THE PRACTICE HANDBOOK FOR THE DISTRICT SERVING ONES
SERIES TWO
THE GOD-ORDAINED WAY AND VARIOUS KINDS OF MEETINGS
Message Two
Opening Homes for the Gospel
Acts 5:42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and announcing the gospel of Jesus as the Christ.
10:24 And on the next day they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius was awaiting them, having called together his relatives and intimate friends.
HOME BEING THE OUTLET FOR THE GOSPEL
Acts 5:42 says, “Every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and announcing the gospel of Jesus as the Christ.” Recently, a Roman Catholic organization put out a publication that praised us because we have practiced serving in homes and in small groups since before 1958. The author felt that such a practice is very effective.
Before 1958 every move we took in leading the church was according to the Bible. We had home meetings based on the expression from house to house in Acts 5:42 and 2:46. In Shanghai and in Chefoo we met in the homes, but we did not meet in groups. Later, when we came to Taiwan, the number of saints increased rapidly, and it was not enough to divide into homes; we also had to have groups. The practice of meeting in groups is based on the record in Luke 9 where the Lord fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. In that chapter the Lord said, “Make them recline in groups of about fifty each” (v. 14). The Greek word for group refers to a small unit or company.
Acts speaks of preaching the gospel from house to house. When the early disciples preached the gospel, they did not preach only in the temple but also in the homes. Every brother and sister opened his or her home for the preaching of the gospel, and they invited their relatives, friends, and neighbors. Every household preached the gospel. If we cannot preach the gospel every week, we should do it at least every other week or once a month. (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,” msg. 11)
Announcing Jesus Christ as the Gospel “from House to House”
Now we want to see what the mouthpiece and the outlet for the gospel are. The mouthpiece for the gospel is man. Moreover, the outlet for the gospel is the homes. We are the mouthpieces for the gospel, and our homes are the outlets for the gospel. If your home is not given for the Lord’s use, and you preach the gospel only individually, then there will be a mouthpiece but no outlet. Acts shows us that at the time of Peter, the disciples not only broke bread “from house to house” (2:46) but also announced Jesus Christ as the gospel “from house to house” (5:42). In Greek the word announce is the verb form of the word gospel, meaning that they announced the gospel of Jesus as the Christ. If we announce the gospel of Jesus as the Christ from house to house, then all our houses will be speaking Christ. Hence, we should not only preach the gospel but also open our homes.
Luke 5 gives us an excellent example. The Lord Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi, who was a slave to money, and He called him to follow Him. Upon hearing the Lord’s calling, Levi left all, rose up, and followed the Lord. In this way he was saved. Once he was saved, he gave a great reception for the Lord Jesus in his house. However, he did not invite Jesus alone, nor did he invite prominent officials and famous persons. Instead, he invited many tax collectors and sinners (vv. 27-29). Because he himself was a vile sinner, he did not have good men as his friends but rather a crowd of wicked men, all of whom he invited to recline at table with the Lord. The Lord was the guest of honor, and all the other guests invited to keep Him company were sinners. This is a good example of opening the homes for the preaching of the gospel. Once we open our homes, the gospel will have an outlet; without the homes the gospel will have no outlet. Now we have many mouthpieces, but what we need is the outlet. Hence, we must open our homes.
I hope that all the saints, especially those who are newly saved, will do this one thing—hold a reception for Jesus and invite all your friends, even the friends who are disreputable. You and I do not have reputable friends. What we have are “sinner-friends,” such as drinking friends, gambling friends, dancing friends, playing friends, and deceiving friends. Seriously speaking, where can you find good people on this earth? All are sinners. We did not have good friends before we were saved, but after we got saved, the Lord Jesus became our good Friend. We should hold receptions at our homes for the Lord Jesus and invite our sinner-friends so that they may receive the Lord Jesus as their Friend.
The Bible not only has examples of sinners preaching the gospel; it also has examples of “good men” preaching the gospel. In Acts 10 there was a good man, Cornelius. The Bible does not mention any sin of his; it speaks of only his good points. He was a devout man who feared God, gave alms to the people, and always prayed and petitioned before God. One day an angel came to him and said, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send…for a certain Simon, who is surnamed Peter” (vv. 4-5). It is true that Cornelius was truly a good man, but he was not saved and still needed the gospel. Therefore, he needed to ask Simon Peter to come and tell him how to be saved. When Peter came, he was surprised because Cornelius was already waiting there, having called together his “relatives and intimate friends” (v. 24). Relatives and intimate friends is a very good expression and a good example to us.
