THE FOURTH SERIES:
THE PATHWAY OF THE LORD’S RECOVERY
Crucial Principles in the Administration of the Church
Message Fifteen—Serving in Coordination under the Administration of the Church (2)
Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 3:15; Eph. 4:11-13; 2 Cor. 4:12; Gal. 6:14; Matt. 16:24; Eph. 1:22-23
A. Helping to fellowship; the elders have to help such brothers learn to fellowship with the Lord; this is what we have said many times—to eat, drink, and enjoy God, to touch Christ every day, to have fellowship with Him, to absorb Christ, and to enjoy Him—2 Cor. 5:19-20; 1 John 1:5, 3. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 11)
B. Perfecting in the truth; although these brothers and sisters are useful by this time, you will find out that they are not entirely clear in the understanding of the truth; you still have to perfect them in many ways concerning the truth. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 11)
C. Helping others to solve their problems; in serving the Lord, everyone will sooner or later have some problems—1 Cor.1:10-13: (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
1. For example, there are problems with family, with jobs, with education, with marriage, with spiritual progress, with the study of the Bible, and with prayer; there are too many problems; how should we solve them all? (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 13)
2. If the elders cannot open a way for others in these matters, and cannot solve their problems, they are short in management; the brothers and sisters will suffer and will be like children without the care of their parents. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 13)
3. You cannot say something rashly and expect them to act rashly! You may be a little spiritual and say: “Go and pray! The Lord will lead you.” This will not work; you have to touch their real condition, bring them to the Lord, and solve the problem before the Lord. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 13)
4. The elders have to practice this in a practical way; they have to help the brothers and sisters to bring together all the problems and to solve them together; in this way, they will bring the church to a proper condition. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 13)
D. Helping others to receive burdens; the elders should not only help the brothers and sisters to solve their problems, but should also help them in a definite way to receive some burdens from the Lord—Luke 1:53; Psa. 27:4: (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
1. They should not merely receive a general burden, but a burden to be a responsible one in a district, or to be an elder: (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
a. On the one hand, you need to contact them many times, fellowship with them much, touch their hearts, and know their feelings before the Lord. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
b. On the other hand, you have to pray for them always, to touch the Lord’s feeling and the Lord’s will regarding them; gradually and naturally, you will be able to help them to receive a burden. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
2. Not only do you have to bring them into the service and to accept the arrangements in the service of the church, you have to help them to have some genuine coordination: (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
a. Now he has gone through some dealings and has learned something; he has reached a state where something has taken form; he should now accept a definite burden; by this time, he has been brought into the service by you practically. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
b. He may receive a burden to be a district responsible one, taking care of a district meeting; or he may receive a burden to be a minister of the Word or a gospel preacher for the rest of his life; this is to bring someone on in life before God and to help him to receive a definite burden. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
E. Taking others along to learn; after an elder has helped a brother or sister to receive a burden, immediately he should take them along to learn to do the work: (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
1. For example, when you help someone to pick up the responsibility of a district meeting, your duty is not yet finished; you must still help him to learn how to bear the responsibility of this district; you must show him in a practical way how to do the job; after he understands what you are doing, you have to ask him to do the same, while you are by his side to correct him; you have to take him along in the learning; this is what the elders have to do. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
2. Only by improving can there be better results. It is foolish for a man to be stubborn, proud, and conservative; we must learn to improve. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
3. The management and building up of the church does not depend on inviting speakers; I hope that we would all change our concept and our view, and would accept another way; you must put yourselves in the church where you are, give yourself to the work there, and labor there; there is no other way. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
4. I hope that the elders in all the churches would grasp this principle; save the time to contact the people one by one; spend time to deal with them one by one and help them to learn. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
F. Helping others to become proper vessels; not only do the elders have to exercise patience to help the brothers and sisters learn, they have to help them to become proper vessels; you have to do your best to perfect and help them to become proper vessels—Eph. 4:11-13: (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
1. Do not worry that their function may become greater than yours; you have to hope that among your disciples some will become the laureates. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
2. Hence, brothers, for the sake of the Lord, for the sake of His kingdom, His interest on earth, we have to learn to perfect a group of people and to make them the right vessels; we must clear the ground for them to have the opportunity to be perfected, so as to prepare them for future use. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
G. Leading others to accept the cross; you have to help the brothers and sisters to practically, seriously, and deeply learn the lesson of the cross—Gal. 6:14; Matt. 16:24; 2 Cor. 1:8; 4:8-12: (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
1. The carnality, the flesh, the ambition, the aspirations, the self-interest, and the desire to be great must all be terminated on the cross. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
2. There is the need for the cross to break the desire for greatness in a person; if there is no cross in the coordination, the church will be without any protection. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
H. Leading others to learn brokenness; brokenness solves the problems of man before God; our natural strength must go through God’s breaking; the natural strength in serving the Lord must be broken by Him; you have to allow God to touch you deeper, to touch the hollow of your thigh, so that you would fall down—Gen. 32:22-32; John 12:24-26; 2 Cor. 4:12. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
I. Leading others to accept coordination; to accept coordination is nothing other than to accept the restriction of those who are fellow members and who are serving together with you—2 Cor.10:13: (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
1. Coordination is a restriction; it is a total restriction by others; I cannot serve alone; I can only serve together with the brothers and sisters in the church; I can only accept the others’ restriction and coordinate with them. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
2. I will take the restriction of the whole church; I accept this coordination; at this time, we will have the genuine coordination, and at this time, such a coordination will be in oneness, and it will be knitted together firmly and fitted together properly; this is the only kind of coordination that is solid and lasting. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
J. Leading others to know the Body; by this time, they will come into a realm; they will touch something and will realize the glorious fact that the church is the Body of Christ—Rom. 12:4-5; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:4-6, 16: (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
1. They will truly touch the reality of the Body; by that time, you will have done a glorious work before the Lord; only this can be considered the true building up of the church; only this can be considered the true managing of the church; only then is there a true coordination worked out. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
2. When they have really come to realize what the Body is, the coordination for these is deep, genuine, and weighty; the life of the church depends upon them, and the life span of the church depends upon them. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
3. They are like the kernel within an almond seed, where the life is contained and where the center of life exists; the church is completely hinged upon them and is entrusted to them; with such a center, the church will be stable and firm. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)
4. After a period of time, they will bring forth manyfold others like themselves; in this way the church will ever continue to reproduce and will be built up; this is the management of the church. (The Elders’ Management of the Church, msg. 12)