SPIRITUAL OPERATION
OF THE BODY
Let us consider the way in which
the Lord wants His Body to operate as it gathers
together for worship and fellowship. First, they are to
praise Him with their whole hearts, forgetting
everything that occupies their minds and their attention
and seeking to make Him the center of their worship
and devotion. He is a jealous God, and He wants His
people to be undivided in their thoughts as they come to
worship Him. He wants them to draw near to Him as they praise Him from
their hearts and as they sing and make melody from their
hearts to Him. It is
written that if His people will draw near to Him,
He will draw near to them
(Jms. 4:8). The Body cannot function and minister as the
Lord chooses when He is not in the midst to direct and
control all things, and to bless by His Presence. God's
people must worship and praise Him from the depths of
their hearts, entering into His courts and drawing near
to Him. Then, and only then,
can He make Himself available to direct and bless
in the midst of those who gather together in His
Name.
Then the Lord would have them pray
to Him and make known the
petitions of their hearts. Having drawn near to Him in praise and worship,
His Spirit will draw near and move on the hearts of His
people to utter to Him
prayers that are born of the anointing of His Spirit.
Even so will those He moves on open their mouths and
intercede on behalf of the Body, and cause the whole
Body to be lifted to the
throne of Grace and receive the guidance that is needed
for the meeting. Also, people should pour out their
hearts to Him for those
needs and burdens which He places on their hearts, and
make known those petitions which are quickened to their
understanding by the moving of the Spirit in their
midst. As His people yield themselves to be instruments
of heart-felt, Spirit-directed prayer, He is enabled to
move by His Spirit to bring into their midst the
directive and the ministry that is needed. So are
the people lifted and strengthened and blessed as
their prayers ascend to the
Lord as sweet incense.
And then God's people should yield
themselves to Him to be used
in the ministry of the gifts of His Spirit to edify and
strengthen the Body. The gifts are for the upbuilding of
the saints and for the fitting of the Body for the
service which He has ordained. These gifts minister the
blessings of God's grace through the supernatural
utterance, or supernatural operation, or supernatural
deliverance of the gifts of His grace. God's people are
also to search His Word and let Him speak through those
whom He has set to be teachers in their midst. For His
Word is that which will nourish and sustain them and
make them fit vessels for His use. Spend much time
seeking the Lord in His Word and let it dwell richly in
your hearts as you share that which the Lord has shown
you. All may participate in the ministry of the Word as
prompted by the moving of the Lord's Spirit.
The Lord has those who are prepared
and ready to minister that which He has shown for
each meeting. By being sensitive to His Spirit, He will
direct you to that which He would have you consider for
each meeting. Sometimes a directive will be given
through prophetic utterance as to the nature and content
of that which is to be brought forth. At other times He
gives the key to someone ahead of time who will have
done some preparation along a certain line of
teaching which He will quicken to that person in
the meeting. Sometimes ministries present will be shown
ahead of time what the ministry of the Word is to be for
the meeting. All are to be subject to one another and
seek the mind of the Spirit, letting Him bring forth the
ministry of the Word which is ordered for your
edification each time you gather together.
As you gather together God's people
are also to remember to give of their material
substance for the support of those who have been called
and sent forth. They are to give to those who have been ordained
to speak forth His message for this hour, and to those who have been sent
forth to minister in His Name. For as you give so will
He bless you. You are to share with those who are in
need and give to those
causes which are doing a worthy work to the praise of His glory.
You are also to minister to Him by breaking bread and
participating in the communion. God's people are to
regularly remember Him in the keeping of the Lord's
Supper. This need not be made a part of every meeting
but only when He gives direction by His Spirit. This
should always be a time of special dedication and
heart-searching; you should consider seriously the
meaning of this observance. Much benefit to the
whole Body can be gained if it is entered into with
understanding, discernment and yielding to Him. But much judgment can
come if you do not fully enter into the reality of the
sacrifice which the emblems represent, and if you fail
to appropriate the cleansing and healing which they
depict. It should be a special time of heart-searching,
confession and petition.
When you come together, do not seek
to minister except as the Lord enables you and directs
you by His Spirit; and be careful not to interject that
which is of your own flesh and your own desires. Those
He has set in the Body to guide and shepherd will be
quick to discern and quick to correct that which is not
in harmony with the Spirit. All should be ready to
minister as the Spirit directs, that each meeting may be
a glorious experience in the Presence and fellowship of
our Blessed Lord and Savior.
This picture of the ingathering of
the saints is not meant to be some kind of schedule as
if the things mentioned were always to follow a certain
order or pattern. There are a variety of ways in which
meetings may progress as directed by the Holy Spirit. I
have just presented those elements which may be a part
of the ministry of the Body of Christ as we gather in
His Name.