This meeting is not only for the church, but for the whole city as well. Every church which practices this will be a lampstand shining over the darkness. It will acquire a name as a place that knows the truth and can teach the Word. New ones will be added. Our own young people will be taught too. After perhaps four years of hearing such messages, all the saints will be ready to graduate! But those who take the lead must not consider themselves professors! They are merely laborers, taking the lead for others to follow and help.
This kind of meeting will really be in the nature of a training. Week after week, as we listen to the speaking on the Word, we shall be learning. At the same time, we shall be spontaneously trained. Then we can set up a small class in our home. Eventually, instead of just a few teaching and preaching, the whole church will be qualified. Besides the Lord’s Day meeting, there can be several home meetings, with classes for our neighbors and friends, where many of the saints can teach and preach the truth. This kind of preaching is the most prevailing. It will surely bring in the new ones and reap other benefits as well. It will lead to a real knowledge of the living Word, to the growth in life, to the experience of Christ, to the shepherding of others, and to the building up of the young ones.
If the churches feel burdened, they can begin to have a preaching, teaching meeting, as we have suggested here. To make a success of this, the whole church needs to get into the Word with much prayer. If you read the Bible without prayer, you will be in the dead letter. You should spend twice as much time in prayer as you do in reading the Bible. Every church needs to be characterized by reading the Word and by praying. This is not to say that you need to come together to do this. Rather, individually the saints should be praying and reading the Word. On this earth we are the ones who pray, read the Word, and digest it. All the saints must know the Word, have life, have the Spirit, and have an impact through praying.
In the past too often the churches have called on those from other places to come and help them. This indicates a weakness on the part of the responsible ones. Why would you not labor on the Word yourselves and contact the Lord directly, instead of sending out a Macedonian call, “Come over...and help us” (Acts 16:9)! It may seem humble to say that your church is weak and needs help, but is this wide open door the best way to get help? What was the result of all the calls that went out for help? Eventually one came who was not weak, and the churches were deceived. You must learn the lesson from this. Be strong. Do not look to Anaheim or to Brother So-and-so for help. Call the heavens and contact the Lord directly. Even if you feel weak, do not admit it. Be empowered. To be proud is ugly and sinful, but to be strong is necessary. You are not in need of outside help. Even if it is offered, you should seriously consider whether to take it. How much real outside help have you gotten these past few years? The supposed help you have received has only further weakened, even poisoned, you. You opened the door to this because you thought you were weak.
A housewife with five children may feel unable to cope with her situation. She keeps asking one neighbor after another to come and teach her how to manage and show her how to cook for her household. No one has time to be of help until one day a woman comes and offers to cook for her, saying she will be glad to help her out. When the family eats the meal the woman has prepared, they all get sick. She has poisoned it. Is that the kind of help you want?
Do not open your door without investigating any offer of help. Be sure the one who offers is qualified. Check his status and background.
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