TAKING THE SHEPHERDING WAY
TO PREACH THE GOSPEL AND REVIVE THE CHURCH

SERIES FOUR
SHEPHERDING PEOPLE ACCORDING TO GOD
TO BRING IN A NEW REVIVAL

Message Two
Spending Money and Energy for the Sake of the Gospel

Scripture Reading:

2 Cor. 12:14-15a   Behold, this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden; for I do not seek what is yours but you. For the children ought not to store up for the parents, but the parents for the children. But I, I will most gladly spend and be utterly spent on behalf of your souls.

Luke 16:9              And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles.

PAUL GLADLY SPENDING AND BEING UTTERLY SPENDING
ON THE BEHALF OF CORINTHIANS

The pattern of the apostle Paul in the gospel shows that a person with a spirit of the gospel will spend and be utterly spent for others’ souls. In Greek spend and be utterly spent means to spend all we have and all we are. Paul presented the gospel without charge and was always ready—spending himself—to preach the gospel. A person full of the spirit of the gospel does not care for himself and loves money even less; consequently, the gospel can be released by him. (Crucial Truths in the Holy Scriptures, vol. 3, topic 28)

2 Corinthians 12:15-18, “But I, I will most gladly spend and be utterly spent on behalf of your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved less? But let it be so! I did not burden you; but, as some of you say, being crafty, I took you by guile. Did I take advantage of you through anyone whom I have sent to you? I entreated Titus and sent with him the brother. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? Did we not walk in the same spirit? In the same steps?” Brothers and sisters, think of Paul’s attitude: He most gladly spent and was utterly spent on their behalf.

In preaching the gospel, it is not enough for us just to be spent. We have to spend; we have to give everything we have. It is always wrong to receive money in exchange for our preaching of the gospel. Rather, we have to be prepared to willingly spend our money for the gospel. If our money does not go into our preaching, something is wrong. If our money does go into our preaching, we are doing the right thing and are putting our money into a worthy cause. This is what Paul did. He was willing to be spent, and he was willing also to spend. He was willing to spend and be spent for their souls. When he was among them he was not a burden to anyone. Nor was Titus or the other brother a burden to anyone. He would not take advantage of anyone. The gospel is true—this is why we can spend our money on it. Brothers and sisters, we have to be like our brother Paul. We should not be a burden to anyone. On the contrary, we should be utterly spent for the gospel’s sake. Because the gospel is true, it is right for us to spend and be utterly spent. Our gospel must be one which carries our money along with it. This is the proper way to go. (CWWN, vol. 52, “The Character of the Lord’s Worker,” ch. 9)

SPENDING MONEY, ENERGY, AND OUR PERSON
FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOSPEL

If we want the Lord to have an outlet and for the gospel to spread, every brother and sister should have the attitude of spending their money, energy, and person for the sake of the gospel. I have been serving full time in the Lord’s recovery for over fifty years. During the Sino-Japanese War, when I was recuperating from a sickness, my family sometimes went to the beach to pick up driftwood because we were short of cooking fuel. We also lived on soybean cakes. That was a very difficult time for us. Perhaps the parents of our young saints would oppose their children serving full time.

Using Unrighteous Mammon to Preach the Gospel
and Bringing People to Salvation

We must remember what the Lord said concerning using unrighteous mammon to make friends while the mammon is still useful (Luke 16:9). We need to use unrighteous mammon to preach the gospel and bring people to salvation. Those who are saved due to our money are the friends whom we have made with our unrighteous mammon. When unrighteous mammon fails, all these friends will welcome us into the eternal tabernacles (v. 9). (Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 5: Concerning Various Aspects of Church Service, msg. 18)

Inviting Our Gospel Friends for a Meal

After a person is saved, he should make a list of his friends, relatives, and acquaintances who are not saved and have not heard the gospel.…At an appropriate time we should also invite our friends, relatives, and neighbors to a gospel meeting. We can use an invitation card printed by the church or a gospel tract. We should even invite our gospel friends for a meal before the gospel meeting. Otherwise, our friends might not attend the meeting. But if we invite them to our home for a meal, we can take them to the meeting. They will not be able to make any excuses.

It is worthwhile to spend time and money on our gospel friends. If we do this, the Holy Spirit will be with us. We need to exert some effort for the gospel. (The Perfecting of the Saints and the Building Up of the House of God, msg. 13)

Saving Money for Those
Who Go Out for the Lord’s Work
under Difficult Circumstances

We should never be wasteful. For our daily life, it is sufficient to have clothing and food. We should save money for those who go out for the Lord’s work under difficult circumstances. Do not think that I have an easy life because my work is successful and the saints take good care of me. I have testified to you that when I began to serve the Lord, I was determined that if I drank mountain water and ate tree roots, or even if I starved, I would not complain. May the Lord’s precious blood cover me. Until today I have not forgotten my co-workers. The Lord is true, and His Word is reliable. If we can be saved by believing into the reliable Word of the Lord, then the portion where the Lord said that He would settle accounts with us when He returns is also reliable. We must keep in mind His word of warning.

The Lord has blessed our country, and our income has increased. However, as we are enjoying the riches, we should never forget the source. Do not forget that all the blessings we have are from the Lord. If a dollar is enough for me to purchase what I need for myself, I will not spend a dollar and twenty cents. I would rather save the twenty cents for the gospel. When we build a meeting hall, we should consider how best to use the money. If we can meet the construction need with five hundred thousand dollars, we should never use five hundred twenty thousand. We should save the twenty thousand for sending out full-timers. The Lord never intended that we spend a large sum to build a meeting hall. Instead, the Lord wants us to go out and gain people. We would rather have a simple meeting hall, which can shield us from the wind and the rain, than be short in sending out full-timers. The Lord is pleased when we save money in order to send out full-timers. We should not only consider our current situation; we should also consider our future.

We need to be impressed that we are not here to do another work in Christianity. We are in the Lord’s recovery and for the Lord’s recovery. Our first responsibility is to spread the gospel. This is an obligation from which we cannot escape. Furthermore, we need to support the livelihood of the full-timers so that they can go out and spread the gospel. This requires that all the saints save money, because we love the Lord. Then our money can be given to save people’s souls. (Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 5: Concerning Various Aspects of Church Service, msg. 18)