We have spent more than four years in Taipei to study the new way. Today we can say that the basic framework is here in the church in Taipei; the church is now on the right track. There is now the basic framework of the gospel, the homes, the small groups, and the districts. But the content must go up to match the basic framework. The key to a breakthrough depends very much on the elders.
Before you practice the new way and have the three levels of meetings in the homes, the small groups, and the districts, you must first be a revived person. In addition to a revival every morning and overcoming every day, you must pray, follow the Spirit, live Christ, and labor diligently. I hope that you would rise up to pick up this burden. The Lord Jesus gave two examples in Luke 14: “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, will not first sit down and calculate the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” (v. 28). “Or what king, going to engage another king in war, will not first sit down and deliberate...?” (v. 31). Both of these examples show that a Christian’s life is one that should be planned. How should I conduct my life? Other than my office hours, how much time should I give to the Lord? There must be some form of planning and reckoning. We have lived foolishly for a long time. From now on, we must not be foolish any longer.
As elders, you have a heavy responsibility upon you. There must be planning and reckoning. To work, to raise up a family, and to improve oneself are all necessary occupations. But I also believe in the sovereign hand of our Creator, God, who is arranging all the environments. As long as we work according to the proper principle, we should not have any difficulty. Today you are in the Lord’s recovery. You can no longer be as foolish as you were before. You have to be like Paul who ran not without a direction and who wrestled not as beating the air (1 Cor. 9:26). You must have a goal. Since the Lord has set you in the eldership here in Taipei, you have to treat the matter seriously. You have to pray much before the Lord. If you are not clear yourself, you should seek the fellowship of two or three brothers together. Find out from them what an elder should do. If you would live an overcoming life every day and would touch the Lord every morning, having a fresh beginning every day, and walk according to the Spirit, your time will not be wasted.
Dear brothers, as long as you are willing, there is nothing that is impossible to do. Every week, other than the Lord’s Day, you should devote at least two entire evenings for serving the Lord. Either you should go out to preach the gospel by visiting people, or you should go to home meetings or small group meetings. On the Lord’s Day, you will invariably meet with the brothers and sisters. In Taipei, most people work during the day and rest during the evenings. In addition, most people have a day and a half rest during the weekend. This kind of arrangement is very suitable for us in order that we might serve the Lord. As long as we would plan a little and devote two evenings out of each week to the Lord, we can surely accomplish something. This is an effective way. We have studied it already, and the basic framework has been set up. The rest depends on you elders.
Now we are very clear that the first work of the New Testament priest is to bring in the sinners and offer them up as offerings. After this, you have to do some fine work, constantly arranging the showbread through the supply of life and dressing the lamps through releasing the truth. The arranging of the showbread and the lighting of the lamps are done in the small groups. In addition to this, you must pray for others. This is what Paul meant in Colossians chapter one when he said that he announced this Christ, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that everyone might be presented full-grown in Christ. If everyone would do this, the result will be a universal priesthood. Everyone should preach the gospel. Everyone should feed the Lord’s sheep. Everyone should learn to function and teach in the small group meetings. And everyone should prophesy in the district meetings. In this way, the whole church will be priests, and the clergy will disappear.
We have to cover another point concerning the division of the small groups. It is not easy to group the small groups. If the number increases, it is imperative to subdivide. But it is also important that subdividing not be done too soon. Those who are more experienced should observe closely the actual condition of the small groups. For example, after you preach the gospel and people are saved, you should have three or four people under your care. You should do your best to bring them to the small group meetings. If each one would bring one, eight would bring another eight, and sixteen people would make a good meeting. This way of meeting will enable the new ones to learn. They will not know anything about the religious worship service but will only know how to meet in this kind of organic way. After meeting in this way for three months, more people will be brought in. Perhaps the number will increase to twenty-five. By then, you will have to subdivide. In this subdividing, each group will have some older saints as well as some new ones. Gradually, the groups will repeat the cycle to multiply and spread over and over again.
The most difficult thing to do in the district meeting is to prophesy. All of you have to strive. You must strive to teach and strive to speak. You must seize every opportunity to practice. On Saturday, you should put together the inspiration you received during the daily revival throughout the week and make a composition out of this for your prophesying on the Lord’s Day morning. This is the right principle. However, you must remember that you cannot speak as long as in a sermon. The best way is to prophesy concerning one point only. In a district meeting on the Lord’s Day morning, if fifteen people would stand up to speak on fifteen points, the meeting will be rich. The leading ones must teach everyone and should correct them. In this way, no one will become lazy among us.
If everyone would be busy preaching the gospel, and if after the babies are born, everyone would be busy nourishing them, and if after they are nourished, every one of them would be grouped into the small group meetings, and if those who have received light, experience, and revelation from the Lord’s word would prophesy in the district meetings to build up the church, I believe in one to two years time, a good foundation will be laid. As long as we all would strive, the new way will not only be here with a basic framework but will be rich in its content as well. In this way, the reality of 1 Corinthians 14 and Ephesians 4 will be fulfilled among us in a living way, and God’s goal will be attained.