December 12, 1999 Volume 0 Number 3
ASSEMBLING
OF OURSELVES TOGETHER
Joe
R. Price
We need to talk plainly and think seriously about attendance at our
worship services. It is out of love for your soul that these comments are made.
The difference between how many are present for Sunday morning Bible classes and
worship, and the number present at Sunday evening worship services has started
to grow. I fully understand (and everyone else should, too) that some of our
brethren are not physically able to attend all of our services. We believe that
God takes such limitations into account (2 Cor. 8:12). At the same time, if
physical ailment is not keeping you from attending our worship services, then
what is? As far as I know, our Sunday night assembly (and for that matter, our
Wednesday night meeting) is a scheduled part of this church's work, and as such
is not an optional consideration.
All of our scheduled assemblies fall under the exhortation of Hebrews
10:24-25: "...And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and
good works; 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." Given this divine edict, should we not make every effort to
be present at every one of our assemblies? To "forsake" means "to
leave behind, abandon" (Vines). Are you choosing to "leave
behind" some of our scheduled assemblies? If so, this passage says you are
sinning against God. You need to repent to
correct your current "manner" (habit, custom). As we attempt to help
urge faithful attendance, consider with me some reasons why we should attend
every assembly of God's children.
1. It is our RESPONSIBILITY to assemble to worship God. God seeks true
worshippers who will worship Him in spirit and truth (Jn. 4:23-24). The true
worshipper overcomes obstacles that would keep him from worshipping his God.
What obstacle stands in your way from assembling to worship with your brethren
at the regularly scheduled meetings? Distance? Time? Work? Exhaustion?
Recreation? We must work hard to not allow hindrances to become stumbling blocks
to our obedience. Sacrifice is needed to be a disciple of Jesus (Lk. 9:23). That
may mean a few extra miles of travel, or getting up an hour earlier, Or going to
bed an hour earlier the night before, Or changing our work schedule. Remember,
we must seek God's kingdom and His righteousness first (Matt. 6:33). Shouldn't
that include assembling with the saints to worship God? After all, when we can
always be present and on time for our jobs and social events, shouldn't we be
doing the same for the Lord?
2. It is our PRIVILEGE to assemble to worship God. Sadly, some Christians
view attendance at worship services as a burden, rather than a joy. This is not
an expression of loving God, but rather one of drudgery, compromise and
complaint (1 Jn. 5:3). David said, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let
us go unto the house of Jehovah" (Ps. 122:1). What a privilege to worship
our Creator and Redeemer! When we forget the honor attached to worshipping God,
we have turned our worship into cold formalism that will not be accepted by God
(cf. Matt. 15:8-9). We must constantly assess our attitude toward worship in
order to help us avoid forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. It is not
done to be seen of men or to be held in honor by men, but to give honor to God
who saves us and gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ! (Matt. 6:1; Jn.
12:42-43)
3. It is a BLESSING to assemble to worship God. If you consider yourself
blessed by attending worship service once a week, wouldn’t attending all of
them be an even greater blessing? Every worship service offered to God "in
spirit and truth" will bless those who faithfully participate in them (Jn.
4:24). By such we are encouraged to "continue steadfastly" (Acts 2:42)
while being "provoked unto love and good works" (Heb. 10:24). Thus,
God blesses us whenever we worship Him (Jn. 4:23), and, by your presence at all
of our assemblies, your influence is blessing someone else (Matt. 5:16)! So, by
not forsaking our assembling together we not only receive a blessing, we are
also a blessing to others! No blessing is being received or given when we are
absent.
Let us all renew our commitment to fully participate in our worship
services by being present for all of them. We cannot please God while neglecting
to obey Hebrews 10:24-25. May we take to heart the responsibility, privilege and
blessing of assembling together to worship our God.
Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15.
Can
You Spell Biblically Illiterate?
(Note:
The article below is from the bulletin of the E. Florence church, Florence, AL.
It was written by a professor at Pepperdine University, an ultra-liberal school,
associated with liberal churches of Christ. Because his words are scriptural and
do not come from one known as a conservative, they carry a great deal of weight.
