EXERCISING TO PRACTICE THE BODY LIFE
Today in any Christian group there may be two categories of people: the self-despising ones and the proud ones. Those who despise themselves think that they are nothing. As a result, they do not count themselves as part of the Body, and they do not function. The proud ones, to the contrary, consider themselves superior to others and seem to say, “I don’t need anyone else. I can do everything myself.” This combination of humility and pride is the source of the clergy and the laity. Those in the clergy class think that they can do everything and that they do not need others. But those among the laity think that they are nothing and that they cannot do anything. By means of this subtlety, the Body life has been killed. This is the reason we do not see the Body function in today’s Christian meetings. Instead, we see those in the class of the clergy doing everything. What a poor situation! Because we came from a background where there was the clergy and the laity and because we are still surrounded by this system today, we may not realize how ugly it is. Rather, we have been drugged to such an extent that we think such a situation is normal.
EVERYONE NEEDING TO FUNCTION
In the meetings of the church everyone must function, including the young ones, the new ones, and the weak ones. However, thinking that it is a waste of time for those who are new, young, or weak to function in the meetings, we may say, “What can the weaker ones do? What help can be rendered by the new ones or the young ones? It is better for them to be quiet. Let them save the time for those who are able to do something.” Our thinking has been saturated with this concept. This indicates that we have been drugged and do not have a proper sense regarding the function of the members of the Body.
When I speak, nearly every member of my body functions. It is not true that only my mouth speaks and that the rest of the members have nothing to do. As my mouth speaks, my whole body participates in the speaking. For example, my hands make certain gestures, and my shoulders move. Every part of my body is functioning. I am not a machine with a speaking mechanism called the mouth. When a mechanical mouth speaks, the other parts of the machine do not participate in the speaking. Because my mouth is a living part of my body, my entire body functions whenever I speak.
Even in some meetings in the Lord’s recovery, the situation still is not normal. Instead, due to the background and influence of Christianity, the situation is quite abnormal. Again I say, with respect to the matter of the functioning of the members of the Body, we all have been drugged. The purpose of these chapters is not to give you doctrine; it is to minister a de-drugging word to you. All of us, including me, need to be de-drugged. I was born, raised, and educated in Christianity. Because of this influence, at times I have said, “These people are too young. They don’t have anything to share with the saints. It is better for them to be quiet in the meeting.” This concept is wrong. The Body moves with all the members. Thus, from now on we must pray, “Lord, grant that whenever we meet together we shall have the move of the whole Body.” What a difference it makes when all the Body moves!
Due to our religious background, we may have the attitude that a certain meeting is not our meeting. This is the reason some saints have said to me, “Brother Lee, tonight’s meeting is your meeting.” This means that I am the one to run the show. How much we have been drugged! There is no meeting that is the domain of anyone in particular. All the meetings, even the ministry meetings, are the meetings of the saints. If you say that a certain meeting is my meeting, I would reply that it is not only my meeting but also your meeting. Whenever we Christian brothers and sisters gather together, we are the Body. The Body is in our gathering. However, if we are not spiritual in a practical way in our gathering together, if we are not exercising the functioning spirit, the Body will not actually be found among us. When the saints gather together without being spiritual according to the exercise of their spirit, such a gathering will be a gathering of dumb idols. But if we come together exercising our spirit and ready to function, we shall be like players on a basketball team. Everyone will participate as a member of the team. Then we shall have the Body. We need to be rescued from the fallen situation of Christianity. In the Lord’s recovery we are being brought back to the beginning. In the beginning, when Christians came together, they all functioned. Today, however, we have been drugged. Thus, we all must exercise ourselves to function. Even the youngest ones and the weakest ones must also function.
A CONSTITUTION OF ALL AGES
In his wisdom Paul touched the real problem of the practical Body life—the matter of the self-despising ones considering themselves inferior to others. Many of you still hold the concept that you are inferior to others. Moreover, some of the older ones think that they are out-of-date. Although they may not say this, such a subconscious thought is nonetheless within them. As you know, throughout the years my burden has been to promote the young people and to raise them up. This has caused some of the older ones to think that they are no longer needed. Hence, they have become deeply disappointed. Some of the older ones have said, “I have been in the Lord’s recovery from the beginning. Now it seems that, according to Brother Lee’s concept, all the older ones are through. He will not use the older ones on his team. We cannot learn the languages to go to Europe. In particular, we could never learn Hebrew to go to Jerusalem to have the church life there in preparation for the Lord’s coming back.” Because of this feeling of disappointment, some of the older ones consider themselves as only good for retirement. However, so many of the older ones are still eager to be trained. On the one hand, some older ones are disappointed; on the other hand, many older ones are still eager to be trained to be useful in the recovery. The Body is the Body. The young people are not the whole Body. Rather, they are simply part of the Body.
It is difficult for the older ones to contact young people on the campuses. If I, an elderly person, were to go to the campuses, the young people would not be interested in talking to me. People gather together according to age. For example, it is difficult for a child of twelve to play with a child of five. The five-year-old would prefer to associate with those of his own age. The same is true of the twelve-year-old. For this reason, the older ones are not useful for going to the campus to contact young people. The Body, however, is not composed only of young ones. Although the older ones are not suitable for work on the campus, they are the ones to bear the burden to pray for the young people. However, it would be very difficult for the young people to stay home and pray, because they are eager to get on the campus and contact people. The matter of praying for the work on the campuses is a function of the older ones.
I use this one illustration to point out that the Body is not composed of just one class of people. On the contrary, it is a composition of many age groups. The young people should be strong and aggressive to work on the campuses. But the older ones need to be very exercised to pray for the young people. Furthermore, the older ones can invite all the young laborers to their homes for dinner. However, if the older ones gossip and complain about being useless, our situation will be pitiful, and we shall not have the Body. But I believe that many will say, “Praise the Lord for raising up so many young people! The Lord is using them for the work on the campuses. Let us pray for them and let us do certain practical things to help them.” If this is the situation, the whole Body will be moving toward the goal of gaining this generation.
In all the meetings, including the meetings of the ministry, all the saints need to exercise together. If you are indifferent or dissenting while I am speaking, it will be difficult for me to speak, and my speaking will be weakened and lack weight. However, if you exercise yourself to function as a member of the Body and use your spirit and your whole being to participate in my speaking, my speaking will be strengthened and become weighty. It will not simply be the speaking of the mouth but the speaking of the Body.
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