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Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 3:9, 16
Prayer: Lord, how we treasure this time. How we thank You for the fellowship in the Spirit. We first trust in Your cleansing blood. We worship You for Your cleansing blood. Lord, we thank You for Your recovery, and we thank You for Your revelation among us. We can never thank You enough for all the mercies and grace You have shown us. We trust in You for the fellowship tonight. O Lord, open up Your heart. Open up Your Word. Open the heavens, and open us. We would like to have a thorough fellowship, a fellowship full of light, transparent. Lord, give us the freedom. Anoint us. Give us the clear anointing with the holy anointing oil. Thank You, Lord. Thank You, You are now the Spirit. We look unto You not only for ourselves but for all the churches and for all the leading ones in the churches. We pray desperately that they all may see Your vision, that they all may see Your heart, that they all may see the desires in Your heart. Speak a clear word to us tonight that we all may be brought in, into Your desire, into Your move today. Lord, do cover us. We are fighting. You know the battle. Defeat Your enemy, and destroy the power of darkness. Lord, we would reject him in Your mighty name. Satan has to be condemned. He has to be under our feet. Cast him under our feet. This is the day for You to do this. Release Your truth. Release Your recovery. Release Your Word. Amen.
When the Lord’s recovery came to this country, I had a strong burden as to what I should do, and I did according to the Lord’s leading. I had no liberty from Him to speak on other subjects. From the beginning I have always been in the Lord’s central lane, His focus for His economy. The Lord’s recovery among us is absolutely different from any kind of reformation. We are not here for a recovery of any doctrine or any practice. Because of this, in the twenty years that I have been here with you all, I have given messages only on the central lane, on the focus.
Because of my observation, I have become really burdened for some of the churches. It seems that some of you do not have the clear vision about this. You may be satisfied just to have a church raised up. There is a danger ahead. If the elders lack a clear vision as to what the Lord is doing—and this vision must be very strong—we are doing things in vain.
I strongly stressed this need when I gave the messages on The World Situation and God’s Move. In those messages I pointed out very clearly that it is not enough to have the best gospel preaching, the best exposition of the Bible, and the most scriptural way of meeting. These three things are respected by all Christians. They are what the Brethren practice. In their early days, as their writings at Darby’s time indicate, the Brethren were clear about something higher and deeper than these three things. But by the time I got into the Brethren assembly, there were only these three things.
I can recall when I was with them. They did not even stress gospel preaching that much. Mainly they emphasized Bible teaching, the exposition of the types and practices, and the teaching of the different books. It was a help to me. They also insisted that everything, every little thing, be according to the Bible. Why did they not celebrate Christmas? It was not according to the Bible. The same with the Chinese New Year. The Brethren assembly in my hometown did not celebrate any holiday, including even the Chinese New Year. It seemed very strange.
But I can recall also that there was no center, no focus. They never spoke of Christ as God’s mystery or how He was processed to be the Spirit. They had no idea of it. Nor did they have any idea about life. Even regeneration they could not define. I asked them to tell me; they had no proper definition. As for the church as an organism to be the Lord’s Body, this also was never mentioned. That they did not speak of the church ground, there is no need to say.
Now I come to us. From what I have seen in going out to look at the situation and from what I have heard in fellowship from others, I have wondered if maybe the best we have is just like the Brethren assembly. Probably compared to a proper Brethren assembly, some local churches are inferior. We are loose. We act in a loose way under the cloak of liberty. “Brother Lee told us that we are against religion. We must not be bound by religion.” It is wonderful not to be religious. But what, positively speaking, do we want to be? Brothers, I believe you understand me when I say that at best we are like Brethren assemblies. There is no need to say that some churches are even inferior to them. This troubles me. It burdens me.
I was checked by the Lord and even by myself. What are you doing here? Is it just to see that churches are raised up? What kind of churches? Apart from the general attendants at the church meetings, do even the leading ones have a clear vision to direct and protect them, to safeguard them from distraction?
Last week I spent a long time praying over all the points of the messages I have given these past twenty years. I prayed about them in order to check. The more I prayed, the more I felt confirmed. I tell you, I have the full assurance that what I have been sharing is what is on the Lord’s heart. However strong the opposition is against me, I believe the Lord has told me that this is what He wants and that I must let the saints and the brothers know that if they do not have this, they are not in the recovery.
God’s center in His economy has been revealed and written in the Scriptures for close to two thousand years. Through all these centuries quite a few books have been published to unfold this mystery. Yet very few of even the lovers, the seekers, of the Lord have really seen this and lived a life for this. It is hard to find Christians who are really in this focus.
