为着福音聚会除了要加强祷告外,盼望弟兄姊妹都转一个观念。在传统的基督教里,每一次有奋兴会或布道会时,一切的行动、成败都在于那个布道的人,讲道的人,作出口的人。然而我们要看见,我们的福音聚会,不是一个人在那里布道、开奋兴会、或领什么会;乃是全教会在主面前,有一个属灵的举动,是身体的行动,不是个人的作为。所以,我们每个人在主面前都得对付,都得有分;而不是把所有的盼望,都寄托在站讲台的那位弟兄身上。
聚会所预备的福音单张、请帖、广告、标语,从前上面都印有主讲人等。这一点我里面感觉相当不妥,主要原因在于那是一般基督教属世的作法;另一个不妥的原因是,这样作太重于一个人,而轻看了基督身体的地位;还有一个不妥的原因是,这么刻意、特意把个人摆在明显的地位上,很容易惹来仇敌的攻击。所以,我一再觉得不妥,请求弟兄们无论如何,尽可能把主讲人这一项,从各种文字里去掉。
我所以要求大家,就是要大家看见,这是全教会的举动,是身体的行动。我真是巴不得成千的人来听福音,却不知道也没有注意到,那一天是谁在讲道。这是奇妙的事,也该是如此。这等于告诉众人,乃是全教会在这里传福音。主要藉着教会,对人讲说恩典的话,并不是人天然的观念所以为的,只藉着一个传道人或布道家。
在我们中间没有布道家,没有传道人;在我们中间只有一同作肢体的,只有身体的行动。我实在要求弟兄们,不要把眼光一直放在一个人身上,乃要看见这是基督的身体,这是教会。我们要相信,主今天是要使用教会,过于使用任何的个人。
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The Whole Church Preaching the Gospel– Phil. 1:27
In preparation for gospel meetings, in addition to strengthening prayer, we hope that all the brothers and sisters would have a change in concept. In traditional Christianity, whenever there is a revival meeting or evangelistic event, all the action and outcome are centered on the evangelist – the one who preaches, the speaker, the meeting leader. However, we must see that our gospel meeting is not a matter of one person preaching, holding a revival or leading a meeting. Rather, it is the whole church having a spiritual move before the Lord. It is an action of the Body, not the work of an individual. Therefore, each one of us must deal with the Lord and take part; we must not place all our hope on the brother standing at the podium.
Gospel tracts, invitations, advertisements and banners prepared for the meeting used to have the speaker’s name printed on them. I feel quite uneasy about this. The primary reason is that this is a worldly practice common in Christianity. Another reason is that it puts too much emphasis on one person and neglects the position of the Body of Christ. A further reason is that such deliberate and intentional highlighting of an individual easily invites the attack of the enemy. So I repeatedly feel uneasy about this and ask the brothers to remove the speaker’s name from all printed materials as much as possible.
The reason I ask this is so that everyone would realize this is a move of the whole church, an action of the Body. I truly hope that thousands would come to hear the gospel and yet not know or care who the speaker is that day. This is something marvelous, and it should be this way. It tells everyone that it is the whole church preaching the gospel. The Lord speaks words of grace to people through the church – not through a natural, human concept of a preacher or an evangelist.
Among us there are no evangelists, no clergy; among us there are only fellow members, only the action of the Body. I strongly ask the brothers not to keep their focus on any one individual, but to see that this is the Body of Christ, the church. We believe that today the Lord desires to use the church more than He desires to use any individual.