We also need to train our character in our daily life. We not only seek the constant filling of the Holy Spirit, but we also need to have a good training of our character. Please consider the bookshelves of hymnals and Bibles for public use in various meeting halls. Are the books torn or falling apart? This kind of condition is not appropriate, and this tells us that we do not have a good character. We should know that when a proper person attends a Christian meeting, he will more or less pay attention to the clothing, speech, and behavior of the Christians and the setting of the meeting hall. We need to give people a grave, neat, proper, and dignified impression. All these are related to our spiritual character.
I was trained in my character since childhood. When I came home, I would arrange my shoes properly. I would return things to their original places after using them. Several days ago someone called me in Taipei from Anaheim. I was able to tell them clearly what I put in the right bottom drawer of the desk in my study and what I put in the second drawer on the left of the mirror in my bedroom. I asked them to bring me those things, and they made no mistake. I am an old man of eighty years of age. I say this in hope that the young people among us will train their character when they are young.
Character is cultivated. Man’s character is a matter first of inward nature and second of outward expression. In 1953 I spoke about thirty-two items related to character. At that time I emphasized to the trainees that character is the development of our inborn nature and our acquired habits. While thirty percent of our character is our inborn nature, seventy percent is our acquired habits. Therefore, we all need to learn to be proper people, not only when we visit others in their home but also in our daily life. We should not be loose most of the time and then put on a performance when it is needed. We must continually build up our character in our daily living and seek to always be filled by the Holy Spirit. In this way we will succeed in leading the home meetings.
Currently we have about seven thousand new ones under our care, and there are still about ten thousand new ones whom we are not able to care for, mainly because we do not have enough people to take care of them. I tell you this in order to show you that whether or not the new way will succeed depends completely on the home meetings. If the home meetings are good, the new way will succeed, but if the home meetings are not good, the new way will fail. We believe that in some places the new way will be very successful, while in other places it will not succeed. In yet other places, the new way will half succeed and half fail. It all depends on how the elders and co-workers lead the church in their locality. The key is that they must lead the church in a proper way in order to succeed.
It is difficult for the trainees to live with several hundred people, let alone be trained twenty-four hours a day. However, this is to train their character and help them to exercise their spirit in order to adapt to the environment. Perhaps some of them are the only son or daughter at home, and they were spoiled by their parents and allowed to do whatever they liked. Today, however, since they have chosen to serve the Lord full-time, they must know that in serving the Lord there is not a single thing that will go according to their will. They must be prepared to have a mind to suffer.
A person who is as fragile as an egg cannot serve the Lord. Every person who serves the Lord must be like an egg of marble, even of steel that can withstand a nuclear attack. Only such a strong person can serve the Lord. If we hear a word that wrongs us or does not please us and become hurt and disappointed, then we will not be welcome anywhere. Therefore, we need to learn to be strong in our spirit within and meek without in order to adapt to every environment. This is to have a proper character. If people arrange that we sleep in a room by ourselves, we will be fine. If the arrangement is that we share a room with another person, even with two or three people, we are still fine. If we have to get up early, we are fine, and if we have to get up late, we are also fine. We should be adaptable in all things, whether tough or soft, square or round. Then we will be useful in the hands of the Lord.
In using Life Lessons during a home meeting, we need to remember not to speak too much about other things. It is not even necessary to bring up other Bible verses because all the necessary verses are contained in the lesson. We need to share only what is in the lesson. Some of the contents do not require much time to read. The remaining time should be used to practice singing hymns with the new ones, and at the end we can have a little more time of fellowship with them.
When we read, we should read section by section. For example, the introduction of lesson twelve, “Knowing the Church,” says, “The church is the goal God wants to obtain in His eternal economy.” We should not read this rigidly. Since God’s eternal economy is a major point, we need to read this several times and in a living way. For example, we can say, “Lord, thank You that the church is the goal God wants to obtain in His eternal economy. This is the goal which God plans to obtain in His eternal economy. Every saved person has a part in this goal. Thank You, Lord, we all have a part in God’s eternal purpose.” Lead everyone to read together, not just one person reading. This is the main thing to do. At the same time do not expect to explain the lesson thoroughly the first time. We need to learn that if we cannot explain the lesson thoroughly, we should leave the questions temporarily. Do not attempt to solve them. The new ones will gradually understand.
We must learn to lead the new ones to livingly read concerning the five basic items that Christians must know: first, to know the true God; second, to know Christ; third, to know the Holy Spirit; fourth, to know the cross of Christ; and fifth, to know the church. Every Christian must be completely familiar with these five points. In knowing the church, we first need to know that the church is the called-out assembly. Second, the church is the Body of Christ. Third, the church is the counterpart of Christ. Fourth, the church is the house of God. Fifth, the church is the new man. Then we need to explain that the first title, “the called-out assembly,” is a general term. Then to Christ, the church is His Body and His counterpart, and to God, the church is His house. Finally, for the fulfillment of God’s will, the church is a new man. By leading the new ones to read and speak in this way, it will be easy for them to remember the five main aspects of the church.
