Please turn to Matthew 16. We will read from verse 18.
And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Verse 21:
From that time began Jesus to show unto His disciples, that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.
And Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying, Be it far from Thee, Lord: this shall never be unto Thee.
But He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art a stumbling-block unto Me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men.
Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for My sake shall find it.
Please turn also to Ephesians 5. We begin with verse 25.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself up for it;
that He might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,
that He might present the church to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing;
but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Dear Lord, as we gather together here this morning, we want to thank Thee for being so faithful to us during these few days. And now, as we come to the last session of this conference, we continue to wait upon Thee, knowing that Thou art the same yesterday, today, and forever.
We pray, Lord, that Thy glory may fill this place, that we may see Thee and worship Thee. Dear Lord, we pray that whatever needs to be done in us, do it this morning, that Thou wilt be satisfied.
We commit ourselves at this time into Thy hands. Speak, Lord, for Thy servants hear. In Thy precious name, amen.
Thank God for bringing us to this last session of the conference. In the morning sessions, we have been considering together the word of our Lord when He said, “Thou art Peter, a stone. Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
Dear brothers and sisters, we believe that this is the one work that our Lord has been doing through all these centuries and generations. When He came to this earth, He came for that very purpose: “I will build My church.”
After He ascended to heaven, He poured down the Holy Spirit upon the one hundred and twenty. In this mystical Body, He continues building His church. Today, we are looking forward to the completion of that marvelous work, and thank God that we are involved in it.
That is the reason why it is so important that we understand what He means by building the church.
First of all, before the ages, before He created the heavens and the earth, God purposed a purpose in Christ Jesus. Out of His love for His beloved Son, He wanted to give the best to His Son—something that would answer His Son’s very heart.
Heaven and earth cannot satisfy His beloved Son. So God conceived this marvelous thought of the church: that He would have a people called out, gathered together, and brought into union with His beloved Son as His helpmeet, His wife.
So, dear brothers and sisters, the church is not something that just happened. The church was conceived in God’s heart for His Son, even before the ages. You can see how marvelous, how wonderful, how magnificent, and how glorious is that purpose.
You know, brothers and sisters, oftentimes we find that we are more need-oriented than purpose-oriented. In other words, we think mostly of our needs. How will our needs be met?
Even God seems to exist for that reason. We need Him because He is the One who can satisfy our needs. Thank God, He does. He saves us, forgives our sins, gives us new life, and gives us assurance of eternity.
But, dear brothers and sisters, if we are need-oriented, we are self-centered. In other words, we are the center. Even God has to be around us and for us.
What is important is that we be purpose-oriented. If we are purpose-oriented, then we will discover that we are God-centered. Everything is centered upon God’s purpose, upon His will, and upon His good pleasure.
We are here for Him. We are here to satisfy His heart. So, brothers and sisters, if we are growing up in the Lord, we have to shift away from being self-centered and need-oriented, and become Christ-centered and purpose-oriented.
When you see the purpose of God, it will really deliver you out of yourself. It will enable you to surrender yourself to the Lord, that His purpose may be fulfilled. And how much better, how much more excellent, and more glorious such a life will be.
After God purposed that purpose, He laid down a plan according to the counsel of His will. God’s plan is always the best; it is perfect.
He laid down the pattern for the house. Because that house is to be the helpmeet of His beloved Son, it has to be like Him—exactly like Him.
That is why we find that the pattern of the church is nothing else but Christ Himself. The living Christ is the pattern of the living church. The church is built according to Christ. It is not built according to the teaching of men or according to the elements of the world.
It is to be built according to Christ. Whatever is not of Christ cannot be built into the church, no matter how good it may seem to us. It will be totally rejected, because only Christ is the pattern of the church.
Then, thirdly, after the pattern is set, God begins to gather materials for the house.
As we mentioned yesterday morning, even when God created man, He had that purpose in view. That is why He created man in His own image: with that image, we have the ability to receive God’s life into us.
With that life in us, the material for the building of the church would be there. But unfortunately, our forefathers declared independence from God. They wanted to be gods themselves. They ate the forbidden fruit, wanting the knowledge of good and evil so that they could be independent of God, instead of eating of the tree of life and depending upon God.
For that reason, the material God had in mind for the building of the church was completely ruined—no longer fit as material for the building of the church.