The House of Levi, a Tax Collector,
and the House of Cornelius Being Excellent Examples to Us
The house of Levi, a tax collector, and the house of Cornelius are excellent examples to us. Regardless of whether we are slaves of money, like the tax collectors who were vile sinners, or we are those who often pray to God and give alms to the poor, like Cornelius, who was a virtuous person, we are all sinners before the Lord; we all need salvation. We also need to open our house and hold a reception for Jesus, inviting all our relatives and intimate friends. I believe in that day when the Lord Jesus was with the group of tax collectors, there must have been many who eventually were saved. Perhaps even all of them were saved. I also believe that those relatives and intimate friends who were at the house of Cornelius that day were also saved, with no one left out. Therefore, the way to contact people with the gospel is in the homes. If there are no homes, the gospel will not have a way. When there is a home, the gospel has a way.
The Lord as a great wind blew upon us and brought us to America. The elderly saints never thought about coming to America. When I was in mainland China, I felt that it was very good to be there, especially in the three “norths”—north China, the northwest, and the northeast. We could go anywhere in those regions to work for the Lord, so why should we go to a foreign country and stay in a foreign land? In 1938 someone gave me two checks. One was sixteen hundred U.S. dollars for my fare to America; the other was twelve hundred Chinese yuan for my family’s living expenses for one year. However, I did not have the burden and never even thought about coming to America. China is so vast and has many people. It would not have been possible for us to cover all the places or to exhaust our preaching of the gospel, so why would we think of coming to America? However, this was not up to us. Eventually, the Lord blew upon me, and I was brought to Taiwan and then to America.
Whether or not it was your desire, the Lord blew upon you also and brought you to America. Today the Lord is like a great wind that has blown multitudes of Chinese to America. This is the Lord’s perfect will. If men do not leave their own land or soil, they will not believe in the Lord. However, since they have been uprooted and have come to a foreign country, it is easy for them to believe in the Lord. This is why on the college campuses it is easy for us to preach the gospel to the Chinese students. There are hardly any rejections; many have come to attend the Lord’s banquet, and nearly all of them have received the Lord. This is the Lord’s work.
The Lord saved Levi, a tax collector. This was Matthew, who later became one of the twelve disciples to preach the gospel to many sinners. In the vision that Cornelius saw, the angel did not tell him to invite his relatives and intimate friends. However, he did not hide what he had for only his family members to be brought to salvation. Rather, he invited all his relatives and intimate friends. We need to take him as our model. When you young people go to the college campuses, you are there to hold a reception for Jesus. Just set out a few cold treats, and use half an hour to share the gospel with your friends. That is your home. Alternately, if you can get your parents’ permission, you can invite classmates over for meals and to hear the gospel. The gospel presented in this way will save young people from becoming vile persons, like the American hippies. In America it is dangerous for the young people to not believe in the Lord Jesus. If they do not believe, it is hard to know what they will do, because there are all kinds of strange and bizarre things happening on college campuses. Only Jesus can replace those things. If parents are wise, they will definitely let their sons and daughters believe in Jesus.
Opening Home to Give a Great Reception for Jesus,
Simply Inviting “Sinners” as Your Guests
Therefore, I hope that all of you will open your homes to give a great reception for Jesus, simply inviting “sinners” as your guests so that you may preach the gospel to them. If you open your homes, it will not be a loss but a blessing to you. The Lord Himself said that He will show lovingkindness to thousands of generations of those who love Him (Exo. 20:6). Hence, for the sake of eternity, we all should open our homes and provide an outlet for the gospel of the Lord. In this way the blessing will come not only to us but also to our sons and daughters for generation after generation. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 4, “Rising Up to Preach the Gospel,” msg. 4)
PREACHING THE GOSPEL IN EVERY HOME
BEING THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO PREACH THE GOSPEL
Whenever we talked about preaching the gospel in the past, we thought of putting on gospel vests, handing out gospel tracts, and holding a gospel meeting. In the meeting some brothers would lead the singing of hymns and give a message. At the end there would be a “drawing in of the nets” and a collection of names. There is a degree of effectiveness in this kind of gospel preaching, but our recent practice and leading has shown us that this may not be the most effective way. The most effective way is to preach the gospel in every home every other week. If everyone preaches in this way, we will realize that everyone truly can preach the gospel. Our preaching of the gospel should be continual. The most effective way to preach the gospel is in every home continually. This kind of gospel preaching will not result in something great in an outward way, but with every member speaking in a continual way throughout the year, there will be an effective move of the Lord in the gospel. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 1, “Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 4: The Increase and Spread of the Church,” msg. 12)
In order to preach the gospel and gain people, we must open our homes. Every family has relatives, neighbors, friends, classmates, and colleagues. We need to invite them to our homes. We do not need to invite them all at one time, but we can invite three to five people at a time in a consistent way. The saints who have a burden should invite their relatives and friends for a “gospel dinner” at least once a week. The mealtime can be used to share the gospel. Just as people in the world have social engagements to do business and solicit clients, we should invite people for meals in order to preach the gospel. Every saint should invite people to his home for the purpose of preaching the gospel. Human beings do not have a heart of iron; they have emotions. When we invite someone to our home for a meal, his heart will open, and the Lord Jesus can enter into him. We can be assured that if we invite two people for a meal, we will gain at least one.
