In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the concept that the church is an extension of Christ. He explains that the fullness of Christ dwells in the body of the church, and that the body is an expression of the head. The preacher uses the analogy of the human body to illustrate how the members of the church should act in unity and accordance with the direction of the head. He emphasizes the importance of each member holding fast to the head in order for the body to function properly and fulfill its purpose. The preacher also highlights the sacrifice and price that God paid to establish and form the body of Christ, including giving up His only begotten Son and the Son's suffering and death on the cross.

Can we look in a few portions of the scriptures? First in Ephesians, Chapter 4, verses 15 and 16. Ephesians, Chapter 4, verses 15 and 16. The second portion is in Colossians. Chapter 2, verse 19. Colossians 2, verse 19. So we want to read it from a positive aspect. Speaking in Chinese. So let's not read the word not. Holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with the growth which is from God. Speaking in Chinese. The third portion in Romans, Chapter 12. Speaking in Chinese. We will read from verses 3 to verse 5. Romans 12, verse 3. The fourth portion is in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12. Speaking in Chinese. 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12, verses 12 to 14. We pray this way, in Jesus' precious name. Amen. God's mystery is Christ. Christ's mystery is the Church. Thank and praise God. This mystery has been opened to us through the prophets and apostles. So today, us who have received grace and have been saved, we can enter into God's mystery and Christ's mystery. Of course, we need revelation. God not only gave revelation to Paul, if we read the words in Ephesians chapter 3, Paul said he deeply knew of the mystery of Christ. So he has shared with us what God has revealed to him. So that we may also understand and be able to enter into this mystery. The mystery of Christ is the Church. The Church is the body of Christ. This is a great mystery. But thank and praise God. God wants us to know and to enter into such mystery. This morning, we'd like to share on this matter of the law of the body. We know that our bodies are very mysterious. If you read Psalm 139, from verses 14 to 16, the hymn writer or the psalmist is David. And in this psalm, David said this, I will give thanks to thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are thy works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from thee, when I was made in secret. And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth, thine eyes have seen my unformed substance. And in thy book they were all written, the days that were written, and the days that were written. When as yet, there was not one of them. Even though Dave here is writing about our physical body, he said, I will give thanks to God. Why did he have to give thanks to God? Because he said, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. If we look at our created body, I think that the more you examine it, the more you realize it is fearfully and wonderfully made. Even though science is so advanced, even until today, scientists are not able to completely understand the mystery of the body. Not just mysterious, not just wonderful, but also fearful. I don't know if you ever ever thought it this way. If you look at the physical body that God has created for you, is there anything in this creation that can compare with this body? It is indeed wonderful. It is beyond what we could comprehend. Man can create many things. But if you compare that with God's creation, you have nothing to say. Because the more you examine this body, the more you think how wonderful it is. It is so amazing. It is beyond your imagination, and it is something even fearful. So when David was contemplating about his body, he said, this is thy work. Man cannot do such a work. He said, wonderful are thy works. And my soul knows it very well. I wonder if our souls really understand. Oftentimes we waste away our body. And then there is a teaching in this world to despise the body. And there are certain philosophies that teach to destroy this body. We truly do not understand how precious this body is. Brothers and sisters, this body will live approximately 100 years. But God made it so fearful and wonderful. Can you also imagine that the body of Christ is so fearfully and wonderfully made? The body of Christ has been formed and created for 2,000 years and it is not done yet. And this body will be preserved until eternity. And when this body is completed, it will become the bride for the Lamb. And it will be completely corresponding, completely fit for the Lamb. And it will be united for our Lord. And eternally united in one. So brothers and sisters, think about it. When we say that the church is the body of Christ, this is indeed a fearful and wonderful thing. David said, when I was made in secret, and that my frame was not hidden from me, and then he was made in secret, in his mother's womb, in secret, he was already being formed. And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth, this meant the womb. And then my body started to come together. And the eyes has seen my unformed substance. Even though I was still being formed inside my mother's womb, God had already seen it and it wasn't hidden from God. So thine eyes have seen my unformed substance. God has already established the number of our days. So these days were ordained while there was yet one of them. Because they're still being formed in my mother's womb. But my whole life has already been ordained and written in your book. This shows us how wonderful is this body that God has created. Then brothers and sisters, when we think about the body of Christ, is it that the body of Christ is also secretly being formed? As if our physical eyes cannot see it. The world does not know about