That is why, when Christ came to this earth, as you read the four Gospels, you may wonder why there were so many blind, so many deaf, so many crippled, so many sinners, and so many dead. Our Lord met these people continually, and He had to do wonders in healing them, saving them, and transforming them.
Brothers and sisters, it is because He could not find material for the building of the house—not until blood and water came out of His side.
In other words, by His death, His blood was shed for the remission of our sins, and the water—His life—was poured forth to us, that we might have life, even eternal life.
So, brothers and sisters, we know that the material for the building of the house of God is none other than that which comes out of His side. What is of Him can be built into the church, can go back to Him, and can join in one with Him.
That is why our Lord said, “Thou art Peter.” Simon, as he confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, and received revelation from the Father, was transformed from Simon to Peter.
Or, to put it another way, a new element, a new creation, came into his life. Because he was Peter, the Lord said, “I will build My church.”
In 1 Peter 2, Peter understood this. He said that Christ is a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but chosen and precious in the sight of God. As we come to Christ, we all become living stones, being built up together into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
So, brothers and sisters, we do thank the Lord that we who were outcasts, totally unfit for the building of the church, are now, by His redemptive work, material for the building of the house.
We are not only the materials, but we are also called to work together with Him. Working together with Him simply means that we allow Him to work Himself into us. By that, the building will be built.
Now, it is built with gold, silver, and precious stones—that which comes from Him. These will remain, and they will be built in. But if we work with wood, hay, and stubble, these will be destroyed. They will not go into the building. Even though we are saved, we may be barely saved.
So, brothers and sisters, it is very important that we build with gold, silver, and precious stones.
You know, the materials for the building of the tabernacle and the building of the temple came from God’s people—what God had first given to them. Then, out of their love for God, they willingly offered up their heave offerings.
By these love offerings, the tabernacle and the temple were built. Now, in like manner, sometimes we wonder why there are so many who are saved.
Through the twenty centuries, so many have been saved. Even though, in comparison with the world, they are but a little flock, from the first century to our twenty-first century numberless people have been saved by the grace of God.
But why is the building work so slow? Why is so little being built? I think there is one reason: it is not because you are saved that you are automatically involved in this building work.
There is one thing that is absolutely needed, and that is Romans 12:1.
We all know that the book of Romans, from chapter 1 through chapter 11, shows us the mercies of God—the manifold mercies of God in Christ Jesus toward us.
Out of sin and death, by the blood of the Lamb and by His cross, He delivers us and sets us free. His Spirit comes into us, enabling us to grow in grace and in truth. He chose us before the foundation of the world, and He enables us to exercise our will to accept Jesus as our Savior.
Thank God, the mercies of God are so tremendous. We are the products of His mercy.
Now, after we have received such mercy, how shall we respond? The Bible says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice.”
In other words, God is asking us for a heave offering. God is asking us for a love offering.
The love of God is to constrain us in such a way that we acknowledge that we cannot live for ourselves. We have to live for the One who lived and died for us.
We will surrender ourselves—all that God has redeemed. This body is redeemed; the whole being is redeemed. Out of gratitude, we will yield ourselves to Him.
We will give up our rights, as it were. We will hand ourselves completely over to Him and say, “Lord, do whatever is needed for Thy glory.”
Unfortunately, we find that after we are saved, after we have received such mercy, we still hold on to ourselves. What God has given us, we consume for our own sake. We withhold it from the rightful Owner.
Thank God, He never forces us to do anything, even though He has every right to demand that we live for Him, for His purpose, and not for ourselves any longer. He could demand it on the basis of redemption.
But our God would rather beseech us and constrain us by His love. If His love should touch your heart, give yourself to Him—your body as a living sacrifice.
Why the body? Because our life is lived through the body. That does not mean only the physical body. The body means the whole being, the redeemed of the Lord.
We, out of love, give ourselves back to Him. Not like the children of Israel, who gave only a little out of their abundance. Today, in spiritual reality, God does not ask for something from you; He asks for you—your all.
Unless you give Him all, He will not accept it.
There is the famous word of Madame Guyon. When she tried to yield herself completely to God, she held back a little key to a little room in her life and would not give it to the Lord.