There are five thousand saints in the church in Taipei. If we are all willing to endeavor to lead one person to salvation every year, there will be ten thousand saints by next year. If we continue to increase in this way every year, there will be five million people in ten years. The Lord is leading us to attain our goal in many areas. Some saints are involved in the campus work, others are involved in the children’s work, and still others are preaching the gospel in the communities. By laboring in these areas and opening our homes, it will be easy for us to double our number every year. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 5, “Guidelines for the Propagation of the Lord’s Recovery,”msg.4)
OPENING ONE’S HOME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL
HAVING TO BECOME A UNIVERSAL PRACTICE
We must pay particular attention to opening the homes for the gospel. Opening one’s home to preach the gospel must become a universal practice. Every saint’s home must be open for the gospel. Even a newly baptized saint can open his home for the gospel. The saints who have recently been baptized are fresh, and they have many friends and relatives. If they invite their friends and relatives to their homes, it will be easy to gain them.
We must change our concepts and not think that a “spiritual” household will be more effective in preaching the gospel. This is not necessarily true. On the contrary, sometimes a household that is too spiritual does not bear fruit. In general, people have children when they are young and strong. Hence, our view must change. We must see that even newly saved ones can preach the gospel to gain others. Of course, we are not saying that the saints should not be spiritual, nor are we encouraging the saints to love the world. We are saying that there is no need to be tied down by conventions. We should not be influenced by different situations; rather, we should just do our best to preach the gospel.
For this reason we must change our view. When we go to the homes of the brothers and sisters to preach the gospel, we should not judge the saints. We should not measure the heart or the appearance of the saints to determine whether their household is qualified to preach the gospel. We must believe that when the gospel is preached in their home, their household will change. The New Testament shows that the gospel was preached in the homes of sinners and in the homes of God-fearing people. Even though Zaccheus was a sinner, because he was a chief tax collector, the Lord Jesus said, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay in your house…Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:5, 9). Cornelius, a God-fearing man who gave many alms to the poor and frequently prayed to God, invited Peter to his home to preach the gospel to his friends and relatives (Acts 10:1-8, 24-43). We must go to both kinds of households.
In Promoting the Home Gospel Meetings,
Not Giving the Saints a Natural Understanding or a Religious Concept
We must do whatever we can so that open homes for the gospel is a universal practice. It does not matter whether a person is experienced; as long as he is saved, he should open his home for the preaching of the gospel. We are calling out to the saints, and we want every household to answer this call. Everyone, the old and the young, must preach the gospel. Let us put this to practice. When we preach the gospel, we should not worry about how to preach. We simply need to bear the responsibility of opening our homes and inviting our relatives, neighbors, and friends. We must also prepare some snacks; occasionally, we can even have a love feast. However, it is better to keep things simple and inexpensive. When the saints come together, they must practice speaking for the Lord by giving testimonies of how they were saved. The gospel meetings in the homes must not be turned into worship services.
