Do Not Forsake Coming To Church

Do not Forsake Coming to Church

Hebrews 10:10-25

Introduction

In many places, church attendance has been on a serious decline for some time. this had been accelerated by the Coronavirus pandemic. churches were ordered to close or severely limit attendance as being “non-essential.” Of course, liquor stores, lottery kiosks, abortion clinics, and “gentlemen’s” clubs were considered essential. Big box stores were essential. Businesses owned by the politicians and there families were essential. Much can be said about the inequity of the closures which effected Christian and non-Christian alike. But when the church accepted the edict of the government to close down, it declared itself to be irrelevant. Many church goers have yet to return if they will ever return. the truth is that many of them don’t think attendance at church is essential. In this, they agree with the enemies of Christ. Some with some compulsion watch church on TV or the Internet. Some say they can worship by themselves in their own way.

But is this right? A good argument can be made that the assembly of believers during the pandemic presented a danger to them. I know of one church where they were dedicating their new sanctuary in which many there caught the virus including the city mayor who almost died. I know of four who died, one of whom was the son-in law of a beloved pastor friend of mine. Another one was the head of the former head of the education department where I attended college, and from whom I received teacher certification. There we many like incidents that occured in churches throughout the country. So, I do not fault churches who closed or severely limited attendance during the pandemic. This should have been the choice of the local congregations after assessing the risks and coming up with a mitigation strategy.

When we look at church history, we can find many occasions in which it was danger to come to church. Pandemics like the Bubonic Plague ravaged the churches at times during the Middle Ages. then there was persecution. In the early church, attending church was so dangerous that the church had to meet in the catacombs as it was the one place the superstitious persecutors would not go. The same can be said of the believers addressed in this morning’s text from the Book of Hebrews. The epistle tells us of this in the verses that follow the ones we read this morning: (Hebrews 10:32-35) The writer at the end of the book n chapter 13 seems to indicate that he was in prison and mentions that Timothy had just been released. So the persecution was becoming increasingly severe. The writes hints that martyrdom would soon commence. (Hebrews 12:4)

Exposition of the Text

This morning’s text from the lectionary is very rich in theological truth. Although we will spend most of our time centered on Hebrews 10:25, it would be fruitful to make a summary of the previous verses. They help to explain why it was important to assemble together where the saints could be encouraged by the preaching and teaching of the Word. In Hebrews 10:10, we are reminded that we have been sanctified (set apart) through the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ. To be set apart implies being set apart as a church body as well as individually. The offering of Christ also reminds us that Jesus our Lord suffered. He suffered ONCE. But that was in the past. the suffering that Christians might experience is als for a very short time in the light of eternity. Truth like this is learned in church, at least it should be. The oneness of His sacrifice made all other sacrifices and the priesthood that offered them obsolete. Those in the church who had come from a Jewish background and may have been tempted to return to Judaism needed to be reminded of this truth, lest they forsake the assembly and return to Judaism.

Hebrews 10:13 reminds us that Christ is at God’s right hand waiting for all tings to be subjected to Him. This is the promise of Psalm 110:1 which had been quoted at several times throughout this epistle. Subjection occurs in two ways. Christians show their subjection by falling on their faces before Him in worship. the enemies are forcibly subjected by being placed before Jesus on their backs with Jesus’ foot upon their necks, metaphorically speaking. but all things will be subjected under Him, one way or another. As Paul reminds us, “Every knew shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Philippians 2:11) This serves as a warning to the congregation not to forsake the assembly as well as offer encouragement for the believers to persevere in the faith. Hebrews 10:31 and the following verses offer one of the many serious warnings to not forsake the church in the Book of Hebrews.