Fellowship on the pros and cons of two ways to present testimony and to prophesy

---By Antipas Desai, 2020/11/17

For the following fellowship, I am indebted to brother CK for his rich and repeated fellowship concerning this matter, and his article entitled Fellowship on how to increase the effectiveness of the testimony/prophesying in the section on Gleanings.

Approach 1. point (revelation, inspiration; I suggest one PPT) --> points ... --> line --> lines....--> area --> areas...........-->solid 3-dimension (s) or vision (s)

Prons:

1. The saints can grow gradually and solidly in their subjective experience of the Lord via the Lord's speaking from reading or listening. This normally happens among the sisters.

2. Enhances the receptivity of the listeners in Montreal during Lord's Day meetings, especially those who are sitting in the back (the last four rows, for example). Usually, the receptivity of most listeners (other than the first two rows) is 10% or less.

3. Helps the speaker himself to focus on one or two burdens in his or her speaking.

4. Serves as an example for younger ones to also focus on one burden.

5. Encourages the younger ones and every?saint to believe that they can share one point that touched them. They are not intimidated by the "rich" and "complete" speaking of the relatively more mature ones so they feel that they can never measure up to such a high standard.

Cons:

1. This approach may limit the development of the ministry of the relatively more mature ones. However, it should be mentioned that such an approach is more apt for larger gatherings (such as Lord's Day).

2. Those who pursue the Bible and the Lord to a relatively higher degree may feel that they lack depth and riches with such an approach. They may want something "higher" or "richer." However, these ones are usually in the minority.

3. This approach, using PPT with one point per slide, and pictures, rather than many words per slide, may eventually require more slides which may mean more effort and time put into the presentation.

Approach 2: outline(s) (area or areas) --> lines --> line.....--> points--> point

Prons:

1. This approach may enhance and enrich the constitution and ministry of the pursuing ones, truth wise and knowledge wise. The Lord often provides these pursuing ones with renewed revelations and visions.

2. This approach may satisfy the pursuers who would like to enter into the riches of the word.

3. This approach may work if the speaker is able to speak very well, clearly, slowly, and with much repetition of the burden(s), such as brother Titus, for example.

4. This approach may work if the receivers have a heart to pursue.

5. This approach may be more apt in a smaller setting (small groups, one on one, one to two).

Cons:

1. This approach has a danger to lead the saints to know Christ in knowledge (which is attractive) and not in subjective experience. This happens normally among brothers.

2. To the average listener (most of the saints), such an approach may not be effective. After such a sharing, it may be difficult to retain one point.

3. Even if the listeners can remember one or two points (please note that due to many points the presenter cannot spend much time on each point), it may not be easy for the Lord to speak to them. They may remember one or two points knowledge wise, but not in experience, and perhaps not in their church life experience.

4. Such an approach may frustrate the younger ones from preparing a testimony. The "richness" and "completeness" of the pursuing ones' sharing may have the effect of discouraging others from sharing. They may then feel that they have nothing to share if it does not match such a "high" sharing.

5. This approach may not be effective, especially in a larger setting, where many saints may either be "Sunday goers" or they may not read the Bible much during the week, with companions or in small groups, and thus they may receive hardly anything. Consequently, they may not come back to the church meetings. This has been our experience.

Examples:

  • Concerning the preaching gospel, the brothers normally know how to give messages and sisters are actually doing it laboriously and effectively.

  • Concerning the elevated and refreshed revelations and visions, in the church history the Lord normally provided to pursuing brothers and not many sisters.

Therefore, during your growth in the church life, what approach would you prefer to choose the most often?

What approach would you prefer to choose the most often when you accompany a saint who is young in the church life?