The second aspect of the purpose of meeting is toward man. This is for edification. We attend meetings not only to worship God but also to edify others. We must not think that as a new believer we are unable to edify others. As long as we have spiritual inspiration, the testimony of our salvation experience can edify others, inwardly refreshing them and thereby enlivening them. No matter how young or weak we may be, our attending of the meetings should be to edify others. There are two points related to edifying others.
Our edification of others is to release and refresh their spirit. For example, we may select a hymn that causes the spirit of the believers to be released and refreshed when they sing. We may offer a prayer of praise that releases and refreshes the spirit of the meeting. Giving thanks to the Lord, reading a few verses from the Scriptures, or speaking a few words may release and refresh others’ stale spirit. In principle, our edifying others in a meeting should release and refresh their spirit.
To release and refresh others’ spirit is on the negative side. There is also a positive side in the edification of others, that is, to minister life and light. Whether we speak a few words, offer a prayer, or share a testimony, we should minister Christ and the divine life to others. We also need to minister light. Whether we give a message, read a portion from the Bible with some speaking, or share a testimony, others should be enlightened. This is the second point in the edification of others.
Third, we also take care of ourselves in the meetings. The meetings are for our spiritual growth. Whenever we attend a meeting, we should have the intention of being built up. This aspect includes three points.
This point is very broad. A meeting should always result in experiencing a certain amount of being built up. We may not know how to deal with our conscience, but through a testimony we are enlightened and learn how to deal with our conscience. We may not know how to walk by the Spirit, but a brother’s testimony of how he was led by the Lord to walk by the Spirit may deeply impress us, and we desire also to live by the Spirit. In this way we are built up and established in the divine life. The enlightenment and supply from the meeting can release us from being entangled by sin, the world, and the flesh, and it can resolve any problem we may have related to prayer or reading the Bible. The more help we receive in the meetings concerning spiritual life, the more we are built up in life.
A strong Christian not only needs to grow in life but also needs to know the truth. Truths such as the ground of the church and the way of the church are very important. It is a pity that some brothers and sisters who love the Lord, are zealous, and pursue the Lord are not clear concerning these truths. There is a group of Christians who advocate the universal church because they have not seen the practical aspect of the church being the church in a locality. It is not easy to find the universal church in the Bible, but the local churches can be found in many portions of the Scriptures. There is the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), the church in Antioch (13:1), the church in Ephesus (Rev. 2:1), the church in Smyrna (v. 8), and the churches in Asia Minor (1:4). These are local churches. We acknowledge that the Body of Christ is universal, but the churches we contact on the earth today are local churches. Without the local churches, we have no way to touch the universal church. This is related to the knowledge of the truth.
The Bible also clearly presents matters such as Christian conduct, marriage, family, management of finances, and occupations. We should know these matters. Such knowledge should not be pursued merely on our own. We need to come to the meetings and receive help from others. The more we come to the meetings, the clearer will be our knowledge of the truth. In the meetings we can be built up in our knowledge of the truth.
A proper Christian should also be active in service, actively coordinating with the brothers and sisters. Christians are priests who serve before God. Thus, the more we meet, the more we should serve. The more we meet, the more we grow in life and know the truth. We can be built up in these three matters in and through the meetings.