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Based on our study of the Word, our experience in the work, and our study of church history, we can say that the Lord’s recovery is the right way. However, how quickly the recovery advances and how widely it spreads depend on our cooperation with the Lord. If we cooperate, the Lord’s recovery will advance quickly and spread widely, but if we do not cooperate, the spread of the Lord’s recovery will be slow, and its advance will be restricted. Concerning the advance and spread of the Lord’s recovery, there are four matters that require our cooperation.
First, we must practice the small groups. Wherever a church is raised up, even if there are only eight or ten saints, we should immediately practice the small groups. The practice of the small groups does not depend on the number of people. Three people can form a group, five people can form a group, or a group can be formed even with two people. There are many details related to the small groups. All the co-workers—the senior co-workers, the middle-aged co-workers, and even those who are just beginning to serve full time—should spend time to study the practice of the small groups. This is not a simple matter.
From church history and from more than fifty years of experience in the Lord’s work, we can see that since the time of the apostles, few believers have realized that the small group is the basic and excelling way to build up the church. The Lord’s recovery has been among us for sixty-three years, and although we have practiced the small groups in the past, we did not stress them, nor did we take the time to study them. This is our shortage, and it has delayed the Lord for more than thirty years. If it were not for this delay, the Lord’s recovery would be in a different situation.
We must see the importance of the small groups. If we do not know how to have a small group, we do not know how to do the Lord’s work. Hence, there is a need for learning. In every trade and in every academic field there is the need of learning and studying. We must continually learn and study in order to make progress. Our practice of the small groups is only at the initial stage. It was only in the past three to five months that we began to have a heavy burden for the small groups. I regret that I have not led the brothers in this matter. As the younger saints begin to enter into the Lord’s work, they will learn to serve in the small groups. The older and middle-aged co-workers will focus on helping the saints practice the small groups. This will be ninety percent of our labor. By practicing the small groups, we will double our results with half the labor.
Second, we must dive into the truth. The truth is our weapon; hence, we must know the truth. When we began practicing the small groups, we led the saints to drop religion, rituals, regulations, and doctrine. For this reason, small group meetings do not have religious rituals. However, the most important matter in the small group gathering is to enter into the truth. If we cannot lead the saints to dive into the truth, the small group will not be a success. Even if a small group meeting is successful, it will be empty and vain without the truth. Therefore, we must endeavor to lead the saints into the truth. In order to do this, we must have a deep and broad knowledge of the truth.
Third, we must have the fire of the gospel. We all must be on fire for the gospel. Regardless of the age of the co-workers, whether they are in their seventies or in their twenties, all the co-workers must be on fire for the gospel. We must preach the gospel earnestly.
Fourth, we must produce full-timers. The church in every locality should produce three kinds of full-timers. The church should produce some who will serve full time their whole life; young ones who, after graduating from college and before getting a job, will set aside three to five years to serve full time; and older saints who will serve full time after retirement. There is a need for some who will give themselves to serve full time their entire life. It would be valuable also for young saints, after graduating from college, to set aside a period of time to serve full time before they begin working. It would also be very precious for retired saints whose children are grown to give the rest of their lives to serve the Lord since they have many experiences in life. The churches must promote and encourage the saints to produce these three kinds of full-timers.
If we want the Lord’s recovery to advance quickly and spread widely and to be established and rooted, we must carry out these four matters. In every place we must be diligent to practice the small groups, to dive into the truth, to preach the gospel, and to produce full-timers. May we all receive grace to focus on these four matters and pray desperately before the Lord for this.
