When we contact people, we must be able to enter into their situation and condition. This is difficult. In his Gospel, John records at least nine cases of the Lord’s contacting people. In each instance, the Lord reached people in a different way. He never used only one way of reaching people. He reached people with God’s unique purpose, but He did not do so according to His disposition. Rather, He contacted them according to their situation and condition. In John 3 the Lord knew that Nicodemus would come to Him. He did not visit Nicodemus at his house because He knew that this would have been inconvenient for him. He realized that Nicodemus was timid, fearing that others might learn that Jesus had come to see him. Thus, the Lord remained home, waiting for that timid gentleman to come to Him. The case of the Samaritan woman was different. According to John 4, the Lord “had to pass through Samaria” (v. 4). Having arrived at the well of Sychar, He waited there for the Samaritan woman to come to Him. This is a marvelous example of how the Lord Jesus entered into someone’s situation. This is the basic principle of incarnation.
Incarnation means that God comes to man in man’s condition, reaching people by entering into their situation. The Lord did not stay in heaven and command people to contact Him. No, He became a man and entered into our situation. Having become a man, He conducted His outreach by constantly coming into the condition of people. He did not just go to the people themselves, but He entered into their situation. He knew that the Samaritan woman would be thirsty; hence, He waited for her at the well. When He met her, He did not say, “Have you been saved? How long have you been a Christian? What church do you go to?” The Lord did not ask any of these religious questions. Rather, He said, “Give Me a drink” (John 4:7). By this simple word, He touched her heart, for she was wholly occupied with the matter of drinking water, even coming out at noon, an extraordinary time for drawing water. When you go to reach people, do not contact them according to your tradition, background, or disposition. Look to the Lord, that, with His help, you will be able to enter into their condition and situation.
Consider the example of the impotent man in John chapter five. In chapter three Nicodemus came all the way to the Lord, and in chapter four the Lord Jesus met the Samaritan woman midway. But in chapter five the Lord went all the way to the impotent man. Once again we see that the Lord reached people by getting into their situation. In John chapter five the Lord came to a man who had been impotent for thirty-eight years. The Lord did not ask him, “Do you read the Bible?” If He had said this, the sick man would have responded, “Get away from me! I don’t care about the Bible.” Without entering into a person’s situation, you cannot touch his heart and feeling, and he will never respond to you. The Lord said to this man, “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6). The impotent man was, of course, very interested in this.
Often we talk to people without getting a positive response because, according to our tradition or disposition, we ask questions such as, “Do you know the Bible?” or, “How many years have you been saved?” Do not ask these questions until you have contacted them many times. Only after a certain time should you consider asking a question like this. Some have contacted people saying, “How long have you been saved? Where do you go to church? Don’t you know that we have a wonderful church? Come and meet with us.” Many brothers, and especially sisters, are like this. Many sisters have a hot heart. A hot heart always makes people foolish. Whenever people have a high fever, they talk nonsense. To speak to people in such a “hot” manner will not elicit a positive response, for that is the speaking according to your likes, background, disposition, or taste. Learn to reach people by getting into their interests.
Suppose you meet a student who likes mathematics. If you show an interest in this, he will certainly respond to you. Perhaps you will meet someone whose interest is the movies. You should not say, “Don’t go to movies. That is sinful in the eyes of God.” If you do this, you will offend him and cut him off immediately. It is better that you enter into his situation of attending the movies. This does not mean that you should go to the movie with him. No, you must exercise wisdom, perhaps asking him to tell you about a recent movie he has seen. He will certainly respond to this. In such a case, it is wise to take a neutral position. Look to the Lord to give you a good word to speak to him. It may be that at a certain point in your conversation, you will be able to touch his life. But be careful not to touch it too much. This type of wise conversation will attract him and cause him to like you. Perhaps the first one or two times you will not say a word about Christ or the gospel.
