What is “forsaking the assembly”?

Many of us are familiar with Hebrews 10:25: “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.”  What exactly does this mean?

Some contend that a Christian can skip a Sunday here and there and not be accused of “forsaking the assembly” because they have not abandoned church services altogether. The word “forsaking” means to leave behind, leave to desert. Does this mean that a person is forsaking the assembly if they leave and do not return? Yes, but not always.

Consider when Jesus was hanging on the cross. There is no question that he felt all alone. He uttered the words, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34). This is the exact same word that the Hebrew writer used. This article is not a discussion of whether God forsook Jesus or if Jesus just felt that way. My point is this – was Jesus correct to use the word “forsaken” in that situation? Did Jesus not have to wait weeks or months to then use the term? No. One can forsake when a person is not where they ought to be.

If a child of God decides they are going to skip services on a Sunday – even if just for one week – the scriptures teach that they have forsaken the assembly. Simply put, they were supposed to be there (I Cor. 11:17-18; Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16:1-2). It is not logical to say that it is okay to miss one Sunday or to miss on occasion when God’s word is clear about our regular attendance.

This thinking also indicates a double-standard. If a Christian misses one Sunday and says they will be back the next Sunday, they are clearly expecting that the church will be gathered then. This person expects the brethren to be gathered, but the brethren cannot expect the same in return.  That is not right, and we all know it.

Problems with “hit and miss” attendance are ultimately problems of the heart. The Lord demands to be worshipped (John 4:24). If our response is to do it when convenient or only when we feel like it, we should not expect the Lord to be pleased. We also need to be mindful of the example this sets for children and other members. Jesus said that we need to be lights in a world of darkness (Matt. 5:13-15). We cannot honestly say that we are seeking first the kingdom of God when we would rather be somewhere else (Matt. 6:33).

To further understand that a person can forsake the assembly by only missing one Sunday, think about a marriage. If a husband goes off with another woman for just one night, can you really say he forsook their wife? Yes!!! Even if the husband planned to go back to their mate the next day, he forsook the vow that he made. Saints are described as being married to the Lord (II Cor. 11:2). Therefore, when we choose not to gather with the saints to honor our Lord, we are not being faithful.

Let’s look at yet one more example. Mark 14:50 describes how Jesus was arrested and all his followers deserted (forsook) Him. Notice how the followers were described as forsaking Jesus even though very little time has passed. Yet again, a Christian can be guilty of forsaking the assembly by taking a single day off from worship.

This begs the question – what does it mean when someone skips a day of worship? They need to repent of their sin (Luke 13:3). Local churches often struggle to know if members are guilty of this as people can be creative in coming up with “reasons” why they could not attend. You might fool fellow Christians, but you cannot fool the Lord. We will ultimately answer to the Him, not man (II Cor. 5:1).

Chuck

For the sake of their souls and the effectiveness of the church, unity must prevail among brothers and sisters in Christ (Psa. 133:1; I Cor. 1:10). Even so, we know that Christians will inevitably face differences of opinion on non-doctrinal matters. So what are brethren to do when there seems to be an impasse about a judgment call?

Let’s first establish that there is nothing wrong with having different opinions – it is not a sin (Rom. 14:1-3). We are not talking about doctrinal matters because everyone who follows Jesus MUST abide in His doctrine (II John 9). Therefore, Christians can “agree to disagree” in areas of opinion but not regarding the teachings of the gospel of Christ.

To understand this difference, let’s look to the Bible. Acts 15:36-41 shows Paul and Barnabas disagreeing about whether John Mark should be brought on another journey. The contention between Paul and Barnabas was “sharp” (verse 39), with Barnabas wanting to take him and Paul not wanting to. In the end, Paul and Barnabas could not agree and separated to continue preaching the gospel (verse 39-40).

