony.

  5. Someone’s greatest joy might be eating, yet God is my exceeding joy.

  6. He is the God of joy. Those who are sad cannot give you joy.

  7. God Himself is the fountain of joy, and when we draw near to Him, we are immediately changed.

  8. Psalm 73:26 — We can immediately experience this change.

  9. 1 Peter 1:8 — Temporarily we cannot see Him, but one day we will see Him.

  10. The joy we have in Him is unspeakable; we could never describe any earthly joy like it.

1 Peter 1:10–11
  1. Many prophets were guided in their hearts to understand the truth of salvation, and they spoke about it — e.g., Psalm 22, Isaiah 53.

  2. Daniel even mentioned the time of Christ’s death.

  3. How wonderful are all the prophecies, like the restoration of Israel and other nations. It is clearly mentioned in the Book of Daniel, which also speaks about the end times.

  4. The great prophecy of seventy sevens in Daniel also mentioned what would happen, etc.

  5. The Bible is a wonderful book.

  6. Whether you know God’s word or not makes a big difference; it’s like the two disciples who left Jerusalem after the Lord’s death. They were sad, but the Lord appeared to them in a very interesting way.

  7. The Lord had a Bible study with them and kindled their hearts to be passionate again.

  8. Before Brother Fish believed, he felt the Bible was boring, but after he believed, everything changed. He was greatly affected by the Bible.

  9. We should treasure the Bible and not take it for granted. Those who wrote the prophecies might not have understood as much as we do now, for the Holy Spirit has come to lead us into all truth.

EP746
The Church is the object lesson (1 Peter 1:11).
  1. If the Jews had understood and believed, they would not have crucified the Lord. They could not accept that the Messiah had to suffer and die. Their image of Christ was that of a great Saviour and King. They could not accept His lowly image and felt it was a great shame.

Luke 24:27
  1. The same was true for the two disciples who left Jerusalem after the Lord’s death. On the road to Emmaus, the Lord appeared to them and helped them understand that Christ had to suffer before entering His glory.

  2. They had a long walk with the Lord to understand it. Today we also need to give God time to let Him speak to us.

  3. Now we can understand better, for we are a new creation and the Lord is in us. We can understand not by man’s wisdom but by His light and inspiration. He shares His thoughts with us.

  4. The two disciples changed and became passionate again. Their eyes were opened when they dined with the Lord and recognized Him (Luke 24:31). They went back to Jerusalem to share the good news.

  5. If our eyes can see the Lord and the truth, we will be encouraged — just as Brother Fish was changed in his ministry after understanding the Church. We will be motivated to offer ourselves and work diligently in preaching and shepherding brothers and sisters.

  6. We will also see how glorious this commission is.

1 Peter 1:11
  1. The Jews could not accept the Lord because of their ignorance. They could not accept that Christ had to suffer and die on the cross.

  2. They only wanted the Messiah to defeat their enemies and save them.

  3. They could not understand their inner need — that sin must be forgiven. Even so, they cried out, “Crucify Him!”

  4. Today we also need to be careful to do what God wants most — to do His will, not just our own. If what we do is not God’s will, how great is the waste.

  5. If we understand the Church, how can we be bored or feel empty?

  6. There are so many needs in the world. Many nations are waiting for the gospel and the truth.

  7. How can we feel we have nothing to do after retirement? Brother Fish never thought about retiring.

  8. Brother Fish continued striving hard to learn. He practiced self-control in order to do more for the commission.

  9. Paul was passionate, and persecution could not stop him.

1 Peter 1:12
  1. The angels saw many things happening in the world and also desired to look into them.

  2. They wanted to understand more in order to know God’s wonderful plan. They are amazed by God’s love and actions.

  3. They know God more through what God has done for the Church, and show fear and respect.

  4. How much more should we, as the blessed ones, desire to understand!
Ephesians 3:10
  1. We join the best “school” to learn about God. He Himself teaches and inspires us every day when we draw near to Him and when we meet together.

  2. Proverbs 8:34–35 — Wait to learn every day.

  3. Luke 10:42 — The best part of every day is to sit before the Lord and listen to Him.

EP747
The Church is the Firstborn of God

God’s Love Dream
  1. Abba’s love dream is for us to be His true-born sons. The Lord’s love is for us to be His dearest and most compatible darlings.

  2. The most wonderful thing is that the infinite God desires the deepest relationship and union with us.

  3. Do not look at your outward appearance to define your value. We are not ordinary — God loves us and gave Himself for us.

