Dear brothers and sisters, we do not need to migrate to Suiyuan or Antung. We simply need to go to the places close to where we live; that is enough. The Lord has already delivered the crops to our door and driven the fish into our water. If we would just give this matter a little attention and exert a little energy, we will be able to gain many Chinese around us, gathering them into our nets and putting them into our storehouses. Now it simply depends on whether or not we will cooperate with the Lord as His good slaves to open our homes to reap and to gather His crops.
The book of Acts shows us that once a church was established, the saints began to preach the gospel and to meet from house to house. Verses 46 and 47 of chapter two speak of the saints’ breaking bread from “house to house” and having grace with all the people, and the Lord adding together day by day those who were being saved. Verse 42 of chapter five says that every day, “from house to house, they [the saints] did not cease teaching and announcing the gospel of Jesus as the Christ.” As we follow their pattern to open our houses, we do not need to find those who are far away. We only have to invite the ones in our neighborhood to come to our house. Do not say that you cannot do it. You cannot because you will not. As soon as you will, the gospel can spontaneously go out.
When the faucet is turned on, more water will come; if you do not let the water go out, no more water will come. Therefore, coming is the effect of going. As long as the water keeps flowing out, the water from the source will keep flowing in. You came because of the Lord’s grace, but if you do not flow out, grace also will stop flowing. Therefore, do not think that you cannot speak; even if you truly do not know how to speak, do not worry. Simply open your doors to invite three or five, or eight or ten, of your neighbors to come for a meal, tea, or a brief conversation. Just tell them that you are a Christian and that you would like to share grace with them. Then you can give them your testimony and lead them to sing a hymn. Once you open your doors and invite people in, once you open your mouth to release what is within you, the Lord will bless and add some saved ones to the church.
To do this will easily bring in people. It is easier than dragging people to the meetings. It is hard not to have a form in a meeting, and once there is a form, people become uncomfortable and uneasy. But if you invite people into your homes to have tea and to talk, they will spontaneously be open. If we do this often, the blessing will pour in like great waters. I believe that after half a year you will see sprouts everywhere. Soon there will be a harvest, and the number of people will more than double.
By observing the situation, you can all see the work of the Lord. When the Chinese come to this country, they feel that they are foreigners. They see Americans all around them, and it is hard for them not to feel alienated. Since you are also Chinese, if you go and pay them a visit to sit in their homes and to warm their hearts, they will be touched. Then you can invite them to your homes and have some association with them. In this way you will surely touch their hearts. Human beings are neither wood nor stones. It takes only a few contacts to move a person. Once he is moved, it is easy to preach the gospel to him.
At the same time, we need to be bold. We are not leading others to go downhill; rather, we are leading them to go upward—to fear God, to worship God, and to believe in the Lord. This is truly the right path. Moreover, our Lord is living. As the Spirit, He is with us and works with us. He blesses and works along with us. Therefore, all that is needed is that we take action. This action is what the Bible refers to as “going.” You need to go!
According to history, America is really the “uttermost part of the earth.” Whether we came as immigrants or refugees, we have all come to the “uttermost part of the earth.” We do not need to exert much energy. We simply need to open the door of our houses to welcome people and sit down with them to talk, sing hymns, and preach the gospel. I believe many will be reaped in. This will be our glory and our crown. Paul said that he was a debtor to all men (Rom. 1:14). I hope that we will have the same spirit to see that we are those who owe the debt of the gospel. Paul also said that it would be woe to him if he did not preach the gospel, but if he preached the gospel, he would be rewarded (1 Cor. 9:16-17). I hope that we will all rise up to be the Lord’s witnesses that we may be rewarded for the gospel.