This is our way of taking people on. If we cannot accomplish this in one year, we will do it in two years. Do not be in a rush. Rather, continue steadfastly in three things: visit by door-knocking, have home meetings, and teach the truth. Do not set a time limit and say that you will take care of a new one for only three months; then if he does not come along in three months, you will abandon him. In our nourishing and teaching of the new ones, there is no need to keep track of time. Regardless of how long it takes, we will continue to lead a new one into the truth. To do this even until the Lord comes back is worthwhile. Some people are peculiar and bent strangely. If you tell such a one to go east, he will insist on going west; if you ask him to go fast, he will be deliberately slow. It seems that he may not change even when the Lord comes back. Nevertheless, you must still wait patiently and continue to maintain your fellowship with him. This is true not only with new ones but also with the believers who do not come into the church life. If we are willing to be faithful in this way, the Lord will surely reward us when He comes back. He will say to us, “Formerly this child of Mine was not being edified in the truth, but because of your faithfulness, he has been edified.”
When we practice this way, we also break three matters. First, we break the concept of most Christians that people in the Lord’s recovery are reserved and self-confined. In the past, many have said that we are stealing their sheep. Rather, we are going out to gain new ones, nourish them, care for them, and build them up. In this case, those who criticize us will be silenced and unable to say anything more. Second, we break the “restrictive nature” of the Lord’s recovery and manifest the inclusiveness of the church. Whether or not the new ones come to the meetings is their business. We still include them and week by week continue to visit them and have fellowship with them, teaching them the truth. Although they do not come, if we are faithful to teach, one day their children will come. In the past we have had this kind of testimony of children saying to their parents, “Dad and Mom, we are sorry, but we are going to meet with those brothers and sisters who teach us the truth.” Third, we break the limitation of our gospel preaching by taking the family of the new ones as the unit and becoming linked to all of their relatives. Forty years ago when I was serving in Chefoo, the service of the church grew to such an extent that even the unbelievers would say that to believe in Jesus they must come to our place.
In the Full-time Training in Taipei, presently there are over seven hundred saints from various countries. Every day they go out to knock on doors in the morning, afternoon, and evening, baptizing at least one person per week. If these seven hundred gain seven hundred homes per week, there will be twenty-eight hundred homes in one month and eleven thousand two hundred homes in four months. With these families as the units and as the connections to all their relatives, there is no knowing how great the increase can be. Not only will the gospel be widespread, but the truth will be able to be preached and propagated continuously. May we all have such a long-term vision to understand the importance of this kind of practice. Hence, we need to aggressively use Truth Lessons and spend the time either to bring people into the church life or to continuously nourish and build them up in their homes. We believe that this labor will not be wasted but will be of great value before the Lord.
The new way is nothing other than to continue steadfastly in these three matters: to visit people by door-knocking, to raise up or establish meetings in the homes of new ones, and to teach the truth. If the new one is willing to come to the church, we will give him more care, but if he is not willing, as long as he does not refuse us, we will still take care of him in a timely manner. The teaching of the truth should be done sequentially and gradually. It cannot be accomplished once for all. It is better to start by having a new one read the booklets, which are easier to digest. After a period of time when his appetite has been aroused, we can bring him into Truth Lessons.
To teach Truth Lessons is not an easy matter. When some saints hear “Truth Lessons,” their immediate understanding is “to teach.” Actually, there is no need for you to teach, because each lesson is a message, and each message is also very rich. What we ought to do is help the new ones read the lessons. This is not to say that there is no need to come to the meetings, that one can simply buy the book and read it at home. In doing this, the proper appreciation or taste will not be developed. In addition, you should not come together and merely have each one read a paragraph—one person reading one paragraph and another person reading another paragraph. That is to read in a dead way, and the more you read, the more you become dead. Hence, the way to read is not simple.
When reading Truth Lessons, the most important thing is to read the outlines. You should read not merely by taking turns but in a living way, using your spirit. Sometimes when you come to an important point and you have some experience, you can give a short testimony in three to five sentences. When you have an appropriate hymn, you can choose to sing a stanza. The most needful thing is to exercise your spirit. Initially it may be difficult and not very successful. However, if you continue to practice, you will improve.
It is best to have thirty to fifty people in one class that covers Truth Lessons. Not every church has to practice this in the same way. If only a few churches are willing to try, a good practice will evolve, and other churches will learn. Then after a few weeks, all will be able to do it. Human beings are very clever; whatever they see, they learn. Some may not participate but only look on. If they receive a supply in the meetings, eventually they will take the initiative to participate. In the process of teaching, there is no one taking the lead to teach. Rather, the saints should read together in a living way, using their spirit. This gives the Spirit the real opportunity to teach us. The experienced saints must be alert to take the lead to emphasize the main points in the reading. The saints who are touched can give a testimony or point out a hymn. At the end you may be inspired to give a concluding testimony. There is no set way—only do not drag out the singing or the testimonies, because people will not be able to bear it. Some saints love to speak endlessly. When this situation arises, a brother or a sister should immediately stop them. It is better that it not be the leading brother who stops them, because the one speaking may be offended. This is an organic Bible reading—completely organic—without anyone being dictatorial or in control. As to home meetings, three to five people can make up one group, being similarly organic, living and flexible.