In this message we will continue to fellowship concerning the way to care for the new believers in the home meetings. To have successful home meetings is not easy; it depends entirely upon our actions. Whenever we do something as a part of the Lord’s work, we must be released persons. We must also be persons who can cause others to be released. As descendants of Adam, all the people on this earth are under some kind of bondage. However, in touching the work of the Lord, we cannot be people under bondage; we must be fully released. If we go to visit a new one’s home to have a home meeting, yet we are not released, this can be very damaging. We all have to learn to get ourselves fully released from every kind of bondage.
There are many things that come to us to bind and oppress us. In this respect, we are very weak and fragile. A small thing can easily bind us. While a brother is driving to a new one’s home for a home meeting, one of his team members may say something about his driving. This little word about his driving will make him unhappy and bind him. In married life it is difficult to be released because small things can easily cause offenses, and to be offended is to be bound.
Before going to visit a home, you may receive a phone call that causes you to become bound. You may feel and realize that you are bound and even pray, “O Lord, release me,” but many times your prayer would not be answered. Then when you enter the home, outwardly you may shout and rejoice, but inwardly you are not released. The Devil knows you are bound, your spirit knows you are bound, and even the new ones will realize that something within you is not so pleasant. Your being bound can kill the home meeting. Regardless of what you would say, preach, or teach, it would not work. Therefore, to work for the Lord effectively, you must be a released person.
Many years ago while I was in Shanghai, Brother Watchman Nee stressed this point very much. He told us that we should never open any letters shortly before speaking for the Lord. If I would open a letter before speaking, I might be damaged and lose my effectiveness. Even to look at the sender’s name and address might bother me. Brother Nee also said that when we are about to speak, we should not accept any phone calls. Many times as I am picking up my books to come to the meeting, the phone will ring. Should I answer it or not? These things are quite bothering.
Another bothering factor can be our children. If we are about to go to speak for the Lord, something will happen related to our children that will bother us. It is easy to see how fragile we are. Many things in our circumstances, in our environment, and in our situation come to us with the intention of destroying our spiritual work. This is why it is hard to find anyone on this earth who is fully released, without any kind of bondage. We cannot avoid people completely. We have to contact others, and the more we contact others, the more bothering factors we will have.
All of us are surrounded by bothering factors. How can we learn not to be bothered? This lesson is endless; we will continue to learn it until we meet the Lord. My burden in this message is to make one basic lesson clear to all of you. Regardless of how much training you receive concerning the home meetings, you must first learn how to get yourselves released. It is possible to do nearly everything under bondage. If you are under bondage, you can still teach in a classroom or you can still learn as a student. However, in touching the spiritual work, as long as you are not released, you can do nothing.
The subtle enemy that damages our work is the one who bothers us. Once we become bothered, we are not released, but bound. Then our work becomes fruitless. For our work in the home meetings, we all must learn to keep ourselves always in the spirit. We should never get out of the spirit to deal with things in our environment or situation. We must preserve ourselves in the spirit. It is also good to try not to get involved in troubling situations. Once you are involved with anything, it is easy to become bothered.
On the negative side, we must learn not to get ourselves involved. On the positive side, we must preserve, or keep, ourselves in the spirit. Then even if someone says something to us concerning our driving, we would not care, we would not be interested in getting involved. The problem is that we are too sensitive and always want to be involved in everything. Some like to know everything and are always hunting for information. If we are like this, we are through with the Lord’s work.
The Bible tells us that while the Lord Jesus was on this earth, He was deaf and blind (Isa. 42:19). He was not actually deaf and blind, but He simply would not hear or see. Sometimes I go places and actually see many things, but I do not care for or pay attention to those things. Instead, I might be considering a certain chapter in the Bible. Therefore, when I return I do not remember many of the things that I have seen. I believe the Lord Jesus’ eyes were very sharp, but He would not look upon so many things. In that sense, He did not see; He was blind. In this same sense, He was also deaf. He did not see and He did not hear, so He did not become involved in so many things. We must realize that we might be persons who are involved in too many things. Some can be among us for only a few days and already be involved in more things than I am. Such persons cannot carry out the Lord’s work. We all must learn not to get ourselves involved with others or in others’ situations. We must be those who know only the Lord and nothing else.
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