Next we need to come back to read section by section. For example, in the section on the Body of Christ, Ephesians 1:22b-23 says, “The church, which is His Body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all.” The content of this section says, “The church is...constituted for Christ in His life and Spirit with all those who have believed into Him.” Such a phrase as in His life and Spirit is an important point, and we need to read it a few more times. Life Lessons is written in a concise way. Every phrase is like a gold nugget that requires repeat-reading with emphasis. Constituted for Christ means not for others but for Christ. Furthermore, the church is constituted not by organization or coincidence but with life; therefore, it says “in His life.” It is also constituted with Spirit, so it says “and Spirit.”
We should not read this passage too fast. All the important points need to be read repeatedly. Sometimes we need to read loudly or even proclaim, but sometimes we may need to read softly. We should practice this kind of reading privately and not wait until we come to the home meeting. To practice repeat-reading is to read over and over again. We also need to practice reading loudly, softly, slowly, quickly, and in a proclaiming way. The lesson itself already gives a clear explanation, so it is not necessary to speak more. It is sufficient simply to read in various ways to express it. Some of the sentences in particular cannot be explained and should not be explained. Once you attempt to explain them, you will deviate from the right meaning. We only need to read them as they are.
The way a child learns to speak is wonderful. For example, when he learns to say “water glass,” he may not fully understand what water is and what a glass is, but he understands “water glass.” Perhaps he once pointed to a water glass and asked what it was. After people said “water glass” a few times, he learned it. It would be redundant to explain that water is a fluid and that a glass is for containing things, and this kind of explanation might confuse the child. We only need to teach him to repeat “water glass” after us a few times, and he will learn. Therefore, do not overly elaborate. I believe that this example will help you understand and receive the benefit.
When we first start reading with the newly saved ones, they may feel they do not know what they are reading. Nevertheless, simply lead them to read a few times. You do not need to say too much. It is enough to say only a little, and they will understand. This lesson can be used for twenty minutes, fifty minutes, or even an hour. The speaking of twenty minutes has its benefits; the speaking of fifty minutes has its benefits; and the speaking of one hour has its benefits. The more closely we follow the lesson, the more they can understand. Do not speak anything other than the words from the lessons and the Bible. I hope that we can all see that this is the way to constitute God’s truth into people. If we do this every week for fifty-two weeks a year, we can expect a result.
This step is the high mountain of the new way, and we must climb it in one accord. If the home meeting is successful, the blessing of the Lord will be with us.
At the present time we have more than ten thousand saints meeting in the church in Taipei. There are more than three thousand saints meeting in twenty-three meeting halls and more than seven thousand saints meeting in thousands of homes. In the coming years, we hope that there will be more than one hundred thousand saints meeting regularly in Taipei. How glorious it would be to have this many saints meeting on a single Lord’s Day. Whether or not the new way will be successful is a matter of God’s eternal purpose, and it depends on whether or not we are willing to do it. The problem today lies not with the way but with whether or not we are willing to take this way and how we take it. I hope that we would all have the same feeling and be in one accord, willing to put our shoulders to the task and take this new way, which is ordained by God.
On the other hand, we still need big meetings. If the Lord has mercy on us, He will allow us to build a big meeting hall in Taipei which can accommodate fifteen to seventeen thousand people so that we can blend with one another.
In any case, we must take this new way. Whether or not this way will be successful depends very much on the trainees. When they go back to their own localities, they should spread the new way and become teachers to train the saints in every place. In this way, after five years this will become our “family tradition.” Then it will not be as difficult as it is today. We may compare this to the way education has been made universal in Taiwan. Because a complete educational system has been established, it is easy to make education universal. We should do something of the same kind. We should work out the crucial points so that the new way can be universalized. Once the new way is universalized, the result will be amazing. Then in a few years hundreds and thousands, even tens of thousands, of saints in Taiwan will go to many places to gospelize the world.
Five hundred thousand saints in Taipei can produce twenty-five thousand full-timers. Since Taiwan does not need this many, these full-timers can go to the whole world. They can go to the Arab nations, India, South Africa, East Africa, and West Africa. Some can go even to northern Europe. If possible, one day we will send some to Russia to gospelize the people there. This is our prospect. We must believe that this will work. Moreover, if the one hundred thousand saints who regularly meet are faithful with regard to their income and consecration to make financial offerings, the supply for the full-timers should be more than adequate.
Finally, we need to declare that this is the proper way. When this way starts flowing, it will be not only a few drops of water but a flood. We all must press forward to succeed in the home meetings, to gospelize Taiwan, and to gospelize the whole world. This is too glorious!
(A message given on March 24, 1987 in Taipei, Taiwan)