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After much fellowship we are clear that several brothers need to move for their service and labor. Some brothers want to move, and there are places that have a need. Moreover, it may be necessary to reassign the responsibilities of some co-workers. This applies to our service in Taiwan, particularly in Taipei.
Concerning going abroad, we feel that we should take care of Japan and Southeast Asia. There is an urgent need in Tokyo and Bangkok. We hope that at least two brothers can go to Bangkok or that a brother and his family can go there. At least one brother should go to Tokyo. There is also a need for some brothers to go to different places in Southeast Asia. It would be good for more brothers to receive a burden to go overseas for the propagation. For example, if a brother has a clear leading from the Lord and has a burden to go to the West, especially to America, it would be very good. However, the urgent need is in Tokyo and Bangkok. I hope that some brothers will be open to seek the Lord’s will and receive a burden to go to these places.
Furthermore, in the past most of the co-workers in Taiwan stayed in one place for a long time and bore the responsibility there. The co-workers did not travel and labor in different places. In principle, we stayed in one place and were responsible for the work in that place. We did not work like the apostle Paul, who traveled from place to place without staying for long in any one place. It may be time for us to have a change. This does not mean that we should all move to different places, but we need to make changes that will involve a few co-workers. There should be a group of co-workers, brothers and sisters, who receive the leading to travel from place to place on a regular basis in order to supply the needs of the churches.
According to the fellowship from the brothers, some co-workers cannot leave immediately to supply the churches, but other co-workers can. A brother who receives the burden to go to supply the churches in different places should help the church where he is and also set aside a portion of his time to travel for the supply of other churches. In this way the co-workers can supply other churches and learn more related to the ministry. This will enlarge their heart and broaden their view.
The co-workers who do not travel regularly can stay in larger cities, such as Kaohsiung and Taichung. The co-workers who travel regularly can stay in smaller cities, such as Chiayi and Tainan. They should go to a place and then return to their locality when it is necessary. It is time for us to work in this way. We will benefit from traveling to different places. This will prevent the co-workers from being narrow in their view, and it will enlarge their capacity. The co-workers who travel to supply other churches will be enlarged in their view and capacity.
Furthermore, when a co-worker goes out from his respective locality, the saints in his locality have an opportunity to serve and supply the church. When the co-worker returns, he can help locally. With the service being carried out mainly by the local saints, the co-worker can assist and guide the saints. When the co-worker is in a place, he should advise and assist the saints so that the saints will be able to take care of the practical service after he departs. When the co-worker returns, he can consider the service of the saints. Some areas of service may need adjustment, and the saints may need support or motivation. This will perfect the local saints who have the opportunity to serve.
We need a good coordination in every place. Some of the co-workers who travel can labor in the gospel, but they should not preach the gospel outside the fellowship of the church. They should preach the gospel in coordination with the brothers and sisters in a locality. In this way the church will preach the gospel, even when the co-workers bear responsibility for giving messages.
The best practice is for two co-workers to travel together. The biblical principle is to go out two by two and work in coordination (Mark 6:7; Luke 10:1). The co-workers can hold conferences related to the building work, helping the saints in the matter of life or in reading the Word of God. It is best to go to the different places in twos and work in coordination. Then the churches in Taiwan will have an opportunity to receive the supply from many gifts. Moreover, some of the local brothers will have the opportunity to rise up and learn to bear responsibility. This will, in turn, provide the co-workers with more opportunities to travel.
The co-workers who travel should first go to places that are close to their present locality. This will give the saints in their locality the opportunity to bear more responsibility in the church. When the local saints are able to bear more responsibility, the co-workers can go to places that are farther away. With time, the co-workers as well as the local brothers will receive practical training. This is our present need.
