读经：罗十二1，路一74～75，林前七22，出三18，帖前一9，林后十二15上，太二八18，路十2～6。

Scripture Reading: Rom. 12:1; Luke 1:74-75; 1 Cor. 7:22; Exo. 3:18; 1 Thes. 1:9; 2 Cor. 12:15a; Matt. 28:18; Luke 10:2-6

诗歌：大本663首

　　罗十二1 所以弟兄们，我借着神的怜恤劝你们，将身体献上，当作圣别并讨神喜悦的活祭，这是你们合理的事奉。

　　林前七22 因为一个奴仆在主里蒙召，就是属于主得自由的人；照样，一个自由的人蒙召，就是基督的奴仆。

　　

　　一个蒙恩的人事奉主，不是由于人在外面的鼓动或强迫，也不是因着人在旁边的劝勉或带领，乃是出于里面的一个动机。这个动机，就是他对主的爱。他对主的爱，在他里面催迫他事奉主，推动他事奉主。他里面对主的爱，叫他不能不事奉主。…这是旧约所论那爱主人的奴仆，〔出二一2～6，〕所比方所预表的。那样的奴仆，虽然可以自由，不需要作奴仆，但因爱他的主人，就不愿意自由，而甘愿作奴仆，服事他所爱的主人。我们事奉主的动机，也是如此。我们也是因着爱主，而甘心乐意作主的奴仆，事奉主。

　　We love the Lord because He loved us first. His love moves us to love Him. Lord's love to us generates the love to Him in our inward being so that we can not help but love Him. Thus it is His love that makes us to love Him and to serve Him. For this reason, Apostles exhorted us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to serve God through the compassions of God. We serve the Lord because His love stirs us up and because His love generates the love in our inward being.

　　我们所以爱主，是因为主爱我们。主的爱感动我们，激励我们爱祂。主对我们的爱，在我们里面产生出我们对祂的爱，叫我们不能不爱祂。所以是主的爱叫我们爱祂，也是主的爱叫我们事奉祂。就是因这缘故，使徒才用神的怜恤劝我们，将身体献上，当作活祭，以事奉神。〔罗十二1。〕…我们事奉祂，是为祂的爱所激励，是由于祂的爱在我们里面所激出的爱。

　　According to the Bible, Christians … should take serving the Lord as their primary job. We, Christians, should take our jobs or careers as secondary ones. Only serving the Lord is our primary job. To us, all the jobs and careers are number two. Only serving the Lord is number one. Our purpose of living in the world is to serve the Lord. Serving the Lord should be the center and purpose of our life. All our jobs and careers are taken incidentally to sustain our life and to supply for the need of the Lord's work. At the same time, they become the means for us to contact people and to preach the gospel to others…. Whatever our job is, it should be incidental to us. Our purpose should be for serving the Lord and preaching the gospel…. If we want to be a normal Christian, it should be this way. Only to live to the Lord in this way is to serve the Lord.

　　“He who was called when free is Christ's slave” (1 Cor. 7:22). To serve the Lord is to be a slave of the Lord Christ. In this verse, a slave refers to one who is sold and who has lost his freedom. Such a status reveals the significance of serving the Lord. Our serving the Lord is not to do any great work, but to be a slave of Christ to serve the Lord.

　　“And as they were ministering to the Lord and fasting…” (Acts 13:2). In the original language, ministering here refers to service as a priest; it is the same word as in Hebrews 10:11 for the “ministering” (serving) of a priest. To serve God as a priest is to handle before God all things related to the worship of God. This requires us to constantly draw near to God and stand before Him.

　　“But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body [of Christ], even as He willed” (1 Cor. 12:18). We believers are all members placed by God in the Body of Christ, and each member has its function. When we fulfill our office to minister in the Body of Christ according to our function, we are also serving the Lord.

　　“God…whom I serve in the gospel of His Son” (Rom. 1:9). To preach the gospel is also to serve God. This means that we bring sinners to God just as the priests brought sacrifices to offer to God. Thus, Romans 15:16 says that to preach the gospel in this way is to minister “as a priest the gospel of God.” This kind of service is valuable, and it fulfills God's eternal economy.