We need to hear and heed what he says--)
In one Bible class after another, the diligent quest for an authoritative
“book, chapter, and verse”; on such subjects as Christian fellowship has
been replaced by banal discussion of books about the Book or, worse yet, by the
latest psycho-babble on everything from marriage and parenting to dieting and
co-dependency. Adult classes rarely rise above the level of Scripture
proficiency once expected in junior high.
Year after plodding year sixty and seventy year olds answer the same
elementary questions about the text that they were asked as teenagers. Everyone
knows the questions. Everyone knows the answers. Hardly anyone knows the point.
Digging too deeply, or asking hard questions, or making relevant application to
our own lives seems almost forbidden. What teacher today dares demand homework,
or even critical thinking during class time? From top to bottom in congregation
after congregation, Sunday fare is milk, not meat. Make that skim milk.
In our time of worship, the “music ministry” has invaded space once
dedicated to the ministry of the Word. Lately we're so focused on “praising
God” that we don't seem to have the time to listen to what He's telling us. A
sermon longer than twenty minutes is an affront to our collective attention
deficit disorder. In addition, any congregation with two morning services is a
slave to the printed program and the ticking of the clock. We hardly “take
time to be holy”, or even to be informed.
It's not just a matter of minutes, of course, whether fifteen or ninety.
The real problem is a lack of substance in our sermons. Are we taking God's Word
seriously, or are we fearful of confronting our comfortable lifestyles? Are we
preaching a steady diet of grace and love without due attention to obedience and
commitment? Whatever the topic, do we take the time to mine the great depths of
God's amazing revelation? The danger is that with each passing year the written
Word becomes more and more marginalized by other, seemingly more inviting, forms
of worship activities.
Sadly, the illiteracy begins early. Too many “youth ministries”,
pressured by parents to entertain the troops, have dropped the ball when it
comes to training young people in methods of doing serious Bible study. Of
course, many parents themselves have already dropped the ball at home, where
Bible stories and table talk ought to have laid a strong foundation by the time
children get old enough to do serious study. It's television, videos, and
computer games that grab the kids' attention in the home. When church kids know
more about Barney than Barnabas and spend more time with soccer than Scripture,
their study habits for a lifetime have already been set as surely as if
plastered in a splint.
Our people have been “destroyed for lack of knowledge” When those in
the pew are ignorant of the Word, it should not be surprising that those in the
pulpit can wander from the Word unchallenged and unchecked.
When the popular young preacher urges us to accept our unbaptized
neighbors as brothers and sisters in Christ because the apostle Paul told the
saints in Rome that “whosoever confesses Jesus is Lord is saved”, who in the
audience will think of Matthew 7:21?
How many will greet the preacher as they leave the building with the
usual, fawning “fine sermon today”, and how many will ask, “How do you
reconcile Paul's words with Jesus' own warning that ‘not everyone who says to
Him, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven?’”
Whatever the issue, a biblically illiterate church is a church
perpetually poised on the brink of doctrinal disaster.
These
things aren’t only happening in “liberal” churches. Increasingly today,
once faithful brethren are falling into the same traps. Could it happen here? THINK
ABOUT IT !
THE
ORIGIN OF CHRISTMAS
Larry Ray Hafley
Christmas
originated in pagan rites, laced with astrological superstition; and its recent
associations with the divine event at Bethlehem are wholly arbitrary.
It's
true enough. Before there was Christmas, our remotest ancestors pranced about,
painted themselves blue, and probably drank too much this time of year. They had
much to celebrate; for in answer to their frantic prayers and sacrifices the sun
god had once again consented to halt his threatening retreat and return to warm
the Earth for the crops soon to be planted. And, in truth, our observance of
this yearly festival is often not less pagan in spirit than theirs. (Houston
Chronicle, Edwin M. Yoder, Syndicated Columnist, December 25, 1996, p. 46A).
Let
us not be misunderstood. Neither Edwin M. Yoder nor myself is saying that the
birth of Jesus is pagan in origin. No, the birth of Jesus was as real an event
as was your birth or mine (Matt. 1; Lk. 1 and 2). However, Christmas and the
world's observance of December 25th as the birth of Jesus originated in pagan
rites, laced with superstition. In short, Jesus was born of God. Christmas was
born of man. December 25th is no more sacred or holy than is February 2nd,
Groundhog Day. Both days originated in pagan rites, laced with superstition.
