The Importance of Attendance

Introduction

I don’t mean that. Because a person can stand in a garage and not become a car. He can stand in a garage for years, and he still won’t be a car. You can come and be here, but that won’t make you a Christian. It is vital and important. But it is sort of like, I think, of the movie Braveheart, and that rallying speech and motivational speech. What we’re doing here is we’re gathering together this army and we’re getting motivated to go out into the battlefield. And when you leave this building, you’re going out into the battlefield to do battle with Satan and the forces of wickedness every second of your existence. And ultimately, it’s all of this that matters, not just what we do, and not just that we come together in this place.

If you’re not a Christian, I hope that you’ve become one. It’ll give you purpose. It’ll give you direction, it’ll give you hope. You become a Christian today by believing in the Lord, by repenting of your sins, confessing the name of Christ, and being baptized, immersed in water, rising to walk in newness of life, and continuing to obey the gospel to the day you die, and God will save you by his grace and mercy through the Holy Spirit. If you’d like to become a Christian today, we invite you to come as we stand and sing the song of invitation.

I want to talk to you today, the first of three lessons on the importance of attendance. And if you will turn to Hebrews chapter 10, this is the foundational passage for this topic, and this is the one we’re going to deal with and exegete in this morning’s lesson. And then two other lessons we’ll be dealing with some other passages. In Hebrews 10, 24 and 25, in the New American Standard, it reads, and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. As I said, this is the main passage when it comes to attendance. This is one we need to remember.

1. Draw Near to God and Remain Faithful

But before we can dig our teeth into these verses, I want to set up the context with you for a moment. Beginning in verse 19, the writer of Hebrews, and we’re not sure exactly who the writer of Hebrews is, so I’ll just call him the writer of Hebrews. Says in verse 19, therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, and by the way, when he says therefore, he’s really kind of uh wrapping up and making a conclusion about this context that he’s been talking about, the one time offering of Jesus. So Jesus offered himself one time for all mankind, for all time. So therefore, since we have confidence to enter the holy place, what’s that? Well, that’s the presence of God.

By the blood of Jesus, by what Jesus did for us on the cross, by a new and living way, which he inaugurated for us through the veil, that is his flesh, so the veil that would lead into the holy place. Well, it’s symbolized here by the blood of Jesus, and we can now enter ourselves into that holy place. And since we have a great high priest over the house of God, and that is Jesus Christ Himself. Let us draw near with a sincere heart and full assurance of faith. Pause there for a second. So really, this is, I think, the key to this context is draw near to God. Because of what Jesus has done for us and the blood that was shed for us and the sacrifice that was given for us, we have every reason to have confidence to draw near to God.

So the writer of Hebrews is saying, let us do that. Draw near to God with a sincere heart and full assurance of faith. Having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. And so we need to get rid of sin in our lives, and we need to come to God having been baptized. Well, what do we do then? Verse 23, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. For he who promised is faithful. So once you come to God, having your sins wiped away and your conscience cleaned, being baptized, what do you do then? Well, you continue to hold fast. This is kind of telling us what really the Christian life is about. And then the very next part are our two verses.

And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. And all the more as you see the day draw near.

Of the book. Now, it’s often said that the main point of the book is that Jesus is superior to anything that could be used as a comparison. Well, actually, I don’t believe that’s the main point. I believe that’s the main supporting argument. I believe the main point of the book of Hebrews is remain faithful to Jesus Christ. No matter what. I mean, that point is made over and over. What’s the main supporting argument? Because Jesus is superior to anything that could be used as a comparison. These Hebrew Christians, that’s why it’s called Hebrews. It’s written to Christians who were Hebrews or they were Jewish. And they were being tempted to go back into Judaism. And so the writer of Hebrews is saying, don’t do that. Don’t give up on Jesus.