　　照圣经看，基督徒…应当以事奉主为正业。我们基督徒所有的职业或事业，都是副业。惟有事奉主，是我们的正业。在我们，所有的职业或事业都是第二，惟有事奉主乃是第一。我们在世上活着的目的，乃是事奉主。我们该以事奉主为我们生活的中心和目的。我们所以作职业或事业，不过是带手而作，借以维持我们的生活，并供给主工作的需要。同时借着我们所作的职业或事业，与人接触，以便将主的福音传给人。…我们无论是以何事为业，都该是带手而作的。我们的目的，该是为着事奉主传福音。…我们若要作正常的基督徒，就必须这样。只有这样，才是向主而活，才是事奉主（圣经要道卷三，六○九至六一○、六一二页）。

　　“自由的人蒙召，就是基督的奴仆。”（林前七22。）事奉主，就是作主基督的奴仆。奴仆在这样的经文里，指卖身失去自由的奴隶。这种身份说出我们事奉主的意义。我们服事主不是作什么伟大的工作，乃是作基督的奴仆服事主。

　　“他们事奉主，禁食…。”（徒十三2。）这里的事奉原文指作祭司事奉，和希伯来十章十一节，说到祭司所用的“供职”（事奉）同字。作祭司事奉神，乃是在神面前作一切关乎敬拜神的事。这需要常常亲近神，侍立在神面前。

　　“神照着自己的意思，把肢体俱各安置在〔基督的〕身体上了。”（林前十二18。）我们信徒都是神所安排在基督身体上的肢体，每一个都有他的功用。我们照着这功用，在基督的身体里尽职服事，也是我们对主的事奉。

　　“我在祂儿子的福音上，…所事奉的神。”（罗一9。）传福音也是事奉神。这是说，我们将罪人带来归神，如同祭司将祭物带来献给神一样。…这种事奉是有价值的，是成全神永远经纶的（生命课程卷二，一六三至一六四页）。

　　出三18 他们必听你的话；你和以色列的长老要去见埃及王，对他说，耶和华希伯来人的神遇见了我们；现在求你让我们走三天的路程，到旷野里去，我们好献祭给耶和华我们的神。

　　路十二37 主人来了，看见奴仆儆醒，那些奴仆就有福了。我实在告诉你们，主人必自己束上带，叫他们坐席，进前服事他们。

　　At present, among God's children there seems to be a common phenomenon that only a certain group of people are serving. However, God's word says that everyone who belongs to God is a servant of God. When the Israelites were in Egypt serving as slaves, they did not have any freedom. God delivered them out of Egypt and through the Red Sea for the purpose that they would serve Him in the wilderness (Exo. 3:18). The number of people under the blood was the number of people who left Egypt. The number of saved ones was the number of serving ones. When the Israelites left Egypt, they brought all the gold and silver with them (Exo. 12:35-36). Hence, as many as there were who were redeemed, that many served God in material offerings, and that many followed the tabernacle. It was not just a minority who served. Both in the Old Testament and in the New as well, there was not a distinction between the serving ones and the non-serving ones. Only degraded Christianity makes a distinction between the serving ones and the non-serving ones.

　　现今在神的儿女当中有一个现象，好像只有一班人是事奉神的。但神的话乃是说，所有属乎神的人都是事奉神的人。本来以色列人在埃及作别人的奴仆时，他们没有自由。神拯救他们脱离埃及，经过红海，他们应当到旷野事奉神（出三18）。在血下有多少人，出到旷野也有多少人。蒙恩的有多少人，事奉神的也有多少人。以色列人从埃及出来的时候，把金银也一起带出来（十二35～36），所以蒙救赎的有多少人，财物上事奉的也有多少人，跟随会幕的也有多少人，不是只有少数人来事奉。在旧约和新约都没有事奉和不事奉之人的分别，只有在堕落的基督教里才分别出事奉和不事奉的人。

