In Hebrews 3:1 Christians are said to be "partakers of the heavenly calling", and in verse 14 "partaker of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end". Sadly, though, many Christians have become "foragers" of the Lord, and it is evidenced by "forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Heb. 10:25). 1 realize that just because a person attends all assemblies of the church, that alone does not mean he or she is in a favorable standing with the Lord, but it most certainly is evidence that something is amiss in a Christian's life when they don't want to attend. I firmly believe that worshiping God together in our assemblies is just a glimpse of what it will be like for eternity in heaven; if you don't like it here, you certainly would be miserable in heaven!

There are three ways I believe that we are guilty of being foragers of the assemblies. The first, and most obvious', is when a Christian quits altogether. That person is described in Heb. 6:4-6 as having once been "made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God" and then "fall away". If we could restore all those who once were faithful in attendance our assemblies would be filled to the brim.

 Secondly, you have those Christians who attend Sunday morning only. They have turned the "Lord's Day" into the "Lord's' Hour". Having had the privilege to preach for several different congregations, I have noticed that most all have a common problem: the Sunday night service attendance will be off some twenty to twenty-five per cent, and the mid-wee service will be off some thirty to forty-five percent. Most of those who do not come back have  "forsaken" the Lord to  "partake" in some worldly activity. It was once said that those who attend on Sunday morning only are converted to that particular church; the ones who attend on Sunday morning and Sunday night are converted to the preacher, and those who attend all the services are converted to the Lord. In which category are you?

Last of all, we can be "foragers of the assembly" even when we are there. It is said in I Cor. 11: 17, "Ye come together not for the better, but for the worse". It involves our attitude toward the worship. Disturbances during the service causes all participants, at times, to "forsake" the assembly to some degree. For instance, the naptaker who is nudged or smacked by his spouse breaks the concentration of all. So does the gum chewer, the thirsty ones who make a trail to The water fountain, the bathroom visitors who synchronize their bladders to empty at the same time thereby setting off a chain reaction of the audience to do the same. Those who visit, write notes, laugh and tell jokes, play with babies, or the noise -makers (such as fingernail clipping, beepers, cell phones and watches that play "Dixie" or other songs) are just a few of such distractions. I am sure that many gospel preachers could tell stories of what they have seen from the pulpit that would be humorous if it wasn't such a serious matter. Cornelius said in Acts 10:33: "we are all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God". Remember, God is the audience and He witnesses all, that goes on in our assemblies. Do you attend, like Cornelius, to hear and learn how to better serve our God, or do you come to see and be seen - "forsaking" God even while there? We should approach each service with the utmost in reverence and respect. Remember what the prophet Habakkuk said long ago in Habakkuk 2:20, "The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him".
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