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

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

Message Eight
Being a Nursing Mother to Nourish and Cherish Our Own Children

Scripture Reading:

John 21:15     Then when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs.

1 Thes. 2:7     But we were gentle in your midst, as a nursing mother would cherish her own children.

BEING A NURSING MOTHER

The second step of the God-ordained way: the nourishing and cherishing of the new ones that they may remain. In John 15:16 the Lord said, “I chose you, and I appointed you that you should go forth and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.” We have been charged with three things: we should go forth, we should bear fruit, and our fruit should remain. However, to insure that our fruit will remain is not an easy task. In the past in the Lord’s recovery, although we were short in the matter of gospel preaching, we brought many to the Lord and baptized a good number. However, very few have remained. The Lord is now teaching us a very crucial step. We all must learn what to do so that our fruit will remain.

In John 21:15 the Lord charges us to feed His lambs. This is to do something for the fruit that we have borne that they might remain. If we love the Lord, we must feed His lambs, the little ones, the small ones, the young sheep. The fruit in chapter fifteen becomes the lambs in chapter twenty-one. To bear fruit is to multiply or produce the lambs. But after producing the lambs, we still have to bear the responsibility to feed the lambs.

BEING VERY GENTLE IN CHERISHING OUR OWN CHILDREN

In 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Paul says, “We were gentle in your midst, as a nurse would cherish her own children.” Whenever a mother comes to cherish or nourish her little babe, she is always very gentle. In this verse Paul did not use the word “nourish,” but he used the word “cherish.” Cherishing includes nourishing, but it indicates more tender care than mere nourishing. When a mother cherishes her babe, generally, she will also nourish it.

When a baby is crying, the mother would not rebuke or spank it; the more the baby cries, the more gentle the mother would be. To cherish is to do everything in order to meet the little one’s need. Many times the mother knows why the babe is crying, but sometimes she does not know. When she comes to the baby and holds it, she may realize that the baby is hungry or cold. She would nurse her babe or hold it in a very loving way to warm it. Everything she does would become a kind of cherishing to that little babe to make it happy.

After we baptize someone, we must immediately consider ourselves as gentle, nursing mothers. Even Paul, the great apostle, became a nursing mother; he was so gentle with the young believers. After we bring people to the Lord and baptize them into the Triune God, we must take care of them. (The Exercise and Practice of the God-Ordained Way, msg. 13)

NOURISHING AND CARING FOR THE NEW BELIEVERS

The feeding, the nourishing, of the new ones is much harder than gaining the sinners. To bring forth a child is hard but not as hard as raising a child. Day and night the mother and father would sacrifice everything for that child. However, among the Christians, very few would do this work. Sometimes we brought someone to the Lord, but after two months they died prematurely because they received no care. The New Testament is full of this matter of feeding. In the following messages, we will see how Paul did the nourishing, the feeding. Paul says that he cared for the believers as a nursing mother would cherish her own children and that he entreated and consoled them as a father his own children (1 Thes. 2:7, 11).

FEEDING REGULARLY JUST LIKE NOURISHING A LITTLE BABY

We must learn to feed, to nourish, the new ones whom we have brought to the Lord. They are just like newborn babes that need the feeding, the nourishing. In the Gospel of John, the Lord Jesus talked to Peter about the feeding of the small lambs (21:15). Most students and teachers of this Gospel concentrate their teaching and fellowship directly on the matter of life. However, after John seemed to conclude his Gospel in chapter twenty, he added one more chapter. In this additional chapter, the Lord checked with Peter: “Peter, do you love Me? If you say you love Me, you have to do one thing-feed My lambs.” All the mothers know that to feed or to nourish a little child is not a simple thing. When we look at the situation today, among the believers who are not pastors and preachers, who is doing this kind of feeding work? You cannot feed the lambs occasionally. You have to do it regularly, just like nourishing a little baby. You have to do it, not only daily, but many times a day and at certain times. Then the babe will be nourished; otherwise, it may die.

Even among ourselves today, we cannot see much feeding. Therefore, we are not serving the Lord according to the Scriptures. Do you believe that the word of the Lord, “Feed My lambs,” is spoken only to Peter but not to you? I do not believe so. Peter stood there before the Lord representing all of us. Whatever the Lord spoke to him is the same to us. Therefore, we must learn and endeavor to get into the practice of feeding the lambs. Regardless of who we are, as long as we are a believer, we are charged by the Lord to feed His lambs. One day, we will all stand before the Lord at His judgment seat to give account of ourselves in this matter (Rom. 14:10, 12). (The Exercise and Practice of the God-Ordained Way, msg. 1)

LEARNING HOW TO SPEAK TO THEM IN THE BEST WAY

We must cherish the new ones to make them happy. We have to learn how to speak to them in the best way. Whatever we say must be said so pleasantly. We may begin: “This Bible is really good. Look how it is bound and printed. It is really beautiful.” This kind of speaking will cause this one to feel quite pleasant. He would be happy for us to talk with him further.

How many of us have gone to a home to have a home meeting in the way of making people feel pleasant? To nourish and cherish the new ones, we have to be fine and gentle. Some brothers are very eager and intense. Their way of speaking may be too strong or rough. This may intimidate or somewhat frighten the young ones. Others are like preachers, theological school graduates, always presenting one portion from the Bible after another to instruct them. Their gesture would give people the feeling that they are proud. This kind of talk, this kind of attitude, this kind of gesture, will always cool down the new ones.

If you were in a home talking with a man and his young, four-year-old son comes into the room, what would you do? This is an opportunity. You might simply reach out and touch this boy’s head softly and speak to him. This is the best way to warm up the father’s heart. You could stop talking to his father and just speak to this child for a few minutes. Then the father would be so pleased that he might tell you some things concerning his son. To care for people in this kind of gentle way is not so easy to learn.

Actually, this kind of learning is endless. For me to teach you these things is not easy. You have to pick up the principles and learn through your practice. Do not take this matter lightly. It is not enough to have some knowledge of the Bible. You also must know how to take care of people in a way that their hearts would be open to you. (The Exercise and Practice of the God-Ordained Way, msg. 13)