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Forsaking the Assembly: Reexamine the Teaching from Hebrews

Dive into Hebrews 10 and explore the importance of gathering as believers, the consequences of willful sin, and the fundamental truths of Christian faith.

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Forsaking the Assembly: Reexamine the Teaching from Hebrews

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  1. HEBREWS 10:22-23 • “22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

  2. HEBREWS 10:24-25 • 24 and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

  3. HEBREWS 10:26-27 • 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

  4. FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLY • Someone in nearly every family unit has decide to no longer gather with the saints. Their decision can be noticed on Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday evening or whenever the congregation meets.

  5. FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLY • “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is…” (Hebrews 10:25). • This passage is often cited to compel church attendance and rebuke those who “miss church.”

  6. FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLY • But is that really what the writer of Hebrews had in mind? • Is he really teaching that anyone who “skips” church services is guilty of forsaking the assembly?

  7. FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLY • We will reexamine this teaching in a moment, but let’s first begin with a few important thoughts.

  8. TWO FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS • Truth #1: You need God. • “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you…” (Isaiah 59:2), for the wages of sin is death or spiritual separation (Romans 6:23).

  9. TWO FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS • The only way back to God is through Christ, for by His grace Jesus tasted “death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9).

  10. TWO FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS • Truth #2: There is a place in God's service for you. • You simply MUST have a willing mind and then you will find lots of work to do in God's kingdom.

  11. TWO FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS • Sadly for many, the Christian faith is often a spectator sport. Some children of God attend the assembly on Sunday, and yet never transfer what they learn into daily LOVING acts of service.

  12. TWO FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS • God has made every Christian is a king and a priest to serve and reign on the earth (Revelation 1:6; 5:10; 20:6). • Every Christian must therefore be a functioning member of the body of Christ.

  13. TWO FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS • Faithful obedient Christians are those who reach the point of truly being able to sing, "Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee."

  14. TWO FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS • When we give ourselves totally over to the Lord, it is then that God can use us.

  15. TWO FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS • Therefore, we are again encouraging you today to die to yourself and live like Christ; that is, walk in the footsteps of Jesus (Colossians 2:6; 1 John 2:6).

  16. TWO FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS • That means you must make the commitment to use your time, talents and treasures for God.

  17. THE BLESSED BODY OF CHRIST • As such, Jesus has always had group identity and worship in mind. When saved we are added to the group or church of Christ (Acts 2:41, 47).

  18. THE BLESSED BODY OF CHRIST • The manifold wisdom of God is made known through this group - the church of Christ (Ephesians 3:10).

  19. THE BLESSED BODY OF CHRIST • The New Testament is largely addressed to groups or congregations of the church (1 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:2; Revelation 1:4).

  20. THE BOOK OF HEBREWSChapter 10 • The Book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who had “endured a great fight of afflictions” (Hebrews 10:32).

  21. THE BOOK OF HEBREWS • They were exposed to reproaches and afflictions (Hebrews 10:33). They witnessed their brothers and sisters being thrown into prison. • They “took joyfully the spoiling of (their) goods” (Hebrews 10:34).

  22. THE BOOK OF HEBREWS • In other words, this letter was written to Christians who were experiencing the “great persecution against the church in Jerusalem” (Acts 8:1).

  23. THE BOOK OF HEBREWS • Back then, these Jewish Christians endured this persecution with joy and faith. But decades later, their joy and faith seemed to be wavering. Some of them were ready to abandon the way of Jesus.

  24. THE BOOK OF HEBREWS • The Book of Hebrews was written to prevent that falling away.

  25. HEBREWS REVEALS THE NEW COVENANT • It was written to show that our New Covenant with Jesus is better than the Old Covenant of Moses.

  26. HEBREWS REVEALS THE NEW COVENANT • Jesus is a better high priest, who entered a better tabernacle, to offer a better sacrifice, and give to His people a better inheritance. • To abandon Jesus would be the worst mistake anyone could ever make.