In promoting the home gospel meetings, we do not want to give the saints a natural understanding or a religious concept. We must throw these things away. As long as a saint has a home, that home should be open for the gospel. Everyone should give his or her testimony and speak concerning the Lord Jesus. We should not speak too long; we should give a short word concerning our salvation. In this way, we will gradually produce many more saints who are able to preach the gospel. Preaching the gospel in the homes is a fountainhead from which we can draw much water. As long as we dig the well deep, the number of people who get saved in the homes will constantly increase. (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,” msg. 11)
Encouraging Every Brother and Sister
to Open Their Homes for the Preaching of the Gospel
We should encourage the brothers and sisters in the small groups to open their homes for the preaching of the gospel. This is a very crucial point. Preaching the gospel by opening our homes is different from preaching the gospel in the meeting halls because there is no place for show or façade; it only requires everyone to exercise his or her spirit. Preaching in this way attracts people, and it warms and comforts them. We should encourage all the saints in the small groups to open their homes to preach the gospel. Even a weak saint has something precious to offer. Many so-called weak brothers and sisters become strong when they preach the gospel. Brothers and sisters who do not speak much in a big meeting all speak in a small group gathering. When they go to a church meeting and see older saints who have been following the Lord a long time, they often do not speak. However, in a small group gathering when they see that their gospel friends are unclear about the gospel and do not know the Lord Jesus, they become bold and are burdened to preach the gospel.
The So-called Weak Brothers and Sisters
Actually Having More Gospel Friends than We Do
We should encourage every brother and sister in the small group gatherings to open their homes for gospel preaching, whether they are strong or weak. Sometimes the so-called weak brothers and sisters actually have more gospel friends than we do, because those who have been in the church for a long time may have fewer friends in the world. If these so-called weak brothers and sisters opened their homes to preach the gospel, they could easily invite ten or twenty relatives, friends, and neighbors to come. This is the best way to preach the gospel. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 1, “Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 4: The Increase and Spread of the Church,” msg. 12)
Emphasizing the Function of the Sisters
in Promoting the Preaching of the Gospel in the Homes
At this point we must commend the sisters, because the gospel in the homes is built on the sisters for the following reasons. The brothers are busier during the day because they go out to work; their hearts are not necessarily concerned with the homes. The sisters are the stronger ones in the church in the matter of loving the Lord. The Bible records two instances of sisters anointing the Lord with fragrant ointment; one is in Luke 7:36-39, and the other is in Matthew 26:6-13. The brothers were rational, cold, and calculating, so they thought that the fragrant ointment could be sold for much money, which could be given to the poor. Hence, the gospel in the homes should not be committed to the brothers. We must let the sisters take care of it. We must motivate the sisters. Furthermore, people are more likely to refuse an invitation from the brothers, but they will feel somewhat embarrassed to refuse an invitation from the sisters. Hence, we must emphasize the function of the sisters in promoting the preaching of the gospel in the homes until every home is open for the gospel. (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,” msg. 11)
Leading the Saints to Preach the Gospel by Themselves in Their Homes
We also need to lead the brothers and sisters to preach the gospel by themselves in their own homes. This requires constant encouragement. The members of the small groups should pick up a burden to encourage each other to preach the gospel by themselves in their homes. Although this preaching may not be flawless, it will have a much better flavor. When we eat at a good restaurant, we may eat the best delicacies, but we do not have much of an intimate and warm feeling. When we eat at home, however, we eat more ordinary food, but we feel quite intimate and warm. When we preach the gospel ourselves, the taste will be unique and enjoyable. In some groups there are brothers and sisters who are not very strong and who do not often come to other meetings. But when it is time to preach the gospel in their home, they will start seeking and preparing. Perhaps the husband will suggest that the family read John 3:16, about how God loves the world. As the time approaches, he may lack confidence in his ability to speak, so he may ask his wife to listen to what he is going to speak. After speaking in this way, he may realize that his words need to be supported with some verses, so he will look up some related references. Those who preach the gospel in their homes will not only bring unbelievers to salvation but will also be blessed themselves. Preaching the gospel will not be a heavy burden but an enjoyment. The more we preach, the more we will enjoy.
Preaching the Gospel Every Other Week
We should practice preaching the gospel in our homes every other week. This is only a suggestion. We can fellowship with the saints in our group about the details concerning the gospel preaching times in the homes.
Freely Hearing the Gospel
Since we can continually preach the gospel in our homes, we will have many opportunities to invite our relatives, friends, and neighbors to come and freely hear the gospel. We need to pay attention to the word freely. In the past we have not been so wise. Throughout the year we may not have spoken much to our relatives, friends, and neighbors, but when the New Year’s gospel meeting approached, we tried to invite people, often compelling them to come and hear the gospel. This is not the proper way. The best way is to converse with our relatives and neighbors in our daily life and to establish a basis for friendship by contacting and getting to know them in a normal way. We may, for example, invite them for tea and say nothing to them about the gospel. Then at some time in the future we can let them know that we are having a meeting in our home to read the Bible with some friends and to speak concerning the Lord Jesus and that they are welcome to come. If we have a relationship with them, it will be much easier to invite them.
