Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.
8 sermons cite this verse
It's a place we receive encouragement from other people and give that encouragement to other people. That's why the writer of Hebrews 10 verses 24 and 25 says, and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near. But isn't it interesting? As much as we need other people in the church, church attendance is at an all-time low. In the book, The Great Dechurching, authors Jim Davis and Michael Graham write that we are in the midst of the greatest single religious shift in American history. In the last 25 years, they say, 40 million adults have quit attending church. Don't let anybody tell you there's a revival in America. There's no revival. Maybe spots of interest, but consider this. In the last 25 years, more than 40 million adults have quit going to church. To put that number in perspective, more people than were saved in the great first awakening in American history, the second great awakening, and all of the Billy Graham crusades that have ever been conducted. 40 million people have just given up on church. You know the number one reason people quit going to church, this survey says? It's not because the pastor falls into moral corruption. It's not because of political division in the church, the main reason people quit going to church is they move. …
… to love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another daily and so much more as we see the day of the Lord approaching. Then there's the gift of giving. Romans 12, 8. If your gift is giving, then give generously. Why is it that when we talk about money in the church, people recoil? Probably because there's abuse. There are times where it's used wrongly and people are guilted into giving and there's too much pressure put on people. But if we throw the baby out with the bathwater, we're missing the blessing of giving. Every Christian should give of their finances to the Lord. Every Christian, in my opinion, should tithe. It's a joy. It's a privilege. It's an opportunity. It's an investment in the kingdom of God. Because you should be doing your giving while you're living that you're knowing where it's going, right? And God makes a promise in the book of Malachi where he says, put me to the test on this one. …
… to have failed to reach it. They just didn't make it. They quit somewhere before the finish line. Hebrews 10.25, let us not neglect to meet together as is the habit of some. That's one of the ways that we fail to finish the race. Hebrews 10.39, as the writer understands that they're facing persecution. Some of them are put in imprisonment. Some of them are facing shame and mockery for the name of Christ. He says, we are not of those who shrink back and are not destroyed. We don't flinch. Somebody comes at you with a fist and does one of these things and, ha-ha, made you flinch. Well, yeah, I don't like to be punched. Shrink back. They're shrinking back in the face of persecution. It's like you might be tempted to shrink back. No one else in my family is a Christian. Some parts of the world, you'll be disowned. There are Christians this morning facing threats on their lives. They've had churches burn down. They've had loved ones slaughtered. Most of us will face far less than that, but it hurts. …
… 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 more as you see the day approaching. it is not an option for us as believers to take or leave community within the church if we are true christians if we are jesus people we will want to be a vital part of all that god is doing today in and through his people and church doesn't have to be some kind of a miserable experience and maybe you grew up in a church context where it was maybe you grew up in a religion that was all rules and no relationship, and you got drug to church every Sunday, and you had to wear a tie, and you had to sit there quietly, and if you didn't, you'd get your hands slapped, and you never understood what the priest was saying, and it was all rules and no relationship. And so your context of church has always been, oh, church. That's not what church is meant to be. Church should be the one thing in your weekly schedule that you say, I can't live without church. Church should be the context of, I've had such a hard week, I can't wait for church. …
… I don't know how to say it any clearer than that. The Bible says in Hebrews chapter 10, verse 25, do not forsake the gathering together of brothers and sisters. So even back in the day, some people were forsaking that. Well, and I watch online. Online is a supplement. It's not the substance. I mean, I'm happy we have a nice online crowd and people, you know, log in and talk to us. Some people from all over the place. but if you are able, get yourself up here because remember there's a physical reason. There's a physicality of worship that God commands and demands. There's nothing like gathering together with large groups of people because God does something supernatural when this takes place. So I want to just encourage you to involve yourself in this rhythm. And after worship, after church, as much as possible, unplug. Because if you don't unplug, you can become unhinged like that. If you don't unplug, you'll be playing wipeout, you know? And God doesn't want you or me to play Wipeout. What I'm getting at is find a recreational pursuit after worship. What recharges your batteries? Do something with the family, with your spouse. Have a time where you rest. And here's what God will do. God will multiply your time and mine. Let me say it again. …
… 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. So we shouldn't be thinking about church as a mechanism for us to get blessed, but for us to be the blessing for other people. That we're not coming simply to consume but to take our place as a member of the household of faith and to use what we've been given to make a difference in the world. And it's not just going to be money and songs and that we were there for the Bible study and all of that. That's all great. But it can happen in so many different ways. I was at the sink yesterday, standing at the sink. putting a bowl into the sink from eating cereal. And my spiritual radar went off. Hardcore. My stomach began to be in knots, thinking about a friend of mine whose wife is battling cancer. …
… Understand that belonging takes intentionality. Hebrews chapter 10, verse 24 through 25, it says, And let us consider one another and stir up love and good works. And it says, Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some, but exhorting one another as we see so much the more as you see the day approaching. Oftentimes when we use this scripture and hear this scripture, we use it in reference to coming to church. You need to get to church. We use it as a term of gathering to church. But it did not say forsake the gathering. It said do not forsake the assembling. Because there's a difference between gathering and assembling. It is possible to gather and never be assembled. We're gathered in this room today, but not everybody is assembled. Because gathering can happen, you know, casually. But watch this, assembling takes intentionality. See, that's why you can have a box of Legos and they're gathered in the box. but it'll say on the bottom, assembly required. …
… DAY OF THE WEEK. WE'RE TO COME TO CHURCH AND HONOR OUR LORD BECAUSE HE'S FIRST. HE HAS THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK. THE BIBLE SAYS IN HEBREWS CHAPTER 10 VERSE 25, WE'RE NOT TO FORSAKE THE ASSEMBLY OF OURSELVES TOGETHER AS THE MANNER OF SOME IS, BUT EXHORTING ONE ANOTHER. AND SO MUCH THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING, AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE END TIME, YOU NEED MORE AND MORE AND MORE TO BE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD WITH THE PEOPLE of God, to hear the Word of God and to exhort one another on the first day of the week. Sunday is the Lord's Day. We've made it everything else. We've made it a time for football, baseball, fishing, uh, uh, motor car racing and all of the rest of it. Friends, Sunday needs to be set aside for Jesus Christ. It is the Lord's Day. It is not the Sabbath. The Sabbath is Saturday. Sunday is the Lord's Day. What is the difference? All of the Old Testament Sabbath prophecies were summed up in the Lord Jesus Christ. Upon the first day of the week, Jesus rose from the dead. Upon the first day of the week, He first appeared to His disciples. …