Your Daily Devotional for May 22, 2006

May 22, 2006

 

Gathering Together

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

 

Hebrews 10:24-25

 

Many times I’ve heard someone say, “We live in an impossible day for having a New Testament church. People aren’t interested, don’t have time, or just cannot give of themselves to the work of God.” You know, I personally believe we’re living in the most exciting days of the New Testament church.

 

I like the word church! While others around us seem to be removing the word church, I just happen to love this word. It’s a Bible word. One-hundred and seventeen times the word church is mentioned in the New Testament. From that number, one-hundred and eleven times the Greek word for church, ecclesia, refers to a called out assembly.

 

God’s plan for normal Christianity is that Christians be a people who gather together with a called out assembly of believers. Those of us who are saved have been called out by the Holy Spirit from this world and are together the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The New Testament is written to Christians in local churches.

 

As we consider the way a church should function, one thing every good Bible-believing local church ought to do is assemble. It is God’s will that the church gather together. Why is this? Hebrews 10:24 says…“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:” Here God tells us He wants us to consider or think about one another. God wants Sunday school teachers thinking about their students, bus workers thinking about their riders, youth workers thinking about their teens, and deacons thinking about the widows. God wants everyone in the body considering and encouraging one another towards love and good works.  

 

I believe the heartbeat of New Testament Christianity is that we’re encouraging each other in the work of God as we gather ourselves together. While some may be content with skipping a mid-week Bible study or only attending on a Sunday morning, God is pleased and honored when we gather ourselves together, and as Hebrews 10:25 says, “so much the more as ye see the day approaching.”

 

As the day of Christ’s return draws near, we don’t need less encouragement from God, His Word and His people; rather, we need “so much the more.” Let me encourage you today to gather together with God’s people in the local church. 

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