Get to church! Let's not forsake the assembling of ourselves together!!!!!

 Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJV) 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 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.





It is interesting that during this COVID pandemic that Hebrews 10:24-25 has risen to center stage.  Proponents of various theories arise and petition governments and scream; “Hey!  We have to meet together!”  And then the Hebrew passages is quoted or referred to.  A couple of observations:


Hebrews describes ‘meeting together’ in these terms.


A- “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works”




B-  "but exhorting one another”



Notice what is missing—-church as we know it.  Nothing is said about a platform, a worship team, a presentation by a paid professional.  In other words the meeting together had little if anything to do with the way we do church.


Meeting together had to do with:


  1. Considering one another in order to stir up love and good works.  Here the pronoun is revealing—there is an ‘us.’ Let us consider one another.
  2. Even more plain—“but exhorting one another.”


Listen to these telling words from Norman Grubb who wrote Continuous Revival back in 1952


“But today we need to persuade people to say something on those occasions when we have an open time of fellowship!  Paul had to persuade them to keep silent and give the other fellow a chance!  We have now replaced fellowship by preaching in our modern church life, and the reason is not hard to find.  Fellowshipping necessitates a real flow of life in the fellowship, for each person had to be ready to contribute his share of what the Lord is really saying to him;  preaching is an easy way out for a not-too-living fellowship.  Appoint the preacher and let him find the messages;  we can sit still, take or leave what we hear, as we please!  


Probably the best balance was found in early Methodism, where John Wesley laid down that besides the preaching and teaching meetings, there must be a weekly class-meeting which was on a strictly fellowship basis, and all who attended were required to tell of the Lord’s personal dealings that week, whether concerning sins, answers to prayer, or opportunity of witness.”


—


So there you have it!   As tough as COVID has been, the answer is in Hebrews10:24-25—“exhorting one another.”  

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