　　God's word tells us that we are those who have received God's mercy. But what should we do now? Christianity thinks that a man is first saved through the Lord's blood and by His grace, and then goes on further to forsake the world. As he advances further, he drops everything to serve God. This is degraded Christianity. According to God's word, as soon as a man is saved, and as soon as he steps into the entrance, the Lord tells him to take up the cross (Matt. 16:24). Either a man does not become a disciple, or he has to be one in an absolute way. The Lord sets the price clearly right from the beginning for every saved one. The first day they come, they see the tomb. The first day they come, they are asked to forsake the world. We cannot lower down the gospel, and make the gospel no more the gospel. The Lord never lowers the price to attract customers. The gospel is the least expensive thing there is. Yet at the same time, it is the most costly thing there is. If we are to be saved, we have to be saved in a clear-cut way. Only those who have paid a high price can feel the joy.

　　神的话告诉我们，我们是蒙神怜恤的人。…今天的基督教以为说，我起头的时候，靠主的恩典、靠主的血得救。过了一点，我更进步一点，我就丢弃世界。再过一点，我就撇下一切来事奉神。这个乃是堕落的基督教。照神的话来说，人一得救，一进大门的时候，主就说，人要背十字架（太十六24）。人不作门徒则已，一作门徒就得作得绝对。对每一个得救的人，主都把代价先讲清楚。头一天人所碰见的，就是坟墓，头一天就要把世界丢掉。…我们的得救需要得救得痛快。只有付上那么多的人，才能够喜乐。

　　When we read 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, we see that service belongs to the whole Body; it is not a service of three or five special people. For this reason, we asked all the brothers and sisters to hand themselves over. What the Lord wants is absolute service. We hope that every brother and sister can get through in this matter. The Lord wants such an absolute service. Not only the co-workers need coordination in their work; every brother and sister needs to be coordinated also.

　　我们读林前十二章和罗马十二章，都说到事奉是整个身体的，不是三五个特别的人来事奉。为这缘故，我们要求所有的弟兄姊妹都交出来。主所要求的乃是这个彻底的事奉。…不光同工需要配搭作工，每一个弟兄姊妹也需要配搭上去才能算数（倪柝声恢复职事过程中信息记录，四九五、四九九至五○一页）。

　　“If anyone serves Me [the Lord Jesus]…the Father [God] will honor him” (John 12:26). For our service to the Lord, we shall be honored by the Father. What a reward this is!

　　Luke 12:37 says that when the Lord comes back, the slaves who have been watchful to serve the Lord will be blessed to sit at the feast and will enjoy the Lord's serving. This is also a great reward from the Lord to those who serve Him.

　　“Well done, good and faithful slave…I will set you over many things; enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matt. 25:21, 23). This verse says that the good and faithful slave who serves the Lord will be set over many things and enter into the manifestation of the coming kingdom and into the joy of the Lord. Surely this is a great reward, which we should appreciate and long for.

　　“若有人服事我〔主耶稣〕，…我父〔神〕必尊重他。”（约十二26。）事奉主竟能得到父神的尊重！这是何等的赏赐！

　　路加十二章三十七节说，主回来的时候，儆醒服事主的奴仆，要蒙福坐席，享受主的服事。这也是主对服事祂的人一大赏赐。

　　“良善又忠信的奴仆，…我要把许多事派你管理；进来享受你主人的快乐。”（太二五21，23。）这里说良善、忠信服事主的奴仆，要受主派管多事，并进入要来的国度实现中，享受主的快乐。这当然也是该受我们欣赏渴慕的一大赏赐（生命课程卷二，一六七至一六八页）。

