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Watchman Nee's study of the Bible and his reading of many spiritual books greatly enlightened him regarding God's economy. It was according to the revelations which he received from the Lord that he was burdened to work for the Lord. This burden was actually the Lord's commission to him for His recovery in this age. His burden fell into several categories.
Watchman Nee's initial burden was to preach the gospel. Shortly after he was saved, he began to love the Lord and was intensely burdened to preach the gospel to his schoolmates and countrymen. He did this in season and out of season. For a period of time, he fasted every Saturday that he might have power to preach the gospel in the Sunday morning preaching meeting. Through his preaching nearly all his schoolmates were led to the Lord, and a revival was brought into his school. This revival, with the help of his co-workers' preaching, spread extensively to the people of his hometown in 1923. Hundreds were saved and had their lives changed. During this same period he also wrote a number of long gospel messages for publication. Through these endeavors he not only brought many sinners to the Lord and helped the church in Foochow increase; he also laid a solid foundation and a good example of gospel preaching for us. Through the years, wherever the Lord's recovery has gone, gospel preaching has been stressed and practiced. This is why hundreds of unbelievers among the Chinese people have been brought to the Lord for the spread of His kingdom.
Following gospel preaching, Watchman Nee was burdened to help young believers in the following five areas: 1) in their Christian walk, 2) in the growth of life, 3) in knowing the Bible, 4) in knowing the errors of denominationalism, and 5) in knowing the church. He instructed them in how to make a thorough confession of their sins to God, how to be reconciled with others, how to make a full clearance of the past, how to overcome sin, how to forsake the world, how to consecrate themselves to the Lord, how to study the Bible, how to pray, how to lead others to the Lord, how to meet and fellowship with the saints, how to seek the Lord's will, how to follow the inner anointing, how to live by faith, how to renounce the sects, and how to keep the unity of the Body. To fulfill this purpose he dedicated his time for two years to publish a monthly magazine entitled The Christian which received wide circulation. Thousands of copies of each issue were printed, and hundreds of young followers of the Lord were immensely edified by these messages.
Watchman Nee was also burdened to help believers have a right understanding of spiritual things concerning the Lord's interest and to teach them the truths of the Bible. In his early ministry he held a study on the book of Revelation. Following that, he held a thorough study with the church in Shanghai on the Gospel of Matthew, on the rapture and tribulation, on how to meet, and on a number of other subjects. Since he knew the Bible thoroughly, he desired to expound the Bible book after book, but the Lord frustrated this intention. He then realized that the Lord was burdening him and commissioning him concerning two things: 1) to bear a specific testimony of the Lord, and 2) to establish local churches.
First, he himself learned to know the Lord in a deep way by experiencing His all-inclusive death and resurrection. Because of his own experience along this line, he was specifically burdened and commissioned by the Lord to bear testimony to this truth. For the discharge of this burden, he released spoken messages and also issued a magazine, called The Present Testimony, in which he published messages on the subjective aspect of the Lord's crucifixion and resurrection, on the principles of life, on the supremacy of Christ, and on God's eternal purpose. He also held conferences and special meetings through the years to release messages on these deeper themes. In his open letters (chapter twenty-five of this book) he made this more than clear.
Second, Watchman Nee's ultimate burden was to establish and build up local churches for the satisfaction of God's desire. This was his ultimate commission from the Lord, based on what he had seen and experienced of the Lord. His vision was that the preaching of the gospel, the edifying of believers, the teaching of biblical truth, and the bearing of a specific testimony of the Lord should be according to God's economy for the establishment and building up of local churches. These things are not God's goal; they are only procedures to accomplish God's goal, which is the establishment and building up of local churches. God desires to have local churches according to His New Testament economy; this is His eternal purpose. This is clearly and emphatically revealed in the New Testament, and this is the central point of the New Testament revelation. Watchman Nee, like the apostle Paul, was fully burdened and commissioned with this revelation. He was very much welcomed by all Christians in preaching the gospel, in edifying believers, in teaching biblical truths, and in bearing the specific testimony of the Lord. However, he was rejected by the majority of Christians in the matter of establishing and building up local churches. Some Christian leaders and teachers not only opposed him but also condemned him in this matter. Even some of his admirers say in their writings that Watchman Nee was wrong in his view of the church. Today, throughout the whole world, nearly all Christian bookstores carry his books, but very few stock his books on the church. This is due to the ignorance prevailing in the Christian world concerning the importance of the church in God's economy. Watchman Nee suffered a great deal because of his faithfulness to the Lord's commission concerning the church. He definitely saw a vision and received a commission concerning this matter. Because the vision was so clear and the commission so real, he did not care that he was rejected, opposed, and condemned. He anticipated this response and was determined to pay the price for the commission he received of the Lord. His faithfulness to this commission cost him his life.
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During the period between 1921 and 1923, revival meetings were held to lead people to the Lord. At that time preaching the gospel was believed to be the unique work for God. But God opened my eyes to see that His purpose requires that those who have been saved by grace stand upon the ground of oneness in local churches to represent and maintain God's testimony on earth. Some of my co-workers had different views of the truth concerning the church. But when I carefully studied the book of Acts, I realized that God's wish is to establish local churches in each city. At that time the light shone upon me so clearly that I recognized that this is His purpose.
At the same time I received this light, a problem arose with some co-workers who held different views regarding important points of our work. This resulted in friction among us. They felt that we should be zealous in revival and gospel preaching work and that the fruit of such work could be easily seen. My view, however, was to establish local churches with less stress on the revival and preaching side. When an older co-worker went out to hold gospel meetings, as he frequently did, I was at times tempted to secretly hold revival gospel meetings of my own. However, instead of doing this, when he was away, I immediately acted according to the vision I had received. Upon his return, he would undo what I had done and work according to his concept. But when he was again absent, I would go back to my previous way. Consequently, we oscillated back and forth on this matter all the time. Since the light each of us had received in respect to the work was different, our ways of working were also different. One way was that of revival and evangelism, while the other way was that of establishing local churches. What the Lord revealed to me was extremely clear: Before long He would raise up local churches in various parts of China. Whenever I closed my eyes, the vision of the birth of local churches appeared....
When the Lord called me to serve Him, the primary objective was not to hold revival meetings, help people hear more scriptural doctrines, or for me to become a great evangelist. The Lord revealed to me that He desired to build up local churches in various places to manifest Himself and to bear the testimony of unity on the ground of the local churches. In this way, each saint is able to function in the church and live the church life. What God wants is not individuals trying to be victorious or spiritual; He wants a corporate glorious church presented to Himself.
