The reason for this limitation is that the church in the city, the local expression of the church, keeps the unity, the unique oneness, of the church. As long as we have the city church in Los Angeles, we are one. But if instead of the church in Los Angeles, we have street churches, or avenue churches, we will be divided. There will be a Westmoreland Avenue Church and an Elden Avenue Church. We would also be divided if we had churches in different houses, for there would be a church in the house of one brother and a different church in the house of another brother.

In God's wisdom and sovereignty the city keeps the unity, whereas streets and houses divide. If you go to San Francisco, you must go to the city church, the local church, the church in San Francisco. You should go not to a church on a street or in a house but to the church in the city. Likewise, you should go not to a church on a college campus but to the church in the city. To go to a so-called local church in a house is to get into division, but to go to a local church in a city is to get into unity.

We need a vision of this matter. Otherwise, we will have no way to go on with the church and eventually will have to drop the matter of the church. If we are not clear concerning the ground of the church, we will have no way to practice the church life. This has been the situation with a number of dear brothers. They talked a lot about the church, but eventually, because they would not take the ground of the church, they had no way to go on with the matter of the church and had to forsake this matter.

We should not despise the ground of the church or think that it is an insignificant matter. If we do not have the ground of the church, there is no way for us to have the proper practice of the church. Then we will have to give up the matter of the church. Some say, however, that if we take the church ground, we will have problems. But if we forsake the ground of the church, we will have even more problems and troubles. If we are to have the practice of the church, we must take a definite standing, and this standing must not be a wrong standing but the right standing—the standing on the ground of the church, the ground of unity. We need to come back to the original standing, the original ground, of the church.

We need to pray about the four matters we have covered concerning the vision of the church: the church being God's heart's desire, the practicality of the church, the locality of the church, and the definite local ground of unity. These four matters are a simple "map" for our "driving." If you are not clear about these matters, you will be lost as far as the church is concerned. No matter how much you talk about the church life and the Body life, you will be lost.