The churches in the United States have been in existence for quite some time. Most were not raised up recently. Of those of you who are here with me now, I would say that over ninety percent of you have been in the Lord’s recovery over ten years. As far as the actual and practical church life is concerned, I am burdened that there is not much evidence that the churches are such a testimony to God’s economy. I do not mean that in every meeting we talk only about the central lane, the focus, God’s economy. But I mean that we have a church life that is a testimony to what Paul calls the mystery of the faith.
Brothers, I would ask you humbly, look around at our present situation. What was there in 1982? Do you not realize that there are signs indicating we have somewhat missed the focus? There were gospel preaching, exposition of the Bible (even though using the Life-study messages), and meeting according to the Scriptures. But have we—I speak from the depths of my being; I change the word we to you, singular you—have you really seen a vision of God’s eternal purpose, a vision of God’s economy, of what God wants?
I have been fighting for Christ being the Spirit and for the Triune God being not for doctrine but for experience. Some of you may think, “Oh, this is Brother Lee’s thought. He always speaks on this.” No. I do not do this from habit. If I were only a Bible teacher, I have sixty-six books from which to teach. But the Lord has shown me that this would not be of His desire. He does not want me to do that.
In Revelation the churches are called lampstands. The lampstands represent the Triune God with the Father as the nature, the Son as the embodiment, and the Spirit as the expression. This is the church: the Father’s nature plus the Son’s embodiment plus the Spirit’s expression, and this should be the very essence of the church’s shining.
What is the light that the church shines forth? What is the testimony that shines out from the church? It must be the Triune God. I do not say that in every meeting this is the subject. But whatever we fellowship about, whatever we minister, there must be such a testimony. In everything we do—gospel preaching, Bible teaching, visiting the saints, and even visiting new ones not yet saved—we must bear a clear, evident, strong testimony of a lampstand constituted of the Father’s nature, the Son’s embodiment, and the Spirit’s expression. What do we express in our gospel preaching? What do we express in our love feasts? What do we express in our conversation in our daily Christian life? We must bear such a testimony in every aspect of the church life and of our daily life, including the family life.
To bear such a testimony is to hold the mystery of the faith. Mystery here does not denote a doctrine; even the word faith does not mean doctrine here. As you know, the faith is the reality of the content of the New Testament economy of God in which we believe. Our belief is not in doctrines but in such a reality. Of this faith, which is the content of God’s New Testament economy, there is a mystery. In using this word mystery, Paul refers first to Christ as the mystery of God (Col. 2:2) and second to the church as the mystery of Christ (Eph. 3:4-6). According to the context of 1 Timothy 3:9, the mystery of the faith should also include the church life (cf. v. 16). Why? Because the church life is constituted of God in Christ and of Christ as the life-giving Spirit. This corresponds to the constitution of the lampstand. As the lampstand is constituted of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, so the church also is constituted of the Divine Trinity.
The church life is not something organized. It is not even something composed. It is a living organism constituted of the living God in His Divine Trinity—the Father’s nature, the Son’s embodiment, and the Spirit’s expression. This is not only the church; it is also the church life, the church’s living. Thus, it is a golden lampstand shining out the testimony of the Triune God.
I surely hope, brothers, that we all will be desperate. “Lord, have mercy upon me. Show me where I am. Am I in this kind of living? In my participation in the eldership, in the leadership, do I bear such a testimony? How about my participation in the care of the church—do I have such a realization?” As we pray in this way, we may sense that our testimony is dim, vague, weak. We may bear a testimony, but it may not be that excellent.
Do not check anyone else. Just check yourself. How much is my daily life, my service to the Lord, my worship to God, my care of the church, and my fellowship with all the saints in this realization? Am I in such a reality that, even if I talk with the saints about ordinary things, I bear a striking sign that my being, my person, my life, my living, is all in this focus of God’s economy? When I preach the gospel, do I preach it in this focus? When I open up the Bible to teach, do I do it in this focus? When I go to shepherd an older one or a younger one, a new one or sick one, a weak one or a backsliding one, is my shepherding in this focus?
How about our meetings? We like them to be living, yet we still have to check. Just because many are functioning, does that make the meeting living? Of course it is living in some way, but is that livingness the expression of the golden lampstand? Is it in the focus of God’s economy? A meeting might seem high, but in what is it high? Is it high in the Lord’s focus?