Let us not read more into this than we should. To think that Paul and Barnabas hated each other is incorrect. Likewise, thinking that Paul hated John Mark is also incorrect. As we read in II Timothy 4:11, the apostle Paul sent for John Mark, saying that “he is useful to me for the ministry.” This does not sound like someone who held a grudge, was full of hate or wanted to avoid him.

The same can be said about Paul and Barnabas. Paul mentions him in I Corinthians 9:6. This was well after the conflict between them in Acts 15. How do we know that? Because Paul first went to Corinth without Barnabas in Acts 18.

Brethren need to be mature enough to accept that there will be differences of opinion. These disagreements should never cause them to act sinfully or say that a brother is no longer faithful. That usually happens when one starts treating their opinion as law. A faithful brother is then accused of sin. Sin has taken place, but the guilty party is actually the person binding their opinion as law!

Let us consider the question of fellowship. Can brethren be in fellowship with God and each other if there are sharp contentions over an opinion? Yes! Both Barnabas and Paul accepted what the other said without sinning. The silver lining in this whole matter was that four people went out to twice as many places as would have originally happened if Paul took John Mark with them. (Paul tool Silas, and Barnabas took John Mark).

The hearts of brethren should always be filled with love and compassion (Rom. 12:10). There is no need for character attacks or to generate strife and division within the local church. Like a marriage, a local church requires a lot of give and take. Everybody recognizes how silly it would be for a husband and wife to divorce over paint colors or some other minor decision - it would be similarly silly for Paul and Barnabas to commit sin because they disagreed about the best way to spread the gospel. Someone might have a strong opinion that the church should meet on Sundays at 10 am and not 9 am. If the majority of the brethren like the 9 am time, that one brother or sister ought to consider giving in for the sake of peace. If the disagreement is very strong, they might also choose to attend at a faithful church that meets at 10 to avoid stirring up trouble.

Ultimately, God’s people need to be recognizing that the devil will use opinions to destroy relationships. Let us be aware of that.      

Chuck                                                     

What happens if you do not love it?

I cannot help but recall what Matt mentioned in his invitation last week. Although his lesson was about dealing with the mishaps that come our way in life, he mentioned about getting up at 4 in the morning to go duck hunting. Who does that? Only people who like to hunt. Who stands in line all night to get tickets to see a movie premiere? Who sits in a boat fishing while it rains or plays golf when the temperature is frigid? In every case, the person who is willing to endure those things loves the activity.

Those who love doing those things are sacrificing sleep, the comforts of home and a warm bed. For the most part, they do not complain about what they are doing. Most importantly, they do not consider the things they give up to be a sacrifice. So what if they are wet and tired – they get to do the thing that they love.

Compare the love of these activities to those who attend worship (Heb. 10:25). For the most part, we are protected from the weather. We travel in warm vehicles and sit in a warm building. We get to spend time with our spiritual family (I Cor. 12:12). We experience the joy of fellowship by praying, singing, giving, studying and taking the Lord’s supper.

But what happens when the love for the Lord is gone? What happens when worshipping God is something you could take or leave? It means all those things become a hardship. It is like taking someone fishing who does not like it. The weather is a bother. Getting up early is a bother. Driving to the lake is a bother. Even the event itself is unappealing. At every point of the process, they would rather be somewhere else.

The brethren at Ephesus were told that they lost their first love (Rev. 2:4). Jesus came right out and said that they had fallen because of this (verse 5). This was said even though they were still doing right things (verse 2-3).  Let this be a warning lest we also fall (I Cor. 10:12).

                                                                                              Chuck                                                                                                                                                                    

Can I host non-believers at home?

Second John 10-11 seems to teach that Christians are only allowed to have other Christians in their home. “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him, shares in his evil deeds.”  Is the apostle forbidding saints to have non-Christians in their homes?

To understand this text, we must know what “greeting” contextually means. In verse 9, the brethren were admonished to abide in the doctrine of Christ. If they did not follow His doctrine, John said they would not have God. He then proceeded to take about those who bring teachings that are different from the gospel of Jesus. To receive such a teacher by allowing them to share their “doctrine” without speaking up or defend the gospel of Christ say nothing would be to become a partaker of their evil deeds.