such a thing. But in secret, God is forming and creating this body. And then these are being wrought in the depths of the earth. What is deeper than our spirits? So that in our spirits, the Lord is forming us together. Even though as if we cannot see the body of Christ. Because we are still there being built. But God has already seen it. Even though on this earth the church is still being formed. So we who are in the wombs of our mother's eight or nine months and then it's completed. But for two thousand or so years this body is still being connected and formed. But our whole life has already been ordained and written in the book. So because the body of Christ was already established before the foundation of the world. Before the foundation of the world. Before God created all things. In God's heart He already had a thought. And that desire was that His Son would be Lord over all. And everything will be summed up in Him. All things will shine forth His glory. This is what God established in Himself before the foundation of the world. According to the desire of His heart He established it this way. He wants His Son to be Lord over all. And then when we come to Ephesians chapter 3 we see that before the foundation of the world in His Son God also established another purpose. That He wanted to prepare a body for His Son. And when this body became mature it would become the bride of His Son. And this purpose was already established before the foundation of the world in Himself. But now in time it is slowly being revealed. So brothers and sisters when we speak about the body of Christ the church is the body of Christ. This is indeed a great mystery. This is an amazing and fearful thing. We need revelation before God. And we may understand these things from the depths of our hearts. The Bible tells us that the church is the body of Christ. It didn't say the church is like the body of Christ. In other words the reality of the body is not a parable. It's not that the church is like a body. The reality is that the church is the body of Christ. That word is the body of Christ is more than we are a body. More real than we are the body. When we look at our own bodies this is not an example. This is a reality. But brothers and sisters the church is the body of Christ. The reality of the body is more real than we are the body. We don't know how many times we need to be married. Because our body is a fleshly body. It is a physical thing. It cannot last until eternity. It will rust away. It will be blemished. But the body of Christ is spiritual. It's eternal. It is holy. It is unblemished. Brothers and sisters so you have to see the church is the body of Christ. This is not an example, a parable. That it looks like a body. If it looks like our body then it's a terrible thing. Thank you, praise God. That the church is the body of Christ. It is a reality that is even so much truer than the reality of our bodies. I don't know if you understand this and know this in the depths of your hearts. Maybe many brothers and sisters when they think about the church the church is the body of Christ. Maybe in your concept this is just but an illustration. It is not a reality. But brothers and sisters that we may in our spirits understand what the church is. If you have revelation in your spirit that the church is the body of Christ this is indeed a tremendous thing. It is beyond what we can imagine. And the fearfulness and the wonderfulness is indescribable. So first, I would like brothers and sisters to have this revelation in the depths of your hearts. For this body we don't know how much sweat and blood God exerted on this. In order for this body for this body God gave up His only begotten Son. God paid the utmost price when God created our bodies. He took dust from the earth and formed man. He breathed breath into the nostrils of such dust. And this man became a living soul. But for the sake of producing the body of Christ God had to give up the Son He loved the most. In order to establish and form this body the Son of God, the Word, had to become flesh. When He was in heaven He was praised and worshipped by all the angels. But He had to empty Himself. He had to take off the form of a human flesh. And had to suffer the utmost suffering and desert. And then lastly, to go upon the cross. And He had to shed His blood to wash away our sins. His body had to be broken so that there would be a new way established to God. He rose from the dead and gave forth His life. Just like a grain of wheat that fell on the ground and died and bore much fruit, and all the fruits had the life of that first fruit. Dear brothers and sisters, our Lord paid the utmost price for this body. Not only that, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended and in one spirit baptized the 120 into one body. Just as our brother shared last night, in the upper room there were 120 individual believers. As if he probably could not find another more precious group like those 120. They could gather together after 10 days and were praying in unison. We cannot even do this. But they could do it. Even thus, they were but 120 individual believers. They were only but gathering externally. They are but a congregation. Not the body. Not until the Holy Spirit was given forth in one spirit they were baptized into one body. Now one body has 120 members. That relationship was completely different before the relationship was external. Now the relationship was of life. It was within. 