Some saints may feel that we should continue to stay in one place for many years. Other saints may agree with this change in our practice. There are many patterns in the Bible. The apostle Paul stayed in one place for three years (Acts 20:31), in another place for a year and six months (18:11), and in several other places for a much shorter time (13:42, 44-52; 14:1-21; 17:2). He was flexible, because his labor was based on the need. Hence, we should not be as rigid in our labor as we have been in the past, when we stayed in one place for a long time and visited other places occasionally. It is time for us to travel to other places.
The localities that are new may not be ready for this change, but the local saints in more established localities should be given the opportunity to rise up and serve. Although the co-workers can guide the saints, their main responsibility is to supply the churches. A co-worker should be able to supply even the church of another co-worker. For example, a co-worker in locality A can supply locality B, and a co-worker in locality B can supply locality A. In this way there will be a mutual supply, and the capacity of life and service in the local churches will be enlarged.
A co-worker who travels to supply the churches should not abandon his locality. Just as Paul returned to Antioch, the locality that sent him out, the co-workers should return to the locality that sent them. Paul was sent out to labor, but he returned to Antioch to fellowship with and supply the saints. He did not abandon Antioch. Paul continued to care for the church in Antioch while he cared for the churches that were raised up among the Gentiles (14:26-28; 15:30, 35; 18:22-23). The brothers need a proper understanding of this matter, but we do not need rules related to how the co-workers travel. The brothers should always be ready to receive the Lord’s leading to visit and to render practical help to the churches. How long the co-workers should stay in a place depends on the Lord’s leading.
However, it may not be beneficial for the co-workers who have not learned any lessons to move. It may be better for these co-workers to remain in their locality until they learn some lessons. We all have a portion of supply, and we have our problems. These problems hinder us from learning lessons. In some places the co-workers and the local saints are unable to coordinate. A co-worker who cannot coordinate with the local saints has not learned some lessons. Every co-worker must learn lessons to be able to coordinate with the saints in any locality. When a co-worker has problems coordinating with local saints, the difficulty in coordinating is not because of the local saints; it is because the co-worker has not learned some lessons.
In a recent training we said that the character of a co-worker must be as pliable as paste. Paste can be applied to any surface. It can be applied to a surface that is hollow or that protrudes. It can be applied to a surface that is rough or that is smooth. There is hardly a surface to which paste cannot be applied. Therefore, if a co-worker is not able to coordinate with the local brothers, most likely it is because he has not learned the lessons that make his character as pliable as paste.
Co-workers who travel to a place and lord it over the saints have not learned this lesson (1 Pet. 5:3). The co-workers who are pliable as paste will be subject to the local brothers and willing to learn from them. If the local brothers need them to sweep the floor, they will sweep the floor. The co-workers should be willing to learn from the local brothers who take the lead. We first need to learn from others before we can lead others to learn from us. If we have a better way to sweep the floor, the leading brothers will notice and learn from us. However, some co-workers think that they are assigned to bear all the responsibility in a place. Therefore, they take over everything and assign the saints to sweep the floor, move tables, set up chairs, and do other services. It is not right to overturn everything that has been arranged by others.
It is also inappropriate for a co-worker to hold a conference simply because he knows more than the saints. Even if he truly knows something, there is no need for him to hold a conference. If there is a need to hold a conference, the local brothers should initiate it and ask the co-worker to help. A co-worker should never insist on holding a conference because he was sent by the co-workers to care for the church and to supply their need.
This has happened in the past, and it indicates that co-workers who have not learned some basic lessons should not go out to help the churches. Co-workers who have not learned these lessons are always eager to travel. They want to coordinate with saints in other places, even though they cannot coordinate with the saints in their own locality. Hence, the co-workers who want to go out must learn some serious lessons. In many cases, the co-workers who want to travel should stay in their locality, and the co-workers who are reluctant to travel should be sent out to supply the churches. Often, the co-workers who want to travel have problems in their locality; consequently, they are eager to go out. The saints are happy when these co-workers go out to travel. Such co-workers should not travel. When workers who may not want to travel are sent out, the saints miss them because these co-workers are always taking care of the needs of the church. Such co-workers truly supply the churches. This is a good lesson for us to learn.
