In relation to preaching the gospel, there are two categories of hymns that we should be familiar with. The first category is gospel hymns, and the second is hymns on the assurance of salvation. We have many gospel hymns. Hymns, #1080 was written using the thought of the book of Ecclesiastes. There is also #1024, which we used in the gospel marches that we had in the early days in Taiwan. When we sing a gospel hymn, we should not be too concerned about the music; otherwise, we will lose the flavor of the hymn. Instead, we should express the feeling of the hymn.
Many years ago in mainland China Dr. John Sung was powerful in preaching the gospel, and he was full of feeling when he sang a hymn. Once in a gospel campaign meeting, everyone was waiting for Dr. Sung to come to the stage. Suddenly he came in through the main entrance at the back of the hall, singing, “Down with Satan, down with Satan, / Out with sins, out with sins” to the tune of a popular revolutionary chorus. As a result, everyone was enlivened and received salvation without the preaching of a gospel message. In that meeting Satan was defeated, sins were forgiven, and people were released. Therefore, the young saints should not fear their schoolmates who are knowledgeable in science, philosophy, and other subjects. People who seek knowledge are miserable inside. We should lead the people whom we contact at school or in gospel meetings to sing hymns. In order to do this, we need to be familiar with the gospel hymns by reading the ones in our hymnal and learning to sing them.
When we preach the gospel, we should also be familiar with hymns on the assurance of salvation, such as Hymns, #309. It is not difficult for young people to sing hymns, because many of them have a good foundation in music. It is especially not difficult for the sisters to sing hymns, because God created them in this way. In Ecclesiastes 12:4 Solomon is referring to the vocal chords when he mentions “the daughters of song.” When young people sing, there truly is music.
Among the hymns on the assurance of salvation, Hymns, #322, which is about “the Fountain that never runs dry,” is a good hymn. Another good hymn is #296, which was written by Charles Wesley. This is not an emotional hymn; it is very elegant. The first stanza says, “And can it be that I should gain / An int’rest in the Savior’s blood? / Died He for me, who caused His pain? / For me, who Him to death pursued? / Amazing love! how can it be / That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?” The fourth stanza is also very good. When the young saints invite their professors to a meeting, it is good to sing hymns with them. We can choose a stanza that we like and lead our professors to sing with us. This will help them to receive the Lord Jesus. When we sing a hymn, others should be touched. We should then sing with them according to how they are touched. Hymns, #499 is also a good hymn to sing. If we are always singing these hymns, it will be difficult for our gospel friends not to be touched and to believe in the Lord.
Gospel tracts are another tool for preaching the gospel. After we know some gospel verses and hymns, we must pray to the Lord and say that, because we are a branch in the vine, we want to bear fruit by preaching the gospel every day. In addition, the church in Taipei needs to print gospel tracts, and we should all build up the habit of having some gospel tracts with us all the time. Whenever we meet people, we can give them a gospel tract. This practice is effective. When I was young, this was my practice. According to the commercial statistics in the United States, if a person distributes one hundred advertisements and has a three-percent response, he will make a profit. If we distribute one hundred gospel tracts and only one tract is effective, we are making a profit, because someone will be saved.
By distributing gospel tracts, we maintain an atmosphere of the gospel, and we can break through our shyness. Sisters and even brothers feel ashamed to distribute gospel tracts. However, if we are willing to distribute gospel tracts, we will be able to break through this bondage. Because Satan has his power of darkness, we are not ashamed to speak about Confucius, but we feel shy to speak about the Lord Jesus. This happens even in a Christian country like the United States. The feeling of shyness comes from the devil, and the way for us to break through this feeling is to distribute gospel tracts.
The great American evangelist D. L. Moody had the practice of preaching the gospel to at least one person every day, even if he spoke only one sentence. One day he was about to go to sleep when he realized that he had not spoken to anyone that day. Therefore, he quickly got dressed and went out to preach the gospel. Because it was late at night he was unable to find anyone except a policeman who was on night duty. Moody ran to the policeman and told him that he must believe in Jesus to be delivered from perdition. Even though the policeman was offended, Moody was not concerned. Eventually, this policeman was saved. We should all have such an attitude. We should be persistent.