HOW TO CONDUCT ONESELF,
HOW TO DO THINGS, AND HOW TO WORK

Message Three
How to Work

Scripture Reading: Acts. 1:4, 8; 8:1, 14, 25; Rom. 12:4-8; 13:1; 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 14-21, 28-30; 13:2, 4; Heb. 13:17

Ministry excerpts:

I. THE PRINCIPLE OF THE BODY

It is impossible for those who are working for the Lord to work alone. They need co-workers. However, as soon as “co” is mentioned, we think of an organization…We do not have organization in the work. This does not mean that everyone can do his own thing. We do not have an organization, but we still co-work. This is something that human culture and society do not have. The human body has no organization, yet all its members co-work every day. Each member knows its position and exercises its function for the body. No one member acts alone. This is the principle that we live by in the Body of Christ.

A. Knowing the Principle of the Body
and Living in the Fellowship of the Body

Now that we know the principle of the Body, we should apply it. Suppose a brother is burdened to go to the villages for the propagation. Whom should he fellowship with first? He does not need to seek someone who is far away. He should first fellowship with those who are serving with him. Then he should seek those who have the same burden in order to fellowship and pray with them. Without fellowship, he is not living in the Body. This is not a regulation; it is something spontaneous. When he is burdened for the propagation, he must first fellowship concerning his burden with the ones whom he serves with. He can tell them that he is burdened for the propagation, but he is not clear concerning where to go. Then they can pray with him or pray for him privately. After such fellowship, his business becomes their business, and they can pray together concerning his burden. This is where we should begin our fellowship.

Later, he can approach the elders whom he is close to and who render him help in the Body. This is not a regulation. He is not handing over his responsibility to an organization, nor is he bidding them farewell. This is fellowship in the spirit. Fellowship of life is altogether a matter in the Body. We do not go to the elders to ask for advice nor to receive an order, and the elders should not be political. We must all learn to live in the fellowship of the Body and speak in the spirit.

Here is a further illustration. Suppose the brother goes to a town for the propagation and labors for three weeks. However, he only encounters difficulties on every side. What should he do? It is more than likely that a person who begins laboring for the Lord will encounter such a situation. We should not expect that everything will be smooth when we labor. There will always be adverse circumstances when we go out in a pioneering way, because no one has paved the way for us. Should he pack up his bags and leave, or should he fast and pray? Suppose the Lord seemingly does not hear him; should he return to fellowship with the brothers? We must not forget that we are not alone. We serve in groups of two or three. Instead of going to someone far away, he should first fellowship with the two or three who are with him. Then if the work continues to fail, he can fellowship with the co-workers in his initial locality. This is the proper relationship that we should have with our fellow workers. (The Vision, Living and Work of the Lord’s Serving Ones, ch. 20)

B. Fellowshipping and Coordinating Together

If you see the Body of Christ, you will see the matter of fellowship. The life that we received from the Lord makes us pliable and enables us to coordinate together. In this coordination, there is no friction, and there is no murmuring. To have such things in the Body would make us no different from the political organizations in the world.

In the Bible, many times the Lord did not speak to men directly. On the one hand, the New Testament does say that a man can know God from within. On the other hand, however, we have to see that after the Lord met Saul, He did not speak to him again directly. Instead, He asked Ananias to go to speak to Saul (Acts 9:6). On the one hand, the life that is seen in the New Testament is a very personal one. On the other hand, the Epistle of John also says that “you also may have fellowship with us” (1 John 1:3). This fellowship is mutual. On the one hand, we come to God individually by the blood and through the veil. On the other hand, we work together, walk together, coordinate together, and serve together. Here, there are those who serve and there are those who are served. From the records concerning Paul, Luke, Timothy, and others, we see that among them there was coordination. Whatever Paul suggested, the others would agree and would carry it out right away. Timothy was a good brother. He could have written a letter to Paul, saying, “Brother Paul, I have believed in the Lord for many years. I can pray, and I can seek after the Lord. Please give me some liberty!” But Timothy did not do this. On the one hand, every person comes to God independently and is individually responsible to God. On the other hand, no one can be independent, and no one can be free. If you are not coordinated with others, you do not have to tell others; within you, you know it yourself.

C. Being Delivered from the Self

A man’s mouth may be very clever, but his mouth does not necessarily represent his person. Sometimes, a person may say yes with his mouth, yet disagree within. Some brothers and sisters only bring their mouths to the meetings; they themselves are not in the meetings. One sister once came to me to discuss the question of submission in the family. Her mouth was saying that she wanted me to handle the matter. But I knew clearly within me that her mouth and her ears had come, but her being had not come. Once a person has given up his personal opinions, though he may not readily consent with his mouth, within him he will acknowledge that this is the right thing to do.

