HOFC Sermon Archive: Serving the Lord Part 10: Do Not Forsake the Assembly

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SERMON TIMELINE

1. Introduction to Serving

2. Serving the Lord through our Faith

3. Serving the Lord through our Relationships

4. Serving the Lord through our Marriage

5. Serving the Lord through our Family

6. Serving the Lord in our Home

7. Serving the Lord with our Friends

8. Serving the Lord in our Job

9. Serving the Lord in the Church

10. Serving the Lord in the Assembly

INTRODUCTION

Today is Resurrection Sunday. April 21^st, 2024

I have spoken about unity and the importance of believers gathering together many times over the years. In fact, the Hartford Institute for Religion Research polled pastors and congregations and found the following results.

The research was conducted to see the impact of the Pandemic on churches.

The number of pastors occasionally or seriously considering leaving their church congregation for another rose from 21% to 44% and leaving the pastoral ministry altogether, from 37% to 53%.

At the same time, in-person church attendance (median) went from 137 per congregation to 55. That is nearly a 60% drop!

Conflict, disagreement, division, and fighting among the same congregations are also appalling.

From 63% saying there was enough discord they thought of leaving to the current 95% who say they think very often about leaving because of the conflict and disagreement within the congregation.

This does not sound like the unity and fellowship the scriptures describe about the assembly. In fact, 91% of the pastors who seriously consider leaving the ministry altogether because of conflict among the congregation is 91%

This shouldn’t be, but it is. How can we change this? What can we do?

While no two churches are the same, nor are any two conflicts, a few things can be done to promote unity and oneness in the congregations, which is part of the driving motivator of the last few sermon series we have had here at The House of Faith Church.

Our effort is to create a biblical environment and church as they are called to have and participate in. While doing so, this may not create the atmosphere that some are looking for, and that is OK because we would rather do things as the word instructs, have fewer members, less conflict, and hear “well done” than fill every seat, have fat coffers, continual discontent and conflict among the congregants and sacrifice sound doctrine for the tickling of ears to keep us relevant among the populous.

I may not be everyone's cup of tea, but there are some things you can be sure of. I will always be genuine, honest, and hard-working in the study of God’s word to continually examine myself to ensure that the message I bring every week is accurate and true to the scripture and this church is run and maintained in a biblical manner, even if that means you do not get your way, or you don’t like what I have to say or do, or you get angry with the manner in which things are handled.

It is not about you. It is about God’s word and our submission to Him.

One of the biggest things we can do as individuals to foster unity and oneness in this church is work on becoming Spiritually Mature!

In my book, Drowning in Milk: A Guide to Spiritual Maturity, I address the fact that most congregational disruptions, dissensions, disagreements, and conflicts come about because either one or both parties are Spiritually Immature.

If you have not read it, I suggest you do. I even put a small group workshop in the back of the book for study. Spiritual Maturity is a must for a healthy congregation.

Gathering together is one way we can grow spiritually as well. Many great things occur when we congregate regularly, and we are commanded to do so!

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Hebrews 10:24-25

“…let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 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.”

I. THE ASSEMBLY WITH BROTHERS AND SISTERS STRENGTHENS OUR FAITH

a. Iron sharpens iron

i. Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.”

ii. What are we told about the Word of God?

1. Ephesians 6:17 “receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,”

2. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

iii. The sword in the first century was iron. In scripture, the “Sword of the Spirit” IS the Word of God. And the Word of God is LIVING, ACTIVE, And sharper than any two-edged sword.

iv. So Proverbs says, as iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another.

In simple terms, when believers are together, they strengthen each other's faith through discussions of the word of God!

We need other believers to strengthen our understanding and grow our faith!

b. Fellowship deepens our understanding of God’s Word

i. If you forsake gathering with other believers, you will struggle with your faith, understanding, and everything that rises against you in life.

A friend once told me, “I don’t need to go to church to go to heaven.” And that may be true, but you need to go to church to make it through life in a godless world filled with devils and demons who hate you and everything you represent.

Who does the lion attack? The herd? The strongest? No.

The lion awaits in the camouflage of cover, looking for the young, the weak, the infirm, the one who wanders too far from the pack, that becomes his target.

1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

c. Through shared worship, sermons, and discussions, we encourage and uplift

i. “…stimulate one another to love and good deeds,”

ii. Gathering in fellowship strengthens us and gives us more understanding, leading to Spiritual Maturity. This is why devils work so hard at causing division, strife, controversy, and conflict among congregations.

iii. Because doing so creates wanderers. Those who stray from the congregation's protection. Those who may even leave church altogether and become devil fodder.

iv. Satan loves “Christians” who stay away from church. He will let you go on believing you are “victorious” while, all the while, waiting for you to dry up, get weak, stray real far, to the point you do not believe you can return, then he will attack.

v. You may live many great years apart from the church and congregations. The devil has all the time in the world to enact his plan.

Matthew 7:26-27 “everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them, may be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

You believe you're OK not going to church, but trust the word. The storms “WILL” come. And when they do, you better be strong and have your house on the rock of obedience to the words of Jesus.

Matthew 7:24 “everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

We are told to go to have fellowship, assemble together, and gather weekly (go to church!) in the word; now we need to hear and DO that!

1 Corinthians 16:1-2 Hebrews 10:24-25 Acts 2:42; 47

Acts 20:7; 28 Colossians 3:16 1 Timothy 4:13

Ephesians 4:11-2

We NEED others!

“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:20

II. THE ASSEMBLY IS FOR THE GIVING AND RECEIVING OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS

a. Gathering allows us to use our gifts.

i. Romans 12:4-5 “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another,”

b. We all have unique talents and passions from God

i. Our gifts are not our own!

ii. They are given to us for the building, edifying, and strengthening of the church, the Body of Christ, and others!

iii. Use what God has gifted you, and get a return for His investment!

c. Gathering allows us to build and strengthen our church as a whole

i. “…not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some,”

Let’s not get, as scripture states, “in the habit” of not going to church.

Some people can develop a habit in about a month, and others can take 3-6 months.

I have only missed a couple of days in the last 20 years. Some may say, yeah, but you’re the pastor.

To which I say, it is JUST AS IMPORTANT that you are here! You have gifts I do not for encouraging and building up others. Others have gifts for you that you will never receive from the Spirit of God if you are not here!

III. THE ASSEMBLY DEMONSTRATES UNITY AND LOVE THAT BINDS US

a. Unity and love binds us together in Christ.

i. Acts 2:42 “And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.”

b. The Assembling together is a testament to the unity and love that transcends our differences.

c. Let us commit to gathering as a church family

i. “…encouraging one another,”

CONCLUSION

All believers must assemble together with other believers and obtain the blessing and benefit of unity, strength, building up, encouragement, and the opportunity to demonstrate to a broken and fallen world what the Love of God can do with people’s differences when they achieve unity through the love of Christ Jesus.

“…and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

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