Christianity has been on this earth for close to twenty centuries. They have many practices, many works. What do they bear as a testimony? Do they have the real focus of God’s economy as a testimony? They have many different kinds of practices, all with their special atmosphere and particular emphasis. But do you think there is any place among them with a group of Christians bearing a testimony that corresponds to the mystery of the faith?
What shall we say about the meetings of the churches in the Lord’s recovery? When people come to our meetings, what is there for them to be impressed with? I am concerned that our meetings may not have the testimony of the very shining of the lampstand. This troubles me. Without such a reality in our church meetings, brothers, what we are practicing is vanity. There are enough Christian practices. There is no need for another one. Nor is there any need for another Christian work. These things have been on the earth for centuries, yet the Lord still has no way to come back. There is no need to say the Lord is not satisfied; I do not think any one of us is satisfied. According to what the Lord has shown us in these years, the situation among Christians today is far off.
We may not be off, but we are still quite far from the standard of the Lord’s testimony. Perhaps we are on the way, but I do not know where we are. Are we halfway or a third or a fourth of the way? I do not have the confidence that when I go to a church meeting, there will be the focus of the Lord’s central lane, of God’s economy.
Why am I so burdened? Let us trace a little of our history. The recovery in the United States began in Los Angeles in 1962. For ten years, from 1962 to 1972, I had very little concern. My only burden was to keep pressing on. This burden was with me from the first conference in the winter of 1963 on the all-inclusive Christ. During those ten years nothing happened that was a cause of concern to me. Some things did happen, but I was not troubled. Then the migrations began in 1970. In the two years from 1970 to 1972 the migrations did bring in much blessing. The number increased, I believe more than doubled, within those two years.
Then we became careless, or, more accurately, distracted. We were distracted from what the Lord had shown us, and we turned our attention to the increase. From 1972 there was a tendency to promote numbers, to be occupied with getting the proper place and the proper people. That opened the door for some things to creep in to damage the Lord’s recovery.
From 1973 for at least five years we were in a somewhat drugged situation, even though the ministry never deviated from the central lane. To some the focus was lost; the central lane was left. There was talk, for instance, about what kind of meetings to have. In such talk there was little concern about how to have the focus of God’s economy.
The Lord was sovereign, however. In due time He cleared up the situation. Then I began to say that we must turn our attention away from the increase and come back to the central lane, the lane of life, the lane of God’s focus.
Now that this distraction is apparently over, the churches seem to be doing quite well, to be going on steadily. From my observation, however, I would say that their attention is not fully centered on the focus. Some places are centered on good meetings; others, on the proper increase. By proper increase I do not mean the kind that was promoted from 1973 to 1978; I mean the proper increase. Some churches are endeavoring to build up their kind of church in their locality, with a bigger number, with more vitality. Because they realize they cannot do that much, they invite me and others as well, to go and help.
Brothers, even if you visit five or ten churches, I doubt you will find one whose church life is really centered on the focus of God’s economy. I do not like to disappoint you and be unappreciative of all your good points, while pointing out your shortcomings. I do not like to do that, but my burden is to tell you frankly and honestly that the actual condition of the churches is not that encouraging. Whether you feel encouraged or not depends upon your point of view. This is why I say we must pray desperately that we may see the Lord’s real testimony today, His real recovery, His real move. Once you have seen this, you will have the right point of view. Then you will not be satisfied with the condition of the churches, because it is hard to find one that is centered on God’s focus.
We must look to the Lord that we may concentrate everything—our time, our energy, our physical, material things—on this one thing, that is, the testimony of the Triune God. We need more prayer, more fellowship, more meetings. We are here only for this. Of course, we have to do something to make a living. That is a necessity. But apart from having a job to make a living, we have no necessity. We are not for a good living, pleasure, or enjoyment on this earth. We are here only for the Lord’s recovery of His testimony. We are not merely for good meetings, high meetings, living meetings. We are not merely for good Bible teaching. Nor are we merely for good gospel preaching. We are for a living testimony.
Do not use the excuse that the saints in your locality are too new to understand. Even if we are preaching the gospel to sinners who are hearing it for the first time in their whole life, we can still preach the Father’s nature, the Son’s embodiment, and the Spirit’s expression. What we speak depends on how much we have seen the central focus and how much we are burdened.
We must first check ourselves. Have I seen the real focus of God’s economy? Am I burdened with this? Or is what I say merely what I have heard about the local church, about the ground, about this and that teaching? The problem lies with us. If we have not seen, then we are just doing a Christian work. We are merely helping people to know God in a general way and perhaps to take the church ground. But is there a lampstand? The church ground is not the lampstand.
