Our duty in meeting together

Hebrews 10. 24-25

One of the means of grace in the Christian life is the practice of meeting with fellow Christians in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The early church knew of a uniting together in the apostles doctrine and in fellowship and prayer (Acts 2. 41).No matter about the faults and failings of the church, meeting together is good. I have found it so in my own life.

Sadly there are many around us who do not know what it is to have real deep fellowship and friendship with other people and as a result live impoverished lives we were never to live in this world as loners.

And when a person becomes a Christian and knows of Gods saving plan in Christ they become part of the body of Christ, which is made up of his people who he has called to himself. Even though a person must become a Christian personally, it is the deepest personal experience one can ever have. Yet we are not saved alone. God has made man for society, for unity and for fellowship with God, with his Son and with one another. John Wesley reminded his people that the Bible knows nothing of solitary religion and he is right. Although some people believe that they can be Christians and live without reference to the church, yet no man is an island.

We need to remember the cooperative nature of the Christian life. and as Christians need to meet together and we need to know why we need to meet together as well as what we are to do in meeting together.

(Hebrews chapter 10 v 24 –25) We have this exhortation given to these Christians in days when the church was facing persecution, there was a falling away from the faith and reverting back to the formal religion administration and ceremonies - the sacrificing of lambs and goats of the old Jewish faith. There was a departing from the finished work of Christ.

So the writer explains to them that they can come to God with boldness by the blood of Jesus (v19). Then gives a series of three exhortations the N.I.V gives the idea of four. The first - let us draw near with a true heart (v22) then (v23) to hold fast to the hope that we have and (v24) Let us consider one another how we can spur one another on not neglecting meeting together. It is the last exhortation we want to look at, our duty to one another as fellow believers.

We have a duty to consider one another in the faith.

To stir up love and good works in the life of other believers, the Christian has a duty and obligation for the care and nurturing and attaining spiritual growth in the life of the whole church not just one’s own soul. We are to consider ways in which we can spur those Christians around us to greater and better things in their Christian life and Christian experience. We only have to take a look in the letters of the New Testament to find these two words “one another”.

We are to consider one another and be mindful of one another - there is a looking out for each other. The Christian life is not an isolated existence. Years ago, in joining a church like this it carried with it great responsibilities where people would covenant together, like a marriage covenant, and promises were made. To watch over one another in love, to pray for one another in the faith. And we need to sit down to think and consider what it is that we can do to stir up love for God and excite others in the faith.

Consider this in the negative. We find it easy to stir and provoke others to hatred, malice and hurt. You know what a “stirrer” is; there is one who has that sharp word which provokes not to love but wrath. Another is awkward and unpleasant and it in turn makes you awkward and unpleasant - all this comes quite naturally. Now what is being said here is that one’s words should stir not to hatred but love for God and other Christians, and that one’s life is not a hindrance but an encouragement to do the work of the Lord.

From personal experience I have found when it comes to the work of the Lord many people, instead of encouraging one to go forward, there is opposition and discouragement from the world, which one expects but sadly also from Christians.

Now each and every Christian is required in this work, not only the minister each member has a duty in this work - stirring in love and good works.

Let’s consider how we are to do this. We need to think of our actions, speech and lives towards our bother and sisters in the Lord to consider and think not of ourselves but others lets thing on the interests of others and not our own.

The Christian life is difficult there is so much apathy and indifference in this day and age. The situation is as before with many falling away from the faith. Imagine for a moment of a church where people have a consideration of the spiritual life of each other and whose aim is not just for their own lives to honour God but others also. What a change would come upon that gathering of people when a group of Christians have a concern for the spiritual well being for the cause and people of God.

Ask the question about your own Christian life, does it spur others on to a love and work for God? Your presence, or lack of it, in the meetings of the church, does it spur others on to be faithful or unfaithful? One’s commitment to prayer as a church, one’s attendance, or lack of it, will have an effect on the spiritual condition of the church and one’s faith, or lack of it, will have an effect. Think about yourself and then think about others “is my life a challenge to greater and better Christian living”. The idea of coming to worship God with no thought or concern of one’s brothers and sisters is not a Biblical one.

Then again (v24) which is not a fourth exhortation but carries the thought of (v23).

We have a duty to meet one another in the faith because we have this obligation for one another there is not to be a forsaking to meet and assemble together as is the habit of some. It is impossible to be of help if one is not present to help. So often one’s presence is an encouragement and a blessing and no more so than in the church.

