The Meeting Of The Church

THE MEETING OF THE CHURCH
The Purpose of the Meeting.
In the book of Hebrews, the writer gives several admonitions to Christians. One of these involves a warning against the forsaking of the practice of assembly.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23-25).

All Christians are to hold fast to the faith. The reason we can do this is seen in Hebrews 10:23. It is because we have been given promises from One who is in the promise-keeping business. He is faithful. We are to hold to the faith and we are to consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. This is only accomplished in a group. It is only accomplished when we assemble together.

I could go off on my own and live the Christian life as a hermit. But I wouldn't. Neither would you. We need each other in order to grow. The further along we get, the more we need each other. We will never be too old or too spiritual to outgrow this need. The Pattern of the Meeting.
Most of us today are used to a meeting in which a song leader or a worship team gets up and leads everyone in the music of the church. Then the preacher gets up and does all of the talking in the church. In such a service, the role of the people is very limited. Their role is to sit and to listen and to try not to fall asleep. That is not the New Testament pattern for the church. The service in the New Testament church was characterized by corporate involvement.

What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. (1 Corinthians 14:26). And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. (Ephesians 5:18-21).

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16).

Notice who was involved in the meeting of the New Testament church. It was not just the elders or the deacons. It was not just the seminary or Bible college graduates. It was not just the ordained ministers. The meeting of the church was made of the various members of the church who were involved in teaching, in the giving of a revelation, in the speaking and interpreting of a language, in the sharing of a song or a psalm. The members of the church enjoyed the exercise of their spiritual gifts in the meeting of the church. This was the place where they came to use their spiritual gifts. The result was that the entire body was edified. Paul does not say that he wants the believers to stop doing this. Instead he wants them to regulate it.

They are to speak one at a time.

They are to take turns speaking.

Only three representing each gift is to speak.

I personally believe we need a return to this kind of corporate life. I am not saying that it needs to become a disorganized mob. That was the problem Paul dealt with in Corinth. But we have a tendency to go to the other extreme. We tend to be so regulated that we have regulated the use of spiritual gifts right out of the church.