If none of us paid attention to the matter of the church, then what would we do after we were saved? How would we meet, pursue the Lord, or preach the gospel? Consider the church in Taipei for example. Often, we feel that the church is weak. However, because we are continually standing on the ground of the church and living in the principle of the church, whenever we preach the gospel, several hundred people are baptized. This kind of gospel preaching is much more effective than gospel campaigns carried out by a single individual. Of course, there are some brothers and sisters who are not satisfied with the condition of the church. They criticize the church, saying that the church meetings are too dead, the ministering of the word is too weak, the responsible ones are short of love, the prayer meetings put the saints to sleep, and the Bible studies and times of fellowship among the saints are meaningless. They also complain that it takes two and a half hours of traveling to go to a meeting and that it simply consumes their energy, strength, and time. Therefore, they would rather spare themselves these troubles and stay in their own homes to read the Bible, pray, and draw near to the Lord. To them, this would be far more enjoyable. Since these calculations seem to fit their economic principles, they decide not to go to the meetings anymore. In the beginning, it may seem very good. During the first week they may read the Scriptures and pray every day, but after two weeks, these practices may begin to decline. Then after two or three months, they may stop reading the Bible. They may also consider the practice of kneeling down to pray to be time-consuming. Hence, they may merely close their eyes and meditate a little, thinking that this is sufficient. This seems rather convenient and economical. However, this was also the economic principle of Judas, who betrayed the Lord Jesus. I am afraid that these kinds of brothers and sisters who are independent and who do not want the church, after making such calculations, will eventually end up in the movie theaters.
You may feel that you are very strong, and you may criticize the church meetings as being poor, weak, depressing, and tasteless. However, try not attending any meetings for two months and see whether or not you can continue to stand. I cannot believe that such a Christian could be so strong and continue to stand alone. I would cry out loudly, “It is impossible!” I absolutely believe that no matter how poor, weak, and depressing the church meetings are, if you would still come to the meetings regularly, the Lord would preserve and sustain you so that you would be able to stand to the end and not grow cold. This is a marvelous thing and an undeniable fact. Conversely, a person who decides to give up the church will fall into spiritual weakness and death. This kind of person may be quick to criticize the church when he is in a peaceful situation—that is, when his business is prosperous, his children are safe, and his family is happy. He may enjoy listening to music at home, and it may seem that all is well with him. I do not mean to curse such ones, but one day the business will go bankrupt, one of the children will die, he will have a car accident, or his wife will be hospitalized. It will seem that all kinds of hardship are coming upon him. At such a time he will remember the church again. Then when the brothers and sisters visit him to pray and have fellowship, he will be greatly touched and exceedingly happy. When he comes back to the meeting, although the condition of the church will be the same as before, his feeling will be quite different. The place that he previously had thought was cold, tasteless, and boring will become the warmest and sweetest place to him.
Have you ever had this kind of experience? Many times you may feel confused and unclear within, and no matter how much you pray and seek the Lord you cannot get clear. However, when you come to the meeting and sit there for half an hour, even though your spirit may be closed and down and you may not care for the saints’ prayers and testimonies, mysteriously your inner being will be suddenly opened, and a certain matter that has been unclear to you, though you prayed about it for months, will suddenly become clear after the meeting. It might be a sentence in a brother’s prayer that opens up your understanding, or it might be a sentence in a sister’s testimony that suddenly enlightens you. Such cases are innumerable.