The number of people in the church in Kaohsiung is much less than in the church in Taipei, but in principle, all the problems mentioned above are also in Kaohsuing, and there may be even more. Two years ago we reached one thousand four hundred saints, but today there are only a little over this number. There has been no increase in the number of saints during the last two years. Although some have been saved, not many remain. This is our problem.
Concerning our coordination, there are problems in every place, and the most serious problem is the problem among the responsible ones. If the responsible ones did not have problems, there would be no problems in the church. All the problems are due to a few leading ones. Some of the leading ones are aware of the problem, but others are not conscious of it at all. Even though our present coordination does not result in many problems or arguments, it is not strong. Although we often fellowship and pray together, we are not very open in our fellowship. I hope that through Brother Lee’s leading in this matter, we can have more openness in our coordination. Due to this lack of openness, we have suffered a great loss. The lack of openness in the coordination of the different districts has resulted in barriers because the districts do not know what the other districts are doing. As a result, we are weak in our service. I hope that Brother Lee can give us some help on this point.
In addition, some saints with a heart to serve were brought in, but they have been unable to learn and become useful through our present arrangement. In other words, there are not many who can be group leaders. This lack of group leaders has caused many of those who were brought in to backslide. Our real lack is a failure of the responsible brothers of the church to perfect the group leaders. Furthermore, a great problem in our taking the lead in the church is that we are short of the supply of the word. There is a shortage of the supply of the word in the meetings, and there is also a shortage of the stirring-up word in the service; this is a great problem. This problem cannot go away in a day or two. This requires the Lord’s special mercy.
Furthermore, in taking care of the young brothers and sisters, the greatest difficulty is the matter of marriage. On the one hand, we are short of people who have the burden to serve in this matter; on the other hand, it is not easy for the young people to receive guidance. How should we take care of this?
The openness in coordination depends entirely upon breaking. If a person has not been broken, even his being open is natural. Some people open their door but do not know when to close it; their door is always open. This is something of their natural being and is useless; besides, it can bring in many troubles. Some people are born without a door and without windows; they are closed persons. Some people have a doorway and windows, but because they do not have a door or windowpanes, their doorway and windows are always open. All of these situations are wrong. If there is a doorway, there also should be a door. When guests come, we should open the door, but when dogs and cats come, we should shut the door quickly. We should be able to open and close every door and window. However, some of us cannot open, and others cannot close. Both those who cannot open and those who cannot close need to be broken.
In the church life we often meet people who are open to everything, but there is no benefit in this. There are also people who can be compared to a steel wall—no one can touch what is within them because their whole being is closed. They are so closed that no one can tell if they are happy or sad. In discussing a certain matter with them, we cannot tell whether they agree or disagree. However, as far as loving the Lord is concerned, they truly love the Lord; as far as loving the brothers is concerned, they genuinely love the brothers; and as far as service is concerned, they are even very diligent. But regrettably they are closed. They will do everything we may ask them to do, but we cannot tell whether they do it willingly or unwillingly. We cannot touch what is within them. We may bear some responsibility for a meeting with them and even discuss a certain matter together, but when we speak to them, they do not even move their eyes. They simply listen quietly, and when we finish speaking, they get up and leave. If we were to ask them whether they agree or disagree, they would not express anything; to them, both are right and neither is right. There are such people among us. No matter how angry others are, they will not become angry, and no matter how hard people laugh, they remain unmoved. Such ones cannot open themselves properly until they have been broken in their natural life.
A person who has learned spiritual lessons and has been deeply broken before the Lord can be quite open, but his being open is very appropriate. This kind of person knows to what degree he should be open and to what degree he should be closed. He can open to others what needs to be opened and keep to himself what does not need to be opened. If we have learned the spiritual lesson, we will know whether our opening to people is natural or spiritual. This is a matter of being shown mercy.
There was a brother who was “led” to fellowship with us. We did not know whether this “leading” was of the flesh and the natural being or of the Holy Spirit and revelation. He said, “Our problem is that we have too many complaints within us. We do not open to one another; instead, we hold the problems within. So let us learn to open ourselves to one another.” We all felt the same way and said it would be good. However, when we opened up, we quarreled and rebuked one another. That was probably the most serious quarrelling and criticizing in the history of the church in that locality. There was an opening, but the opening issued in rebuking. Some took credit for all the accomplishments, some complained that they were despised, and still others felt that they were misunderstood. What is this? This is absolutely the openness of the flesh. Thus, to be open is not necessarily good. Only when a person is broken can he have a real and proper openness.
Being open depends altogether upon whether we know the Body and whether we know the church. It is a matter of being shown mercy. The openness of a person who has been shown mercy is spiritual and fitting. His being closed is also spiritual, fitting, and proper. This is not a matter of being taught or learning a method; it is a matter of being shown mercy and of being broken before the Lord.