Originally God's people were one. Why were they one? Although they were one because the family element held them together, the main factor of their oneness was their one God. Noah and his family worshipped one God. This one God is the main factor that keeps God's people in unity. Noah's family was one because they worshipped the one, unique God. The worship of God is crucial. When the worship of God is changed, the whole situation among God's people is also changed. When there are different worships among God's people, there are divisions among them. Thus, the main factor that preserved the oneness of the new race was that they had no God other than the one, true God. Likewise, we have only one God. We worship the unique God. Our God is uniquely one. Therefore, we also are one. Ephesians 4:6 speaks of one God and Father. Because we have only one God and Father, we are one.
Furthermore, as I have already mentioned, Noah and his family were one because they shared one, unique goal. Neither Noah nor his sons were for their own interests. They were all for God's goal. What was God's goal? God's goal was that man should express Him and represent Him. Noah and his family had no other God and no other goal. Their goal was not farming, education, or industry. Their goal was not their own self-interests. Their unique goal was to express God and represent Him. We must be deeply impressed with this. Although we have one God, we may have different goals. If we have different goals, we shall be divided. What is your goal? Is it to make a name for yourself or to be famous? Is it to build up something other than God's purpose? We are here in Anaheim to express God and represent Him. We have a strong standing to declare to the whole universe, even to Satan and to all the rebellious angels, principalities, powers, and demons, that we, the local churches, are standing one with God for His purpose. Our unique goal is to express our God. We are here to express Him.
I would like to say a simple word to some of the new ones who have been visiting our meetings. Do you realize what we are expressing here? Our people are not that intelligent or well-dressed. The leading ones have no beauty, form, or attraction. We have no grand piano or pipe organ. We do not even have a sign. What are we? We are nothing. We are just a voice in the wilderness (John 1:23). When you come to our meetings, you can see nothing outwardly. But in all probability you do see something—God Himself expressed. Perhaps after attending a meeting you wonder within yourself, "My, it was very good there with them, but I can't pin down exactly in what way they are good. Their singing is not that musical. No one is dressed in an attractive way. There is no outward beauty or form. But, there is something there among them." This "something" is the expression of God. God is our expression. He is our form, beauty, and attraction. As the church, we have returned to God's original purpose, to the purpose He had in the beginning—that man express Him and represent Him. This is the Lord's recovery.
As the church, we do represent God. This is why many times we pray, "Lord, we give You the command. You must do something. We are here representing You, not ourselves. Since we are Your representation, You must do something for Yourself." Can you pray such a prayer? Do you dare to pray in this way? Unless you stand in the position of representing God, your conscience will not allow you to utter such a prayer. But once you stand in the position of representing God, your conscience will confirm and strengthen you to say, "Lord, we give You the command. You must vindicate Your way. This is Your recovery, Your purpose. You must intervene. Since we are not here representing anything else but You, Lord, You must come in." This is the proper church life. As long as we are such, we have the unique unity. We are uniquely one. There is no need for us to say, "Brother, let us be one." If we need to say this, it is already too late to be one. As long as we go back to the beginning, to God's original purpose that man express Him and represent Him, we are spontaneously one. We are one because we have one goal.