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Serving as a minister of the word is an altogether new thing to us; we have never done such a thing before in our life. We are like newborn babes who have never learned to speak. We have lived on this earth for many years and have been speaking for all these years. Yet we have never known this kind of speaking before. In order to speak this way, we have to start from the beginning. In learning to be a minister of the word, we should forget about our previous speaking and preaching experience. This kind of thought is a distraction. The ministry of the word is very new to us; it is different from any of our former training, understanding, and practices. No one can be careless in this matter. We cannot depend on past experiences. We cannot consider the ministry of the word to be the same as our ordinary speaking. As far as being a minister of the word is concerned, we are babies; we have to learn everything from the beginning. A baby has to learn every sound of the alphabet when he learns to speak. Today we are like babies; we have to learn everything from its very foundation. The flesh has characteristics in its speaking, and the spirit also has characteristics in its speaking. We cannot rely on any past experiences of speaking and preaching. If we try to bring in these elements, we will change the nature of the word. We have to be like a baby, learning everything afresh. Many terms and expressions have to be picked up. Many thoughts have to be acquired afresh. Even the way we behave ourselves has to be taught and learned in a fresh way. No one should bring in anything old. But neither is it a matter of introducing something novel. As a matter of fact, this kind of speaking is so new and unfamiliar to us that everything related to it has to be acquired afresh, bit by bit and piece by piece.
When God gives us a word, we can say that it is a hard task to release it on the one hand. But we also can say that it is a very easy task to release it on the other hand. This is like prayer. In one sense this is the easiest thing to do, because a new believer can pray the first day of his Christian life. In another sense one can spend his whole lifetime learning how to pray. The same is true of learning to be a minister of the word. On the one hand, it is a difficult skill to acquire. On the other hand, while one is learning to be a minister, God will show him that the whole endeavor is not that hard after all.
Let us now consider a few things we should pay attention to in our speaking.
In speaking as a minister of the word, we have to take care that our spirit is not hurt or injured. We should not speak for the sake of speaking. Our speaking must be accompanied by the release of the spirit. It is a total failure on the part of the ministry of the word to release the word without releasing the spirit. It is absolutely impossible for anyone to try to release his spirit without the word. One must have the spirit and the word at the same time. The word is released because the spirit is released in the process. It is the spirit that touches men and moves men. It is also the spirit that opens men’s eyes. At times the spirit is so prevailing that it even subdues men. The release of the word is actually a release of the spirit. If our spirit cannot be released, it is useless for the word to be released by itself. If there is any hindrance in us, we will have just the word without the spirit. Sometimes, even though we do not know what is wrong with us, our spirit is injured. Our spirit is extremely delicate; as such, it is very easily injured. The feeling of the spirit is very sensitive. It is so delicate that it goes beyond our normal sensitivity. We may not feel something, yet the spirit has felt it already. Once the spirit is injured, we are left with a word that is void of the spirit. In speaking we have to be very careful not to injure the spirit. Several things can cause injury to our spirit. Let us consider them one by one.
First, we may be touched by some sin or defilement before we speak. When we speak, the spirit does not follow because it is injured. It is difficult to say what kinds of sins or defilements will injure our spirit. We can only say that with many sins and defilements, a slight touch, contact, or contamination, can injure our spirit. We do not have to actually commit these sins. As soon as we open our mouth, we know that we cannot go on. Before a minister of the word opens his mouth, he has to pray for forgiveness and cleansing. He should confess all of his known sins and defilements before God, and he should seek cleansing and forgiveness for them. He should seek cleansing and forgiveness for the sins and defilements that he is not aware of as well. He has to exercise diligence to avoid these things. He should guard himself and exercise care to turn away from these things. The spirit’s feeling is more sensitive than a person’s other feelings. A man may not realize that he is contaminated by certain sins and defilements for three to five days. Yet his spirit has detected some warnings already. He may have the right words and the right thoughts; every inward and outward factor may be in place. Yet, despite his efforts to push out his spirit, his spirit seems to remain inert. He does not seem to be able to get his spirit moving. He has a difficult time trying to locate his spirit as he is trying to push it out. These signs indicate that the spirit has been defiled by sin and is debilitated.
Second, the spirit must be watchfully attended to before it can be released. As soon as our mind wanders, moves out of focus, or fails to catch up with our thoughts, our spirit is injured. Our mind has to attentively wait on the spirit before the spirit can direct the mind freely. When our mind wanders, our spirit becomes very heavy and bound. This is another cause of injury to the spirit. Some ministers of the word cannot use their spirit because their spirit is injured, and their spirit is injured because something is wrong with their mind. We have to learn to preserve our mind solely for the spirit’s use. Our mind has to attentively wait on the spirit, like a servant waiting on his master. The more experienced we are, the more conscious we are of this need.
Third, in order for the spirit to be strong and undamaged, we have to use the right words whenever we speak. We cannot use the wrong words, the wrong examples, or the wrong order of outline. Once we make a mistake in two or three of the crucial words in our speaking, our whole message is spoiled. These few words injure our spirit, and at the end of the whole message, our spirit remains bound. (Of course, there are times when the situation is less serious, and one or two wrong words do not lead to an injured spirit. At these times, we can still release our spirit.) Sometimes we also may give an illustration which is out of place as far as the spirit is concerned, and the spirit is injured again and bound. Or we may tell a story that is not according to the Spirit’s utterance. In such a case, again the spirit is injured and bound. A whole passage may not be according to the Spirit; that is, we have not touched the leading of the Spirit in speaking it. Again the spirit is injured and bound. We must remember that it is very easy for the spirit to be injured. If we do not pay attention to this matter but insist on speaking carelessly, we will find it impossible to push out our spirit. We may want to release our spirit, but we do not have the power to do so. This means that we have injured our spirit.
Fourth, our attitude can also injure our spirit. Many people come to the meeting with much self-consciousness. Self-consciousness is something that easily injures our spirit. While a person is speaking, he may be very conscious of himself. He may think that his audience is very demanding, and that a few are even quite threatening. While he is speaking, he has many feelings about himself. This is self-consciousness, and it bottles up the spirit so that it cannot be released freely. Once the soul reigns, self-consciousness rises, and the spirit loses control.
We must realize that there is a difference between spiritual fear and soulish consciousness. We need to have a spiritual fear, but we have no need of soulish self-consciousness. When we meet together in a certain place, we should be filled with fear, but we should not be filled with a soulish self-consciousness. We know that we cannot make it and that we have no strength in ourselves to do anything. When we come to the meeting, we come in fear and trembling. Such a fear turns our eyes to God, to look to Him, to trust Him, and to rest our faith on Him. Soulish self-consciousness is different; it looks at men. A spiritual fear turns our eyes to God, while a soulish self-consciousness turns our eyes to men. Once soulish self-consciousness arises, our spirit is injured and debilitated; we are unable to push out our spirit any longer.
