I.　The God-ordained way is the scriptural way to meet and to serve for the building up of the Body of Christ:

A.　Without the biblical way for us to meet and to serve, the way that is shown in the New Testament, the Lord's words concerning the building up of the church cannot be fulfilled—Matt. 24:35; 16:18; Eph. 4:11-16.

B.　If 1 Corinthians 14:26 and Hebrews 10:24-25 are not fulfilled, there is no way for the building up of the house of God and of the Body of Christ; the church as an organism is built up by all the saints functioning in the priesthood of the gospel and in meetings in mutuality—Rom. 15:16; 1 Cor. 14:4b, 31.

II.　The God-ordained way, the scriptural way, to meet and serve with all the saints functioning as living members of the Body of Christ is versus the traditional way, the natural way, to meet and serve in the principle of the clergy-laity system, which the Lord hates—Rev. 2:6, 15:

A.　The traditional way is natural and adopts the way of human society for religion—"in the customs of the nations"—2 Kings 17:8, NASB; cf. 1 Cor. 12:2-3; Psa. 100:1; 115:4-8.

B.　The traditional way fits man's natural and fallen condition, is religious, and accommodates the dead man's taste—cf. Matt. 25:23-30.

C.　The traditional way is a way of mixture, mixing the fleshly with the spiritual and the heavenly with the earthly—13:33; Rev. 17:4.

D.　The traditional way binds and annuls the organic function of the living members of Christ and chokes and kills the members of Christ—2:6.

E.　The scriptural way is spiritual, fits the taste of the living and spiritual man, and requires man to be living and in the spirit—John 4:23-24; Acts 13:52; Gal. 5:16; Rom. 8:4; 2 Tim. 1:6-7.

F.　The scriptural way is able to enliven man, able to nourish man in his spirit, and able to raise up the members of Christ for the growth of life—1 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 5:29; 4:15.

G.　The scriptural way is able to develop the organic ability and function of the members of Christ and able to build up the Body of Christ—vv. 12-16.

III.　The God-ordained way to build up the Body of Christ is through four major items, which are big "missings" in today's Christianity:

A.　The Lord desires to recover the functioning of all the members of the Body of Christ in the priesthood of the gospel of God:

1.　We need to preach the gospel to save sinners and offer them to God as acceptable sacrifices—Rom. 15:16.

2.　We need to bring the believers up to lead them to present themselves to God as living sacrifices—12:1.

3.　We need to warn and teach every saint in all wisdom to present each one full-grown in Christ—Col. 1:27-29; Acts 20:20, 31.

B.　The Lord desires to recover the organic building up of the Body of Christ:

1.　The organic building up of the Body of Christ is the increase of the Triune God in the believers for their growth in Christ—Col. 2:19; Eph. 4:15-16.

2.　The organic building up of the Body of Christ is through the members of the Body feeding on the milk and food of the holy Word—1 Pet. 2:2; Heb. 5:13-14.

3.　We need to minister Christ as life to others for the organic building up of the Body of Christ—2 Cor. 3:6.

C.　The Lord desires to recover the perfecting of the saints:

1.　The organic building up of the Body of Christ is through the saints being perfected by the gifts unto the work of the ministry—Eph. 4:11-12.

2.　The gifted persons need to perfect the saints by feeding them according to the tree of life, and the saints need to be willing and ready to be perfected—vv. 12-15; 1 Cor. 3:2a, 6; Phil. 2:13.

3.　The gifted persons need to follow Paul's example by teaching publicly and from house to house and by admonishing each one of the saints with tears—Acts 20:20, 31.

D.　The Lord desires to recover the church meetings in mutuality with all prophesying (speaking for the Lord) for the building up of the church:

1.　Prophesying is the excelling way to dispense all the riches of Christ into God's people for the organic building up of the Body of Christ—1 Cor. 14:4b, 12, 31.

2.　In 1 Corinthians 14 there are thirteen terms used by the apostle Paul to encourage, charge, and compel us to prophesy:

a.　Paul uses five verbs: pursue, desire, seek, excel, and learn—vv. 1, 12, 31.

b.　Paul mentions six results when all prophesy: building up, encourage-ment, consolation, convicting, examining, and making manifest the secrets of the hearts—vv. 3, 23-25, 31.

c.　Paul says that we need to use two organs to prophesy: our mind and our spirit—vv. 15b, 19, 32.

3.　"He who prophesies builds up the church"—1 Cor. 14:4b; cf. Matt. 16:18.

IV.　The God-ordained way to build up the Body of Christ takes place through the vital groups—Heb. 10:24-25:

A.　The purpose of the vital groups is to live the kingdom life and the church life—Matt. 18:15-22; 2 Tim. 2:22; Rom. 14:17.

B.　As the constituents of the vital groups, we need to participate in Christ's wonderful shepherding in His heavenly ministry to bring the Lord's recovery into a new revival—John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28-29; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 5:1-4.

C.　As the constituents of the vital groups, we need to pursue love as the most excellent way for us to be anything and do anything for the building up of the Body of Christ—1 Cor. 12:31b; 13:4-8, 13; 2 Tim. 2:22.