Search
Date:Tuesday, February 7, 1950Place:Jordan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Brother Weigh: Lord, You are the Head of the church. The church is Your Body. We pray that the church will receive something from You as the Head. May Your Body feel what the Head feels. May it be directed by the Head and receive supply from the Head. May each member in the Body receive the same rich supply from the Head. Lord, in ourselves we can do nothing. May Your anointing be with us, and may Your church speak the right things and make the right decisions. May the church be under Your full control. Amen.
Watchman Nee: The gospel is a work that the Lord has assigned to the church. The church exists on the earth for the gospel. The entire New Testament shows us clearly that the responsibility of the church is to preach the gospel. Last night we went one step further and saw that the preaching of the gospel by the church means that the preaching is not done by just a few people. We do not preach when we are hot and stop when we are cold. It is not a preaching in which each person takes turns being burning and preaching by himself. The whole church has to rise up to preach in coordination. Evangelism is a matter of the whole church. The whole church has to further the gospel of God in one accord. The church has the responsibility of joining hands together to preach the gospel. The church is the Body of Christ; it is always active. Therefore, the gospel should always be moving; there must not be any lull. In the early church, we find men who handed themselves over. Today we should see men doing the same thing, not just in ones and twos, but as a whole. Everyone has to offer up himself as well as his all. If only a few offer up themselves, or worse still, if none offer up themselves as in the past, the gospel will never reach the uttermost part of the earth.
Tonight we will address the brothers and sisters who have handed themselves over. We are not going to give a message. Instead, we would like to have a talk with you. We want to say something on the negative side as well as something on the positive side. Presently, we have a good number of saints who have handed themselves over. I hope that you can testify to the other brothers and sisters how you have willingly forsaken everything to follow the Lord. We want to make suitable arrangements concerning the items that have been handed over. We want to do this according to the Lord's heart. We do not want to make mistakes with the things that have been handed over. We hope that we can make proper arrangements. We should address two matters — first the things that have been handed over and then the very persons who have handed themselves over, including what to do with their future. There are two groups of people among those who have handed themselves over. One group is the brothers and sisters who have been holding a job in the world for a number of years. The other group is the young brothers and sisters who are still in school and have not touched many of the things of the world yet. A man goes through only a limited number of crises in his lifetime. If he fails to gain something beneficial through these crises, he will stumble and falter before the Lord. We will make some arrangements concerning their future. Our hope is that they will be brought into coordination and that their way ahead will be straight. Tonight we will deal with the items that have been handed over.
Sister Cheng is a student. On her consecration slip she consecrated her whole life to the Lord. In the items that were handed over, she included three U.S. dollars and a few dresses. Sister Cheng, you are living with your parents at home. Do they have a problem with your consecration? God does not want us to steal or rob for Him. The heaven, the earth, and everything therein are His. He does not need us to give Him anything. Whatever is in your house that you do not have a full right to dispose of should not be offered to God. Even if you are giving these things to God, He will not take them. Concerning your personal clothing, you should go home and discuss this matter with your parents. You can sell one or two of them and give the money to the poor. You have handed over your belongings to the church. Now the church hands them back to you to be placed under your trust. These things are no longer yours.
More than one student is sitting here. I will say something to the young people as a whole. In all the Gospels God requires that we love the sinners and the poor from the bottom of our hearts. This is the reason the Lord said in Luke 4:18 that the poor have the gospel preached to them. In this world there are many poor people. We are not as poor as those who are genuinely poor. In the past we could say that we were the middle class, but there are not many people who now belong to the middle class anymore. There are many people who are much poorer than us. As we preach the gospel to them, we will find a great difference between us and them. This will make our preaching ineffective. A Christian must learn to take the way of voluntary poverty before he can preach the gospel effectively. We have to volunteer to become poor. We have to volunteer to forsake everything. Please remember that our Lord Jesus was rich but was made poor for our sake (2 Cor. 8:9). When our Lord came to preach the gospel, He became poor. If we do not become poor, we cannot preach the gospel. Today you are becoming poor for the first time for the Lord's sake. This is a sanctifying time for you. Tonight you are standing on new ground.
A problem with human beings is our tendency to build up our preferences. The children of the devil walk according the desires of their heart (Eph. 2:3), but, as Christians, we have to learn to break down what we once cherished. We have to learn to give up what our heart loves. People in the world are worried that they have not taken enough from the world, but we must learn to drop what we love. We want to build up a proper Christian character gradually. If we continually drop what we love, we will become more like a Christian. In order to build up a Christian character, we have to learn to give up everything for the Lord at a young age. We have to learn to say, "I give this and that up because I love the Lord." We have to give away things again and again. While we are young, we should learn to not act according to our preference. Learn to give everything away. Only this kind of people will be able to preach the gospel.