An evangelist must be free from self-consciousness before he can preach the gospel. All gospel preachers throughout the ages have been men with no self-consciousness. The less self-conscious a preacher is, the more powerful his spirit is. As he stands to speak, he has no feeling for the heavens, the earth, or men. Though these things are all before his eyes, he speaks what is in him. He is oblivious to others’ approval or disapproval. This freedom from self-consciousness is the basic qualification of a preacher of the gospel. It lifts a person’s spirit up; when he preaches, men will turn. A minister of God’s word must learn to free himself from any self-consciousness before he can function effectively. If a man is sensitive about many things while speaking God’s word, if he is afraid of men or afraid that others will not listen to him, this fear will damage his spirit. When he stands up to speak, his spirit is not released. His spirit is not strong enough to meet the need. Those ministers of the word who fail to practice this wilt away easily. If a preacher of the gospel feels that his audience is older, more prestigious, or more educated or knowledgeable than he is, he will not be able to deliver his message well, no matter how hard he tries. The more he speaks, the less boldness he has. Once an evangelist reckons others to be great, he will reckon himself small. But if he magnifies the gospel, others will be subdued. A preacher of the gospel must be able to release his spirit. When we convey God’s word to others, any sense of inferiority lowers God’s word, and our spirit becomes weak and empty. Although words may come out, the spirit is not released.
In order for a servant of God to have the ministry of the word, he must not have any feeling of inferiority. A fear of men is not a mark of humility but a soulish sense of inferiority. This kind of inferiority is soulish. It is far from spiritual humility. Spiritual humility comes when we see ourselves under God’s shining and are humbled. Soulish inferiority, however, comes from introspection which, in turn, comes from self-examination and a fear of men. A man with an inferiority complex may be proud and arrogant at times. None of these expressions relate to true humility. Soulish self-consciousness is a kind of soulish inferiority complex. It damages the spirit and puts it out of function. Therefore, when we stand before men, we need to be in fear and trembling as well as bold and assured. We need both. If we are short of one aspect, our spirit will be injured, and once our spirit is injured, we are not able to serve as a minister of the word. Whenever we speak as a minister of the word, we have to learn to preserve our spirit from any injury. Once our spirit is injured, we can no longer use it.
When a minister of the word opens his mouth, he may have four or five passages he wants to cover. He may have four or five verses he wants to speak or four or five things he wants to say. The order of the verses matters a great deal in the release of the spirit. The Spirit may want to place a passage at the end of his speaking, while he may put it at the beginning of his speaking. In such a case the spirit will not be released. One problem in our speaking is that our words frequently lose touch with our spirit. Some words should be spoken at the beginning, but we speak them at the end. Some words should be spoken at the end, but we speak them at the beginning. When this happens, the words are released without the spirit; the spirit is set aside. Words go forth, yet the spirit does not go along.
In our speaking, there are times when our words should make a turn. The subject should be changed from one to another; the thoughts should be turned from one to another. It is not uncommon that a man blunders at such turns. As the turn is made, the words and the spirit become separated. The word turns, but the spirit does not follow. The word has made the turn, but the spirit remains in the original place. The word and the spirit become separated. The word has gone on to the next point, but the spirit remains in the same place and has not moved forward. Hence, when the speaking turns from one passage of the Scripture to another, we must exercise care not to make any mistake. Once we make a mistake, the word and the spirit will lose contact with each other. If a certain passage of the Scripture should be used, yet we miss it, the spirit is unable to make the turn, and it loses touch with the word. The word and the spirit are separated; they are not joined together. This is a serious problem.
Those who are less experienced before God are stumbled mainly by injuries in their spirit. Those who are more experienced before God are stumbled mainly by the dislocation between the word and the spirit. At the beginning of one’s training, the problem is mainly with the injured spirit; the cause of bondage in the spirit is injury in the spirit. When a man becomes more advanced in the Lord, his problem no longer relates to injury in the spirit but to the separation between the word and the spirit. It is not an easy thing to keep the spirit and the word together. A speaker often has a bad beginning, and the spirit and the word are separated from the very beginning. In speaking, one has to know which word comes first and which word comes next. If he reverses the order, the words may come out without the spirit. The easiest place for the word to lose the spirit is at the turning points. When we make a turn with the word, our thoughts and feelings may not be agile and rich enough to follow the turn. As a result the word goes on, but the spirit lags behind. The words may be released smoothly, yet the spirit is left behind; it cannot follow the word and loses contact with it. When we speak, we have to learn to release both the word and the spirit so that the two do not lose touch with each other. As soon as we find that something has gone wrong, we have to turn our words back to the point of departure. The spirit is very sensitive. Sometimes when we return to the point of departure, the spirit still will not come back. Having cast it aside once, it is not only out of touch with the word; it is injured as well. There may be nothing wrong with the words in our mouth, but the spirit is not present. The sense of the spirit is very fine. We must exercise care, not speaking rashly or negligently. We have to pay attention to this matter. We have to look to God for mercy that our words make the right turns and that they do not lose contact with the spirit. Whenever we speak to the brothers and sisters, we have to turn with the spirit. Whenever we make a wrong or improper turn from one subject to another, we fail to keep our whole message in the spirit. Hence, as soon as we learn about the mistake, we have to turn our words back. Sometimes the more we try to turn the words back, the harder it gets. Sometimes it is better to just cut off an entire portion of the speaking. After a while we may find the direction again. We may find the anointing and the utterance again. Then when we speak in that direction, the spirit is released once again.
Whether or not a minister of the word can make the right turn in his speaking depends more on the Lord’s mercy than on man’s planning. It is difficult for us to dictate how strong our words will be or how much we can keep our entire message in the spirit. Most of the time, however, it is God’s mercy that we make the right turn. We do not make a right turn because we have knowledge or experience. We may not know when we have made the right turn, but we surely know when we have made the wrong turn. Once we make the wrong turn, we know within two or three minutes. As soon as we know that we are wrong, we have to stop immediately. We should never try to save our message. We are ministers of the word. When we feel that our words have gone off on a tangent, we have to turn back. Whenever we are wrong, we can sense it immediately. But when we are on the right track, we may not realize it until much later or when we step off the platform. Sometimes we are at a crossroad; we do not know if we are right or wrong. It takes a while for us to know whether we are right. After a while, we know whether we are right or wrong. If we go on for a few minutes more, we know that something is wrong. We realize that the word and the spirit are two different things; they are separate. Words are going forth, but the spirit is not following. The spirit is very delicate. As soon as something is wrong, it stops. Even if we can find the spirit, we are not able to release it. We feel a great resistance in pushing out the spirit. We realize that we only have the word; we do not have the spirit. As soon as we find out our mistake, we should turn back.
