“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
For several years back in the early 100s, solitary sainthood was in vogue. Men were put on a pedestal, literally, and lived on top for decades. (One guy made it 67 years!) These men believed that staying apart from the group made them more of a saint and more sure of salvation. We know better than to believe or live out such errant folly, yet we sometimes find ourselves spending much of life away from the very ones we should be hanging around. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Seems as though some early Christians had decided that church was optional, and God wanted them to know otherwise. Getting together with other believers is an essential part of your spiritual diet, and missing more than a few meals leaves you weak and undernourished. Sunday worship and weekly small group should be considered “meetings” that we don’t easily “give up.” Yes, everyone understands extenuating circumstances, but a busy schedule, a burdened heart, or a beautiful lake shouldn’t habitually keep you from church. Your attendance in tired or tough circumstances (or on the perfect day for fishing or skiing) encourages those in the pew and the pulpit. Your presence reminds them that God is your strength, your comfort, and your priority.
We need to realize that coming to church isn’t doing God a favor and that we don’t get brownie points for showing up. But we do get a blessing and we get to be a blessing. God doesn’t need us there, but we need to be there. We are a body and together we make up a whole. When half an ear, part of the tongue, a bit of the heart, and the left foot don’t show up on a regular basis, the body of Christ can’t be what we’re supposed to be or do what we’re supposed to do. Individually, we can’t live out our purpose alone. Our worship, our witness, our service, and our growth are best fulfilled in fellowship with other Christians, and much of this fellowship takes place on Sundays and in small groups.
Yes, weekends only have two days, but the first Christians to read Hebrews had only one day for rest and recreation, so we don’t have grounds for grumbling. We need to get up and get there and “encourage each other” to do the same. Being part of the group is a good thing and a God-thing. Since we will live as one in eternity, time spent together now is a bit of heaven on earth.
Each sunrise steps toward the Christ’s Second Coming. His fast approaching appearance creates urgency and expectation which draws us closer to Him and to each other. We need to be together. We should want to be together. We should invite others to come together. Our habit should be to show up, not skip out. As the sign outside a local congregation read: What’s missing in CH_ _CH? UR!
Pedestals are no place for God’s people! Jump down and jump in.
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