AND COMMISSION OF THE MINISTRY
OF THE WORD RELATING TO THE
BIBLE READING MEETING
Some cities are doing very well with regard to the administration of the church and the ministry of the word. In general, however, the administration of the church is weaker than the ministry of the word in all cities.
According to function, the ministry of the word is more important than the administration of the church. That is why there is a greater need for the ministry of the word than for the administration of the church in all cities.
The messages preached on Sunday are common and generic. Because they are not alive, they have become routine and mundane, and they do not have an impact. Therefore, churches should pay attention to the word ministered in all meetings, not just on Sunday.
The word ministered in other meetings frequently has a definite impact. For example, in one city, the Bible reading meeting has been conducted successfully and is filled with the presence of the Lord.
Having a Responsible Person for the Meeting
Every local church should strive to help the brothers fall in love with Bible reading, so that they enjoy reading it. If possible, the church in each city should strive to have a meeting where the brothers read the Bible.
The public reading meeting in the church mentioned above has a responsible person. On the one hand, the leaders ask the saints to read the Word; on the other hand, there is always someone responsible for the meeting, to whom at least twenty to thirty minutes are given to speak on some relevant matters. In their meetings, the brothers share in the first half, and then the responsible person develops the passage they have read. This is a characteristic of their meetings.
Receiving Spiritual Supply
Another characteristic is that in the development of the word among the brothers, the emphasis is not on logic or biblical exposition, but on spiritual supply. Although we study the Word, its development is not limited to simply reading it, but to supplying life based on the spiritual understanding gradually obtained from a verse, phrase, or passage.
There is the temptation in a Bible reading meeting to require everyone to understand and memorize the key points of a summary made from the study. We should not fall into this temptation because it ends up making our meetings lifeless.
The Bible reading meetings, however, have somehow fallen into this temptation. When helping the brothers read the Word, we should not explain how the various sections are divided, nor should we share about the outline or points we have developed. Instead, we should share the light of life and spiritual supply.
An enlightened brother, firm in the Word, should give a synthesis for twenty to thirty minutes. The first part of the meeting gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to release riches through the brothers and gives them the chance to practice. However, the Bible reading meetings do not depend on this sharing. It does not matter whether the sharing of the brothers is rich or poor; it does not affect the meeting, because the closing word will supply and nourish everyone.
If we depend solely on the sharing among the brothers, the meetings may not be consistent, and the saints' appetite for the meeting will be lost. They will stop considering the Bible reading meeting as something important, and attendance will drop.
For example, in Taipei, the number of participants in the Bible reading meetings is gradually decreasing. One of the reasons may be unproductive sharing. We should not allow people to feel that the Bible reading meeting is insignificant. If they arrive at the meeting with an empty stomach and leave the same way, they will feel as though the meeting was a waste of time. They will come with great expectations and leave disappointed.
Moreover, in the sharing and synthesis, we must free ourselves from prepared outlines. When the brothers begin reading the Bible, we can help them with an outline to understand how the chapters are subdivided. But as the meeting progresses, we should not focus on the outline; otherwise, our meeting will not have life.
Do Not Cover Too Much Material
In the Bible reading meeting, it is better to read one chapter per week. It is not advisable to cover too much material. This can be compared to food. If we swallow food without chewing, we will not be able to savor it. One chapter per week may be considered very slow reading. Since the saints gather only once a week, some churches encourage them to read one chapter a day at home.
This way, they can read six chapters in one week. This is very good. However, they should not cover all six chapters when they gather to share. Instead, it is better to focus on just one. Therefore, whether preaching a message or reading the Word together, we should never try to cover too much material. This is a very important principle. Just focus on one point per meeting. Covering two or more topics can cause the meeting to lose focus and be ruined. That is why it is not good to cover too much material.
If we read six chapters of the Bible per week, we will have read over three hundred chapters in fifty-two weeks, but we will not remember them all. However, if we read one chapter per week in the meeting with understanding and supply, we will have read fifty-two chapters in one year. How precious this will be! It will be well engraved in the saints and will stimulate their love for reading the Bible, leading them to read it by themselves. They may even read six chapters a day! This way, they will form the personal habit of reading the Bible.
Enjoy More: Hymn 366
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