Since life in the United States is simpler and there is more time, we can have meetings every day. But how should we have meetings? How should we use our time? This is my point. I encourage you all to labor in the most holy faith to prepare yourselves. You need to spend time to research the book of Matthew. At present we have already expounded the whole New Testament book by book. This exposition is a collection of the church’s biblical knowledge over the past two thousand years. We have collected all the gems, and we have printed them in simple language. If you want to understand the book of Matthew and desire to know what is contained in this book, I encourage you to buy a copy of the Recovery Version of Matthew and read it every day. I also encourage you to read the footnotes and the Life-study messages. In a relatively short time you can finish the reading, and you can grasp the main points. By digesting these main points, you will be able to study the entire book of Matthew within three months.
I once encouraged those among us who just graduated from college not to pursue their careers immediately but to spend the first two years full-time in the church life and to get into the study of the Bible. At present, there is already such a group of full-timers. There may be nearly one hundred of them in Taipei alone. For four hours every morning they study the New Testament with the footnotes and the Life-study messages. I told them that if they would continue for four years, they would finish the whole New Testament. Do not think that four years is a long time. Four years is just the twinkling of an eye. Of course, I do not expect all of you to do this, but in principle, you all need to accept this exhortation. If you cannot finish in four years, you can do it in twelve years. Do not think that you need to study the whole New Testament consecutively from the first book to the last. You may first study these seven books: Romans, John, Hebrews, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. As long as you are persistent and do not stop, you can finish these books in one year. The Gospel of John concerns the matter of life. The book of Romans is an outline of the Christian life and the church life. The books of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians are the heart of the New Testament truths. The book of Hebrews points us to the present Christ who is in the heavens and who is our daily salvation and moment by moment supply. If you study these seven books thoroughly, you will then have something in you. After this, I recommend the first book of the New Testament, Matthew, the last book, Revelation, and one in between, the book of Acts. This makes a total of ten books. If you thoroughly study these ten books, I assure you that you will have something to speak. You will definitely have something to speak. You cannot help but speak. If I ask you to speak the Lord’s word, it may be difficult for you now because within you there is a shortage of vocabulary and utterance. But after you have thoroughly studied these ten books, you will be full of words and you will speak. In this way the problem of your speechlessness will be solved.
In addition, you must get into the truths of the Bible topic by topic. For example, what is repentance, faith, remission of sins, justification, reconciliation, sanctification, transformation, and conformation? These are all truths in the Bible. Two years ago I suggested that the brothers arrange all the biblical truths topic by topic into lessons. Last year many local churches began to have junior and senior high school truth trainings. Two weeks ago I went to Berkeley, California for a conference. I stayed at the home of a brother who has a thirteen year-old son. On Saturday his son went to the University of California at Berkeley and contacted eleven people who were all adults. He said that out of the eleven, seven refused but four received the Lord. He told us what he was preaching. He said, “I told them that man is created by God as a vessel to contain God.” After hearing this, I felt that he was excellent. Furthermore, another brother’s daughter who is sixteen years old also went to the college campus to speak to others, saying, “Man is created by God as a vessel, and God wants to put Himself into man.” I was amazed at the younger generation. Later I found out that they had just finished this lesson in the church’s truth training summer school this year. Since they had just graduated, they all spoke on this.
Two years ago I mentioned in Texas that it is not adequate merely to concentrate on the inspiration of the Spirit, to create an atmosphere, and to give a message during the meetings. This has no educational value. Our meetings and our messages must be educational. To be educational is to follow an educational system to teach the students. All the things that must be learned in an educational system should be compiled into lesson books. Beginning with kindergarten, and then advancing to first grade, second grade, and so forth, the children should be taught grade by grade. After the sixth grade, they will graduate, and then they will attend junior and senior high school. After six more years, they will graduate again and will be qualified for college. In this way, what they have learned will be useful. Without a consistent educational system, it is not possible to properly educate the students merely by teaching them a little this year and a little next year.