Some may argue with me over this, saying I lack the power of the Holy Spirit. But I know what I am talking about. Your concept of the power of the Holy Spirit will only frighten people. Any farmer can tell you that a fruit tree firstly buds and then blossoms. This budding and blossoming come a long time before the bearing of fruit. There must be several stages before fruit is born. Do not expect to do a quick work. Rather, you must spend time with people. According to my experience, I do not like to catch people from off the street. The street people are not good subjects for proper fruit-bearing. Instead, you should concentrate on your neighbors, relatives, or classmates. Contact them progressively again and again at least once or twice a week. After every contact with them, you must pray for the ones you have contacted. In your prayer, you must pray for their situation. This prayer is easily answered by the Lord. The Lord Jesus said, “Whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you,” and “Ask whatever you will, and it shall come to pass to you” (John 15:16, 7). This refers to the prayer for fruit-bearing. According to the context of John 15, the asking here is the prayer for fruit-bearing. We must pray, saying, “Lord, what about that young man and his situation. Lord, I bring him and his situation to You. Lord, You must come into his situation and do something. Open up the way for me to contact him again.” Perhaps the next time you see him the situation will be exactly as you have prayed.
When Peter preached in Acts 2 and 3, his message suited the situation of his audience. This was also true of Paul when he spoke to the philosophers in Athens. In Acts 17, Paul gave a gospel message to the Greek philosophers. His way also was to get into the condition of those philosophers. We must learn how to reach people by getting into their condition and situation. Although this is difficult, we must learn it by way of practice. We simply have to do it. A basic principle in learning things is to learn by practicing. Practice with a sincere heart, looking to the Lord for His leading. Then you will learn, and you will know what I am talking about.
I was not taught these things by others. More than thirty years ago, the burden was upon me, and I simply began to learn by experience. Out of the seven days of the week, I spent at least four days visiting people. By doing that work I learned how to reach different kinds of people. The secret is to get into their situation and condition and to speak something that touches their interest. When you do this, they will respond immediately. Because you have entered into their condition and have touched their interest, they will never reject you.
Let us consider the example of Zaccheus (Luke 19:1-9). The Lord Jesus did not wait for him to come; rather, He went purposely to see Zaccheus. As the Lord was walking along the street, Zaccheus climbed up a sycamore tree that he might see Him. He was a short man, but he obtained the living support. When the Lord came to him, He looked at him, and Zaccheus invited the Lord to come into his house. When the Lord came there, He did not preach a message. He simply said, “Today salvation has come to this house.” By this simple word, Zaccheus, a tax collector, was saved. The Lord did not say to Zaccheus, “Don’t you know that God is triune? As a Jew, you know the Lord. But I must tell you that Jehovah is Jesus. I am here.” This kind of preaching does not touch people; it kills them.
I encourage you to fellowship with one another over this matter of contacting people. In this way, you will learn together and, after a year, some of you will become very experienced in reaching people. This is the best way to know people. Today you are carrying on the work of the gospel, but one day many of you will be elders in the churches. In order to be an elder, you must know people; otherwise, you could never be a proper elder. If you do not know people, you cannot adequately bear the responsibility in the church life. Through many years of practice, I have come to know people. If you know people, you can determine a person’s interest after he has spoken only a few sentences. You can easily tell what kind of person he is. Furthermore, you will know how to do something to arouse his interest. Firstly, a person’s interest must be stirred, and then he will open to you. We must learn this.
My burden in these messages is twofold: to help you to see the Lord’s recovery and to help you to be burdened for bearing fruit so that through your entire life you would continue to bear fruit. Do not say, “What about the day of Pentecost when three thousand were saved? I want that kind of power.” Although we may still need this power, the proper and normal preaching of the gospel is by the overflow of life. We have realized this as a result of studying history and the biographies of many saints.
To bear fruit is to beget children. Every fruit you bear is a child you have begotten. In 1 Corinthians 4:15 Paul said, “For though ye have ten thousand teachers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel” (Gk.). Paul called Timothy his “true child in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2) and Titus his “true child after the common faith” (Titus 1:4). The New Testament does not give the names of the children of the apostles, but the Holy Spirit purposely identifies two of Paul’s children in the faith. Paul had a family of at least two children, Timothy and Titus. God does not care as much for our physical children as He does for our spiritual children.