The bread-breaking meeting is already quite clear among us, but we must always tell the brothers in various localities to take note that the bread-breaking meeting is the real worship service, the real worship.
In this meeting we need to see that the first section is always toward the Lord and the second section toward God. In the first section we see the One who was sent; in the second section we come to the One who sent. In the first section we always meet the Lord, and in the second section we meet God. Spontaneously, when these two sections are joined together, the bread-breaking meeting is on the mark.
Brothers and sisters, the first section of the bread-breaking meeting must be quick. If your appreciation for the Lord Jesus comes slowly, there will not be enough time. Therefore, if the first section is slow, there will not be enough time for the next section. You must touch the Lord in a quick way during the first section. Perhaps there should not be too many hymns or too many prayers. As soon as you touch the Lord, begin to break the bread. After you break the bread, immediately come before God. I am afraid the problem today is that we begin to break the bread too late.
Perhaps I can say it in this way. Many times you may feel that before God the brothers have already reached the climax of their feelings toward the Lord, yet they have not broken the bread. Therefore, the meeting goes down. After a while a high point is reached the second time, and they still do not break the bread. The meeting goes down again. Perhaps not until a high point is reached a third time do they break the bread. In principle you should break the bread when you reach the high point the first time. If you break the bread when you reach the high point the first time, you will have time to worship God later.
The principle of two or three persons in 1 Corinthians 14 is the principle of speaking the word, not the principle of prayer. If we limit the time and the number of people for prayer, I am afraid that some burdens may remain. I am afraid that if the burdens are not discharged after a while, people will go home with their burdens still heavy. This is because when people come to the bread-breaking meeting in the Lord’s presence, there are many burdens to be discharged, and if we limit the time and the number of people, their burden will not be discharged, and the burdens of the church will not be discharged either.
I have much feeling concerning this matter. Very often we have not broken the bread when we have reached a high point. We break the bread after we have climbed to the top two or three times. This is indeed too late. The moment that we reach the high point is always the time to break the bread. Perhaps after a few prayers or hymns, we have already reached the high point. We should then break the bread. Then there will be sufficient time for the worship of the Father.
The brothers must see that during the time for the Father, the Lord’s position is not the same as it was in the first section. At this time, the Lord begins to lead us to sing hymns. It is the Lord who leads us to approach the Father together. It is the Lord who leads us to sing hymns of praise to the Father together. The Son Himself is involved, and He and the many sons praise together. During the second section it is always the case that the children of God together with the Lord Jesus come before God to worship Him. The meeting should reach such a level.
The sisters’ meeting is also a meeting to help the church. There is the need for this meeting in some places, but perhaps there is not the need in other places. At any rate, the sisters’ meeting is arranged in the following way:
If one or two sisters who have received burdens from the Lord come to a certain place, we should arrange a sisters’ meeting for them so that they may have the opportunity to exercise their gifts among the sisters. If there are sisters in the churches in various localities whom the Lord uses and burdens, we will set up a sisters’ meeting. If there are no such sisters, then we do not need to set up a sisters’ meeting. Since that need is due to certain sisters being used by God, we need to make arrangements for them so that they may have the opportunity to supply the sisters. Otherwise, there is not this kind of need.
There are other sisters’ meetings, especially in the countryside, whose nature is different. Some sisters are illiterate and are not able to read the Bible. Teach them to read. This also counts as an aspect of the work, an aspect in helping and caring for those who have already believed in the Lord. For example, among the new believing brothers and sisters, find out who are illiterate and teach them to read. Perhaps in every locality we should make arrangements to teach those who are illiterate to read so that they can read the Bible. Do not let go of this matter by any means. However, this is not an official meeting of the church; rather, this is a work done when the church is serving and preaching the gospel. This is also a part of the Levitical service for the new believers. This is especially for the brothers and sisters to learn to read and to be able to read the Bible.
The children’s meeting is also needed. This is also a meeting of the local church in the aspect of the work.
We have children’s meetings in various localities. This requires that a few brothers and sisters specifically come forth to do this work. Sisters are perhaps more appropriate. I do not know what materials they are now using in various localities.
In some places they use the Bible to teach the children to read and to memorize. The songs that they sing are composed from Bible verses. They also use pictures.
As to pictures, take heed that this does not lead to deviations. Using pictures of the Lord Jesus is especially inappropriate. Pictures of flowers and birds do not present any problems.
Perhaps there are brothers and sisters among us who are especially experienced with and burdened for the children. They should come forth and give us some materials that the children in various localities may receive the benefit. Perhaps there are already some brothers who are preparing songs for the children.
If the children’s meeting is carried out properly, it will also provide a good opportunity for more people to believe in the Lord. This meeting indeed needs to be strong. In the future I hope that there will be a few brothers and sisters who will come forth to prepare some materials for the brothers to take care of the children. When the number of saved ones in various localities increases, spontaneously the children’s meeting becomes very crucial, because they are our next generation.