How can a man tell if his words are right or wrong? He can tell by the way the spirit is released. If his spirit is released while he speaks, the words are right. If his spirit is not released, they are wrong. This is the restriction the Spirit places upon us. We have said before that we do not know immediately when we are saying the right thing. When we stand at the crossroad, we do not know immediately what to do. After speaking for a few minutes with both the word and the spirit moving together, we know that we made the right turn a moment earlier. One does not know immediately whether the spirit and the word are moving along together. This is the reason we say that the whole matter has more to do with God’s mercy. The more we realize this, the more we have nothing to depend on. When we function as a minister of the word, we can do nothing except look solely to God’s mercy. By ourselves, we cannot guarantee that we will speak by the Spirit of God for longer than five minutes. It is easy for us to turn, and it is easier for us to make the wrong turn. Human wisdom, knowledge, and experience cannot help in this matter. If we are under God’s mercy during ordinary times and we learn to look to the God who is full of mercy and commit ourselves to Him, we will find that our words will be right spontaneously. But if God does not grant us mercy, we cannot keep ourselves in this way all the time. This is not something that a servant can dictate; it is something that only the Master can dictate. This is not something we can do; this is something that only the Lord can do. It does not matter how much experience we have had in the past or how much knowledge or training we have received from God; we have to commit ourselves unreservedly to the Lord’s mercy. Otherwise, we may be right for three or five minutes. But as soon as we make a turn, we are off again.
Before the Lord a minister of God’s word must see that his release of the word is not just for the sake of releasing the word; he is releasing it to release his spirit. The purpose of releasing the word is to release the spirit. No minister should think that his responsibility merely lies in the release of the word. The responsibility of the minister is to release the spirit. Speaking the word alone does not constitute the work of the minister; the work of the minister involves the discharge of the spirit through the word. A fundamental test that a minister of the word can apply to himself is to ask how much of the spirit was released after he delivered his message. The more the spirit is released, the more the speaker is relieved; he knows that the Lord has used him. He does not have to worry about the fruit because the Lord is responsible for the fruit. Whether or not someone is saved or has received help is a matter that is in the hands of the Lord; it is not in our hands. The result or the success is the Lord’s business; this should not be of concern to us. We are the servants. For us there is only one subjective fruit — the assurance, as we are speaking or after speaking, that the Lord has graced us and has granted mercy to us to discharge our burden.
The joy of a minister of the word is not in the number of words he has spoken, the nodding of the audience, or the help that others profess to have received. The joy of the minister of the word lies in the release of his spirit in his speaking. Once the spirit is released, the burden is gone, the heart is lightened, and he knows that he has fulfilled his responsibility and done what he should do. If the word is released without the spirit, the burden remains. He can raise his voice, strain his throat, and exhaust his energy. But he remains a total failure because his spirit is closed and bound. A man speaks to discharge his burden. He has to let the spirit flow. The more the spirit flows, the more the speaker is relieved, and the more he is relieved, the happier he is. When our spirit is released, we have God’s word. If our spirit is not released, our word is not God’s word; it is only an imitation of His word, not His very own word. Whenever God’s word passes through us, the spirit surely accompanies the word.
We should pay attention to the release of the spirit. Only foolish ones set their eyes on their fruit. Only foolish ones take in the praises of others or appreciate their own words. Foolish ones think that it is unnecessary to touch their spirit. A man has to remain in foolishness, darkness, and total blindness to appreciate and be content with his own words. Such a person has forgotten the fact that his words are altogether vanity if they are void of the spirit. We must pay attention to the release of the spirit in our words. If we pay attention to this, the word and spirit will be together. If we neglect this, the two will be separate. Once we are not watchful, the word and the spirit lose touch with one another. On the negative side, we have to watch out for the separation which is caused by the lack of watchfulness. On the positive side, we have to insure that the word and the spirit are joined to one another. This can only be accomplished through God’s mercy. Every word must be accompanied by the release of the spirit. As long as the spirit is released, the speaking is right and others touch something high. On the one hand, we have to be watchful, but on the other hand, we have to look to God for His mercy. By ourselves, we do not know how to make a turn. As soon as we make a turn, we lose our bearing. But if God continues to grant us mercy, we will not lose touch with the spirit when our words make a turn. If a brother takes pride in his own preaching, it can only mean one thing: He is merely a preacher; he does not have the ministry of the word. He can go home feeling great and elevated, but he does not have the ministry of the word. A foolish man is a proud man. We must remember that only God’s mercy can keep the word and the spirit together.
There are two ways to speak. The first way is to put the spirit into the word and then to push out the word with the spirit. The second way to speak is to follow the anointing. The spirit takes the lead, and the word follows the anointing. When the spirit and the word are joined together, there are these two different ways to release them.
As we are speaking, God may want to say something. He puts this something in our spirit. When we release this word in our spirit, we release our own spirit at the same time. We pack the spirit into the word, sentence by sentence, and then send this word out. This is one way. In this way, we are the servants. As ministers of the word, we exercise our will to pack the spirit into the word and then release and push out this word. When the word is released, the spirit is released with it. As one speaks with his mouth, he inwardly pushes with his own strength. As he speaks, he pushes out the word with his spirit, and the spirit goes with the word. While the word is going out, he packs his spirit into the word and delivers them together. When such a word reaches man, the spirit also reaches man. By God’s mercy, this kind of speaking can be very strong; the spirit can be very strong as well. While the mouth speaks, the heart pushes the spirit on. This is one kind of speaking.
Another way of speaking is to find the power and anointing coming upon us as we speak. Before we speak, the anointing goes before us. Under the brooding and sway of this power, we speak according to the anointing. The anointing flows out, and our words follow the anointing. This means that we have to learn to follow the anointing. As our spirit senses something, we should follow this sense with the word. As more senses come, we should follow with more words. This kind of speaking enables the spirit to flow out in a continuous way. The advantage of this kind of speaking is that we cannot go wrong easily. The anointing is always before us, and the word always follows. When we speak under the influence of the power of the anointing, the word follows the anointing. It may be less spectacular, but it does not easily err.
These two ways of speaking are different. The ways in which the speaker addresses the audience, according to these two ways, are also different. According to the first way, the speaker can set his eyes on the audience and look at them. He can study their faces and conditions while he is pushing out his word with the spirit. According to the second way, the speaker cannot look at the audience. His entire focus should be on his spirit, his very own spirit. He should detect where the anointing is flowing and turn his words in that direction. He should stand at the door like a watchman. As soon as the anointing comes, he should follow. He should follow the anointing and not be concerned with others’ expressions, attitudes, and reactions. He should follow the anointing sentence by sentence under the influence of the power of the spirit. This way of speaking pays no attention to the audience. As soon as the speaker turns his attention to the audience, he is frustrated from following the anointing.
Those who are learning to speak by the spirit have to learn to speak according to these two ways. Sometimes when the Lord wants us to speak, He first activates our mind by His mercy to utter some outer words. At the same time, our spirit bursts forth through these same words; we pack our spirit into these words and shoot them out in a burst or an explosion. At other times the Lord wants us to focus all our energy on waiting inwardly. Our entire being, including our thoughts, should be focused on our spirit and in a state of waiting. As the Lord gives us the anointing, we are led along the way step by step. The anointing is before us, and by God’s mercy, our mind produces a word that matches the sense of the anointing within. Then we can release this word. The anointing is always before us, and our words follow behind it sentence by sentence. We are not concerned at all about our audience. Our eyes are set on no one. Although we see faces, we have no feeling toward them. All of our feelings are focused on the anointing. All of our thoughts and attention are focused on the anointing. The anointing takes the lead, and our words follow it sentence by sentence. Such a release of the spirit also brings God’s children to the Spirit. In their ministry, the ministers of the word should experience both conditions; they should bring God’s children to the Spirit through both of these ways.
