Living for the Lord, Living unto the Lord

The purpose of the full-time training is to "live unto the Lord"! It is not to live for the Lord, but to live unto the Lord. There is a distinction between living for the Lord and living unto the Lord. To live unto the Lord is to be one with the Lord; to live for the Lord is merely to do things. And the Lord does not even want us to do anything. The Lord wants to work Himself into us; that is, He wants to live in us. When a person receives grace and is saved, of course the Lord's life enters into him, and he should then be a person with the life of God, a person living out the life of God. But we do not necessarily have this expression. Within us, we often feel sunken, often feel that we cannot measure up. Of course, there are also times when we feel very refreshed inwardly — when singing a hymn there is a little stirring within! We rise up to prophesy, and after prophesying we feel, "Wow, how refreshing!" There are also times when we are living. But most of the time, we are not very living. The Lord is living in us, but we are not necessarily that living.

We all know that the church is the house of God, the house of the living God. The house of the living God means that every person must be living. But because of the outward environment, the busyness of work, and the entanglement of many things, we end up not living. Whether we are living or not living depends entirely on what is within us; this is a matter of life. Are you in your spirit, or in your mind? Are you one with God, or are you often disturbed by Satan? Most of the time, you have to admit that there is still a power continually disturbing us. When you come to attend the training, certain matters may still be churning within you, because Satan's power is continually at our side. The opportunity we have to come into the training is to help this person of ours have an opportunity to exercise the spirit, to have more opportunities to pursue together here with clear-hearted companions who love the Lord — that is, to cause us to be living within.

The Lord tells us that we are to live unto the Lord. Romans says that whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. This says that the Lord lives in us and that we must experience Him. In the training we hope that we would all have this kind of experience. After passing through the training, you must have this living experience of the Lord, otherwise it will be very hard for you to serve the Lord. We are receiving perfecting here, and there is also another purpose: that we may become living and functioning members. For in the Body, everyone needs to function. If we cannot function, it shows that this member is not living. If we are members in the Body and can function, then we are living. So every one of us must exercise; do not think that this matter does not need me, that someone else should be asked to do it instead. In the past we saw that prophesying in the training is very difficult, but here one cannot but prophesy. What are you to do? You still have to write out a prophesying outline, and even with an outline you may not necessarily speak that livingly, so you will feel that these days are very hard to get through. This is a process. Every year when graduation comes, everyone is very able to speak, which shows that everyone must exercise well. And it may not even be your turn to speak, because someone speaks even better than you; you may feel very angry, yet you dare not be angry. This shows that within us all there is a certain condition that needs to be exercised. It is not a question of whether you are capable or not, nor of whether you are able or not, but of whether you have exercised or not. Today everyone has come here, and the hope is that everyone, with no exception, would receive exercise in every aspect. No one here — trainee, teacher, supplementary trainer, or one on duty — is weaker than another. We are all here receiving exercise together.

Here I see many responsible brothers from various localities, and I admire them for having such courage to receive the training. This shows that in the church, even though we may have many years of serving experience, we still feel that this person of ours is weak and still does not reach God's requirement. So we need to be humble and willing to come here as students to exercise once again — this is admirable. Already in our fifties and sixties, when we think of still needing to receive training, we feel afraid. Thank the Lord! Since we have come, we should do our best to receive the exercise, letting the living Lord be lived out from within us. First, we must empty ourselves, setting aside all our experience, and every morning pray to the Lord, saying, "O Lord! I prostrate myself before You; I am willing to receive the training here once again. This person of mine still needs to be broken by You, still needs You to come and constitute me personally from within, so that I may become a vessel useful to You, a vessel that expresses You." We must have this kind of attitude; through such training, the Lord will have a way in us.

For those who serve the Lord, the first thing is to learn to preach the gospel. The first thing the Lord has entrusted to us is that we are to go and disciple all the nations. So a Christian, if he is a proper one with a heart to serve, must be able to preach the gospel, and must have the experience of preaching the gospel and bringing people to salvation. I very much hope that, as we attend the middle-aged training here, in one semester we would have many opportunities; returning to our local churches we still have to go out and propagate, and every one of us must set our heart on this: having come to spend so much time, I must surely bear some fruit in the matter of the gospel. If we have this kind of resolve before the Lord, then you need to equip yourself, and you also need to exercise your spirit, keeping your spirit constantly fresh and living, not being ashamed of the gospel; whenever you meet someone you can preach the gospel to them, going fifty steps with them just to try — in this way you will have given some account of yourself in the matter of the gospel. So whether you are a full-timer or one who serves the Lord, we are to live unto the Lord.