If one were to take John’s warning literally, how could a person stay married to a non-Christian spouse? The inspired apostle Paul told children of God who were married to unbelievers to remain in that marriage (I Cor. 7:10-13). Clearly, the context of II John matters if we are to harmonize these scriptures. Can II John apply even within marriages then? Yes! If the unbeliever (whether a spouse or not) teaches things contrary to the word of God and the Christian says nothing, the Christian is sharing in the evil deeds.

Let us not forget about the commission to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15). God’s people need to teach the lost. Does this mean that Christians can teach nonbelievers in their driveway but cannot teach them in their home? This is obviously foolish. It would be just as wrong to listen to someone teach error without defending Christ’s gospel in a driveway as it would in a home or anywhere else. Remember, our goal is to teach. Even when the church assembles, non-believers may attend (I Cor. 14:23). Sometimes the church met in homes (Rom. 16:3-5). Are we to forbid visitors then? Clearly not. As you can see, our God simply does not want His children to invite false teachers into their home to be influenced by them.

                                                                                 Chuck

Okay, how do we do that?

We all know how easy it is to tell someone to do something. The hard part is the knowing how to give instructions. If a person does not know how to do something, then it is a waste of time to instruct them to do so. Though some might not recognize it, God’s people always have enough information when He commands them.

Consider this command that James writes: “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you,” (James 4:8). On the surface, it sounds great that God will draw near to us. How do we draw near to God though? Based on what James wrote, knowing how to draw near to God is critical! Without this, He will never draw near to us.  Fortunately, the Bible contains instructs us about many ways we can draw near to God. If we do the things found in this list, God WILL draw near to us!

Pray. This has to be one of the most obvious ways to draw closer to God. Christians are admonished to pray continually (I Thess. 5:17).  To get close to someone, you must communicate with them. This is as true of our earthly relationships as it is with our Heavenly Father. James stated that the prayers of a righteous man can avail much (5:16) – a close relationship with God is obviously one of those things.

Studying the word of God. Listening to what the Father has revealed will aid in developing that close bond.  When you have the word of God abiding in you, you are strong (I John 2:14). Those who do not take the time to listen to God are clearly not feeding on His word, and the word is what gives strength (Acts 20:28).

Staying away from sin.  Those who walk in the light have fellowship with the Father (I John 1:3-7). When one is in sin, they are going away from the Father, not drawing nearer. Pleasing our God and obeying Him will strengthen the relationship (Heb. 11:6).

Worshipping.  When saints gather to glorify their God, they are naturally strengthening their bond with the Creator (Acts 2:46-47). God recognizes genuine worship that uses both the lips and heart (Matt. 15:7-9).

Telling others about God.  When a person tells others how much they love their spouse, it strengthens the marriage. Similarly, Christians who tells others about their Heavenly Father are drawing near to Him (Acts 7). The Son of God indicated this as expressed in His prayer to the Father (John 17).

Developing one’s talents. When children of God use their talents, they are positive examples to those around them. The goal is let our own lights shine and inspire the lost (Matt. 5:13-16). By growing, we become more useful to our Father (II Pet. 3:18).

Being faithful to the end. Those who fight the good fight of faith know that they will be with the Father for eternity (II Tim. 4:6-8). After writing that God will draw near to us if we draw near to Him, James wrote the following instruction: “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8). Clearly, fostering a relationship with God requires deliberate action.

Being with other Christians. Spending time around others who are in fellowship with God will encourage us and help us grow even closer to the Father (I John 1:7). Remember, fellow saints are members of the same spiritual body (Gal. 3:27).

    We are told to draw near unto God because God will draw near unto us. Are you preventing God from drawing near to you? Let us do our part and trust that God WILL do His!

                                                                                            Chuck