  27. HEBREWS REVEALS THE NEW COVENANT • The immediate context of this chapter is all about the fact that without Jesus, there is no forgiveness of sins. • Jesus was the one single sacrifice for “all people” for “all time” (Hebrews 10:10-14).

  28. HEBREWS REVEALS THE NEW COVENANT • Therefore, if a person rejects the sacrifice Jesus made on their behalf, there remains no other way for them to be saved (Hebrews 10:26). • The writer is encouraging these Christians to “hold fast…without wavering” (Hebrews 10:23).

  29. HEBREWS REVEALS THE NEW COVENANT • He is warning them not to “trample underfoot the Son of God” or “profane the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified” (Hebrews 10:29).

  30. HEBREWS REVEALS THE NEW COVENANT • He warns them to, “Cast not away therefore your confidence” (Hebrews 10:35), nor to be like those who “draw back unto perdition” (Hebrews 10:39).

  31. FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLY • “24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

  32. FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLY • We see from this passage that assembling is a command. • When we do NOT assemble, we are NOT able to keep the Commandments of God. We cannot take the Lord’s Supper as commanded (1 Corinthians 11:27-34).

  33. FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLY • We cannot teach, speak, admonish and sing to one another as commanded (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). • We cannot cheerfully give as we have been prospered (1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

  34. MEANING OF THE WORD “FORSAKING” • Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). • However, God did not “leave or abandon” Jesus in the realm of the dead (Acts 2:27, 31).

  35. MEANING OF THE WORD “FORSAKING” • Paul said the apostles were “persecuted, but not forsaken” (2 Corinthians 4:9). • Several of Paul’s companions, including Demas, “forsook or deserted” him (2 Timothy 4:10, 16).

  36. MEANING OF THE WORD “FORSAKING” • God promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). • As you can see, the word “forsake” carries with it the idea of “abandon” or “desert.”

  37. MEANING OF THE WORD “FORSAKING” • It seems that some of the Christians in that congregation had already made it their manner of life to abandon – turn their back on and desert the church.

  38. MEANING OF THE WORD “FORSAKING” • The Hebrew writer is telling them to grow closer together. He is telling them to figure out ways to rekindle the desire in each other to love and do good works.

  39. MEANING OF THE WORD “FORSAKING” • He is telling them to encourage each other more and more as the day approaches, so that no one walks away from Christ. • He is telling them not to turn their backs on the church and on the church’s togetherness.

  40. THE APPLICATION • Does this passage mean the church should meet together, gather together, assemble together? Absolutely. That’s what it means to be the “church.”

  41. THE APPLICATION • It means we are a group of people who have been gathered by Jesus and we make it our custom to gather together regularly to encourage, stir up to do good works, and bear each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).

  42. THE APPLICATION • We are blessed to assemble together to hear sermons and teach and study the Bible, as by love we “serve one another” (Acts 8:31; Titus 2:1-8; Galatians 5:13).

  43. THE APPLICATION • But is it fair to call missing a service, “forsaking the assembly?”

  44. THE APPLICATION • There are plenty of people who have abandoned the Christian faith and abandoned their church family, but occasionally missing a service is NOT the same as “forsaking the assembly.”

  45. THE APPLICATION • There are certainly some men or women who have abandoned, forsaken, or deserted their family togetherness, but occasionally missing dinner does not qualify.

  46. THE APPLICATION • Similarly, it seems a vast exaggeration to accuse someone of “abandoning” congregational meetings because they were NOT present one week.

  47. THE APPLICATION • Does this mean it’s OK for church togetherness to not be a priority in our lives? Absolutely NOT. • Being together with our church family should be of utmost importance to us.

  48. THE APPLICATION • And perhaps the more we focus on making our meetings a place where people are encouraged and stirred up to love and do good works, the more people will desire to come together.

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