Brother JC
When I was growing up, my dad was one who loved the Lord and had given his life to the Lord. I could always say, “Well, I’m close to my dad. He loves the Lord, and he’s going on in the Lord. So I’m good, right? He’s my dad, and he’s probably as close as you can get.” But actually, that’s not the case. Probably all of you have someone that you’re close to—maybe it’s your parents, your uncle, or your grandparents—where you know that one is for the Lord, that one loves the Lord, and has given their life to the Lord.
Or maybe it’s not in your family, but you just know one of the serving ones. You think, “I’m close to this brother. I’m close to this sister. They love the Lord, and I’m close to them. So I must be okay.” Actually, that’s not okay. We can’t be represented by anyone else. No one else can do anything for us in the matter of our relationship with the Lord. This is something very personal. The Lord needs to draw each of us personally. We can’t rely on anyone else. No one can do it for us. We all need to be drawn by the Lord personally.
There’s a very good illustration of this in Jeremiah 17:8. It says we need deep, hidden roots in the Lord. Jeremiah 17:8 says, “He will be like a tree transplanted beside water, which sends out its roots by a stream, and will not be afraid when heat comes, for its leaves remain flourishing. And it will not be anxious in the year of drought, and will not cease to bear fruit.”
So he will be like a tree transplanted beside water, which sends out its roots by the stream. When you have a tree, first you see what’s above the soil—that’s the visible part. In our Christian life, that’s what others can see. That means others can see your going on. That’s our corporate church life, what others see when we are going on in the Lord. For example, I can see Brother Paul loves the Lord and is pursuing the Lord because I see him in the meetings, I see him enjoying. That’s expression—something visible. But there’s also what’s below the soil. That’s hidden. That’s not something anyone else can see. And that’s what we need individually. That’s between me and the Lord. No one else sees it.
In this illustration from Jeremiah 17, there’s the water, the stream, and the tree by the stream. The verse says, “It will not be afraid when heat comes.” Is it describing a cool, breezy day? No. It’s a scorching, hot day—just like the ones we’ve been having. The verse says it will not be afraid when heat comes. That means suffering and hardships. We all go through hardships. But the tree receives supply and refreshing through its roots. So there need to be deep roots. And the verse goes on, “And it will not be anxious in the year of drought, and will not cease to bear fruit.” Even in a prolonged season of dryness, a tree with deep roots can still flourish and bear fruit. That’s the picture of what our Christian life should be.
How do we have roots in the Lord? It’s simple. It’s you opening and talking to the Lord. Maybe you’re walking, biking, or riding with your parents to school. Surely there are a few minutes where you can just open to the Lord. Tell Him how you’re feeling. Tell Him how your morning has been. Tell Him your hopes for the day. If your parents are driving, it doesn’t have to be audible—it’s between you and the Lord. Throughout the day, maybe you just call on the Lord silently: “Lord Jesus.” Maybe something upset you and you’re not doing too well. Just call on the Lord. No one else has to see. No one else has to hear. Sometimes it can be as short as a sigh: “O Lord.” That’s still a root growing deeper.
If you have time, means, and the heart, even take some time apart to contact the Lord in His Word. Pray over the Word. Spend time with Him. Each time you open to the Lord, your roots grow deeper. Don’t think it’s a small thing. Every time you contact Him, your roots are growing deeper. If a tree’s roots are shallow, when a storm comes, it may fall. Sometimes we’re in situations where our faith is shaken. But if we have deep roots in the Lord, we will remain standing.
I’ll share personally: when I was younger, my parents came into the church life together. But soon after, my mom left the church life. I was back and forth, sometimes with my mom, sometimes with my dad. That situation was like scorching sun. But I had learned at a young age to touch the Lord and to spend time in His Word. That grew some roots in me. So we need the deep roots. Later, when other tests came, it was those early roots that held me.
Now, skipping down to point C: our Christian life and relationship with the Lord is in faith. Maybe we can all read this phrase together: In faith. Once more: In faith. Hebrews 11 says, “Faith is the substantiation of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Christ is our hope. We don’t see Him physically, yet faith substantiates Him to us. Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God.” So our faith is not of ourselves, but of the Son of God. Faith has been allotted to us. We need faith to experience the Lord, to have deep roots, to go on in the church life.
We need to maintain our faith in two ways:
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By being under the hearing of faith.
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By taking care of our conscience.
Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes out of hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” When we are in the Word, faith is imparted into us. When we are in the meetings, faith is imparted into us. But when we neglect the Word or the meetings, doubts can come. I’ve experienced this myself. Sometimes a little thought comes: “Is this real? Is the Lord real?” Usually, that’s when I wasn’t under the hearing of faith. That’s why the meetings are so crucial—faith is infused into us when we hear the Word together.
We also need to take care of our conscience. 1 Timothy 1:19 says, “Holding faith and a good conscience, concerning which some, thrusting these away, have become shipwrecked regarding the faith.” Faith has been allotted to us, but it can be shipwrecked. If the Lord touches us concerning sin or offense, we need to confess and clear it. Otherwise, our faith can be shipwrecked, like leaking away. Think of a ship that runs aground and breaks open—the cargo is lost. We don’t want that to happen to our faith.