2. Consider How to Stimulate One Another

Why? What’s the main supporting argument? Because Jesus is superior to anything that Judaism could dream of offering to you. And that’s the context of the whole book. So if you look at these two verses, Hebrews 10, 24, and 25, in the context of the overall message of the book, attendance is part and parcel of remaining faithful to Jesus Christ. Now that we’ve sort of looked at the context, we want to dig our teeth into these actual verses. So let’s begin with verse 24. And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. Consider. Take note of. Keep on being attentive, is the way you could literally read that from the Greek. We need to be attentive to one another, specifically how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.

Do you do this? Do you think about your brethren? Do you think about ways that you can encourage your brethren? Do you think about that in terms of our gathering together? We should do that. They may be in desperate need of encouragement. In fact, I can guarantee there are people here that are in desperate need of encouragement. And you and I can encourage one another. We can consider how to stimulate one another. The word stimulate here, the word that’s used in the Greek, is the word that means to sharpen. What we are coming together here to do, besides the fact that we’re worshiping and bowing before the creator of heaven and earth, is we are sharpening one another. We are stirring one another up. We are inciting one another.

We are stimulating one another. Some versions say provoke. The word is a strong word. The only other time it’s used in the New Testament is in Acts 15 39, when Paul and Barnabas had a sharp contention as it’s translated. There it’s used in a negative sense. But here the word is translated stimulate or provoke. And it’s used in a positive sense, but it’s a powerful word. And so we must powerfully motivate one another to live right. That means we’re going to have to care about one another. That means we’re going to have to ask questions. How are you doing spiritually? There’s a guy who used to ask me when I was in college, he would just come up to me almost just randomly and say, How’s your faith?

And I was just forced to give sort of uh, you know, this just commentary on my spiritual status at that moment. And I sometimes dreaded seeing him because I knew what was coming, and I was going to have to just spill the beans. We need to ask one another those sorts of questions. How’s your faith? How are you doing spiritually? And we can just tell sometimes. You know what? I can tell this brother or sister’s not doing so well. And look for ways to lift them up. Look for ways to encourage them. This is something that the assembly, gathering together, really provides the opportunity for us to do for one another. And that’s why the next phrase at the beginning of verse 25 says, not forsaking our own assembling together.

3. Not Forsaking Our Own Assembling Together

Now notice it doesn’t say not forsaking the assembly. And that just has this official sound and just sort of this generic thing. It’s our own assembling together. Of all assemblings, not to skip out on, not to forsake, don’t forsake this one. It’s our own assembling together. I want you to consider that forsaking our own assembling, and we’re not talking about somebody who’s got the stomach flu. That’s not forsaking the assembling when you had no choice. Forsaking our own assembling is an inconsiderate, selfish act. Because someone who does that is not considering how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. Someone who forsakes our own assembling is not considering his brethren at all. You know who that individual is considering? Himself or herself. That’s exactly right.

Attendance is not about you.

But this context is emphasizing it’s about your brethren. Sometimes we get so focused on us. And well, the services are just not encouraging to me. And I understand we do need encouragement. But we also need to remember that our role is to come and be encouragers. It’s about your brethren and their spiritual well-being. Your lack of attendance or my lack of attendance, anyone’s lack of attendance, has a huge impact upon others. There may be some who are looking up to you as a spiritual example. Maybe they’re a new Christian or someone you’re trying to teach the gospel to, or an immature Christian, or children of yours, who are looking to you as a spiritual example and they say to themselves, I want to be like that person.

Well, then they say, Well, that person doesn’t think they need to be here every time the doors are open. So I guess that’s not all that important. I’m very thankful that my parents always attended worship services. Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night. I went to services, you know, Sunday nights my entire life until I started preaching here, and we have combined those two into one long service on Sunday mornings. But that was being brought up Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, and I’m so thankful that my parents set that example. You know, whatever you do as parents, as far as attendance is concerned, that’s what your kids are going to do. If you go all the time, chances are they’re going to go all the time.

Hopefully, those are the chances. They’ll have a better chance. If you go just some of the time, they’ll probably go some of the time. If you go none of the time, they’ll probably go none of the time. They will follow your example. So people are looking to us. We have to realize it’s not about us. It’s about the example we set for others. Your lack of attendance will cause discouragement to those who do attend. So there are some who will say, you know what, I’m going to be here when the doors are open every time, no matter what. But they will be discouraged that there are fewer here at certain times where we gather than at times like right now when we have the most. So we have to think about the effect we might have upon others.