She kept bargaining with the Lord: “Allow me to keep this little key for that little room for myself, and I will serve You with double effort.”
And she said the Lord said, “No. If I am not Lord of all, I am not Lord at all.”
Brothers and sisters, our Lord is so glorious. You cannot bribe Him with less than all. He demands all because He gave us all.
There is another saying of Madame Guyon. She saw the Lord turning away from her, and in her desperation she cried out, “Make me willing to be willing.”
The Lord turned back and took all the keys, including that little key to her life. The Lord began to deal with her and clean up every room until He was able to use her.
Brothers and sisters, unless we present our bodies as a living sacrifice, unless we put ourselves on the altar for the remainder of our lives, allowing Him to examine us, to cut us into pieces, to cleanse us, and to purify us—allowing His holy fire to burn us into ashes—the church cannot be built.
That is the reason why, through twenty-one centuries, the building is still unfinished. Oh, brothers and sisters, may the love of God constrain us. Do not hold back from Him. We belong to Him; we should be for Him.
Consecration does not mean that you are to be a preacher or a Bible woman. Consecration is for every brother and sister. It does not mean that you are to work for Him. No, it means that you allow Him to work in you.
He is to transform you from raw material into a finished product.
Brothers and sisters, in 2 Corinthians 4, we are told that we have a treasure in earthen vessels. We are earthen vessels, but thank God, He is willing to put a treasure in us.
Christ is the treasure, the beloved Son of God. “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.” The treasure of God’s heart—He puts that treasure in you and me.
We are earthen vessels: opaque, common, nothing. But something of tremendous value is put in us.
For the radiance of that treasure to shine forth, the earthen vessel has to be cracked and broken.
There is something, dear brothers and sisters, in every one of us—something that can be used for the building of the church. But that something is hidden in earthen vessels.
The earthen vessel has to be broken so that the radiance of the treasure may shine forth. That is the reason why, brothers and sisters, today we need the working of the cross in our lives.
Just think: when the children of Israel built the tabernacle, thank God that after their failure they repented. When the second call came to them to offer heave offerings for the building of the tabernacle, how they responded!
They came willingly and offered until they had to be stopped. The raw materials were all there. But, brothers and sisters, raw materials are raw materials.
You cannot just pile all these raw materials one upon another and say, “Now we have a house.” It would be a pile of ruins—of no use and serving no purpose. These materials have to be worked on.
There must be much cutting. All these cloths and linens had to be cut according to measure; they had to be sewn together. There was much knitting to be done.
And with the wood, there was much cutting and smoothing—much work to be done.
Take, for illustration, the golden lampstand. Why? Because the golden lampstand in the New Testament represents the church.
A solid lump of gold, a talent of gold, had to be turned into an exquisite and beautiful lampstand with seven branches.
How did they do it? Did they melt the gold and put it into a mould so that it would come out as a golden lampstand? If you did that, you could produce it by mass production.
But no—there was only one lampstand. How did they make the lampstand? The Bible says they beat that talent of gold into a beautiful lampstand. How much beating that gold had to suffer!
In the building of the temple, it was the same thing. The cedar tree on the mountain of Lebanon had to be cut and made into rafts, brought by sea to Joppa, and then transported to Jerusalem.
The stones had to be cut in the quarries—massive stones—and transported to Mount Moriah. Today we know that these stones were actually cut in the quarry underneath Mount Moriah.
They were cut in the quarry, and the Bible says they were cut according to measure. Every stone was set for a certain place in the temple. The shape of each stone was according to the pattern of the temple.
So every stone had to be measured, cut, and smoothed to the exact point. How much work had to be done there.
Yet the Bible says that when they built the temple, there was no sound of iron or hammer. Why? Because all the stones had already been measured, cut, and even numbered according to the pattern.
When they were transported to Mount Moriah for building, they simply fitted together perfectly, one with another.
Now, if in the building of the tabernacle and in the building of the temple, so much work had to be done to transform raw materials into furniture and into a building, how much work must be done in the building of the church?
You know, brothers and sisters, the temple and the tabernacle were only shadows. The church, the Body of Christ, is the reality.
The temple and the tabernacle were physical buildings, but the church is a spiritual building. Yet the principle of working is the same.