　　弗四11～12 祂所赐的，有些是使徒，有些是申言者，有些是传福音者，有些是牧人和教师，为要成全圣徒，目的是为着职事的工作，为着建造基督的身体。

　　罗十五16 使我为外邦人作基督耶稣的仆役，作神福音勤奋的祭司，叫所献上的外邦人，在圣灵里得以圣别，可蒙悦纳。

　　The New Testament service ordained by God in the Scriptures indicates that all New Testament believers are priests to serve God (Rev. 1:5-6). The priests are those who serve God. Everyone who serves God, anywhere and at any time, must be a priest.... In the Old Testament the priests specialized in taking care of the sacrifices. By this we can see that the priests of the gospel, mentioned in Romans 15:16, are those who specialize in taking care of the gospel…. [And also] the New Testament priests of the gospel should be laboring priests of the gospel, … who diligently labor in the gospel of God. Paul was such a priest of the gospel of God, and we too should be such (The Up-to-Date Presentation of the God-Ordained Way and the Signs Concerning the Coming of Christ).

　　新约的事奉是神在圣经里所命定的，指明新约的全体信徒都是事奉神的祭司（启一5～6）。祭司就是事奉神的人；古今中外所有事奉神的人定规都是一个祭司…。在旧约，祭司是专管祭物的。但新约罗马十五章十六节所说福音勤奋的祭司，乃是专管福音的。…〔而且，〕新约的福音祭司该是一个勤奋的福音祭司，…在神的福音上勤劳。保罗作神福音的祭司就是这样，我们也该是这样（神命定之路最新的陈明与基督来临的兆头，二九至三○页）。

　　The building up of the Body of Christ does not depend on a few people. Rather, every one of the perfected saints should participate in the work of the building up of the Body of Christ. Begetting, nourishing, teaching, and building are the four major steps in the new way. When every one of the saints in the church can beget, nourish, teach, and build, God's eternal purpose is fulfilled.

　　基督身体的建造，不是倚靠少数人，…乃是所有经过成全的圣徒，个个都能作建造基督身体的工作。生、养、教、建，这是新路里的四大步骤。当召会里的圣徒个个又生、又养、又教、又建的时候，神永远的目的就要达到了。

　　The first matter in the Christian service is the preaching of the gospel. The spiritual childbearing is the preaching of the gospel. Paul said, “For though you have ten thousand guides in Christ, yet not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel” (1 Cor. 4:15). Paul preached the gospel and led many to salvation. These Corinthian believers then became the spiritual children begotten by Paul.

　　基督徒事奉主的头一件事，就是传福音。…属灵的生孩子就是传福音。保罗说，“你们在基督里，纵有上万的导师，父亲却不多，因为是我在基督耶稣里借着福音生了你们。”（林前四15。）保罗传福音，带领许多哥林多人得救；那些哥林多信徒，就是保罗所生的属灵儿女。

　　After the fruit bearing comes the nourishing. Every mother knows that the first thing a newborn child does is drink milk. Hence, the first thing a mother has to learn is how to nurse her child. After a child is born, we do not ask him to come to us to be fed. Rather, we have to go to him and feed him with milk. If we cannot go to the homes of the new ones daily, we should go at least once every three days. The best way is to go every day. When we go to the homes of the new brothers and sisters and feed them with spiritual food, this is what we call the home meetings.

　　结了果子之后，接着要喂养。每个作母亲的人都知道，孩子生下来以后，第一件要作的事，就是喂孩子吃奶。…一个孩子初生下来，不是要叫他到我们这里来吃奶，而是我们要到他那里去，喂他奶吃。即使我们不能天天去喂，最迟也不可晚过三天，最好你能天天去喂他。我们到新受浸的弟兄姊妹家，喂养人属灵的粮食，这就是我们所说的家聚会。

　　After feeding him for more than one month, he is stabilized. You shall bring him to the small group meetings immediately to contact brothers and sisters and to have a corporate living, i.e. to enter the church life. There should not only be teaching but also feeding in the small group. Furthermore, the small group should be organic and everyone teaches and learns to build up the body of Christ. In our small group meetings, we admonish every man and teach every man in all wisdom that we may present every man full-grown in Christ. This offering is the work of a priest.

