Weekly Pursuit—Week of June 20, 2021

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Practical Fellowship Concerning the Group Meetings (2)

Verses:

Hebrews 10:25 Not abandoning our own assembling together, as the custom with some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more as you see the day drawing near.

Ministry Portion:

Regardless of how strong, rich, or knowledgeable one is, he still desires help from others. Some saints feel lonely but are afraid to seek out fellowship with stronger ones. It is in the group meeting that we can render an adequate, sufficient care for the saints. It is in the group meeting that every saint’s current situation can be made known. All the attendants of a proper group meeting will be built up together. This is the practical building up of the Body of Christ. Without the group meetings we may talk about building up but never experience it.

The practical fellowship, prayer, care, and shepherding are the basic factors of the group meetings. If we do not practice these, we will have no way to take care of every saint’s need. It would take twenty honest, diligent, knowledgeable, and capable elders to shepherd a church of two hundred saints. If they went out every day to visit and shepherd the saints, the church would be very strong. However, it is not practical to have this many full-time elders. Moreover, to care for the saints in this way is against the principle of the Body. The Body consists of all the members, and the members take care of the Body. We cannot hire others to take care of the Body. Every member should share in the care of the Body.

Hebrews 10:25 says, “Not abandoning our own assembling together, as the custom with some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more as you see the day drawing near.” The phrase our own assembling together indicates that the meeting spoken of in this verse is “our” meeting. We should not forsake the group meetings, which are our meetings. The small group meetings are the meetings of the members of the Body. Without a proper practice of the group meetings, it is not possible to care for and shepherd all the saints. (The Practice of the Group Meetings, ch. 1, sec. 2)