In verse 6 Paul says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God made to grow.” If we would grow Christ on God’s farm, we need the planting and the watering. However, we should not think that only those such as Paul and Apollos are responsible for planting and watering. All the brothers and sisters in the church should carry out this work. However, we do not have this concept. Instead, when we discover that a saint is weak in certain matters, we may refer this one to the elders. If a brother comes to you and you realize that he is weak, you should water him. Instead of calling for the elders, you should feed him and nourish him. It is crucial for us all to learn this.
You may feel that you are weak and very low in life. However, other saints are even weaker and lower than you are. Should one of these weaker ones contact you, you need to water him. Then you will be watered also. But this does not mean that we should water others purposely. Rather, the watering should be done spontaneously and even unconsciously. Whenever a weaker one comes to you, do not make up your mind to water him. This is a performance, not genuine watering. If you water another saint spontaneously, even unintentionally, the Lord will sovereignly send others to you that you may water them. Eventually you will discover that by watering others, you yourself are watered. This is true revival. In the church life, we all should water one another. Then we shall grow to produce Christ.
The reason we lack the practice of watering others is that we are still under the influence of Christianity. We, of course, do not have the term clergy-laity, but we may still have this practice. Even though we have left our religious background behind, the influence of this background still follows us and keeps us from watering others. For example, a brother may say to himself, “Who am I? I am nothing. Let the elders and the more experienced ones take care of others. I am just a little brother in the church. How can I help anyone?” This thought must be rooted out of us. No brother or sister should hold the concept that they are too weak or too low in life to water others. Perhaps you are weak, but you are not dead. Even though you may feel dead, the fact that you are still in the church life proves that you are not completely dead. Since you are still alive, you are able to water others. Do not consider yourself useless. Just as all the members of our physical bodies are useful, so there is not one member of the church who is useless and who cannot care for others by watering them.
Because of our religious background, it is easy for us to apply Paul’s word only to such persons as Paul and Apollos. We may think that only certain ones can plant and water, but that we ourselves are not able to carry out this work. Some saints may think that the elders or the leading ones in their locality should do all the watering. Others may concentrate on their own need to be watered by others, not on the importance of watering others. Again I say that this concept needs to be rooted out. We all are able to water others. Let us not carry on the practice of today’s Christianity. The church is the Body of Christ. In the Body every member is useful and can function. May the poison of the clergy-laity practice be completely eliminated!
I hope that all the saints will see that they are able to plant and water. From now on, we should not consider that only the elders and the more experienced ones can help others. Instead, we all must realize that we should be the ones to help others. I encourage you to pray, “Lord, have mercy on me and grant me grace that I may live You in order to water others. Whenever a saint comes to me with a problem, remind me to take up the burden to help that one and to water him.”
Some may fear that if they try to plant and water, they will make mistakes. Perhaps you will do something wrong. But be encouraged that true learning comes from doing, from practicing. You may do certain things wrong, but eventually you will learn from your mistakes and become skillful at planting and watering. In certain matters you may even become more helpful than the elders. The number of elders in a local church is few. How can they care for so many brothers and sisters? Instead of looking to the elders to do everything, take up the burden to care for others, to water them. We in the Lord’s recovery are here for the practice of the church life. In order to practice the church life in a proper way, we all should plant and water.
Because Paul says that he planted and Apollos watered, do not think that Paul is useful only for planting and Apollos only for watering. No, those who labor on the farm do not only plant or water; they do whatever is necessary—plant, water, supply fertilizer, and even cut and trim the plants. Through practice we shall learn to do all these things in the church life. It is not true that you should only plant or water and not be involved in the other things. Rather, we all must learn to do whatever is needed to produce the growth of Christ on God’s farm. This even includes learning to kill the “bugs” that trouble the growing plants. A weaker saint may contact you, and you may realize that he is bothered by a particular bug. Spontaneously, you may realize that you also are plagued by this bug and that you both need the same medicine.
I hope that all the saints in the Lord’s recovery will touch the burden in this message and also enter into the spirit in which it is given. Then we shall be helped to grow on God’s farm to produce Christ, and we shall also learn to take care of others.