When we go to the villages, we have to dress like the villagers. Do not say anything about their filthiness or lowliness. We should be able to live in the cities as well as in the villages. If we cannot stand the villages, we are loving ourselves too much. We have disqualified ourselves from the gospel. In order to preach the gospel, we have to learn to deny ourselves. Some people dare not touch the tea offered to them in the villages. They wash and rinse the bowls that are offered to them. Such ones cannot preach the gospel. The Lord cannot use anyone who is selfish or self-loving. If we think that living in the villages will wear us out, we should move back to our original place; there is no need to stay there reluctantly and claim that we are preaching the gospel for the Lord's sake. We have to learn to live in a lowly way.
Those who are living by their parents' income should learn to do one thing: They should find out before the Lord how much they actually need every month. They have to find out how much they need for pocket money and how much they need for food and for other uses. They must make an accurate calculation. From our youth we have to decide for ourselves the maximum amount we can spend. Before we spend any money, reckon carefully. While we are students, we should learn to budget every item of our expenses and then offer up the excess. There should be such a covenant between us and the Lord. If our parents give us more, we should offer it to the church for the gospel work in inland regions or for the poor.
All of your things are returned to you for your own use. We believe that your consecration before the Lord has been accepted by Him. However, if there are any items which your heart cherishes, you should give one or two of them to other sisters. This is for your own good. If you have extra clothing, you can ask the church to help you to send them to Yi-Yang or Kuling. There are over thirteen hundred brothers and sisters everywhere who are in need.
The two watches that you handed over can be given to younger sisters. Find out who does not have a watch and give these to them. If any item is a cherished object, you should give it to a faraway place. Everything you have in your house should be things that you need. If you do not need something, do not develop a habit of buying it. I say this because none of the things you consecrated are particularly valuable. The church is handing these things back to you. You should do your best to keep this principle month by month. Do not spend easily. Always buy only what you need.
The first year John Wesley served the Lord, his total spending was ninety-eight pounds. Ten years later he was still spending ninety-eight pounds a year. Thirty years later it was still ninety-eight pounds. By the time of his death, he was still spending the same amount. In his latter years he was able to offer thousands of pounds every year. He learned this habit from his early days when he spent less than a hundred pounds a year. His heart was fully for the spread of the gospel. He is our good pattern.
Among the items that you have handed over are seven skirts. Is this not too much to give them all away? If you only have seven skirts, I hope that you would give away the one you most loved. That is all you need to do. I do not wish to see you giving away too much. Handing ourselves over is for the purpose that others will not be in want. But if that will leave us in want, then the time for handing over has not yet come.
We are the most generous people in the world because we can give away everything. At the same time, we are the most thrifty people in the world. We will not buy anything that we do not need. After we have offered up everything, we may be asked to take it back from the hand of the church, but the feeling should be completely different. Previously we were the master. Now we belong to the Lord, and our money belongs to Him. We dare not randomly spend any longer. If a servant uses his master's money carelessly, others will report to the master that he is wasting and squandering his master's money. Of course, all of us have different standards of living, but we should always do our best to save our money for the Lord and for the gospel.
When I was young, I was full of cravings. I wished that I could possess everything in this world. But today this craving is gone, because the Lord has satisfied my heart. My taste towards the world has changed. Others are taking in the things of the world like hungry men. I am taking them in like a filled man. This is where the difference lies. Paul said to the Corinthians that those who use the things of the world should be as though they do not abuse them (1 Cor. 7:31). A Christian is not one who shuns the things of the world. Rather, he uses them as though he is not abusing them.
All the items on your list can be given away. Let me say a word to the young brothers and sisters: You have to put a limit on your spending. Spend only what you need to spend. Do not waste anything. If you are making or knitting a dress, learn to make a few more and give away one or two of them. Never be negligent in this matter. You have to learn to say to yourself, "I am a servant of the Lord. My possessions should only be enough for my own use. Anything that I have in excess I should give away." Of course, you have to have your mother's permission. Please remember that today is the day you are making a vow before the Lord. If your parents do not approve of your vow, they can overturn it. Their silence, however, can be considered as their consent (cf. Num. 30:3-5). In addition to learning to hand over your all, you have to learn to submit to your parents. In this way you can give a good testimony to the gospel.
I read your list yesterday. Many young brothers and sisters loved the Lord very much when they were students, but when they started to work they became different. In my youth in Fukien, sixty-six brothers and sisters were baptized. Later, I corresponded with Mr. D. M. Panton. In my first letter to him, he told me that Miss M. E. Barber had written to him and had told him that it would be a miracle if six out of the sixty-six remained after ten years. At that time I could not take this word. I thought that these sixty-six brothers and sisters were not ordinary people; they were the pride of their generation. Today, when I count, I find that only four, not six, remain of the sixty-six. At that time we were all poor students, but we did our best to save. By saving ten cents, we could print a hundred gospel tracts. By saving a dollar, we could print a thousand tracts. However, in looking back, I can see that many of them were poor involuntarily; they were forced to take this way. Once they took up a job and earned some money, their thought turned to their own replenishment. The more they acquired things of this world, the more they wanted to acquire. The more they took in the world, the more they wanted to take in. It is like an opium addiction; the more one takes, the more he is addicted. In the end he is unable to quit. You have to learn to consecrate yourself voluntarily from the bottom of your heart; no one should force you to do it.
