We need to lead and promote each one of the attendants in the home meetings to learn to take part in the activities in the meetings. We need to take the lead, but we should not do everything for everybody. When the new ones in the home meetings follow our lead, we need to promote. We should not say to the new believers, “Let us sing Hymn #49.” This is the wrong way. We should not call a hymn, but it is good to say, “May we sing a hymn?” When they say yes, we should ask, “Who will select the hymn?” or “What number would you like to sing?” Let them select and call the hymn.
If you do everything in the first few meetings with the new believers, they will consider you as a pastor who goes to their home to conduct a worship service to God. Do not say, “Please let us read John 3:16.” If you feel that it is the right time to read some verses, propose this matter to them. You should say, “Would you like to read some verses?” When they respond that they would, you should not say, “Let us read John 3:16.” Ask them what they would like to read. They may want to read the last verse of Revelation 22. Do not say to them, “Let’s not read that verse because it does not suit today’s meeting.” Say “Amen” to what they want to do. Let them read the verse they choose. By doing this, you will be practicing to promote each one of them to learn to take part in the activities in the meetings. You may have a burden to read John 3:16, but it is better to drop the reading of this verse and let the new ones decide what to read. The environment may indicate that your burden for this verse was not of the Lord. If it was of the Lord, someone would surely say, “Let us read John 3:16.” You have to believe in the Lord. You have to believe that the Lord is moving in the reading of the verses. Do not make up your mind to read certain verses in a definite and sure way. Leave the entire meeting in the hand of the Holy Spirit.
You may feel that to conduct the home meeting in this way is to make the meeting a mess. But it is not bad to have a mess. I am a person who likes to have everything in order, but when three of my grandchildren come to visit me, they make a mess of things. When they come to my house, they may get into mischief, but I am always pleased to see them. If they do not come back after a period of time, I miss them and expect them to come back again. I believe that my heart toward my grandchildren is somewhat like God’s heart toward the new believers. If my little grandsons were trembling and fearful of offending me when they came to my house, that would not make me happy. When they are so energetic and full of life, my wife and I are happy and full of joy. Most grandparents like to have their grandchildren come to “bother” them. My grandchildren’s “bothering” is quite pleasant to me. God also needs some enjoyment and happiness from His children.
Our God is not only divine but also very human. He partook of the human nature, and He likes to receive the human worship. We must worship God according to His economy. The religious way to meet of Christianity puts aside God’s economy. It makes everything formal, scheduled, and dead. Christianity is full of formalities. The Lord Jesus did not meet with people in that way when He was on this earth.
We need to lead the attendants into the practice of selecting hymns, singing hymns, praying, reading and pray-reading the holy Word, giving testimonies, and fellowshipping one with another. By leading the attendants into such a practice, we will set a good example for them to follow and copy. We should not give orders but make suggestions to the attendants that they may learn to take the initiative in the activities in the meetings. Let the new ones do things and let them take the initiative in all the activities in the meetings.
We should also take the chance to give words of life supply occasionally, not as a pastor, a preacher, or a teacher, but as one of the attendants. We should not make ourselves another class of people in the home meetings. Finally, we need to take the chance to pray and to call a hymn at the right juncture as one among the attendants. We need to take the fellowship in this chapter and put it into practice. Then we will have good home meetings according to the heart’s desire of our God and of our Lord Jesus.