第五週 • 週五

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晨興餧養

腓二3~4   凡事都不私圖好爭，也不貪圖虛榮，只要心思卑微，各人看別人比自己強；各人不單看重自己的長處，也看重別人的。

在公開的講道中，踩踏別人的腳跟，是在一起事奉最忌諱…的一件事。你講禱告，他講安靜的默想；他講熱心，你講在至聖所，這些只有注意點的不同，並沒有異端和真理的不同。你不需要去踏別人的腳跟…。你那樣作，不過表明你太狹窄，…至終會產生分裂。我們若是那樣作工，我們中間不僅沒有建造，反而會帶來毀壞。

我們只能積極的作我們該作的那一分，學習接受別人的幫助。要永遠記得，沒有人能作我們的那一分。…另一面，我們也要承認，我們…不能代替別人。…你的功用就是你的功用，別人的功用就是別人的功用。我們在…盡話語職事、交通、禱告時，要絕對避免踏別人的腳背。不要人在那裏禱告一句，你接着來一句相反的禱告（李常受文集一九五七年第二冊，三一九至三二○頁）。

信息選讀

我們與別人一同事奉時，千萬要尊重別人的作法。並不是長老聚會交給家負責的事，家負責都不能隨便更改。…讀帖撒羅尼迦前書，或約翰福音都可以，也都不在於這些作法。況且長老們也不會逼着我們，非要讀甚麼、說甚麼。…我們在事奉上，總要避免改人的作法。…改別人指定的作法，…證明我們沒有學過多少屬靈的功課，在作人作事的經驗上都差得遠。

有些弟兄帶領聖徒熱心事奉，盼望他們多花時間在主面前，學習與主有交通，認識內住的聖靈；這些我們都不必改他們。有時，甚至還可以稱讚他們愛主很好，熱心也不錯；但這不能是偽裝的稱讚，乃是為要再積極的補上另一面。我們一直要有一個態度，就是我們的靈與別人是合作的、是配搭的、是尊重別人的。在事奉中，雖然某一部分是主託付我作的，…但另一面，我也得非常尊重別人所作的。…每一個人都應該有這樣的謙卑，不看自己這一部分重，甚至重到一個地步，踏到別人那一部分。…我們要顧到別人的感覺。除非人所講的，是得罪主的異端，會使工作和召會為難；否則，我們一直要尊重別人，遷就別人，並且接受別人的幫助。

盼望主恩待我們，使我們看見這是一個生命的問題，有破碎、謙卑等講究。一個能達到同樣目的，又不強迫別人用他方法的人，乃是最謙卑的人。我們都愛主，都願意為主活，願意召會得造就，這些目的都是對的，但在作法上不一定要照我們的作法。你與弟兄出去傳福音，這個目的是對的；然而，你可以照他的作法，他也可以照你的作法。當你不勉強別人照你的作法時，你就會看見其中有祝福。你有屬靈的東西，照他的作法可以；他有屬靈的東西，照你的作法也可以，二者都可以。

弟兄們要學功課，要破碎自己，遷就別人，並尊重別人所作的。我們的主是太大了，祂的工作…是多方面的。所以，我們必須忠心作主所託付我們的，也學習和別人配搭着作，並尊重別人所作的。除非別人所作的…是…異端，否則我們不願意去侵犯、干涉，也不願意踏着別人的腳跟。如此纔能使身體的感覺，在我們中間一直得到保養，也纔能在我們中間產生建造（李常受文集一九五七年第二冊，三二一至三二三頁）。

參讀：長老訓練第四冊，第五章。

WEEK 5 — DAY 5

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Morning Nourishment

Phil. 2:3-4 Doing nothing by way of selfish ambition nor by way of vainglory, but in lowliness of mind considering one another more excellent than yourselves; not regarding each his own virtues, but each the virtues of others also.

When we serve together, we must absolutely avoid criticizing others in the ministry of the word. Some may speak about prayer and others about meditating; some may speak of being zealous and others of being in the Holy of Holies. These are not heretical teachings; they are merely different in emphasis. Criticizing others shows that we are narrow, and this will lead to division. If this is the way we work, there will be no building among us; on the contrary, there will be destruction.

We should simply labor positively and learn to receive help from others. We should realize that no one can do our part…However, we also need to admit that we cannot replace others. Every person has his own function. When we minister the word, fellowship, and pray, we should not criticize others. In particular, when we pray with others, we should avoid praying in a contradictory manner. (CWWL, 1957, vol. 2, “The Administration of the Church and the Ministry of the Word,” pp. 243-244)

Todays Reading

We need to respect the ways of the ones with whom we serve. Even though the elders will not force a group to study a certain book or speak certain things, we should not casually change what they commit to us…It is all right to study either John or 1 Thessalonians; it does not matter which book is studied…In our service we should always avoid changing the ways of others. Changing the way others do things indicates that we have not learned many spiritual lessons. It also indicates that we are inexperienced in the way we conduct ourselves.

Some brothers lead the saints to serve fervently, hoping that they can spend more time to learn to fellowship with the Lord and to know the indwelling Spirit. We should not change their practice. We should even praise them, saying that it is good to love the Lord and be fervent. However, our praise should not be insincere. It should positively supplement their labor. We always need to have an attitude of respect, cooperation, and coordination with others. We should serve according to our portion and honor the portion of others, because both portions have been entrusted by the Lord. Everyone should have the humility to not regard his portion higher than another person’s. We should take care of others’ feelings. Unless they speak heresy and create problems for the work and the church, we should always respect them, be accommodating toward them, and receive help from them.

May the Lord grant us grace to see that this is a matter of life that involves being broken and being humble. Those who can reach a goal without forcing others to take their way are truly humble. As those who love the Lord, we desire to live for Him and build up the church. These goals are right, but there are many ways to reach these goals. For example, preaching the gospel with a brother is a good goal that can be done according to his way or according to our way. We receive the blessing when we do not force others to do things our way. If we have spiritual content, we can minister his way, and if he has spiritual content, he can minister our way. Both ways are acceptable.

The brothers need to learn the lesson of being broken, accommodating others, and respecting others’ function. Our Lord is great, and His work has many aspects. Thus, we must be faithful to what the Lord has entrusted us with and learn to work in coordination with others, respecting what they do. Unless they speak heresy, we should not interfere, intervene, or criticize. Only in this way can we preserve the consciousness of the Body and produce the building among us. (CWWL, 1957, vol. 2, “The Administration of the Church and the Ministry of the Word,” pp. 244-246)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1984, vol. 2, “Elders’ Training, Book 4: Other Crucial Matters concerning the Practice of the Lord’s Recovery,” ch. 5