If you forsake our own assembly, again, this doesn’t mean somebody who has pneumonia or something like that. If you forsake our own assembling, then you cannot stimulate your brethren. You have missed an opportunity to stimulate one another, love and good deeds. And God could use you to do that if you were here. And secondly, by extension, if you forsake our own assembling together, your brethren cannot stimulate you. You know, you need that stimulation and provocation too to love and good deeds. You might need even a good rebuke once in a while. Maybe even the preacher might step on your toes a little bit. I step on my own toes. We need that, don’t we? We need to be provoked. But you’ve left off that opportunity if you have chosen not to be here willingly.

So, what exactly is it to forsake our own assembly? Well, it means to purposefully abandon. That’s what we’re talking about here. There are extenuating circumstances in a person’s life where they may really want to be here and they make every effort to be here, but they simply literally cannot be here. That’s not what we’re talking about. Okay? Because those situations do sometimes exist. We’re talking about somebody who they could be here and they choose not to. They choose to do something else. Or they easily make excuses and let other things get in the way, and they don’t really go out of their way to make it to services. So when exactly are we forsaking the assembling? Some say it’s when it’s when we completely stop coming.

And so they could then say, well, since I don’t completely stop coming, I mean, I come. Some, I haven’t forsaken the assembly, and so I’m okay. And others say that it, you know, it’s anytime you willingly choose not to go to one single service. I think that these kind of discussions are foolish. The point is we need to do the exact opposite of forsaking. And what is the opposite of forsaking? Total commitment. If I tell you, don’t forsake your wife, would you think, well, I know what he means. As long as I don’t forsake her most of the time. And I’m faithful most of the time. And there’s that little bit over here, I forsake her, and I’m not faithful. Well, no, that doesn’t work. So not forsaking the assembling means do the total opposite.

The writer of Hebrews was not trying to legally define forsaking the assembling for us. He was not trying to teach that it’s fine to attend services periodically. The truth is, every assembly that you skip is a missed opportunity to stimulate others and to be stimulated, as I mentioned. And every assembly that you skip on purpose, you are willingly forsaking that assembly. I mean, I’m just stating the dawn is truth. And so we need to think about that in our heart. Now, one more point here before we move to the next phrase. Our own assembling together is not limited to Sunday 11 a.m. services. Or if a person goes uh attends uh services at a with a congregation that meets on Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night.

4. As Is the Habit of Some

Uh our own assembling together doesn’t only apply to Sunday morning services in that case, where usually there’s the larger crowd. It’s just general. Our own assembling together is just general. And so we need to uh we need to look at it and not try to make kind of make it mean what we want it to mean for us. The next phrase, as is the habit of some. You know how it starts? It just starts with one time. Maybe your house was a wreck. Anyone ever here ever had a house that was a wreck? Surely not. So your house, I mean, it’s just it’s just really, really bad. And you think, you know what? I’ve got to just get a hold of this thing. And I really don’t want to miss services, and I would never do this, but this one time, and so just for today, I’m gonna stay home, and I hate to do this, and God knows I want to be with him in church, but I’m I’m gonna I’m gonna just clean my house just for today.

And then there’s another opportunity where you say, you know what? I remember that last time I had so much free time. I’m just gonna do it one more time. And you do it again. And before long, now you’re used to it. And now your kids are used to it. And to try to get everybody rounded up now, all of a sudden it’s gonna be like pulling teeth. Because the habit starts so easily. We didn’t even make a habit of attending regularly. Just like with work. You don’t want to be there. Maybe you do. That’d be great. But some days you just don’t. You’d rather do a whole number of things, a myriad of things. But you get up, and you know exactly how long it’s going to take you to get ready, and exactly how long it’s going to take to get there, and you want to get there a little early.