A message should be delivered under the leading and guidance of the anointing from beginning to end. However, at critical times, the speaker has to give an extra push to his spirit. This is the best kind of ministry of the word. The speaking by the anointing occupies the bulk of the message. The speaker follows the anointing and delivers his message sentence by sentence. He is not concerned about the reaction of his audience, and he does not care who is sitting in front of him; he is faithful only to follow the anointing. When he finds where the anointing is, he finds the “seam” through which he can squeeze out his word sentence by sentence. He knows within himself that his words are following the anointing. As he is releasing his word this way, he may want to bless his audience; he may want to discharge the blessing with a strong impact. In this case he may want to change his way of speaking and speak in a way that discharges his spirit. On the one hand, he needs the power of the anointing. On the other hand, he has to pack his word with the spirit and discharge his spirit this way. When this happens, he will witness the Lord’s grace. Others will receive revelation when he wants them to receive revelation. There is no need to wait. Others will fall on their face when he wants them to fall on their face. Others will see when he wants them to see. The lowest kind of ministry of the word is the kind which merely helps others to understand. The highest kind of ministry of the word is one which opens men’s eyes and causes them to fall on their face. In order for others to advance from merely understanding with the mind to an opening of the eyes and then to a falling on their face, the speaker has to be willing to pay a price. Everything depends on how much he is willing to pay. If he is willing to pay the price, others will receive something. When there is the anointing of the Spirit as well as the pushing of his own spirit, others will see something through his speaking, and they will fall down on their face. The crucial factor is the kind of price the speaker is willing to pay. For a minister of the word, the basic issue is the matter of the exercise of the spirit. We must pay full attention to this matter. The outer man must be broken because the spirit can realize its function only to the extent that the outer man is broken. The Holy Spirit pays constant attention to the breaking of the outer man in His disciplining work. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to work on us. If we do not rebel against the discipline of the Holy Spirit and if we do not fight against it according to our own will, the Spirit will subdue our outer man, and our inner man will become useful to Him. This is the reason the breaking of the outer man is so crucial.
In our speaking, we must also pay attention to our mind. Whether a word should be spoken first or last is a decision that rests with the mind. In our service as a minister of the word, our mind occupies a very important place. If our mental faculty is versatile, we can place a word at the beginning of our speaking or at the end. Either place will fit, and the spirit will be released during the speaking. But if our mind is not so versatile, nothing works. In such a case, whether the word comes to our mind at the beginning of the speaking or at the end, the spirit is not released in our speaking. Every minister of the word has to guard his mind carefully from any damage. He has to treasure his mind like a pianist treasures his two hands. Some people are too careless with their mind; they can never be proper ministers of the word. We have to allow the Lord to freely direct our mind; we cannot allow our mind to go wild. We should not allow our mind to dwell on illogical things, vain things, or unimportant things. We must protect our mind like a pianist protecting his two hands. We should not set our mind on low or base things. If the Spirit cannot use our mind when He calls for it, we are frustrated from serving as a minister of the word.
This does not mean that the mind is the source of our speaking. If a minister of the word bases his activity on his mind, such activity should be condemned and destroyed to the uttermost. The thought that a thorough study of the Scriptures will qualify a man to teach is an abominable proposition. Any thought that is independent of the spirit should be destroyed. Any message that is based on the mind as the source should be annulled. But this does not mean that we should annul the function of the mind. Every book of the New Testament is written with rich expression of thought. Paul’s Epistles, such as his Epistle to the Romans, are full of thoughts. Yet the thoughts are high and lofty. The book of Romans does not originate from the mind; it originates from the spirit. Yet the thoughts contained in that book flow out with the spirit. The source must be the spirit, not the mind. We must take good care of our mind so that it can be available to God when He needs to use it.
We should not indiscriminately condemn our mind. We should condemn the mind as the source. It is wrong for a man to preach according to his mind. The proper way to preach is with the spirit by the help of the mind; no one should condemn this. The more spiritual a message is, the richer the thought behind it should be. All spiritual messages are full of thoughts. When the spirit is released, there is the need for rich and adequate thoughts to support it. We should give our thoughts the proper place. In our speaking, our mind has to decide the order and the way that the words are to be expressed. If a word comes to our mind first, we should speak it first; if it comes to our mind last, we should speak it last. We should speak according to where our mind leads us. We must realize that our spirit does not control our speaking directly. Direct control by the spirit would mean that we are speaking in tongues. Rather, the spirit directs our speaking from behind our thoughts and understanding. This is the meaning of the ministry of the word. Our understanding must be available for the spirit’s use. If it is not available, our spirit is blocked, and there is no medium between the spirit and the word. The proper medium between the spirit and the word is the mind. This is the reason that we have to carefully guard our mind before the Lord. The mind must be renewed daily. We must not allow our mind to habitually remain in a low place. Some peoples’ minds are habitually low, and the Spirit cannot use them. We have to preserve our mind. It is as we touch the ministry of the word that we know the depth of the meaning of consecration. Many people do not understand the meaning of consecration. Consecration means that our whole being is made available to God. In order to make everything available to God, every part of our mind must be made available to Him. Every day we have to exercise care before the Lord; every day we have to guard our mind from becoming low. If it remains low all the time, we will not be able to pull it up when we have need of it. We have to train our mind every day so that it will be available for the Scripture’s use. This is the only way to insure that our mind does not become a hindrance to the spirit. God must be able to direct our mind at will. By His mercy, He will direct our mind. He will let our mind recall what we should say. The things that should be spoken first will come to our mind first, and the things that should be spoken last will come to our mind last. Our words will be controlled by our mind, and our mind will be controlled by our spirit. If our spirit can direct our mind, everything will be right. It will be right if a word is spoken first, and it will be right if it is spoken last. It will be right if we speak more, and it will be equally right if we speak less. If the mind is proper and functional, the word will come out in any case.
In our speaking, it is easy for us to know the climax of our speaking because our mind easily can identify it, but it is not easy to know the climax of the spirit. The climax of the spirit is something that is unknown to our mind. This is the reason that it is not easy to tell the climax of the spirit.
