Togetherness—‘Longing to be together’

Being Together

Times of Lockdown

[Data: https://www.google.it/amp/s/www.money.it/%3fpage=amp&id_article=87337]

This Coronavirus Covid-19 killed in the last month in Italy alone: 15k people (3x more the normal death toll for influenza plus lung-caused problems). And Coronavirus deaths last month represented just a fraction of the usual death toll of 54k deaths/month on average without Covid-19.

World: 150k deaths/day: yesterday (60.959 3/4 - 53.259 2/4 =) 7700 i.e. 5% of usual daily death toll.

Heat kills the virus (as it does with perhaps all influenza virus). Summer is coming in the Northern Hemisphere. Southern Hemisphere urban centres not as cold as in the northern so it’s reasonable to assume that once figured out the lockdown exit strategy to avoid outburst of epidemic, the tendency is for everyone to come back to normality almost certainly well before I finish seminary end of June and go to full time ministry.

We shouldn’t despise what is happening around all the world at this time. The data is suggesting that this pandemic outburst is far from being the end of the world, but

Coronavirus Covid-19 certainly made us think a lot, hasn’t it?

As Christians we shouldn’t be so surprised if we remember the Bible speaking of the “last days” which are comprised between Christ’s death/resurrection/Pentecost and His second coming in judgement.

If anyone wants to hear an excellent expository preacher delivering a good topical sermon of how the Bible addresses times like this, I suggest you to hear Gary Brady March15 sermon visiting Childs Hill Baptist Church website.

The themes that Coronavirus have engaged our thoughts a lot (or should have) are depicted with 4 ‘F’s the first 2 of which is:

⁃ FEAR and FAITH

What is exactly the nature of the FEAR percolating each one of us? Where, in practice, is our faith directed to? Are we, and where are we finding comfort? Is the answer to all of these questions our sovereign God and in Him alone?

⁃ before we mistake ourselves, let us see our buying patterns and on which things we distribute our time now that the outside world impose much less on our calendar, starting with transportation and time outside home. Seeing what you have been buying these last 2 weeks and how you have been spending your time may indicate where your fear and where your faith both lie.

So from this simple observation emerge another important theme that this time of lockdown should call our thoughts, which is that of FALLACIES that misdirected faith and fear shoves us into inadvertently (or knowingly) succumbing to our sinful flesh in times of lockdown when we are governed mostly by our own self.

⁃ I’m talking about individualism to its max: because when we are with ourselves, all we think and priorities we give ourselves are the right ones by definition of the flesh: like unholy time spent on social media and on the internet, time devoted to self-indulgences, and so forth.

This is the time to be always in the Word and always on your knees to recognise, repent and redirect the way we use our time and resources. 1 John 1:9 says that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

But the 4th F (after FAITH, FEAR and FALLACIES) we must address in the Word of God in these days of Covid-19 lockdown is FELLOWSHIP.

Subject matter intro: togetherness

Church gatherings through technology indeed helps us meet, share the word, pray and follow hymns of praise together. But looking at the church as a whole—as the body of Christ—the risk of great corporate fallacy overshadows us if we don’t appreciate TOGETHERNESS or THE LONGING FOR BEING TOGETHER which is the subject matter I will bring to our attention this morning .

The Lord’s table

The marvellous Union with Christ that the church enjoys is not something we log-into, but depends on the work of the Holy Spirit in us. We join such Union through repentance of our old selves to embrace faith in Jesus Christ as our God and Saviour as we entrust our new lives under His Lordship.

Our union with Christ is not lived individually. It is lived corporately, with the church of Jesus Christ. This is a common misunderstanding that people have. Many people believe they can be truly regenerated Christians by living away from the local biblically faithful church: this is not what the Bible teaches!

A couple of chapters earlier 10:23-25...

I will sustain this morning that church unity depends on the physical gathering of the church. Such union finds its maximum expression of unity in the Lord’s Table or Lord’s Supper where we memorially praise the source of our faith and enjoy the presence and communion of the Holy Spirit with the church of Jesus Christ.

This morning I could have construed with you the argument for TOGETHERNESS from 1 Corinthians 10 and 11 where Paul repeatedly emphasizes “when we come together”, “one cup”, “one bread”: he is clearly speaking of a time of physical togetherness eating from the same piece of bread representing His body and drinking from the same wine representing his blood in the cross for us.

As Dr. Gary Williams director of the Pastor Accademy in London Seminary puts magnificently:

“In 1 Corinthians 10 verse 16 Paul points to the one cup and says that it is a sharing in the blood of Christ, to the one bread and says that it is a sharing in the body. Then in verse 17 he says ‘Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, since all of us share the one bread’. The physical sign is an instrument for the spiritual reality. If a church puts the administration of the Lord’s supper into the hands of households meeting on their own and as they wish, then it approves placing the Lord’s table beyond the reach of the elders of the church…. The household-‘supper’ risks encouraging every nascent cultish leader to establish his own church in his living room and to consecrate himself as its unaccountable leader.”

So the church meeting together for worship is a physically gathered act of sharing, all embodied, around one bread, one cup.