3,000 were saved. These 3,000 members also became the members of the body of Christ. For these 2,000 years the Holy Spirit is still working throughout the earth in each generation in each locality. The Holy Spirit has moved people so that people may repent. God has given the Holy Spirit to man so that we may believe in the Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit is there continuously in childbirth pains. To birth that body. Brothers and sisters, oftentimes I am amazed the work that the Holy Spirit has in our lives. He is so patient. He is still there continuously striving. We sin against Him. We quench His moving. He does not leave us. He is still there working. He is there misunderstood. He is being rejected by us. But He continues to work. What for? In order to complete the body of Christ. Brothers and sisters, the Church is the body of Christ. Not just a slogan. The Church is the body of Christ. It is what our God has gained after He has paid the greatest price. But today, our understanding of the fact that the Church is the body of Christ is very shallow. It is something very common or small. But brothers and sisters, we must see that the body of Christ is something that God has paid the greatest price. He wants to gain for Himself this body because He loves His Son. He wants His Son to have a helpmate for eternity. So the body of Christ is something tremendous. The Bible says the Church is the body of Christ. When we speak about the body, immediately we have an image. This is alive. This has life. The Church is not the corpse of Christ. The Church is the body of Christ. So when we think about the body, the main thought or main theme is life. The Church was formed through our Lord's own blood and life. The birth of the Church was a process of creation. This is a new creation because the Church is the body. So she was formed through our Lord Jesus Christ. I think brothers and sisters all know when our Lord Jesus was crucified, before He died, He cried out, It is finished! He bowed His head and committed His spirit into the hands of the Father. Because the next day was a big Sabbath day. So according to the Jewish tradition, you cannot leave someone on the cross. So then the soldiers came. They saw that the two robbers that were crucified with the Lord didn't die yet. So then they struck their legs like bones. And then after the legs were broken, they could die. But when they came before our Lord, they saw that He already died. One soldier took a spear and struck his side and pierced into his heart to see if he really died. John saw it. What did he say? He said, I saw it. When the spear was taken out of him, it came forth water and blood. John testified of this. What I testify is true, he said. You have to believe this thing. Why did he so emphasize this? Because from his broken heart flowed forth water and blood. This became the material used to form the church. God wants to use this material to build His church. The blood is to wash away our sins. Water speaks of His life. His life was poured forth like water. His life and His blood are the material used to form the church. When the Holy Spirit was given on the Pentecost, He took those who were saved by the water and blood and baptized them into one body. This is the body of Christ. So brothers and sisters, we see that the church is not an organization. The church is an organism. The church is something of life. The church is not something that is organized. If the church is an organization, then you can sustain it through the law. Because every organization has its own law. Without this law, this organization cannot continue and exist. Man is there using rules and regulations to establish that organization. Otherwise this organization cannot continue. But the church is not this way. Because the church is a body, it's an organism. It's a matter of life. It's not external rules or law to delegate it. It's the spirit of life that is controlling it from within. It is a story of life. So brothers and sisters, maybe we want to think it this way. If the church is not an organization, and the church is not established by laws and rules, then this church is unrestricted, unrestrained. So everyone can do according to his own desire. Then how can this church continue? The church has no organization. So then the church becomes a big mess. Brothers and sisters, we know this. This body, our physical body, is not an external organization. It is a manifestation of life. It is not something that's formed externally. Then you place the arm on the body, and then you take the eye and put it in front, and you didn't place it in the back. It's not something that is done externally. You don't use rules and laws to figure out how the body moves. But our bodies have a life. The organization of the body is even stricter than an external organization. It is more wonderful. And when it's there moving, you see that the control is something you don't even notice. This body of Christ is there living by the law of the spirit of life. If you do not have the law of the spirit of life, then this body cannot move. So dear brothers and sisters, so you see the organization of the law of the spirit of life is even that much more stricter and better than an external organization. Some brothers and sisters have this misunderstanding. In the church we ought to be free. Because the Lord has set us free. So everyone can live according to how he thinks he should. This is a wrong concept. In the earthly organization you have to obey rules and regulations. But in the body of Christ you need to be under the law of the spirit of life. The body of Christ is a new creation. We know that in 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 17, if any man is in Christ he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. All things are new. All things come from God. So dear brothers and sisters, the body of Christ is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things are new. I would like brothers and sisters to remember this phrase. Because this phrase is very important for our understanding of the body of Christ. In the body of Christ there is no old creation. In the body of Christ there is no old creation. Because the body of Christ is a completely new creation. We remember in Romans chapter 12 we are all familiar with this portion. I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a holy and living sacrifice acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship. And then