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The elders and those who serve in the work of the ministry need to beware of the danger of becoming a center in their locality or in the work. A center is like the hub in a wheel. When the hub is removed, the rest of the wheel collapses. The church in our locality or the area in which we work should not collapse or stop if we are gone. We need to realize that to be a center of the church or the work is to be a cancer to the Body of Christ, which will eventually bring death to the Body. Throughout the years I have seen much damage come in as a result of this matter.
It is easy for those who receive help from us to make us a center. It is also easy to make ourselves a center. We must realize that within our fallen human nature is a tendency to like to be the center. We may say that we do not have an intention or desire to be a center, but our way of caring for the church or doing the work often builds us up as a center. Becoming a center is a danger especially for those who are useful in the hands of the Lord, because others tend to consider such ones as a center. If we are not used much by the Lord, no one will consider us as a center. However, when we are useful, we become a magnet, drawing others to ourselves. If we are able to minister life to others and help them with their problems, we become very attractive to others; it seems that we become the life pulse of the church in our locality. To attract others involves the flesh, regardless of the apparent purity of our intention or desire.
The disciples of John the Baptist became jealous when they saw that many went to Jesus to be baptized (John 3:23-26). John said to them, “You yourselves testify of me that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before Him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices with joy because of the bridegroom’s voice. This joy of mine therefore is made full. He must increase, but I must decrease” (vv. 28-30). This case shows that those who are useful in the work for the Lord can easily become an attracting center. John’s disciples made him a center, but he tried to turn them to the Lord. However, because others made him a center, the Lord had to allow John to be put into prison. Ultimately, John was martyred, which terminated that center.
The Corinthians said, “I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas” (1 Cor. 1:12). This indicates that they considered either Cephas or Apollos or Paul as a center. According to the record of the New Testament, Paul rendered much help to them, but he avoided being the center. Apollos was not as useful as Paul, but Paul places himself on the same level as Apollos and makes God the center when he writes, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth” (3:6). In 4:6 Paul again ranks himself with Apollos in order to avoid being the center. This case also exposes the tendency for a useful one to become a center.
The Lord is the unique center in the work and the church. We should not make ourselves a center. The work and the church should not be arranged around us. The more useful and capable we are, the more difficult it is to avoid being a center. As we handle matters in a good way with a good result, our reputation will be built up, and many people and affairs will come to us. In order to avoid becoming a center, we should often allow people and business affairs to go to other brothers.
Many churches in the Lord’s recovery began by meeting in a home. For instance, the church in Los Angeles began in Brother Samuel Chang’s home. It is scriptural for the church to meet in a home, but there are certain related dangers that we must avoid. We sometimes try to avoid having the church meetings in our home because it is troublesome. However, we often like to have the church meetings in our home because it is the most effective way to fulfill our hidden desire to become a center in the church. When the church meets in our home, we soon learn everything about the saints and become a hub of information.
If the church meets in the home of a single brother, there is a great danger of sin because of the temptation of the flesh. In matters concerning the flesh, we should never trust ourselves or even think that the Lord’s grace is sufficient to prevent us from falling into sin. We must avoid the temptation altogether. If the church meets in a married brother’s home, his wife is a great protection from fornication. However, another danger arises because wives often maneuver to control matters. It is difficult for husbands to avoid being maneuvered by their wives. Wives also like to be the center. The wives of brothers who are useful to the Lord in the work or the church often try to exert some control in certain matters. As a result, the wife of a brother who serves in the ministry or the church may become the source of corruption. We who serve the Lord in the ministry or the church must be on the alert, first, not to allow ourselves to be the center, and second, not to allow our wives to maneuver matters related to our service. We do not need to fight against our wives, but we must realize that the wives should not be involved with our service.
In American culture the wife always accompanies the husband. Peter and other apostles were married, but the New Testament does not record the names of their wives (Matt. 8:14; 1 Cor. 9:5). What the Bible does not say is often as meaningful as what it says. The lengthy record of the Bible does not mention the name of even one of the apostles’ wives. The physical descendants of the apostles are not mentioned either. We do not know who the children of Peter were. The New Testament tells us only of spiritual sons. Mark was a spiritual son to Peter (1 Pet. 5:13). Paul never married, but he had two spiritual sons — Timothy and Titus (1 Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4). If the physical children of apostles were their successors, there would be no need for God’s selection and predestination. We do not decide who will follow us in the work.
The New Testament records the names of one couple who had the church meetings in their home. First Corinthians 16:19 says, “Aquila and Prisca greet you much in the Lord, with the church, which is in their house.” When Aquila and Prisca lived in Ephesus, the church there met in their home. When they lived in Rome, the church there also met in their home (Rom. 16:3, 5). However, the New Testament does not indicate that Prisca did anything to maneuver the affairs of the church.
