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We have seen that in the church life there is the need not only for elders but also for prophets, teachers, and exhorters. Our problem today is that the eldership occupies too great a place in our concept. Brothers who love the Lord and have the ability to do something for the church have the subconscious desire to be elders. Nothing has bothered me more through the years than to see in so many brothers this hidden expectation to be elders. Yes, in 1 Timothy 3:1 Paul says that if anyone aspires to be an elder, an overseer, he desires a good work, but the motive must be pure, wholly for the Lord’s interest and without personal ambition. However, some of the brothers who want to be elders are motivated by ambition. For this reason I have the burden to point out that there is much more to the church life than eldership. In the “hotel” of the church life in the Lord’s recovery, there is not only the “room” of eldership but also that of prophesying, teaching, and exhorting. Nevertheless, many brothers endeavor to get into the room called “eldership,” and many sisters want to enter the room called “leading sisters.” But we have no such thing as leading sisters. I do not even like to hear this term used. We all need to forget about position and title. The New Testament reveals that besides eldership there are many other functions that the saints can fulfill according to their burden.
I thank the Lord for the testimony and example of Brother Eugene Gruhler, Sr. Although he was neither an elder nor a leader among us, he did a great deal of shepherding. He functioned in this way until the very hour the Lord took him to Himself. During the years he was with us, he invited a great many brothers and sisters into his home. Everyone who spent time with him was strengthened and edified. This is what the church needs today. Although Brother Gruhler never sat in the front row, he was always watchful for new ones and invited them to his home for a meal at the first opportunity. The church needs such shepherds today.
In Shanghai the more experienced sisters were exercised to take care of others during the meetings. Realizing that many needed to be warmed and comforted, they purposely sat next to new ones or weak ones in order to help them. If you sit next to a weaker one in the meeting, that one will be greatly helped.
In the church life we need “mothers” and “fathers” to take care of the spiritual children. The church needs shepherding; it does not need brothers and sisters to come together in special groups according to their preference. It is not normal for “mothers” to spend all their time together and abandon their spiritual children. That is not the proper family life. Although the “mothers” may come together at certain times, they should spend more time in caring for the new ones, the young ones, and the weak ones. We need a practical spirituality, not a spirituality in word. If we have such a practical spirituality, we shall care for those who are not coming to the church meetings.
Certain ones among us claim that they have seen the Body. Time will prove whether or not they have actually seen the Body. However, we should not make such a claim nor have any confidence in such claims. You may say that you have seen the Body, but you may not have anything practical. If you have truly seen the Body, you will be concerned for the weaker ones.
In the church life we need to take care of the little ones, the weaker ones, and the uncomely ones. We must not have any rank; the strong ones should not form themselves into a special class of their own. If the elders are always conscious of the fact that they are elders, they should resign. The elders should regard themselves as little brothers. This is the reason we never use the term elder as a title or speak of Elder So-and-so. In like manner, we should not have the concept of so-called leading sisters. Yes, we have leading ones both in reality and in practicality, but we should not have titles or the consciousness of position. What a shame it is to seek for position or title in the church life out of ambition!
At this point I need to say a strong word: never have a private intimacy with anyone in the church life. No matter how spiritual we may be, we are still in the flesh and influenced by the flesh. If we are truly for the Lord’s recovery, we must crucify the flesh and never allow it to form a private intimacy. I can testify that I do not have a personal intimacy with anyone. Although I share in responsibility with certain brothers, I rarely go to their homes, and they rarely come to mine. Instead of private friendship or personal intimacy, there should simply be the fact that we are members of the Body.
Genuine spirituality is seen in ministering Christ as life to others. A proverb says that if we water others, we also will be watered (Prov. 11:25). The spirituality in the church life is not a matter of being in a certain select group; it is a matter of ministering life.
Again I say that there is a great need for shepherding. Do not expect that everyone in the church life will be a spiritual giant. On the contrary, the proper church life is a big family that includes grandparents, young ones, weak ones, and even sick ones. When all the saints are cared for, we shall have a beautiful church life. Please forget about eldership and leadership and take care of the practical needs of the church. I hope that many will have the heart to care for those who are discouraged and not in the meetings. At the very least, call them on the telephone and tell them that you miss them and hope to see them soon. Even such shepherding will help to keep them in the church life. If we love the church, let us change our concept regarding leadership and take care of the members of the Body. If we all do this, what a glorious church life we shall have!
Let us now consider the function of the elders. Acts 14:23 says that the apostle Paul and his co-workers appointed elders in every church, and in Acts 20:28 Paul spoke of the elders of the church in Ephesus as overseers. The Greek words for elder and overseer are presbyteros and episkopos, respectively. Titles for two types of denominational organizations — Presbyterian and Episcopalian — are taken from these Greek words. According to the Bible, the elders and the overseers are the same people. Their responsibility is to exercise oversight; it is not to do all the practical things. For example, an elder should not spend the whole day sweeping the meeting hall parking lot. Rather, along with possibly doing some cleaning himself, he should exercise the oversight of the cleaning work. Likewise, the elders should oversee the shepherding of the saints to be sure that all are taken care of. This is the right way for the elders to function as overseers.