in Romans chapter 12 and verse 5 what did he say? So we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members one of another. Romans chapter 12, verse 1 we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice. This body is plural. Because you have your body I have my body. And this body represents this saved person. Why use the body? Because then later you talk about living. We live according to this body. But living speaks about our complete person being there living. So everyone that has been saved everyone that has been touched by the love of God this old creation this redeemed body we can no longer live for ourselves. Every body needs to be offered up. Because this is a redeemed body. It is not the original body. It's already been redeemed. So it belongs to the Lord. We offer it up. But what is the result of offering this up? Verse 5 That there is only one body. In other words all these redeemed bodies are offered up. The result is that it produces one body. And that body is the body of Christ. So our dear brother Washman Lee said this Romans chapter 12 tells us about the body of Christ. But chapter 12 did not tell us how do we form into the body of Christ. If you want to understand how do you become the body of Christ you have to look at Romans 5-8 If you go through Romans 5-8 then you will reach to the body in Romans chapter 12. Brothers and sisters this is very important. Because we lack in our understanding about the body of Christ. Our understanding is not complete enough on the body of Christ. This creates therefore many problems for the body of Christ. We have to enter into the reality of the body of Christ. We then must first go through Romans 5-8 Romans what does Romans chapter 5 tell us? It said that before we used to be an Adam. Because Adam sinned we all became sinners. Adam was an old man. In this old man we are all old. This is what chapter 5 tells us. When you come to chapter 6 it tells us that this old man needs to be crucified. Do you not know that our old man has been crucified with Christ? We used to be an Adam. We had the old Adamic life in us. Now this old man has already been crucified with Christ. When the Lord Jesus was crucified all those who were in Adam if you believe in the Lord He has already crucified you on the cross. Because our Lord is the last Adam. In Him the whole race of Adam was concluded. Then when we come to chapter 7 because our old man has already been crucified with Christ so we no longer ought to live in our flesh. If we live in the flesh we are turning back. The relationship between the flesh and the old man the old man is an objective viewpoint. In Adam we are all old men. The flesh is a subjective viewpoint. All of us have the flesh. This flesh is old. Since our old man has been crucified with Christ can we still live on in the flesh? We cannot live according to the flesh. So we have to see in our flesh there is no good. Who can deliver me from this body of death? Thank and praise God. In Christ Jesus. Chapter 8 Now that the flesh has been dealt to death then how do you live in life? When you live in the spirit you are in life. So this is the way. If you go through Romans chapter 5 then you will enter into Romans chapter 12. You offer up your redeemed body and you see that you are formed into one body. In that body there is no old creation. In that body there is no flesh. In that body everything is new creation. Everything is from God. Everything is from the Lord's light. Everything is in the spirit of life. This is the body of Christ. So dear brothers and sisters we have so downplayed the body of Christ. We put our flesh in the body. We place ourselves in the body of Christ. We put in what we think is best in the body of Christ. Not knowing that we are doing the work of destruction of the body of Christ. Today the body of Christ cannot display because we are still in the flesh. We still live in the natural realm. We are still living in ourselves. These are all foreign objects. That you cannot allow any of this in the body of Christ. So dear brothers and sisters if you want to truly enter into the body of Christ's body living we need the strict working of the cross. We already spoke today this body is a story of life. Now because it is a story of life life has its law. Life has a set of rules that designates it. But these set of rules are living. It's the spirit of life moving within us. And as it's moving it has its law. We'd like to mention a few things this morning. The bible shows us what is the law of the body. First The first law is that this body holds fast to the head. The bible shows us God established our Lord Jesus as the Lord of all. He is not just Lord over all. He is even more the head of the church. The church is an extension of Christ. All the fullness of the head bodily dwelleth in the body. And that this body is an expression of the head. What the head wants to do that he does it through his body. So the head and body are one. So today if this body wants to move it needs to hold fast to the head. Just like our fleshly body. We have four limbs. And it is there moving. And then how do these members move? It's not that my hand wants to grab something then it goes and grabs it. My foot says I don't want to go. It does not cooperate. There is no such thing. Why? It is all designated by the head. There is a direction from the head. And then all of the bodies are holding fast to the head. If a member of the body does not hold fast to the head this body is paralyzed. It has lost its function. It has not just lost function it has become a burden. Isn't it true? This is the condition of our body. The spiritual body of Christ is the same way. Without mentioning the limbs how can it move? How can this body live? It is all because every limb holds fast to the head. Grab it. Listen to it. Follow its orders. There is no rebellion. Complete submission. Brothers and sisters It's like what? It's like our body that has a nervous system. Our nervous system controls