GOOD TECHNIQUES
Not only should we have the right seeds, but we should also have the right techniques. When we visit people by door-knocking, we should not say too much, nor should we speak our own words. We should just bring out our “merchandise.” When we speak to people, we must seize the opportunity to show them the treasure. Like those who sell diamonds or jade, we simply show people our merchandise. We deal with them as our “target” and try to “sell” them our treasures.
But we must improve the techniques we use. When you knock on a door and realize that the husband and wife in that home have just finished quarreling and are still angry, then you must quickly depart because you perceive that the atmosphere is not right. If you try to sell your goods, I am afraid that not only will they refuse to listen, but they will even vent their anger on you. When you encounter this kind of situation, do not waste your time. Instead, just say that you will come back another time and then quickly depart to knock on another door. You are sent to gain the “sons of peace.” If you knock on eighteen doors a day, three or five of those who open the doors may be sons of peace. If they are not sons of peace, do not waste your energy. This is something that you must remember.
STUDYING THE GOD-ORDAINED WAY FOR THE INCREASE AND SPREAD OF THE CHURCH
The recent reports I received greatly encouraged me. Some teams went out and immediately had eight to ten baptisms; obviously the result has increased. But after we have improved our techniques, there is still the need to promote this matter to the whole church. Formerly, we could not get people saved very quickly. We had to bring them to gospel meetings again and again, and then we had to visit and teach them before we could give them an interview for baptism. If they did not pass the baptismal interview, they had to come back again. Sometimes it took two to three months to lead someone to salvation. Now it takes only fifteen minutes to lead a person to be saved and baptized. In general, the saints may have some doubt, but doubting is unnecessary. We must get rid of this kind of prejudice and continue to improve our techniques. We can use transportation as an illustration. Fifty years ago it took forty-eight hours by boat to go from Chefoo to Shanghai. Now it takes only twelve hours to go from California to Taiwan. In the same principle, previously we often used the love feast as a way of preaching the gospel, but now the method has advanced and improved. It is true that the saints fervently loved the Lord and they also loved human souls, but they did not have the right way to love, so they wasted their time, money, and energy. Now, because we have discovered a more economical way, we hope to save everyone from further suffering. However, the saints need our help because it is not easy for them to change their concept.
Many of you can testify that when you coordinated with the local saints to visit people by door-knocking, at the beginning they were not convinced at all. They considered that they had twenty or thirty years’ experience of preaching the gospel and that you were just saved not long ago, so they wondered how much you could possibly know. Eventually, your way is effective and you can get people saved immediately. Even though the saints know a great deal, their result is not as good as yours. In the last elders’ meeting, one of the elders testified that he brought several saints with him and went out in coordination with the full-timers to knock on doors to visit people. He preached the gospel to an old man, but after he talked for a long time, the old gentleman still was not saved. Then a full-time sister said, “Don’t talk anymore. Let us speak about baptism now.” At that moment the wife of the older man came in, and the elder told the full-time sister to preach the gospel to the old woman, and he himself continued to talk to the old man. Not long afterward the old woman wanted to be baptized, so the sister asked the elder to baptize the woman, while she herself continued to speak to the old man. After the old woman was baptized, the old man also wanted to be baptized. When the elder saw this, he could not help but be convinced.
(The Revelation and Vision of God, Chapter 10, by Witness Lee)
