Gathering

 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:19-31 ESV
            In the midst of this passage is the command to assemble together, it is something which is underappreciated I think. I think it is underappreciated because many churches have failed to understand what lies before and after the command. The local assembly of Christians is at once recognition of what Christ has done, and a means by which the work of Christ is continued. Christ did not die to win individuals alone, but to win individuals and to forge them together into a body of believers. He never intended us to be off on our own. 

The verses which follow the commands of assembly make it clear; we are in real and present danger from the unholy trinity of Devil, world, and flesh. Who does the Lion attack but the one who is alone, left outside the protection of the flock? Who is most in danger of being swept away by the sheer force of the tide of the world but the one who is trying to stand alone? Who is most easily self-deceived and made slave to the flesh but the one who has no one to grant an outside perspective? To hold fast the covenant of grace requires the aid of the community of grace which is itself a particular grace created by Christ as a blessing and help to those who follow Him. Christ gave the great commission not to each individual, but to all collectively as the Church.

The church is the one force on this planet equipped and commissioned to deal with the gravest threat ever faced by mankind which is sin. We are the organization which is entrusted with the gospel to deliver men the message that by grace through faith they can escape damnation. We are then the only organization equipped to train these redeemed men and women as Disciples of Christ, teaching them the truth, and helping them to grow in righteousness. We alone know the truth to encourage and admonish, to rebuke, and reprove and in every way to build each other up.

We are not a social club, not a collection of friends, not a charitable organization, not a society of study or interest, not a cooperative of shared vision, not a gathering to perform rites and rituals; we are more than any of these things. We are family joined together by the blood of God the Son which runs thicker than any blood of man, joined together in covenant to pursue His Kingdom and Righteousness under His headship and in His power. We are a work of God, created and fashioned universally and locally by His will for His purpose. We are members of a body working together to accomplish what none of us could do alone. We are people of another place, strangers in a strange land journeying together towards our Home where we shall be at last united with all our true family in one unbroken circle forever enjoying the glories of our God face to face with Him. Amen.

Space does not allow me to present every benefit and blessing we received in our sacred covenant communities from our fellowship; but they are many and they are each manifold. And let us be clear they are derived in great measure from physical assembly. Some may argue that the assembly mentioned in this passage is not necessarily physical, that those who first received these words did not enjoy our level of technology. God knew what technology we would possess, and He could have made clear that digital assembly was enough; but He did not. In fact He did the opposite. For consider the epistles, and how often the writers express desire to be physically present with the recipients. John at the end of his third epistle says he has more to write, but would not write it preferring to wait until he could speak face to face. But we have a greater proof than these that physical proximity matters for did not Jesus come to us in the flesh? God could have made Himself known to everyone spiritually, but instead He sent His Son in the singular physical form of a man. And when Christ ascended, did He communicate His gospel to the world via the spirit alone? No, but He sent us as physical messengers to do play a part in the work. Being physically near each other matters, even the secular scientist affirm this.

Yet how many struggle on in life, and make excuses for missing the services of the church. These poor wretches deprive themselves of help; they make life harder than it is meant to be by neglecting one of God good gifts. They believe a lie and so are robbed, and weakened. This is a tragedy that should not be. When a member is absent from the gathering of the body that member is weakened, and so too is the rest of the body. These souls hurt themselves and their faith family by their absence. The passage here does not select those who should assemble, it is to all saints. The truth of the matter is that some persons may be necessary for a certain task, but all members are essential to the church.

Now dearly beloved, I would negligent if I did not speak to the current situation in which we have not been able to gather. We do this out of love for our neighbors, and especially those who do not know Christ according the command of Mark 12:31. This is no small thing for us, but we have made a terrible sacrifice which the world cannot begin to understand. We are not wrong to grieve over our deprivation. We have given much that they might know the Love of God, and none might perish without salvation by our actions. The Church, the local churches are the single most essential organization on Earth, performing the most essential work. For us to abstain from assembly is, or ought be, such a drastic measure that all weep to see it done, and that even the unbelievers express their appreciation and wonder at the love of God displayed in us for them.

Do not be deceived regarding online service and meetings. This is not God’s intention, but is a mercy from Him that we might not lose so much as we could have. It is not church, it is not the same, and it is not a substitute. What we do online is an unsatisfactory and temporary measure. It is the best we can do for now. And if the people of Israel wept at the rebuilt temple, we ought much more to weep over this, while at the same thanking God for what we have, and praying to him for mercy that we might again return to church.

Prayer
            Lord you are good, and full of mercy. Your wisdom oh God is great, and plans are pefect. You know our needs and You have supplied them in Christ. We thank you for the churches, for the faith families where we find fellowship, and encouragement, and all sorts of help in life. We pray we would appreciate all that the churches are, and all that they do. We pray the headship of Christ be made evident in every church to His glory. We pray the churches would bring You great glory.
            Lord, I do not claim to know all that you do, or to understand all the reasons for what happens by your will. This much I know that we have failed to appreciate the blessing of the church, and to its functions. In this we have sinned against You. We repent therefore of this sin trusting in Christ for mercy. And we pray in all humility that You would restore our gatherings, in the fullest since. Let the churches be as you intend, let them be Yours, and let them be all you mean for them to be. To You be the glory, and Your will be done above all. In the name of our Lord Jesus we pray. Amen.
Song
For all the saints