We learn to speak the Lord’s word in this way. When we go to the new believers, we also teach them in the same way little by little, just as a mother teaches her child to speak. When a child learns to speak, it may be quite slow at the beginning. He can only utter something word by word; but after two or three years his speaking will consist of sentences and paragraphs.
Hence, after we baptize someone, we should go back to him and help him to know that he is saved. At the same time we have to lead him to know this Savior Jesus Christ. He is God; He is also the Spirit, the ultimate expression of God. In His flesh when He was upon the cross, He was our Redeemer; but today within us He is the Spirit of life. Then we have to open up the book of Romans and tell him, “This Spirit is like the word, so near to you, even in your mouth and in your heart. It is very simple to receive Him. All we need to do is open up our mouth to call on His name with our spirit, saying, ‘O Lord Jesus!’ His Spirit will then touch our spirit.” After we guide him once in this way, he will know how to call on the name of the Lord.
Then we should teach him to pray, “O Lord Jesus, You are my Savior and my life.” This is the beginning of his speaking of the Lord. Next we should teach him to read the Bible and acquaint him with terms such as the Triune God, Christ, the Spirit, the church, sanctification, and justification. We should not expect him to learn everything all at once; rather, we have to teach him slowly, little by little.
Concerning speaking to one another and listening to one another, I think that as long as one quarter of those meeting in the church are willing to practice this, we will have the proper result. Take the church in Taipei as an example. I fully believe that there are one thousand brothers and sisters who will take the lead to practice this way to speak in the meetings. The rest of the brothers and sisters will learn from them. After a period of time, there will surely be great improvements. Among this one thousand people, there are the elders, the co-workers, the full-timers, and the young students, especially the college students. These four groups of people should take the lead to speak in the meetings. Especially the elders, as the head sheep, should take the lead among the flock to practice speaking the Lord’s word in the meetings. I believe that if these four groups of people are stirred up in their spirit and would come to the meetings to speak, the church will progress rapidly in the new way.
A message given by Brother Witness Lee in Taipei on November 5, 1987.