What if I watch a worship service that is taking place on a different day than where I live?
Question:
If I am from the Philippines and I go to another country with a 12-hour time difference. Here in the Philippines, we have worship on Sundays at eight in the morning. Can I make a video call to join in worship and take the Lord's Supper even though it is only eight in the evening on Saturday in the country I am in?
Answer:
First, why are you not planning to join brethren in your area? I have often traveled to various places in the world, and I have located where a congregation is in the area where I will be so I can worship with them. This has precedence in the Scriptures. We see Paul and other brethren worshiping with the local congregation wherever they traveled.
Second, when you watch a worship service remotely, you are not actually participating in the worship. For example, singing requires speaking to each other (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). As marvelous as our modern-day technology is, the time lag prevents singing together. Thus, one side listens, which doesn't fulfill the Lord's command. The partaking of the Lord's Supper is not truly a sharing with brethren (I Corinthians 10:16-17).
The command is for Christians to gather together in a location.
- "... when you come together as a church ..." (I Corinthians 11:18).
- "... the whole church assembles together ..." (I Corinthians 14:23).
It is nice to see family and friends worshiping back home, but for actual worship, you need to join the brethren in your area.