https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/06\/GatheringTogether.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tI. When we talk of worshiping God, one aspect of that worship is our gathering together<\/p>\n
A. Psalm 122:1<\/p>\n
1. Is this your attitude, or do you feel dragged here?<\/p>\n
2. To worship God requires assembling with fellow Christians<\/p>\n
B. Hebrews 10:19-27<\/p>\n
1. The writer of Hebrews discusses the conversion of a man<\/p>\n 2. Jesus consecrated a new and living way through his sacrifice on the cross. \nAs a result, we can boldly enter the holy place (the church). – vs 19-20\n
3. What is this new and living way?<\/p>\n a. Draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith – faith (vs\n22)\n b. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience – repentance\n(vs 22)\n
c. Having our bodies washed with pure water – baptism (vs 22)<\/p>\n d. Holding fast the confession of our hope that it not waver –\nconfession, obedience until death (vs 23)\n e. Provoking one another unto love and good works – admonition (vs\n24)\n f. Not forsaking our own assembling together – gathering together is\nabout of the Christian life\n 4. Failure to live this way, knowing its truth, puts it in the category of a\nwillful sin.\n
a. You know what you ought to do, but chose to do otherwise (vs 26-27)<\/p>\n
C. We are not talking about missing services because<\/p>\n
1. You were sick<\/p>\n
2. Someone had to stay with a sick child<\/p>\n
3. Your job gives you no option but to miss some services<\/p>\n D. We are discussing those who as a matter of choice or preference are absent from\nthe assembly\n
II. What does it mean to choose not attend?<\/p>\n
A. It demonstrates one’s contempt for spiritual things<\/p>\n 1. Rom 8:5-9 – When you decide not to attend, is it because of spiritual\nreasons or worldly reasons?\n 2. Galatians 6:7-8 – If missing gathering of saints is due to worldly reasons,\nwhat do you think will be the result?\n B. It means choosing not to do something that you know is good for you – James\n4:17\n
C. It means choosing not to give or receive encouragement<\/p>\n 1. Heb 10:24-25 – It is difficult to encourage others to live better if we only\nsee each other infrequently\n
2. I Cor 14:26 – Worship is not just for God, but it benefits the worshipers<\/p>\n
D. It means choosing to violate a direct command – Heb 10:25<\/p>\n
1. Recall the definition of sin – 1 John 3:4<\/p>\n 2. Would it be wrong to miss a 1000 services? How about 100? How about\n10?\n
a. When does something become wrong?<\/p>\n
b. In the number of times it is done or in the action that is chosen?<\/p>\n c. Is murder wrong because of the number of times someone kills or is\nit the action?\n d. Is stealing wrong because of the number of times someone steals or\nis it the action?\n 3. Some sins are done out of ignorance, through a weakness in our spirit, or\nunintentionally, but how many of you at times made plans knowing you\nwould not be able to attend services?\n a. A Christian does not live a sinless life, but he should not be\nplanning to violate a command of God\n
E. It means choosing to be ignorant of God’s ways<\/p>\n
1. Israel of old was destroyed because of a lack of knowledge – Hosea 4:6<\/p>\n
2. They sought to establish their own righteousness – Rom 10:3<\/p>\n
3. Our knowledge must grow – II Peter 1:5, II Peter 3:18<\/p>\n 4. Many of you tell me as you leave that you learned something new that day. \nHow much would you learn if you didn’t come?\n 5. We have our kids schooled because we understand that on their own, most\nchildren will find something more important to do than to learn.\n 6. When people decide not to attend, the things they learn rapidly diminishes\nbecause they find other things to do than to learn about God’s ways.\n
F. It means choosing to setting a bad example<\/p>\n 1. How many of your neighbors, friends, family, or spouse will be lead to God\nas they observe your indifference to worship?\n 2. I remember meeting one person who came to a meeting service who was a\nbit put out that the person who invited him to come wasn’t there.\n
3. Show yourself to be an example – I Tim 4:12<\/p>\n
4. Let your light shine – Matthew 5:13-16<\/p>\n
G. It means choosing to discourage the faithful<\/p>\n
1. Perhaps you think the faithful never get discouraged, but your wrong<\/p>\n 2. Acts 28:15 – Paul took heart and was encouraged when he saw others\nwilling to meet with him.\n 3. There have been times in other places where my family was the only ones\nto show up for a Bible study or a service. It doesn’t take too many in a\nrow before you are wondering if it is worth the effort.\nIII. What if everyone decided to attend services as often as you? Would the church grow and\nprosper or would it wither and die from a lack of interest?\n A. If one member can choose to attend or not to attend, then two can. If two can\nthen ten can. If ten can, then all can.\n
B. You see, your choice is to set the pace or drag the rest down.<\/p>\n
C. Attendance is important.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I. When we talk of worshiping God, one aspect of that worship is our gathering together A. Psalm 122:1 1. Is this your attitude, or do you feel dragged here? 2. To worship God requires assembling with fellow Christians B. Hebrews 10:19-27 1. The writer of Hebrews discusses the conversion of a man 2. Jesus consecrated a new and living way through…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[32],"tags":[356,357,353,84],"class_list":["post-2875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon","tag-attendance","tag-encouragement","tag-influence","tag-worship"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5922,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/will-bagels-and-coffee-improve-our-worship\/","url_meta":{"origin":2875,"position":0},"title":"Will Bagels and Coffee Improve Our Worship?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 18, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ken Weliever \u201cDuring our years of church planting, we tried to change people\u2019s perceptions about what the Sunday worship would look like,\u201d wrote Michelle Lazurek, in a recent Crosswalk.com article. \u201cWe took out pews and replaced them with pub tables and chairs, added lights and a stage and most\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Coffee-and-Bagel-300x210.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":85728,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-a-gathering-in-a-care-facility-a-church-gathering\/","url_meta":{"origin":2875,"position":1},"title":"Is a gathering in a care facility a church gathering?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am autistic and live in a facility. I can't drive from here to any church. My sister could bring me, but she is not very consistent. I can't rely on her early Sunday mornings. However, the facility I am at has an hour-long gathering of believers on Monday\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":66225,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-proper-for-a-church-to-pray-together-silently\/","url_meta":{"origin":2875,"position":2},"title":"Is it proper for a church to pray together silently?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good day, brother Jeffery, Thanks for always answering questions. They've been helpful to me and the people around me. I want to ask you a question about the orderliness of prayer in the church. 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I do know\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15946,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-a-group-choir-sing-if-it-is-after-the-worship-service\/","url_meta":{"origin":2875,"position":5},"title":"Can a group (choir) sing if it is after the worship service?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 31, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am a member of the church of Christ and I want to know is group singing OK during a fellowship? Of course, the fellowship service is dismissed and then the group singing begins. Can you please help me with this? 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