The extent of deprivation

It is true that right now we are cut-off from one of the ordained means by which our spiritual life is strengthened. That is just a form of deprivation which the Lord on His Sovereignty imposed on us as He has deprived His people of Worship many times in the past.

In this moment of deprivation, let me reaffirm again how blessed is the chance that technology gives us to interact together. But we must address the risk that church incurs regarding FELLOWSHIP, a problem in fact that has already started to happen with the advent of the internet but which now risks to be augmented exponentially with the quick adaptation of technology and on-going habit that lockdown period will incubate.

In these times of church meetings through video-conference we will see why true believers should long to meet in persona and should not fall in the trap of letting this new, very comfortable way that technology enables them to attend church meetings to end up becoming a substitute or even tradition for passively following church meetings, as it already has happened to so many who had found themselves among God’s people who prefer to replace physical togetherness with watching sermons on-line.

You see, ee are relational beings made to the image of a relational God, a God who is relational from within the essence of His triune nature. Everything about us human beings is relational, and if we hinder any of our God-given relational attributes we are surely not living to the potential of God’s decree for us. And this is what is happening when a church meets on-line.

Let’s quickly remember together common knowledge social science to see how church relationship which is handicapped with presential meeting.

Many sensorial perceptions that qualify an on-going good relationship and interaction are lost when we are in a situation like this. For example:

• many elements of body language are lost [you miss spotting an impatient bouncing leg, and nervous finger twiddling, an insecure scratching of nails, or peaceful hands and embracing arms movements on the other side, etc.];

• impoverished discernment of shared physical time and space interaction [the same thing said can have opposite effects in different situations...and here’s where itinerant preaching clips less effective than under the ministry of a regular pastor];

• we miss senses besides hearing and seeing like the smell, body warmth and contact in a handshake,a hug or a kiss—we dismissively forget—under the excuse of culture context—that for 4x in different letters to different churches that Paul recommends Gods people to greet with a holy kiss.

But now, let us understand this togetherness through all Biblical metaphors for the church

Excerpts from GRUDEM p. 858

Notice that there are no metaphors like constellations, federations, network, examples of flora and fauna depicting any form of detachment or isolation (like for example animals like

• Bears, Leopards, Koalas, Moles, Skunks, Sloths.

But let’s get deeper biblically and spiritually now.

HEBREWS 12:18-29

The Lord couldn’t be worshipped by the people He was forming in Egypt whereby each family at their house amidst the Egyptians; they had to come together and He brings them out into the great company of all standing before Him.

quote GRUDEM p.1004-8

I want to exposit on the subject of TOGETHERNESS—LONGING TO BE TOGETHER from the text we read before in Hebrews chapter 12 from verses 18 through 29. I’ll exposit verses 18 thru 24 and skip the following 3 verses, theological wonderful but which time today limits us from addressing them but will finish with the gran finale of verses 28 and 29.

Notice as we go through the text that it is requiring its readers, God’s people, to now be holier than in the days of Moses, because we stand in a yet holier place compared to Sinai when God came to visit His people after they left Egypt.

The text is saying that the conditions in which you and I live and worship as true Christian believers are not those of Sinai but those of heaven. And the apex of this manifestation is a wonderful picture of TOGETHERNESS.

Briefing of Hebrews

Heb 12:18-21 refers to when God was in Mount Sinai giving the law

These verses are based on the account in Ex. 19:16–19; 20:18–21, and on Moses’ recollection of the scene forty years later in Deut. 4 v.11 onwards and chapter 5: The mountain was so charged with the holiness of the God who manifested himself there that for man or beast to touch it meant death.

-you have not come to what may be touched

Our sinful nature right next to God’s holiness implied no direct touching or seeing because this nature of ours cannot get close to God without Him manifesting His judgement on us.

But also this verse is reminding us that Sinai’s covenant pointed to physical, outward senses of which touching is one of them (Ex.20:14 You shall not commit adultery)

but, on the other hand, God’s true people reflect inner motivation and purity of heart “that can’t be touched” cf (Mt.5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.)

-burned with fire

speaks of the holiness of God, brings to memory the burning bush and the intense glare of God only a back corner of which Moses could see in Ex.33.

-enveloped in blackness and darkness and tempest

reminds us of God’s anger against human sin

because of God’s holiness to get close to where God meant death even for beasts (v.20)

the voice spelled the sin of Moses’ people’s sin and the trumpets heralded their condemnation

those who heard were begging… they could not endure what was commanded…

it was so terrifying that Moses was “exceedingly afraid and trembling”

2 Co 3:7–11: But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

Heb 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem

(Zion was the Jebusite stronghold ingeniously conquered by David’s men crawling upwards in its water system. Zion became his capital and the heart of the greater city of Jerusalem. rf.2 Sam 5:6-10) Hebrews 12:22 Mount Zion was the site where David made his royal residence in the 7th year of his reign. He made it the religious center of his kingdom by installing there “the ark of God”.

But now, here we see:

Mt. Zion = city of the living God = heavenly Jerusalem = people of God, the church of Jesus Christ.

