Subject: S>Assembling With The Saints Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 11:31:43 -0500 From: Grady Scott To: Aaron Henschel Brethren, Here is a sermon I preached last Sunday for morning and evening services. Let me know if you desire an attachment copy. Brotherly, Grady Scott ASSEMBLING WITH THE SAINTS Hebrews 10:23-27 INTRODUCTION: One lament you will hear, if you sit down and talk with most preachers for any length of time, is poor attendance of the services of the church. Many brethren are very neglectful of assembling with the saints on the Lord’s day. Many more will hardly ever come back to service on Sunday evening or Wednesday night. Let me say up front that the congregation is better than most when it comes to attendance. I have heard it said that we have a better attendance of Sunday night and Wednesday night than some congregations twice our size. I have personally noticed that some who once did not attend any service but Sunday morning have been attending evening services more regularly. For this, you are to be commended. But for those of you who feel no need to attend all the service, for those of you feel there is no sin in “laying out” please listen to my plea! BODY I. WE NEED EVERY SERVICE OF THE SAINTS BECAUSE WE HAVE WEAKNESSES AS CHRISTIANS AND NEED TO BE STRENGTHENED A. We are strengthened through the assembling of the saints. 1. Verses 24b-25a “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” 2. Acts 2:42-46 B. We need the regular encouragement from the gathering of the saints because of the constant pull of the world to conform with the world. 1. Hebrews 3:12_13 "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13_ but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." 2. Romans 12:1_2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2_ 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." II. WE SHOULD ATTEND EVERY SERVICE OF THE SAINTS BECAUSE WE SHOULD DESIRE TO WORSHIP AND ADORE GOD WITH OTHER SAINTS. A. The child of God should yearn for every opportunity to worship and adore Jehovah! 1. Psalms 26:8 - "LORD, I have loved the habitation of Your house, And the place where Your glory dwells." 2. Psalms 27:4 - "One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple." 3. Psalms 84:2, 10 - "My soul longs, yes, even faints For the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God....For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness." 4. One who truly loves God never asks, "Do I have to attend all the services?" He wants to. B. If the child of God cannot enjoy worship here with his brethren, he would never enjoy Heaven. 1. Revelation 4:10 "the twenty_four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:" 2. Revelation 14:3 "They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty_four thousand who were redeemed from the earth." 3. Revelation 19:5_6 "Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!" 6_ And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!" III. WE SHOULD ATTEND EVERY SERVICE OF THE CHURCH BECAUSE GOD TELLS US TO. A. We are commanded to not forsake the assembling of God’s people. 1. Hebrews 10:24-25 B. We show our love by our obedience to the commands of the Lord. 1. John 14:15 2. John 14:21 - ""He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."" IV. WE SHOULD ATTEND EVERY SERVICE OF THE CHURCH BECAUSE THE ELDERS HAVE LOVINGLY SENT THESE TIMES ASIDE FOR OUR EDIFICATION AND GLORIFYING GOD. A. The elders have a responsibility to watch over your souls. They are required to feed the congregation spiritual food. 1. Acts 20:28 ""Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." B. We therefore have an obligation to obey our elders when they make decisions that they think best for our souls. 1. Hebrews 13:17 - "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." V. WE SHOULD ATTEND EVERY SERVICE OF THE CHURCH BECAUSE WE WANT TO SET AN EXAMPLE BEFORE OTHERS. A. Christians are to be examples to one another in their way of life. 1. 1 Timothy 4:12 - "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 2. Titus 2:7 - "in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility," 3. Matthew 5:14_16 ""You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15_ "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16_ "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." B. We understand that people will notice when we deliberately absent ourselves from the assembly. 1. 1 Samuel 20:18 - "Then Jonathan said to David, "Tomorrow is the New Moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty." 2. We should understand that someone weaker in the faith is watching us. They will either be strengthened to do what is right or draw away from the Lord, by our example. a. Romans 14:7 "For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself." b. Romans 14:19_21 "Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 20_ Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. 21_ It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak." c. This does not mean that attending the services are in the optional category. What it does mean is that we should be concerned about how our example affects weaker brethren. VI. WE SHOULD ATTEND EVERY SERVICE OF THE CHURCH BECAUSE WE NEED TO SET OUR PRIORITIES RIGHT. A. We are to put Christ and his kingdom first. 1. Matthew 6:33 - ""But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." 2. The Bible principle is clear - God desires the “first fruits” of our service. a. Deuteronomy 26:2 - ""that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the LORD your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide." B. How is this to be applied? 1. If we put the kingdom first we will want to attend every service possible.