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In the previous chapter, we mentioned something concerning the attitude and relationship of the workers. In this chapter we will continue to cover this matter in a more thorough way.
Most of the divisions among Christians were brought in by the workers. The history of the church shows that the more workers were raised up by the Lord, the more divisions were created. No doubt, John Wesley was a person greatly gifted by the Lord, but I regret to say that even he brought in a division, the so-called Methodist church. We have to learn the lesson from history.
All the workers are in a dangerous position of bringing in a sect. Many times I have said to myself that it is dangerous and tempting for us, the workers, to bring in some sects and cause some divisions. Today a number of us brothers are learning to serve the Lord. We hope that the Lord would grant us not only a gift but also a ministry and that we could be used by the Lord. But we have to be very careful. Otherwise, perhaps after fifteen years there will be as many sects as the number of full-time co-workers that we have here today. If we have seven or eight workers today, we could have seven or eight sects fifteen years from now. From history we can see that nearly all the gifted persons were sect creators. There was hardly any exception.
We brothers who are workers of the Lord need to be clear that if we are not careful, we will be the sect creators. The more we work, the more we do, and the more we labor, the more we are in danger of creating a sect. Furthermore, the more we are used by the Lord, the greater is the danger of our creating a sect.
We saw in the past, again and again, that on the one hand, the gifted persons rendered much help to the church, yet on the other hand, the gifted persons perplexed and, to some extent, damaged the church. On the one hand, the saints received great benefit through the gifted persons, but on the other hand, the saints were perplexed and complicated by the gifted persons.
Because of this, you have to learn how to receive the ministry, the help, from the gifted persons and how to discern the help from the complication. Do not follow the ministry or the workers blindly. Do not say, “I receive a great help from this person. Everything is all right. I just follow him.” You should not do this. You should not follow anyone blindly or reject anyone blindly. You need to have the discernment. Anything of one’s ministry that is profitable and helpful, you should receive; whatever is complicating and perplexing, you should reject.
Dear brothers, as the workers, as the servants of the Lord, in the New Testament age, first, you have to see that your work, your ministry, is to preach, or minister, Christ and to build up the church. These two items must be the governing rules. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you must be governed, ruled, by these two items.
You should not go to any place to preach immersion or predestination. What you should preach and minister is Christ Himself. God has no intention to tell people about immersion or predestination. God also has no intention to tell people about prophecy. If prophecy is a help for people to know Christ, that is all right. But if that becomes a factor to draw people away from Christ, you have to give it up. The ministry of the Lord’s servants in this present age is nothing else than to preach and minister Christ to others and to build up the church. You should not preach anything but Christ, and you should not work for the building up of your work, your ministry, but for the building up of the church. If any servant of the Lord breaks these two rules, you can be assured that he is sectarian. This is something very basic, about which we all need to be clear.
We are sent by the Lord to preach Christ either as the Savior to the sinners or as the all-inclusive Christ to the saints. We have to preach, to minister, Him to people with the building up of the church in view. If the view of your work is to enlarge and build up your ministry, that is absolutely wrong. You must preach Christ with only one intention, one purpose, and that is to build up the saints as a local church to express Christ in a corporate way.
Another thing which we, the workers, have to be careful about and which was mentioned already in the preceding chapter is that we should not keep any of the results of our work in our hands. This is the pattern set up by the apostle Paul. In the first journey of his ministry, wherever Paul went, he preached the gospel, and a number of believers were raised up. Then Paul helped them to be the local church in their respective place. All the results of his ministry went to the local churches. He kept nothing for himself.
However, if you look into history, there are many real stories indicating that a great many of the Lord’s workers did not follow Paul’s example. Let me give you a small illustration. In the years between 1925 and 1927, due to a great change in the political circle in China, there was an influence demanding all the Western missionaries to turn over everything of their work to the local Chinese Christians. The Presbyterian missionaries, however, insisted on keeping everything in their hands. Consequently, some of the local saints left the Presbyterian church.
