In these messages we have seen that the Lord’s recovery today is concerned with two main items: the full experience of Christ in our spirit and the practical church life. In the more than half century since 1922, the enemy has not ceased to attack the Lord’s recovery. During the past years in the United States, the attacks have always been on two points— the Spirit and the ground of the church. The enemy has tried his best to defeat us regarding the Spirit for our experience and the church ground for our practice. Here we see the subtlety of the enemy. The points the enemy attacks are the crucial spots. If the enemy would attack any particular place, that spot must be vital. Therefore, we have been burdened to cover these two matters.
In this message, I am burdened to cover the matters of the practical church life and the proper ground. There are many verses that we need to mention. In Matthew 16:18 the Lord Jesus said, “I will build my church.” The church here, which is built upon Christ as the rock, is the universal church. However, when the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 18:17, “Tell it unto the church,” He was referring, not to the universal church, but to a local church to which we can go. First Corinthians 10:32 speaks of “the church of God,” and 1 Corinthians 11:16 speaks of “the churches of God.” Here we see the church, singular, and the churches, plural. In addition, we have some illustrations of the church: the church at Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1), the church at Cenchrea (Rom. 16:1), and the church at Corinth (1 Cor. 1:2). Galatians 1:22 and 1 Thessalonians 2:14 both speak of “the churches in Judaea,” that is, the churches in the Jewish territory of Judaea. Furthermore, Romans 16:4 mentions “the churches of the Gentiles.” Hence, we firstly have the churches in the Jewish land and then the churches in the Gentile world. Acts 15:41 refers to the churches in Syria and Cilicia, two Gentile provinces of the ancient Roman Empire. In addition to Syria and Cilicia, the New Testament speaks of churches in three other provinces of the ancient Roman Empire: Asia, Galatia, and Macedonia. First Corinthians 16:19 speaks of “the churches of Asia”; Galatians 1:2 and 1 Corinthians 16:1 refer to “the churches of Galatia”; 2 Corinthians 8:1, “the churches of Macedonia.” In 1 Corinthians 4:17 we find the phrase “every where in every church.” Acts 14:23 says that the apostles ordained elders in every church. Romans 16:16 mentions “the churches of Christ,” and 1 Corinthians 14:33 “the churches of the saints.” Therefore, we have the churches of God, the churches of Christ, and the churches of the saints.
As we have pointed out several times, every truth in the Bible has two sides. This is also true with respect to the church. The church has two aspects: the universal aspect and the local aspect. Universally, the church is uniquely one. Locally, however, the church is expressed in many localities. Therefore, the one universal church becomes the many local churches. God is expressed in Christ, Christ is expressed in the church, and the church is expressed in the local churches. If there were no Christ, then God would not be practical to us. We would be like the Jews who hold the doctrine of God, but who do not have Christ. As a result, God is merely a term to them; He is not practical. The practical God is the God expressed in Christ, because Christ is the practical expression of God. Apart from Christ and outside of Christ, no one can have God. But if you have Christ, then you have God. Where is Christ? Doctrinally speaking, you may answer, “Christ is in the heavens.” But if Christ were only in the heavens, how could we contact Him? In that case, He would be doctrinal to us, but He would not be practical to us. Surely we must say that today Christ is in the church. Whenever you touch the church, you touch Christ. If you have the church, then you have Christ. By the word “church,” I do not mean a bungalow with a high tower and a bell; I mean the real church, which is the expression of Christ.