　　你喂养他一个多月以后，他稳健了，就立刻带他到小排聚会里接触弟兄姊妹们，一同过群的生活，这就进入召会了。在小排里不仅有教，还得有养，而且小排必须是生机的，人人教，个个学，好建造基督的身体。〔我们在小排聚会里，要用全般的智慧劝戒各人，教导各人，好将各人在基督里成熟地献上，这个献上就是祭司的工作。〕

　　The work of New Testament Ministry is not for something else and is only for the building up the body of Christ. Chapter fourteen of 1 Corinthians speaks mainly about the building of Church and the way of building up of Church, i.e., prophesying. Paul said “For you can all prophesy one by one that all may learn and all may be encouraged” (1 Cor 14:26). “Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for the building up.” Therefore every man should practice prophesying for the building up of body of Christ.

　　〔新约职事所作的工作不是别的，乃是建造基督的身体。〕林前十四章专门讲召会的建造，怎么建造？就是申言。保罗说，“你们都能一个一个地申言，为要使众人有学习，使众人得勉励。”（31。）〔每逢你们聚在一起的时候，各人或有诗歌，或有教训，或有启示，或有方言，或有翻出来的话，凡事都当为建造（26）。所以人人都应该操练申言，好建造基督的身体。〕（新约福音的祭司，一九、一五至一六、八页。）

　　罗十15 若非奉差遣，怎能传道？如经上所记：“传福音报喜信的人，他们的脚踪何等佳美！”

　　太二八19 所以你们要去，使万民作我的门徒，将他们浸入父、子、圣灵的名里。

　　The gospel is Christ, who is the very embodiment of the processed Triune God, reaching us as the consummated Spirit, who is the consummation of the Triune God for our enjoyment. According to the truth, the gospel is the entire New Testament. Christians are used to saying that there are four Gospels, but Paul told us that the entire book of Romans is the gospel of God (1:1, 15). It includes the preaching of God, the condemnation of God upon fallen man, and the Body life, including the local churches in chapter sixteen. Have you ever received such a broad view of the definition of the gospel? Personally, the gospel is a wonderful person, and according to the truth, the gospel is the entire divine revelation of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. God's New Testament economy is the gospel. We have to believe in such a gospel, preach such a gospel, and live uniquely for such a gospel. The consummated Spirit, who is God Himself reaching us, eventually has become the seven Spirits in Revelation (1:4; 4:5; 5:6). The seven Spirits are also a part of the gospel.

　　福音就是基督，祂是经过过程之三一神的具体化身，作为终极完成的灵，就是三一神的终极完成临到我们，为着我们的享受。按照真理，福音乃是整本新约。基督徒习惯说有四卷福音书，但保罗告诉我们，整卷罗马书乃是神的福音（一1，15）。罗马书说到传扬神、神对堕落之人的定罪、以及身体生活，其中包括十六章的众地方召会。你曾否接受这样对福音广泛观点的定义？以人位来说，福音乃是一个奇妙的人位；而按照真理，福音乃是新约二十七卷书整个的神圣启示。神新约的经纶就是福音。我们必须相信这样的福音，传扬这样的福音，并且专一为这样的福音而活。终极完成的灵，就是神自己临到我们，至终成了在启示录里的七灵（一4，四5，五6）；七灵也是福音的一部分。

　　My intention is to impress you that in the universe and today on this earth there is something called the gospel which we are reminded and commanded to live for. The Lord commanded us to live for this gospel uniquely. What are we living on this earth for? Do we live for our profession or for our job to make a lot of money? What is man living for? Poor human society has so much activity but no goal. Do we have a goal? Our goal is the gospel, and our gospel is the Triune God processed to be the very Spirit within us as our salvation, as our life, as our life supply, and as our all-inclusive enjoyment.

　　What a wonder and what a glory to live uniquely for such a gospel. I have been living uniquely for this gospel for over fifty years. Hallelujah for this! It is worth it! When I was called by the Lord, my thinking was that God had called me to go to preach and teach in all the villages of my county, not even to my entire province. If I had done that all my life, I would have been more than happy. I never thought that I would be speaking in the United States and in other parts of the world to an international audience. By the Lord's mercy I am living uniquely for the gospel!

