We should also practice this kind of coordination in the meetings. Some brothers like to shout, and others prefer to be quiet. Sometimes those who like to shout need to walk backward and learn to be quiet. At other times those who are quiet should walk backward and learn to praise the Lord with a loud voice. The problem is that neither those who like to shout nor those who prefer to be quiet may be willing to walk backward. In the meetings we need to learn to walk straight forward, backward, and sideways. Such a practice will keep us from having divisions in the meetings.
In the church life we need to be able to walk straight forward, backward, and sideways. This will cause us to be truly coordinated.
To walk backward is to say “Amen” to another’s ministry, function, and burden. While one brother is walking straight forward according to his burden, you should say “Amen” and walk backward in coordination with him. To walk sideways is also to say “Amen” to another’s function. The problem today is that in the churches there are too many turns and too little of the backward walk and the sideways walk. It is very difficult to help the brothers and sisters to walk sideways. Few are willing to walk in this way.
In a local church a certain brother may be very active in taking care of a particular service. He does a good job in this matter, but he is constantly searching for capable ones to join him in this service. He cares only for this service and neither for the preaching of the gospel nor for the building up of the saints. Because he cares only for his particular service, eventually he will cause a problem in that church. From this we can see that it is easy for us to cause a division, but it is difficult for us to have the proper and real coordination.
We all need to keep our position and go straight forward. We also need to learn to walk backward and sideways, saying “Amen” to another’s position, function, and ministry. This means that in the church life we all need to learn to have four kinds of walk: the straight forward walk, the backward walk, the sideways walk to the right, and the sideways walk to the left. If we do not learn to have these four kinds of walk, we will become a problem to our local church. The more we grow, learn, function, and minister, the more trouble we will cause because we know only how to walk forward and to have turns.
We need to realize that there are no turns in the proper coordination. There is no turning to the right or to the left. Instead, we have the four kinds of walk—straight forward, backward, sideways to the right, and sideways to the left.
If you are the one who is walking straight forward, you must be very careful to walk according to the leading of the Spirit. Ezekiel 1:12 says, “Wither the spirit was to go, they went.” To follow the Spirit is the responsibility of the one walking straight forward; it is not the responsibility of those walking backward or sideways. If the one who is walking straight forward is not careful to follow the leading of the Spirit, the coordination will be damaged.
For example, it is right that one brother should have a ministry of preaching the gospel and that another brother should have a ministry of shepherding. But there must be the leading of the Spirit concerning the time for preaching the gospel and the time for shepherding. When it is time for the church to carry out the ministry of preaching the gospel, the brother with this ministry should take the lead under the guidance of the Spirit, and the whole church should follow and be one with this brother. Those with a different ministry or function should coordinate by walking backward or sideways.
Sometimes a certain brother should take the lead to move in a certain direction. However, because he is naturally humble, he hesitates and does not take the lead in a bold way. This causes the church to be delayed and to have no direction for its going on. At other times one who should not be leading takes the lead. This damages the church life. When it is time for you to take the lead, do it boldly. When it is time for others to take the lead, learn to walk backward or sideways. This will enable the church to go on in a good way.