Jesus
is real. His birth occurred as chronicled in the New Testament. Groundhogs are
real, some may come out of their holes on February 2nd, and if they are capable
of noticing, they may see their shadows. The same is true of Groundhogs on
January 2nd, March 2nd, etc. What does any of that have to do with the length of
winter or the coming of spring?
Nothing; absolutely nothing!
Christians are thankful that the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin,
Mary, conceived Jesus. They rejoice in the fact of his birth, but they glorify
God through his death on the cross (Gal. 2:20; 6:14). Obviously, he could not
have died on the cross if he had not been born in a barn, but the significance
of his birth is only given relevance through his sacrificial death (Phil.
2:5-11; Heb. 2:9).
The anniversary celebration of Jesus' birth clearly is of human origin.
His disciples did not celebrate it; Jesus never taught them to observe it; the
apostles never commended or commanded it; the churches of the first century
never worshipped on a set day in honor
of his birth (Matt. 28:20; Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 4:6; 2 Jn. 9). But, ever and
always they bore about, carried about, and talked about his death and
resurrection (Acts 4:2; 17:18; 25:19; 2 Cor. 4:10).
Mr. Yoder, in the quote above, told the truth about Christmas. Now, it
remains for us to tell the truth about Christ, about his life and about his
death (1 Cor. 2:2).
More
Origins
When
jingle bells hang on the bank door, the local bakery is handing out green and
red reindeer cookies, you know what time of year it is. What are these images?
Why are stockings, of all things, hung by the chimney, and why is everyone
handing out peppermint sticks? Here’s how some of the most familiar icons may
have gotten started:
Santa
Claus: An amalgam of ancient pagan idols, elves and heroes, Santa is one of the
most universal symbols of Christmas, celebrated in one form or another from
Australia to Europe to China and the Philippines. The American Santa Claus is
said to trace his roots primarily to St. Nicholas, a 4th century Catholic
bishop, and Father Christmas, an English character inspired by the Roman god
Saturn. The late 19th century illustrator and cartoonist Thomas Nast popularized
the image of Santa as a jolly old bearded elf. He’s the same guy who came up
with the donkey and the elephant as symbols of Democratic and Republican
parties.
Stockings:
As legend has it, St. Nicholas was a shy man who tried to be discreet about his
charity. Once he climbed onto the roof of a poor family’s house and dropped a
purse of coins down the chimney, and it landed in a sock a girl had hung to dry
by fireplace. Hey, it could happen again!
Candy
canes: These confections were created as a tribute to Christ. The pure white
candy in the shape of a staff refers to Jesus as the sinless shepherd; a broad
red stripe symbolizes blood shed for the sins of the world, and three thinner
stripes represent lashes from the Roman soldiers.
Flying
Reindeer: Clement Clarke Moore, a New York professor and poet, spread this
notion with his 1823 hit poem “Visit from St. Nicholas” (‘Twas the night
before Christmas).
Mistletoe:
According to Druid superstition, mistletoe was a divine branch that grafted
itself to an earthly tree (actually, it is a parasitic plant), and it was used
for casting spells and curing ills. The Druids believed that mistletoe, when
held above a woman’s head, rendered her incapable of resisting a man.
IF
YOU WOULD LIKE :
A
church that is not a denomination? (1 Corinthians 1:10) A church with no head
but Christ? (Ephesians 1:22-23) A church with no creed but the Bible? (2 John
9-11) A church with only a Bible name? (Romans 16:16; 1 Cor. 1:2; Col. 3:17) A
church without any amusements to draw crowds? (John 12:32) A church that is
organized by the New Testament pattern? (Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1-13) A church
supported by the free-will offerings of its members? (1 Cor. 16:2) (No selling,
begging, coercing, rummage sales, pie suppers nor amateur programs, etc. to
raise money.)
Then
Investigate the church of Christ!
(Where 1st century Christianity
is being taught and practiced into the 21st century)
Sentence
Sermons
He
who offers God second place offers him no place at all.
God bears with the wicked,, but not forever.