I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “Church is not a building, it’s a body of believers.” And it’s true. In Scripture when the Church is mentioned, it points to a body of believers and Christ being the head of the body (Colossians 1:18). When you think of reasons why you should be part of Church gathering the first thought that should come to mind is not a building but a people. Many Christians today stray away from Church gathering for many reasons that we will explore in this post. Nonetheless, being part of a Church gathering is what God commands us to do.
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The Purpose of Church Gathering
In Hebrews 10:23-25, the writer says we must consider embracing one another to love and good deeds. The power of a strong Christian community is to encourage us when we are hurting and discouraged at our weakest. A healthy body of Believers will prompt us to grow and challenge us to set aside sin. It becomes a reminder that we have found truth and not missing anything else.
Believers Return to their Old Ways
In verse 25, the writer says some are forsaking the gathering (assembling). He means that some believers had given up on the Christian gathering altogether. Most likely returning to worshiping under the Old Covenant as they did prior to coming to faith. In today’s time, we can say by returning to their old ways. Why do they return to their old ways? Great question. In experience it is because they failed to mature in understanding the sufficiency of Christ. Because they fall out of routine of assembling with other believers and so the muscle memory kicks in and falls back to what it knows.
The Benefit of Church Gathering
But the Lord has provided us a regular gathering of believers to encourage us to grow and remain strong in our walk-in faith. We are expected to take advantage of this opportunity for our benefit. What is the benefit? The writer of Hebrews says, it is because the day is drawing near. The day he is talking about is the day when the Lord claims us and brings us to our Heavenly home. When that day comes, we will receive out eternal judgement and rewards. We want every believer to have the best judgement he or she can have.
Therefore, the body of believers stimulate one another to remain confident, engaged and committed so that we might receive the best judgement and reward possible.
What will happen to a believer who fails to heed this teaching?
The writer of Hebrews (verses 10:26-31) begins naming a group of Christians, those who willfully go on sinning. This is expressed as a continuing action. Who runs after sin willingly. There are Christians because of their immaturity in the knowledge of Christ and Christian doctrine have wavered in confidence. They returned to seeking their own God by the means of their own comfort. One word, they have become apostate. As the writer says back in chapter 5, they weren’t able to discern good from evil because of their spiritual immaturity.
Worldly Pursuits
Anytime a believer chooses to live in ways contrary to their profession of faith, they are at risk. If a Christian abandons his Christian walk for worldly pursuits, they are sinning willfully. They stop gathering with other Believers, stop studying the Bible, stops praying, stops living for Christ.
A Christian’s View of The Word of God
In 1 Peter 2:2, Peter says be like a newborn that longs for milk. The picture is a perfect representation of how we should view the Word of God. The relationship is one of trust and dependence and necessity. The newborn doesn’t eat a variety of foods, only milk and that newborn enthusiastically desires milk, they long for it. That baby is completely trusting and dependent on it and by the milk, the child will grow strong.
Likewise, by the milk of the Word of God, a believer will grow strong. When a believer gathers in assembly with other Believers we are fed with the Word of God. The word of God is the only source appointed by God. The very same instrument God used to bring us to faith- the Word of God, is the same instrument God uses to bring us to holiness.
When we neglect the gathering of saints not only do we show signs of lack in our personal life but it also prevents us from receiving the Word on community scale. So, we go back to Hebrews 10, the word “gathering” implies community moment. Interactivity is important. Experiencing something is not equivalent to participating in a gathering. For that reason, watching a Church service online or listening to a recorded Bible study is not equivalent to a Biblical church gathering given the purposes God intended.
Christians Do Not Need a Building to Gather
A gathering does not automatically require that believers enter a church building. In the early days of church gathering, believers gathered in open places by rivers (Acts 16:13) or in homes or other places. Gatherings were relatively small, so large buildings are not needed. In times of persecution believers often gather 2-3 at a time, sharing copies of scriptures in groups. During our season, a time of disease, the church is reducing the size of large gathering to protect one another. This happened during the Black Plague too. The goal is we should not neglect the gathering of Believers regardless of the size.
If you are not part of Church gathering please reach out to your local Church pastor for more information about weekly small groups. As Believers, we are commanded to gather with other believers. And remember 2-3 are sufficient to achieve the purpose (Matthew 18:20). The Bible’s expectation that everyone brings something to the gathering, whether teaching, prayer, songs, encouragement, etc.
For more detailed view on the Christian walk, check out our previous post, Dear Christian, Forget The List where we discuss legalism vs relationship.