  4. We should treasure His will for us, and we need to treasure ourselves.

  5. Hebrews 2:10 — He will lead many sons to glory. We are not only His children but His glorious sons.

  6. Romans 8:16 — The Holy Spirit is sent to live in us, witnessing that we are God’s children.

  7. We can call God “Abba Father.” The Holy Spirit leads us into the Father’s love and affection.

  8. No parents love their neighbours as they love their children. This shows the wonder of God’s creation — that man experiences deep love and affection in a family. Yet even this cannot be compared to God’s love and affection for us. We affect the Father the most.

  9. This is the wonderful thing that happened to us when we believed.

  10. Another wonderful thing is that we can experience and taste this love and affection personally.

The Firstborn of God
  1. Hebrews 12:23 — We are the firstborn.

  2. Romans 8:17 — We are co-heirs with Christ.

  3. This is different from human inheritance, where parents must die before children can receive it. God continually increases His inheritance to Christ and every son. Our Father is the living God. He continues to protect and bless us.

  4. Luke 15:31 — The Father said, “All that I have is yours,” but the older son did not understand. The Father has already granted all blessings.

  5. The prodigal son did not understand the father’s love and inheritance, so he ran away.

  6. We need to know God in order to be truly happy.

  7. We need to enjoy the Father’s love and plan to love one another. Otherwise, like the older son, we may become jealous of others.

Inherit All
  1. God wants us to be co-heirs with Christ — to inherit all that He has.

  2. This inheritance is not given after death; He continually increases our possession.

  3. God’s Kingdom expands continuously, and we will reign together with Him.

  4. Revelation 22 — We will be kings forever and reign without worry.

  5. Now is our training for eternity. All the things we do now are small compared to our eternal inheritance.
EP748
The Church is the Firstborn, and the Lord Became the Lamb of God to Make It Possible
  1. The Lord gave Himself for us — He is the Lamb of God.

  2. Exodus 12 — The first Passover is called “the night of the Lord.”

  3. It was not merely a prophecy but a type — yet the Lord died on the day of the Passover.

  4. The Book of Daniel clearly mentions when the Messiah would die — and the Lord truly died on that very date.

  5. God loves us so much that He wants us to be confident in the truth of salvation and His love.

  6. Psalm 22 prophesied how He would die for us.

  7. It also prophesied the success of salvation — that the Assembly (the Church) would be born.

  8. The Lord is active in the gathering of the Assembly, leading the praises.

  9. The Lord not only declared the Father’s name while on earth, but He still does so every day in our gatherings.

  10. He is active — as in Song of Songs — shepherding His sheep among the lilies.

  11. In every meeting, He is helping and speaking.

  12. He loves the Church — He once died for the Church, and His love remains the same. He continues to bless and love us.

  13. This love is personal — He loves me and died for me. Yet He also loves the Church and died for the Church. He wants to embrace all of us together as one family.

The Angels Can Learn from the Church’s Love and Unity
  1. We are not individual saints saved by grace — we are joined together as a family.

  2. The angels observe that although we may not always spend time together or talk much, when we gather, we share one heart and one mind to love and worship. Even without words, our harmony in worship reveals our unity in the Lord and the Holy Spirit.

  3. Only those who are truly saved can be united as one family.

  4. Our gathering also shows that the Lord is real and living (John 14:19).

  5. The Lord has come, and we can experience Him. He is the vine, and we are the branches — He supplies all our needs.

The Lord’s Night Is Wonderful
  1. Exodus 12 is a strong type showing the salvation of the Lord — He is the Lamb, and by His blood we are redeemed from the power of darkness.

  2. Exodus 12:42 — the Passover is “the night of the Lord.”

  3. From that night, through the practice of the Passover, we see God’s love for Israel — how He saved them and guided them out of Egypt by His mighty arm.

  4. The blood on the doorposts and lintel represents the blood of the Lamb and His death on the cross.

  5. It is His love and affection that makes it “the night of the Lord.” He treasures what He has done for mankind.
EP749
The Church Is the Object Lesson Showing God’s Wisdom and Power to Perfectly Solve Man’s Greatest Problems

 We Are More Glorious than Adam Before He Sinned
  1. Though man’s sin is tragic, God uses it to reveal His glory and power.

  2. Ephesians 3:10 — Both good and fallen angels see God’s wisdom through the Church.

  3. When angels look at the Church, they witness how she goes through trials and is molded to be like God.

Three Great Problems
  1. The angels sinned — when one angel sinned, he influenced others and tempted man to sin. The fallen angel continues to tempt mankind.

  2. Man sinned — yet mankind continues to multiply, as God commanded (Gen 1:28). Thus, sin continues to affect humanity.

  3. Man in eternity — will future generations sin? If sin were not fully dealt with, how could eternal life be secure?

When Man Sinned, What Did the Angels Think?
  1. They thought it was a great problem — since God is righteous, there seemed to be no solution. It affected not just one generation but all ages.

