The problem today is that we Christians are always self-centered and self-concerned. We do not see the Body or realize that the Body is all-inclusive. In today's situation everybody has his own choice according to his own taste. A brother may like everything to be nice, quiet, and in a good order in the meeting. He may want all the men to wear ties and all the ladies to be modestly dressed. He wants everyone to come into the meeting one by one and be seated in an orderly way. This is this brother's taste, so he tries to find such a meeting. Thus, that becomes his choice according to his taste. On the other hand, there is another brother who also has his own taste. He likes meetings that are unrestricted and noisy. So he would also travel around to find a meeting where everybody is so free to dress the way he wants and shout and be excited. Eventually, he will take a meeting of his choice according to his taste. This is the situation today.

All these different tastes create trouble, and all the different choices cause divisions. We may like a certain kind of meeting, but we should not make that a choice for ourselves. Brothers and sisters, the church life is not up to our choice. The church is our destiny. Let us consider two brothers who were born into the same family and have the same family name. The family name is not a matter of choice, but a matter of destiny. We all have to see that the church is not a choice but a destiny. If we see this, many problems will be spontaneously solved.

Furthermore, whether or not these two brothers like each other, they are still brothers. The brotherhood is not up to your choice. It is also a matter of destiny. If the first one does not like the second one, he cannot blame the second one but can only go to blame his parents. If you do not like a brother, do not blame him. You have to go to the heavens to blame the Father. That is your destiny. He is a brother to you in your destiny. No matter how you feel, you have to love him. Friendship is a matter of choice, but brotherhood is not. Brotherhood is a matter of destiny.

In the church we have brotherhood, not friendship. Suppose you are a brother in Atlanta. Perhaps one day some of the other brothers in Atlanta would mistreat you. If you decide to give them up, that proves you do not know what the church is. The church is a matter of destiny, and so is the brotherhood. If you see this, you will realize that in the Body of Christ there should not be any ordinances. I may like to be quiet, but being quiet should not be my ordinance. I may like to be noisy, but being noisy should not be my choice. We all have to learn to be general, realizing that the church life is our destiny.

The Lord Jesus has abolished all the ordinances and has slain the enmity. Thus, He can make us all one. Look at the situation when we all gather together. We have many different kinds of people, yet we can all meet together as one. This is the church. There is no such thing as a Puerto Rican church, a Mexican church, a Japanese church, a Chinese church, a Texan church, a Californian church, or an Anglican church. There is simply the one church, which is the unique Body of Christ. The Lord is going to recover this. Without this being recovered, it will be difficult for Him to come back. We all have to see that the church is Christ, and this corporate Christ includes all kinds of real Christians.