On The Vital Nature of Gathering For Worship As Christians
The New Testament blazes with the white-hot admonition for Christians not to neglect our regular rhythms of coming together for worship:
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do.” Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)
The New Testament burns with intensity regarding the importance of what we practice in our coming together:
We are to “spur one another on to good works,” “love one another,” “bear one another’s burdens,” “forgive one another,” and “forebear with one another.” In fact, the “one-anothers” are used 100 times in 94 verses in the New Testament to instruct us in how we are to be intentional in caring for one another and “building each other up” as we come together.
The New Testament boils with passionate language in how we are to channel our devotion:
“They devoted themselves to…fellowship.” Acts 2:42 (NLT)
In the Greek text, the word translated devoted (proskartereō) means “hold fast to something, continue or persevere in something.” In other words, we are to hold fast and persevere in being intentional about being with one another.
John Wesley, when speaking of one of the purposes of the church regarding Christians growing in sanctification, affirmed the following conviction:
Wesley’s context for this statement is unrelated to social justice, as some falsely claimed. Instead, he refers to Christians needing to experience social connectedness with other Christians to develop in Christlikeness. This matter was so convictional for Wesley that he developed the methods of Methodism through the gathering of societies, bands, and class meetings. To be a Methodist Christian was to be disciplined in regular discipleship rhythms taking place through deep connections with other believers in worship, discipleship, and mission.
It is always good to take a spiritual check-up and ask: Are these matters convictional or optional for me as a Christian? Is my participation in the gathering of the body of Christ to magnify God through worship and participating in discipleship gatherings and mission essential purposes for my life as a follower of Jesus?
A.W. Tozer, in his classic work, Man, The Dwelling Place of God, writes,
“The important thing about man is not where he goes when he is compelled to go, but where he goes when he is free to go where he will. The apostles went to jail, and that is not too revealing because they went there against their will, but when they got out of jail and could go where they would, they immediately went to the praying company. From this, we learn a great deal about them. The choices of life, not the compulsions, reveal character.
A man is absent from church on Sunday morning. Where is he? If he is in a hospital having his appendix removed, his absence tells us nothing about him except he is ill, but if he is out on the golf course, that tells us a lot. To go to the hospital is compulsory; to go to the golf course is voluntary. The man is free to choose, and he chooses to play instead of pray. His choice reveals what kind of man he is. Choices always do.”
For many of God’s people, there is a longing to press into the purposes for which we were created; not because gathering with other believers is familiar or it’s our normal, but because gathering with other believers is the kind of people we are. For many, gathering with fellow believers for worship, discipleship, and mission is not optional; it’s convictional.
To gather with other believers to glorify God is to step into the very purposes for which we were created. It is also a sign of faithfulness to the vows most of us made before a Holy God when we committed to being in membership with a local body of believers through our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.
