In the past we may have thought that we need to shepherd people’s spirits. We stress the spirit of man, and we tell people to reject the soul. But we need to realize that the saints’ problems are with their soul. We may feel that if their spirit is strong, there will be no problem. But how could their spirit be strong when they have a lot of problems in their soul? Thus, we have to learn how to shepherd their souls, how to touch their souls. Today on this earth, there is not one person who does not have any problem in his soul. This is why I encourage you all to open up yourself to your fellow brothers so that the Lord can have a way to shepherd your soul. We need this kind of shepherding.

The Lord’s recovery in the United States has come to a point where we cannot go on further without the shepherding. If we are hot for the Lord to the extent that we are burning, we will pick up the burden to contact people. Even though we may not know how to contact others, we will learn by doing. I can never forget a story about D. L. Moody. He once made a vow to preach the gospel to at least one person each day. Late one night, close to midnight, he was about to go to bed when he remembered that he had not preached the gospel to anyone that day. He went out into the street to find someone to whom he could speak before the day was over. He found a policeman and exhorted him to believe in the Lord. The policeman rebuked him angrily, and Moody hurried home, but within a few days this policeman was saved. Because D. L. Moody had made such a vow, he built up a habit of contacting people. We need to be the same. In these days the Lord needs flocks of shepherds to shepherd His flocks. We all have to be the shepherds who are burdened to contact people.

The Lord’s people everywhere have been scattered because there is no shepherding. We must realize that our shepherding should not be initiated by our care for people. John 21 reveals that our shepherding should be initiated from our love to Christ. We desire to contact people because we love the Lord, knowing that He loves people. Nothing can please the Lord as much as our going out to shepherd His flock. I assure you that if you contact people regularly, this will make you happy because the Lord is happy.

Shepherding should not be initiated from our purpose. It should be initiated from our loving the Lord. The Lord asked Peter if he loved Him. When Peter said, “Yes, Lord, You know,” the Lord told him to feed His lambs. He again asked Peter if he loved Him. Since Peter said, “Yes, Lord, You know,” He told Peter to shepherd His sheep. The Lord asked Peter a third time if he loved Him. When Peter said again, “Lord, You know,” the Lord told him to feed His sheep. Peter failed the Lord three times, and the Lord asked him if he loved Him three times. His speaking to Peter indicated to him that he should forget about his failure and take care of the Lord’s lambs and sheep.

Today what is needed in the recovery is for us to rise up to shepherd others. We need to contact people of our own age group. If I tried to contact the teenagers, they might run away from me. But if our young people go to contact other young people, no one will run from them. If we sent older ones to the campuses, it would be difficult for them to contact the young students. I am sharing this to encourage the young people among us. Do not say that you are too young. It is wonderful to be young, because this gives you a way to contact other young people.

Today the church’s need is shepherding. My burden is to stir you up that you may realize that today the Lord’s recovery needs you to rise up to contact people. You have to build up a habit. If you do not contact people, you cannot be satisfied. You should even become addicted to the Lord’s love to take care of His people.

I want to remind you to make a list of all your acquaintances. You may think that you do not know that many people, but when you make a list, you may find out that you have over a hundred people whom you know. You should pray over these names, seeking the Lord’s leading as to whom you should contact. Sometimes when you contact someone, you may feel that he is the wrong person. But according to my experience, no contacts are wrong. Do not say that you caught a fish which is the wrong fish. No fish is wrong, as long as it was hooked by you. The only thing that is wrong is for you not to contact people. You may feel that a certain man is the wrong person because he is too proud. But you have to check with yourself. Are you not proud? On this earth, who is not proud? Even the little children know how to be proud. If we are waiting to contact the best people, the perfect people, we will have no one to contact. No contacts are wrong. Even the policeman which D. L. Moody contacted close to midnight was the right person.

We can also see from George Muller’s autobiography that no person would not believe in the Lord Jesus if you keep contacting him continuously for your whole life. George Muller prayed for many gospel candidates. When he went to the Lord, all of them except one was saved. Eventually, even that one was saved. This is why I say you need the patience. You should always try to have four or five people under your care. You may be led to contact someone who has no feeling to pursue the Lord. Still you should keep contacting him in a regular way. After five years the “tide” to be interested in the Lord Jesus will come to this man. You may contact someone in the spring, and he may not have any heart for the Lord. But after half a year, the tide will come for him to desire the Lord.

I was saved in this way. Although I was raised in Christianity, I did not believe in the Lord Jesus until I was nineteen years old. My sister loved the Lord and prayed for me. She recommended me to a Chinese pastor. This pastor came to see me once a week for a number of months. He would simply say, “Come to our church on Sunday.” I nodded my head, but I would not go. Eventually, on the second day of the Chinese New Year, I suddenly decided to go to the Chinese Independent Church, the church of the pastor who came to visit me. It was through this that I heard the proper preaching of the gospel and was saved.

It is no wonder that the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:58 that our labor for Christ will never be in vain. The Bible also tells us that we may sow and others may harvest; also, others may sow and we may harvest (John 4:37-38). Only the Lord knows to whom the credit should be given. Therefore, we must have a burden and build up a habit to contact people. Every day we should contact people. I told you already not to expect quick fruit. Any fruit produced quickly is artificial. Artificial flowers can be produced overnight, but real flowers take a number of months to grow and blossom.

According to the New Testament teaching, the first burden, the first responsibility, of the believers is to get people. John is a book on life. In chapter fifteen the Lord, who is life, tells us that we are His branches (v. 5). The job, the profession, and the responsibility of a branch is to bear fruit. When we abide in Him, we bear fruit. To abide in Him means to enjoy Him. If we do not bear fruit, the Father, who is the Cultivator, will take us away (v. 2). Then we will lose the position to enjoy Christ. Very few Christians are abiding in Christ, because they do not bear fruit. To recover your enjoyment of Christ is to bear fruit. If you have not been revived, go to contact people for one or two weeks, and you can be revived.
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