We also have to seek a breakthrough, that is, to break through our present condition. If we have not brought anyone to salvation for a long time, have not fed and cared for anyone for a long time, have not risen up to prophesy for a long time, have not functioned in the church for a long time, then we need, through this training, to be made living, to have a breakthrough in our present condition, to be strong and pioneering, and to accomplish something. So we hope that the brothers and sisters, in attending the training, would have a breakthrough; here we not only have the heart to receive perfecting, but we also hope to be perfected to produce a result — at the very least to become a living and functioning member. The purpose of being living and functioning is that I would be able to preach the gospel and bring people to salvation. Before the Lord I must set my heart and seek of Him earnestly: the first is that I myself must have a breakthrough; the second is that in the matter of the gospel, I must break through my past situation. Then this training of ours is a training with results, and our time will not have been spent in vain. Our church life is to preach the gospel and to practice the gospel, the home, the group, and the district.

The home meeting is to shepherd and care for people, the group meeting is to teach people, and the district meeting is to prophesy, building up the church of God. We start first with the gospel, taking this matter of the gospel as the first item of service, the primary service. If our gospel can be living, then you are a living and functioning member. Naturally, when you return to the church, you will find your companions, and you will find ones you can shepherd. When you bring people to salvation, these new ones need to be fed and nourished, and naturally they become the companions in your home meeting; through shepherding your sheep in the home meeting, you can learn here how to feed them. Many things you gain by doing them. Originally I could not do this or that, but once you do it, you can. Whether you have done it, or only talked about it, makes a difference — you may not necessarily be able; many things you learn by doing them. Today in the church we preach the gospel and also emphasize the home meeting, emphasize one-on-one feeding and one-on-one care. Our concept is that it is enough just to bring people to the meetings — that is already very good. Actually, that is not necessarily very good. When he comes into the meeting he may not be touched at all, and no one cares for him; it is just singing hymns and letting the Lord do the work — how much gets wrought into him, no one knows. But if we are burdened, if we can personally care for people one-on-one, and are not afraid of being slow — if every one of us could find an object to care for, the church would have multiplied long ago.

Today in the church there are quite a few brothers and sisters, but not every one of them functions, not every one of them has this realization. We often say that in the church, if the number attending the prayer meeting can be one-third, that is very good, and that church is very strong. But our standard is very low; we do not necessarily even have one-third. Just think about it — the number at the prayer meeting in the church life is very small. You have to realize that those who truly function are not the majority; most are not clear. They think, I have come into the church and feel it is quite good and very enjoyable, the hymns are sung beautifully, the fellowship with the brothers and sisters is also good — but it passes by and that is all. Yet if we are ones willing to exercise, diligently laboring in the matter of the gospel, naturally there will be results. In the matter of caring for people, according to the burden within, finding an object and being down-to-earth, caring for and shepherding one-on-one, you will practically become a living and functioning member, and there will be sheep in your hand. Many times it is because we have no one in hand, only coming to enjoy and enjoy, that we do not even feel any savor in it. We often think, "Ah, I hope this brother or sister could function a little more," and so we have him serve as an usher, prepare the food, do the cleaning, using service to uphold people, using service to uphold the brothers and sisters; many brothers and sisters are upheld in just this way. There is something to do, and he can manage the doing. But if he has not truly let the Lord pass through, after doing these things for a while he becomes weary of them and cannot keep going. And if we make further demands, he runs away. This shows that it is not a question of how much one does, but of how much we let the Lord pass through in all our service. We all have a burden to care for people, and we have truly gone to visit them. But visiting is seeing and forgetting; if it is only visiting, it cannot go on for long. Each time you visit you see and forget, see and forget — how long can you keep that up? Not for long. When you go to visit, you always have to give them a little supply — not only the outward cherishing, but also the inward nourishing; and nourishing requires the word of the Lord. This shows that for us to become living and functioning members is not a matter of outward activity; this whole thing is entirely a story of life. Today in our service in the church, we should not regard it all as outward activity, outward requirement. In all our service, we hope that our inward life, because of this service, would still have a condition of growth. To have him grow, of course there must be absorption; you yourself need to have much prayer before the Lord, and you also need to enjoy the Lord's word, and only then will life gradually increase. When you serve — whether preaching the gospel, shepherding and caring for people, or preparing food — service is something that lets life pass through, flowing out from within you; that is what has value. If not, just think about it: all that we do will pass away. Today, in what we do upon people, what is it that can remain within them? It is the supply of life, not any outward service. The "living" we speak of refers to life's living within us and also gushing forth from within us. True service is the outflow of life. So whether one is capable or not is not the main point; the point is whether or not we let the life of God circulate within us. Circulation means that you must have the inflow before you have the outflow; the inflow depends on us ourselves, and the inflow requires that you pay the price. If you do not pursue the Lord's word, how will the Lord's word enter into you? If you do not pray, how will you touch the Lord? So we hope that in the training we may be helped on these very points, letting the Lord enter more into us.