We have to realize that we are not sent out to build up our ministry. We are sent out to build up, to perfect, the saints for the building up of the Body of Christ. However, it is easy for us to keep the results of our work in our hands with the good excuse, even the best excuse, that we are protecting the saints. We may say, “Look, these people are so young; they are even babies. They don’t know anything. I have to take care of them. I am the parent, so I have to protect them as my children.”
One time I was invited to a certain place. I was placed in a specially prepared building and treated as the most honorable guest. During my stay, various people came to see me and told me their feelings. Nearly all of them were seeking ones. The inner registration I had concerning their situation can be illustrated by the following description. These friends were like a big family. They had a very capable father, and this father loved all his children very much. Some children were nearly forty years of age. They simply wanted to get married and have their own family. But the father still treated them as babes. The father explained to me, saying, “They are still young.” The children, on the other hand, said to me, “Brother Lee, we have been here for many years. We have nothing to do.” Brothers, here you see the problem.
Other workers might give some mean excuses for keeping the work in their hands. Some might say, “I have been working and laboring here for many years. If I don’t keep the result of the work in my hands, I have no security.” This kind of excuse is mean. If you want security, I would advise you to go to the world to get something as security. Do not come to work for the Lord to get some security. There is no security in the Lord’s work. Anyone who comes to the Lord’s work must be ready to sacrifice everything, even his life. If you do not want to be this kind of person, I advise you not to touch the Lord’s work. It is better for you to get a job in the world.
If I try to keep anything of my work here in Los Angeles in my hands, this becomes a sect. Regardless of how I declare and proclaim it, it is a sect. But if all the results of my work go to the church here, then the local church here has its own jurisdiction and its own liberty. The church here has a free hand to go on with the Lord. Suppose the saints in the church here feel the need to invite a worker from Texas. They have the full liberty to invite him. If they feel the need to invite another one from Europe, another one from Africa, and another one from South America, they have the full liberty to do so. This is the proper way for us to practice.
In 1934 the Lord was moving among the Chinese young believers. They saw something about the church, and that had an influence on the work of the China Inland Mission. The CIM missionaries gathered in Shanghai to have a conference to discuss how to handle the situation. They knew that the situation was due mostly to the work among us, so some of them had some contact with Brother Watchman Nee. Brother Nee talked with them according to the truth. He told them, “You brothers have sacrificed your country, your family, and many other things to come to China to work for the Lord. I believe your intention is to build up the Body of Christ.” They replied, “Right, Brother Nee. We are here to build up the Lord’s Body.” Then Brother Nee said, “Wonderful! We are doing the same thing. Then let us work together.” But eventually, it became clear that the CIM missionaries were not willing to give up the so-called CIM Church.
Then Brother Nee told them, “If your coming and staying here is to build up your CIM Church, this is a big difficulty. If you would be willing to keep your hands off your work and let the believers be the local churches, everything would be all right.” Then the missionaries replied, “We are not a denomination. We are just a mission — the China Inland Mission.” Brother Nee said, “It is good that you are just a mission, but the mission has to keep its hands off the churches. As a mission, you should not form a mission church.” Eventually, they were not able to get through in this matter. Many missions went to China, but regrettably, instead of building up local churches in China, the missions built up their respective mission churches. This became a problem to the Chinese saints.
Our work is to build up local churches for the building up of the Body of Christ. We should not be afraid that if we keep our hands off the local churches, they will be carried away. Do not be afraid that a local church will be carried away. If it can be carried away, let it be carried away. Do not take the excuse that you are going to be the custodian to protect the little children. The Lord is the Custodian; you are not the custodian. You are just a servant of the Lord serving His children.
Also, as a worker, as a servant of the Lord, wherever you go, you should not impose anything on the saints and on the local churches. You should not push anything or touch anything that may become a factor of creating division.
Suppose you are a worker of the Lord and are also very much for speaking in tongues. One day you come to Los Angeles and find out that the church here does not pay attention to speaking in tongues and may even take the attitude of being against it. Perhaps in the first two weeks you do not say anything about it, but probably in the third week the “fox tail” will come out. After another week, maybe you will stand up to impose something, saying, “Why don’t you speak in tongues? What’s wrong with speaking in tongues?” You may be able to convince a certain number to go along with you and get the same experience as you have had. Then a division is created.