  2. Yet God, in His wisdom, used the problem to reveal even greater glory and love.

  3. When Adam was in Eden, God’s glory was not as deeply revealed as it is now through salvation and the Church. Angels see God’s righteous judgement.

  4. Isaiah 66:22 — (Isaiah has 66 chapters, mirroring the whole Bible). Chapter 66 speaks of the new heavens and new earth. Nothing can destroy God’s chosen nation, just as nothing can destroy the Church. God remembers His covenant with His friends (John 15:15 — we are now His friends).

  5. Isaiah 66:22–24 — It describes the place where worms never die and fire is not quenched.

  6. This helps those in God’s Kingdom understand the consequences of sin.

  7. Yet what truly helps people not to sin is the Church (Eph 3:21).

  8. We are glorious witnesses of God’s love and glory. We testify to others of what is best — they see God’s power in us, who were once sinners but are now changed and able to love one another in the Church.
EP750
The Church Is the Object Lesson — God’s Solution to Man’s Sin Reveals His Glory Through His Love
  1. 1 John 4:19 — The opposite of sin is love. Why can we overcome sin? Because we are changed by His love. Sin is selfish, but love gives and shares.

  2. God is utterly selfless — His love and giving overflow.

  3. Romans 13:10 — If you love, you fulfill the law; if you love, you will not sin.

  4. 1 Corinthians 13 — Love is the greatest. Love is patient, full of hope and acceptance. Love never fails.

  5. The Lord’s love never fails. Even when we stumble or fall, His love remains the same.

  6. In the coming ages, mankind will not sin because they will see God’s love. We are the witnesses of that love.

  7. God demonstrated His love on the cross. The wounded side and scars are proof — His hands, feet, and side deeply move us and future generations.

  8. We can share with others the reason for the Lord’s scars and how His love has transformed us.

The Other Side — What Stops People from Sinning
  1. The consequences of sin — we see the hell of fire, and the judgement that fell upon the fallen angels and sinful men.

God’s Wisdom and Glory Shown through Christ and the Church
  1. The Lord came as a man, born in a manger — and the angels sang.

  2. He laid aside heaven’s glory and humbled Himself to reach mankind. Angels saw His glorious throne and the light that no one can approach.

  3. He lived among the disciples, gently speaking and walking with them.

  4. The Lord died on the cross for us. We sinned, but He paid the price.

  5. The Lord perfectly solved our sin problem.

  6. Not only did He remove our sins, but He gave us Himself — the most precious One now lives in us.

  7. The Lord said He leaves His peace with us.

  8. In Him, we experience harmony with the whole universe (Eph 1:10). What king would die for his people? The Lord did — His love made Him worthy to be King (Phil 2:8). Every creation submits to such a King, who brings great harmony.

  9. When we experience His love, we too will love others.

God Solves the Problem Perfectly and Eternally
  1. He not only solved the problems of the past but also secured all eternity.

  2. The angels know God is righteous — they could not imagine how He could forgive sinners. Yet He sent His Son — what amazing wisdom and love.

  3. The Bible repeatedly says, “Do not fret because of evildoers” (Ps 37:1). When we remember eternal justice, our hearts are at peace.

  4. God set Christ and the Church as positive witnesses, and the devil and evildoers as negative proofs — showing that He is righteous and wise in all things.

  5. God is worthy of all praise. The Lamb is worthy of the crowns and to open the seven seals.

  6. Its effect lasts for eternity (Eph 3:9).

  7. Why did God keep it a mystery? To show its preciousness and deepen its impact on those who receive it.
EP751
The Church Is the Mystery of God that Shows His Wisdom


Romans 16:25–27
  1. 1 Corinthians 2:6 — The wisdom of God exceeds all human wisdom and knowledge.

  2. The Holy Spirit has come to reveal God’s secret to us.

  3. We are His closest friends, to whom He shares His secrets.

  4. The Book of Romans is about the gospel.

  5. The latter chapters also mention the Church — the gospel brings forth the Church.

  6. Verse 25 — Romans speaks of the gospel, the preaching of Jesus Christ, and the mystery of the Church that was kept secret.

  7. Through these truths, we are strengthened. The prophets and angels carefully examined them. How much more should we let these truths strengthen and impact us! We should know how deeply God loves us.

  8. Verse 26 — This mystery is now revealed. God’s plan is for it to be spread to all nations so all may know the gospel, the Lord, salvation, and the Church.

  9. God wants everyone to be obedient.

  10. This passage especially emphasizes that He is the wise God.