THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CHURCH
AND THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
CHAPTER EIGHT:
THE BUILDING UP OF THE CHURCH REQUIRES
KNOWLEDGE OF DIFFERENT ISSUES
WEEK 6 - TUESDAY
Bible Reading: Galatians 6
Read and pray: "Owe no one anything except to love one another; for he who loves another has fulfilled the law." (Romans 13:8)
RECEIVING HELP FROM GOD AND NOT FROM MAN
We should not be in debt to others. We should receive our help from God, not from man. The last one hundred years of Christian work here have not brought edification to the church; instead, they have caused harm and demolition to the church. Western missionaries need to learn the lesson of helping people before the Lord without making them their beneficiaries. People should feel that they have received help from God, not from man.
It is not edifying for Western brothers to produce in people the feeling of being beneficiaries. By doing so, they make themselves superior to others. This will never bring edification to the church. The church has been corrupted. When we help in secret, our help truly benefits others.
The Western brothers had good intentions, but they needed to consider their attitudes. They were inappropriate because they were not constructive. Many among the brothers stayed associated with them for a long time, because they considered that everything coming from the West was good and useful.
We never thought we should have helped them in this regard, because we considered ourselves inferior. We should not have a high opinion of ourselves, nor should we consider ourselves inferior. We do need the supply from the West in many areas, but that does not mean that everything from there is right. It depends on our ability to discern things.
We have received help from the Western brothers, but they also need to receive our help. We should be humble and accept their help, but that does not mean that everything they have is convenient for us. We criticize them because we hope that everyone will learn the lesson.
When the elders decide to study a certain book of the Bible, they would not insist on another book if they were experienced in spiritual matters and behavior. These brothers had competence in their medical field, but in the administration of the church and in spiritual matters, they were like children learning to speak.
Meeting the needs of the church does not depend on which book of the Bible we study. We can meet the spiritual needs of the saints through any book of the Bible. These brothers were not responsible in the church, but they gave the saints a negative impression. Before providing supply, they corrected others; before displaying their abilities, they criticized others. This indicates a lack of learning in spiritual matters and a lack of ability in dealing with others. This lack harms the building work of the church. That’s why we need to learn to know people and discern the issues before us.
When we learn to serve the Lord, we need to be able to discern the situations. We should not think that everything that comes from the West is good. We have already invited Western brothers with great expectations, but the result of their visit left us anxious. On their side, their conduct was inappropriate; on ours, we didn’t know how to express ourselves. We’ve had many "Western meals," but the Western brothers refused to make "Chinese meals." This is pride.
It is necessary to discern the situations to obtain the building up of the church. If we always appreciate the things of the West and show contempt for the things of the East, the church will never be edified. The Lord is not only the Lord of the Jews; He is also the Lord of the Gentiles. Likewise, the Lord is of the Westerners and also of the Chinese.
He does not give light and understanding only to the West. For this reason, while we should not be proud, we should also not feel inferior. We should examine whether a situation is right or wrong, whether it is useful or not. We should not think that everything coming from the West is good and should therefore be accepted. Rather, we should learn to know people and discern the issues.
As we build up the Lord’s church, we need to learn to discern the issues. We should not treat anything lightly. We need to consider and carefully evaluate the issues that involve us and the saints. We need to consider the source of each topic and its consequences before making any decisions.
We need to learn this lesson. Every doctor must carefully consider the medication they will prescribe to a patient. We cannot be hasty and negligent or immature and imprudent; instead, we must always be careful and cautious.
We need to spend time in the Lord’s presence to carefully consider how to deal with others. Since we are building the church, we need to learn to discern the facts. This applies to the administration of the church, the ministry of the word, and our contacts with others.
Enjoy more: Hymn 384
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