In this situation there is the need for a pearl gate. This gate shuts out all the naturalness of man. If a person wants to enter through the gate, all that he has must be changed in nature. If this brother really desires to serve in the church for its building up, then his education, his mind, his way of thinking, his eloquence, and his debating skills all need to pass through the breaking of the cross. For an extended period of time he must practice to condemn all these things which are good in man’s eyes, bringing them to the cross to be dealt with and then resurrected. After this he can bring them through the gate into the building of the church. Then when he rises to speak for the Lord, his speaking will bear spiritual weight and will be useful for the building up of the church.

I hope that we all will have a strong feeling about this matter. We have to see that it is truly a terrible thing for our natural being to touch the service of the church without first being dealt with. Sometimes in a certain local church I have watched the responsible brothers discussing the affairs of the church. While they were expressing their opinions one by one, I said to myself, “My goodness! All their opinions are just their natural insights, their human perceptions, and their worldly views. Their opinions have not been dealt with by the cross and have not passed through death and resurrection; they are all sand and not pearls. If the responsible brothers oversee the church with these opinions and ideas, the saints in this locality will not be built up and the church will collapse.”

One time I went to a certain place to make preparations for holding a conference there. The responsible brothers were discussing putting a big advertisement in the newspapers for the occasion. During their discussion I was also present. At that time I thought in my heart, “I wish there were a big ax here! Then I could use it to smash all of their opinions one by one!” I also thought to myself, “What kind of mentality is this? This is an unregenerated mentality! This is a sandy mentality, not a pearly mentality! This kind of sandy mentality has not entered into the oyster’s wound, has not passed through the cross, and has not been resurrected; it is altogether natural!” After they had finished their discussion, they turned to me and asked, “Brother Lee, what do you think about this?” I frowned and answered, “I think this is the ugliest thing. Brothers, we need to see what the Lord wants us to do today. If we were engaged in the things of the world, we could print big advertisements. However, since we intend to build up the church here today, we absolutely cannot use such methods.” For the building up of the church we must use the things that have passed through death and resurrection. Do not think that the church will be built up if we have big advertisements to draw a multitude of people. I tell you, the bigger the advertisement you print and the more people come, the faster the church will collapse. Hence, I earnestly begged them not to do it.

Another time, while I was in another place, it so happened that the responsible brothers were having a meeting among themselves. At that time, due to a big financial need, they were discussing how to raise funds to meet the need. Someone there also had a sandy mentality with fantastic notions. This particular responsible brother proposed, “We can prepare some donation slips with each brother or sister’s name preprinted on each slip and then distribute the slips to the brothers and sisters, asking them to return their donation with the slips. In this way we will know which ones have donated and which ones have not yet donated, and which ones have given more and which ones have given less. If we distribute the slips to them, they will have no way to avoid donating their money.” While they were discussing this matter with great delight, the more I listened, the more I was troubled. I was so grieved in my heart. Then they turned to me and asked, “Brother Lee, what do you think about this?” I said, “You must never do this kind of thing. I beg you not to do it at all.” They asked, “Then what about the funds we need?” I said, “You have to kneel down and pray. When you have no way out, then God has a way out. You cannot solve the problem, but God can. What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

There is no need to give more of these kinds of stories. Please remember that whenever you bring in something natural, something of human effort, something “ingenious,” something resulting from human schemes and methods, or something which has not passed through the cross, then you have not come to your end, and therefore God cannot provide you with a way out. All these things are sand and not pearls since they have not passed through death. Hence, you should never bring them into the building of God. If you do, you will damage God’s building and hinder the church from being built up. In the church, in God’s building, there cannot be sand or dust; there can only be pearls. In the building up of the church everything must pass through the cross, must be in Christ, and must be the mingling of God and man. This is the entrance into the New Jerusalem, the entrance into the church. Only that which corresponds with the nature of this entrance can be brought into the building of God.

Therefore, I repeat, we must not bring our views, abilities, and all manner of natural things into the church. With many workers of God and many who take care of the church, their ways, schemes, perception, and wisdom are still altogether sandy and earthy. They have never been transformed or dealt with by God. We should know that these things cannot build up the church; they can only destroy God’s building. If we continually use our natural abilities in dealing with everything, we may be very good in dealing with people and in handling situations, but we will never be people who build up the church. On the contrary, we will be damaging ones in the church, and a frustration to the brothers and sisters.

We should not take these words as doctrines, thinking that they cannot help us at all. Only a vision can rescue us. You and I have to learn to bring all our natural thoughts, discernment, schemes, abilities, and strength to the cross to be dealt with. After all these items have been broken, have passed through death and resurrection, and have become pearls, then they can be brought into the building of God.
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