Can you imagine that these raw materials—we who are saved—can just be piled together casually, without any deeper work being done in our lives, and that the house of God will come out?
Who has the wisdom to turn these raw materials into a building? In the case of the tabernacle, God called Bezalel and Oholiab, men filled with the Spirit and given by God wisdom and understanding to know how to make all these things.
There were also men and women who were wise-hearted and willing-hearted. They offered themselves to do the work: cutting, knitting, and sewing.
The same thing is found in the building of the temple. It takes wisdom. Solomon, the symbol of wisdom, turned all these raw materials into that wonderful temple.
Brothers and sisters, who has the wisdom to turn us, raw materials, into the house of God? None but the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of God is the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge. That is the reason why, brothers and sisters, after God has put His own life into us, that is not enough. He also puts His Spirit in us.
The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, comes and dwells in each one of us. He will never leave us.
We may grieve Him, quench Him, or rebel against Him, but we cannot drive Him away, because He has a mission to fulfill. He dwells in us to do the work of turning these raw materials into finished products.
Brothers and sisters, take Peter as an example. We say that he was Simon before—earthly, worldly, and of the flesh.
But when he confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, God turned him into Peter. In other words, a new element came into his life. This Peter element is the building material for the house.
But still, it was a rough stone. It was a treasure in an earthen vessel.
Immediately after Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, and the Lord said that he was blessed, the Lord began to reveal the secret of the building process.
He told His disciples that He would go to Jerusalem, that He would be killed, but that on the third day He would be raised from the dead. Why? Because without the cross, He could not be the Christ.
This is the secret. But when Peter heard about it, do you know what he did? The Bible says he took hold of Christ and began to rebuke Him: “Never! Do not do that. You do not need it. You can be Christ without a cross.”
Thank God, our Lord Jesus turned and said, “Get thee behind Me, Satan.” This was Satan, because Peter was not mindful of God; he was mindful of men.
Then the Lord began to tell His disciples, “If anyone wants to follow Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. If you desire to save your soul-life, you will lose it. If you are willing to lose your soul-life for My sake, you will gain it unto eternity.”
Brothers and sisters, the principle of the cross is necessary. It is not only necessary for our Lord Jesus; it is absolutely necessary for all of us.
When Peter told the Lord not to go to the cross, it came from Satan. Satan, in a strict sense, has no ground in the new creation, but he has every ground in the old creation.
In other words, Satan had no ground in Peter, but he still had ground in Simon, who was called Peter. The earthen vessel was still there. There was still the flesh.
The flesh and Satan are allies, and they have to be separated from the Lord. The Lord has to deal with Peter, that all the Simon in him may be denied, rejected, brought to the cross, and put to death.
If you love your soul-life, you lose it. If you love yourself, you lose it. If you are willing to lose your soul-life for the sake of the gospel, you will gain it unto eternity. Why? Because it is built into the house of God, into the church.
What is discipleship? Why is it that after God saves a person, such as Peter, He calls him and says, “Come, follow Me”? Because there is much work in the process of building.
The raw material is there, but it is not suitable for the building. It has to be turned into a finished product. What a work has to be done!
In the three years or so of following the Lord, we find that our Lord dealt with Peter again and again and again. He was outspoken, and he gave the Lord opportunity to deal with him.
Do not be too clever, so that the Lord will not have a chance to deal with you.
Peter said, “I love You. All the other disciples may fall away, but I will follow You even unto death.” How courageous! How heroic! But there was Simon in him.
So do you know what our Lord said? He said, “Simon, Simon.” He did not say, “Peter, Peter.” He said, “Simon, Simon, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat.”
Satan had ground in Simon. But our Lord said, “I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not: and do thou, when once thou hast turned again, stablish thy brethren.”
Oh, brothers and sisters, there is so much Simon in us, mixed with Peter. The Lord has to put us, by the Spirit of God, into environments where we are surrounded, beaten, cut, and knit together.
It is painful to the flesh, but these things transform raw materials into a finished form according to the pattern. Unless we deny ourselves and follow the Lord, unless we take up our cross and follow Him, we cannot be His disciples.
Brothers and sisters, that tells us why, in our daily lives, we have to go through so much.
You know, I have had this idea: “Lord, the moment You save me, take me to Yourself. Wouldn’t that be marvelous?”
