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I. The importance of meeting.
II. The kinds of meetings:
А. The table meeting:
1. The first section — remembering the Lord.
2. The second section — worshipping the Father.
B. The prayer meeting.
C. Meeting for the mutual building up through the exercise of spiritual gifts.
D. Meeting to read the word of God.
E. Meeting to hear a message.
F. Meeting to hear a report.
III. How to meet.
Meeting with one another is a very important Christian practice, so we will consider it carefully.
1. “Where there are two or three gathered into My name, there am I in their midst” (Matt. 18:20).
If two or three believers are gathered into the Lord’s name, He promises that He will be in their midst. This shows that He is with us when we meet. When we personally contact the Lord, we surely can touch His sweet presence and receive His grace, but we receive a different supply in the meetings. Even though the blessing that we receive in our personal contact with the Lord cannot be replaced by what we receive in the meetings, the presence of the Lord in the meetings provides a supply that cannot be obtained through only personal contact with the Lord. The presence of the Lord in the meetings always enlightens us and blesses us; it is very precious. This preciousness speaks of the importance of meeting with one another.
2. “They rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven and those with them assembled together...And as they were speaking these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, Peace to you” (Luke 24:33, 36).
The two disciples on the road to Emmaus met the Lord, and they walked and talked with Him. Yet even when He explained the Bible to them, they did not recognize Him. However, when the Lord reclined at table with them, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him as the Lord. Then the Lord suddenly disappeared. Realizing that they were headed in the wrong direction and to the wrong place, they immediately rose up and returned to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they found the eleven apostles assembled together and met with them. While they were meeting, the Lord came into their midst; they received the blessing of His appearing and experienced His presence. Without participating in that meeting, they would not have received the blessing of the Lord’s appearance. This experience shows the importance of meeting.
3. “Thomas...was not with them when Jesus came...After eight days, His disciples were again within, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, though the doors were shut, and stood in the midst” (John 20:24, 26).
Thomas was the last of the eleven disciples to see the Lord after His resurrection. In the evening of the day of the Lord’s resurrection, the Lord came and stood in the midst of the disciples and appeared to them, but Thomas was not with them. After eight days the disciples gathered together again, and Thomas was with them. When the Lord appeared in the midst of them again, Thomas finally saw the Lord. This shows that in the meetings of the disciples — us — the Lord often appears. If we attend the meeting, we will gain the Lord’s appearing; if not, we will miss it. This indicates the importance of meeting.
The Lord’s appearing and presence are the most important point of meeting. In every meeting we should meet the Lord. Listening to a message, prayer, or other matters are not the most important aspects of meeting. The most important point of every meeting is to touch and meet the Lord.
4. “As the day of Pentecost was being fulfilled, they were all together in the same place...And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:1-4).
When the Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost, He did not descend upon individual believers in separate places; He descended upon the disciples when they were meeting together. He did not outwardly fill the individual believers who were separate from one another; He filled the disciples who were in the meeting. Only the disciples participating in that meeting obtained the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the time. Those who did not come to the meeting missed this opportunity. This shows the importance of meeting.
5. “Incite one another to love and good works, not abandoning our own assembling together...but exhorting one another; and so much the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb. 10:24-25).
The meetings enable us to care for one another, exhort one another, and incite one another to love and good works. The meetings cause us to have spiritual fellowship with all the saints and to receive the life supply from the saints. Therefore, we should not abandon our own assembling together, especially in these last days of deep darkness. If we cease to meet, we will not only lose the blessings of the meetings, but we also will develop a habit of not meeting. Then we will become colder and colder until we have no way to fervently pursue the Lord and serve Him.
There was a brother in a Western country who had not been to a meeting for a long time. Whenever a co-worker went to visit him, he was not home. One day during winter a co-worker went to visit the brother, and he saw a fire burning in the fireplace of his living room. He took the coals out of the stove, allowed them to cool, and then scattered them on the floor of the living room. When the brother returned home and saw coals scattered over the floor and no fire in the fireplace, he was very angry. After he found out that the co-worker was responsible, he went to speak with him. The co-worker said to him, “Brother, you are like one of those cold, dead pieces of coal. Satan has taken you out of the stove of the meetings, causing you to leave the church so that you are no longer burning.” When the brother heard this word, he immediately woke up and began to come to the meetings once again.
