Attendance 1

Why Attendance Is Important #1

By Bill Denton

Introduction

A.  Illustration

A churchgoer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.

"I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: They all nourished me and gave me the strength needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me those meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!

Anonymous Internet circulation

B.  I guess that's the short course in why attendance is important

1.  I suspect, however illustrative that editorial comment is, it is not altogether satisfactory to

     those who question the value of church attendance

2.  I'm a bit surprised that we ignore this issue, or think the answer is so obvious

a.  after all, we do hold church assemblies every week - 2 on Sunday and 1 on

     Wednesday at the very least

b.  we begin all these assemblies with the expectation that people are going to attend

     and we encourage people to bring guests

c.  surely we believe there is some value to being here - but what is it?

3.  It is entirely possible that at least some church attendance is nothing more than habit

4.  Others may attend more out of spiritual fears than out of spiritual strength and meaning

5.  Others may choose to absent themselves whenever they choose, apparently thinking that it

     really doesn't matter much if they are here or somewhere else

6.  Does it really matter?  Is it important?  Do we have to become legalistic about it and lay

     down a minimum attendance requirement?  Is there a healthy way to view all of this?

C.  I'm sure you can get some encouragement regarding Christian assemblies from numerous passages,

     but there is one passage that demands our attention

1.  Hebrews 10:19-25

19Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25not 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. NASB95

2.  Today, I want us to consider some of the Hebrew writer's reasoning for encouraging

     Christians not to forsake assembling together, but rather to take a much more positive

     attitude toward meeting together

I.  Theology Before Practice

A.  An item we do not always see clearly is that for anything truly important, there is theology before

     the practice

1.  For example, if attendance is important, it will be so because it somehow flows out of, or

     is supported by biblical teaching

2.  In this case, the little passage often quoted in support of attending church assemblies is one

     rooted firm and deep in the teachings of the book of Hebrews

B.  Consider a little exercise in Bible study

1.  In Heb. 4:14-16, there are five phrases that also appear in Heb 10:19-25

a.  Since we have a great high priest

b.  Who has passed through the heavens (veil)

c.  Let us hold fast our confession

d.  Let us draw near

e.  Confidence

2.  Though we don't have time for extensive study today, let me urge you to pay attention to the

     word "Therefore" in both 4:14 and 10:19 - the writer is building toward conclusions!

C.  Hebrews 10:19-25 is built around three imperatives for Christians

1.  Hebrews 10:22

22let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. NASB95

a.  Hebrews was written drawing on the rich background of the Law of Moses and all the

     practices of the old covenant

1)  drawing near to God was at best a limited idea under the old covenant

2)  the individual, personally, didn't draw near to God, instead the high priest

     entered the Holy of Holies once per year and represented the people before

     God

b.  Jesus is now our great high priest, and through the offering of his blood sacrifice, he

     has made a new and living way for us

1)  We sometimes do not realize exactly what we are able to do as Christians

2)  We now have personal access to God

3)  We do not need to fear, or cringe, or in any way doubt our ability to

     approach God

4.  The word translated "confidence" is a word that means free and open

     expression of conduct

5.  It is a boldness to do what otherwise  would one would never expect to do

c.  Our confidence, however, is shaped by a sincere heart, full of assurance of faith

1.  Jeremiah 31:33 (quoted in Heb 8:10)

33“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. NASB95

2.  God is most interested in the human heart, and you can be sure that it

     is the heart that attracts God's attention more than our behavior

a.)  the worshiper's heart must be a true heart - nothing fake

b)  the worshiper's heart must be one full of faith, not doubt or

     fear

c)  it is a heart confident because of what Jesus has done and made

     possible for us

2.  Hebrews 10:23

23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; NASB95

a.  the action idea here is to hold on to something unswervingly

1)  it's an encouragement toward the opposite of that which is ever

     changing, fickle, unsure, vacillating back and forth

2)  what is the confession of your hope?  Is it not Jesus

a.  the one who lived a sinless life instead of the one you live?

b.  the one whose sacrifice makes possible the forgiveness of sins?