Then we would not need to worry that we might fall. We would not need to struggle, trying to do the will of God. We would be delivered from denying Him.
Why does the Lord leave us on earth? If He loves us, why not take us immediately? Ah, the Lord knows better. His ways are higher than our ways.
He is working patiently in us. He will not give us up.
Oftentimes I have thought, “I am useless. Finished.” But He is still holding me. He will not give up. Love will not let me go.
It is painful to the flesh. Dying is painful. We have to bear in our body the dying of Jesus, that we may also bear in that body the life of Jesus. It is absolutely necessary.
Oh, brothers and sisters, may we understand: He is transforming us, turning us from raw materials into vessels—honorable vessels in the house of God.
There is much beating, much cutting, much knitting, and much smoothing. But these are absolutely necessary.
Not only must the cross work in us individually. In every one of us there is so much rubbish, so much of the flesh, of the earthly, and of the world that gives ground to Satan. The Lord has to purify us.
But, brothers and sisters, we are not to stand alone. We are to be knit together and built together.
Being built together is organic. It is not merely putting things together from the outside. It is organic; it is united; it becomes one.
How much more work needs to be done that we may be fit for one another.
Use Peter as an example. You know, Peter complained about his brother Andrew. He came to the Lord and said, “My brother sins against me, and I forgive him seven times. Will that be enough?”
When Peter came to the Lord asking that question, he was hoping that the Lord would say, “Wonderful!” Yet the Lord said, “I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.”
Now think of that. What kind of a person was Simon Peter? He was impulsive, talkative, and spoke without thinking.
And Andrew—what kind of a person was Andrew? Ah, he was a very careful person, attentive to details. Among five thousand men, he could notice a little boy who had five loaves and two fishes.
Andrew was loving. Oh, how he loved his brother! After he met the Messiah, immediately he led his brother to Christ.
I often think that Peter thought his brother sinned against him seven times, but I wonder who was really sinning against the other. Most likely it was Peter who sinned against Andrew, yet he thought it was Andrew sinning against him.
But afterward, the Spirit of God put Peter together with John. My, what kind of a person was John?
John was meditative and deep-thinking. Everything went on inside. He was awkwardly shy, as it were. But once things accumulated, he could burst into thunder.
He was mystical, imaginative, and quiet—perhaps even more unlike Peter than Andrew was. Yet you find that they fitted exactly.
Peter needed John, and John needed Peter. Do you know who restored Peter after he denied Christ?
Peter went out weeping, thinking that he was finished. He would not come back by himself. It was John who went out to see him and brought him to John’s house.
John needed Peter too. When the news came that the Lord had risen and was no longer in the tomb, Peter and John ran together. John, being younger, ran faster and came to the tomb first.
He stooped down and saw the burial cloths lying there, but he did not go in. He was not that courageous or impulsive. Peter just rushed in, and then John followed.
So they needed each other and became a perfect match. These two stones fitted together. How much work the Spirit of God had worked in both of them!
Dear brothers and sisters, that is what we are. Naturally, we do not fit with one another.
Oftentimes our strong points stick out, and that is what makes us unfit with one another. They have to be smoothed.
Even in the exercise of gifts—spiritual gifts given by God—all these gifts have to be coordinated and work together. Otherwise, gifts will become problems.
When Peter stood up on the day of Pentecost, the eleven stood with him. Brothers and sisters, think of these things. How much more work the Spirit of God has to do patiently in every one of us.
When you find yourself unable to live with your brothers and sisters, when you find yourself unable to serve together with your brothers and sisters, do not blame your brothers and sisters. Blame yourself.
There is something in you that needs to be dealt with, that needs to go to the cross.
God does not want us to be independent. God wants us to be dependent upon one another, as we are dependent upon Christ.
So, brothers and sisters, thank God that He is working. Do not think that the Holy Spirit is sleeping. He is working in you and me, and in us together. These are signs of His active working.
Do not shrink back when He is working in your life. Oh, you say, “It is too much. Leave me alone.”
When you are with your brothers and sisters, you may say, “Well, I cannot stand any more. I have to move out.” You lose the opportunity.
Learn to yield to the Spirit of God. That is why consecration is so basic.
Thank God, gradually and patiently, you will find the church being built in love.
