Where In The Bible Will I Find:
The Sin Of Forsaking The
Assemblies?
The assembling of Christians together on the first
day of the week is a command of the Lord. After His death, burial, and
resurrection, Jesus said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in
earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even
unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matt. 28:18-20).
The key to understanding the book of Acts is in the
commission The apostles on Pentecost were all filled with the Holy Spirit, "and
began to speak with other tongues
(languages: 6GC), as the
Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). These apostles taught those
who obeyed the Gospel on that day (:38, 41, 47), to continue "steadfastly
in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in
prayers" (:42). While the inspired apostle Paul was with the church at
Troas, they assembled as commanded "upon the first day of the
week" (Acts 20:7).
Paul also commanded the Hebrews, "Not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is" (Heb.
10:25). This is a direct negative command, which is just as binding now as was "Thou
shalt not kill" in the 10 commandments (Ex. 20:13). Anyone who
willfully forsakes the assembling of the church of Christ today commits sin,
because they transgress Christ's New Testament law (I Jn. 3:4; 1 Cor. 16:13).
These folks sin in at least ten ways:
1.
They
show they do not truly believe in the importance of the Lord's church (Acts
20:28);
2.
They
put their own will above that of Christ's (Phil. 2:1-5);
3.
They
loudly express a lack of love and respect for the Lord of Glory (I Jn. 4:20-21;
4.
They
forsake their good influence before others (Matt. 5:13-16);
5.
They
take their stand to serve Satan rather than the Lord (Gal. 6:7-9; 1 Pet.
5:8).
6.
They
discourage Christians who are striving to serve faithfully (Heb. 10:24-25;
1 Cor. 12:13-27);
7.
They
demonstrate their lack of interest in spiritual matters (Rom. 12:1-2;
Col. 3:1-3);
8.
These
do not put the church before other interest in life (Matt. 6:33);
9.
They
serve another master beside the crucified Master (Matt. 12:30);
10.
They
refuse to confess their faith before men in honoring the Lord, and therefore
will be denied by Christ in the Judgment (Matt. 10:32-33).
So many other matters could be mentioned, of which
these rob themselves here and eternally! Let no one think for a moment, that
forsaking the assembling of Christians for worship is an insignificant action,
or unimportant in the eyes of God.
--Gary Colley