While we are standing on the platform and speaking, how do we know how far God wants to go? How do we know what height the Lord wants to attain? How do we know which points the Lord wants to magnify? How can we know when the Lord wants to climax His speaking? In his speaking, a minister of the word has to pay attention to the difference between the climax of the word and the climax of the spirit. If our condition is right, we should clearly know the particular word that God has given to us whenever we open our mouth to speak for the Lord. We should also know the high peak in our speaking. This means that most words are ordinary words, but some words are especially high; they touch the climax of our speaking. We should know where this peak lies when we are speaking. While we are speaking, we should take care of the peak. The purpose of our speaking is to bring in the climax. But we should realize that the climax in the spirit may not coincide with the climax of the speaking. Sometimes the climax in the spirit does coincide with the climax in the speaking, but this is not always the case. This makes the matter rather complicated. It would be a simple job for the minister of the word if the climax of the word always coincided with the climax in the spirit. When we know what the peak of the speaking should be, we aim our words at that peak and climb up gradually until we reach that peak. When the peak of the speaking is the same as the peak in the spirit, the matter is very simple. All we have to do is aim our words at the peak. Our spirit will be released and the anointing will be released. The degree to which the spirit is released will be as powerful and strong as the word that is released. Not much difficulty will be encountered in such a release. But sometimes the climax of our speaking does not coincide with the climax in the spirit.
When God gives us a ministry, He gives us the word at the same time. But when we serve the church with this word, the strange and peculiar thing is that even though there is a high point to our speaking, the spirit does not like to release itself at the high point of the speaking. The climax of the speaking may be here, yet the climax in the spirit has not arrived. Sometimes, the climax in the spirit has arrived, but the climax of the speaking has not come. It is true that the spirit has to be released. But it is released with a focus that sometimes is the same and sometimes is different than the focus of the word. Sometimes as soon as we touch the heart of our speaking, the spirit is released in a strong, powerful, and explosive way. But this does not happen every time. Often the center and climax of the speaking have not arrived; only a few simple words are said, and they may be said indifferently. Yet the spirit is released. In other words, the spirit is released before the climax of the speaking is reached.
We have to tell the difference between the peak of the word and the peak in the spirit. We have to learn to direct our words with our mind so that when the spiritual climax is reached, we have one or two words that can serve as the leverage for the speaking of the ministry. As a rule, the climax of the ministry should be the climax of our speaking. But the strange thing is that when the word reaches the peak without the spirit, it is hard to push out one’s spirit at such times. It may not be an absolutely impossible task because the spirit will move a little when the word reaches the peak, but it is sometimes impossible to push out the spirit in a very strong way. Perhaps a few minutes or even ten to twenty minutes have to pass after the high point in the word, when the minister has returned to an ordinary utterance, before the spirit rises up and moves out in a strong way. In our preaching we should pay attention to these two things: the high point in the word and the high point in the release of the spirit. The two may coincide. But they can also happen at different times. They may occur at the same time, or one may occur first and the other follow.
What should we do when the high point of the word and the high point in the spirit are different? A minister of the word should remember that at such times the mind has certain duties to perform. In fulfilling the ministry of the word, one has to have a flexible mind; his mind must not be dull. While a minister of the word must have his mind focused on the word, his mind also must be available to the Holy Spirit. It must be so flexible that it can handle any unexpected event. It is not uncommon for a minister of the word to encounter unexpected things. God may speak something different at the last minute; He may want to add something, and the Holy Spirit may move in a different direction at the last minute. But suppose his mind is set like a piece of wrought iron on what he is going to say. When the spirit tries to lay hold of the word, the mind may not be pliable enough. If it is too rigid and dull, the speaking becomes restricted. He can reach a high point in his speaking, but the spirit does not reach the high point. As a consequence, the ministry becomes common and powerless. It is not easy to point out this phenomenon. Perhaps this will become clear to us in the future. Nevertheless, we have to remember that the mind of a minister of the word has to be devoted solely to the word on the one hand, but the mind always must be flexible and agile before the Lord on the other hand. When the Holy Spirit points to a different direction, the mind must turn with Him. In this way he will not miss the spiritual climax that God wants to achieve.
When we stand up to speak for the Lord, our mind must be pliable and open to the Lord. Only then will we know what God is trying to do. We must be prepared mentally to meet all unexpected circumstances. While we are speaking, we should test the Holy Spirit to find out whether our speaking is in the right direction. We should test our own spirit and test God’s Spirit as well. If we find that there is some amount of release of the spirit after a few words, we should exercise our mind to facilitate the release of the spirit. We may find that the spirit becomes more released when we speak a certain sentence. We should speak more along this line to release more of the spirit. While we are speaking, our mind should be keen to touch the high point in the spirit. Once our mind touches the high point, we should be ready to speak another sentence to release the spirit. A third and fourth sentence, which will release the spirit further, should follow. In other words, whenever the word comes to a point where the spirit is released, the mind should not turn in another direction, and the speaking should not move away. The mind and the word must move along the same line. The more one speaks, the more the anointing flows, and the more the spirit is released. The word will become stronger and stronger until it reaches the climax in the spirit.
Sometimes the climax in the spirit coincides with the climax in the word. But sometimes they do not fall in the same place. Sometimes the spiritual climax comes before the word has reached its climax. We can do nothing about this. But if the climax of the speaking has come and the climax of the spirit has not, we have to consider what needs to be done in order to release the spirit in a strong way. We have to exercise the utmost care at such a juncture. It is as if we were looking for a lost needle, probing in every direction as with a magnet. When the magnet comes close to the needle, the needle will be swooped up. A speaker has to test with his words. If the spirit does not move when he speaks one way, he has to change. If the spirit remains quiet after he tries another way, he has to change again. He has to watch when the spirit begins to move. An experienced person will know as soon as the spirit moves at his word. As soon as the right word is uttered, he has a registration within that he has said the right thing. It may be a very fine and delicate move, yet he knows. As he speaks with his mind, he is testing whether or not the Spirit likes his utterance. When the Spirit approves his speaking, he may have a very faint sense initially. But as he pursues along the same line, the spirit will be released more and more. At this juncture, his mind should direct his words along this line and strengthen his speaking. He must not turn in a different direction. He should move his speaking in the same direction. The more the word continues in this same direction, the more the spirit is released, and the more he will touch the spiritual climax of his speaking. We have to learn to test the Spirit with the word. We have to know what kind of word brings out the climax of the Spirit and what kind of word frustrates it. The more we touch the peak, the more the spirit will flow, and the more anointing there will be. The more our word hits the right spot, the more anointing we will have, and the more our word will bring us to the spiritual climax, the apex. When we sense the Lord’s Spirit and blessing, we can be assured that we have touched the heart of our speaking; this is the spiritual climax of our speaking. If our spirit is strong, we can sustain this climax for a long time. If our spirit is not that strong, we will have to turn after a while; otherwise, the climax will shrivel away. The length of time depends on how strong our spirit is. If the spirit is strong, the climax can be sustained for a longer time. If the spirit is not strong, the climax will fade away quickly. We cannot try to sustain it by force. This is entirely a matter of the spirit. When the spirit is gone and the word is left to itself, the speaker should terminate his speaking on this point.
For this reason, our mind must be in focus and be pliable before the Lord. It must be absolutely in focus, and it must also be absolutely pliable. It must be so focused that it is aware of nothing else. Yet, at the same time, it must be so gentle that it can accommodate any unexpected event. We should be on the alert that the mind does not become so rigid that we fail to touch the Lord’s present word and His climax. Our mind has to be exercised to catch up with God’s word and the Spirit’s move. If we do this, our word will catch up with the climax of the spirit when we function in the ministry of the word.