It is dangerous to allow our wife to be involved with the affairs of the church. We do not need to fight against our wife, but we need to keep our standing as the head. If our wife proposes much to us concerning the affairs of the church, we should allow her to speak in order to care for her. However, we must discern whether what she says is from the Lord in her spirit or from her self. If we do not exercise discernment and maintain our standing, we will suffer, and the work and the church will suffer. According to God’s economy, the Bible does not allow females to be the head, but wives sometimes try to be the head through their husbands. We must avoid this, or the church and the work will suffer. We must love our wives and respect them to the uttermost, but in the church and the work we must be careful not to be maneuvered by them.
When the church meets in a home, it is difficult for the wife of the host not to maneuver things. It is not easy for such a wife to go on properly, because the danger and the temptation for her to maneuver things are always present. Few wives have the intention to maneuver, but regardless of their intention, they may damage the church through their maneuvering. Serving brothers’ becoming a center and their wives’ maneuvering are two very damaging things in the Lord’s recovery. It is difficult to overcome these two sources of damage, and we need to be careful to avoid them. If we trust in ourselves, we are placing ourselves in great danger of falling into one of these problems.
Question: You have encouraged us to walk according to the spirit and not to rely on the exercise of the spirit in the meetings. If we leading brothers are led by the Lord to change the meeting environment, how should we help the saints who want to continue in the old way?
Answer: The basic principle is that we should not make anything a legality. If we decide to give up the old way and force our decision on the church, this is legality. When we first began to the call on the name of the Lord and pray-read in the meetings in the 1960s, I often felt that the calling and the pray-reading were somewhat wild, but I did not say much to correct the situation. Recently, I did not feel good about the shouting of some young brothers in the meetings because I did not believe that their shouting was of the spirit, but I did not say anything. In principle, we must help the saints to know the real exercise of the spirit, which is not merely shouting or excitement. Recently, some young brothers laughed wildly in a meeting. I do not believe that it was the release of the spirit, and I do not believe that it edified others. The elders should adjust such ones in fellowship not during the meeting but afterward. Otherwise, the elders are being negligent. We would not be wild or loose if the president were among us. Therefore, we certainly should not be this way in the presence of the Lord.
The elders should care for the saints as children in their family. When some of the children do not behave, the elders need to do something. The elders should not expect that a traveling co-worker would do something to correct a situation. The church is under the care of the eldership. The elders have many responsibilities, just as parents must do many things to raise their children. Regrettably, I have noticed that some elders do not do their duty. In every meeting the elders should be watchful. The elders are overseers of the church (17, Acts 20:28). As overseers, they should exercise oversight.
The elders should not try to force the saints in their localities to stop the so-called old way. That is legality. Instead, the elders need to pray much and do their best to help the saints learn the real exercise and release of spirit. A saint may call on the Lord loudly in order to be released from some bondage. That is genuine and is not a performance. We all need to exercise and release the spirit, call on the name of the Lord, and pray-read in the meetings. However, we should not be unruly. We should not be a “pray-reading church,” neither should we be a “non-pray-reading church.” Both are wrong and are matters of religion. We should not make anything a legality. We like to have things clear-cut and make regulations. However, according to the New Testament, the church is absolutely a matter of the spirit and life. It should have no legal regulations or bondage. A local church is simply the saints in a locality meeting together. It does not need to have official membership or a record of its members. Whoever believes in the Lord Jesus is a member of the local church wherever they are.
Question: First Peter 5:3 says that the elders should be patterns of the flock. Can you share more about what the elders should do to become such patterns?
Answer: The elders in each locality should fellowship concerning what needs to be done. There is much for the elders to do. Those who only come to the meetings and do routine work need to begin to do something more. Every elder can begin by praying to seek the Lord’s leading. The Lord may lead the elders to contact every saint in their locality. They may contact the saints in different ways — one at a time or in small groups, by visiting them or inviting them somewhere. If the elders begin to contact all the saints, they will stir up the practical shepherding in the church. First, the elders will shepherd the saints; then the saints will begin to shepherd others. This is the way for the elders to be a pattern to the flock. They are the first sheep to do something, and the rest of the flock will follow them to do what they are doing.
We are always short of shepherding. There is also a great need for gospel preaching. This is not simply a matter of announcing a love feast and a gospel meeting. We know from experience that this alone does not work. Once we have laid a foundation, then we can use this way. A love feast for the gospel is the drawing in of a fishing net. First, we must cast the net. If only a few new ones come to a love feast for the gospel, it is difficult to give a gospel message with impact.
There are many things for the elders to do — it all depends upon their seeking the Lord’s leading and carrying it out properly. However, as the elders work, they should pass things on to others. The more we do, the less there should be in our hand. After we finish doing something, there should be nothing left in our hand. Every burden should go to others. We need to include others in everything we do in order to pass the burden on to them. From the very beginning, whatever we do should lay the foundation to pass the burden on to others. After a year of laboring on something, no burden should remain with us. Every bit of the burden should be on others’ shoulders. If we practice in this way, a revival will come, in which every member will be functioning and active in the church life.
