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In this chapter we will consider the second step of the organic building up of the Body of Christ, which is to nourish and cherish the new believers in their home meetings.
In preaching the gospel, a brother recently met a Muslim who did not believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Because two of the greatest items in the New Testament are Christ Himself being the Son of God and His believers being the sons of God, more than one visit to such a person would be necessary. On your first visit you could present the matter of Christ being the Son of God. Then on your second visit you could speak concerning Christians being the sons of God. You could also tell him that few Christians really know about the Person of Christ in detail.
Christ being the Son of God has at least two aspects. First, He is the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16). Second, He is the firstborn Son of God with many brothers (Rom. 8:29; John 20:17; Heb. 1:6; 2:12), who are the many believers of Christ. When you make such a presentation, you not only show that the Bible is trustworthy but also show that you are capable in preaching the gospel. Your friend may realize deep within that you are very knowledgeable about spiritual things. This builds up some credit within him. Once you gain such credit, it will be very easy for him to receive your word.
In order to adequately prove that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, you must present what the Bible says concerning Him. Today people recognize that there are only two kinds of Bibles, the Jewish Old Testament and the Christian New Testament. When these two books are put together, they constitute the Bible, the book of books. Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, however, do not have a bible. The Muslim religion does have a “bible,” which is a partial imitation of the Bible. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam basically came from the same source. Therefore, the unique source of these three religions is the Bible. The reason such a situation exists is that there is one unique God. In Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, there is no God. Only Judaism, Christianity, and Islam believe in the one unique God, and all three have their sacred writings. The Jews hold only the Old Testament, the Christians hold the Old and New Testaments, and the Muslims hold a partial imitation of the Bible.
The Bible makes known all the spiritual, divine, and mysterious things, such as the origin of the universe and the origin of man. Darwin speculated about these things, but only the Bible tells us in a trustworthy and clear manner the source of the universe and of man. As to the origin of the universe, the first sentence of the Bible states clearly, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). With such a word, there is no speculation.
Concerning the origin of man, the Bible clearly says that God created man in His own image according to His likeness (Gen. 1:26). None of the great philosophers could clearly tell us the origin of man, but the Bible gives some practical details concerning man’s creation. Genesis 2:7 says that God formed man’s body from the dust of the ground. Today scientists have discovered that the elements of the earth are in man’s body. Many of the minerals found in the earth are a supply to the human body. Only the Bible has given us such details concerning the creation of man.
Laying a foundation concerning the content of the Bible prepares the way for you to read a number of the top verses to your gospel contacts about Christ being the Son of God, such as John 1:1 and Romans 9:5. From eternity Jesus Christ was the only begotten Son of God (John 1:18; 3:16). In resurrection He was begotten (Acts 13:33) to be the firstborn Son of God (Rom. 8:29; Heb. 1:6), and His believers as the many sons of God are His many brothers (Rom. 8:29; John 20:17; Heb. 2:12).
As people who are entering into the gospel labor, you must study not only the Bible with its truths but also a small portion of the content of other religions. Then when you meet people who are in some of these religions, you will know how to talk to them.
In visiting people with the gospel, some saints met a Buddhist who had had a lot of problems in his past, such as a lack of food, clothing, shelter, and employment. He told the saints that since he had become a Buddhist, all of his material needs had been met through worshipping idols. Thus, he felt that he did not need God’s salvation. In presenting the gospel to him, some would say that you need to point out that God’s salvation is not only to save people from outward problems but also to save man from his inward and daily problems of temper, lust, anxiety, and fear, and that regardless of how many things a person possesses, he still feels empty, not knowing what the meaning of human life is. This kind of presentation is good, but it is not complete. It may be better to present the mystery of human life by saying, “God is your real need. Your real problem is that you do not have God. You have problems because you do not have God. The only One who can solve all your problems is God. God is a mystery, and human life is also a mystery. I would like to read a booklet with you that tells us about the mystery of human life.”
A person who has been confused in his understanding by other religions may ask vague questions. For this reason, it is best to try to bring him to a certain practical point. The kind of answers you give to his questions depends on the atmosphere and situation of your conversation as well as your discernment of that person. As you listen to him speak, you should use one point of his talk to present something of the gospel to him.
A few saints preached the gospel to a very philosophical person who said that everyone has God in them. According to her view, whether someone receives the Lord or not, everyone has God in them; therefore, each person must explore within himself to find his peace and satisfaction. She also said that the things of hatred, anger, and jealousy were just baggage that needed to be dropped off in order to reveal something beautiful inside of each person. She may have known some of the deeper points of Buddhism. The saints shared the gospel with her and found that she had had several unpleasant experiences in Christianity and in her own family life. She, therefore, discredited what the saints shared from the Bible based upon these experiences.