There are a few items which you have handed over. In addition you have two rings and a lapel pin. It is good that you have handed over your jewelry, but take care that you do not buy any more again. A Christian should not have any gold or silver, except that used for dental fillings of his teeth. He should be like Peter, who said that we should not have for our adorning any jewelry, but should have instead for adornment a meek and quiet spirit (1 Pet. 3:3-4).
The principle the church exercises concerning consecrated items is to return them to you for you to sell them. The church will not do the selling and giving away for you. This is because the church wants to stay away from criticism or slander. The church can find a place for you to sell your things, or it can inform you where there are needs and who has needs. But the church will not do the selling or giving away for you. You have to do the selling and giving away yourself. When I return to you the things and ask you to sell them yourself, I am showing you where the things have gone. This is to prevent Satan from bothering you or lying to you one day by giving you the thought that the church has cheated you. Paul said that we should exercise foresight for what is honorable in the sight of man (2 Cor. 8:21). I hope that we will all be clear about this principle.
Mr. Sun is also here with us. Brother Sun has given a short testimony concerning how the Lord led him to hand over himself the first and second time. The first time was in Foochow. One day a certain Brother Hsieh asked him, "Shanghai is having a revival because all the brothers and sisters have handed themselves over. What would you say to that?" At that time he felt that those engaged in business could never be ready for the rapture. It so happened that, during that period of time, there was a seven-day conference in Foochow, and the truth and practice of handing oneself over was released. The second night he stood up and declared that he would sell everything to follow the Lord. Thank God it has been two years since he made that commitment.
He testified that because of that first consecration, the Lord began a revival in him. Later, in his escape from the war, he was enlightened a second time on his journey. He confessed his sin on a ship, saying, "Lord, I have not been faithful in the service of Your house. I still have many possessions." At that time, the ships in front of and behind him were bombed, and between one hundred to two hundred people were killed. Yet he was preserved. He had thought of escaping to Taiwan. But in order to avoid further bombing, he decided to change his course and come to Hong Kong instead. Now he has a car shop. He is willing to hand himself over once more. He has forty bicycles, forty-five tires, twenty rolls of fabric, two pieces of land in Nanping, and ten cars. In addition, he has thirty-five cars and two taels of gold in Taiwan. He wants to hand over all these things.
I believe that in principle all these things need to be dealt with. If a Christian has a piece of land or a shop, it is best that he does not rent it out to others. The two pieces of land in Nanping can be sold. The golden necklace and the rings can also be sold. According to the principle of the Bible, we should not have any silver or gold (Acts 3:6). As for your trading business, after some time you can join the brothers in Fukien and go into a trading business together. But time does not allow us to be in trading for too long. If the Lord is willing, you can try to start some small manufacturing business. A Christian should earn by producing something. God does not want us to be in the employment of pure trading. Paul made tents; he did not engage himself in wholesale tent trading. Pure commerce easily corrupts Christian character. I hope that you will stay away from pure commerce, and involve yourself in some form of production instead.
There is another thing of which I would like to remind the brothers who are in business. I believe we should learn from John Wesley, who had a holy, secret covenant with the Lord. Between you and God there should be a careful pact as to how much you can spend. A Christian's spending habit should be according to God's measure of spending. To increase spending based on increased income is not the Christian way of living. The church does not want to say anything about a man's standard of living. It will not decide what this secret covenant between you and God should be.
I am not an extreme person. I do not want to say any extreme things, but presently, in the midst of all the turmoil of war, many people do not have enough to eat. How can we live peacefully in excess? This corrupts Christian character. Between us and God there should be a crucial and secret covenant. This will limit us from careless spending. We will not dare to buy anything capriciously.
John Wesley kept his secret covenant with the Lord all his years. As soon as his spending reached a certain point, he would freeze his spending. All the brothers in business should learn to do the same. They should say, "My standard of living will only go up to a certain point, after which I will have to freeze it. I will only allow it to reach that point, beyond which I will not do anything." Many people will have to make this decision before the Lord. Whether the standard should be higher or lower should be decided by each individual's amount of consecration before the Lord. Do not compare yourself with others. But do not set the standard too low, unless that is a standard with which God has enlightened you. Always follow the Lord's leading, not your own choices. Once you have made the decision, do your best to abide by that secret covenant. You should abide by it for ten years, twenty years, or thirty years. In this way we can give away everything for the Lord.
The brothers and sisters who are in school should decide for themselves how much they should spend a month on miscellaneous items. They do not have to let their parents know about this amount. If their parents give them more, they can offer it up for the gospel. There are things that they have control over and that occupy their heart. They should select one or two cherished items of these things and give these away. In this way they will learn not to love mammon and the things of this world.