That is the process. We are still in the process, but thank God, one day He will be finished.
The Bible says in Ephesians 5 that Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her. But it does not stop there.
He is sanctifying her, purifying her by the washing of water with the word, so that she may be a glorious church, without spot, without wrinkle, or any such thing—holy and without blemish—to be presented to Him as His bride.
Our Lord gave Himself for the church, and He continues in love to sanctify her—to set her apart holy for God—and to purify her, taking away all the earthly things, the worldly things, and the natural things.
He is purifying her so that she may become pure gold. Then He makes her without spot and without wrinkle.
A spot is a spot of the flesh. A wrinkle speaks of age: oldness and decay. Without spot or wrinkle, all things have become new, and all things are of God.
Holy and without blemish—a glorious church. Now, how does He purify her? By the washing of water with the word.
In this particular verse, the water represents His life. His life within us and His word outside of us work together, by the Spirit of God, to purify us.
That we may become the finished product for which He is looking: a glorious church.
You know, when the tabernacle was finished, in Exodus 40, when the tabernacle was erected and all the vessels and furniture were placed in order, do you know what happened?
The glory of the Lord descended. The cloud of God filled the house. It was presented to God: “This is God’s house.” It was beautiful and according to purpose.
When it was erected, the glory of God filled that house. God took possession of it. God said, “This is My dwelling place.”
When the temple was finished, everything was built according to the pattern. When it was dedicated, fire came from above and consumed the burnt offering, and the cloud—the Shekinah glory of God—filled the temple.
Even the priests could not serve. They had to retreat, bow, and worship.
Oh, brothers and sisters, this is the desire of my heart. I am hoping that one day the glory of God will so fill His church that every service will stop and everybody will worship.
You know, this happened in the eighteenth century, when many believers, persecuted, fled to Moravia, to the territory of Count Zinzendorf.
They were together, persecuted by the Christian world. They loved the Lord, and yet they could not get along with one another. They held on to their traditions.
How God worked through Zinzendorf until one day, when they had the Lord’s Table—the love feast—the Spirit of God came upon them.
They were all melted into one. They embraced one another, confessed, and shed tears.
Oh, brothers and sisters, all my life I have been longing to see that day. This is what the church should be.
Because everything is built according to the pattern, according to Christ, He will come and take possession of it. Glorious!
Oh, brothers and sisters, we look forward to that day: the glorious church, as a wife who has made herself ready, clothed in fine linen, bright and pure—the marriage garment of the bride.
One day, Brother T. Austin-Sparks asked Brother Watchman Nee, “In the whole Bible, which is the prophecy that is most difficult to fulfill?”
Our dear brother Watchman said, “Ephesians 5.”
Indeed, when we look around, it seems that that day is retreating further and further away. When will the glorious church appear?
With our human eyes, it seems impossible. But God is the God of the impossible. What He purposes, He will fulfill.
If you have the eyes of faith, you can see that through the centuries God has been working. He has apprehended a people out of every century, every generation, and everywhere in the world.
You will find that God has His hidden ones—some, perhaps a remnant, perhaps a few. But God is working, using them as material suitable for the building of the church in every century.
Even in our time, dear brothers and sisters, if you have the eyes of faith, you can still see, here and there, everywhere in the world, that God has His hidden ways—not known by men, but known by God.
What is popular in Christianity is not necessarily it. What is unknown and despised is known by God.
When Elijah complained, “I am the only one,” God said, “I have seven thousand whose knees have not bowed unto Baal.”
Brothers and sisters, thank God, He is working.
I believe the day is approaching nearer and nearer. Hopefully, if God wills, it will be in our lifetime, because we are faithful, that He may find all the materials He needs—willing to let Him work them into that glorious church.
Oh, brothers and sisters, when we see that glorious church, we see the glory of the Lord. We see the beauty of Christ. That is God’s heart.
Dear Lord, we do thank Thee that Thou art ever faithful, ever loving, and ever worthy. We praise and thank Thee that Thou canst never fail.
Thou art accomplishing the glorious church to be presented to Thyself as Thy bride.
O Lord, make us willing to be willing, allowing ourselves to be in Thy hands, freely worked upon by Thee.
We pray that we may be a ready people for Thyself. We pray, Lord, that Thy will—