When we speak as a minister of the word, we have to exercise our mind. We typically speak whatever comes to our mind; whatever we think of, we speak. Our mind controls our words. Yet our mind must have some substance; it must not be full of vanity or aimless thoughts. The basis of our thoughts is our memory. The raw materials from which we formulate our speaking come from whatever we have learned previously, whatever our mind is occupied with, whatever we have experienced and seen in the past, and whatever breaking work we have experienced. These materials are collected from the Lord. The work that the Lord has done and the breaking work that He has accomplished become the building blocks. We spend our whole life accumulating experience, discipline, teachings, and knowledge of the Scripture. These become accumulated deposits within us. When we stand up to speak for the Lord, God’s Spirit will direct our mind to search through our memory to put all the things we have acquired to use. In other words, the Holy Spirit directs our mind, while the mind directs the speaking. The mind supplies the speaking with the raw materials, and the raw materials come from the memory. If we do not have any experience, we have nothing in our memory; we cannot remember what we have never acquired. We can only remember what we have acquired. A certain thing that we remember may supply our mind with the right word to support our speaking. Behind the speaking there must be a good mind and good thoughts, which come from one’s memory. These thoughts are not extemporaneous or imaginary thoughts; they are acquired through one’s previous experiences.
Speaking is based on the mind, the mind is based on the memory, and memory is based on experience. When we stand up to speak, we can only draw from the resources we have collected throughout our life. The experiences we collect throughout our life are like goods in a storehouse. The Lord has brought us through many experiences; we have learned many lessons and seen many truths. All these are stored in the warehouse of our experience. When we open our mouth to speak, our speaking is built upon our experience. But how does our speaking build upon our experience? Our speaking is only related to our mind. We may want to say something, and as we are considering what to say, our mind will go to our memory storehouse. The storehouse of our lifetime experiences can only be accessed and retrieved by our memory. The memory is like the manager of the storehouse; it alone can retrieve what we have known and experienced. The mind then organizes these materials and releases them through our speaking. Here we see the importance of the memory. We must put the director and the materials together. Every ministry of the word begins from the Holy Spirit. But when the Holy Spirit speaks, He speaks through our mind. When the Spirit wants to say something, He first considers what the mind can afford Him. Whatever the Spirit wants to say, the mind must come up with the word. If the Spirit wants to say a certain thing first, the mind has to recall that thing first. Brothers, more and more we are realizing that our mind is not adequate for His use. We cannot recall what the Spirit wants to say, and we think of things that the Spirit does not want to say. This is a proof that our mind is not adequate for His use. A minister of the word only needs to speak once for Him; he will be humbled immediately. He will realize that he cannot make it by himself. He cannot recall what the Spirit wants, and he can recall what the Spirit does not want. His mind is like a flywheel that is misaligned with another wheel. On certain days he feels fine. Whatever the Lord wants to say comes out of his mouth spontaneously; he has the right word to convey the Lord’s utterance. During these times, his mind is like a flywheel that is well aligned. When the Spirit moves, his mind matches the move and follows the Spirit. But this does not happen all the time. The mind often does not function that well. The Spirit may want to say something, but the mind is too dull to think of the right words.
We must realize that the Holy Spirit dictates to our mind, while our mind dictates our words. If the Holy Spirit cannot dictate to our mind, our mind cannot dictate our words. When our mind dictates our words, it also requires the help of the memory. The mind does not come up with words of its own; it only recalls words. These words are not imagined or intangible. They are stored in the storehouse. We must first have a verse in our storehouse. The Lord must have dealt with us in a certain way already. When the need arises, the Lord will cause us to remember such a thing. Therefore, as we are preaching, we have to exercise our memory. The Holy Spirit directs the mind, and the mind searches through all our experiences in our memory and then releases them as the word. This speaking becomes a good ministry of the word. A healthy memory is very useful. It comes in handy and affords a person whatever he needs. In the ministry of the word, the Holy Spirit uses man’s mind to recall what he has learned. Without any effort on our part, the Spirit can call to mind something we have learned or seen and then place it in our mind. Our mind sees it once more and speaks it out. Many things are retained in the form of just a few words. If the mind is undisciplined, it is not able to recall these words, and the spirit is frustrated from being released. As long as one part of our being malfunctions, the spirit does not flow. We can still preach, but the spirit is not released. The release of the spirit requires the cooperation of a fully functioning mind and a fully functioning memory. As long as something is wrong with our mind or memory, we cannot function properly. This is a very serious matter.
Suppose we know what the Lord wants us to say. It may be something long that cannot be expressed in one word. Perhaps seven or eight words are required. The Lord wants us to speak these words, but we are afraid that we will forget them. Therefore, we try hard to remember them. When we come to the meeting, our mind is set on these seven or eight words. We tell ourselves that we have to remember them. Our heart is set on them, yet we often find that our memory does not serve us on that day. Our spirit is not released. The mere retention of the word in the mind is useless; such a word is powerless. When it is released, the spirit does not move. With a minister of the word, the functioning of the memory has to be something very spontaneous. If we try to muster it artificially, it will turn the other way when the Spirit calls for it.
A minister of the word needs not only a perfect mind but a perfect memory. Memory is like an electrical connection; as long as one end is broken, the electricity is cut off. When a certain part in our memory is blocked, the Lord’s Spirit does not flow out. As long as our memory is slightly cut off from the source, we are through. If we try to make our memory or mind the source, we are through. When the Holy Spirit is the source, our mind and memory can become very useful. It is when the Holy Spirit shines from within us that we realize how short our mind is. When light is lacking in our spirit, we become very proud of our mind, memory, and eloquence. These faculties may seem to be functioning very well. But when we are enlightened by the Holy Spirit, we realize the uselessness of our mind, memory, and eloquence. This is the reason that we have to pray; we have to pray that our memory would become the memory of the Holy Spirit and that God’s Spirit would be able to use it when He has need of it. When we speak, we may or may not be able to recall certain crucial words. The difference here is very great. If we recall these words, the utterance will be released, and the spirit will be released. But if we cannot recall these words, we will feel a burden like a big millstone upon our back. This burden will weigh heavily upon us, and both the word and the spirit will be quenched.