We have to learn to be persons who are delivered from our selves. If fifty radios are receiving the same signal from a station, and my radio has a different signal from the same station, my radio is definitely not functioning properly. Although we live under the New Testament, and although we have the Lord within us, we are at the same time living in the Body. As such there is the need for us to be joined to the other members. In the coordination of the Body, we have to learn to care for the feeling of the other members of the Body. Only then can we have good coordination.

D. Not Being Individualistic

The body is the most beautiful thing there is on earth. Yet the body can also become the most ugly thing on earth. A man looks very fine if he stands here with all his members attached. But if all I see is isolated members detached one from the other, this would be the most ugly sight. If I come into this house and I see two feet at the door, a pair of ears in the room, and a pair of arms at the stairs, how horrible a sight this would be. I will surely run away at once. In the same way, if a person acts independently and is not joined to the Body, he will become a most ugly member. It is one thing for a person to acknowledge that he is a member. It is another thing for this person to be coordinated as a member. Independent actions in the Body are the most ugly thing there is. (CWWN, Vol. 57: The Resumption of Watchman Nee’s Ministry, ch. 4)

II. KEEPING THE PRINCIPLE OF JERUSALEM
—WORKING FROM THE CENTER TO THE CIRCUMFERENCE

Today we need to consider afresh the principle of Jerusalem. God’s work began from Jerusalem (Acts 1:4, 8). The word of the Lord was that the gospel should spread from Jerusalem. In the Bible, Jerusalem represents God’s work. God set up Jerusalem as the center of the work. In God’s eyes, all the apostles should remain in Jerusalem (Acts 1:4; 8:1, 14, 25). We will not take back a single word of what we have said in Hankow before. No doubt the church is local. But in God’s eyes, there are centers in His work. What we spoke of in Hankow was the condition of the local churches when they are matured. The failure of our work in these years is that we pass on the authority to the local churches before they are matured. According to God’s order, there is first Jerusalem, and then the local churches. Our failure today lies in the fact that we have the local churches first without having a Jerusalem. The order of the Lord’s way is first Jerusalem, then Samaria, and then the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Jerusalem came first, then came the local churches. In the past we did not see this. This is why, though we had so many small churches, we did not learn coordination, and the local churches became little kingdoms under the hands of one worker with two or three responsible brothers. The problem with the Lord’s testimony in the past is that we did not begin from Jerusalem.

Today, we have to learn first to stand on the position of oneness and to begin from Jerusalem. If we do not go back to the principle of Jerusalem, we will not have a proper way to go on.

Some Bible expositors say that it was wrong for the apostles to remain in Jerusalem. They say that the apostles should not have remained in Jerusalem. But in the Bible, we do not see the Lord asking them to leave Jerusalem. It is right for the apostles to remain in Jerusalem. Later, when they went out, it was not because of persecution, but because everywhere there were those who called on the name of the Lord. Something happened in Samaria. That was why Jerusalem sent John and Peter out. After they went out for a little while, they came back to Jerusalem (Acts 8:14, 25). God needs a Jerusalem also in China. The way of the work is that there must first be a Jerusalem. In Jerusalem there were many co-workers, and there was the church. There was much opportunity to learn the lessons. First there was Jerusalem, and then there was Antioch. Even Paul had to go first to Jerusalem to learn the lessons (Acts 9:26-29). It is true that Jerusalem was a church, but it was different from an ordinary local church. In Jerusalem, there were the apostles and the elders (Acts 15:2). But in Philippi there were only the elders and the deacons (Phil. 1:1). It seems that in Jerusalem the local church and the center of the work are at the same place.

Today, whether we are driven from our city by outward persecutions, or some go out because they decide to migrate, or to spread out, we have to remember that there is the principle of Jerusalem. The Lord’s word says that the gospel is to be preached from Jerusalem unto the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). This is a non-stopping principle; it continues until the ends of the earth are reached. If we want a new start, we have to have a Jerusalem. Unless we have a Jerusalem, there is no way to go on in the work.

III. Co-workers Coming Together to the Center of the Work

Practically speaking, how should we go on? If we are clear about the principle just mentioned, there is no problem with the practice. If the co-workers will first drop their personal works and will come together in Jerusalem, the Lord will have a way. Although Paul was in Antioch, when a problem arose, he brought the problem back to Jerusalem (Acts 11:25-26; 15:1-2). Antioch can be considered the center of the gospel. As far as evangelistic works are concerned, it is right to have an Antioch. But if we want others to see a model, we have to bring them to a Jerusalem.