Sinai—uninhabitable, rugged, inhospitable, fearful ;

Zion—beautiful, full of joy where God is refuge in its palaces (Ps. 48:3) - a wonderful image of the church of the new covenant

Ps 48:1–3

1 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised

In the city of our God,

In His holy mountain.

2 Beautiful in elevation,

The joy of the whole earth,

Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,

The city of the great King.

3 God is in her palaces;

He is known as her refuge.

in Sinai God presentes Himself temporarily, under the law, which brought only spiritual death;

but spiritual, eternal, life is found in the eternal presence of God in Zion.

Edgar Andrews well says this:

"by virtue of their accepting the gospel, reading believers of this epistle to the Hebrews come to that spiritual realm and awesome reality already initiated in their hearts which will be consummated in glory."

And verse 22 presents the wonderful picture.

Heb 12:12-23 the hosts and heirs of God

- an innumerable company of angels

angels now are not just approaching us as messengers as they usually did through the Bible story until now (see Dt, 33:2, Gal. 3:19, Hb. 1:14) but they now all openly gather with us

- general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven

its a universal gathering of believers, a festive communion of the saints

firstborn is plural as Rom. 8:17 says that we are all joint heirs with Christ

It’s talking about true believers!

Can you see the wonderful picture of physical togetherness in the most splendid state of glory of those who belong to Jesus Christ?

The picture here is a great gathering in a hill of Zion which is the city of the living God which is heavenly Jerusalem which is the church in glory!

Can you fit in this vision groups separated into constellations or federations, or spread in a network or believers living isolated lives like Bears, Leopards, Koalas, Moles, Skunks, and Sloths?… We are relational brings and we are going to be all together rejoicing in our Lord of glory!

Who else is there in Zion:

- God the judge of all

God Himself of course as we already saw is there its His city and Universe after all

judge of all (Gn 18:25)

- spirits of just men made perfect

10:14 said this has been already accomplished by Christ “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified”

And why is this festive joyful togetherness is possible: because Christ died for us. This is what verse 24 reminds us.

Heb 12:24 Look forward for “better things” with the mediator of the new covenant

- mediator of the new covenant

Heb 9:15: “He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”

“The contrast between the 2 covenants could not be greater. The first marks and condemns transgression; the second redeems the transgressor. Those bound to the old covenant could look forward only to death, but under the new covenant is is Christ who dies atoning for our sins.

- Christ’s sprinkled blood speaks better things than Abel’s

Abel, the first human to die under the consequence of sin, in that sense representative of us all in our end in death. His blood cried out (Gen 4:10) against Cain, as evidence and accusation.

But Christ’s blood is evidence instead of God’s grace. Not only does it testifies to the justification of the sinner and his deliverance from God’s wrath but it directs elect sinners “registered”since the foundation of the universe (v.22 cf Eph 1:4) to an inheritance of eternal glory in Zion.

…

Heb 12:28 Let us receive an unshakable kingdom

by knowing Christ, we ar already enjoying the personal and corporate benefits of citizenship in the “everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ“ as we read in 2 Peter 1:11

- what does this wonderful picture of TOGETHERNESS shows us?

That we are whipping God.

And what makes up worship?

⁃ thankfulness/gratitude, reverence and Godly fear—and this is where our FAITH and FEAR and FELLOWSHIP finds its exultance

⁃ God’s immense radiance is like the sun’s today: brings life but at the same time He’s a consuming fire: and this is a last call for the last days for apostates (many of whom think they belong to the true church of God). If they don’t turn towards Jesus and towards Zion on the verge of receiving the kingdom, the fires of God’s anger will destroy them without mercy. There are echoes here of the sins of Israel who turned away from the very threshold of the promised land (3:16-19). Turn to Jesus. Turn to Zion, longing for holy TOGETHERNESS.

CONCLUSION

All what the church does is beautifully summarized in Col 3:16. We need to be together for church-life to work!

Psalms evoking worship of the assembly in Gods presence (Mt 18 Jesus doing it with us where 2 or more meeting in His name...) Chr. 5:13-14.

Between the sheer body physical in all we can do: greet and talk to each other, sing etc. and the spiritual, the Bible alludes always to a physical gathering even if, spiritually, under the power of God Holy Spirit we could do anything we could possibly dream of without physical presence, and yet this is what is envisaged to us in our state of glory with Him! 2 Co. 6:15-18

1 John 1:9... to live under the light infers physical closeness, not kissing any of those physical attributes I exemplified in the beginning that we won’t miss

So we should be always be longing to be with our loved ones and more importantly so among the family of God.

We were already longing to be with the Lord Himself, now we can’t even be with each other. The analogy is that of a couple which can see each other because both of them are in prison. Because when only one of them is, then the other can come and visit and some of those presencial benefits we were talking before could be enjoyed. But what they really want is to be fully together to consummate their love.

And so this situation isolated even more us within our own selves and the devil loves this! To attack with fears, phobias, and depression on one side, and self-indulgences, pride and utopia of self-realization in a self-driven and disconnected world on the other.