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Scripture Reading: John 15:16; 21:15; Acts 5:42; 20:20; 1 Thes. 2:7; 1 Pet. 2:2
We have seen that the first step of God’s ordained way is to preach the gospel by visiting people in their homes. The second step of the God-ordained way is to have meetings with the new believers in their homes. In Acts 5:42 and 20:20, the words “from house to house” indicate home meetings. We must have proper home meetings in order for our fruit to remain.
There are four elements that constitute a meeting: the Word of God; the mingled spirit, our spirit mingled with God’s Spirit; singing; and praying. These are like the four legs of a table. If one leg is missing, the table will not stand. The Word, the spirit, our singing, and our praying are the four “legs” that support a meeting. Without these four elements a meeting will be flat like a tabletop lying on the floor with nothing to support it. However, the more we have the living Word, the more we exercise the spirit, and the more we sing and pray, the more a meeting will be strengthened and built up.
When we are in a meeting, many of us do things as a form, without being genuinely living. Our singing and even our shouting can often be religious forms. However, the more we exercise our spirit to speak, sing, and pray in a free and released way, the better and more living the meeting will be. But if we come and sit in our seats in silence, the meeting will be dead. Sometimes a Christian meeting can be like a cemetery, so quiet and proper yet dead. This kind of meeting is a shame to the Lord.
To sit in silence kills the meeting and is an insult to the God whom we serve. In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul indicates that the dumb, voiceless idols (v. 2) make their worshippers dumb and voiceless. However, the living God causes His worshippers to speak in His Spirit (v. 3). The worshippers of God should not be silent but utter some voice by speaking forth the Lord Jesus in the Spirit of God. Whenever we come into a meeting, we should speak something. Singing, praying, shouting Hallelujah, or speaking the Word by reading from the Bible or reciting a verse are all proper kinds of speaking for the meetings. The more we have these four elements — the Word, the spirit, singing, and praying — the richer our meetings will be.
When we go to visit the homes of ones whom we have recently baptized, we should not go in a religious way according to our usual practice, habit, or custom. We may plan to pray for a certain amount of time before going out to visit people. However, even this can become part of our religion. It is easy for us to take any way and make it a religious practice.
We all must learn to forget religion and live in the spirit. Then we will be quite living in a very normal way. We may arrive home from work only half an hour before our appointment with a new one. Then we will not be able to have our planned time to pray. We may not even have time to eat, so we might take a sandwich to eat on the way. While we are going and while we are eating, we can be praying, calling on the Lord, and singing. We can go in a very spontaneous way because we are persons living in the spirit.
When you arrive at the new ones’ home, you may knock on the door and begin singing. You should sing the hymn, the song, or the chorus that you sang with them on your last visit when they were baptized. They are already familiar with the tune, and before they open the door, they can realize who has knocked. If they have a small child, he may join in your singing. You would be singing outside, and their small boy would be singing inside. In this way the meeting has started even before the door has been opened.
Once you enter the home, you must be very living and spontaneous. Instead of sitting on the sofa, you may sit down on the carpet in front of the boy to talk to him. Then after a short talk, you may get up. To act in this way shows you are so normal, so human, and so spontaneous. There would be no sign of religion and no sign that you are a preacher. If you learn to practice in this way, you will already be halfway to a success. The entire household will be prepared to receive your word because they will regard you as a friend. By acting in such a normal way, you can make yourself a friend to them within a short time. They will love you, feeling that you are so easy to contact.
You must also be very rich in the Word and in knowing the hymns and songs. If the mother is upset for some reason, you may feel to sing the chorus:
Regardless of the situation or the atmosphere, you must be able to speak the proper word or sing the proper song so that the meeting can begin in a very living way. This kind of home meeting should be neither religious nor formal but very spontaneous.
At this point the small boy may interrupt you to show you that he has a small Bible. This is a good opportunity. By talking to this small boy concerning the Bible, you can present a proper verse to the whole family. You might turn to Acts 16:31 — “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household” — and ask the boy to read it. After his reading you might ask him what this verse says. Based on this verse, you may check with him, “Have you believed in the Lord? Have you been saved?” This kind of talk will turn his mother from her anxiety or hard feelings to a joy or happiness concerning her son’s salvation. Then you can also turn to the others to help them to know that once they have believed in the Lord Jesus, they are saved. In this way you can cover one definite point with these newly saved ones — the assurance of God’s salvation. This is the way to have a home meeting.
We all must exercise not to be religious or formal in our appearance, our bearing, or our speaking. We must avoid visiting people in the way of a preacher coming to preach to them. Recently a couple from the church went to visit another couple. Both couples had similar situations — the husbands were Japanese, and the wives were Chinese. The couple from the church had been told that this couple was not interested in the gospel, so they decided beforehand that they would not speak to them about the gospel. Although they prayed in the car while they were going, they did not take their Bibles or hymnals into the home with them. Because their marriage situations were similar, they could talk to them quite naturally, asking them when they had been married, when they had come to the United States, and if they had made any friends. The couple from the church told them that, like themselves, they had also recently come to the United States and that if they ever needed any practical help, they would be willing to help them. The couple they were visiting told them that they did not have a car, which made shopping difficult, and the husband said he did not have any friends. The brother told him that when they had the time, they would come to visit them. The husbands spoke Japanese, and the wives spoke Chinese. This kind of talk was very natural and pleasant and caused this couple to open their hearts to this brother and sister and share their needs and anxieties with them. Eventually, the wife opened to the sister and indicated that they had not absolutely rejected the Lord Jesus and that they would allow them to speak concerning the gospel.
They left that couple in a very happy atmosphere, having prepared the way to gain them for the Lord. This is not the way of a religious preacher forcing others to take something. The conversation was spontaneous in every way, and it led to a very positive point concerning the gospel. On her own, the wife opened to say that they had not rejected the Lord Jesus. Now that couple is willing to receive this brother and sister and listen to whatever they would say. I believe that the next time they go to visit them, something will happen because their hearts are already open and their spirits are already prepared. This is the wise way to speak to people for the gospel.
We are often too anxious to gain people and go too far too quickly, so eventually, we offend people and gain nothing. That closes the door, and it will be very hard to go back a second time. Many people do not like preachers, and many educated, thoughtful people do not like religion. We have to be ordinary men and women. Even the way we dress must be very normal so that it will not occupy people’s attention. We must go to visit others as ordinary people, without being special in any outward way.
It was sovereign of the Lord that this brother and sister would visit such a couple — both husbands being Japanese and both wives being Chinese. But we have to know how to utilize such a situation in a spontaneous and normal way. Then we will pave the way by opening people’s hearts and preparing their spirits to receive whatever we might speak the next time. In carrying out the home meetings, we should not expect to do a quick job. Instead, we should do it slowly. This is the wise and effective way.
We must learn to take the opportunity to minister the holy Word. Regardless of how much you would act in a spontaneous way, you must grasp some time to minister something of the holy Word. In talking with that lady, it seems that the sister did not minister anything of the Word to her. However, that lady responded by telling the sister that she would not reject the Lord Jesus. Furthermore, she was also ready to receive whatever the sister would speak to her. By these two points, we can realize that this lady had already received something. It was wise not to go further at that time. However, in most cases we must take the opportunity to minister something of the Word into the ones we visit. We should not go too fast, yet we should not waste our time. We must minister something of the holy Word to these ones concerning Christ, concerning God, and concerning God’s salvation. On the one hand, we must be so spontaneous, so ordinary, and so human, not giving people any impression that we are pushing something. On the other hand, we must learn to skillfully grasp the time to speak something of the Word, even if it is only for a few minutes. It is always best to use a verse from the Bible. We must impart this verse into the ones we are visiting to fulfill our main purpose.
If we have a burden to help these ones know that their sins have all been forgiven, we should wait for the appropriate time and then open to a verse from the Bible concerning God’s forgiveness. Then we can minister such a verse to these ones. This is not easy, so we all have to learn by practice. We must grasp the right time, minister the right verse, and minister it in a way that is brief yet impresses them very deeply.
To select a good verse concerning God’s forgiveness is not difficult, but to apply such a verse properly requires skill. Acts 10:43 says, “To this One all the prophets testify that through His name everyone who believes into Him will receive forgiveness of sins.” To apply this verse, first you could ask the new one to read it. When he comes to the words everyone who believes, you should check with him, saying, “Everyone who what?” Let him say, “Who believes.” Then right away you can ask, “Have you believed?” He might answer, “Yes, I believed last night.” Have him continue to read: “Who believes into Him.” Check with him word by word: “Have you believed into Him? Him refers to Christ the Savior. Have you believed into Him?” Surely he will say, “Yes, I have believed into Him.” You may ask, “Then what would happen?” and let him continue, “Who believes into Him will receive.” You ask, “Receive what?” He reads, “Will receive forgiveness.” You ask, “Forgiveness of what?” He answers, “Forgiveness of sins.” While he is reading, you can follow his reading and check word by word in this way. Then you may ask him to read the whole verse. This will impress him with some living word from the Bible. After your application of this verse, you can check with him, “How about your sins now?” He might say, “My sins have all been forgiven.” You ask, “How do you know?” He would tell you that this verse says so.
To merely read to the new ones does not work very well. We must develop our skill so that we can impart a verse into them. This is like nailing a piece of wood to something. You have to nail it properly, or it will come off. We must develop the skill to impart a verse into someone perfectly and completely. This will capture the new ones, and they will never escape because such a verse is in them. This is why I am very repetitious in my speaking. When I speak something, I speak it repeatedly to impress the hearers so that they can never forget. Often I will speak one thing from many different angles.
Do not think that to go to people’s homes and have home meetings with them is an easy thing. First, we must learn to be spontaneous, and second, we must learn how to grasp the opportunity to minister something of the Word into the people we contact.
Recently, a gospel team went to visit a couple on a Saturday night. The next day this couple came to the Lord’s table meeting. During the meeting, the husband was very touched by the Lord, and he was baptized after the meeting. Then on Tuesday night this team went to the couple’s home to see them. On their first visit one of the brothers had given the husband a hymnal and a book to be used for a time of morning revival. When they arrived, they realized that the house had been prepared for them, and these two books had been laid out on the table. Then this new brother picked up these books and joined them, so they felt they should sing something from the hymnal to help him to know something more about Christ. After singing a hymn, they sensed that he needed something, that he was not so free. They told him that there was something that could make him really free. They shared that as Christians we have two very powerful treasures: inwardly, we have the Spirit of God dwelling in our spirit, and outwardly, we have the Bible, the Word of God, which is the truth (John 17:17). When we feel that we are bound, we need to get into the Word by using our spirit to touch the Word, and the truth will set us free. Today the Lord is the Spirit, and He dwells in our spirit. Wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17). By sharing these things, they encouraged him to use his spirit by calling on the Lord when he gets up in the morning to have his morning revival. He told the brothers that he had already read through almost half of the morning revival book, and at the end of their time, he stood and prayed with them in a very good way. In only thirty minutes they had used the Word, showing him the verses that say, “The truth shall set you free” (John 8:32), and “The Lord is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:17), and they had encouraged him to exercise his spirit with them. The meeting ended in a very pleasant way, and he was willing to come to a small group meeting on the following Friday and again to the Lord’s table on the Lord’s Day.
They did a very good job within about thirty minutes. When they entered this new one’s home and saw that he had put out the hymnal and the other book of morning revival verses, they realized that this man was ready to receive something. They did not need to do anything to prepare him but could go directly to the point. They simply went to this new one’s home and acted not according to any preparation but according to the real situation.
We all must learn not to be formal, legal, or religious but to go and see what the situation is and then act accordingly. These brothers did not choose a subject beforehand. They simply saw the situation. That new one put out the hymnal and something related to the Bible, showing that he was happy with those two gifts, so one of the brothers took that opportunity to speak something. It was very wise to talk to him based upon those gifts that he was so happy about.
If the brothers had selected a subject beforehand, they might have presented their prepared talk without caring about the situation. That kind of talk would not have been so successful, so positive. It was good that these brothers did not do this; they went according to the likes and dislikes of the new one. This was wise and flexible, making their speaking very effective.
To take this way is not easy because it requires us to be properly equipped with much knowledge of the truth and experience of life. You must be so experienced and so knowledgeable that you can take care of any situation. We must also learn to be very keen and alert to know people’s feelings and desires. We must know what is within the ones whom we are going to talk to. This requires much experience. I know that when some of the young saints have an appointment to visit someone, they are very anxious. All day they may pray concerning that appointment, and they may also read some messages or some books on the way to talk to people. By all these things they get themselves very much prepared, but that is not the same as being equipped. That is a kind of temporary preparation, which could kill the home meeting.
You all must be equipped, not by only one day’s labor but by over two years’ labor. You must get yourselves equipped in the knowledge of the truth and in the experience of life. Then you will be rich, and you will also be so keen to know people’s feelings and intentions. You need to pray much that the Holy Spirit will be with you to help you to realize the real situation of the new ones. Then when you go, you can speak something rich according to the situation and according to the real need of the ones you are contacting.
We all have to learn two things: to be normal and spontaneous, and to grasp the opportunity to impart something of the Word. The best way to learn is for four or five of you to come together to practice. You can demonstrate how to begin a home meeting and how to talk to people according to many different situations. This will help you. I believe that most of you have enough experience to go to the home meetings. However, you do not know how to express yourselves. Some young ones, especially the sisters, are so self-conscious when they go to a home meeting. They do not know how to stand, how to sit, or where to put their hands. It seems that they are afraid of everything. Therefore, they have to practice. In 1927, over sixty-two years ago, I realized that for my whole life I would speak for Christ. I did not study at a seminary or a Bible school, and I did not have anyone to teach me how to speak. The company I was working for at that time was very close to the ocean. After lunch we had about one hour, and I used to go to a little hill near the ocean and practice speaking there. This is how I learned to speak. In the evenings I went home and stood in front of a long mirror where I could see my whole body, and I practiced speaking and gesturing. This helped me, and I advise you all to practice the things that I have shared with you. Do not wait until you go to a home. If you never practice, you will not know what to do when you go to a home. Practice these things, and you will be able to have proper home meetings so that your fruit will remain.
First Peter 2:2 says that the newborn babes long for the milk of the Word. The newborn babes do not know how to drink, but we have to feed them. Without the mother’s feeding, no newborn babe can take the milk. We have to go to the new ones’ homes not only to feed these ones with milk but also to teach them how to feed. Then they can grow by our feeding. We have to go to the new ones because they do not know what to do. Then we have to teach or tell them many things concerning the spiritual life. The first four things we must tell them are to read the Bible, to pray to the Lord as the Spirit, to keep the practice of morning watch, and to come to the meetings. To do this requires much learning and skill.
