教會的責任 The Responsibility of The Church

教會的責任

照著山上的樣式走恢復的路

主對教會的命定，乃是要照著『山上的樣式』來建造。一個教會總要看見山上的樣式是如何，總要以神的標準為標準，然後纔知道已往的不對。我們所要趕上的教會，情形到底是怎樣呢？當我們看見主在聖經中所定規那榮耀的教會，我們纔知道我們真是趕不上、來不及。

教會失敗的原因

教會基本的失敗，在於教會不能應付她本身生養的需要。教會的變化不是單因著弟兄姊妹旅行的變換。一個教會剛強的時候，流動的弟兄姊妹人數就少；一個教會軟弱的時候，這樣的人纔多。買賣的人是注意經濟的周轉，貨幣的流通。教會也同樣應注意弟兄姊妹的流動。一個地方如果有三、四百個弟兄姊妹，教會不能照顧得好，過一年後，就新的進來，老的出去，這對教會乃是虧損。所以教會必須能傳福音得新人，也必須造就已經信的人。教會的責任，第一是救人，第二就是培養人。如果在幾個月中救進來一百人，卻也走掉一百人，這乃是教會的大失敗。所以教會失敗的原因，在於生了孩子卻沒有養活。

聖靈工作的律

一個教會如果剛強，就能指揮若定；要得多少罪人，是能控制的。教會要剛強，就得按著主所啟示山上的樣式作；如果不按著主所給的樣式作，就帶人得救好像是很難的事。但如果教會按著主所給的樣式作，就今年要增加五百，就增加五百，要增加一千，就增加一千。我們按著主的路走上去，不只救三百、五百，就是救三千、五千也不希奇。感謝主，我們當中的弟兄稱主為復興之子。其實主是不是復興之子，乃在於我們是否照著祂藉聖靈所啟示給我們的律來作工。凡認識主作工之律的人，就會同意我所說的。教會傳福音時，如果認識聖靈的律，按著聖靈的律來作工，人得救就沒有問題。教會一出來，人就不能不得救，教會就不能不復興。
《主恢復中成熟的帶領（卷二）　第二十二篇　照著山上的樣式走教會恢復的路》

The Responsibility of The Church

TAKING THE WAY OF RECOVERY ACCORDING TO
THE PATTERN ON THE MOUNTAIN

The Lord's intention concerning the church is one that is according to "the pattern on the mountain." A church must find out what the pattern on the mountain is. It must take God's standard as its standard before it will realize how wrong it has been. What is the condition of the church that we are trying to match? Only as our eyes are drawn to the glorious church ordained by the Lord in the Scripture will we realize our shortage and lack.

The Reason for the Church's Failure

The basic reason for the failure of the church is that it cannot meet its own need of begetting and nourishing the new ones. Changes in membership of a church should not come solely as a result of movement of saints to and from other localities. When a church is strong, the number of brothers and sisters moving out of the church is small. When a church is weak, the number of brothers and sisters moving out of the church is great. A businessman pays much attention to the influx and outflow of economic forces such as capital. A church also should pay much attention to the influx and outflow of its members. A church may have three to four hundred brothers and sisters, but it may be very short in care and shepherding. In a year's time, many new ones are added, but many old ones leave also. This is a drain on the church life. For this reason, a church must not only be good at preaching the gospel and gaining new ones, but must give itself to edifying the believers. The first responsibility of the church is to save men. The second responsibility is to perfect and nourish men. If a church saves a hundred people in a few months, yet loses a hundred at the same time, it is a total failure. This is the reason I say that a church's failure lies in its inability to keep the children it has begotten.
(Matured Leadings in the Lord's Recovery (2) Chapter Twenty-Two  The Recovery of The Church According To The Pattern
On The Mountain)