Today, there are a few dozen meetings in Fukien province, with over thirty co-workers. Because the attendance in every meeting is large, the workers only know that their own place needs men. Everyone wants to work from the ends of the earth to the center. When we had our meetings in Foochow, some came without their mosquito nets or even their toothbrushes; they thought that they were coming only for a very brief time and were going to go back right away. Their hearts were all in their own places. At present, over a thousand people have accepted the Lord in Foochow. There are not enough workers. In Jerusalem, they needed one hundred twenty workers to take care of three thousand and five thousand (Acts 1:15; 2:41; 4:4). Today we have only twenty workers. These twenty workers are only a fraction of one hundred twenty. How can we meet the need? Today, we cannot drop the Lord’s basic principle. If we do, the Lord’s work will suffer loss.

The proper way is to first save men in Jerusalem. After these men are sent out, the apostles are sent out after them. After this, Antioch is produced. Today, the way of consolidation is better than the way of scattering. Jerusalem is not a question of geography, but a question of principle. This time, when I mentioned this matter in Foochow, the brothers there responded at the beginning by saying, “Let us wait and see.” But by the time I was leaving, they agreed that this is the right way.

Antioch cannot come before Jerusalem. We cannot work from outside to inside. Brothers, is not the word of God clear enough? God is waiting before us. We hope that God would give us a blueprint for the work in China. How should the way in China be in the coming days? Should we for now maintain the works in the different inland places or temporarily drop them? We have to catch up with what God is doing wherever it may be. Today, we have too few co-workers. During the past years, we have lost one whole generation; we do not have anyone to come after us. At present, I think the first place we have to take care of is Shanghai. I cannot say how many places the Lord has to begin along the coastal provinces, but I do hope that there can be a little beginning along the coast. I hope that some brothers would rise up in Hong Kong. Something must first begin to move in the localities, before the workers will have works to do. We do not know what God will do, whether He will have a beginning in two or three places at the same time, or whether He will start with one place first. At any rate, we need a Jerusalem. (CWWN, Vol. 57: The Resumption of Watchman Nee’s Ministry, ch. 11)

IV. SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITIES

A. Finding the Ones to Submit

In the Body, the first thing we have to learn is to find out who are those whom we have to submit ourselves to. We must know who are those who are ahead of us. All the authorities in the Bible are deputy authorities and not direct authorities. What we have to learn is not to have others submit to us, but to have ourselves submit to others. When I go to work, I do not first ask who my subordinates are. Rather, I must first ask who my superior is. If you go to another person’s house to be the maid, you do not first ask who the children are, but who the lady of the house is. If we allow the inner life to operate freely, we will find out who are the ones we have to submit to. We may think that submission will make us unhappy. Actually, the opposite is true; submission makes a happy person, and insubordination makes an unhappy person. Only when we submit to one another will there be coordination one with another. This kind of coordination is most pleasant. The real submission is not one that is imposed from without, but one that comes as a result of the operation of the life within. It is wrong to submit to anyone because of his high position or material riches. To do so would make us no different from the political organizations of today. Our submission is not brought about by any outward factors, but by the demand of the life within.

This kind of submission may bring us tears. Yet, at the same time it brings us joy. We may feel that we are suffering, but we are at the same time rejoicing. Sometimes the ones whom you submit yourselves to may give you a hard time, but you can still say “amen.” This is true submission. A true submission is one which neither makes a person suffer, nor causes him to feel happy. However, it draws an “amen” from his spirit and gives him peace in his spirit. (CWWN, Vol. 57: The Resumption of Watchman Nee’s Ministry, ch. 4)

B. Submission to the Authority of the Holy Spirit

On the one hand, coordination is based on the Holy Spirit. The Acts of the Apostles can also be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit. The reason it can be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit is that the Spirit has the highest authority. The Holy Spirit is like the nerves in the whole body. It is true that the Body is under the direction of the Head. However, the Head rules the Body through the Holy Spirit. Today, the practical outworking of authority lies in the Holy Spirit. The Lord is directing His Body through the Holy Spirit. Authority is not a thing; the Lord did not give Peter a bundle of authority and ask him to come back for more when he used up that bundle. Authority is the Lord Himself. The authority that was manifested in Paul, John, and Peter was something given by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit coordinated these men together in different places. The question of authority is a question of being one with the Lord. The principle underlying authority is the oneness with the Lord. The Scriptures clearly state that the work that went out from Antioch was initiated by the commissioning of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2, 4). Only those chosen by the Holy Spirit have the authority.