A co-worker who cannot coordinate with the local saints should examine himself. The co-workers must learn this lesson. We should never blame the saints and say that they cannot coordinate with us. Rather, we should find the reason that we cannot coordinate with them. This can be compared to a child learning to write. There is no problem with the pen and the ink; the problem is that the child lacks practice and skill. Hence, when we encounter a problem, we should consider ourselves, not the saints. We must learn this lesson.
There are many scientific things that I do not understand, but I know and understand spiritual matters. We should be able to coordinate with anyone. As long as we learn spiritual lessons, we will be able to coordinate with any brother.
In order to coordinate, we not only need to learn lessons; even more, we need to learn skills. To learn a skill does not mean that we are political. Rather, it means that we learn to handle a situation. When we cannot coordinate with the saints, we should consider whether we should change the way that we coordinate. We need to willingly and in all sincerity seek the advice of the saints whom we are coordinating with.
I am the most troublesome co-worker. I have adjusted others frequently and pointed out their mistakes. Nevertheless, wherever I go, I can coordinate with the saints and not cause anyone to be irritated and stop serving. In order to coordinate, we must learn to accommodate others and be willing to learn from them. This requires much learning. This is a spiritual lesson in the divine life that requires much time and practice to learn.
In the same principle, we should never say that we cannot get through because the saints do not accept our work. We should never condemn the saints and say that they are too busy, their hearts are hardened, or they do not have a heart for the Lord. There would be no need for us to preach the gospel if the people in the world had a heart for the Lord. Neither would there be a need for us to supply the saints if every brother and sister were like the apostle Paul. The saints need us to work with them and serve them because they are busy and have a less than fervent heart for the Lord. Therefore, we should never leave a place simply because we encounter some difficulty. If we cannot get through in one way, we should find another way, and if the second way does not work, we should try a third way. We should continue trying until we get through.
There is no place or person that cannot be built up. Some tools can cut wood, and other tools can cut diamonds. When we were in England, we were taken to a place where diamonds are cut. Diamond is the hardest rock. It is easy to find a person who can cut glass or metal, but it is difficult to find a person who can cut a diamond. To cut a diamond requires skill; it does not depend on the diamond. Therefore, we should never say that we cannot work in a place because the saints are not good and because they reject our work. We must learn spiritual lessons and also learn skills.
In addition to learning to coordinate and learning skills, the co-workers must learn to be flexible in their work. Sometimes the co-workers are rigid and cannot accommodate others. The medicine that a doctor prescribes for a patient can be taken in different ways. The medicine can be injected into the patient, or it can be taken as a pill, as powder, or as a solution. The same medication can be dispensed in many ways. Similarly, our labor should not be rigid. We should consider the situation and be able to adapt.
We should not say, for example, that we cannot do anything because the saints do not want our help in a particular matter. For example, we should not be helpless if the saints do not want to study the Bible. Some people are able to receive an injection, but others are frightened as soon as they see a needle. They may need to take the medication orally. We need to be flexible. If it is difficult to lead the saints to study the Bible on their own, we should speak something concerning the Bible to stir up their interest. We can also ask questions related to the Bible. We should be willing to try different ways.
The character of a co-worker should be strong yet pliable. It is regrettable that some co-workers are stubborn and have a strong disposition. They always do what they want to do. Once they decide to do something, they cannot be changed. They desire to impart the Lord into others, but they are strict and inflexible in their way. Every mother must learn to feed her children and not force them to eat.
I enjoy helping the young saints and the older saints. I would never say that I am here to help only the young people and will not work with the older saints. We must serve the Lord even if there are no young people. We need to help and supply all the saints, whether they are old or young.
