What Does Assemble Together Actually Mean?
What does it mean when scripture says in Hebrews 10:25 to not forsake “the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching”? Read this excellent short article and find out!
(Creation Care Church does not necessarily agree with all the points of view of showcased content creators.)
by Jim Gordon
Most of us have heard or read the bible verse found in Hebrews 10:25, which reads, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. This verse gets quoted a lot when it comes to church attendance.
Once someone hears that my wife and I stopped attending an organized service each week, the first thing we usually hear is this verse quoted.
Truth of the matter is, I do not think this verse is even talking about what we call church.
As I have stated before, church is not a building or a place. Church is the people of God, those of us born into His kingdom by grace. Church is not an organization; it is an organism. Church is not a one-day event, it is a daily lifestyle of people loving God and loving others.
When reading the verses preceding Hebrews 10:25, you find it is talking about grace and how we are now granted permission to enter into the Holy place, not a building, but the very presence of God. This happened when Jesus died and the veil was torn from top to bottom.
To me, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together is saying that we need our brothers and sisters in Christ for encouragement and to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. It has nothing to do with an organized religious service in a building. It has everything to do with loving, communicating and encouraging other Christians as a daily norm.
When you think of countries where Christianity is against the law and churches are closed down, do we think the Christian people are wrong for not attending an organized service every week? They get together in small groups in houses or where-ever they feel they can meet safely. It may not be more than two or three people.
Jesus said where two or three gather together in my name, there I am in their midst. We do not need buildings or large groups of people to fulfill this verse about assembling. We do need each other, no matter if it is meeting at home, meeting for dinner at a restaurant, or getting together in a park. The important thing is to love God and love one another and be available to our brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage and build them up.
Let me make clear, I am not against church or those who attend. My wife and I were part of the weekly service for years, but over the past few years, we have found that for us, it makes more sense to be outside the walls of religion and seek meaningful fellowship each day with our brothers and sisters in Christ rather than to continue sitting in a pew listening to a select few participate. We believe in the priesthood of all believers, and that it is a daily lifestyle, not a weekly event. Every one of us are equally important parts of the body and we are to be ready each day to support, encourage and love our brothers and sisters in Christ.
2 Comments
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Kathy / Admin
Thank you for your coment Brandon. The author in the article does make excellent points. These are questions that likely plague people even who are involved in a congregation of believers who attend a church service every week. One needs to make concerted efforts to intentionally meet other believers, form relationships, attend small groups perhaps, bible studies, develop friendships and intentionally nurture them, and perhaps intentionally develop such relationships where we diciple and / or mentor one another. It is no different for those who may not attend a regular church service. At Creation Care Church, since we are online, we are attempting to provide services where one can meet regularly for fellowship (fellowship meets after the weekly FNLs on Fridays) where friendships can be built and believers can support and encourage one another. Prayerfully friendships will develop between the body of Christ who attends fellowship. We also have a monthly class where people can grow in their knowledge of scripture as we attempt to grow in our understanding of God and his word together. We also have a prayer meeting that meets once a month to pray together and encourage and support each other through prayer. We encourage CCC members to attend their physical churches if they have them, and stay connected to their particular congregations, perhaps bring the creation care messages to them, in hopes and in prayer that other believers hearts and eyes will be opened to understand that caring for creation, the earth and animals, is central to what it means to serve and follow Jesus. It was the first mandate God gave us in Genesis, to care for the other aspects of creation as image bearers of God. The gist of this article as I've read it, is that the "church" is not the building, but is the people, and meeting together is more than gathering on a Sunday for a sermon. The spiritual reality and need of “do not forsake assembling” in Hebrews 10:25 is the call to be empowered by God and do life together. As the Body of Christ, we are to be living proof of a loving God to those around us; the church is the priesthood of all believers, it is a daily lifestyle, not a weekly event. Church is an organism, rather than an organization. The community of believers are also called to meet the needs of those who are lacking in what is needed, and to ensure that everyone in the body, in the house of God, have all their needs met. This, I believe, is what is at the heart of meeting together, being the collective church, and representing the house of God.
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Brandon Burton
You make excellent points! But I am curious, and thinking about my own application, without a regular church service and events, are you still very well able to fellowship on a daily basis with other Christians and encourage one another towards love and good deeds? And if so, how are you able to remain consistent?