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Scripture Reading: Eph. 2:21-22; 1 Cor. 14:4-5, 12
In this chapter we will discuss God’s building in a more specific way. We have repeatedly stated that God’s building is the building of God Himself into man and man into Himself. Here, however, we need to pay attention to one thing. God does not want only to build Himself into individual Christians or just to build individual Christians into Himself; rather, God’s desire is to build Himself into us as a corporate entity and to build us corporately into Himself. In addition, God intends to build all Christians together. Hence, in His building work God not only builds us together with Himself but also builds all of us together with each other.
The Scriptures clearly show that the universal building of God is a great man, a universal man. The Head of this universal man is God Himself, and the Body is composed of all the redeemed ones built up together. This is why the Bible says that the church is the Body of Christ and that Christ is the Head of the church (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18). Christ and the church added together, joined together, are a complete man. The entire New Testament speaks concerning this universal man, portraying how God in His Son is the mysterious Head, how all the redeemed ones built up by Him in the Holy Spirit become the mysterious Body, and how the two are built together to be the mysterious, great man in the universe.
This universal man not only speaks forth the relationship between God and us, the saved ones; it also shows the relationship we have with one another. As members of the Body, we are mutually coordinated and built together. Not only is every member built together with the Head, but all the members are built together with each other also. Therefore, the Bible says that we are the Body of Christ, and members individually (1 Cor. 12:27). This being the case, we cannot be alone; we have to be together. Consider the members of our physical body. None of them is alone, and none of them can be alone. Rather, each one has to be joined to the other members. Likewise, as Christians we cannot be alone; we need to be joined to other Christians. Please remember that being joined together equals being in coordination, which is what we refer to as the building.
The Scriptures also say that the church is the house being built up by God and that we are the stones used in this building (1 Pet. 2:5). Just as a house is built with many stones, so the church as a spiritual building is also built with all of us as many living stones. Therefore, this building includes not only our being joined with God but also our being joined and coordinated with one another.
Hence, in speaking of the church, the Bible always shows that God’s building is not only to build each one of us individually with God but also to build all the saints together. In order to be in God’s building, we must be built together with all the saints.
From our experience as saved ones, we can realize that we can be independent if we are any kind of person other than a Christian. No one can be an independent Christian. I have met some brothers and sisters who tried to be Christians by themselves and live alone before God because they were dissatisfied with the church and the other saints in their locality. Their attempts, however, always ended in complete failure. Someone once said to me, “Brother Lee, I feel it is meaningless to have fellowship with the brothers and sisters here; their condition is so pitiful. In addition, the meetings here are so miserable. I cannot get any benefit from the meetings; instead, the situation often makes my heart very sad and sometimes even causes me to despise and condemn the saints. So I feel perhaps it is better not to go to the meetings. It might be better for me to draw near to God and pray before Him alone by myself.” This may sound very reasonable, but anyone who tries it eventually will discover the fact that the result of being independent is failure.
Brothers and sisters, we need to see that we cannot be Christians independently. No matter how weak and how poor the spiritual condition of the brothers and sisters in your locality is, if you leave them, you will end up weaker and poorer than they are. In fact, you will be in utter destitution. When that day comes, you will realize that even the most miserable meeting is beneficial to you, and even the weakest and poorest brother or sister is helpful to you. You will discover that you cannot go on without the brother or sister whom you consider to be utterly useless. If you leave a brother or a sister whom you consider to be good for nothing, one day you will realize that it is you, not that brother or sister, who are good for nothing.
It is indeed a marvelous thing that the weakest meeting is still helpful to people and that a meeting that has the least to give still has something to give to people. In such a meeting you may not feel that you have received anything, but in fact you still have received something. Please remember that this is simply because Christians cannot be independent. God is not only in you but also in me and in all the other brothers. He is in all His people. You cannot be independent. Once you become independent, you lose the presence of God.
Take my hand as an example. If my hand becomes independent, it will immediately lose the presence and the supply of my body. My hand is protected, supplied, and supported because it is joined to my body. Whenever my hand is detached from my body, it cannot function because it has lost its supply, its protection, and its support. Therefore, while my hand is joined to my body, it seems that my hand is responsible for whatever it does, but actually it is my body that is responsible for whatever my hand does.