This is also a case of a person who “soars in the air” with philosophical thought. We must develop the ability to restrict people to a particular point. By restricting people to a particular point, you can present something of the Word that is very practical for their daily life. Since this person knows something of Christianity and may know some of the deeper points of Buddhism, you must talk to her according to her level of knowledge and also on a level that is very practical. Actually, no other book is as practical as the Bible. In order to impress someone with the practical nature of the Bible, you must study and know the verses which show, for example, that God is the unique God (Deut. 6:4; 32:39; Psa. 86:10). You should also learn a number of verses about God being something to us, such as our breath (Acts 17:25), our life (Eph. 4:18), and our salvation (Psa. 27:1; Isa. 12:2). As you present such verses, you might ask, “In Buddhism do you have God? You know Buddhism very well, but you do not know God. You also know a great deal about Christianity, but you still do not have God. Your real need is to know God.” Based upon these verses concerning God being certain items to us, you could render some help to such a person. But learn not to rebuke people or to point out their shortages in a despising manner. Learn to help people realize their need of a practical God in their daily life and their human life.
A group of saints visited a young, successful attorney in his home for about three hours. The first hour he showed them his own personal garden, and the next hour, while he commented on the news of a local disaster, he began to open up his being to the saints. He told them that he had experienced the Lord in a definite way in college and that he was filled with joy at that time. He said that his life since that time has not been so good because he goes to places such as nightclubs. On the one hand, he likes to go to such places, but on the other hand, he does not like to go. The saints began to share with him that the basic problem with man is sin. They said, “When man fell from God, he became full of sin. Man needed salvation. What you experienced in college was Christ coming into you to save you eternally and to become your salvation. But today the Lord as the eternal, divine, and indestructible life wants to save you from every frustration, lust, and problem of human life in a daily, moment-by-moment way. Yet it is not that simple, and you should not try to save yourself. Your need is just to enjoy the Lord in a simple way by reading the Bible a few minutes each day. Maybe we could start by reading the Bible five minutes a day with you.” To this fellowship, he responded, “Yes, this is what I need. I need a daily salvation.” Then he continued to share more of his problems and the other things that bothered him. The brothers listened and answered many of his questions. At the end of the meeting he asked the brothers if they could meet with him in a regular way each week. The brothers felt very good about this, but they felt that there was still something lacking in their visit.
These saints were skillful in handling the situation except for one point. When they talked with him about reading the Bible for five minutes each day and he agreed, they should have grasped the chance to read the Bible at that moment in their visit. They could have said, “Why don’t we take a few minutes to practice reading a portion of the Bible right now?” They had a long talk after this point in their visit and their fellowship was good, but much more could have been accomplished. In place of the fellowship, it would have been better to find out whether he had a Bible or not. If he did have a Bible, they could have asked him to open it and read together with them. Then, having read a portion, they could have explained it a little in order to impress him with what that portion said. They could have then asked him to pray, not being satisfied with only a short prayer but encouraging him to pray in a longer way by saying, “Let’s try to pray something a little deeper and a little longer.” By this kind of exercise, they would have brought him into the experience of Christ. They did everything very well, but they did not bring him to taste the Lord. After practicing to read and pray, they could have spoken to strengthen him and confirm his need to contact the Lord in such a way every day. He may have asked, “Would you please come back?” Then they could have responded, “Yes, and may we call you every morning?”
We should not forget that too much talk, even the right talk, eventually issues in nothing. In this case, the talk was not absolutely in vain, because he still wanted to get back with them in a few days. The group of saints who visited him should remember him before the Lord and ask the Lord to remind him of what he has heard from them. The best practice is to bring people into contact with the Lord immediately and in a regular way each day, even if it is necessary for us to call them on the phone. With such a practice, it may be that after a few weeks such a person could be brought into the church life.
In one of the home meetings the saints have visited a brother who allowed them to come in for only thirty minutes each visit. He strictly watched his clock while they were fellowshipping and responded only in a very disinterested manner. The saints tried to share with him about the mingled spirit, but it seemed to be futile because of his lack of interest. In their fellowship with other brothers about this home meeting, the saints realized that they needed to establish a more friendly relationship with him because they hardly knew one another. The next week they visited the brother and brought some dessert, purposely leaving their Bibles and hymnals at home. This really surprised the new brother. The saints asked about his employment and shared their dessert with him. Soon the new brother forgot about his consciousness of time and began to speak for close to forty-five minutes of their meeting. Eventually, this kind of care by the saints opened this new brother to more fellowship.
