Not Forsaking Our Own Assembling Together

Posted by Pastor Pat on April 12, 2009

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23-25)

Why should I assemble with the saints of God on a weekly basis? What place or importance is Sunday morning worship to have in my life? Why should I attend weekly gatherings outside of Sunday morning? What contributions do such activities make in my Christian walk?

Often weekly church attendance can have a place of importance until something else comes up. Most of the time we are regular in our attendance, but sometimes other “things” crowd out our weekly attendance. Things like camping trips, fishing trips, family gatherings, or simple laziness can excuse us from attending. What place are “religious” activities to have in the Christian life and why should we attend to these things?

Like other Christian fellowships, we have annual prayer and fasting weeks and set aside specific days for the week of Easter and Advent. Yet such weeks are often viewed as an intrusion or an interruption in one’s regular activities. Somehow the event becomes an inconvenience. It pulls us out of bed or our regular routines and thus is deemed a nuisance.

Yet this is exactly what it is suppose to do. It is our routines and the weight of our daily grind that tempts us away from God. The world, the flesh, and the devil use these things to pull us away from what is most important. These things are his strategy; to pull us away is his desire.

An annual week of prayer and fasting, holy week, Advent and each Sunday is to awaken us out of our lethargy and remind us that we are here for God and by God. Everything we do is from Him, through Him, and for Him.

We are to worship God by celebrating all we enjoy from parenting, to marriage, to national freedoms, to present employment and from hardships, heartaches, and hernias. All that is good and bad and everything in between is cause for acknowledging God in our midst. It is because of Him that we live and move and have our being.

Each event that opens us up to God is a “special” event. All of the planned and intentional days assigned by the church are designed to call us back to what is primary. As we set aside this time to reflect and talk of God, let us filter everything we are and have and do through this wonderful grid of God’s grace through the bookends of His incarnation and resurrection truth. God is not only with us, but He is for us.

So…as you set aside this time, let it be done with a heart of gratitude and not regret. Let it be a celebration and meditation. Let the Holy Spirit use this time to call us back to Him. May you find this time a rich time of fellowship with one another, with God, and with His Word.

By Pastor Patrick J. Griffiths.  For more information see the Waukesha Bible Church site.