By ourselves we cannot burn or be hot. We need to meet with the saints. The more wood or coal there is, the more quickly and brightly a fire will burn. When a Christian becomes isolated, he is cheated by the devil and eventually becomes cold and dead. If we do not want to be cold and dead, we must regularly attend the meetings of the church. The church is the sanctuary of God. His presence as well as the light of His presence are there. Many brothers and sisters can testify that coming to a meeting often causes their feelings of darkness or inward oppression to be replaced with a sense of enlightenment and freedom. Sometimes we feel sad, hurt, or depressed, but as soon as we come to a meeting, we receive comfort, our spirit is released, and our burdens disappear. The meetings remove our burdens and give us a sense of comfort, rest, release, and freedom. They resolve many problems. They provide us with a clear sense of the Lord’s leading, a sense that we often cannot obtain through our seeking of the Lord by ourselves. In the meetings light shines on specific portions of the Bible that are beyond our understanding in our personal study of the Word. They also provide an atmosphere in which people can be brought to salvation, even persons whom we have been unable to lead to the Lord in our individual contact.
In the church meetings God gives grace, and people receive grace. In the church meetings the saints also display the grace that they have received. Whenever we meet, we should not only receive God’s grace but also display the grace that we have received in order to glorify God, shame the enemy, and supply others. Our meetings involve more than only worshipping God and listening to His Word, and they involve more than simply fellowshipping with God and receiving His grace. They also are for our fellowship with the saints about the matters in which we have been graced. We must fellowship with the brothers and sisters in the grace of God and supply others with His grace through this fellowship. Thus, whenever we attend a meeting, we must open our spirit. When our spirit is open, we can supply others with the grace that we have received through prayers, a hymn, or a short word. If our spirit is not open, we cannot receive the supply from others. In the meetings we must supply the grace of God to help others and to receive the grace of God from others. If our spirit is closed during the meeting, the meeting will be low, heavy, and full of death to us. Our spirit must be open and released in the meetings. Once our spirit is released, grace and light will come, darkness and error will disappear, and everyone will receive the supply of life. All death will be swallowed up. Supplying one another and building up one another is a great principle in our meeting. If there is a mutual function according to God’s grace, the grace that we receive will increase. In order to receive grace in this way, we must meet, and when we meet, we must open our spirit.
Christian meetings are important. The Christian life is not an individualistic life; it is the life of a flock that requires us to gather together and to live a corporate flock life. We are like bees and ants that live together rather than by themselves.
1. “We gathered together to break bread”; “Come together...to eat the Lord’s supper” (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:20).
The first meeting for those who have received the Lord’s redemption is the table meeting. Whereas other meetings emphasize our receiving, only the table meeting emphasizes the Lord’s receiving. In this meeting we break bread, which is to eat the Lord’s supper. Breaking bread and eating the Lord’s supper speak of two aspects of one matter. Breaking bread emphasizes the fellowship that we have with all the saints through the Lord’s bread and cup. Eating the Lord’s supper emphasizes our remembrance of the Lord through eating His bread and drinking of His cup.
1. “He took a loaf and gave thanks, and He broke it and gave it to them, saying,...Do this in remembrance of Me”; “Similarly also the cup...saying,...This do, as often as you drink it, unto the remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:25).