We should not require others to accommodate us, neither should we demand that the environment cooperate with us. Rather, we should be flexible to work in any environment and to fit in with the local situation. Even if the local saints do not seem like suitable material and are barely alive, we need to supply them and enable them to rise up. Those who serve the Lord need such a spirit. The co-workers who have this spirit are effective. They grasp every opportunity to labor. When there are many opportunities, we need to consider which is the best or which requires the most attention. If there is a group of young people longing to be supplied, we should grasp the opportunity to supply them. This is to be flexible. Some co-workers are so rigid that they are willing to supply only the older saints. The younger saints may express a desire to be supplied, but these co-workers will supply only the older saints.
A worker of the Lord must be flexible and lively. For example, a successful businessman, who is occupied with making a profit, cannot easily be offended. He does not have time to complain. If he has an opportunity to make a profit, he will do business since he cares only about making a profit. This is the way that we should labor. We should always endeavor to impart something into the saints and help them.
A co-worker who wants to coordinate with the local brothers must learn to be strict with himself and not blame the brothers. He must not, for example, say that he cannot work in a place because the local saints do not accept his fellowship concerning the cross. Neither should he say that he cannot work in a place because he wants to preach the gospel, but the local saints do not have a gospel spirit. Instead, he should say that he cannot work in a place because he does not know how to coordinate with others.
I cannot defend a brother who says that he is unable to work in a place because the saints are difficult. His complaining shows that he still has lessons to learn. We have heard messages concerning the discipline of the Holy Spirit. We should accept the situations that we encounter as the discipline of the Holy Spirit and learn from them. We should consider the reason that it is difficult to coordinate with the saints and the reason that the saints do not respond to our work. This is the discipline of the Holy Spirit so that we can learn the lesson of the cross and can coordinate with others.
Everyone has opinions. No one can claim that he does not have opinions. However, as long as we have opinions about any place or person, we have not learned the necessary lessons. When we learn the lessons, we will not have opinions about the brothers and sisters living in the co-workers’ homes or about the church service. Instead, we will be in harmony with the saints.
Arguing with the brothers shows that we need to learn the lesson of not having opinions. I have learned this lesson. I have encountered opinionated brothers, ill-tempered brothers, and difficult brothers. The Lord put me with these brothers, and by His mercy I do not have opinions, nor do I complain. I know only to learn the lesson.
If we are willing to receive this word and learn the lessons that we need in order to coordinate with others, to be flexible, and to not have opinions, we will be useful in the Lord’s hand and gain spiritual weight. Our inability to coordinate with others proves that we still need to learn some lessons. If our work is not effective, it means that we are not flexible. We should not have opinions about anyone or anything in the work.
These may seem to be small matters, but they are serious. If we cannot coordinate with the local brothers or the local saints, we cannot coordinate with our fellow workers. If our work is ineffective in one place, it will be ineffective in every place, and if we are in discord with the brothers in one locality, we will be in discord with the brothers in every place. This is a serious test.
If we do not want to serve the Lord, we can ignore these matters. However, if we want to serve the Lord, we must learn these practical lessons. Then we will be able to coordinate with any brother. We will also be able to be one with any brother, regardless of how quarrelsome and troublesome he may be. We will not murmur. Then we will have the Lord’s blessing, no matter where we are or what we do. Moreover, our work will have real spiritual weight.
Some may consider this as a matter of being broken. But instead of stressing being broken, I would rather speak of learning the lessons. We need to learn these lessons. Over the years many brothers and sisters have learned these lessons, and as a result, they have genuine spiritual growth. However, we still have more to learn.
There are two more matters that require our attention. One is the effectiveness of our work, and the other is the messages that we give from the podium. Some brothers are capable, but their work has no effect. We need to pray and look to the Lord to find out the reason and make any necessary adjustments. Similarly, some brothers can give good messages, but there is no effect. We must also seek the Lord concerning this to find out the reason. Every good tree produces good fruit. A tree that does not produce fruit is not a bad tree, but there is something wrong with it. May we all learn to solve the problems so that the Lord’s work can have a clear and free way among us.