And you do that every day, and it’s just part of who you are. You don’t even think about it. That’s what we need to do with worshiping the Lord. When it’s the day of worship, we don’t even think about it. We know what time it starts, and we’re going to be there. In fact, we’re going to be there early. This congregation maybe could work on that a little bit, too. And we’re going to do everything we need to do to be there on time or early and just make a habit of it. And when it’s Wednesday night, we just say, you know what? I’m not going to make dinner plans with the Joneses. I’m going to be there at Bible study. And it just becomes a habit.

What habit have you formed? All of us have habits when it comes to the assembling together. If you have a habit of forsaking our own assembling, that habit is a symptom of a very serious spiritual disease. Now, the habit is a problem in itself, yes, but it’s not the problem. It’s a symptom of something deeper that’s going on in your spiritual life and in your heart. You know, the Christians of the first century that the writer of Hebrews was writing to, that was a long way to say that. They were, some of them forsaking their assembling together. Why? Well, we don’t know, but we do know they were facing a lot of persecution. So it could very well be that some of these brethren were afraid of the persecution that came from openly serving Christ in that way.

Well, at least they had a better excuse, right? Now, I’m not saying any excuse is good. But we don’t have that persecution for gathering. At least not to any real severe extent. So, why do Christians today willingly forsake our own assembling together? It comes down to one thing. They’re uncommitted. Uncommitted. Christianity is for many a matter of convenience instead of commitment. It’s like the illustration of a young man who is desperately in love, and he wrote the pearl of his life and said that he would be willing to endure frigid cold, cross burning sands, climb the highest of mountains, or swim the ocean just to be in your charming presence. He then closed that letter by saying, and I will see you Wednesday night if it does not rain.

So out of one breath we say, God is number one. I would do anything for God. And then out of the next breath we say, but I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to make it to church on Sunday. Christianity, brethren, and I say this in love, is an all or nothing commitment to God and Jesus Christ as the number one priority in life, bar none. Jesus said, if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. He said, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. David said in 2 Samuel 24, I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God, which cost me nothing. It’s going to have to cost me something if I’m going to sacrifice to God.

That’s the very definition of sacrifice. We sacrifice, but it doesn’t cost much because we don’t give up much. That’s not a sacrifice. Sacrifice is supposed to cost us something. And the most valuable commodity that we have is our time. My dad teaches music, been doing that for since he was 18. Works six days a week. Long days. Always has.

And we were talking about that, and he said, son, that I give the Lord that day because that’s my sacrifice to God. Again, you think parents don’t have an influence on their children. And so that means a lot to me. That’s his sacrifice. That’s what he gives to God. By the way, do you know whose day this is today? It’s the Lord’s day. It’s not your day. It’s not my day. It’s the Lord’s day. It’s not just the Lord’s morning either. It’s the Lord’s day. The whole day belongs to him. You think we could give him the day? Someone says, but I don’t have time. Now, again, there are circumstances where a person really cannot be here. And they want to be here, and they’re doing everything that they can to be here.

That’s different. That’s different. But a lot of times this becomes an excuse. But a question that could be asked to a person who says that would be, well, what are you doing when you’re not at services? Ironing clothes? Watching TLC. One time there was a lady at a congregation who wasn’t attending Sunday nights. And I just asked her, you know, kindly, why don’t you come on Sunday nights? And she just said, I like to watch NASCAR. So you have time for NASCAR. But not for God. Someone says, I’m too tired. Now, again, there are circumstances where a person is literally, because of health reasons and so on, too tired that they actually literally physically cannot be here. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about a person who uses this as an excuse.

And I know some of you are very tired right now. And you’re here. And I know the exact circumstances of some of your lives and how much trouble you have made to be here to encourage your brethren. And so sometimes we can push ourselves further than we might think. But so sometimes it’s an excuse. I’m too tired. If a person says that, but they’re still able to go to work, clean the house, go to their children’s extracurricular activities, then maybe they’re just making an excuse. Sometimes I’m too tired applies only to the worship service and not to anything else. Well, we could look at more and more excuses. Ask yourself why you don’t attend every single service. I’m not your judge. God is your judge. God knows your heart.

