In the meeting for the edification of the new believers, there is one point that we need to pay attention to. Those who are responsible for visiting the new believers must learn these topics well. Otherwise, when they go out, they will not be able to help the new believers make up the lessons. I hope the brothers could realize this problem. Perhaps the new believers’ message is an hour and a half long. However, when they make up lessons for the new believers, they finish it in two minutes. It is not that they speak just the outline; they speak an outline of the outline. I remember that some brothers, when they made up lessons for others, spoke just one sentence: “The message for the new believers today says that we need to read the Bible every day.” They did not say anything wrong; what they said was correct. But when you go to a person’s home to make up lessons, if you only speak a sentence such as, “You need to read the Bible every day,” I think this word is equivalent to not speaking anything, unless the Holy Spirit works in a special way. You should not speak just one sentence; you must be trained to speak carefully paragraph by paragraph so that those who listen may feel as if they have gone to a meeting. Otherwise, the loss is quite great.
Please remember that after the gospel has been preached, the future condition of our meetings depends on whether or not the new believers’ edification meeting is strong. There are those in our midst who have just heard the gospel. If the meeting for the edification of the new believers is not strong, then we have no way to meet their need. We must learn to lead them onward. How strong the new believers’ meeting is determines how strong the next generation will be. If you cannot help the new believers’ meeting to be strong, the next generation cannot be strong. Yes, the people have all believed in the gospel and are all saved, but there is no church. That is something similar to what a revival meeting does. There is preaching and there is a result, but no church.
I want you to especially remember what is spoken in the book of Acts. Acts 2:42 says, “And they continued steadfastly in the teaching and the fellowship of the apostles, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Verse 41 speaks of baptism, and verse 42 says that they continued in the teaching and the fellowship of the apostles. Please remember that the apostles gave teaching and fellowship immediately after the church had three thousand people saved. Hence, the edification of the new believers is a very crucial matter. What the apostles were doing there is what we are doing here today. The so-called edification of the new believers is the teaching and the fellowship of the apostles. Today you cannot say that once a new believer is saved, you can indifferently let him go. You must give him teaching and tell him to continue steadfastly in this teaching.
The gospel preaching meeting brings the new believers in. After this we need to raise them up. If we have begotten so many and are not able to raise them up, the church will never be strong. Therefore, the gospel preaching must be strong and the new believers’ edification must also be strong. Both must be strong in order that we may have a future.
We all have to learn and wait much before God concerning how to have this meeting. This meeting is all the brothers and sisters gathering together and some preparing themselves before God to be led to rise up to function. Many people can surely give the church much help when they function. Therefore, in this meeting you can have personal testimonies, sharing, and more than one brother speaking.
We have to seek out saints who are especially helpful to the brothers and sisters. The responsible brothers need to tell them, “We hope that you can speak more.” There are many brothers and sisters who possess no judgment of propriety in their speaking; it is rather clear that they have little gift and little grace. The responsible brothers may inform them privately to speak less. You need to give some people a time limitation, but do not offend the Holy Spirit. If some brothers stand up to speak for only two minutes, they can really render help to the brothers. But they may like to drag on, and when they drag on, their speaking becomes too long. You need to tell such brothers that if they speak for two minutes, the brothers and sisters will receive help, but that the help is reduced by the third minute and exhausted by the fourth minute. Therefore, you must bring them to see that they should speak in a simple way for two minutes. You need to tell some people that it is sufficient for them to speak for five minutes. If everyone who stands up to speak is dealt with thoroughly, this meeting will be strong.
Many people are very self-confident, always believing that they can help others. They do not know that they must touch man’s spirit, and they think that they can render help to people. If no one tells them this, they will not know. Therefore, the responsible brothers need to tell them that their words should be brief when they speak before God; when their words are lengthy, they cannot give people help. If the responsible brothers would speak in this way, that would help them. If a certain brother speaks and gives help to people, the responsible brothers should encourage him to speak again. Although the responsible brothers are not all ministers of the word, the care of the church is their business. Therefore, you should not be loose. Encourage some brothers to speak more that the church may receive the supply. You need to restrain some other brothers. When they speak briefly, the church can receive the benefit, but when they speak too long, there is no help.
If the responsible brothers are not passive but active to take care of the meeting, I believe that the type of meeting in 1 Corinthians 14 can bring many riches to us.
The crucial point is that the responsible brothers should not speak loosely or deal with people carelessly. If they are not careful, they will offend the Holy Spirit. As an elder of the church, the most feared thing is to offend the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the true representative of Christ to execute His authority on earth. The elders must understand the mind of Christ and then speak. If they do not know the mind of Christ, they should not speak. If they do not speak carefully, they will offend the Holy Spirit.
Question: In the type of meeting according to 1 Corinthians 14, can the sisters give testimonies?
Answer: I personally think that testimonies may be all right.
Question: According to 1 Corinthians 14, they should not open their mouth.
Answer: Yes, according to 1 Corinthians 14 they should not open their mouth. However, if a sister wants to give a testimony, it would be better for a responsible brother to ask her. This is a different matter, and the responsibility is on the responsible brothers. Her head is covered, and she is not presuming headship.