What is the right attitude? Should you demand others to speak in tongues since you feel it is something right? None of us should give up anything that is genuine and right. But when you realize that the saints here do not feel happy about this matter, you have to be careful. If they ask you, “Do you speak in tongues?” you should answer, “Yes, but, brothers, I just minister Christ to others. Speaking in tongues is not my ministry. Of course, if any of you feel the need to speak in tongues, you just do it. But if you don’t feel so, I’m really happy with you. As long as you love the Lord Jesus and you live by Him and glorify Him, I am absolutely for it.” We should take such a liberal attitude in truth and in faithfulness. Some brothers would openly deny that they speak in tongues but secretly try to push people into speaking in tongues. We should never be such two-faced persons.
Do you believe that only those who speak in tongues love the Lord? I do not believe so. In church history many people who were spiritual and loved the Lord never touched the matter of speaking in tongues. Furthermore, in my Christian life I have seen many spiritual people who did not know anything about speaking in tongues yet who were full of life, power, and authority. In China I made a point to some who spoke in tongues, saying, “Brothers, look at this district. The people here never talk about speaking in tongues, but a great number of sinners have been saved through them. They love the Lord so much, and their preaching is prevailing. It is an undeniable fact. But look at the other district. The people there speak in tongues very much, but where is the power?”
By this we see that there is no need to impose on others the matter of speaking in tongues. On the other hand, there is also no need for those who do not speak in tongues to oppose those who do. As long as people love the Lord Jesus, it is good enough. Let them be free.
If we take the right attitude, eventually the saints will realize that there is no need either to oppose speaking in tongues or to impose it on others. We just leave this matter in the hands of the Lord; we take a liberal attitude. If the Lord gives us this kind of gift, we just receive it from Him. But we would neither impose it nor oppose it. What difference does it make whether or not one speaks in tongues? All we care for is that people preach Christ as the living Savior and that they love Him, live by Him, exalt Him, express Him, and worship Him. This is the right attitude.
The same principle applies to immersion. I believe that baptism by immersion is the right thing, and I am one hundred percent for it. But if I come to this city and realize that the saints here practice sprinkling, I should not be surprised. I should just be happy, for a good number are saved, and they love the Lord, seek the Lord, and live by the Lord. This is good enough. Whether they are baptized by immersion or by sprinkling does not mean much. Although I know what is right, I would not impress people with what I know. I would neither impose this nor oppose that. This is the right attitude. If someone comes to ask me with a sincere and proper spirit about this matter, I may fellowship with him, saying, “Brother, I feel that baptism by immersion is the right way, but I don’t like to impose it. If you brothers feel that it is right to baptize people by sprinkling, just go ahead and do it. If you feel, however, that it is more right to have immersion, that is fine. Just do it.”
We need to take such a liberal attitude toward all these things. Wherever we go, we have to be careful not to make anything a factor to create divisions, troubles, and problems among the saints. Always try your best to preach Christ, to minister Christ, to solve the problems instead of creating problems. Never have the intention to convince people to stand with you. If you, as a servant sent out by the Lord, have the intention to convince others to stand with you, that is very shameful. It is better that you go to the political circle to be a politician to win people for yourself.
Brothers, we are sent out by the Lord just to minister Christ to others and help others to know Him. We should be willing to be rejected. It is wrong to try to win people over to you. Wherever you go, never say anything different from the current situation there to create any division. For instance, concerning the Lord’s table, you may be absolutely in favor of using one cup for the whole congregation. Suppose you go to a church where many small cups are used. Do not be surprised by it, do not talk about it, and do not even consider it. Just go along with it and take the small cup. Do not raise the question of whether one cup is right or many cups are right. We are not sent by the Lord to minister cups to people. Some people are legal in insisting on using one cup. In the end, they become spiritually dead. The Lord does not honor that. I do not mean, however, that everything is right. We know what is right and what is wrong, but there is no need to pay attention to these trivial things.
