Some Assembly Required

So why does it matter that we go to church? Does it seem to you that churches want your presence because they “need” you and your money to keep doing what they like to do? Or, that there is some kind of heavenly scoring system, and you are looking for points? Think about this…

So why go? It matters to go to church, and it matters for the preacher to be physically present to preach in the assembly of the church. This matters to us because it matters enough for God to tell us to:

"Assemble the people before me to hear my words" Deut. 4:10.

We need to note that hearing alone is not the point of this verse. God says to “Assemble the people” first. God is requiring the people to be together to hear His words. Notice the verse does not say “and” hear His words, but rather “to”. In other words, the assembly at times, is a requirement in order for God to speak. God speaks to us in a variety of ways, but this verse explains clearly that at times we need to be together to hear Him. Why you ask?

I believe it is because God knows our hearts, and us, all too well. There are important truths we need to hear from this verse: God does not speak to us simply by our command, and it calls us to mutual accountability.

First, God’s Word is alive and active and speaks to us when we go to it (the Bible) and listen anytime or anywhere, but we do not command it. In other words, we can’t tell God when, where, or through whom or what to speak to us. There are times when we need to simply be available to listen for and to Him, and He tells us one of these times, is when we assemble as His church.

This is because hearing God’s Word is not the sole purpose. Indeed, it is the Word of the gospel that gathers unlikely men and women under grace, but not to just hear it. Hearing it alone could be accomplished through technology in a comfortable personal bubble, but when that happens there is no “Assembly”, and falls short of what God has asked. Technology is no substitute for assembling as God’s people. So that takes us to the next truth in this verse, “Assemble”.

We assemble with "all Israel," that is, with all of a multicultural church fellowship. Not a holy huddle of like-minded folks, but an unlikely group of men and women gathered by grace. Then when we hear preaching together, we are accountable to one another. I know the truth of Scripture that you hear, and you know the truth that I hear. In other words: I know what you know, and so I know how you should act in response to this knowledge. This could, and should, make us more likely to respond with repentance and faith.

Preaching gathers the church. Preaching shapes and sustains the church as the grace of Jesus is proclaimed and pressed home to hearts, consciences, and lives. Watching a video recording of the message, or listening to one alone, is not a substitute, because it removes the assembly part. Just as “live” music needs to be experienced, so it is with preaching. And this is true for getting together to watch, or listen to recordings as well. Recordings are great, don’t get me wrong, but they are not a substitute for the real thing.

Live preaching has as its purpose, not to do really good preaching; the purpose of preaching is to let God’s Word shape the assembly of God's people to become like Christ in heart and in character, and then to be Christ-like witnesses in a needy world. This godliness of the local church then becomes the vehicle by which the world will be reached for Christ.

"whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely. . . think about such  things."  Philippians 4:8

This is not about “Church matters” this is all about being the church together, and that sometimes requires some assembly.

…just prayin’

In His grip,

Pastor Pat