Now we need to consider further the question of motive. When it comes to the church, we must have a pure motive, seeking nothing for ourselves. Our motive must be singly for the Lord’s recovery. Although we may be ignorant to some degree, if our motive is pure, we shall be always ready to receive light. But if we are unwilling to receive light, this indicates that our motive is not genuine. We must consider whether our motive is absolutely for the Lord’s recovery. If not, our motive is wrong. We may be right in every respect outwardly, but we are still wrong inwardly.
I first came to Shanghai in 1933. At that time I met a brother who had come into the church at the very beginning of the practice of the church life in Shanghai. He earnestly desired to be an elder. Although apparently he zealously loved the Lord, he was not the proper person to be an elder. He simply did not have that kind of capacity. He came into the church life in 1928. When twenty years later, in 1948, he was still not an elder, he set up another meeting in his home town and supported a preacher, doing the same thing as Micah in Judges 17.
During the past fourteen years, there have been a few among us in the United States who expected to become elders. When they were not appointed an elder in one locality, they moved by way of migration to another locality. The more they expected to become elders, the more obvious it became that they should not be elders. After going from city to city without being put into the eldership, they eventually turned their back on the church and left. Nothing tests our motive like the church. The church is a pure golden lampstand, and it cannot tolerate any mixture. We all must be purified. We need to pray, saying, “Lord, make me pure. Now that I am in Your recovery, I ask You to purify me.”
None of us in the Lord’s recovery should be ambitious. In the recovery, ambition is over. Moreover, none of us should be conscious of position. It is much better not to have any positions. Furthermore, never expect to be a leader. Likewise, you should not say that you would never be a leader or that you do not like to be a leader. Whether or not in the Lord’s life you have the capacity to be a leading one is up to the Lord. But you must be the same whether you are a leader or not. If you are not a leader, then you must still be a living, functioning member. Otherwise, the Lord will have no way among us. You should not be humble and say, “I will never be a leader.” Neither should you be ambitious and desire to be a leader. If you feel unhappy when a brother or sister is made a leader, it reveals that your motive has not been purified.
My heart is constantly aching because of the situation among Christians. Look at the situation in Catholicism, Protestantism, Pentecostalism, and the free groups. Where is the way for the Lord to build up His church? We need to be clear about the Lord’s recovery and His economy, and we must be pure in our motive.
None of us should have a condemning attitude toward others. You must exercise wisdom in applying what you hear in these messages. The messages in the Lord’s ministry must be faithful to His burden and tell people the real situation. However, this does not mean that you should go out and criticize those in Catholicism, the denominations, or the free groups, telling them that they are divisive and that only the local church is right. This is not wise. On the other extreme, you should not be political, pretending to be something that you are not. We all must be what we are, yet with the exercise of wisdom. When we contact people, we must help them according to their condition and situation. Do not tell the unsaved about the church. Rather, minister to them something concerning the forgiveness of sins and the imparting of life. You may meet some who are saved, but who have never consecrated themselves to the Lord. Thus, you should help them become consecrated people. At some point you may meet a person who truly loves the Lord and who is seeking after the Lord’s heart. Then, with discernment, you may share something with him concerning the Lord’s economy and His recovery today.
In this day of division and confusion you must be on the alert not to be cheated, deceived, or influenced by anyone. At the same time you must have much contact with the Lord, praying individually and corporately and fellowshipping to seek the Lord’s leading in contacting people according to their situation and condition. I hope that the young people will come together in groups to pray and fellowship about all these matters. This will make you more clear about them and help you to contact others.
The most crucial need among the young people is to learn how to be strong in spirit and rich in the experience of Christ. Whenever you come to the meetings of the church, you must have a strong spirit and you must be rich in the experience of Christ. These are the two items covered by the Lord Jesus in John 4:24. In this verse the Lord said, “God is Spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and reality.” Reality here refers to Christ experienced by us. As we have pointed out, in ancient times God’s people were commanded to do two things in their public worship of God. Firstly, they had to go to the place chosen by God, which was Jerusalem. Secondly, they had to bring the rich produce of the good land to offer to God. Today, we are no longer in the type; we are in the reality. The place to which we must go is not the physical Jerusalem; it is our human spirit. We must come together to meet in our spirit, the New Testament Jerusalem. Not only should we come in our spirit; we must come with our hands full of Christ, full of the rich produce of the good land. We should be in the spirit, and we should have the riches of Christ to offer to God for His satisfaction. Then, with others, we shall enjoy this satisfaction before God and with God.
Young people, you must be clear about four matters: the church, the way to contact people, the spirit, and the experience of Christ. Do not come to the meetings in your mind— come in your strong spirit. To meet with others in the mind is to be in Babylon, but to meet with them in spirit is to be in Jerusalem. We must meet together in our human spirit, the place designated by God. But do not come empty-handed— come with your hands full of Christ. Come to the meetings in a strong, fresh, bold spirit, and come full of the experiences of Christ. Please pray about these matters and then practice them.