We have to exercise total concentration in making ourselves available to the Spirit. We have to gather everything that we have experienced in our life, all the discipline that we have learned, all the things we have read and heard, all the revelation we have seen in our life, and all the teachings we have learned from the light. We have to put them all before the Spirit and make them available to Him. They must be gathered together and made available at the same time. Originally, we were like a house with all the windows open to the distracting noise and color outside. Now the windows should be closed, allowing no outside influence. All the things we have acquired in our whole life should be at the Spirit’s disposal. Every time the ministry of the word is released in a strong way, the Holy Spirit takes up everything of our life and uses it within a period of five or ten minutes. Ministry of the word involves a price. Every release of the spirit involves a price. The outer man has to be shut out; all the windows to the outside have to be shut. We have to focus all of our memory; our whole being has to be kept under strict surveillance. At the critical moment, we must make everything available to the Holy Spirit. When this happens, we will have a powerful ministry of the word. There cannot be any disruption, distraction, or carelessness. We have to maintain our memory in top condition; our memory has to be on full alert every time we speak. We have to gather up everything in a way that has never been done before during our entire life. We should collect all the things of our life and make them available to the Holy Spirit all at once. This is the duty of the memory in the ministry of the word.
In order for the memory to have the adequate materials, we have to learn many lessons before the Lord and experience many things. Ministry of the word is based on the discipline of the Holy Spirit. Without the discipline of the Holy Spirit, we do not have the supply, and we have nothing to say. We receive the supply through the discipline of the Holy Spirit. As we increase our deposit gradually and continuously, there is room in our memory storehouse to keep the inventory. But if we have only received a little discipline from the Holy Spirit, we will have few lessons to draw from. There will be little place in our memory to direct our inventory, and we will have nothing for the Spirit to draw from. Therefore, the riches of the ministry of the word depend on the wealth of discipline that the minister receives. The more the minister learns his lessons and receives discipline, the more room his memory possesses to maneuver the goods, and the more materials his mind has from which to generate the words. In serving as a minister of the word, we must have substance to our words; we cannot speak vain words, and we must have enough memory to apply everything that we have learned in our lifetime to our speaking. If God’s Spirit is directing the speaking, everything we have learned in our life will be used.
A minister of the word must also exercise his feelings. We must realize that the spirit flows out of us only when our feelings match our words. If there is a little reservation in our feelings about the word we have received from the spirit, the word will not come out, and the spirit will not be released. We often have reservations in our feelings. What does it mean to have reservations? We may feel ashamed of something, or we may fear men’s criticism, cold shoulders, or opposition. We may discount our words or hold back the feelings we should have concerning our word. We hold back something and dare not match our feelings with our word. When we speak, we have to let go of our feelings completely. If we do not let go, we will have reservations, and as long as we have reservations, the word will never be released. No matter how hard we try, the spirit will never be released. If the word calls for tears, we have to shed tears. The word often calls for tears, but the speaker will not cry. When this happens, the feelings and the word do not match.
Man’s outward shell is very hard. As long as a man does not let go of his feelings, his spirit is not released. The most prominent mark of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the letting go of our feelings. There are two ways to let go of feelings. The first is through the outpouring. The second is through the breaking. The release that comes through the outpouring is an outward release. We ourselves must still learn to let go before the spirit can be released. Breaking and discipline enable a man to let go, even when he is not experiencing the outpouring. A young brother who has never received any deep revelation needs the outpouring; this outpouring will loosen him up. But he should not trust in this kind of release through the outpouring. He should accept all kinds of discipline day by day, until his outward shell is broken. This brokenness is indeed precious. One should be released not only when he has the outpouring of the Spirit; his feelings should be broken even when he does not experience any outpouring. In other words, if the discipline of the Lord’s Spirit is severe enough and if the shell of feelings is broken, we will have whatever kind of feeling the word requires of us. We must match the word with our feelings. If our word is released without our feelings, the spirit most likely will not flow out. Sometimes God’s word calls for tears, yet we cannot cry, or His word calls for shouting, and we cannot shout. This is because the self poses as a primary obstacle to the word’s release. Our feelings are affected by men around us, and our feelings cannot match our words.
Sometimes, in order to release the spirit in a strong way, a man has to shout and cry. The Lord Jesus once cried out. John 7:37 says, “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out.” On the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:14 says, “Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke forth to them.” When the pressure of the Spirit is heavy upon a man and his feelings are pressed, he is forced to speak in a loud voice. His outward feelings and inward feelings become the same. When Peter and John were released from prison, the brothers gathered together and lifted up their voice to God (4:23-24). They suffered dire persecutions. They asked the Lord to look upon them and to grant them boldness to speak His word on the one hand, and to stretch out His hand to heal on the other hand so that signs and wonders would take place through the name of the Lord. Paul was the same. When he saw the lame man at Lystra, he said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet” (14:10). This shows us that when the ministry of the word is released, the word must be matched by corresponding feelings.
If we do not let go today and if we still have reservations in our feelings, we will find reservations in the spirit as well. The spirit will not be released. In the case of the Lord Jesus, in the prayer of the first church, and in the cases of Peter and Paul, strong feelings were released. They all spoke with a loud voice. When our spirit is released, it must be accompanied by strong feelings. We are not encouraging anyone to preach by shouting. We are saying that when the spirit is strong, the voice can be loud. If the spirit is not strong, the voice can never be loud. If we are inwardly void of feelings, even filling the whole room with our voice is useless. When some people sing, the louder they sing the less spirit they have. The same is true with some preaching. An artificial loudness will not work. Artificiality is useless in the ministry of the word. The inward reality must be released. We should never try to imitate the spirit in an outward way. When our word is released, our feelings must be released as well. This is the reason that we must be broken. If our outward shell is broken, we can shout as we please, rejoice as we please, and sorrow as we please. We do not have to act out these feelings; they flow out from within.
If the Lord cannot get through in our feelings, He will not be able to get through in others’ feelings. Others are cold, dry, and contradicting. When we speak, we have to break through their feelings. If the Lord cannot get through in our feelings, we cannot expect Him to get through in others’ feelings. If the Lord cannot make us cry, He cannot make others cry. If the pressure does not produce tears in us, we cannot expect it to produce tears in others. We are the first hurdle that the Lord’s word has to overcome. While we are speaking, we often feel that our feelings are not available to us. The highest price in the ministry of the word is the price of our breaking. The Lord has to break us into pieces before He can have a way through us. God’s word has to touch us in a strong way before our reactions can be God’s reactions. If a weeping Jeremiah could not make the Jews weep, a prophet who did not weep would surely not be able to evoke any tears from the whole nation of Israel. Jeremiah was a weeping prophet. If a weeping prophet cannot produce a weeping people, a prophet who does not weep will surely not produce a weeping people. In order for God’s people to weep, the prophet must first weep. God finds special pleasure in brothers who let go of their feelings when they stand up to speak. When a minister of the word stands on the platform, he has to learn to match his feelings with the word.
All ministers of God’s word should learn from the Scripture the character of God’s word. Once they learn this, they will know under what circumstances God will use them. Simply put, there are two characteristics to God’s word. First, it is plain; second, it is high. God’s word is plain. Even a blind man will not be lost and a lame man will not be put out of joint by God’s word. God’s word is very clear and plain. The parables in the Word are not riddles. If God’s word were a riddle, it would mean that it was not written for man to understand. God’s word is not a riddle; it is clear and plain. Therefore, every minister of God’s word should learn to speak in a plain way. We must have the habit of speaking plainly and simply; we should not be wordy. We should take care that others understand our words. If others do not understand our words, we have to change our way. We should always remember that God’s word is given for men to understand, not to misunderstand. Matthew 13 is an exception because the Jews rejected the Lord. Therefore, God’s word was hidden from them.
