Today our speaking for the Lord is our testifying for the Lord. The Lord’s testimony and the word of God cannot be separated. The word of God speaks concerning the Lord, that is, concerning the Lord’s person, living, and work. However, many Christians today cannot speak concerning the person of the Lord. They cannot speak concerning the fact that the Lord was God in eternity past, and that He was then conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary and was born of Mary, having both the divine element and the human element. These two elements were mingled together to become one person. Therefore, Christ’s person is both God and man; He is the God-man. Most Christians cannot speak a word like this.
Although today we have the Life-study Messages, when we speak for the Lord it is difficult for us to give an adequate presentation. We are like a person who tries to draw a tiger, but his drawing looks like a dog. Therefore, we need much exercise. There is a northern Chinese proverb which says that people may cook with Peking rice and white flour, yet the outcome depends on the skill of the cook. Peking rice is the best rice. Because it was served to the emperor, it was therefore called Peking rice. White flour is also the best flour. The meaning of this proverb is that two people may use Peking rice and white flour, but when one cooks it, it is so tasty, yet when the other cooks it, it is burned. Therefore, we need to be diligent to exercise ourselves in speaking for the Lord.
We will soon begin to write the truth lessons. They will probably be divided into six levels, with each level having fifty-two topics. On the Lord’s Day we will gather together those who have been saved this year and last year, and teach them the lessons in the first level. This will be the first level meeting. At this point we have not yet determined who among those saved for more than two years should attend the meetings for the second, third, and following levels.
When we begin to practice this, we will probably combine the second level with the first, the fourth level with the third, and the sixth level with the fifth. At the beginning we will have only these three levels. After two to three years, we will have six levels going on simultaneously. In this way, the ushers in the meeting halls will be very busy. For example, in hall one in the church in Taipei, each person will be given a name tag. As soon as one enters the hall, an usher will say, “The first level class is on the second floor, and the second level class is on the third floor.” The classes will be divided in this way. We will no longer meet according to our former way, which was like all of the members of a family, from the little child to the grandfather, eating from one big pot. The result of our eating in that way was that after a while, many stopped coming to the meetings.
We all know that we baptize many people every year, but not many of them remain. If you only allow a little child to eat from the big pot and do not feed him with milk, how can he live? Therefore, we need to greatly reconsider our way. We all need to put out a great effort, for it is not a simple matter to change our way.
The church in Taipei is a big church. On the membership record there are over ten thousand members. But those who regularly attend the meetings number less than four thousand, which, roughly speaking, is one third of the total. There are another two-thirds who do not come to the meetings. We have the first name, last name, and telephone number of all those on record. But up to the present time, we have not done well in the matter of visiting the saints.
Many Americans dare not have too many children. After having two children they do not have any more so as to not invite more trouble for themselves and their children. But in preaching the gospel, we cannot be like this. In the United States, it is not a simple thing for an upper-class family to have a child. They have to prepare much for the child, unlike some poorer families who may crowd the entire family into three rooms. The upper-class families provide one room and one bed for each child. They bring them up properly, teach them properly, and care for them properly. From an economic point of view, this is very logical. But from the standpoint of the gospel, this practice is against God’s will. Rather, the higher birth rate of the poorer people is very much according to the Scripture. However, it is wrong to neither feed the children nor teach them properly. In the same way, if we produce new believers, yet eventually we do not feed or teach them properly, this is not right.
Therefore, we need to change our system. But I am not certain as to when we will be able to change the system and when we will finish compiling the truth lessons. I have released so many messages, but now there is a need to select portions from these materials and to teach them properly in six levels. All those who are saved want to know the truth, but if they cannot understand the truth lessons, after a few times they will not want to come. Therefore, we should present the lessons to them well. The more they understand, the tastier the lessons will become. This will attract them, and they will also bring others with them.
We need to pray concerning this matter. In the future, many brothers and sisters will be needed to teach the truth lessons, because we will not teach them in a big meeting for everyone, but the meetings will be divided into levels. Perhaps there will be at least three classes on the Lord’s Day morning: one class from 8:00 A.M. to 9:30 A.M., another class from 9:30 A.M. to 11:00 A.M., and another class from 11:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. Probably there will need to be one class in the afternoon and another class in the evening. This will be a schedule of five classes on the Lord’s Day, with each class being divided into three levels. Therefore, as soon as we begin this practice, the task of teaching the truth lessons will be a very heavy burden. Furthermore, in the long run, after we have taught these six levels, what will we do for the seventh level?
Some among us have been meeting with us for thirty-six years. If we had been meeting according to all these levels, how many times would they have been through the levels? All these are problems to be dealt with in the future. The older ones who have heard the messages for more than thirty years will not want to listen to the beginners’ lessons. As soon as they hear that we are covering the beginners’ lessons, they may say, “Forget it! I shall stay home and rest.” Similarly, the newly saved ones, if they are not able to understand after having listened to the messages a few times, may also say, “I do not want to go.” As a result, only the angels will come. Therefore, I hope that all of us will be diligent. Although we do not have any formal theology, the truth lessons are our theology. Although the lessons have not been written, the material is more than abundant.