All of the members of a true New Testament church should be expected to support the services of their church with their presence and participation. That God-given responsibility just goes with the territory of being a member of such a congregation. Too many churches and church members have become lax in this area today, and it is hurting the cause of Christ. The Bible provides us with several excellent reasons for regular church attendance.

I. By attending church regularly, we publicly confess our unwavering faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 23).

A. The Lord Himself is always faithful and dependable. He is someone who can always be counted on.

B. Church members are to be faithful and dependable as well. They should be able to be counted on, too.

C. Someone has said, “If a man’s faith will not get him to church, it is doubtful that it is the kind of faith that will get him to heaven.”

D. It is harmful to the cause of Christ, to the church, and to one’s own Christian testimony to miss church.

II. By attending church regularly, we confront one another and stimulate one another to love and good works (v. 24).

A. The word consider means “to observe fully, to perceive, or to come face-to-face with,” and it teaches the idea of personal accountability.

B. The word provoke means “to incite to good, to stir up, to stimulate, or to motivate.”

C. If church members do not confront one another, they cannot motivate one another to grow in love and obedience.

III. By attending church regularly, we comfort one another and encourage one another to live faithfully for Christ, even in dark days of apostasy (v. 25).

A. We are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together as church members. This means that we are not “to desert or abandon the complete collection of the church in one place.”

B. Most New Testament Baptist churches regularly assemble on Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, and Wednesday nights. The members of the church are not to desert or abandon this congregational activity. Generally-speaking, it should take an act of God to keep them out of church.

Morris Fork Baptist Church Homepage

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page