Why We Have Special Meetings

Spring and Fall Meetings have become a usual part of our annual routine, and in ten years, we have bypassed these meetings maybe once. But why? And for what purpose? And what are we to do about this tradition?

First, we have special meetings for the sake of. Our Lord. We long to know Him more, to hear His Word and to believe it, to be stirred and challenged and convinced and convicted. We would give Him glory, and we believe that we give God great glory as we know Him more and better. We have special meetings so that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Secondly, we have special meetings for the sake of believers. We want God to have His way in our hearts and in our lives, and we want God to work in us. We know that God works through His Word, that His power rests there. While it is certainly true that God does His work in the weekly routines of Sunday worship and Wednesday Bible study, we also desire to have special times for God to work in special ways. We have special meetings so that the Word of Christ will dwell in us richly.

Thirdly, we have special meetings for the sake of inquirers. Others seek the Lord. others long to know Him, to know that they have eternal life, that they will enjoy God forever in heaven. Special meetings can have a great impact on the Seeker. For one thing, God can use these special meetings to draw a sinner to Himself. As the preacher upholds the Word of God, as he faithfully preaches the Gospel, as he pleads with men, God draws sinners to their Redeemer and Savior. But also, God uses these meetings in the witness of believers. The preaching of a special week of meetings stirs, encourages, and further equips us for the work of evangelism. We therefore hold special meetings so that holding fast the faithful word… we may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

Finally, we have special meetings for the sake of . If the good hand of our God will be upon us, these special meetings can have the effect of a much needed vacation, of a special time set aside for refreshment and encouragement and fellowship. Like a breath of fresh air, special meetings revitalize and reinvigorate. We have special meetings so that we can all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

But of course, all the designs of our week of Special Meetings will be in vain if you neglect to attend each and every night. As your pastor, I encourage you to set this time aside. Seek the Lord in a special way, and for special blessing during this week. Be at the church early each night, and come with your plate washed and wiped clean, so that the preacher might fill it each night. Then go home and chew on the messages preached. And may God bless us in a very special way during this week.

Its All in the Look

Recently, an older man came to me with a quandary. It seems he was frustrated that people, from time to time, came to him with gripes about other people in the church. He did not understand why they would come to him. He did not want to talk about these things, and did not want these things to be brought to him.

But they were. And, from the sound of it, more than a little regularly.

Why is it that gossips always seem to go to the same person? How do they know who to go to and who to leave alone? Is there some kind of vibration that a person gives off when they are willing listeners to this sort of thing?

The answer is, “Yes! Absolutely!” The person who listens to gossip demonstrates their willingness by… listening. It really is that simple. Now, that’s not to say that the listener never protests, or protests that they really don’t want to hear it or discuss it. In fact, those who listen to gossip are very likely to say a thing like that. After all, they need something to salve their conscience.

What they don’t do is the one thing necessary to drive away the gossip. And that one necessary thing is to give one good old-fashioned dirty look.

The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. Proverbs 25:23

When a gossip approaches you with some “news” about a friend, it should sound something like this… “What are you trying to say? Are you talking about my friend? If you have a problem with my friend, then you have a problem with me. In fact, let’s go talk to him about it right now.”

And suddenly, almost surreally, the gossips avoid you.