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Building and perfecting the home meetings are the key to the success of the practice of the new way. The following are some important points that can help us build up and perfect the home meetings.
First of all, we must prepare ourselves before going out to visit people. This preparation is nothing less than prayer. Prayer is indispensable in our Christian service. Before serving in any aspect, we must first pray, confess, and ask to be cleansed and filled. If we do not first pray, our going to visit people in a hasty way will definitely be futile. We must have some good prayer before we can go out to fight the spiritual battle, asking the Lord to cleanse and to fill us.
Next, we must exercise our spirit. We human beings have three parts — spirit, soul, and body. Because of man’s fall, the common people can use only two parts, which are their soul and body. However, since we Christians are regenerated in our spirit, we should exercise our spirit. The most important thing in our preaching the gospel and serving the Lord is for us to use our spirit. Although the activity of our body is involved in every kind of service, and the soul also must be in its function, the most important and crucial part is still our spirit. Therefore, we must learn to exercise and follow the spirit.
Some may ask, “How do I know that the spirit is leading me within? How do I know if I am following the spirit?” We may not know what it is to be in spirit, but we certainly know what it is to not be in spirit. For instance, when we are about to lose our temper, or when we have already lost our temper, then we are certain that we have not been in spirit and that our actions were not out from the spirit. Then what is it to follow the spirit? Simply speaking, to follow the spirit is to not do what we sense is not of the spirit. Whatever we sense is not of the spirit, we should not do. Now some may ask, “How can we not do anything? If we don’t do anything, nothing will happen.” For an unbeliever to not do that which is not of the spirit means that nothing remains, because their spirit is not in function. However, when we who serve the Lord pray and then not do all the things that we sense are not of the spirit, what remains is all of the spirit. This is very simple and clear. After we pray, we must exercise our spirit wherever we go. As to what we should say to people, we also have to exercise our spirit. Whatever we feel that is not of the spirit, we should not do it. Then the rest will all be of the spirit.
Moreover, we have to be delivered from religious rituals. Since religious concepts have been planted deeply in man’s heart, the secular people regard Christianity as a kind of religion, thinking that Christianity is merely for people to worship God. Therefore, if we want to establish a meeting in people’s homes after they are saved, they will think that we are leading them to have a “Sunday service.” They will see us as pastors and preachers. The saints from abroad, in particular, will be considered foreign missionaries. If we are not careful, we may behave as if we were pastors. The new ones will then “ordain” us and accept whatever we say. Then the more they accept us, the happier we will be, and the happier we become, the more we will be like pastors. As a result, a religious service will come into being. We do not need to hang out a sign to tell people that the church is special and is different from the denominations, that we do not have pastors or any religious rituals. It is useless merely to say these things. What is useful is the way we conduct ourselves, how we talk and behave in their homes. This is the most crucial pattern for the home meetings.
When we meet in the homes, we should never presumptuously tell people that we are there to teach them. We must not have any such presumption. Rather, we should simply be ordinary Christians who meet with them. The first thing we must do is break the heritage and tradition of holding “services” in the way of Christianity. After we come to someone’s home, we should not first arrange the chairs as if we are going to have a Sunday service. The more the chairs are arranged in a normal way, the better it is. Never go and arrange the seats like someone who takes care of a chapel. In addition, do not choose a special seat for yourselves as the pastors do, and even the more, do not assume the responsibility of reading the Scriptures like the preachers do. Simply sit in a normal way in an ordinary seat. If after arriving in a home we feel the chairs are too messy, we busy ourselves arranging them, and then we choose a place to sit and call a hymn, we will successfully conduct a “Sunday service.” Hence, we should never do these things.
Perhaps someone will ask, “If arranging seats makes us chapel keepers, calling hymns makes us pastors, praying makes us junior pastors, and reading the Scriptures makes us preachers, then what should we do in the home meetings?” The problem of religious concepts is the reason that it is better not to prematurely bring the new ones to meet in the meeting hall. By bringing them too early, they may soon be “contaminated,” and the poison of religion will get into them. Since we have not been entirely delivered from the rituals and traditions of the old religion, we should not bring the newly saved ones to the meetings in the old way.