The table meeting has two sections. The first section extends from the beginning of the meeting until the passing of the bread and wine has been completed. In this portion of the meeting, the central point is the remembrance of the Lord. We should think only of the Lord’s person and work, that is, how the Lord is God yet man, how He is our Lord, our Savior, and our all. We should also consider how He loves us, having accomplished redemption for us, intercedes for us, graces us, upholds us, and cares for us. We should also remember how He is coming to rapture us. When we remember the Lord, we should pray with thanksgiving and praise when we have the inspiration. We also can express our praise through hymns, reading Bible verses, or speaking something so that all the saints would have the same feeling and remembrance of the Lord. In this portion of the meeting our prayers, hymns, and speaking should center on the Lord’s person and work and cause people to touch the Lord’s person and work. We should not center on anything else or cause others to think about something other than the Lord. Sometimes during our remembrance of the Lord, a brother will report on the needs of another brother, or a sister may pray concerning the hardships of another sister. These things do not relate to our remembrance of the Lord; they should be considered in the fellowship and prayer meetings. At the Lord’s table we should forget about everything and concentrate on remembering the Lord. We should think only of the Lord Himself and His glory, honor, work, and deeds. Our inward heart and outward actions should be centered on the Lord so that He can gain our remembrance (see chapter 20, “The Breaking of Bread”).
1. “After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives”; “In the midst of the church I will sing hymns of praise to You” (Matt. 26:30; Heb. 2:12).
After the bread and cup have been passed and are consumed in the table meeting, we should begin the second section of the meeting, which extends to the end of the meeting. The center of this time is the worship of the Father. All our prayers, hymns, and speaking should be focused on the Father. When the Lord Jesus finished breaking bread with His disciples, they sang a hymn to the Father before He led them to the Mount of Olives. Now in resurrection He sings hymns of praise to the Father in the midst of the church, leading us, who are sons, to sing with Him in praise to the Father. Through death and resurrection the only begotten Son of the Father has dispensed His life into us, making us the many sons of God. Now He is the Firstborn among many brothers. In resurrection He leads us, as His many brothers, to worship and praise the Father with Him in His position as the Firstborn. After eating the bread and drinking the cup, we should willingly follow Him in spirit in the worship of the Father. This worship comes from the many brothers who follow the Firstborn. In this worship all prayers, hymns, and speaking should be addressed to the Father and center on the Father.
1. “If two of you are in harmony on earth concerning any matter for which they ask, it will be done for them from My Father who is in the heavens. For where there are two or three gathered into My name” (Matt. 18:19-20).
In these verses the Lord speaks of prayer in the meeting, the gathering, of the saints. This kind of prayer is more powerful than individual prayer. It can bind what has been bound in the heavens and loose what has been loosed in the heavens. For such power, however, there is a need for harmony. If we desire this kind of prayer, we must come together and pray with one accord.
2. “These all continued steadfastly with one accord in prayer, together with the women” (Acts 1:14).
This verse refers to a prayer meeting that brought in the blessing of Pentecost. The prayer of the church has special power. We must be in one accord. The moment that we are not in one accord, the prayer of the church is killed. This is a spiritual law.
3. “They continued steadfastly in...the prayers” (Acts 2:42).
At the time of Pentecost those who were saved prayed steadfastly. This does not refer to individual prayer but to prayer in the meetings, because they met frequently.
4. “They lifted up their voice with one accord to God...And when they had so besought, the place in which they were gathered was shaken” (Acts 4:24, 31).
These verses refer to a prayer meeting held by the early disciples when they encountered persecution. Their prayer in one accord caused them to not fear or shrink back in the face of the threat of persecution but to testify more boldly for the Lord.
5. “Prayer was being made fervently by the church to God”; “There was a considerable number assembled together and praying” (Acts 12:5, 12).
When Peter was in prison, the church prayed fervently for him. A considerable number gathered solely for the purpose of praying for him. Their prayer caused God to work a great miracle to save Peter from prison. When the church encounters significant problems, we should meet together to pray. This prayer always carries authority.
When we attend the prayer meeting, we must remember that we not only come to meet but to pray. We must open and exercise our spirit to receive a burden for our prayer. Once we have a sense of burden in our spirit, we should all open our mouth to pray. If we do not practice this, the atmosphere of the prayer meeting will be very heavy, and little prayer will be released.
1. “Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up” (1 Cor. 14:26).
The meeting spoken of in this verse is for the exercise of the spiritual gifts. In this meeting one person does not do one particular thing; rather, everyone should follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in the exercise of spiritual gifts. Some may have a hymn, some may have a teaching, some may do this, and some do that. The goal of all spiritual exercise, however, is the building up of the church.
2. “If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two, or at the most three, and in turn, and one should interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he should be silent in the church, and speak to himself and to God” (1 Cor. 14:27-28).