5. But Encouraging One Another

And you can’t fool God. God will not be mocked. You know your heart, but don’t lie to yourself either. Be totally honest with yourself. I’m just trying to help you to please God. So it becomes a habit. But instead, we need to have a habit of encouraging one another. And so that’s the next phrase. But encouraging one another. Your attendance facilitates the encouraging of others. We all desperately need encouragement. We need as much of it as we can get. And God intended that we as a local congregation lean upon one another. Without encouragement, we die spiritually. Your attendance is a tremendous encouragement. So I want to say in a positive way. I’m so glad you’re here. And I think God is glad too. You could be anywhere right now.

And you’ve chosen to be here to encourage your brethren and to worship the Lord. But of course, the emphasis in this passage is not just on being bodily present. It’s what do we do when we come? Is your mentality, I’m going to come and get my field of religion and get out that door before anybody can talk to me? Then you might not realize what the real emphasis should be. You’re not here for you. You’re here for the rest of everybody here to lift one another up and to glorify God. Now, if you’re not present, I almost wanted to change this. If you’re not here, obviously you’re here because I’m talking to you. If you’re not present, you know, if you forsake our own assembling together, you cannot encourage your brethren.

And your brethren cannot encourage you. Don’t you need encouragement? This is the same point we made with you can’t stimulate others, and others can’t stimulate you. But now think of it in terms of encouragement. I think of coming to services. I think of worshiping together and studying the word together as a recharging of my spiritual batteries. We all have cell phones these days. I feel like sometimes all I do is charge my cell phone. Suppose you only charge your cell phone an hour a week. How long is that going to last you? It won’t last you through the week. Let me ask you do you think that one hour of getting your spiritual batteries recharged with the brethren? Do you think that that is going to last?

6. All the More as You See the Day Drawing Near

Probably not. You probably need more. You probably need at least the four hours we meet together. But you know, we have extra things. We have a Tuesday night community Bible study. And you have opportunity to meet with different members here who want to teach one on one. You can get your batteries charged as much as you possibly want to. We need it. So we need to be encouraging one another. And all the more as you see the day drawing near. This is the last phrase of verse 25. There are two primary views as to what the day here is referring to. One is that it refers to the second coming of Jesus. And one is that it refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

Whichever view it is, the point is the time is getting shorter. These Jewish Christians in the first century felt like it wasn’t an urgent matter. And the writer was telling them that it was indeed urgent. It was very urgent. This wasn’t the time to be lazy. And brethren, the time for us is getting shorter. Every Christian generation needs to live as if it’s the last generation on earth and that Jesus could come back at any moment. And if we have that mentality and that urgency in our heart, then we won’t be lazy about our service to God. We will be zealous. We will be passionate. We will get busy encouraging one another and provoking one another to love and good deeds. It’s hard to overemphasize just how important our own assembling together is.

It is extremely important. You need it like your lungs need oxygen. And don’t tell yourself, I don’t need it. Because scriptures say that you do. One final way to know just how important our own assembling together is the dire warning that follows the two verses we study. You’re already putting your Bibles up. Got to get them back out now. Hebrews 10, we’re going to start at verse 26 and read through the end of the chapter. Now, keep in mind as we read this, this literally follows as the very next thing that we read after the two verses we just studied. For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.

Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve? Who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the spirit of grace. For I know him who said, Vengeance is mine, I will repay. And again, the Lord will judge his people. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But remember the former days when after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated.

For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while he who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. That follows right on the heels of the passage about not forsaking our own assembling together, and the connection is unmistakable.

Forsaking our own assembling together results in people forsaking the Lord, in sinning willfully, in giving up, and in shrinking back to destruction. It is almost impossible to overemphasize how important our own assembling together is.

Conclusion

Do it for God. And do it for your brethren who need your encouragement and your stimulation to love and good deeds so much. Would you bow your head with me in a word of prayer? Our Father and God, we honor your name. We pray that you’ll help us to take seriously this task of serving you and of not giving up and remaining faithful to you. We draw near to you, Father, remaining faithful to Jesus Christ no matter what. We pray that you will help us to take seriously our own assembling together. It is through your Son that we pray. Amen.