Always Contacting People
Leading people to salvation does not involve things that are miraculous or strange. Rather, it is according to the law of fruit-bearing. As long as we labor according to this law, it will be very easy to bring people to the Lord. Since our gospel contacts are also our relatives, friends, and neighbors, we can invite them to come to more than just one meeting. When we contacted people in the past, we would speak of the meeting and say, “Please come to the meeting.” This often made people feel awkward, and it was hard for them to accept our invitation. We need to be in touch with people frequently so that it will be easy for them to accept our invitation when we invite them, and if they cannot come, there will always be another meeting. When we contact people, we should invite them to come freely to hear the gospel.
We also should not give them a strict time to arrive. Some may come a little late, and we should let them. Some may need to leave a little early, and we should not compel them to stay to the end. We should let them freely come and freely leave. Nevertheless, they will always receive something when they come. This is the difference between preaching in our homes and preaching in a large gospel meeting.
First Giving a Personal Testimony,
Then Preaching the Gospel
The best way to preach the gospel in our homes is to first give a personal testimony concerning our salvation and then speak a short word about the gospel. Small group gatherings do not need a renowned preacher or a lengthy sermon. There are no preachers in a small group gathering because there is no need for a preacher; rather, everyone can testify. For example, after inviting two gospel friends to our home, there can be brief introductions.
Perhaps the husband may say, “Before I believed in the Lord, my whole being was empty and without peace. There was no harmony in my family, and I was on the verge of divorcing my wife, but now my wife is sitting right next to me. Thank the Lord. He has saved our family and our marriage, and He has given us two lovely babies. These are all God’s blessings.” When people hear such a testimony, they will feel very warm. Then the wife may say something as well, testifying how her husband’s disposition changed completely after he believed in the Lord. This kind of testimony does not require any eloquence. If the children are a little older and are clear about their salvation, we can even ask them to give their testimonies. In this way, even before the testimonies are finished, our gospel friends will be completely subdued and open to the Lord.
Preparing Some Verses That Can Easily Lead People to Salvation
Many brothers and sisters have been saved because of the testimonies they heard in a gospel meeting. While a gospel message may not get into people, the testimonies of the saints always penetrate into people. After giving a testimony, a brief word on the gospel can be given, but it does not have to be a lengthy discourse. We only need to give people a short word concerning the gospel. We should build up the habit of knowing verses that can easily lead people to salvation and even put these verses on the table or mark them in our Bible so that we will be able to use them when the time comes to preach the gospel.
John 3:16 is a very useful verse. After the testimonies, we can ask everyone to read this portion of the Bible together. We may have read this portion many times in the past, but it will be fresh to our gospel friends. Once this word is imparted into them, they will have a sense of the weightiness of the Word. Although testimonies can unveil people, there is still the need for the Lord’s Word. Reading the Word causes people to have a deep impression of what we have spoken.
When we preach the gospel in our homes, everyone should speak. The members of the household should strengthen the meeting with personal testimonies of their salvation and with some speaking on the gospel. We can also invite people to ask questions. Many of today’s young people will not agree with the gospel when they first hear it; they always have some questions. When we speak about one thing, they may ask about another thing. Sometimes they will even “bargain” with you for some additional time before making a decision. In such circumstances we need to be patient when we speak to them. In big meetings there is absolutely no opportunity for this kind of interaction, but in our homes there is an opportunity for them to express themselves. Many times young people have questions, and by allowing them the freedom to ask, their problems can be resolved. When we preach the gospel in our homes, we can do many things that cannot be done in big meetings. We can freely give our testimonies, and our gospel friends can freely ask questions. This can be done only in small group gatherings in our homes.
