We should not be afraid of hardships when we serve in each locality, because we have the treasure. If we add to the treasure our labor and struggle, I believe that the whole earth will be ours. After being gained by the Lord, a certain brother of Jewish descent traveled not only throughout the United States but also to Taiwan. He was not afraid of any opposition. All he did was bring the treasure with him faithfully and go everywhere to present it to others. Many people saw his struggle, and as a result he gained many young people. It does not matter how difficult the environment is. The key to success is first a matter of having the treasure and the operating power in us. Second, it depends on whether or not we are willing to labor and struggle. If we have the above two factors, we will be successful no matter where in the world we go.
We have come in contact with many people in the United States. In particular, when we speak with the opposers, they feel that there is not much that they can do to us. This is because we are absolute, not in our intent to please Christianity but in following and speaking the truths in the Bible. Today there are many in Christianity both in the Far East and in the United States who use our materials for preaching. They admit that the exposition of the Bible today cannot surpass that in the local churches.
At the time Paul came out to preach the gospel, the Lord had used the Roman Empire to open the area around the Middle East. At that time a person such as Paul could travel anywhere as long he was a Roman citizen. Similarly, after passing through two world wars, the world has been opened up. In addition, as long as a person can speak English, he can go almost anywhere in the world. This shows us that the Lord has prepared the environment. Now He needs people to cooperate with Him. As long as we bring with us the treasure, such as the Recovery Version of the New Testament, and add to it our labor and struggle, success will certainly be ours.
Those who are serving full-time in various localities should continue to go door-knocking, gaining at least one person every week. This adds up to four persons by the end of each month. In this way there will be five persons who can start a meeting. This is the fastest way of raising up churches. With regard to finances, we should not have the intention of receiving a supply from others. We should never depend on others but rather make a living with our two hands by taking a simple job. Today there are many churches in the Lord’s recovery, and they will not forsake you, but you should not have the intention to rely on them. Rather, you must labor and struggle. This will eventually produce results.
As we all know, life and death are not in our hands. Even a strong man may not live to see another day. Therefore, we should strive to work more for the Lord today. A slothful person will not gain anything, but if we are diligent to seize the time, opportunities and success will be in our hands. We all have the treasure and the mighty power within us. What we need now is not to live a life in “paradise” but rather to go to various localities to labor, struggle, work the mystery of God into others, and let the mystery of Christ shine forth.
Second Corinthians 4:1-2 says, “Therefore having this ministry as we have been shown mercy, we do not lose heart; but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every conscience of men before God.” Paul says that he did not lose heart. The Greek word for lose heartis broad in meaning. It means to be disappointed, discouraged, and hopeless. Therefore, wherever we are, we should not be disappointed or discouraged; we should not lose heart. The most important thing to bear in mind after we have received this ministry is that we should not lose heart. There is nothing that should cause us to lose heart. As long as we endeavor, there will be a way. Moreover, we must renounce the hidden things of shame. On the one hand, we do not lose heart, but on the other hand, we also need to abandon, renounce, the hidden things of shame. There should be nothing about us that cannot be disclosed. Whether we are in front of people or among the coordinating ones, we must have nothing to hide. Everything must be open and apparent before men. We do not lose heart, and we also need to renounce the hidden things of shame.
Furthermore, we should not walk in craftiness. Wherever we are, we need to ask the Lord to make us able to boast that we never play tricks or politics. We may disagree with people, but we cannot say one thing outwardly while thinking another thing behind their back. This is to walk in craftiness. Craftiness may be compared to covering a corpse with snow. When the sun comes out, the snow melts, and the corpse is exposed. When a person tells a lie, it is impossible for his lie to remain unexposed.
Paul goes on to say, “Nor adulterating the word of God.” It is a great mercy given to us by the Lord that not only do we not adulterate the word of God, but we also release and strengthen the word of God. Because we do not adulterate the word of God in any way, Christianity objects to us. To adulterate is not merely to add something evil. It is to add a small amount of a substance to something precious, like adding water to a glass of pure grape juice or like mixing copper with gold. We never sell the truth cheaply, and we never adulterate the word of God. Rather, “by the manifestation of the truth” we commend ourselves to “every conscience of men before God.” This is to allow others’ conscience to speak for us. We all should have this experience.
Moreover, we also see from verse 5 that we do not preach ourselves. Instead, we preach two things—“Christ Jesus as Lord” and “ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.” When we go out, we should not give people the impression that we are exalted persons. Instead, we should give them the impression that we are their slaves, preaching Christ Jesus as Lord.
The Lord not only reveals to us the mystery of God but also shows us that this mystery is both on the Lord’s side and on ours. He is the power operating within us. Although we cannot do anything, we can cooperate by laboring, and we can run ahead of the rest. We can labor in our work and struggle, and the more we struggle, the more the Lord empowers us. Hence, the more we struggle, the stronger we are. We should remain in the Lord’s empowering and labor to move ahead by faith.
As human beings, if we do not believe in Jesus, we feel empty and meaningless. Some people have attained doctorate degrees, become high-ranking officials, and even become affluent, but they feel that life is meaningless. Therefore, as men we should believe in Jesus. Moreover, after a person has believed in Jesus, he must love the Lord. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 16:22, “If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed!” This word is very serious but very real. As men we should believe in Jesus, and after believing in Jesus we should love Him and labor for Him. If we submit to this destiny, everything will go smoothly. Then even though we may labor, we will not feel it. On the contrary, we may feel distressed if we do not labor. This truly is our experience.
I hope that the elders in particular will stop fighting to free themselves from the yoke given to them by the Lord. The Lord told Paul in the New Testament that it was hard for him to kick against the goads (Acts 26:14). It is better if we do not kick, because the more we kick, the more distressed we become. All those who are elders have received a commission from the Lord. This is not a small matter; it is a great matter accomplished by the Lord. If we regard the church as a Christian organization, we may think that it is of little importance. Instead, we must realize that this is the church of the Lord. Since we have been shown mercy to receive this ministry, we should not belittle all these things. In addition, we have also seen that there is a power within us, and now what we need is simply to labor and struggle. If the elders are able to labor and struggle together, the entire church will be on fire and on the move.
(A message given on June 13, 1987 in Taipei, Taiwan)