CHAPTER SIX

FOUR STEPS IN THE ORGANIC WORK
OF THE NEW TESTAMENT PRIESTS
OF THE GOSPEL

Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 4:15; Rom. 15:16; John 21:15; 1 Thes. 2:7; 1 Pet. 2:2; Rom. 12:1; 1 Thes. 2:11; Eph. 4:12-13; Col. 1:28; 1 Cor. 14:23, 3-5

OUTLINE

1. Begetting—in Christ Jesus begetting others through the gospel and offering them to God as sacrifices— 1 Cor. 4:15; Rom. 15:16.
2. Nourishing—feeding the Lord’s sheep as a nurse would cherish her own children, causing them to grow through the milk of the word, and helping them to present themselves as living sacrifices to God—John 21:15; 1 Thes. 2:7; 1 Pet. 2:2; Rom. 12:1.
3. Teaching—entreating and consoling them as a father his own children; perfecting them for the building up of the Body of Christ, until they all arrive at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, and presenting as an offering every man full-grown in Christ—1 Thes. 2:11; Eph. 4:12-13; Col. 1:28.
4. Building—if the whole church comes together in one place, prophesying for building up and encouragement and consolation that the church may receive building up—1 Cor. 14:23, 3-5.

What I am going to speak to you this morning can be considered a condensation of the messages that I have released to you during the past month.

RIGHT IN GOAL AND RIGHT IN METHOD

I would like to begin this way: throughout the last two thousand years, the way Christians should meet, preach the gospel, serve God, and work for God has been a matter of great debate in Christianity. Much argument and debate has centered around this kind of subject. Until today there is no definite solution. But no matter how the debate has gone, still today there are four main items: 1) preaching the gospel to save people, 2) edifying the new believers, 3) perfecting the more advanced ones, and 4) releasing the Lord’s word.

All four items are recorded in the Bible, but few have discovered the organic terms related to these matters. Although many have read the Bible and have identified these points, they carry them out using Gentile traditions and worldly methods. They have not delved into the depths of the revelation of the Bible. The result, of course, has been natural ways and natural methods. Comparatively speaking, these ways are surely easier to accept. For example, in preaching the gospel, the natural way of Christianity would be to carry out a big gospel campaign, inviting specially trained people to come and speak. This is the way commonly used by worldly societies. Christians have never delved into the way of preaching described in the Bible, nor do they care to do so. Even when they know this way, they are not able to employ it. All that they have adopted are religious and organizational methods, which are not the organic work spoken of in the Bible.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter and the apostles preached the gospel in a prevailing way. As a result, three thousand people were saved. The environment for their preaching was absolutely prepared by the Holy Spirit, who gathered men from all corners of the earth. This is different from the way of Christianity today. Gospel preaching in Christianity, such as that found in many kinds of crusades, employs worldly newspapers, social organizations, political movements, and religious organizations to plan, to coordinate, and to rally people. This is the case not only in gospel preaching; in the edification of the believers, the perfecting of the more advanced ones, and the expounding of biblical truths, the same principle is applied. It is an organizational way, not an organic practice. But the Bible teaches us not only that we must preach the pure and holy word but also that the way we preach it must be holy. The goal must be right; the method must also be right.