The main responsibility of elders, however, is shepherding. In 1 Peter 5:1 Peter refers to himself as a fellow elder. Peter was an elder in one locality, whereas some of those addressed in his Epistle were elders in other localities. The term fellow elder is very meaningful. It implies that although the elders are in different localities, they should work together with one another as fellow elders. We are shepherding one flock, not many flocks, because the Lord Jesus has just one flock. Part of this flock is in Anaheim, another part is in Los Angeles, and still another part is in San Diego. The elders in all the churches are the fellow elders, and the Lord Jesus is the head Shepherd. Shepherding is the main function of the elders.
In order to shepherd the saints, the elders must be apt to teach. In shepherding others by teaching, we do not give them lectures or messages. Rather, we give them edifying and nourishing instructions. We may not be eloquent, but we can still nourish others by instructing them.
According to Ephesians 4, the shepherds and the teachers are one category. This indicates that anyone who would be a shepherd must also be a teacher. Likewise, a good teacher is also a shepherd. Some so-called teachers, however, do not know anything about shepherding. They may give sermons, but they do not shepherd anyone. However, in the Bible a shepherd is a teacher, and a teacher is a shepherd. Just as a mother shepherds her children by feeding them and caring for them, so we also need to shepherd God’s children. For example, some need help in knowing the church ground. In order for them to be clear about the ground of the church, someone needs to shepherd them by teaching them. Who will do this work? We all must rise up to do it. No matter how many elders we may have, they are not sufficient to fill the gap. For the shepherding, there is the need for all the brothers and sisters to function.
We teach others by what we do. Suppose a new one sitting next to you in a meeting cannot find the book of Haggai. By helping him find this book, you teach him. Perhaps someone else is not familiar with a certain term that is used. By having fellowship with him, you may help him understand the significance of this term. This is shepherding. All the weak ones, new ones, and young ones need a great deal of such teaching. Whenever someone renders them this kind of help, they are built up. Eventually, through receiving this kind of help, they also become useful. This is the way to build up the church.
In the previous chapters I encouraged the saints to open their homes. Now I encourage you all to do the shepherding. Sisters, some of you have been in the Lord and in the church life for years, and you have attended many conferences and trainings. Surely you have received something from the Lord. Now is the time to exercise yourselves to use the grace you have received and the gift you have been given to care for others.
The way to grow is not by grouping yourselves together in a selective way; it is by eating and working. My health comes from these two sources. I eat well, and I work with every fiber of my being. After I work, I rest. The more I work, the better I rest. Sisters, I encourage you to go to the weaker ones. If you do this, the church meetings will be full of joy and glory. Oh, so many sick ones, hurt ones, and young ones need to be taken care of! How can we come together and praise the Lord for our oneness if we are not willing to shepherd the saints? Whenever I hear this kind of praise, I wonder about the weak ones and the young ones and about those who do not come to the meetings. I wonder who is taking care of them. There is no need to tell me how much oneness you have. If you go to the weaker ones and shepherd them, then your oneness is genuine and practical. I thank the Lord that you all are for the Lord’s recovery, but we still need to be for the recovery in a practical way.
I hope that in the coming days many lost sheep will be brought back. I can still remember my mother’s concern for her seven children. Whenever one of the children was out too late, my mother would tell me that I should have no peace or rest until that one was home. She told me that if I was not willing to go out after my brothers and sisters, I did not truly love them. Therefore, I had to go to look for the brother or sister who was not at home. My mother would not accept any excuse. In the same principle, how can we be at rest until our brothers and sisters have been brought back to the church life? You may be at rest, but I am not at rest, for I am concerned for those who are not with us.
In 1 Timothy 5:17 Paul speaks of those who take the lead well. This is to take the lead as a shepherd leads a flock. In the church life there is some need for administration, for example, to make decisions concerning the times and days of the meetings and for other practical arrangements. For this there is the need for elders who do a good job at taking the lead. Once the elders have taken the lead in a certain matter, perhaps in cleaning the meeting hall, they should step aside and oversee the work of others. This is necessary for the proper church life.
First Timothy 5:17 implies that some elders are better at taking the lead and that others are better at teaching. This verse says that the elders who take the lead well should be “counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in word and teaching.” Among the elders, some excel in taking the lead, and others, in teaching.
Many of us need to take up the burden to be fellow shepherds and fellow teachers with the elders. Then the church will bear a strong testimony to the whole universe. If we forget about leadership and concentrate on shepherding, the Lord will honor what we do.
We are not here for ourselves but for the Lord’s recovery. We do not want to corrupt the recovery by acting according to our natural feeling or natural concept. We want to see the church built up in a pure way. For this we need the heart to devote our very being to shepherding the saints.
I can testify that my heart is solely for the Lord’s recovery. Only the recovery can make me happy. Anything that damages the recovery grieves me deeply. We all must set a watch against the devil, the flesh, and the subtle self. Because we can be damaged at any time, we need to be watchful. I expect that you all will remain in the Lord’s recovery and that we shall see one another in glory in the coming kingdom. In order to be in the Lord’s glory and in His kingdom, we all must take grace and not repeat the damage caused by Christianity. Because we love Christ and the church, we should take Christ as our practical life and the church life as our practical living. We must gladly give up anything that damages the recovery. In the Lord’s recovery we are absolute for Christ and the church.