In Romans 14 the apostle Paul wrote concerning eating (vv. 2-3) and the keeping of days (vv. 5-6). He was very clear about what was right and what was wrong, but his attitude was not to impose anything upon others, not to push anything, and not to insist on anything. He took a very liberal attitude. As long as people receive Christ as their Savior, love the Lord, live to the Lord, and glorify the Lord as the all-inclusive One, that is good enough. If they keep the days, they keep them to the Lord; if they do not keep the days, they do not keep them to the Lord. As long as they do it to the Lord, it is good enough. This is the attitude we have to take. Then we will not bring damage to the saints and the churches, but we will be a help to them.
Furthermore, we should never have anything organized among the workers. Just as with the church nothing should be organized, so also with the workers nothing should be organized. You are just a servant of the Lord, and the others are also servants of the Lord. If you are asked to work with certain co-workers, you just come together by the Lord’s guidance and go on to work together. Maybe this year we will work together, and the next year you will feel led by the Lord to go to another place. Whether we work together or we work separately, there is no problem. Whether we are here or we are there, we do not work for ourselves. Our intention is just to help people to know Christ and to be built up and strengthened as a local expression of His Body. If this is the case, there will be no trouble among us. But if we have something organized, a lot of problems will arise.
Furthermore, do not try to unify the work. Do not say, “We are in America, so we should be unified. Let us have a conference to unify the situation.” This is wrong. We strongly insist on having the unity, but we are altogether against unification and uniformity. I have the full assurance that in the early days the churches in Judea were quite different from the churches in the Gentile world. The apostles did not try to unify the churches or make them uniform.
The church in Los Angeles may use one cup for the Lord’s table, and the church in San Francisco may use many cups. That is all right. Let them be different. The brothers in one locality may practice immersion, and the brothers in another locality may practice sprinkling. Be liberal. Do not try to unify their action; do not try to make them uniform. What good is it for all of us to be unified or uniform? As long as our intention is to build up the Body of Christ, it is good enough.
Perhaps some will accuse me of being too liberal. Actually, I know which practice is better and which practice is inferior, but what I mean is that there is not much difference in reality, in spirituality, between this and that. There is no need to insist that everyone do the same thing.
All the local brothers and sisters have to learn the same lesson of being liberal. Whatever is good for helping people know Christ, we are for it. Whatever is good for the preaching of the gospel so that sinners may be saved, we have to be for it. However, whatever is divisive, factious, we must keep our hands off.
Do not say, “I am of Paul” or “I am of Apollos” or “I am of Peter.” Do not regard someone as higher than others. If their ministry is a help to you, take it. You have to realize that you are not for any ministry, but you are for the church, for the expression of the Body of Christ. Do not say that you are for this brother or that brother. This is something fleshly (1 Cor. 3:4). We recognize that all the servants of the Lord are sent by the Lord and are given as gifts to His Body and that they have different ministries. We take all the good matters of these ministries. But if there is anything factious, divisive, we have to be careful.
None of us is here for the ministry. We are all here for the Body, the church. The workers should take the attitude that their work is not for their own ministry, and all the local saints should learn the lesson not to stand for anything other than the church. Simply stand for the local expression of the church, because the local church, not the ministry, is the lampstand for Christ.
By the Lord’s mercy, I am a brother with a ministry here. If the saints here are standing for my ministry instead of the local expression, I have to tell you that you are wrong. You should not stand for any ministry, even my ministry. What you have to stand for is the church, the local church. Any minister with any ministry or any worker with any work who comes here must be for the local church. If it is not for the local church, you have to say, “No, you are going to build up something other than the lampstand, something other than the local expression of the Body. We would not go along with this.”
We know God’s eternal purpose in this age is to build up the churches in different localities as the local expressions of Christ for the building up of the Body of Christ. We are absolutely for this. If we would all learn to take such an attitude, that would be a great help to the practice of the church life. What the Lord is going to build up is the local church, not the ministry, as the expression of Christ. The ministry is just a means, an instrument, for the Lord to build up the local church for the building up of the Body of Christ.