How I wish that the responsible brothers and the brothers and sisters who are co-workers in all the localities would know and appreciate the support and supply of the Body. The elders should consider what it would be like if there were only a few elders and no other brothers and sisters in the church. Would you still be able to manage the church’s affairs? From this you can see that it is not you who are able to manage, but it is the saints who support you in your management. Likewise, the brothers and sisters who are co-workers are able to work in a certain place because there are brothers and sisters there who hold them up and support them in their work. Apart from this support they cannot do anything. It is because of this that I too can stand here and give a message. I always offer thanks to the Lord for this matter, saying, “Lord, I praise and thank You; if it were not for so many brothers and sisters supporting me, I would be dumb and would not be able to speak much.” Please remember that this is the principle of the Body. In the Body all the members support each other, and no one can be without others.
Let us use our legs as an example. Are our legs supporting us, or are we supporting our legs? This is hard to say. Apparently our legs bear all the weight of our body, yet little do we realize that our whole body also bears our legs. No doubt, after standing for a prolonged period of time our legs will be tired, but when we rest, is it only our legs that are resting? No. Our whole body needs to rest because our whole being is tired. This shows that when we are standing, seemingly it is our legs that are bearing our body, but actually it is our body that is supporting our legs and supplying them with the strength to bear our body.
I mention all these things in order to show you that the real building is not only a matter between you and God but also a matter between you and all the saints. You should be built not only with God but also with all the saints. One thing is certain — the more a Christian is built and joined with others, the stronger he is. The more he is separated and secluded from others, the weaker he is. Sometimes in the church certain brothers and sisters are just like drops of oil. They seem to be in the water, but actually they are only floating on the water, without being one with the water. They are in seclusion, in isolation. Please believe me, such a brother or sister will be very weak. On the other hand, there are also brothers and sisters who are always joined, coordinated, and built together with other saints. Such ones surely will be strong.
One of the crucial truths in the Scriptures is the building of the church. In the New Testament building is a very important word. Regrettably, in many instances in the Chinese translation of the Bible, the word build is rendered as edify. We should know that there is a great difference between edification and building. We may say that building includes edification, but edification may not be building. Let us use a pile of stones as an illustration. Before we can use them to build a house, we have to process them one by one. We have to knock off all the unnecessary corners and make the uneven spots smooth. Only when this is done can they be built together. This processing work on the stones is edification. Therefore, edification is for building and building includes edification.
However, there is a kind of edification that involves only edification. For instance, if a craftsman takes a rough piece of jade and works on it, carving it into a beautiful little monkey or a little horse for people to admire, this is mere edification, not building. I am afraid that for years many brothers and sisters have received only edification and not building. I am also afraid that for all these years the co-workers in all the localities have been just like craftsmen carving jade. All they have produced are some beautiful brothers and sisters for people to admire. One of these co-workers might say, “Oh, before I came to work here, these brothers and sisters did not read the Bible. They did not have spiritual fellowship with God, and even the more they did not know what it meant to be dealt with. They all had big tempers and a lot of other problems. But after being edified by me for a period of time, they are now reading the Bible, they know how to fellowship with the Lord, and they are learning to be dealt with. Oh, look at their condition now. How beautiful they are! How worthy to be praised and admired!” We must remember, however, that merely to make someone beautiful through edification does not necessarily make him useful. Little sculptured monkeys and horses surely look beautiful and are admirable, but they are altogether useless for building a house.
