You Should Be Committed Part II: Believers...Assemble!
Twelve reasons why a local clergyman stopped attending athletic events:
Every time I went, they asked me for money.
The people with whom I had to sit didn't seem very friendly.
The seats were too hard and not comfortable.
The coach never came to call on me.
The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.
I was sitting with some hypocrites--they came only to see what others were wearing.
Some games went into overtime, and I was late getting home.
The band played some numbers that I had never heard before.
The games are scheduled when I want to do other things.
My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.
Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches anyhow.
I don't want to take my children because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.
Last week, we discussed the "top ten" reasons why people quit attending church.
Simply got too busy - 19 %
Family/home responsibilities prevented attendance - 17 %
Church members seemed hypocritical - 17 %
Church members were judgmental of others - 17 %
Moved too far from church - 17 %
Work situation prevented church attendance - 15 %
Church was not helping me develop spiritually - 14 %
Stopped believing in organized religion - 14 %
Church was run by a clique that discouraged involvement - 12 %
Got divorced/separated - 10 %
We separated them into two categories:
Stuffed Skins: Excuses (not reasons) "I'm simply too busy". "I moved too far from church". "My family/home responsibilities prevented attendance" "I stopped believing in organized religion"
Fault On Both Sides of the Fence: "Church members seemed hypocritical" "Church members were judgmental of others" "Church was run by a clique that discouraged involvement" "Church was not helping me develop spiritually"
"Got divorced/separated"
This week, we are going to look at the opposite side of the issue:
The Top 10 Reasons You Should Be In Sunday Worship or The Benefits of Assembling Together.
The Top Ten Reasons You Should Be In Church
1) Shows our love for God
2) Spiritual Strength Building
3) The Lord's Presence
4) Fellowship with other Christians
5) Obedience to God
6) Accountability to spiritual leadership
7) Corporate Prayer
8) Remembrance of the Lord's Day
9) Blessing to the Christian
10) Edification of Believers
Love Toward God
Love for God First and foremost, what is the motivation of the Christian in attending church? It should be because of a love for God.
I have talked to quite a few people that say that they love God, but never set foot in a church. That would be like saying that you love your family with your whole heart and do all you can to never visit with them.
The first question of the Westminster Confession is this: What is the chief end of man? The answer: To glorify God and enjoy Him forever. If you cannot glorify God amongst other believers, and do so according to the way that God has commanded (assembling yourselves together), then what makes you think that you will love and glorify Him in other areas of your life?
Look at what the Word of God says about love for God, as shown by our praising Him in the assembly of believers:
I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. Psalm 22:22 (NKJV)
I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness In the great assembly; Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O LORD, You Yourself know.
I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great assembly. Psalm 40:9-10 (NKJV)
For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You." Hebrews 2:11-12
Loving God includes public admission and public demonstration of loving God. Each person does this different degree, but would include simply being in church!
The Top Ten Reasons You Should Be In Church, Part II
The Lord's Presence Inhabits The Praise of His Own In Gathering Together
Yet you are holy, O you who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. Ps 22:3 (NASB)
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Ps 22:3, KJV
The Hebrew word for enthroned (NASB) and inhabitest (KJV) speaks of sitting and inhabiting. When we gather together as Christians God is both exalted in the praises of His people and actually inhabits the praise of His people. God is present in a special way when His people assemble. In the church service, in prayer fellowship, in discipleship we experience the same thing.
Obedience to God
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Heb 10:24-25 NKJV
The word for assembling in Koine Greek means "a complete collection" which means everyone together. This does not allow only for some, but means ALL The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge lists 11 passages of scripture that relate to " not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together", including Acts 2:42: And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. There is no doubt whatsoever that the pattern of the early church to assemble together.
It is human nature--the fallen human nature-- to want to do things on our terms. We want to have things our way. We want often to have God conform to us, but instead we are to conform to God. It is the nature of the world to think of self first, to be in rebellion to anything of God and we do just that when we forsake the assembling together of the church:
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
Jesus said: "If you love Me, keep My commandments. (John 14:15, NKJV) This not only means His Words, but it also means God's Word. Jesus is God, therefore the expectation is to keep the entire canon of Scripture, including Hebrews 10:25.
The Top Ten Reasons You Should Be In Church, Part III
Remembering the Lord's Day
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Exod 20:8, NKJV
We are called upon to have one day per week to give to God, and to rest. While it was said by Jesus Himself "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" the idea is twofold. It is a time to remember and assemble with God.
Did you know that when the nation of Israel was in the wilderness, that the camp was set up so that there would maximum of 2000 feet for the farthest person to walk to the tabernacle? The reason why is that a person would have only so far to go, to have a day of rest and to dedicate that day to the Lord. God Himself gives the believer rest and refreshing upon that day.
The day of worship for the believer in Christ changed for a number of reasons in the early church. The Sabbath--Saturday--was the last day of the week. The Lord's Day--the day he was resurrected from the dead--was on the first day of the week. The emphasis was became starting out the week with Jesus instead of ending it that way. Our week should be an build up to the Lord's Day, and then the Lord's Day starts our week of on the right foot building up to the next Lord's Day.