The individual work of a worker before the Lord is based on his ministry in the Body. But the overall operation in the Lord’s work is based on the Holy Spirit. (CWWN, Vol. 57: The Resumption of Watchman Nee’s Ministry, ch. 11)

C. Submission to the Authority of the Ministry

1. Ministry Being the Authority

Authority is related to the Head. Authority is also related to ministry. Please remember that all the members have their special gifts. The ear, the eye, the mouth, the hands, and the feet all have their gifts. These gifts are the ministries. As long as there is the ministry, there is authority. Why does the ministry have the authority? It is because each one receives different ministries. The difference in ministries produces the authority. At the same time, with the authority in the ministry there are the limitations.

2. The Need to See One’s Limitations

Some people simply do not know how to study the Bible or to teach the Bible. Yet they insist that they have to do it, and the result is many problems. If the Lord is gracious to you and He makes you a hand, you can raise up this hand as high as you want. But if you say that in addition to being a hand, you want to see also, you will not succeed even if you try it as long as you live. We should pray, “Lord, cause me to see my limitations.” If you are all-inclusive, then you become the whole Body. The acceptance of our own limitations is a principle of coordination, and it is also the greatest test. Those who realize their own limitations will fellowship in everything and will seek help and counsel in everything.

We must realize that authority is in the ministry. The ear has a ministry of hearing. Hence, the ear has the authority of hearing. If you do not see your own limitations, you will not be able to submit to authority even if you want to. Only those who have seen their own limitations can coordinate with other members.

3. Submission to the Ministry Being Submission to God

While we are learning to submit to the ministry, we are submitting to God. A person cannot say that he will only submit to God directly. Of all the authorities that God has established on this earth, ninety-nine percent of them, that is, the overwhelming majority of them, are deputy authorities. The Bible says that we have to submit to our husband and our rulers, and the younger ones have to submit to the older ones…Those who cannot submit to deputy authorities cannot submit to God. Although the eyes see, it is actually the head that is causing the eyes to see. If the eyes are separated from the head, they will be finished. What you touch may be the eyes, but behind the eyes is the head. If a person sees the Head behind the gifts, it will not be difficult for him to submit.

4. Submission Being a Joyful Matter

The teachings in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew are not there to cause us to feel uncomfortable. Rather, they are there to make us happy. If you walk with others for a mile, it may make you feel uncomfortable. But if you walk with them the second mile, it will make you happy. The word “blessed” there can be translated as “joyous.” Submission is a joyful matter. The life that the Lord gave us is a joyful life. The Head gives the ministry. Where there is the ministry, there is authority. When we submit to authority, we feel happy and joyful within.

5. Pursuing Submission

In the work of the Lord, we should find out who is ahead of us, and we have to seek for the opportunity to submit. I do not believe that there is any brother who is not under some other brothers. Something within you will demand that you find out who is the object of your submission. When the sisters cover their heads, they cannot do so with the hair that grows naturally from them; they have to find a handkerchief and cover their heads. The finding of the handkerchief means that a person has to pursue submission. Why should we not pursue submission in the same way that we pursue love or knowledge? Why would men not pay attention to submission in the same way that they pay attention to work? Why would we not love submission in the same way that we love the preaching of the gospel? A person has to learn to come under one or more authorities in the church. Let me repeat, where there is no ministry, there is no authority. Where ministry is, there is authority.

6. Honoring the Authority that God Has Established

In a local church, not only is there spiritual authority, but there is positional authority as well. Paul charged Titus and Timothy to appoint elders. These elders have positional authority. If you do not have the spiritual discernment and you appoint three elders, and after three years you find out that four other people are more advanced than these three, what should you do? Should you replace the old ones with the new ones? Should you ask the old ones to resign? We should honor all the authorities that God has established according to His will. (CWWN, Vol. 57: The Resumption of Watchman Nee’s Ministry, ch. 4)

V. EVERY ONE NEEDING SKILLS IN
ALL AREAS RELATED TO THEIR FUNCTION

Suppose three saints go out for the propagation. After they pray and fellowship, one saint may want to do the children’s work, another may want to labor with the elderly saints, and the third may want to work with the young people and the young working saints. This way is not wrong, as long as they have thorough fellowship.

Those who go out for the propagation must learn to be skilled in all areas. We should not say that my gift is to preach the gospel, so the others should set up a platform and invite people so that I can give a good message. We should never have such a thought. Rather, we should learn to do everything that is needed in order to carry out our burden. We can set up a platform, we can invite people, we can usher, and we can speak with the gospel friends. We are pioneers; therefore, we need to learn to be skilled in many areas. We should not seek to “specialize” in only one thing; rather, we should be able to do whatever is needed. We should be neither rigid nor stiff.

We should all be able to do the children’s work. It is good enough to gather some children together and teach them to sing a few songs. One does not have to be able to sing well. On the contrary, children like the older sisters who sing short songs off-key. 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. (The Vision, Living and Work of the Lord’s Serving Ones, ch. 20)