When it comes to the time in the home meetings that we usually call a hymn, it may be better not to call one. Rather, we may talk with them about their daily matters. We may ask them how many children they have, or whether they know what to do in a meeting. They may say that they do not know, or they may know only a little. No matter how they answer, we can take the opportunity to fellowship with them about walking by the spirit. We should not be like those who learn to box according to rigid rules about which punch to use first and which to use second. Blindly following a set pattern is of little effect.
After leading them in this way one or two times, they will have learned something. Then when we visit them the third time, we can say, “Brother, what should we do now?” The new one may say, “Let’s pray.” We may ask him, “Who should pray?” If he says, “You should pray,” we can tell him, “Brother, I don’t want to be a pastor. I don’t want to pray first. Perhaps you can pray.” Gradually, we have to let them know that a meeting is not a matter of forms or rituals but a matter of following the spirit. Although we may have set the meeting time for 7:30 P.M., we may not need to wait until then to start the meeting. This is a meeting in their home. After they finish dinner at 6:45 P.M. and are cleaning up together, the little brother can pray to begin the meeting while the mother is still washing the dishes. Then the older brother can sing, “We need Jesus, we need Jesus.” In this way the home meeting begins.
If we practice this from the beginning of a home meeting, we can break the concept of having a Sunday service. It is not necessary to start the meeting by reading the Word or by praying. It is not even a requirement to start the meeting at a fixed time. The meeting may not begin in the living room; it may simply begin in the kitchen. After finishing dinner, while it is still early, someone can wash the dishes and sing, “Since Jesus came into my heart.” Then the young son in the next room may echo, “Amen, Hallelujah!” In this way the meeting can begin. Let them know that there are no forms or rituals in the meetings. There is only the Spirit, only the presence of the Lord. If we understand home meetings to this extent, then when we go and help the home meetings, we can bring people to be delivered from religion. This is the way to break the tradition of Christianity, and this is also the new way and living way we must take.
In the meetings, regardless of whether the new ones are reading verses, giving a testimony, or speaking something, do not correct them. If there is definitely something improper, adjust them privately, or wait until the next time. Never correct them on the spot, because this will quench their spirit, and ordinances will then come in. If a point comes when they do not do anything, we may then lead them a little by asking, “Should we read some verses now?” Then we can ask them where we should read. Perhaps we have decided to read Revelation, but they want to read Genesis. We should not say no. Rather, we should read Genesis with them. After reading, we can explain it to them a little. Then we can ask them to tell us why they wanted to read this portion. In this way they will know how to read the Bible, how to share, and how to give a testimony. There are many ways to practice, but it is sufficient if we can grasp the principle.
However, this does not mean that we should forget about our burden. After they have met for fifteen to twenty minutes, and after they all have learned a little, we can, in the form of fellowship, suggest a portion of the Bible according to our burden. After reading it, we should not speak immediately. We can ask them whether this portion is good. For example, the portion we read may be John 1:29: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” We may ask them, “Is this portion of the Word good? Which phrase is the best? Which point is the best?” This is to inspire them, and in this inspiring we can release our burden to them. Finally, we can lead everyone to memorize the verse. If we help the home meeting in this way, the new ones will not think that we have come to conduct a Sunday service with them. Although we do not need a certain pattern, we must have a definite burden within. Nevertheless, we should not bother too much about what we need to do. We should simply give them an impression in a flexible way that we are going there to have fellowship with them.
In the first home meeting we should talk about our need to meet. We can tell the new ones that Christians are like sheep, possessing a communal nature. Christians are also like bees, which swarm together. In truth, all human beings possess a communal nature, as the ancient Chinese used to say, “To be human is to be communal.” No matter how many blessings a man has or how much wealth he possesses, he would never be willing to live in seclusion in the mountains and not come down for three years. It is not human nature to live alone, apart from the human community. However, today society is full of sins. It is right to be communal, but the problem is how to be communal and with whom we should be communal. If someone joins himself to the wrong group of people, he will be defiled. If we join ourselves to mah-jongg players, eventually we will be playing mah-jongg with them. If we join ourselves to those who take drugs, we will end up taking drugs with them. This is the meaning of another Chinese saying: “Whoever touches vermilion turns red; whoever touches ink turns black.” Therefore, we can see that the best community is the Christian meetings. The Christian meetings give people the joy of gathering together. This is the noblest, purest, and most profitable joy. To illustrate further, a piece of charcoal cannot burn by itself; if it were to burn, it would go out very quickly. Rather, it has to burn with other pieces of charcoal to make a bright fire.