our whole body. This system is controlled by the head. So the spiritual body is like the nervous system. It is there that the head and the limbs are transported to each of our limbs. So he takes what is in the head and transmits it to the body. He will not lead one member this way and another member another way. Because there is only one spirit. This spirit represents Christ. Christ is the head. He has absolute authority. The Holy Spirit representing the authority of the head. His authority is also absolute. So in the church in the body of Christ the first law is to hold fast to the head. If we do not hold fast to the head or if there is someone that replaces the head you see that this is a fatal wound. Today man does not like to hear this word authority. Especially in the United States. If you speak about authority he will rebel. When you say this word he will rebel. We are free people brothers and sisters. But in the universe the first principle is authority. God is authority. Man is not authority. God is authority. Yet his authority is absolute. Grace is the second principle. Grace is to help us to submit to authority. So authority and grace they work together. God is authority. We are rebellious people. We are not willing to submit. We cannot submit. But the Holy Spirit has granted us grace that through grace we can submit. So no man can boast I submit. None of us are submissive. According to our natural manner we are all rebels. When we hear the word authority we want to rebel immediately. It is grace. It is the Lord's grace that we may be allowed to submit. So dear brothers and sisters we have to remember just like our brother Ni, he said this when you go into the church the first thing learn to submit. Not to look at where I can find authority in the church. That I am the authority. But I have to submit. Brothers and sisters this is the first principle that we need in order to have body living. Second the unity of the body. The Bible says that even though there are many members there is just one body. One body. But there are many members. Christ is this way too. This is an amazing thing. We all know brothers and sisters our members are all different. Just as your left and right hand it looks like they are the same but maybe your left hand is a little bigger than your right hand. Some right hand is bigger than left hand. No member is completely alike. And every member has a different function in the world. If you are different then you cannot be one. Then how do you cause the difference to become one? Then you have to do the work of uniting. So this is what a dictator does. You are all different. But you have to be like me. So I unite all of you. You have to do everything according to what I say. This is the world method. But the ways of God are mysterious. He doesn't use this way of uniting. Some people say this I want to become like Madame Guion. But brothers and sisters, Madame Guion, there is only one of her. God doesn't want you to be Madame Guion. Because God wants you to be another member. Every one of us are different. But thank God God can in this all very different members form one body that is united. This is the reason for the unity. Isn't it amazing? This is God's work. So brothers and sisters, let us not think that because we are different we cannot be one. But you have to see that our differences actually make us one. Then how can you do such a thing? This is what Ephesians chapter 4 tells us. Ephesians chapter 4 tells us So what we do and what we say is to be worthy of our calling. Now what we are called to? We are called to be a body. To be the body of Christ. Now how can you be worthy of your calling? The first thing is this. That you may hold on to the unity of the Spirit. You are to diligently to preserve the unity of the Spirit. What is the unity that the Spirit provides? This unity is in the Godhead. One body. One baptism. One Spirit. One Lord. One faith. One baptism. One God who is the Father of all. So you see this. Everyone that believes in the Lord all have the unity of the Spirit. That in the Father we are one. God is our Father. In Christ Jesus we are united as one. He is our Lord. In the Holy Spirit we are one. We are one body. So brothers and sisters this is what all of us that have been saved already have this unity. This is the foundation of the unity of the body. But this doesn't mean that because there is the unity of the Spirit then we are all unison. Unified. No. But because we have the unity of the Spirit but in this matter of truth you may have different ideas. We have one Bible. But our understandings of the Bible are all different. Not just in this matter of levels. And also the content. Some of us have a more extensive understanding of the Bible. And some have just a general understanding of the Bible. So some people believe that when you baptize you drop the water. Some say you have to be immersed. But our understanding of the Bible is all different. We all believe in the Bible. But our understandings may be different. So in this matter of the knowledge of the truth we are not one yet. And our experience in the Lord is not the same. Some people have already experienced Christ deeply. Some experience Him just like an infant. Everyone's experience is different. Our experience of the Holy Spirit is different. Then brothers and sisters so the differences are still there. Then how can we become one? Thank the Lord. And this matter of the unity of life it's the same. You are the child of God. Our Lord Jesus is your Lord and my Lord. The same Spirit is in you and in me. So in Christ we are one body. Now we still have many differences. What do you do? Then you see you need fellowship. Even though we are different we have commonality. So therefore we need fellowship. Don't think that because you have your own perspective then you cannot have fellowship with others. Because you have a different method of doing things you can only have fellowship with those that do the same