TO START FROM THE FIRST STEP OF THE GOD-ORDAINED WAY–TO GET SINNERS SAVED TO MAKE THEM THE MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST
In order to start our vital group, we need to start from the first step of the God-ordained way—to get sinners saved to make them the members of the Body of Christ. We are going in order to get sinners saved to make them the living, functioning members of the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is practical, present, and for today. God’s eternal economy is to get a Body for Christ, but hardly anyone on this earth is caring for this.
The Lord charged us to go to disciple the nations (Matt. 28:19). We should not excuse ourselves by saying that the nations are too evil and that the current and tide of today’s world are too strong. When we go to the Lord to give Him an account, He will not take any excuses. The Lord needs us today because of the negative situation. He needs us to go and get sinners saved to make them the members of the Body of Christ. We need to be desperate to bear new ones as remaining fruit each year. It is absolutely abnormal to be in the church life year after year without bearing fruit.
We also need to review all our acquaintances and make a list of them. Our acquaintances include our relatives, neighbors, friends, schoolmates, and colleagues.
Then you need to pray over the name list and seek the Lord’s leading concerning who should be the first for you to take care of. If you would pray in this way, the Lord will lead you, and you will have the burden to contact specific people. You need to take every step of the God-ordained way by prayer. You should not do anything without adequate prayer.
You should not limit yourself to your acquaintances. The Lord said to go to disciple the nations, to disciple everyone. So you should keep yourself open to the Lord for His new leading to visit new people other than your acquaintances.(CWWL, 1993, vol. 2, “The Training and Practice of the Vital Groups”, ch. 3, pp. 287-288)
The church in Zamboanga 