A Young People's Meeting: The Question Box: No. 2 Distinguishing Between Meetings

 •  4 min. read  •  grade level: 10
No. 2
Question: 2. Would it not be helpful to distinguish between the various types of meetings, such as the Breaking of Bread and Prayer Meeting?
Answer: This is an interesting and profitable subject for us to consider. If the distinctive characters of the various meetings were more clearly kept in view, all that is said and done would be more consistent with the mind of the Lord.
The meeting for the Breaking of Bread is undoubtedly of prime importance. The Lord Jesus, both while on earth (Matt. 26:26-2826And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:26‑28); Mark 14:22-2422And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. 23And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. 24And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. (Mark 14:22‑24); Luke 22:19-2019And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. (Luke 22:19‑20)), and from the glory (1 Cor. 11:23-2623For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. (1 Corinthians 11:23‑26)), made known His desire that His redeemed ones should do this in remembrance of Him. Acts 20:77And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. (Acts 20:7) is scriptural proof that the early disciples came together regularly for this purpose on the first day of the week. “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread.” It is true that the Apostle Paul took advantage of this occasion to minister to the saints, but it was not for this purpose that they came together. It was to break bread—not even to worship, though that was a natural accompaniment and consequence—but to break bread! There is nothing like this act, recalling so vividly to the heart the boundless love of the Lord Jesus, as expressed in His sufferings and death, to move the soul in worship and praise. Paul himself evidently waited on purpose for a whole week at Troas, so that he could be with the brethren there for the breaking of bread on the Lord’s Day (v. 6).
The disorderliness of the Corinthians at the Lord’s Table called forth a severe rebuke from the Apostle (1 Cor. 11:20-2220When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. 21For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. 22What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. (1 Corinthians 11:20‑22)). But this very rebuke shows clearly that it was the regular custom of the church to come together in one place “to eat the Lord’s Supper.” These scriptures should exercise our hearts as to our motive for coming to the meeting on Lord’s Day morning. If the character of the meeting is remembered, everything that is done—praise, hymns, Scripture-reading—will, under the Spirit’s guidance, be in harmony with the object of the meeting, and all will lead up to, or conform to the remembrance of the Lord in death. Another truth connected with the breaking of bread,—when, as members of the body of Christ, we gather at the Lord’s Table, we give public expression to the truth that “there is one body” (Eph. 4:44There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (Ephesians 4:4)), of which the one loaf on the table is the type (1 Cor. 10:16-1716The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. (1 Corinthians 10:16‑17)). Only at the Lord’s Table, and only in the breaking of bread, can public expression be given to this truth.
The Prayer Meeting is the place “where prayer is wont to be made” (Acts 16:1313And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. (Acts 16:13)). We come together to pray, whether as a group of individuals (Acts 1:13-1413And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. 14These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. (Acts 1:13‑14)—a prayer meeting that lasted ten days), or as an assembly (Acts 4:23-31; 12:5-12; 13:1-323And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 24And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:23‑31)
5Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. 6And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. 7And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 8And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 9And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. 10When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. 11And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. 12And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. (Acts 12:5‑12)
1Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. (Acts 13:1‑3)). In Matthew 18:15-2015Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 18Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:15‑20), the Lord’s Presence in the midst is vouchsafed as the power both for discipline (v. 18), and prayer (v. 19), even if only two or three should be gathered together on the ground of the assembly (v. 20). Faith might give two or more believers to count on the promise of verse 19, but such could not claim verse 20, unless gathered as the assembly. Verse 20 should not be separated from all that goes before—the whole passage is definitely connected—the assembly, discipline, prayer and the Lord’s Presence in the midst, which is the central point and climax of all. Hence the significance of the introductory word “for” (v. 20) referring to all that goes before. Prayer and thanksgiving are closely connected in Scripture (Phil. 4:66Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (Philippians 4:6)), and both have their place in the prayer meeting. In the prayer meeting we come to make known the desires of our hearts, to receive from the Lord (Heb. 4:1616Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)). On Lord’s Day morning we come, not with an empty basket to be filled, but with a full basket, to empty out before Him (Deut. 26:2,102That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there. (Deuteronomy 26:2)
10And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God: (Deuteronomy 26:10); Heb. 13:1515By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (Hebrews 13:15)). But He is there on both occasions.
A meeting for Humiliation is an occasion when some of the saints, or the assembly as such, come together to humble themselves before the Lord, either in a general way, or because of some difficulty or sorrow, or perhaps a low state.
Such a meeting cannot be forced—it must be the result of real exercise in order to be genuine and effective. It would partake largely of the nature of confession. Surely there was never a day when such meetings would be more in order, but, unhappily, they are of rare occurrence among us. Should not this in itself be a cause for deep exercise and humiliation? (James 4:9-109Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (James 4:9‑10); 1 Peter 5:5-65Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (1 Peter 5:5‑6)).