Matthew 18:20 says, “Where there are two or three gathered into My name, there am I in their midst.” We have to tell the new ones that in every meeting the Lord is with us and that He is in our midst. If we want to enjoy the Lord’s presence, we have to meet. We need to speak these basic points into them.
Acts 2:42-47 tells us that the first purpose of our meeting is to learn and continue steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and to come together to have fellowship, to break bread, and to pray. At the same time we can also teach others and preach the gospel. These are the purposes of meeting. Besides this, Hebrews 10:24 says that we have to consider one another so as to incite one another to love. This also is a purpose of the Christian meetings. Hence, the purpose of the Christian meetings is severalfold.
The Bible reveals not only one way to meet but many ways. There are home meetings and meetings of the whole church coming together. There are big meetings and also small meetings. These are according to the practical situation and need. In the church in Taipei, first there are meetings in individual homes. These are the smallest, most fundamental, and most basic kind. Second, there are group meetings in which several homes come together. Third, there are district meetings in which several groups come together in a meeting hall. Sometimes there are medium-sized meetings of several districts coming together. In addition, there are corporate meetings of all the saints in Taipei and even meetings in which the church in Taipei meets with the churches in other cities. Occasionally, there are meetings for the whole island of Taiwan and even international conferences on a larger scale.
The way to meet is nothing other than to listen to God’s speaking, read the Scriptures, sing hymns, pray, give testimonies, encourage one another, preach the gospel, and so on. We have to tell the new ones a little about all of this. Nevertheless, whatever we speak when we lead a home meeting, it should not be long. We should always allow time for others to speak something, and we should teach them how to speak in the meetings. We should tell them that when they speak in the meetings, they are speaking to others not to themselves, so they should speak loud enough for people to hear them. We should let them know these things in the first or second meeting.
In this way we can fellowship with them that for a Christian to worship God and to serve and follow the Lord after his salvation, he has to terminate his past. Before we were saved, we made many mistakes in our daily life that left some consequences which need to be dealt with. Apart from this, we may have some improper items in our house such as idols, which should also be cleared up. In the Bible there are two excellent examples that speak concerning the termination of the past. One is in Luke 19, which talks about Zaccheus, who was originally a tax collector who constantly defrauded those who paid taxes. After he was saved, however, he immediately said to the Lord Jesus, “If I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore four times as much” (v. 8). Another example is in Acts 19:19-20, which tells us that after the Ephesians were saved, they brought their demonic books together and burned them.
After we are saved, there are certain things in our home that need to be cleared up. The first thing is idols. The second are gambling devices, such as cards and mah-jongg. Third, there are the items used for drinking alcohol, and the fourth are the items used for smoking. The fifth is anything related to dragons. In the Bible the dragon clearly refers to Satan. After we are saved, we want to follow the Lord and take His way. Therefore, all these things which offend God and are not pleasing to Him should be dealt with so that we will have a good testimony before man, joy in ourselves, and no barriers when we pray. This is especially true in the home meetings. All the furniture and decorations in a home should show people that we are of Christ Jesus. All these things are what a saved one will gradually do and should do before the Lord under His leading.
We need to learn to use Life Lessons, but not in a rigid way. There are twelve lessons in each volume. It is not necessary for us to read one lesson every time we meet. We may cover one lesson in two sessions, or we may cover two lessons at one time. Our way does not need to be rigid. It is sufficient simply to see the main points; we do not need to bring up other points until later. After using Life Lessons, we also should learn to use Truth Lessons. Truth Lessons is written in a coherent and systematic way and can be considered as the essence of the basic teaching for a new believer. It has not only outlines and main points but also the content to explain the outlines and main points in a concise and clear way. Therefore, it is very practical.
