The way to worship in the New Testament is for all of us to use our spirit. Before we attend a meeting, we are a worshipper of God already. Every morning we have a revival, and every day, in our daily living, we are constantly renewed and overcoming and are in constant touch and fellowship with the Lord. In addition, our lives are filled with hymns. Hymns, #501 and #1068 or a more simple one such as #1024 are hymns that I like to sing. They are all very good songs. We can learn to sing them often in our daily lives.
If we have made an appointment with the brothers and sisters to have a home meeting at 7:30 tonight, then by 6:30 we should be ready. We should begin singing. We do not begin the meeting at the meeting place. Rather, we begin it before we leave our house. Perhaps while we walk we sing, “Since Jesus came into my heart!” (Hymns, #309). We do not have to wait until we knock on the door before we sing. We can sing one stanza for each floor that we ascend. When we reach the saint’s home and while we are ringing the bell, we can still sing, “Since Jesus came into my heart!” Those inside the door who hear the singing may respond by singing also, “Since Jesus came into my heart! Floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll, since Jesus came into my heart!” The children in the house may then echo the singing. How living that would be!
We have to know that when we meet together we must exercise our spirits. God is Spirit, and no one can touch Him without exercising his spirit. Paul said in Philippians 3:3 that the true worshippers are those who are in Christ, who serve by the Spirit of God. The content of our meetings should be filled with much singing, praying, and speaking. We should also have our meetings by the Spirit. To be “by the Spirit” means that I am a person who starts off the morning in a revived way. I am living, and I am daily renewed and daily overcoming. I maintain my spirit in a high position, and I am in fellowship with the Lord. Even before the meeting starts, to me the meeting has started in my home. Because I am so living, I do not have to say much when I come to the home meeting. All I have to do is to sing a few hymns and the spirits of others are enlivened. This is to serve God in the New Testament by the Spirit of God.
In the small group meeting, it may be that I would not come until the set time arrives. After I come, I am an observer waiting for others while they in turn wait for me. I may call a hymn after ten minutes, and another brother may say, “The church has decided that we read the Truth Lessons. Let us all read in turn.” After the reading with some fellowship and prayer, the meeting is dismissed. This is what Christianity considers as a worship service. There are the programs, the procedures, and the proper order. But there is no Spirit, and there is no supply. The meeting is dead, and the church suffers. We cannot take this way.
When we attend a meeting in the new way, first, we must be a man filled with the Spirit and with singing. On our way to the small group meeting, we should sing, “Since Jesus came into my heart!” while we walk. Those brothers and sisters who hear us, respond by singing, “What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought...” Perhaps another one would sing, “Oh, what a life! Oh, what a peace! The Christ who’s all within me lives” (Hymns, #499). This kind of singing back and forth, each with his own song, will enliven our spirits. There is no need to say too much. We will touch one another’s spirit.
In the meeting, there should be singing and praying. After the singing, someone should pray. There need not be any definite person to pray. We can all say, “Lord, we do praise and thank You. This is such joy, that You are with us.” We do not necessarily have to close our eyes either, or to tell everyone to bow their heads. When the Lord Jesus prayed, He lifted up His eyes to heaven (John 17:1). None of the above forms are found in the Bible. They are merely old ordinances of the worship service. What we need to do is to follow the Spirit.
After this, another might open his mouth and say, “Brothers and sisters, how wonderful! This morning I read Romans 12:1. There Paul beseeches us by the mercies of God to present our bodies. Previously when I read these verses, they were not as sweet as they were this morning. That is why I was never able to present myself. But this morning I consecrated myself thoroughly to the Lord.” When the brothers and sisters hear this, immediately they will praise the Lord for this. The speaking does not stop with this one. Two or three follow the first one, and the place is filled with praises and thanksgivings!
Then, a newly saved brother may ask, “How can we the saved persons present our bodies?” When a question is raised, we can let every brother and sister take turns speaking. We do not have to leave the answering to one man. Perhaps a young sister would begin, “Brother, let me tell you. Previously, we were all busy for ourselves. Our time and our bodies were fully occupied. Now that we are saved and have come to love the Lord, Paul is exhorting us to present our bodies. According to my experience, to present our bodies is to present our time because our bodies are confined to our time.” She only speaks a few sentences. The whole thing takes less than a minute. Everybody hears it and is touched by it.
Perhaps among those in the meeting, I have been in the Lord longer and have had more experience. Yet, I will not assume my seniority and speak for a long time. What I speak is just what the first sister spoke. I may say, “She was absolutely right. To present our bodies is to present our time. If we do not present our time, our bodies cannot come.” That is all I say. I do not tell any story nor do I give a long sermon. Everyone speaks a few simple sentences. The whole speaking takes only a few minutes.
Perhaps another sister would ask again, “How then do I present my body? Does that mean that I don’t work and don’t teach but instead stay home and offer my body to the Lord?” This is a very practical question. However, I should still not take the lead to speak. I let the newly saved ones speak more. Perhaps after a while, one who has been saved for only half a year says, “When I read Romans 12, not only do I see the presenting of the body, I see the transformation and renewing of the mind as well. Therefore, first there is the presenting of the body, and then there is the renewing and transforming of the mind.” Another one may not understand this too well. He may ask, “How then can the mind be renewed?” A third one may say, “According to my experience, to be transformed in the mind, we have to read the Lord’s Word. When we receive the Lord’s word into us, the word itself will change our concepts. This is the transformation of the mind.” This is a very good answer.
Some brothers and sisters may then ask, “After the body is presented and the mind is transformed, what happens next?” I remember that I have read this passage before. And so I answer saying, “In Romans 12, first you have the presenting of the body, and then you have the transformation of the mind. Lastly, in verse 11, there is the burning in spirit to serve the Lord.” When we speak in this way, everybody will understand and will be enlightened.
This kind of small group meeting in which everyone speaks, everyone asks, everyone answers, everyone learns, and everyone teaches is surely living, fresh, rich, and simple. As a result, the number will surely increase. The reason for this is that there is no formality in worship, and there is no set program or procedure. Everyone acts according to the Spirit, moves according to the Spirit, and serves according to the Spirit of God. All the brothers and sisters who attend this kind of meeting will be perfected. Every week throughout the fifty-two weeks of the year, we should set aside an evening for this kind of meeting. After a new one meets in this way for a year, he will be perfected. He will grow in life, and he will be able to serve by the Spirit of God.
Not only do we bring the new ones to the small group meeting, but also, on the Lord’s Day, we bring them to the church meeting. After the breaking of the bread, they may see that so many brothers and sisters are prophesying, that is, speaking for the Lord and speaking forth the Lord. Some may prophesy for three minutes, some for two. After watching this for a few weeks, the new ones will feel attracted to it and may desire to prophesy also. We will then help them along, first to prophesy in the small group meeting and then to prophesy in the Lord’s Day morning meeting. In the end, everyone in the whole church will be able to prophesy. Both young and old will be able to speak for the Lord, and the riches of the Lord will be manifested. All will be supplied, edified, and nourished, and the church as the Body of Christ will be built up through the prophesying by the saints. This is what the Lord is after today.
Therefore, our way of meeting must be changed. Our former way of meeting afforded no benefit to the Lord’s economy and did not match the nature of God’s economy. Now we have found out God’s ordained way according to the Bible. Every point of His ordained way matches the nature of God’s New Testament economy, and meets the need of God’s economy. In the end, God’s economy will be realized among us. I hope that we will practice this together. May the Lord bless all of you.