There are many references to the Lord's Day; here are a few:
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet. Revelation 1:10 (NKJV)
Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. Acts 20:7 (NKJV)
On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. 1 Cor 16:2 (NKJV)
Accountability to Spiritual Leadership
Another reason why we are to gather together frequently is to be in submission to those in leadership. Obedience, however, is not blind and the leadership should never ask or imply that you should do something unholy.
However, people in general do not want to be told what to do. They want to say, as some kids do-- "You're not the boss of me!" However, good leadership's motivation is not to rule over anyone, it is instead to help you , love you and to keep you out of trouble! If a person is all by them self in their own little worship time at home, no one is telling them to change. The vast majority of televangelists never talk about the sanctification of the believer, but instead about gratification of the listener!
Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. Heb 13:17, NKJV
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--
from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Eph 4:11-16 (NKJV)
The Top Ten Reasons You Should Be In Church, Part IV
Mutual Benefits
Spiritual Strength Building
God has called people to be evangelists and pastor/teachers so that the saints (called out ones) of God may be equipped for the work of ministry. The reason? So that we would no longer be babies and act like the world, or be tricked by the varying winds of doctrine. Ever talk to someone that does not go to church and find out they have the craziest of beliefs? That's because they do not want to be taught, to be told they are wrong and will fall for the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.The church is a spiritual gym.
Fellowship with Other Christians
Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Acts 2:41-42 (NKJV)
Notice that the church grew in number and then they stuck together? One huge reason was because of fellowship together. Fellowship is sharing ones joys and their griefs. The high points of life, and carrying the burdens of those that are hurting.
A song that is sung by Casting Crowns hits the nail on the head. Stained Glass Masquerade speaks of everyone in church being happy with painted grins, and the person in the song is hurting from sin and needs help. He has the idea that if he does the same thing that he will believe it too. In true fellowship, we are to pick each other up:
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Gal 6:1-2
On the happy side, some of the best times of my life have been in fellowship with other believers. That is perhaps why I love to visit with other believers, or even just give them a call. You never know how much people appreciate a visit, a kind word even if by telephone or a quickly written note.--JH
Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. Matt 18:19 (NKJV)
The Top Ten Reasons You Should Be In Church, Part V
Corporate Prayer
The idea from this passage of scripture is not for two people in the congregation to agree that they want BMWs, but instead that when they gather together with like mind IN CHRIST what ever they ask for according to God's will shall be done.
There is power in the prayers of Christians, but more so when they gather together. The prayer life of a Christian is often compared to the coals in a campfire. When the logs burn down there are many coals together that burn and give off light and warmth, and they last for a good while; however, when one coal is removed from the fire and isolated it will quickly die out and grow cold.
Blessing to the Christian
Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. Hebrews 13:17
The blessing in being in church is that you learn how to live a better life, that is a GODLY life. Not always an easier life, but a profitable, useful life. To go against God's design for people to be together--as the Holy Trinity is together--is to go against the grain of God's design.
Edification of Believers
Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NKJV)
The word "edify" means to "build up". It too is a blessing to the believer. The church is to equip and build up the believer. It is to bear the burdens and the joys of it's people. If a church is not building one another up, then it is not doing it's job. If it is not equipping it's people, it's not doing it's job.
How can a saved person be edified--built up--by other believers other than in the context of a local church? Yes, there is social media such as Facebook but it is not the same as the contact a person has one-on-one with other people. A look of compassion on the face of a brother; the hand on the shoulder by a sister in Christ when the chips are down; the uplifting voices of brethren lifting voices in praise to God; the fellowship of a common meal at the church potluck or covered dish social.
The church is a place you can share your gifts, and enjoy the gifts of others.--JH
Quick Summary--Benefits of Being In Church
1) Shows our love for God: People are quick to say they love God, but how is it shown? In worship to the Almighty, both in private and in the assembly.
2) Spiritual Strength Building: People are equipped in the context of a local church, and the evidence of this is shown on Sunday morning.
3) The Lord's Presence: The presence of the Holy Spirit is shown in a strong way at the local church's assembly. While mostly felt at the Sunday worship, the presence of the Spirit can be felt at Bible study, prayer meetings and church work projects as well.
4) Fellowship with other Christians: When the church gathers and has good fellowship with each other in the Word, it is a special, unique thing.
5) Obedience to God: God commands that we assemble together.
6) Accountability to spiritual leadership: We put ourselves under the authority of the local church, and that is often looked down upon by the world.
7) Corporate Prayer: Prayer to God releases answers to prayer by God, and never in more powerful fashion than when people lift up God in unison in the assembly
8) Remembrance of the Lord's Day: Day of restoration and day of rest.
9) Blessing to the Christian: If you want to be blessed, go to church!
10) Edification of Believers: Believers building up other believers. Like bricks in a brick wall, each one adds strength to the others.
It is the wisdom of the world that says you don't need God and that you do not need your fellow believers. However, it is the wisdom of God that says you need him and your brethren in Christ. You make a decision either for or against God when it comes to Sunday morning worship, a time when you either honor and bow before God or honor and bow to yourself.
Believers...assemble!