　　我的用意是要给你们深刻的印象，今天在地上，在宇宙中，有一件事称为福音，我们受提醒并受嘱咐要为此而活。主吩咐我们，要专一为福音而活。我们在地上活着是为什么？我们是为我们的职业或工作，要赚很多钱而活么？人活着是为什么？可怜的人类社会，有许多活动，却没有目标。我们有目标么？我们的目标乃是福音，我们的福音乃是经过过程的三一神，成了那灵在我们里面，作我们的拯救，作我们的生命，作我们生命的供应，并作我们包罗一切的享受。专一为这样的福音而活是何等美妙，何等荣耀！我专一为这福音而活，已经有五十多年了。为着这个，阿利路亚！这是值得的！当我蒙主呼召的时候，我的想法是：神要呼召我到本县内的各乡镇传福音并教导，甚至还不是到我所在的整个省去。我一生若是那样作，我就已经高兴不已了。我从未想过我会到美国，并在世界各地，向来自世界各国的听众说话。靠着主的怜悯，我是专一的为福音而活！

　　At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord came as the very embodiment of the processed Triune God in resurrection and told us that all authority had been given to Him in heaven and on earth (28:18). The President of the United States sends ambassadors to many countries representing him with full authority, but why do we need this kind of authority, all authority in heaven and on earth? We need this authority to disciple the nations. All of us have to ask ourselves how many we have discipled. Have you believed in Him? Have you received Him? Do you have Him living in you? Are you one spirit with Him? Are you abiding in Him? Is He now abiding in you? Are you and He one? If you say yes to these questions, you have the authority in heaven and on earth to go! The worth and importance of the word "go" cannot be measured. Go, go, go! Go to Jerusalem first, then Judea, then Samaria, then to the remotest part of the earth (Acts 1:8). Go to all the homes in all the countries. Go to your cousins' homes, go to your in-laws' homes. Go to the homes to disciple the nations.

　　在马太福音末了，主在复活里，作为经过过程之三一神的具体化身来告诉我们，天上地上一切的权柄，都已经赐给祂了（二八18）。美国总统差遣大使到许多国家，全权代表他。我们为什么需要这样的权柄，就是天上地上一切的权柄？我们需要这权柄，好使万民作主的门徒。我们大家都需要问自己，我们使多少人作了主的门徒？你相信祂了么？你接受祂了么？你有祂活在你里面么？你与祂是一灵么？你住在祂里面么？祂现在住在你里面么？你与祂是一么？如果你对这些问题说是，你就有天上地上的权柄出去！“去”这字的价值和重要性是无法度量的。去，去，去！先去耶路撒冷，然后去犹太全地，然后去撒玛利亚，直到地极（徒一8）。去所有国家的所有家里，去你表兄妹的家，去你姻亲的家。去到人的家，使万民作主的门徒（迫切并专一为福音而活，三二至三五页）。

　　约十五16 不是你们拣选了我，乃是我拣选了你们，并且立了你们，要你们前去，并要你们结果子，且要你们的果子常存…。

　　徒一8 但圣灵降临在你们身上，你们就必得着能力，并要在耶路撒冷、犹太全地、撒玛利亚，直到地极，作我的见证人。

　　Are you happy to remain in a barren situation for years? Second Peter indicates that it is possible for us to be idle and unfruitful, barren (1:8). Suppose tomorrow morning the Lord comes back. Then according to His word in Matthew 25, you will have to give Him an account of what you have been doing. What will you tell Him? Will you tell Him that you have had a good church life in your locality, that whatever He has given you is still here? Will you tell Him that He is a hard man, reaping where He did not sow and gathering where He did not scatter? What would the Lord say? Would the Lord say, "Well done, good and faithful slave. enter into the joy of your lord" (25:23)? Or would He call you an evil and slothful slave (25:26)? According to Matthew 25, where will He put you? Do not forget that the one who is put into outer darkness is the one who has received the real gift, one talent. This one is not only saved but also gifted. The Lord is real, He will really come back, and His word spoken in Matthew 25 will be fulfilled. This is a serious and solemn matter.