Brother PJ
Now let me ask: How is your family life? Not just your individual relationship with the Lord, but your life in the family of God. The church is the household of God into which we’ve been born through regeneration. But in our human family lives, maybe some of you come home and don’t even talk to your parents. You go upstairs, close your door, and do your own thing. Or maybe you do that because your parents are always arguing. Maybe there’s constant yelling. Maybe your dad is gone all the time. Or maybe when he’s there, he yells at everybody. Maybe your mom is too busy or distracted. Many situations create an environment where the family life is not healthy. Some of you may feel you’d rather not be home at all—you’d rather be with your friends. That’s real.
Even in society, the family is the foundational unit. If the family unit breaks down, society eventually falls apart. In the same way, in the church life, your spiritual family is the basis and foundation of your Christian life. There’s no way you can make it as a believer if you’re just by yourself. In God’s family, the problem is not with the Father—God is perfect. The issue is with our relationship to our family, our consideration of our family.
The church is the very household of God into which we’ve been born through regeneration. John 1:12 says, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God.” You are really a child of God. God is your Father. You have His DNA. He loves you more than anything else.
Ephesians 2:19 says, “You are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Do you consider the church your home, your household? This is your family. God is our Father, and we are all brothers and sisters. Let’s say this together: “God is my real Father.” Now, turn to the one next to you. If it’s a brother, say, “You are my brother.” If it’s a sister, say, “You are my sister.” Now turn to the other side and say, “And I really mean it.”
I’ll share another personal story. When I was eight, my father passed away. Then, when I was twelve, my mother also passed away. I had no family left. But I was in the church in L.A., and there were young brothers who would call me and invite me. Once I broke my leg, and one brother came almost every day to visit me. He taught me how to play chess, and we would just sit and play together. He became my real brother. I do have a flesh brother, but I don’t even know where he is today. Years later, I met that same brother in Russia while serving, and my heart just leapt. “Brother, you’re still here!” We hugged, because he was my family.
There were also sisters who cared for me. I was trying to be a “cool” young brother, so I didn’t want to hang out with the older sisters. But one older sister kept inviting me to lunch. I said no many times—maybe twelve or thirteen times. Finally, just to get her to stop, I said yes. And when I went, I realized it was a whole group of young brothers and sisters. I had such a good time. I didn’t expect it. I thought it was going to be another meeting, but it was just a family. They were my brothers and sisters. That’s how the church became real to me—not just in word, but in reality.
Another story: my daughter was in college, living with some girls she considered her close friends. She expressed some thoughts that were more conservative, according to the Lord. Her friends didn’t agree and turned against her. They started posting things about her online. She was devastated and called me sobbing, “Dad, I thought they were my friends. Look what they’re saying about me.” All I could tell her was, “The sisters in the church would never do this to you. Because the sisters are your real family.” Friends may turn away, but family never does. And the Spirit makes us family in a way stronger than even blood ties.
Even one more example: a young brother once hit a coyote while driving in another state. His father called the saints for help. A brother he had never even met drove out at one in the morning to pick him up and take care of him. That brother became his family from that day on. This is God’s family.
In this family, no member is superfluous. That means no one is unnecessary. You might think, “I’m just a ninth or tenth grader. They don’t need me.” But every member is needed. Even the smallest member, like a pinky finger, has a function. In God’s family, we function by praying, singing, speaking, and declaring. If you don’t function, the family suffers. If you don’t pray, even the Father suffers, because He’s waiting for you to pray.
Sometimes in young people’s meetings, I’ve seen almost all the singing done by the serving ones or trainees, while many young people just keep their heads down, not singing, or quietly scrolling on their phones. Some sit in the back with their hoodies up, looking disengaged. Some whisper to each other or doodle in their notebooks, just passing time. But this is not how family works. In a family, everyone has a part, everyone has a voice, and everyone matters. If only a few are singing or praying, it’s like only a few family members are talking while the rest stay silent and disconnected. That is not a healthy family atmosphere. This is your family. You need to function! Lift up your head, open your mouth, and join in. Pray audibly. Sing with your heart. Declare the truth. Speak something short, even a verse or a sentence of praise. When you participate, you supply life to others, and you yourself are supplied. But if you stay silent, if you keep your head down or remain distracted, the whole family loses something precious that only you could have contributed.
We also need to realize that the homes are the foundation and base of the church. The real building up of the church is in the homes. The ministry says the church life should be 80% in the homes and 20% in the big meetings. In the homes we are cherished, nourished, preserved, and built together. In the homes we can ask questions, fellowship, and grow together. This is what keeps young people in the church life. I can testify, the homes preserved me when I was young.
So, young people, get into the homes. Go with the saints. Go with the trainees. Get to know the families. Invite yourself, even, and say, “Take me with you.” No one will say no to a young person. This is how you build up real relationships in God’s family. And then you will be able to say, “This is my family. This is my home.”
Finally, in a household every member learns responsibility. Young people should be trained from their youth to serve—not just outward tasks, but in life and in coordination. In the church, even a simple service like arranging chairs can be a time to pray, to coordinate, to be built together. Serving is part of family life. And when you learn to serve in the small things, the Lord can entrust you with bigger things.
So to summarize:
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In God’s household, we function with our portion in the Body.
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We grow and are nourished in the atmosphere of the homes.
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We serve with responsibility in the church as God’s house.
If you want the church to be your home, your household, and the place where you can say, “This is my home. There is a place for me here,” then practice these things. Your personal experience with the Lord will feed your corporate experience, and your corporate experience will feed your personal experience. Then both will flourish—you individually, and the church corporately.