methods that you do. Our fellowship is a fellowship of the whole body. Think about our Lord. When he was on earth he had fellowship with his disciples. Is that fellowship easy? Sometimes it was not that communication did not go through. So he was there speaking about spiritual things they were understanding physical things. Now the Lord said if I can't get through to them then no fellowship. There was no such thing. He continued to fellowship. Through fellowship he brought them before God. But the disciples had to open up their hearts. If you have some preconceived things then you cannot have fellowship. Even though we have differences our foundation is the same. We have to open up our hearts. Don't just stay together with those that have the same views as us. You have to have fellowship with all the saints to learn from each other to have a humble spirit. If we do it such a way then what does Ephesians 4 verse 13 say? Until we attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. Then we grow up to become human. So dear brothers and sisters when you see the spirit of life moving in the body even though we are many we are yet one body. The third point is that we are connected together to minister to one another. This is the principle of the body. God gives to each one of us our individual gifts. God does not want all of us to become mouths. So then if you are just mouths all you do is eat. The hand cannot say to the foot I don't need you. I'm going to get stuff. You cannot get stuff. I don't need you. So if that thing is a little further you cannot go and grab the thing. You need the foot to help you. I often say when we eat we don't think about it. If we think about it then we don't know how to eat it. When you are eating, how do you eat? Which member do you use to eat? Do you use the tongue to eat or the teeth to eat? Or the mouth or something else? How do you eat? So your teeth is there helping you and the tongue is there doing the work of transporting? If you don't have a tongue you move it to the back to be chewed. So if you don't have a tongue you have to use your finger to move the finger out. So then you'll bite your finger. No, you can't do this. So you see this. Every member has a different function. You cannot look down upon any of the members. Even the smallest member you cannot be missed. So this small member cannot also become discouraged. You say because I'm not the eye I am the ear I am in the back. I do not belong to the body. No. So if all eyes where do you hear from? For every member God has granted a portion of grace and a gift. God wants us to jointly supply each other and minister to each other. No one can be selfish. If we are selfish we will die. No man can go out solo. We need the body. The provision of the body many brothers and sisters today they are just church goers. They have no function in the church. So that the body of Christ suffers loss. All those that only have one talent have to lay forth what they have been given. Don't say that just because I only have one talent I bury it in the ground. Let those that have two talents and five talents to exercise and do the work. The difficulty in the church today is this. The problem is always with those that have five talents. And also with those that only have one talent. The two talents ones are doing okay. This is what Brother Moody said. And Brother Moody said in his meeting he invited many famous preachers and then he would often introduce them into the meeting. He said I am but one with only two talents. These have five talents. Because he was a buyer and seller of shoes. He was not one with knowledge. But he was greatly used by the Lord. So brothers and sisters may we all rise up and serve the Lord. I'm sorry I used up the time. I'm borrowing yesterday's time. Number four. The last one. The restraint and protection of the body. We look at our own bodies. In our bodies there are things that restrain our bodies. Every member cannot do according to his own will. If my eyes look at something at a distance I cannot go and go grab it. I am restrained by the rest of the members of the body. If I fall I am protected by the rest of the members of the body. So you see this. This is the beauty of the body. Don't think that to be restrained means to be completely bound. We need to be restrained in order that we may not just be loose. Otherwise we become loose. But brothers and sisters do not agree. Then what do you do? Then I will leave brothers and sisters and do it myself. Some people say this. I just need the Lord and myself. This is the most spiritual. Brothers and sisters this spiritualness is fake. We need the Lord. We also need brothers and sisters. We need restraint. Otherwise we become lawless. Even though when we are restrained we feel some challenges. But this is the training of the Lord. So that we may stand on where we need to stand. Not to there be fulfilling our own desires. To fulfill God's purpose. And at the same time the body is a protection. Don't think that the church doesn't need it. Even today the church is in such desolation that in the church you feel that you are greatly misunderstood. Why not better for me to stay at home? But brothers and sisters if man leaves the church then he leaves protection. Just like the people of Israel when they were in the wilderness if they left the camp then they would fall in the wilderness. This camp was their protection. So we need the protection of the church. Especially in this day and age. Spiritual warfare is so intense we cannot fight it ourselves. We need the brothers and sisters together to fight against the enemy. So Ephesians chapter 6 tells us the church needs to put on the full armor of God. Not individually. It's the church that needs to put on the full armor of God so that in the day of trial may stand for the Lord and then may allow the will of the Lord to be fulfilled. Thank and praise God. The body of Christ is precious. May brothers and sisters let us cherish such a body.