Coordinating with Neighboring Saints to Preach the Gospel
In some homes there are only husbands and wives because all the children have left home. Thus, they may think that there is not enough support for them to preach the gospel in their home. In such a case they can ask others who are nearby to join them; thus, they can have a gospel meeting with two or three families who live nearby. This will not cause the free nature of preaching the gospel at home to be lost, and at the same time there will be more impact in preaching the gospel. Sometimes we need to combine our homes together, but we should not do this in a rigid way. We should not have fixed rules about the number of families that come together. We should always be flexible. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 1, “Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 4: The Increase and Spread of the Church,” msg. 12)
Some may consider that such a practice is too great a burden. However, the burden is bearable if we carry it out in coordination. In a neighborhood of two to five families, all the families can cooperate and coordinate in preaching the gospel. They can make some kind of arrangement for opening one home. In a situation with more families, two homes can be opened on the same day, and all the saints in the neighborhood can be divided into two groups with each group in one home.
If about six to ten saints come to a home for the preaching of the gospel, they should invite to that home those for whom they are burdened, but they should not invite too many. If they invite too many, they will be overburdened. It is better to have more saints than unbelievers. Thus, if a home has only ten saints, it is better for those saints to invite fewer than ten; then all the saints can labor on these few in a thorough way.
The Saints Needing to Exercise Their Spirit
The saints need to exercise their spirit when the unbelieving ones are in the homes. Many of the saints among us know only how to exercise their spirit in the outside the meetings they seem to have no skill. However, we need to gospel preaching affords us the best opportunity to exercise our spirit.
Caring for the Invited Ones in Ways
In general, we need to care for the invited ones in ways. we may sing some songs or pray, but we these things not according to legality but in a living way. Furthermore, if we pray, we should not pray for a long period of time. If we pray for too long, we will tire out our contacts. We need to learn how to pray in a short yet prevailing way to touch the throne, touch the Lord, and touch the conscience of the invited unbelievers. Whether we sing a song, pray, or read a portion of the Word, we should not do anything for too long. If we read the Bible, we should read a small number of verses according to our burden. Depending on how many verses we read, there may be a need to expound the verses, meaning that we may need to preach a little from the verses.
We should learn to coordinate not only in the opening of the homes but also in the preaching of the gospel. One person may read a portion of the holy Word, another may speak a word concerning that portion, and yet another may give a testimony. After the singing, praying, reading of the Word, a short message, and testimonies, we may set aside about twenty minutes for some free fellowship concerning the gospel and salvation. Depending on the coordination, a number of saints can speak to the contacts either by the way of testifying or speaking from a verse of the Bible. We can take care of such a time in many different ways depending on our coordination.
Among ten saints there may be one saint, a brother or a sister, who can speak a short message. In this regard, we should not despise the sisters. Rather, I would encourage the sisters to be bold to speak if they have the assurance that what they will speak is living, prevailing, and powerful concerning the gospel. This kind of message should be short, perhaps no longer than ten minutes.
According to past experience, opening our homes in coordination is the most effective way for the saints in the church to preach the gospel. We should find a way to contact those whom we know in order to make an appointment with them so that they may come to our home or to another home that will be open at the appointed time. (CWWL, 1977, vol. 1, “Fellowship and Questions concerning the Gospel,” msg. 4)
Following the Lord’s Leading to Have Specific Prayers
It is easy for us to neglect to pray for our relatives, friends, and neighbors. We should follow the Lord’s leading to petition specifically for the more hopeful ones to be saved. We all have some experience in praying for people, but many times our prayers are too general. We ask the Lord to gospelize Taiwan, but we have little way to determine whether or not the Lord has heard our prayers. However, if we pray specifically for our relatives and friends one by one, we will pay attention to whether or not the Lord has heard our prayers. Hence, this is a very good opportunity for us to exercise our spirit and faith to see the Lord’s faithfulness.
The Effect Being Manifested Gradually
It is a great strengthening to our faith when we see a person turn and believe in the Lord after praying for him for many months. We all need to learn this lesson. This is not a heavy burden; it is an exercise as well as an enjoyment. We all should pray for our relatives, friends, and neighbors. If we have too many relatives and friends, we need to have specific prayers. In their initial zeal some brothers and sisters write down a hundred names and make a determination to pray for them every day. In the end they do not pray for anyone. Hence, we do not need to focus on too many people at the same time. The best way is to focus on three to five, always looking to the Lord for them in a thorough way. The effect of this constant looking to the Lord will gradually be manifested. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 1, “Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 4: The Increase and Spread of the Church,” msg. 12)
Discussion:
1. How to encourage saints to open their homes?
2. How to invite people to their homes?
3. How to coordinate with saints to preach the gospel at home?
