The simplicity and clarity of these words I found most helpful,
The Testimony of the Church
A candle that stands alone can easily be blown out by the wind. Even if it is not extinguished by the wind, its light will eventually burn out. If we want to increase and prolong the light, we need to kindle more candles and to continue to do so. Suppose we kindle ten candles, one hundred candles, or even one thousand candles; then the light will continue on. And this is the way it is with the testimony of the church.
It is pitiful that light and testimony cease with some individuals. Whereas the church ought to propagate herself from generation to generation, there are a number of people who have no descendants. May it not be that the testimony of Jesus terminates in some new believers. A candle should burn until it is all burned; likewise, a man’s testimony should continue until his death. If the light of a candle is to be continued, then the candle needs to kindle another candle before it is completely burned. By kindling candle after candle, the light will shine on and on until it covers the whole world. Such is the testimony of the church.
New believers must learn to witness for the Lord; otherwise the gospel will terminate with them. You are already saved; you have life and your light is kindled. But if you do not ignite others before you are all burned up, then you are really finished. You should bring many to the Lord lest you see Him empty-handed.
I have said before that if a believer does not open his mouth and confess the Lord within the first year of his salvation, he probably will never open his mouth all through his life. Today I want to repeat this. If a man does not witness for the Lord during the first flush of his faith, he probably will never witness throughout his life. Unless the Lord grants him great grace or gives him a mighty revival, he most likely will never bear witness for the Lord and bring souls to Christ. What hope is there with young believers if they cannot witness for the Lord and ignite other people when for the first time they receive so great a love, so great a Lord, so great a salvation, and so great an emancipation?
If a new believer does not open his mouth during the first year, he will hardly be able to open his mouth later on. That is why it is our responsibility to instruct each and every new believer to start witnessing during the first or second week of his salvation. We must be firm in this matter. It may be too late if we wait.
Let us continue with the illustration of the candle. When the Son of God came to the earth, He kindled a few candles; later He ignited another candle in Paul. During the two thousand years since then, the church has continued burning on and on with candle after candle. Some candles may ignite tens or hundreds of candles. Though the first candle burns out, the second one continues. Many may even sacrifice their lives to ignite you; we do not expect to see the light terminate in you. We expect all new believers to fulfill their duty of saving souls. Go and witness for the Lord. Bring souls to Christ. Let the testimony shine on the earth unceasingly. (The Good Confession, Lesson Eleven, Witnessing, pp. 55-57, by Watchman Nee).
