For the shepherding of the saints, there must be the healthy teaching in the vital groups. In 1 Timothy 3:2 Paul said that an elder should be apt to teach. Teaching here is similar to parents' teaching their children. An elder must be apt to render this kind of home teaching to the members of a local church. Then in 5:17 Paul said, "Let the elders who take the lead well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in word and teaching." Double honor refers to material supply for the support of the faithful elders, especially those who labor to teach others.
In the vital groups, we must have something to teach others. We are the prophethood, the prophets speaking for God, and the sonship, the sons of God. Every son must be a speaker. Today God speaks in the Son (Heb. 1:2), not only the individual Son but the corporate son. As a son of God, we must learn to be a speaker. We can speak of the five great historical events in John 1: creation, incarnation, the Lamb, the Spirit, and the ladder. This will stir up people's interest. When we explain these things, they will be edified.
At another time we can speak of our Lord as the Son of Man, who as the ladder brings heaven to earth and joins earth to heaven. He is the Son of Man who has been lifted up on the cross, just as the bronze serpent was lifted up by Moses (John 3:14). As the Son of Man, He has ascended and is at the right hand of God (Acts 7:56). In Revelation, Christ is trimming all the lampstands as the Son of Man (1:13), and as the Son of Man, He will be sitting on a cloud to reap the harvest of the believers near the end of the great tribulation (14:14). He will return again as the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven (Matt. 26:64). Matthew 25:31 says that He will be the Son of Man sitting on His throne of glory to judge the nations. Eventually, in eternity He will be the Son of Man as the ladder of this universe (John 1:51). If we teach these things, we will stir up people. We have to learn to teach. We have to labor in the Word. If there is no labor, there will be no gain. We lovers and seekers of Christ should learn how to speak as prophets and sons of God.
I hope that we would pray, "Lord, I want to be revived. From today I want to be a shepherd. I want to go to feed people, to shepherd people, and to flock people together." In John 10 and 21 the Lord used three words concerning shepherding: feed, shepherd, and flock. He said, "Feed My lambs," and, "Shepherd My sheep" (21:15-16). He also said, "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must lead them also, and they shall hear My voice, and there shall be one flock, one Shepherd" (10:16). The other sheep are the Gentile believers who would be joined together with the Jewish believers to be one flock. The Lord used the word flock here as a noun. I also like to use it as a verb. We should learn to feed, to shepherd, and to flock together. All the churches have to learn how to flock together so that they can be blent together. In the atmosphere of flocking, people are subdued, convinced, nourished, and stirred up by the Lord. All the nearby churches should be flocked together for the saints to be shepherded and stirred up. The elders and co-workers should take the lead to practice this.
In view of the eternal economy of God, there is the tendency through the whole writing of John to have the church of God issuing in the Body of Christ for the accomplishment of God's eternal economy. Its judicial section qualifies and positions the believers to carry out its organic section by the divine life of the processed and consummated Triune God. But today most Christians are just lingering in its judicial section and are satisfied with it, paying very little attention to its organic section and missing the critical point of the fulfillment of the eternal economy of God. The critical need of the Lord's recovery today is not to be held back by the satisfaction of its judicial section but to press forward to carry out its organic section so that there may be the possibility of accomplishing the eternal economy of God.
This is my desire and my expectation. This is also my admonition. The only way for us to take is the way in the Lord's recovery. What I have presented in these messages shows us the proper way. We must rise up to seek after the Lord so that we can be the overcomers to bring forth the building up of the Body of Christ. Then the Lord will have a way to consummate this age and to bring in His kingdom to celebrate His wedding day for His pleasure and satisfaction. Eventually, this will consummate His eternal goal, the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth.