LESSON ELEVEN – THE GROUP MEETINGS

Eph. 5:19 — Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and psalming with your heart to the Lord.

Col. 3:16 — Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.

Phil. 2:1 — If there is therefore any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of spirit, if any tenderheartedness and compassions.

THE GROUP MEETINGS CONSTITUTING EIGHTY PERCENT OF THE CHURCH LIFE

In my ministry regarding [the practice of the group meetings] I said that we can forget the heavens and the earth, but we must not forsake the group meetings. I also told all the churches that the church life depends eighty percent on the group meetings.

The group meetings as a part of the God-ordained way are clearly unveiled in the New Testament.…According to Acts 2:46, the newly saved believers immediately began to meet in their homes. Acts 2:46 uses the phrase from house to house. According to the Greek, this phrase means that the believers met by houses, taking the house as the basic unit for their meeting.…Thus, the New Testament indicates that each one of us should have a meeting in our home. Of course, these home meetings should not be just with our own family; they should also include others. (CWWL, 1991-1992, vol. 3, “Fellowship concerning the Urgent Need of the Vital Groups,” p. 367)

THE PRACTICE OF THE GROUP MEETING

Speaking and Singing Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs

Now we need to consider the way to have a group meeting. Ephesians 5:18 tells us to be filled in spirit. We believers who love the Lord Jesus, who are seeking His purpose, and who are burdened for His recovery should be persons filled in our spirit all day long. We should be filled with the Triune God, who is today the all-inclusive Spirit to us. When we are filled within, surely we will utter something out from our spirit. Ephesians 5 tells us to be filled, speaking and singing. Our speaking and singing are not in common language. We may speak or sing a psalm, which is a long piece of poetry.…We may speak or sing a hymn, which is somewhat shorter than a psalm, or we may speak or sing a spiritual song, which is shorter still.

We need to speak and sing these psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs long before coming to the meeting. Even in our home it is very good to be speaking and singing. The husband may say, “This is my story, this is my song, / Praising my Savior…” Then the wife may respond with, “All the day long” (see Hymns, #308). Or she may say, “I have passed the riven veil. / Here the glories never fail.” Then the husband responds with, “Hallelujah! Hallelujah! / I am living in the presence of the King” (see Hymns, #551). If we are filled in spirit, we will have something to utter. The small group meeting may begin at 7:30 P.M., but if a couple begins to sing at dinnertime, around 6:00 P.M., the small group meeting will have already begun. Such a meeting can continue as they drive together to the meeting with the other saints.

If I go to the meeting place and no one else has arrived, I should not sit quietly and wait for others to arrive. I should begin to speak, pray, or sing. At least I have an angel with me, so I am not alone. The Bible says clearly that when Peter was released from prison and went to Mary’s home, some there thought it was his angel (Acts 12:15). The Lord Jesus said that even the little ones in the kingdom have angels (Matt. 18:10). The group meeting can be started very spontaneously by speaking, praising, or singing.

Fellowship, Interceding, Mutual Care, and Shepherding

The New Testament does not give us the details of the group meetings, but in [Hebrews 10:24-25, 2 Timothy  2:2, and Ephesians 4:11-12], there are some small “windows” into the practice of the group meetings. These will help us to see what happened in the ancient days in the group meetings. By considering the Word, we can see that there was much fellowship, interceding for one another, mutual care, and shepherding. The fellowship brings the awareness of one another’s condition and situation. This will lead into prayer for one another. This will then cause us to go to one another to render a mutual care. Through the fellowship we may find out that a brother has been in an automobile accident. This leads us to pray for him and his family. Then we may consider his financial needs and be burdened to care for his health needs. All of this should not be in a formal way. It should be a spontaneous issue of the Spirit. I hope that from now on we can have all our group meetings in such an organic way.

Teaching in Mutuality

For the perfecting of the saints, there is the need of teaching in the group meetings, and in the group meetings all are teachers. There should not be a particular teacher. Even one who was saved two weeks ago can be a little teacher. After there has been some fellowship, interceding, mutual care, and shepherding with the exercise of the spirit in the small group meeting, a brother may suddenly ask a question. He may ask what God’s dispensing is. All the eyes may turn to the oldest one in the meeting, but it may be better for one who has been recently saved to answer the brother. This gives him the opportunity to speak. This newly saved one may say, “God’s dispensing is for Him to distribute Himself into our spirit.” Suppose such a one has been saved for only one or two months. Everyone would be encouraged by his speaking. It is much better if six or seven speak for a few minutes than if one person speaks for a longer time. This kind of teaching is rich and all inclusive. Its many aspects are much better than a meeting where only one is speaking. If everyone speaks, all the saints will be happy, and all will learn. This is the way for all to be perfected.

If the saints will come to this kind of meeting forty-five times a year, much teaching will be gained by all. The new ones will be perfected in this way. Furthermore, because this is a group meeting, many things will be worked out. This kind of practice is the proper way to fellowship, to intercede, to give mutual care, to shepherd, and also to perfect one another by the mutual teaching.

Carrying Out the Church Service

If we are experiencing the riches of such a meeting, we may pick up a burden to take the first step of the God-ordained way to go out to visit others. Then we must take care of the new ones whom we gain. This means the group meeting will carry on the church service. Eventually, this will make the small group meeting just a miniature of the church life. (CWWL, 1989, vol. 3, “The Exercise and Practice of the God-ordained Way,” pp. 414-416)

References: CWWL, 1991-1992, vol. 3, “Fellowship concerning the Urgent Need of the Vital Groups,” chs. 1, 2; CWWL, 1989, vol. 3, “The Exercise and Practice of the God ordained Way,” ch. 24; CWWL, 1990, vol. 2, “The Practice of the Group Meetings,” ch. 2

WE HAVE FOUND THE CHRIST WHO’S ALL IN ALL

Experience of Christ— Enjoying Him – 1153

• We have found the Christ who’s all in all;
  He is everything to us;
  O how blest upon His name to call,
  How divine, how glorious!

It is joy unspeakable and full of glory,
Full of glory, full of glory;
It is joy unspeakable and full of glory,
And the half has never yet been told!

• We have found that Christ the Spirit is
  Who within our spirit dwells;
  How available, how near He is,
  And His sweetness all excels.

• We have found the way to live by Christ—
  Pray His Word and call His name!
  This—the eating, drinking—has sufficed
  And its worth we now proclaim.

• We have found the local church, our home;
  We are home and home indeed!
  Nevermore in Babylon we roam;
  In the church is all we need.

• We have found that meeting with the saints
  Is the greatest joy on earth;
  ’Tis by this our spirit never faints
  And our lives are filled with worth.