　　多年留在不生育的情形里，你高兴么？彼得后书指出，我们可能闲懒不结果子，不生育（一8）。假如主明天早晨回来，那么照着祂在马太二十五章的话，你必须向祂交账说，你作了什么。你要告诉祂什么？你会告诉祂，你在你当地有好的召会生活，祂赐给你的一切都还在这里么？你会告诉祂，祂是一个忍心的人，没有撒种的地方要收割，没有簸散的地方要收聚么？主会说什么？主会说，“好，良善又忠信的奴仆，…进来享受你主人的快乐”么？（23。）或者祂会说，你是又恶又懒的奴仆？（26。）按照二十五章，祂会把你摆在哪里？不要忘记，被扔在外面黑暗里的，乃是接受了真实的恩赐，一他连得的人；这人不仅是得救的，也是有恩赐的。主是真的，祂真的要回来，并且祂在二十五章所说的话将要应验。这是严肃且郑重的事。

　　John 15:16 says, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and I appointed you that you should go forth and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain." In this verse there are some words which are quite crucial. The first word is "appointed." We did not choose ourselves, but He chose us. We have no choice in the matter of being a branch of Christ, the vine, because He caught us. He chose us and appointed us to bear fruit. To bear fruit is the Lord's appointment, His assignment. He did not assign us to do anything else. He appointed us to bear fruit. The Lord charged us to go forth and bear fruit. Can a branch go? The branches of a physical tree do not go. But we are not only living branches, but also movable branches. We have to go. This indicates that we have to reach people.

　　The Lord says that we should go forth and bear fruit and that our fruit should remain. In the past we took the wrong way. Occasionally people came to us and they believed and were baptized, but they did not remain because nobody took care of them. This is like a mother delivering a child, and then leaving her newborn baby without any care. How could she expect this baby to remain? The Lord has shown us the way for our fruit to remain. We do not just go out to reach people by knocking on their doors and bringing them into the Triune God through their believing and baptism. After this, we immediately set up a home meeting in their home. To set up a home meeting is to set up a shelter to protect this new babe. The farmers protect the fruit in their orchard. Peaches that are ripe and have just been picked need to be covered. Otherwise, the birds may eat them. This covering helps the fruit to remain. Likewise, to set up a meeting in a baptized one's home is to set up a shelter. Then under the shelter you go back to them regularly to feed them. Surely they will be protected, they will be fed, and they will remain. This is the secret of having remaining fruit.

　　约翰十五章十六节说，“不是你们拣选了我，乃是我拣选了你们，并且立了你们，要你们前去，并要你们结果子，且要你们的果子常存。”在这一节里有一些字汇相当重要。第一个字是“立”；不是我们拣选自己，乃是祂拣选了我们。在作基督这葡萄树的枝子这事上，我们没有选择，因为祂抓住了我们。祂拣选我们，并立我们去结果子。结果子是主立的，是祂指定的。祂没有指定我们作别的事，祂指定我们结果子。主吩咐我们前去结果子。枝子能去么？自然界中树上的枝子不能去。但我们不仅是活的枝子，也是能移动的枝子；我们必须去，这指明我们必须去到人那里。

　　主说我们应该前去结果子，并且我们的果子应该常存。…主给我们看见果子常存的路。我们不仅到人那里，叩他们的门，也借着他们的相信和受浸，将他们带进三一神里。在这之后，我们立即在他们家中设立家聚会。设立家聚会就是设立遮避处，保护这个新生婴儿。像农夫在果园里保护水果：桃子熟了，刚被摘下来，需要遮盖；否则，鸟也许会来吃。这遮盖帮助果子存留。同样的，在受浸的人家中设立聚会乃是设立遮避处。然后在这遮避处底下，你定期回去喂养他们。这样他们当然会得着保护，得着喂养，并且会常存。这就是得着常存果子的秘诀（迫切并专一为福音而活，三八至三九、四九至五○页）。