When we go to the home meetings, we will always encounter the practical problems of the new ones, which we cannot ignore. In order to take care of their problems, we may not be able to use Truth Lessons step by step, lesson by lesson. Sometimes we may have to put it aside for the time being and concentrate on dealing with the problems. However, we must take care that when we answer the questions of new believers, regardless of what they ask, giving simpler answers is always better. Do not expect them to understand everything. Everyone who has children knows that no matter what kind of questions children ask, the questions are endless. Even three days and nights are not enough to answer all their questions. The more we answer them, the more they like to ask. As a result, the questions can go on endlessly.
We should deal with the new believers in the same way. For example, someone may ask whether or not they should worship their ancestors. We can answer them in this way: The way to care for your ancestors is simply to honor and remember them, and the best and highest way to honor and remember them is to behave well and live a proper human life, even as the ancient Chinese sages said, “To live a proper human life is to honor your ancestors.” It is best to answer this question only to this extent. The new believer may ask further, “Should we worship the ancestors?” Then we should say, “If your parents do, then do not argue with them. Regarding other questions you may have, we can talk about them later.”
Sometimes they may ask positive questions. When they pray, for example, they may sense some hindrances within them. To ask about this is to ask a good question. We should take this opportunity to speak a little to them to let them know that to pray is to come near to the Lord. At the same time, to pray is also to exercise the spirit. The spirit is the organ for us to contact the Lord. In our living we may talk and act in a light way without caring for the sense in our spirit, and we may not sense the obstacles and hindrances in our spirit. However, when we quiet ourselves and pray with our spirit, the spirit gains ground in us, and we then become very clear about the feeling of the spirit. Then whenever something is wrong in our spirit, we sense the barrier. Most of the time this barrier is our sins or our disobedience in some matter before God. Therefore, we have to confess our sins immediately, one after another, until there are no more barriers within. To answer a question in this way will make a very good home meeting. If the new ones have no questions, we can read Truth Lessons with them. This is a very convenient and flexible way.
The best way to teach Truth Lessons, simply speaking, is not to read the lessons together with them but to read the outlines at the beginning of every lesson, giving some explanation while reading. Before reading with them, we have to read it ourselves and understand the general idea and the main points of the chapter. Then we can help them when we read with them. I believe that after they read the message, they will find it very meaningful. Truth Lessons will be published in four levels, with four volumes in each level. Its content is very rich. If the new ones can receive some solid education in Life Lessons and Truth Lessons, they will surely be remaining fruit.
The success of the new way hinges on two key points. The first one is getting people saved and baptized. The second is the home meetings to keep the saved ones in the church life so that they can be remaining fruit and be perfected to be useful vessels. If a local church truly takes the new way, it will begin with a fourfold increase in number each year. Where there is originally one hundred saints, after one year there should be four hundred. Three hundred out of this number will be newly added to the church life, and one-fourth of these three hundred should be remaining fruit. Hence, there should be two hundred who meet regularly by the end of the year.
Simply speaking, at least one-fourth of all who are baptized by us should remain and have home meetings. Last year we baptized eight thousand people in addition to the four thousand baptized at the start of our full-time training. This totals twelve thousand. Of these twelve thousand, there should still be three thousand who remain. According to past experience, among these three thousand remaining ones there should be five or six hundred homes in which they break bread. If five or six meet in each home to break bread, about five hundred homes are needed for this purpose. These are only the newly saved ones; this does not include those who already meet in the church.
Therefore, the key for the home meetings is first to keep one-fourth of the newly baptized ones. Second, five percent of these remaining ones should serve full time. Apart from this, twenty-five percent should be going out for door-knocking every week. The home meetings are considered successful only if these three things are fulfilled. If not, we cannot reach our estimates for the increase. We cannot look only at the outward situation of the number of people who are baptized and the good condition of the home meetings. We must realize that this is not enough. We have to keep our eyes on our estimates and our goal. Full-timers need to be produced, and one-fourth of the saints must be raised up to go door-knocking every week. This requires all of us to endeavor together.
