2022 LORD’S MOVE TO ASIA (LMA) CO-WORKERS’ MEETING

Message Three
Serving and Perfecting Others to Serve Issuing
in the Spreading of the Church

Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 4:15; 1 Kings 7:14; Matt. 1:16; Eph. 4:12, 16; 2 Cor. 13:9; Col. 1:28; Phil. 2:17

I. Those who go out for the propagation must learn to be skilled in all areas; we should not seek to “specialize” in only one thing; rather, we should be able to do whatever is needed; we should learn to do everything that is needed in order to carry out our burden—1 Tim. 4:15; 1 Kings 7:14: (CWWL, 1985, vol. 2, “The Vision, Living, and Work of the Lord’s Serving Ones,” ch. 20)

A. We are pioneers; therefore, we need to learn to be skilled in many areas; we should be neither rigid nor stiff; when we go out to work, there should be nothing that we cannot do; if there is a need, we can give a message, or we can do the children’s work; we should not have opinions, and we should learn while we work—1 Tim. 4:15; 1 Kings 7:14. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 2, “The Vision, Living, and Work of the Lord’s Serving Ones,” ch. 20)

B. The workers must learn to be flexible in their work; our labor should not be rigid; we should consider the situation and be able to adapt—Matt. 1:16; 2 Cor. 3:6: (CWWL, 1958, vol. 1, “The Perfecting of the Saints and the Building Up of the House of God,” msg. 11)

1. 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—Eph. 1:17. (CWWL, 1958, vol. 1, “The Perfecting of the Saints and the Building Up of the House of God,” msg. 11)

2. 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—2 Cor. 4:8-10. (CWWL, 1958, vol. 1, “The Perfecting of the Saints and the Building Up of the House of God,” msg. 11)

C. We must learn to focus on what we do, and we should not analyze whether or not we are able to accomplish a job; we should not give ourselves the excuse of saying that we do not understand what we are doing; we should simply work, and there will be a result—2 Cor. 4:16; 1 Cor. 15:58. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 4, “Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 3: The Future of the Lord’s Recovery and the Building Up of the Organic Service,” ch. 6)

D. We need an attitude of being willing to labor; whether or not we can be effective in a locality depends on our person; there is a saying that a person can bring life to a dying business if he knows how to manage it—vv. 10, 58. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 4, “Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 3: The Future of the Lord’s Recovery and the Building Up of the Organic Service,” ch. 6)

II. The co-workers should always perfect the saints; we do not work by ourselves; instead, we work with the saints to teach them to do what we do; we need to perfect others so that they are built up; this is the way that the church will be able to develop and expand—Eph. 4:12; 2 Cor. 13:9: (CWWL, 1958, vol. 1, “The Perfecting of the Saints and the Building Up of the House of God,” msg. 4)

A. In the beginning of our work there was a rapid increase in numbers, but after a period of time we seemed to have come to a stop, and no matter what we did, there was not much increase; a primary problem has been that the co-workers do things themselves and have not been able to teach others; the saints will not be raised up—Eph. 4:12, 16. (CWWL, 1971, vol. 1, “Shepherding the Church and Perfecting the Young People,” ch. 3)

B. Our present need is to change our concept and our system; we must learn to serve and how to serve with others; unless we have the right view and are willing to change our concept and our system so that every saint fulfills his function, we will not be able to multiply to ten thousand—Matt. 11:29; 13:15; Eph. 4:16. (CWWL, 1971, vol. 1, “Shepherding the Church and Perfecting the Young People,” ch. 3)

C. The co-workers should bring forth useful saints; a laboring co-worker is a pillar, but he should gradually add other pillars to the building; when there are fifteen pillars in a local church, it is time for the co-worker to leave; this is the principle of our work—v. 12; 2 Cor. 13:9. (CWWL, 1971, vol. 1, “Shepherding the Church and Perfecting the Young People,” ch. 2)

D. The co-workers should not replace but guide others; when the saints are able to take care of things, we should leave the services completely in their hands; then we can oversee from a distance; in this way we will produce capable saints who function according to their ability, and every brother and sister will be useful; then we can delegate a suitable service to every saint according to his function—1 Cor. 14:26; 12:11. (CWWL, 1971, vol. 1, “Shepherding the Church and Perfecting the Young People,” ch. 2)

E. The way of the work, the proper way, is to help every brother and sister do the work himself or herself; it is not a matter of much service or little service; it is a matter of everyone serving; unless we are all serving together, we are not the church; this is our way today—Eph. 4:11-16. (CWWN, vol. 57, “The Resumption of Watchman Nee’s Ministry,” msg. 10)

III. We should spend time to perfect the saints and not take the easy way; we must not be afraid of the trouble or difficulties involved in perfecting the saints; we must also transcend our feelings by teaching and accommodating the saints; without such a spirit we can do nothing—Col. 1:28; Phil. 2:17; 1 Thes. 2:8: (CWWL, 1971, vol. 1, “Shepherding the Church and Perfecting the Young People,” ch. 3)

A. We must change our concept; we should not say that the saints have no capacity; the problem is that we are short in perfecting them; if we will do a perfecting work, their capabilities will be brought forth—1 Tim. 4:12; 2 Tim. 3:10, 14; Eph. 4:12. (CWWL, 1971, vol. 1, “Shepherding the Church and Perfecting the Young People,” ch. 3)

B. The co-workers must learn to bring other saints with them; when you observe a particular skill in a saint, you must let him serve, and you must be willing to be led by him; if he makes a mistake, you can provide further guidance; only when we let others serve do we bring them into their function—1 Tim. 3:13; 1 Cor. 14:26. (CWWL, 1971, vol. 1, “Shepherding the Church and Perfecting the Young People,” ch. 2)

C. The elders and co-workers need to spend time and make an effort to perfect the saints; the patience and time are needed to teach the saints to do things; if we would be useful to the Lord and are concerned for His house, we must be desperate in our endeavoring; we must be those who care for nothing but the producing of useful saints; if we endeavor and work in this way every day, it will stir up the interest of the saints—1 Thes. 2:8; Acts 20:31. (CWWL, 1971, vol. 1, “Shepherding the Church and Perfecting the Young People,” ch. 3)

D. In the matter of perfecting people, we will surely encounter obstacles and need to consider the environmental factors, but we should not make excuses for not going forward; whether or not the church can go forward positively altogether depends on whether we labor; in order to turn around our work, the brothers here must learn to devote their whole being to the labor; only then can we accomplish something—15:10, 58. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 4, “The Supply of the Word and the Increase of the Church,” ch. 6)