If brothers have been in the church life throughout middle school and college, then when they go to do military service, it can immediately be seen that they are different from others. In the military everyone is about the same age, but when the troops sing the military songs, those who sing the loudest are all the ones who believe in Jesus, because they sing often. Those who call out the orders, the ones who shout the loudest, are all the ones who believe in Jesus; those who receive the awards are all brothers, because they have passed through much exercise. Most people have not had this opportunity; just think — ordinarily, where would they have the chance to speak loudly, where would they have the chance to sing, to sing hymns? In the church life we exercise in all these things. In the same way, today in the training center we are exercising; back in the meetings, the moment you pray, people know that this one is different, that this is one who attended the middle-aged training, one who has passed through the full-time training.

So today, as we come into the training, we let go of everything and actively exercise our spirit, that we may become persons who live unto the Lord. Through living in this way, we can grow in life, and then have a practical experience of the Lord. Practical experience is very important. Many brothers and sisters have received grace and been saved, and we cannot say they have no experience of the Lord, but that experience is not enough; they still need to experience the Lord through this kind of regulated life, and then let us truly touch the Lord in life. Having grown in life, you become a functioning member. Thanks and praise to the Lord!

Of course, in the training there will be many requirements; let everyone cooperate as much as possible. Brother Tan said one word: "As long as you have the heart, there will be a way." As long as you are willing to exercise, you will graduate. Do not be afraid; do not be afraid that you will not graduate. As long as you are willing to exercise, you will graduate. But you must be "willing"; do not compare here ("Ah, my spirit is not strong enough, and I cannot speak clearly either") — you exercise and exercise, and it will be different. Truly, ever since the first term of the middle-aged training, I have deeply felt that the middle-aged training is really a wonderful place that turns rottenness into something miraculous. Look at us — we all seem not very capable, but after this training, in one semester there is a great change, and after two semesters one graduates. At graduation, every graduation ceremony draws so many people; I think you have all attended a graduation meeting, and every graduating trainee is full of spirit and vigor. Thanks and praise to the Lord.

This training has results. Although we have nothing especially clever, yet relying on the Lord, here we exercise together step by step in a very regulated way. Every Tuesday we return to class on time, and we are simply here, complete for three full days, exercising well together, pursuing earnestly. Here in the middle-aged training there are also many supplementary trainers and teachers; I see that they are all especially gifted — they are not here to torment us, but to help us, to help us mature a little sooner, so we should gladly receive it. Do not feel that they are always finding fault with us; that is not so. We are all very loving here, but we cannot but make demands. We simply, according to the Lord's leading and grace, exercise together here, letting the Lord have more opportunity to work into us, that our life may grow up here. We spend time here, and we hope that we will have gained something. Having gained something, you will accomplish something. If there is no gain at all, then there is nothing to speak of. We hope that here we would exercise to live unto the Lord, that here we would break through our disposition, break through all our difficulties, and break through all our shortages, having a strong and pioneering spirit. Here we hope that every one would gain something, and then return to the church, each one becoming a living and functioning member, and one who accomplishes something.

We are blessed to be in the middle-aged training; we need to appreciate one another, care for one another, and support one another — in this way the middle-aged training is a very good field for the church life. Here everyone can grow together, care together for the building up of the church, and through the middle-aged training enlarge the capacity of every one of us. Originally you were only in your one small place, perhaps one meeting hall in one church, one district in one meeting hall. Now it is different; your capacity has been enlarged. With so many classmates scattered throughout the island of Taiwan and also overseas — see, is this not a great opportunity that enlarges this person of ours, so that we see the universal Body of Christ? These are all blessings God has given us. May the Lord remember your heart's desire in attending the training, and may the Lord strengthen you, that through this training you may gain more of Christ, letting Him be constituted more into us, live more in us; we still need to live Him out, letting God gain His expression upon every one of us. This is what accords with God's heart's desire. May the Lord bless. Thank the Lord.

(Fellowship at the Fall 2018 Commencement of the Middle-Aged Training)