Gathering

It is good to be back. The last several weeks have been difficult for many reasons. As many of you know I had my thyroid removed at the beginning of the month. Two weeks later we learned that their suspicions were correct and that I indeed do have thyroid cancer. Many of you have reached out to help us or let us know you are praying and I really appreciate it. Perhaps the hardest part for me though was the two weeks I had to stay away from here. I don’t know about you, but I do not like missing church.

For the next several weeks I am going to be preaching a sermon series that I’ve entitled “Back to Basics: Habits that lead to spiritual growth.” Today I’m going to focus on the habit of “Gathering.” Habits are interesting things. I have lots of habits. I take pills at certain times every day. I brush my teeth. Think about what some of your habits are. Some habits are necessary, some are good, and some are bad. Of course it is possible to break a habit or add a habit. And sometimes I wish I could still eat at The Habit. Much of our life revolves around our habits and routines. Just like we make sure little kids learn to wash their hands so they can stay healthy, we need to make sure that our spiritual habits are good so that we can be healthy spiritually.

These past two years have been an assault on one of these habits, the habit of Gathering together. You could also call it a spiritual discipline. Due to COVID-19 we have been told to stay away from others. Many pastors and counselors predicted that this would take a huge emotional toll on people, and it has. Anxiety and depression has increased by as much a 400% according to some studies. As you know, we complied with closure mandates and started online services. It has in some ways been good. Many people have heard the gospel who may not have otherwise. Those who are sick or have compromised immune systems can still join us online, which is wonderful. However, as I experienced earlier this month, it is just not the same. Let’s turn in our Bibles to Hebrews chapter 10.

Hebrews 10:24–25 CSB

And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

The writer of Hebrews gives us two reasons why it is important for the church to gather. First, he puts forward this idea of provoking each other to love and good woks. To provoke involves goading someone to do that which they would not normally do. This makes sense if you take a step back. Every single human has a sin problem. That sin problem means that we are basically self-centered. Some of us are more likely to do “good works” than others, but the reality is that most times our sin nature pulls us to selfishness and taking care of number one instead of loving others and doing the “good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10). We gather to provoke one another to love and good works.

Of course, we are often tempted to neglect to gather together. The word translated “neglecting” in the CSB carries with it the sense of “leave in the lurch” (LSJ) and can legitimately be translated abandon, forsake, or desert (BDAG). The local church is composed of all of its members. I’m not talking about members in the legal definition or the way our church might define a member versus an attender. I am talking about those who are followers of Jesus Christ and come here to worship. Each person has a part to play in how the body functions. At a bare minimum, you are called to be here to encourage each other! Let’s just start from the most basic form of encouragement. I am encouraged by each face that I see here right now. I am discouraged by the faces that I do not see here. What are other ways that we encourage one another?

1) Share what God has done in our lives

2) Carry each other’s burdens

Galatians 6:2 CSB

Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

3) Help each other conquer sin

James 5:16 CSB

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.

Why do we need to encourage each other?

Hebrews 3:12–13 CSB

Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.

Beyond encouraging one another, we also gather so that we may teach and admonish one another. Challenging each other to pursue godliness.

Colossians 3:16 CSB

Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Gathering

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