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

SERIES One
Practicing the Church Life
according to the Framework of the God-ordained Way

Message Ten
Going Out Weekly to Preach the Gospel by Visitation

Scripture Reading:

John 15:16     You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and I set you that you should go forth and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you.

Matt. 28:19    Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

THE GOD-ORDAINED WAY OF PREACHING THE GOSPEL
AS A PART OF OUR DAILY CHRISTIAN LIFE

There is an urgent need for some of the Lord’s people to be brought into the realization that we should be gospel preachers who impart Christ into others, thus making others a part of Christ, an expression of Christ, which is a glorification of the Father. This must become a regular part of our daily life. Gospel preaching should not be an occasional matter. We need to preach the gospel regularly as a part of our Christian life.…Our main burden is to drop the old, traditional way of preaching the gospel and to pick up the God-ordained way of preaching the gospel as a part of the Christian life.

Going Out Twice a Week During Two Set Days

There must be a beginning point. We must be very definite in our going out to preach the gospel. We must make a budget. We should not be uncertain in any point. Furthermore, we should not have an unrealistically large budget. If we try to go out every day, we will probably fail. For the long run, it is probably best to go out just two days each week. This is a more practical budget for those brothers and sisters who must work at a regular job and for the sisters who have families to care for at home. Set your budget to go out twice a week during two set days, each time for two or three hours. Do it regularly, constantly, and definitely, unless you are too ill to go out. Disregard your emotions and just go out. Budget yourself in this way.…If we live a regular life and budget our time, we can easily separate two periods of two or three hours each for fruit-bearing. This is the keeping of the commandment of the One who loves us.

Going in the Body

Your going out must always be in a very regulated way. It is good to go in the Body. Visit people as a team. Even if you are going to see one of your close relatives, it is very good to bring one or two saints with you, especially if your relative may know one of the saints. He may have an open ear to such a one.

Endeavor to be trained to go out. Fellowship with the saints in your locality. If you come together as a team, you will find the best way to get people to open to you and the best way to answer their questions. If you do this regularly for one year with a humble spirit and attitude, empty and willing to learn, you will become a real expert in preaching the gospel.

If we practice this way year round, surely we can bring at least one promising one into the church life each year. It depends upon the degree to which we will give ourselves for such a life. If we really give ourselves for this, it may be that each of us can bring three persons into the church life each year. We do not need to be a full-timer to achieve such a result. It simply depends upon our regular labor. We must labor regularly every week and every year, regardless of the weather or other factors. (The Exercise and Practice of the God-Ordained Way, msg. 6)

SOME PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR CONTACTING PEOPLE

Picking Up the Burden
and Making a Definite Resolution to Contact People

First, we must pick up the burden and make a definite resolution to contact people. We must build ourselves up with a new habit to contact people. In the bank, in the supermarket, on the street, and everywhere we need to practice contacting people until it becomes our habit. Probably a number of us have found out that we are not used to contacting people. When we see people approaching us on the street, we may turn away from them. Instead, we should always grasp the opportunity to talk to people. We should always keep gospel tracts in our pocket so that we can give them to the ones whom we contact.

Learning to Behave Ourselves Properly

When we go to visit people, we must learn to behave ourselves properly. Before going out to visit people, we must make sure that we dress properly to have a proper appearance. We need to be adjusted by the Lord in the way that we talk and in our gestures so that we can reach people. We should not be loose in anything. Contacting people properly is not an easy thing.

Always wait till your contact opens up. It is always a help to listen to him. Eventually, you can let him know that you are a Christian, not a preacher, and that you love the Lord Jesus. Always wait to see how he would respond to you. You may find out that it would be appropriate to read a few paragraphs from the booklet The Mystery of Human Life with him. Or you may feel it is better to give him the tract entitled God. You should get yourself acquainted with the contents of these gospel tracts so that you can impart them into the new ones. We need to learn much in order to be effective in taking care of people.

Praying with People at the Right Time

One more critical thing for us to learn is the right time to ask someone to pray with us. This can be compared to cooking food. You have to know what time to stop cooking. Otherwise, what you cook can be spoiled by being either raw or overdone. All good cooks know when to stop their cooking. After one big gospel meeting, D. L. Moody contacted a person who was an unbeliever. At the critical moment of time when the person was about to pray, another person came in. It was raining outside and this person came in with an umbrella. A noise was made with the umbrella which distracted the other person. After that disturbance, the person would not pray to receive the Lord. This shows how important it is to pray with people at the right time.

Learning Not to Spend Your Time in Vain

You also have to learn not to spend your time in vain. When you contact people, you should always discern whether or not you should make this person a constant contact. To invite people to dinner is good, but you should not do this too quickly or too early. After a number of contacts you may realize that the time is ripe for you to invite someone to your house or for you to be invited by him. All of your contact with people should not be carried out in a light or loose way.

Always Praying for Your Contacts

Furthermore, you should always pray for your contacts. Do not say that you do not have the time. Even if you are really busy, you can still pray while you are walking out the door, “Lord, help me today to meet the proper person.” As you are driving to work you can continue to pray. This is the real prayer, not the routine prayer. Surely it is good to have a set time to pray, but praying while you are walking out the door or driving to work in your car may be even more effective. Wherever you are, you can pray. Remember all your contacts before the Lord, and pray for them. (The Training and the Practice of the Vital Groups, msg. 7)