1 Corinthians 14:26 says that the main elements of a church meeting are spiritual songs, teaching, prophetic revelation and tongues with an interpretation. With all due respect, the modern church model of four songs, announcements, a long sermon and an offering isn’t biblical. It’s not found anywhere in the Bible, which is a relief because it’s boring and unproductive. God has a whole lot more for us.
After all, the word “church” doesn’t refer to a building. The word the Bible uses for church means “called out ones”. You can’t go to church; Christians are the church. The phrase “going to church” really means attending a meeting of called-out ones. Hebrews 10:25 tells us we should meet together, so that we can exhort each other. Fellowship is important, but we can meet whenever we want and wherever we want. Jesus explained, “Where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” In other words, when at least two believers get together in Jesus’ name, that’s a church meeting. 1 Corinthians 14:26 tells us exactly what those meetings should look like.
Planting churches
Acts 14:21-23 explains how to start a church meeting. First, preach the Gospel in a specific area. Next, gather the people who believe into a group. Get them started off in the faith. From there, ask God to help you appoint a few qualified people to oversee the meetings. The requirements for being the leader of a church group are listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9.
House church format
1 Corinthians 14:26 says, “When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.”
Spiritual songs
Ephesians 5:18-19 instructs us to “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” Colossians 3:16 also mentions spiritual songs, encouraging us to teach and admonish “one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” Clearly, this isn’t talking about rehearsed songs or something from a hymnal. These spiritual songs are spontaneously given by the Holy Spirit. While praying or meditating on the Word of God, you may sense a word or phrase pop into your head and feel like singing it. Do it! Likewise, write down what you sing. That way, in the next meeting you attend, you can share it. It will edify everyone there.
Teaching
Another common feature of a church service is teaching. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching.” What we teach is rooted in the Bible. In a meeting, if led by the Spirit, give a message, a teaching or an exhortation from the Word. Usually, what we share is an insight that the Holy Spirit gives us while we’re reading or meditating on the Word in private. Perhaps a passage catches our attention or the Spirit points something out to us. Write it down and bring it to the next meeting, so you can build others up in faith through a deeper understanding of God’s Word.
Prophetic words
A prophecy is a message from God for an individual or a group at a specific time. These messages are for edification, exhortation and consolation, although the message could include a prediction of future events or another type of revelation. All prophetic words will get us to seek God. Of course, under the New Covenant, we prophesy only in part. Put differently, messages that we receive from God require interpretation. All revelation must be tested.
Tongues and interpretation
There are two kinds of tongues. First, there’s a private use of tongues for personal edification. Any Spirit-filled Christian can speak in tongues for personal edification. That said, there’s also a public gift of tongues; that’s the type mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 and 1 Corinthians 14:26. Unlike tongues for personal edification, this use of speaking in tongues is for the common good. During a church meeting, a person can be moved by the Holy Spirit to give a message in an unknown language and then that person or someone present gives the interpretation. With this public use of tongues, God supernaturally gives a message to a group of believers. 1 Corinthians 14:39 says we shouldn’t forbid speaking in tongues.
Communion
For more information on honoring the body and the blood of Christ, view the following: Pleading the blood
Since Jesus said that we should break bread and drink wine in remembrance of Him, we should do it. The best summary of Communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper, is found in 1 Corinthians 11:23-29. When we take part in Communion, we celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and death on the Cross and we look forward to drinking wine with Him in the Kingdom. It’s also a time to examine our walk with the Lord. We should plead the blood of Jesus and confess any sin.
On a side note, many Christians prefer to use grape juice instead of wine. There’s nothing wrong with this, but, just to clarify, wine is what early Christians used. In fact, Corinthian Christians were getting drunk off of the Communion wine. Paul didn’t tell them they were using the wrong beverage. He just told them to drink at home and stop disrespecting the Lord.
Example
Give bread to everyone celebrating Communion with you. Take your piece of bread and raise it, saying, “The Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’” Eat the bread together. When finished, take the cup and raise it, saying, “In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’” Drink the wine and pass the cup around for everyone to drink.