第一週 • 週六
晨興餧養
徒二十28 聖靈立你們作全羣的監督，你們就當為自己謹慎，也為全羣謹慎，牧養神的召會
…。
林後十二15 我極其喜歡為你們花費，並完全花上自己。…
腓二17 然而，即使我成為奠祭，澆奠在你們信心的祭物和供奉上，也是喜樂，並且與你們眾人一同喜樂。
我們必須接觸並照顧別人（無論是罪人或信徒），正如使徒保羅這位最高的使徒，在接觸人並顧到人需要的事上所作的一樣（林後一23~二14）。在林後十一章二十八至二十九節，保羅說，『除了沒有提起的事，還有為眾召會的罣慮，天天壓在我身上。有誰輭弱，我不輭弱？有誰絆跌，我不焦急？』這揭示出一個好牧者的照顧。
我們的態度可能是人人輭弱，我們不輭弱。…保羅在林前九章二十二節說，『向輭弱的人，我就成為輭弱的，為要得輭弱的人。』這意指我們要下到輭弱之人的水準。…這是藉着探訪牧養人的路。保羅也說，『有誰絆跌，我不焦急？』這是對跌倒之人絆跌的原因，憂急且氣憤。這顯示保羅作好牧者，照顧神羣羊的榜樣（李常受文集一九九四至一九九七年第五冊，一五五頁）。
信息選讀
在行傳二十章保羅與以弗所長老的談話中，保羅說他『或在公眾面前，或挨家挨戶』教導他們（20下）。…他在…一切勞苦之外，還挨家挨戶的看望聖徒的家。他這樣作乃是要成全聖徒。凡與他們有益的，他沒有一樣避諱不告訴他們的（20上）；他也把神一切的旨意都告訴他們（27）。使徒保羅所作的，是何等美妙的成全工作！
使徒的說話該滿了同情，常有眼淚。你想作使徒麼？那你就要學習如何流淚。在十九節，保羅說他服事主，凡事謙卑，常常流淚。然後在三十一節，他說他不住的流淚勸戒每一位聖徒。使徒流淚告訴他所牧養親愛的聖徒，一切關於神和祂旨意的事；他不僅公開的說，他也看望聖徒的家（李常受文集一九八八年第四冊，四四一至四四三頁）。
林前十二章的末了啟示，愛是極超越的路（31下）。一個人如何作長老？…一個人如何作同工？…我們如何牧養人？愛是極超越的路。愛是我們申言並教導人極超越的路。為着我們的所是和所作，愛乃是極超越的路。
召會既不是逮捕人的警察局，也不是審判人的法庭，乃是養育信徒的家。作父母的都知道，他們的孩子越壞，就越需要父母的養育。…召會是愛的家，為着養育兒女。召會也是醫院，為着醫治並恢復有病的人。最後，召會也是學校，為着教導並造就尚未學習的人，就是那些沒有多少認識的人。召會既是家、醫院和學校，同工和長老就應當與主是一，在愛裏養育、醫治、恢復並教導人。
然而，有些召會是逮捕罪人的警察局，也是審判這些人的法院。保羅的態度不是這樣。他說，『有誰輭弱，我不輭弱？』（林後十一29上）…誰是沒有罪的？誰是完全的？保羅說，『向輭弱的人，我就成為輭弱的，為要得輭弱的人。』（林前九22）這就是愛。…愛遮蓋人並建造人，所以為着建造基督的身體，在我們的所是所作上，愛乃是極超越的路（李常受文集一九九四至一九九七年第五冊，一七一至一七三頁）。
參讀：關於建造基督身體更進一步的亮光，第二章。
WEEK 1 — DAY 6
Morning Nourishment
Acts 20:28 Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has placed you as overseers to shepherd the church of God…
2 Cor. 12:15 But I, I will most gladly spend and be utterly spent on behalf of your souls…
Phil. 2:17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and I rejoice together with you all.
We need to contact and take care of others, sinners and believers, as the apostle Paul, the top apostle, did in contacting people and taking care of people’s need (2 Cor. 1:23—2:14). In 2 Corinthians 11:28-29 Paul says, “Apart from the things which have not been mentioned, there is this: the crowd of cares pressing upon me daily, the anxious concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is stumbled, and I myself do not burn?” This unveils the care of a proper shepherd.
Our attitude may be that everyone is weak but we are not weak…In 1 Corinthians 9:22 Paul says, “To the weak I became weak that I might gain the weak.” This means that we should come down to the weak one’s level… This is the way to shepherd people by visiting them. Paul also says, “Who is stumbled, and I myself do not burn?” This is to burn in sorrow and indignation over the cause of the stumbling of all the fallen ones. This shows the pattern of Paul as a good shepherd, taking care of God’s flock. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 5, “The Vital Groups,” p. 115)
Today’s Reading
In Paul’s talk with the elders in Ephesus in Acts 20, Paul said that he taught them “publicly and from house to house” (v. 20)…In addition to all his labor, he still visited the homes of the saints, from house to house. He did this to perfect the saints. He did not shrink from declaring to them anything that was profitable (v. 20), declaring to them all the counsel of God (v. 27). What a marvelous perfecting work the apostle Paul did!
An apostle should speak full of sympathy, with tears. Do you want to be an apostle? Then learn how to weep. In Acts 20:19 Paul said that he served the Lord as a slave with all humility and tears. Then in verse 31 he said that he did not cease admonishing each one of the saints with tears. An apostle tells the dear ones under his shepherding everything concerning God and His counsel with tears. He does not only speak publicly, but he also visits the homes of the saints. (CWWL, 1988, vol. 4, “Further Light concerning the Building Up of the Body of Christ,” pp. 358-359)
The end of 1 Corinthians 12 reveals that love is the most excellent way (v. 31b). How can one be an elder?…How can one be a co-worker?…How do we shepherd people? Love is the most excellent way. Love is the most excellent way for us to prophesy and to teach others. Love is the most excellent way for us to be anything or do anything.
The church is not a police station to arrest people or a law court to judge people but a home to raise up the believers. Parents know that the worse their children are, the more they need their raising up…The church is a loving home to raise up the children. The church is also a hospital to heal and to recover the sick ones. Finally, the church is a school to teach and edify the unlearned ones who do not have much understanding. Because the church is a home, a hospital, and a school, the co-workers and elders should be one with the Lord to raise up, to heal, to recover, and to teach others in love.
Some of the churches, however, are police stations to arrest the sinful ones and law courts to judge them. Paul’s attitude was different. He said, “Who is weak, and I am not weak?” (2 Cor. 11:29a)…Who is without sin? Who is perfect? Paul said, “To the weak I became weak that I might gain the weak” (1 Cor. 9:22). That is love…Love covers and builds up, so love is the most excellent way for us to be anything and to do anything for the building up of the Body of Christ. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 5, “The Vital Groups,” pp. 126-127)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1988, vol. 4, “Further Light concerning the Building Up of the Body of Christ,” ch. 2