　　约十五5 …住在我里面的，我也住在他里面，这人就多结果子；因为离了我，你们就不能作什么。

　　提后四2 务要传道；无论得时不得时，都要预备好，用全般的恒忍和教训，叫人知罪自责，谴责人，劝勉人。

　　To pray, to confess our sins, to deal with our sins, and subsequently to be filled with the Holy Spirit will result in boldness and confidence. If you go out door-knocking but have not prayed, your legs will be shaking, and you will not have power in your speaking. However, through prayer, confessing of sins, and being filled with the Holy Spirit, not only will you have the boldness when door-knocking, but you will also have the confidence that the person you are visiting will be saved. Once you are filled with the Holy Spirit though, not only will you have the power for speaking, but you also can determine whether or not he will be saved. If you say he will be saved, he will be saved; if you say he will not be saved and that he needs to wait awhile, then he will not be saved. This is the effectiveness of prayer, confessing of sins, and being filled with the Holy Spirit.

　　祷告、认罪、对付罪、被圣灵充满，结果就有胆量、有信心。你若没有祷告就出去叩访，定规小腿会发抖，说话没有力量。但是经过祷告、认罪、被圣灵充满，再去叩访时不仅有胆量，也有信心相信你叩访的对象必定得救。…一旦被圣灵充满，你不但话语有能力，也能定规他得不得救：你说他得救，他就得救；你说他不得救，恐怕要再等一等，他就不得救。这就是祷告、认罪、被圣灵充满的功效。

　　A brother once testified that the person he visited said that his speaking was very good. I instructed those present that this was the right moment to pray. If that person would pray, he would believe and receive the Lord, and then the brother should baptize him. It was the same with me in the past. When I went to lead someone to the Lord, often at the critical juncture I did not have the boldness to lead him to pray. Instead, I kept thinking that it might be too early and that I should not take the opportunity. Once I lost the opportunity, though, I may have lost it for my whole life; I may never have had the opportunity to see him again.

　　Brother Nee once told us that gospel preachers have to be thick-skinned. Those who are thin-skinned cannot lead people to salvation. Perhaps some brothers and sisters would say, “If this is the case, then since I am such a thin-skinned person, I may as well forget about going out to knock on doors.” In the past, when I saw strangers, I would start sweating, and my face would turn red. Every time my mother wanted to invite people to our home, I would be the first one to object because I did not like to meet strangers, and I disliked even more going to other people's homes. Later the Lord arranged the environment and forced me into a situation in which I had to stand and speak from the platform. It does not matter if you are thin-skinned; as long as you are willing to practice, willing to go visit by door-knocking, slowly you will have the boldness. On the other hand, while you are door-knocking, you must learn the technique of grasping the opportunity to lead a person to believe and pray. Immediately after he prays, you should show him Romans 10:13, which says, “For ‘whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'” Then say to him, “My friend, congratulations! You are saved!” The next thing is to lead him to be baptized.

　　叩访的时候，也要注意我们的态度，千万不要冒冒失失的，却要谦卑有礼，温和又恭敬，庄重而不草率。同时要学习说话简洁不啰嗦，热切而不冷淡。…如果人家回答你：“我没有空。”你也不要放弃，就说，“只花您一分钟。”结果可能因着这一分钟，他就相信，并且受浸了。

　　还有“人生的奥秘”这本小册子，…也大大为主使用…。所以我们也要学习用这本小册子。…首先要先学记里面的四大段：第一段是神的创造，第二段是人的堕落，第三段是基督的救赎，第四段是神的分赐。…你要学习跟随圣灵在你里面的引导，感觉该读那一段，就翻到那一段读。

　　I hope that from now on everyone will practice door-knocking and visiting people. This is the first item we should practice. Maybe we cannot go out to knock on doors every day, but one thing we can do is spend two to three hours each week for door-knocking. We should visit not only those whom we know but also those we do not know. We should knock on all the doors in the district in which we live. Do not worry or be anxious. As long as we are willing to do it, we will be successful.