c.  the one who gives you hope of eternal life

d.  do you have any hope to confess outside Jesus Christ

b.  if anybody wavers, it won't be Jesus because he is totally faithful

1)  there is no better sacrifice for sin than Jesus

2)  there is no better covenant to govern your standing with God than the

     one you have in Jesus

3)  there is no better priest through whom to gain access to the Father

4)  from God's side, nothing is movable - the only question can be on

     our side of the table

c.  God is looking for us to draw near, fully confident though His Son, Jesus

     Christ, and he wants us to declare in all we do that we realize that it is Jesus

     who makes it all possible

3.  Hebrews 10:24

24and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, NASB95

a.  the third exhortation in this section is one that lays a mutual responsibility

    upon each of us to one another

1)  "consider" means "notice, pay attention to, look closely at"

2)  we are to rivet our attention on a need that is clearly a community

     kind of thing to the Hebrew writer

b.  we are challenged to "stimulate" one another

1)  an interesting word is used here (paraxysmos)

a)  usually a negative word - stir to anger, irritate

b)  here, it is meant to emphasize the action of motivating each

     other toward the things God desires for us to pursue

2)  it is obvious that to the Hebrew writer, what he has in mind cannot be

     accomplished alone, in some sort of "go-it-alone" Christianity

II.  Now The Specific Practice Come Into View

A.  Hebrews 10:25

25not 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. NASB95

1.  You need to put together the three admonitions of this section we've just looked at

a.  let us draw near

b.  let us hold fast

c.  let us stimulate one another

2.  But you can't do that if you forsake assembling together with your fellow Christians

a.  the word "forsake" means to abandon one person or thing for another

b.  this is always the concern - not some legalistic idea of a magic number of

     assemblies to attend

c.  don't let this make you feel better than it should, however

3.  If you're somewhere else, doing something else, instead of assembling with your brothers

     and sisters in Christ, then the questions become very direct

a.  where are you, what are you doing, and why are you there?

b.  have you, in any sense, abandoned one thing for another?

B.  This puts the entire issue of attending church assemblies in a discussion about things other than

      numbers of assemblies attended, or even general frequency

1.  Church assemblies are evidence that people understand who they are and what Jesus has

     made possible

2.  Church assemblies are directly related to our faith, our confidence, and our responsibility to

     one another

3.  Church assemblies are not some option that we can choose unless something more enjoyable,

     entertaining, etc., is going on

4.  Church assemblies relate to our relationship with the Father, made possible because of our

     relationship with Jesus, and give meaning to our relationship with one another

Conclusion

A.  There will always be someone who says, "I just don't believe I have to attend church assemblies to

     be faithful to God"

1.  Really?  -- For all the bragging that one can be faithful and not attend church assemblies, I

    will tell you it's just not true -- faith thrives in a community, not a vacuum

a.  we all need to be encouraged, and we all need to encourage others

b.  that doesn't happen when you're out doing something, or being with people who

     are not focused on the Lord

2.  Just showing up isn't the point either - showing up and accomplishing the purpose for which

     we assemble is quite another thing

a.  your drawing near to God and holding fast to your confession are a real part of

     your life of faith and worship

b.  sitting on a church pew doesn't automatically do a thing, but it does put you in the

     right place

B.  I'm glad you're here today

1.  It shows your interest in following Jesus, and being part of a community of faith

2.  It demonstrates your interest in continuing to learn and be encouraged

3.  It shows that you are interested in others, and hopefully you will take advantage of the

     opportunity to encourage somebody, serving as vital spark to their walk of faith

4.  BTW, I hope you don't think I'm just talking about the things that happen between

     announcements and closing prayer - our assembling together is far more than that

a.  example - last Wednesday, I took notice of how many people stood around in the

     parking lot enjoying conversation, and it was obvious that a lot of sharing and

     encouraging was going on

b.  don't think of "assemblies" as just Sunday morning or night, or Wednesdays - think

     CARE groups, other times when Christians gather together for fellowship, or just

     some fun - these are all important faith building, motivating experiences

C.  Invitation