All of our service must have a definite goal. First Timothy 3:9 says that all of the deacons must hold the mystery of the faith. First, the faith here is objective. It does not refer to our believing, but to the things we believe in, which constitute the full gospel of the New Testament. This is the objective faith which is the very object of our believing. Our faith is the unique Christian faith.
Hence, the mystery of the faith is just the contents of our Christian faith. As to the contents, the New Testament tells us that God does have a New Testament ministry. Within this New Testament ministry there is a mystery which is the entire economy of God. The first part of this mystery is Christ and the second part is the church. Christ is a mystery, the mystery of God, and the church is also a mystery, the mystery of Christ. If we want to understand God, we must understand Christ, and if we want to understand Christ, we must understand the church because God is embodied in Christ, and Christ is embodied in the church. As Christ is the embodiment of God, so is the church the embodiment of Christ. So, the mystery of the faith is just the mystery of Christ as the embodiment of God and the mystery of the church as the embodiment of Christ. All of the serving ones must understand this mystery and hold it.
Our service is not merely to take care of others but has a goal to lead people to reach the mystery of the faith. The goal is the mystery of the faith. This is to minister Christ to others for the building up of the Body which is the church. Our service must result in Christ with the church. While we serve, we must take the opportunity to minister Christ to others.
We ourselves must understand what is the mystery of Christ. Many dear saints know this mystery to some extent but not that much in depth. Even fewer can speak or teach something concerning the mystery of Christ. But all of the serving ones should be a kind of teacher to minister the things concerning this mystery. While we are serving in material things, we should minister the spiritual riches of Christ into the ones whom we serve.
For example, one saint we are taking care of may be sick with a back problem. This kind of sickness may keep him in bed for nine months. On the other hand, he is not altogether sick. Such a person mainly needs our care just because he is not able to move around. We can help by mowing the lawn and assisting him to do other things. His illness is not serious enough to prevent him from listening to our speaking of Christ. So this is a good opportunity. When we go to visit people, our time is very precious. As long as we have the time to serve such a one, we should use that time to minister all of the things concerning the mystery of Christ into him. We can minister all the things concerning the church as the Body of Christ in an organic way.
Although in this matter there is a big lack in all of the Christian churches, we must promote this kind of service in the Body. We must encourage every member to have a share in this service. It is not just a matter of coming to the meetings, but we must take part in the service rendered to all the needy ones, that they may be ministered to with Christ as their intrinsic supply. This will issue in only one goal which is to minister Christ for the building up of His Body. This concerns the mystery of our Christian faith.
So, we must go and serve people whether in their homes, in the hall, or at the very entrance of the meeting hall. Just by arriving fifteen minutes early and standing at the entrance of the meeting hall, we can find someone and speak Christ to them. This will afford us an opportunity to minister Christ and render service to others.
Although other Christian congregations may be quite good in taking care of others in love and serving others by caring for their children and their grocery bags in order to preach the gospel, this is only a small part of the mystery of the faith. To preach the gospel is a part of the mystery of the faith, but it is not the ultimate goal and does not accomplish much for the purpose of God’s economy.
However, according to 1 Timothy 3 we must serve for the mystery of the faith. All of the serving ones should know the mystery of the faith in a very substantial, yet concise way. If we know all of the crucial points of the mystery of the faith, then we will have something to serve and minister to others. The mystery of the faith is just Christ for the building up of His Body. According to Ephesians 5:32, Christ and the church are the great mystery.
Among us over twenty years ago at Elden Hall in Los Angeles there were a number of strong serving ones who carried out many services. One of these services was a moving service group. Every Saturday the moving crew would move the furniture and household goods of those who had just arrived in Los Angeles. Today we do not have such a moving crew. Among us we pay too much attention to the care that we render on the spiritual side, and not enough attention to material needs with a view to minister Christ to people. The church in Anaheim has been here for a number of years and the saints have known each other for a long time. Most of them are used to inviting the brothers and sisters whom they have known for years for fellowship and dinner rather than the new ones.
It is better to spend time with the young ones and the new ones. We have a way to do this. Whenever the new ones come, we should go and speak to them either before the meeting or after the meeting. Forget about our old companions. Do not neglect the new ones, but take care of them.
This is a big lack among us. All of the sisters and brothers should not always be with their old acquaintances but should go to some new ones more. We do not need to invite our old companions that much. Rather, invite the new ones into our home and eat a simple lunch with them. This will really help. In this way we will care for the new ones and serve them with Christ as their life supply that as members of Christ they may grow for the building up of the Body of Christ.
(A message given by Brother Witness Lee to the church in Anaheim, California on October 19, 1989)