It is here that we can be of service to help each other. It is a meeting around the things of God, a coming to his presence reading the Word, sharing in praise and fellowship one with another and praying for one another this is a means of grace to strengthen us in the faith. To neglect this for our own sake is unhealthy.

And if I cannot exhort you and convince you for our own sake then out of love for one’s fellow believer do all you can for the sake of another and fulfil the work and will of God.

Think of the non-Christian, if they do not see the Christian committed to the church of God how will they ever take such gatherings seriously. Think of the new Christian who needs to be discipled. People who are Christians with no connection or lose connection with the church does not have the Mind of the God who has saved us. It really causes damage to the witness of His church.

From the very early days Christians have seen the importance and significance of meeting together in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. One reads of the accounts of the early Christians going into the catacombs at night to meet with fellow believers. We can read of the accounts in later centuries of gatherings out in the woods meeting in the cold and damp of the deep forest with no path to follow with young and old under threat of the loss of life and goods.

The first Baptist Church in Pembrokeshire Rhydwlyim. The Baptists would come for 30 miles around into that valley which was not easy but they met - this is the point. They knew of its importance, with no cars they went in the wind and the rain. Would we really have been found among those people? They knew of its importance. We would not be here this day if they had not met yesterday.

The concern here is the problem of falling away from the faith. There is a falling away which is partial it does happen even in the best churches, and the earliest churches knew of this problem - of people falling away from the means of grace. But the problem is that of a partial falling away from the means of grace which can lead to ruin.

There are so many reasons why this can happen and become a habit, as is the manner of some. Work, friends or family. It is too hot, it is too cold it is too dark they say or it’s too late, there is too few or too crowded. I have heard each and everyone of these excuses and many more both from old and the young.

One point to make in the light of all of this is that above these there are other considerations in one’s life. There are other considerations in the light of one’s Christian duty and obligation.

Simply then one of the best ways to fulfil the exhortation we have, to consider one another, the time that we can help one another, the time when we can listen to one another, know the needs of one another is when we meet together. Once a month is not ideal new people come new problems arise practical steps need to be taken. We sing… when I need a neighbour were you there were you there, when I need a neighbour were you there. First of all we must simply be there for others.

We have a duty to encourage one another in the faith.

As we see the day approaching do not forsake the assembling together for this is a practical means of fulfilling the obligation but to encourage one another in the light of the day approaching when we will all have to give an account before him of those works which are done in our lives before God to one another.

There is something we can do encourage, exhort one another. People ask what can I do in the church, first of all be there and encourage. It is so easy to tear down, to criticize, moan and groan and find fault. It is hard enough out in the world were people pull down one’s faith. We come together to be built up where we can encourage one another. There is a powerful gift of encouragement, the church needs people of encouragement.

Barnabus was such a person in the early church, he was known as the son of encouragement. What a blessing to have such a person in the church. You came in and there is a warm welcome.

It has not always been so in the Welsh non-conformist church. There has been a lack of this gift in evident. This is why we would try in various ways to foster a greater love for one another. One of the successes of the old Methodist revivals in Wales was that of the experience meetings that they held were fellow Christians would come together to testify and speak about there experiences and difficulties and in this sharing, exhorting it fanned the fame to spiritual life it’s members sadly we have lost this spiritual practise in our church life but need put it into practice again. Who often we have been uplifted through the testimony and word of another brother and sister and how others need it do.

We are to do this as we see the day approaching of the return of Christ. One of the characteristics of that day before his coming there will be much persecution and falling away the love of many hearts will grow cold. In the church this will happen - it is not the day to be at ease in Zion.

We must do all that we can to encourage then each other in the work and a thankfulness and appreciation shown of the work. Greetings in seeing each other and a looking out for each other in a spiritual nature, a helping hand in the hour of need and a welcoming of new faces - being interested and sociable with a Christian fellowship in the Lord.

Let me encourage you in whatever you circumstance may be - in all honesty in this life if you know the Lords Jesus Christ you are not alone and we are not to be alone, we have the great Lord Jesus Christ who has died for us and who has loved us with an everlasting love.

We are placed in his church the family of God who do love and care one is not alone with the fight of faith. If we are cold or hard of heart then we need to come and know of the blessing of Christian fellowship more so.

Let us encourage one another all the more as you see the day approaching.