What
do you say to fellow Christians when it seems like everything else takes
precedence over God? How do you
challenge your brothers and sisters in Christ who are supposed to know better?
Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness … Matthew
6:33. The church is most certainly a part of the kingdom of God. It is the body of Christ, the hands, feet,
arms, & mouth of Jesus on earth.
Christians meet together for the express purposes of collective
worship/praise, communion of the Lord’s Supper, and to hear a word of exhortation
from those called/gifted in that area of ministry.
But
what happens when work, sports, prior engagements, family issues and other
things begin to compete and even supersede the importance of meeting with the
church during those designated times of the week?
Does
the Bible encourage the meeting together of Christians?
Acts 2:46 - Every day they continued to meet together
in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together
with glad and sincere hearts,
Acts 5:12 - The apostles performed many signs and
wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together
in Solomon’s Colonnade.
Hebrews 3:13 - But encourage one another daily,
as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s
deceitfulness.
Hebrews
10:24-25
- And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward
love and good deeds, not
giving up meeting together, as some
are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you
see the Day approaching.
In
all of these passages, there seems to be a common theme of meeting together,
encouraging one another, breaking bread (meal/communion), and spurring each
other on to deeper love and commitment to Christ.
What
Do You Say? God has already spoken about this: Christians must make time with
God and His people a priority!