Once when I was in a certain place, the brothers there spoke highly about two persons among them, saying that these two persons loved the Lord so much and were very spiritual. Initially, I was not clear about their real situation since that was my first time there. After observing them a little bit during the few days that I stayed there, I felt that the condition of that brother and that sister was genuinely good and admirable. But at the same time I also felt that they were not built into the church. When you contacted them, you had the sense that they were isolated, exceptional, and that they had the flavor of being above everybody else. They loved the brothers and sisters, but they were not connected to any of them. They lived alone before God and had very little fellowship with others. They thought that this was to follow the Lord in loneliness. They even felt that their situation was just like the situation of the Lord Jesus when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane and no one was able to watch with Him in prayer. From this you can see that the spiritual condition of these two saints was questionable. Seemingly, they were very spiritual and very beautiful, but actually, they were useless in the church. Later, I said to the brothers in a humorous way, “Indeed, you have two very beautiful saints here. I feel, however, that it is a mistake for them to be here. They should be sent to the museum for people to appreciate.”
Brothers and sisters, we need to see that joining ourselves only to the Lord is not enough. That kind of joining is off-center and unbalanced. We also need to be joined to our brothers and sisters. Regardless of how spiritual you may be, you still need to coordinate together with the brothers and sisters in your locality. You need to pray with the weak ones and fellowship with the young ones. Moreover, you need to speak the same things that they speak. You need to approach and support even those who have fallen or backslidden. Only when you are joined to others can you really be spiritual, strong, and useful.
In a local church, which is part of the building of God, we are not concerned that the stones are uncomely but that they are unwilling to be built together. No matter how beautiful a stone is, it is useless unless it has been built. The local churches need the building. When a stone is built into a house, there is a stone pressing it from above, a stone supporting it from below, stones crowding it on two sides, and a stone connected to it from behind and attached to it in the front. In other words, there are stones above it, below it, and all around it — on the left, on the right, in front, and in back. These stones may not be so beautiful, but they are firmly joined together to become an inhabitable building. These stones would be worthless if they were sent to a museum, but when they are placed in the house, every one of them is indispensable and useful.
We need to see clearly that God does not care for mere edification; He cares only for building. God does not want some individual materials that look good; He wants a house. God’s intention is not to edify Christians individually to be an exhibition for people’s appreciation; rather, His intention is to build many Christians together into a spiritual house to be the mutual dwelling place of God and man in which God and man can have rest.
Therefore, Ephesians 4 says that, having ascended, the Lord gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as shepherds and teachers for the building up of the Body of Christ (vv. 8, 11-12). First Corinthians 14:12 says, “Since you are zealous of spirits, seek that you may excel for the building up of the church.” Some versions translate spirits into spiritual gifts. This also shows that the Spirit gives gifts to people in the church, not for edifying the believers so that each one of them would look beautiful but for building the scattered believers together. Paul also says that as God’s fellow workers, we are building God’s house (3:9-10). Thus, we see Paul’s work was also a work of building.
Regrettably, today too few have seen that God wants to do this kind of work, and even fewer allow God to do this kind of work in them. In many places you can see many Christian groups with a good number of Christians, some of whom are spiritual and zealous. Yet you can hardly see a church that has been built up. Everywhere you can see many materials scattered or piled up, but you cannot see a built up building. In almost all of today’s Christianity there is not one stone upon another stone (cf. Matt. 24:2).
We all must admit that God is not satisfied with today’s condition of Christianity. The condition of God’s children in every place altogether falls short of God’s desire. What God wants today is a house, not a pile of material. Just as it is unacceptable for material that is broken, old, and uncomely merely to be in a pile, it is also unacceptable for material that is nicely carved and properly dealt with to be in a pile without being built. God wants a church that has been built up, not just some individual spiritual people. Hence, God’s work today is building, not edification. And any edification that we may receive is not merely to make us individually spiritual; rather, it is to make us suitable for coordination and to enable us to be built together with others. If we see this, our concept will be radically changed. We will no longer pursue merely to be individually spiritual; instead, we will seek to be coordinated and built together with all the saints. I believe that the Holy Spirit will work to enable the brothers and sisters to see this vision more and more clearly.
