The real situation, however, is that many meetings in different places drop the organization. They do not like to have the organizing system, but after two or three years they become a vacuum. They have neither the organizing nor the adequate knowledge and understanding of life, so they become empty. They do not know how to grow in life or how to help others to grow in life. They do not have the way of life and the way of growth in life. This is the very reason for the weakness of so many local meetings.

First Peter 1:23 says that we have been “regenerated not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, through the living and abiding word of God.” Then in chapter two he says that as newborn babes we need to grow, and by this growth we become living stones to be built up as a spiritual house (vv. 2, 5). Therefore, in Peter’s writings we again see life, growth, and building. Building comes from life and growth. We must have life, and we must have the growth in life. Then by the growth, with the growth, and in the growth we have transformation. We can be transformed only by growing; the more we grow, the more we are transformed. This transformation is for producing the materials good for the building.

The apostle Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.” Do we know how to water? Do we know how to help people to grow? Some may say we need the gifts. In a sense, I admit this is true, but in what way do the gifts help? Have we seen the growth in those people who pay attention to the gifts? For the most part, I have not seen the growth among them. They exercise the gifts very much, but there is almost no growth in life. It is not a matter of exercising the gifts; it is a matter of growing in life. People always desire something miraculous. However, miracles are miracles, and the growth in life is the growth in life. These are absolutely two different categories. What we need is not the miraculous things but the growth of life.

In 1 Corinthians 3:9 Paul says, “You are God’s cultivated land, God’s building.” We are not only planters and waterers but also builders. Do we know how to build, and do we know how to be built up? When we talk about gifts and tongues, people can understand, but they may not understand when we talk about growth in life and building. I was very much impressed with this during my recent visits to other places. I told myself that when I returned to Los Angeles I would once again stress one thing: that the eyes of the dear ones would be opened concerning planting, watering, and building, as Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered....As a wise master builder I have laid a foundation, and another builds upon it. But let each man take heed how he builds upon it...gold, silver, precious stones” (vv. 6, 10, 12). The problem is, do we know how to be built up, and do we know how to build others up? Let us pray for this in these days. If we do not see the way to grow, to water others to help them to grow, to be built up, and to build up others, we have only doctrines. Chapters one and two of 1 Corinthians speak concerning Christ as our portion and everything to us, but if we do not know how to experience Christ to such an extent, if we do not know how to sow Christ, grow in life, be built up, and build up others, those chapters are only doctrines to us.

In my recent contacts with people, I spoke almost entirely on the line of life and building. After the meetings, however, it was very difficult to talk with them. So many people are just covered by the old concept, understanding, and mentality. It is hard to take away the covering and open them to the Word. It was by these difficult talks that I realized what the need is today and what the enemy’s subtlety is to distract people from these matters. This was not only a realization in my understanding; in my spirit I had a certain insight about the situation. The distraction is very subtle, not only among us but even the more within us. There is something within us of the enemy distracting us from life, growth, and building.
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