This case illustrates that we should not expect to gain people in only a short period of time. Such an expectation is wrong. To baptize someone is easy, and it takes very little time. But to lead someone to experience Christ and to bring him into the church life are not very easy, and it takes time. Therefore, we should not expect to do a quick job. This kind of expectation will be the factor causing us to do many things in a wrong way when we meet with new believers. Few people can be brought into the church by only two or three visits. We must abandon this kind of expectation. You should be prepared to spend at least half a year, perhaps twenty visits, to gain one person. If someone promises to give you thirty minutes each week, he is certainly open. You should bring this person and the home meeting you have with him to the Lord, saying, “Lord, I do not know how to help such a person.” The Lord will give you the wisdom. You also have your other team members who can pray with you, and together you can seek the Lord’s leading concerning the care of the new believers in the home meetings.
In this case it seems that to speak about the mingled spirit is inappropriate for this new brother at this time. When you talk with someone, you should discern what kind of person he is. If you discern that he is a person who likes to have friendship, you should not go back to his home and jump to the high, spiritual subject of the mingled spirit. In future meetings you should get acquainted with and get to know this new brother better. It would be good to inquire about his business and his welfare. This will make him happy. You should also let him talk. As you have opportunity, let him know something about you. After three or four visits like this, you and the new brother will have gotten to know one another in a more intimate way, and a close friendship could begin to be built up. Then it will be easier for you to talk more freely with him and to gradually introduce something in the field of God’s salvation. At this point you could begin to stir up his interest in this other field. Week after week, perhaps after twenty visits, something will be built up within him. If one way does not work very well, try another way the next visit. Eventually, over the long run, something will be worked out with this new believer.
A sister in the full-time training began to visit another sister who is presently in college. While in college, the young sister has had to work full-time as well as attend class — and study, so she does not have time to come to the meetings. Often the sister went to visit her at home, and she was not there. On one occasion she found her at home and tried to help the young sister by pray-reading Ephesians 1:17 with her. Though her response was very good, and she wants the sister to come back, the sister is puzzled as to what to do in her next visit.
The work among the young people, especially the children of the members of the church, is very, very crucial. The wisest way to work with the children is to help them to love the Lord. If you would be a person who is qualified to work among the young people, you must be a person loving the Lord freshly every day. The junior-high young people, humanly speaking, are lovers. They love many things, such as animals and clothes. The younger you are, the more you love. Junior-high young people are at the best age to be led into the proper love of the Lord. Yet this kind of labor is not very easy, and many of the parents do not have a way to help their children. When you are a person who loves the Lord freshly, you can stir up a young person to love the Lord. Once a young person loves something, he will do everything for it. In this case, to help her pray-read Ephesians 1:17 is aiming a little too high. The best thing to do on the next visit is to stir up her love for the Lord.
We have realized that when we meet a person who “soars in the air” with their thoughts, we must restrict their thought to a particular point. In the same way, we also must be restricted in our burden and purpose. When a carpenter takes a piece of wood, he has a purpose for its use. We also must have a purpose whenever we visit new believers; otherwise, we will waste our time. We should always keep in mind that if someone is a new believer, our primary purpose in the home meeting is to feed him. Every time we get together with him, we must keep in mind that our purpose is to nourish him.
We should labor and labor without any expectation of what the result will be. We should just labor, pray, and seek the Lord’s leading and His guidance with His wisdom. We leave the result to the Lord. All farmers know that as long as they labor, there will be some harvest. No labor is in vain. There will be a harvest, but do not expect to have a quick result. The quicker the result, the quicker the result disappears. If someone comes into the church life in three days, it is doubtful whether he will stay. But if it takes six months to gain one person, it is more likely that he will become settled in the church life. This may seem to be slow, and the increase may seem very small, but if only one out of every three members in the church brings one into the church life each year, the church will increase thirty-three percent a year. A full-timer may be able to bring five to ten people into the church life a year. This is not too slow. Our need is to labor. This new way is just to labor in the right way, that is, in the way of spending time every week to visit new believers in their homes.
To baptize people is not very difficult, but to get a person established in the experience of Christ, in the daily experience of God’s full salvation, and in the church life is more difficult. To do this will take at least half a year. Anything quicker than this is not trustworthy. We all have to labor, leaving the result to the Lord. Even if we labor for two years with little result, we should not be disappointed or lose heart. We must believe that whomever we have labored on will eventually remain.
First, we visit people in their homes to get them saved and baptized. Then once they are baptized, we go back to have home meetings with them. We should not expect to do something fast in these home meetings. We have to be prepared to spend at least half a year to gain one person. Sometimes it may take longer. Therefore, it is better to always have three or four new believers under our care at the same time.
To baptize is easy, so you have to realize that you should not baptize too many at once. You should not baptize people foolishly. You should baptize only three or four and keep these under your care for half a year. Then in the next half of the year, you may baptize another three or four. You should exercise some discernment over the new ones in order to discover the one among them who is the proper person on whom you can labor in order to gain him for the Lord’s interest. You must exercise some selection. Of course, your selection may not be that accurate, but in general, it helps in your labor. You should baptize wisely, exercise some discernment, and spend most of your time in caring for the newly baptized believers.