In order for the church to be built up, we have to touch the matter of being broken. If we want to be built together, we all have to be broken. If there is no breaking, there is no building. You and I can be built together only after you and I both have been broken a little. Consider a person who grows trees. When he grafts two trees together, first he has to cut both branches a little. Then he joins them together, binds them up, and after a while the two trees grow together. If they are not cut, then even if you bind them together firmly, still they will not be able to grow together. Another example is the building of a house. For the most part, all the wood that is to be used has to be cut, sawed, planed, and trimmed before it can be nailed and connected together. Likewise, in the building of the church, every natural thing in us must be broken before we can be joined with others. Everything natural in us, whether it is our ability, our discernment, or our zeal, is unsuitable to be used for the building. We can be built only after we have been broken in our natural being.
Once I went to a certain locality, and one of the brothers there told me, “Brother Lee, I really thank and praise the Lord that there are two brothers here who are very capable. They are very clear in their minds, and they do things with great insight. They are truly promising.” Whenever I hear words like this, I am usually very concerned in my heart. Sure enough, after half a year to a year, when I revisited that locality again, the brother who had previously spoken to me had changed his tone. He said, “Alas, Brother Lee, our situation here is very difficult. Did I not tell you last time that we have two brothers here who are very capable? Well, now these two have become a problem among us. They really are smart and capable, but they simply despise others and cannot be one with anyone else.”
Once a brother told me, “Oh, Brother Lee, thank and praise the Lord. Recently, the Lord has raised up among us a brother who is very faithful in material offerings. Now we have no lack at all.” When I heard this, I was also very concerned, and sure enough, after a year or so news came saying that in that local church that brother was the greatest problem. It is true that he offered a lot financially, but when he came, his opinions also came. When his money came, his concepts also came. Because of him the church suffered very much.
Brothers and sisters, there are many stories of this kind. In all these examples, all the difficulties are due to the fact that the saints are not broken. If our natural being remains unbroken, we will be full of opinions and ideas and will have a strong self. These things will tear down instead of build up the church.
Hence, the requirement for building is to be broken. To be built together with all the brothers and sisters in the church, you need to be broken. Even your spiritual and good points must be broken. Are you a person who prays constantly? You need to be broken even in the matter of praying. Are you a person who reads the Word diligently? You need to be broken even in your reading of the Scriptures. Are you a person who emphasizes fellowship with the Lord? You need to be broken even in this matter of fellowshipping with the Lord. Do you stress over the matter of the dealing of the cross? You need to be broken even in this matter. I am afraid that some may promote being broken by the cross, yet they themselves are harder than anyone else. Do you promote preaching the gospel? This also has to be broken. All these spiritual things, let alone other things, have to be broken. Therefore, your opinion, your concept, your capability, your eloquence, and even your love for the Lord and your material offering all need to be broken. Only when you are broken can you be coordinated and built together with others.
In actuality, the problems in the church are not with the indifferent ones but with the zealous ones, not with the backsliding ones but with the seeking ones, and not with the nonoffering ones but with the offering ones. The problems in the church arise not from the nongifted ones but from the gifted ones and not from the incompetent speakers but from the competent preachers. If those who are zealous, seeking, loving the Lord, offering financial contributions, capable, and able to preach the gospel have not been dealt with and broken, then the more of these kinds of people there are, the more we will have problems in the church. These are the very ones who damage the church. These are the very ones who cause the church to greatly suffer. These are the very ones who bring in death. These are also the very ones who cause the church to lose the blessing.
Sometimes in a local church two brothers are able speakers, and their preaching is appealing. Since they have never been dealt with or built up, however, they use the platform to fight with each other. One brother gives a message today to attack the other brother, and the next day the other brother gives a message to fight back. They may be good speakers, but they tear down the church. Formerly, before these two brothers came along, the church did not have any good speakers. Yet the Lord’s blessing and presence were there. Now, due to the two brothers’ ability to preach, the church has become desolate, and the presence of the Lord has been lost.
May the Lord have mercy on us so that we may see how serious this matter is! May the Lord make us willing to learn to be severely broken in everything, including our zeal, eloquence, ability, and material offering. You will see that today if there is any operation of God in you, it is to lead you to receive His breaking. Even all the leading the Lord gives you in your environment is for you to be broken. Only when you are broken can you be built together with other saints. Where the building is, there the blessing of God will be. Where the building is, there will the house of God be. In this house both God and man can rest.