Some of the dear leaders in the local churches even stress the matter of the ground not in the light of life. The ground in some leaders’ minds has become a doctrine. I gave you ten messages on the genuine ground of oneness in 1979 (see The Genuine Ground of Oneness). My reason for giving those messages was because many of the leading ones understood the ground in a doctrinal way, not from the life point of view. Those messages were given from the life viewpoint.
Brothers, forgive me for my frankness. I wonder how many of you have gotten into those ten messages. No need to say the elders far away from here, even you who have been here with me at least six years, I doubt that you have really gotten into those messages, which speak of the genuine oneness from the life point of view.
Brothers, nothing can keep you in the recovery, nothing can keep you one with the brothers, except this vision. Paul says, “I was not disobedient to the...vision” (Acts 26:19). Only this can keep us. It has to be our life, our living, our work, our burden, our everything. Surely we must preach the gospel, but we preach with this as the focus. Surely we must expound the Bible, but we teach with this as the focus. Surely we want good meetings and a good church life, but the meetings and the church life must have this as the focus.
I think those of you who were with us in those years at Elden hall will all agree with me that the recovery then was very pure. It had one direction, one tendency, one goal. I do not mean that all who were meeting with us had seen the focus, but the focus was there. A good number of the saints saw, and some did not, but there was no mixture. This made the atmosphere convincing, even subduing. Any who came with another goal either dropped it or stopped coming. Not too many left, yet there were some who did, because they had their own goal. They would have liked to use our field to carry out their own work; when they realized there was no way, they left. Many who came, however, were subdued, convinced, and purified. Today the churches seem to have lost that convincing, subduing power, as far as the leadership is concerned.
In some places there is an effort being made to build up the numbers in attendance at the meetings. I would ask you to check whether your concern is for the meetings to be in the focus of the Lord’s economy or whether it is for an increase in the number attending. Even if you simply want to have a good meeting, this may cause you to miss the focus. The focus is to have the testimony of Jesus. We should pray, “Lord, I don’t care merely for a good meeting. I don’t care merely for numbers. I don’t care merely for good attendance. Lord, I care for Your testimony.”
Brothers, if there has been an increase in attendance in your locality, that is really good. But I would check with you, what is the focus in your locality? What is the goal of your work? Is there a real lampstand or just a Christian meeting?
As long as you have even a little desire to be a leader, that is a debit to God’s economy. Brothers, as long as you have such a debit factor, you do not have the power to convince, subdue others. Elden was convincing because it was pure in God’s move. The convincing, subduing power came from a source that was pure and clean.
The Lord’s blessing is of different kinds. The rain, according to Matthew 5:45, is for everybody. The righteous do not get more and the unrighteous less. The Lord’s blessing today is everywhere. Many Christian groups have some blessing in a general way. But the special blessing is not general. These groups do not enjoy the Lord’s special blessing. I am afraid that in some of the churches in the recovery also this special blessing is lacking.
To take the leadership, to serve the Lord, you must have a pure heart and a pure motive. You must not try to build up a meeting just because it is in your hand. That is impure. To like being the leader is impure. To want to be the first leader is impure. Even to have a consideration that someone does not want you to be the leader is impure. As long as you have an impure heart, the blessing can only be general; it cannot be special. Apparently, you all are pure. You love the Lord. You sacrifice your time, your family, your home, and many other things for the Lord’s recovery. Yet you are not absolutely pure for the focus of the Lord’s recovery.
Another sign of impurity is to play politics. Even if it is only a little, in quality it is the same; only the quantity is different. You may bring your experience in the world into the church, even into the leadership. If you do this, it is impure. This is to contaminate, to pollute, the Lord’s recovery.
I want to have talk after talk with you, not messages but talks, that you may all see what the Lord wants in His recovery. Preaching the gospel? There are lots of preachers. If you say, “Well, let’s do the same thing,” then there is no need for a testimony. Teaching the Bible? Coming together to have an assembly according to the Scripture—an ekklesia, the called-out ones meeting together? Is this all the Lord wants?
What I share with you here will be made available in printed form to the public. The video tapes will not last as long as what is printed. It will be sent to the whole earth, not just to Orange County. It is not for the present only; it will be available for the future.
It is good that the churches preach the gospel, that they use the Life-studies, that they are doing things according to the Scriptures. But, dear brothers, where is the focus? Do we practice the one spirit with the Lord? Do we have a vision, the prevailing, present vision, every hour controlling us, guarding us? If we do not, how can we expect the brothers and sisters in our locality to have such a vision?