In the meetings for building up, the exercise of the gift of tongues should be in turn and at most by two or three; more than this can cause confusion. Furthermore, there must be an interpreter; otherwise, the one speaking in a tongue should be silent, speaking to himself and to God.
3. “As to prophets, two or three should speak, and the others discern. But if something is revealed to another sitting by, the first should be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; for God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (1 Cor. 14:29-33).
In meetings for the exercise of the spiritual gifts, there should at most be three prophets who speak for God, and they must speak in an orderly manner. They should not allow their spirits to become unruly and unrestrained; otherwise, the meeting will be in confusion, and the saints will not be edified. A person who wants to speak for God as an oracle of God should control his spirit since the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. God is not a God of confusion but of peace. In a confused meeting people cannot be built up by the word of God. Building up can occur only in a peaceful meeting.
4. “As in all the churches of the saints, the women should be silent in the churches” (1 Cor. 14:33-34, see also vv. 35-36).
This is God’s rule for the sisters concerning our meeting to speak for Him. God does not allow the sisters to minister the Word in the church meetings because sisters should stand in a position of having their heads covered. According to God’s arrangement, brothers represent the head, and sisters represent the covered head. Therefore, when the brothers and sisters meet together, the brothers who represent the head should exercise the headship to speak, and the sisters who represent the covered head should cover their heads and not minister the Word. However, this does not mean sisters cannot preach the word in other situations. Sisters can preach the word at home, to children, and to women. However, in the meetings of the church, which are meetings with the brothers and the sisters, there are brothers who represent the head, so the sisters should keep the position of a covered head.
5. “All things must be done becomingly and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40).
The goal of meeting to exercise spiritual gifts is the building up, so everything must be done becomingly and in order. If the meeting does not progress in an orderly manner, it cannot build people up. A meeting that builds up must absolutely be done becomingly and in order.
1. “When they had gathered the multitude together, they handed them the letter. And when they read it, they rejoiced at the encouragement” (Acts 15:30-31).
In the early days when Paul and his companions arrived in Antioch, they gathered the multitude together and read the letter that the Holy Spirit had led the apostles and elders in Jerusalem to write. Therefore, sometimes we need to meet together to read the Bible.
2. “When this letter is read among you, cause that it be read in the church of the Laodiceans also, and that you also read the one from Laodicea” (Col. 4:16).
When the early churches read letters written to them by the apostles, they met together for this reading. Sometimes we need to meet to read the Word of God, the Bible.
1. “When we gathered together...Paul conversed with them since he was to go forth on the next day” (Acts 20:7).
The believers in Troas met together to listen to the apostle Paul converse with them about spiritual matters so that they could be established. We should also meet to hear the ministry of the Word of God so that we can be edified and built up.
1. “When they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared the things that God had done with them” (Acts 14:27).
When the apostle Paul and his co-workers came back from a ministry journey, they gathered the church and declared the things that God had done with them. Sometimes we need to meet to hear a report related to the service of the church or the work.
1. “Gathered into My name” (Matt. 18:20).
The important point regarding our meeting together is that we must be gathered into the Lord’s name. This is to meet in the Lord’s name. We belong to the Lord, and we have salvation in the Lord’s name. Therefore, we should meet only in the Lord’s name and into the Lord’s name. We should not meet in, belong to, or meet into any name other than His name, including names related to a person, a group, a mission board, or a denomination. We should meet only in the Lord’s name. We should not meet under any other name. We should take only the Lord’s name. We should lift up His name. No other name should have any position with us.
2. “Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord...from house to house” (Acts 2:46).
We need to meet often. It is best if we meet every day. We also need to continue steadfastly with one accord. If there are too many people, for the sake of convenience, we can meet in the homes of the saints.
3. “The whole church comes together in one place” (1 Cor. 14:23 see also Acts 2:44).
We can meet in homes, but sometimes the whole church needs to come together in one place. Home meetings have their benefit and flavor, and meetings of the whole church together in one place have their benefit and flavor. We should have home meetings, and we should also have meetings of the whole church together in one place.