A minister of the word has to be trained in his ability to speak. We may understand something today, and it may take us just five minutes to comprehend it. But we may have to spend five hours to contemplate on it. When we speak it, we should ask a brother whether he understands what we are saying. If he does not understand, we have to change our way. We need to speak in such a way that others understand immediately. We should never speak for half an hour and then find that only five minutes of our speaking were understood. Instead, we should speak for five minutes and make sure that others have understood those five minutes of our speaking. It is better to speak less than to waste twenty-five minutes of time. We have to learn to speak plainly. We should develop the habit of speaking clearly and not be tempted to become wordy. We should always use simple words and always consider how we can make our speaking understandable. We have to ask God to give us plain words that we can express. We may express our thoughts through a parable, but we still have to make our word clear. This is the very nature of God’s word. If the nature of our speaking is different from the nature of God’s word, we will surely encounter problems in our speaking. Those who have a problem with their speaking should forget about their “face.” They should humble themselves and seek advice from other brothers and sisters. They should practice speaking to others for five minutes to see whether or not others understand what they are saying. They should be willing to accept correction so that they can speak longer the next time, perhaps ten minutes. Since we are here to speak for God, we have to learn to speak, and our words have to be uttered clearly sentence by sentence. The meaning has to be obvious, and the choice of words has to be suitable. We speak to make others understand. God does not want His word to become a riddle, like some parables in the Old Testament. God does not want men to have to spend a great deal of time trying to understand His word. A minister of the word should often seek advice from more learned and experienced brothers and should ask for their criticism concerning any part that is not clear. He should learn to improve his speaking and strive to make his words simple and plain.
God’s word is plain, but His word is also high and profound. God never says anything shallow. He never says anything that sounds titillating but conveys no spirit. The speaking of the minister of the word should be like a hammer; in striking God’s word, one should hit hard. If he hits softly, his word will not touch God’s word. If our words are shallow, we cannot express God’s word no matter how hard we try. Our speaking must maintain a degree of height and profundity. Once we change the nature of God’s speaking, we cannot touch His word. Our speaking must be high. Our words must be high and profound because the Lord of hosts is coming through our speaking. Once our words become shallow, God will not be released. Some brothers speak in such a low way when they quote a verse that it is difficult to imagine that God’s word can be released through them. Some brothers have such a childish way of exhortation that one wonders how God’s word can come out of their mouth. We must take care of the loftiness of our speaking. As soon as our words become low, God’s speaking diminishes or even disappears. When our words remain shallow, God cannot find any opportunity to thrust Himself out of the word. The more our exhortation stays on a low plane, the less others will touch anything. The more our exhortation remains on a high plane, the more others will touch something. This is a very strange phenomenon. Suppose a two- or three-year-old girl has just learned to understand words. We can say to her, “Tonight I will buy you a piece of candy. If you behave well, the Lord Jesus will love you.” It is all right to say this to a child. But if we say on the platform, “Tonight I will give you all a piece of candy; if you listen quietly to my preaching, the Lord Jesus will love you,” will this exhortation work? This is low exhortation, a childish exhortation; it is baby talk. Once our words become low, there is no more divine speaking. God wants His servants to always remain on a high plane. The higher we climb, the better our audience will receive our word.
We must realize that it is an important duty of the minister of the word to climb high before God. The higher we climb, the more divine speaking there will be. If we do not aim high, our teachings and exhortations will be low; we will be short of God’s speaking. Once our words are low, God’s word will not be released. God does not tolerate any low thoughts, low words, low exhortations, low parables, or low expressions. Therefore, our words have to be high yet, at the same time, clear and plain. This is the way to release God’s word. Sometimes we have the light, the word, and the burden. We want to say the word in a plain way, but the pressure is great, and we cannot be plain. It is hard to speak plainly even when we practice. If we do not practice, how can we do it? We must learn to speak simply, plainly, and clearly. We have to make this our habit. At the same time, we have to aim our words as high as possible. We should never touch low things. Once we touch low things, God’s word will not be released. This is a very important point.
It is harder for us to speak today than for those who spoke one hundred years ago, and harder still than for those who spoke four or five hundred years ago. It is harder for us to speak than it was for Martin Luther, because the release of God’s word is always advancing onward and upward. The more we speak God’s word, the more profound it becomes and the higher it gets. Today God’s speaking has reached the present stage, and we cannot go back to His former speaking again. We have to go on. The Lord said, “My Father is working until now, and I also am working” (John 5:17). God never stops working. He worked yesterday, and He is working today. His work today is more advanced than His work yesterday, and His work tomorrow will be more advanced than His work today. His work never diminishes; it only increases. His work is forever advancing and never retreating. Martin Luther saw the truth of justification by faith. But what men have seen in the last one hundred years concerning justification by faith is much more than what Luther saw. This is not arrogance. This shows that God’s word is advancing. The best book Luther wrote was his commentary on Galatians. But believers today have seen much more from Galatians than what Luther saw. God’s word has moved on, and it is impossible for anyone to turn back.
We must realize that all the truths are in the Bible. The basis of all our speaking is the Bible. Yet the discovery of biblical truth, the release of God’s word, and the things that the church receives from God are advancing day by day. Every generation of God’s children sees more than the generation before. For example, in the first few centuries, the church interpreted the kingdom to mean heaven, but in the last century, this matter has become very clear. The kingdom is the kingdom, and heaven is heaven; these are two different things. Today we are even clearer: The kingdom is not only a matter of reward but also a matter of spiritual reign and rule. We believe all the biblical truths were clear during the apostolic age. Later they were buried and then recovered little by little. Consider the example of resurrection. Our understanding of it has moved on. For years men spoke about resurrection in a limited way; they understood it only to mean to a certain sphere. But today some have seen what resurrection is. They have surpassed their predecessors in what they have seen. If God is merciful to the church, the word will abound more and more. When God speaks, His word always climbs higher and higher.
God’s word is always advancing. He is always ready to give more to His church. In reading the best homiletics of the second and third centuries and in comparing them with the present ministry of the word, we can see how much progress has been made. The Holy Spirit has not held Himself back. The word is still advancing; it is not retreating. Although the church outwardly faces many obstacles, our God is still going on. God does not stop after He has accomplished one thing. He is still working, and He is still advancing. Therefore, the ministry of the word today should touch more than what was touched by former ministries. We should realize before the Lord that grace is pouring out in unbounded measure. In order for the church to grow to full stature and to touch the fullness of Christ, we believe that the riches of the ministry must increase. Do not speak with contentment and nonchalance. God wants us to touch something high. He wants to give us the high things. Perhaps God has not chosen us to be a pivotal minister, one who is a “joint,” but I hope that we can still have a share among the ministers. Although we cannot build up the framework itself, we can at least fill in the gaps in the existing framework.
