FAITHFUL ATTENDANCE ( TRANSFORMING THE CHURCH )

FAITHFUL ATTENDANCE ( TRANSFORMING THE CHURCH )

OBJECTIVE Text: Hebrews 10:24-25 The Not s of Hebrews 10:24-25 The Do s of Hebrews 10:24-25 Conclusion

TEXT: HEBREWS 10:24-25 The Greek Interlinear: 24 And we should think one another, towards stirring up to love and good works; 25 not forsaking the assembling together of ourselves even us is the custom with some, but encouraging one another and by so much the more, as you see drawing near the day.

EXEGESIS OF THE TEXT THE NOTS OF HEB. 10:24-25

THE NOTS OF HEB. 10:24-25 This passage does not discuss 1. WHEN the assembly is to take place. 2. It does not discuss WHERE to assemble. 3. Neither does the Writer discuss HOW OFTEN to assemble. 4. It does not discuss the TIME of the assembly.

THE NOTS OF HEB. 10:24-25 5. It does not discuss any ORDER of the assembly. 6. And possibly most important of all, it does not discuss HOW MANY OF THE MEMBERS ARE TO ASSEMBLE at the same time or in the same place in order to constitute an assembly of the church, or to accomplish the mandate of stirring one

THE NOTS OF HEB. 10:24-25 It is easy to read into the passage all our preconceived ideas of what it should say. But we must remember that we cannot allow our preconceived ideas of past teaching or history to enter into our interpretation.

THE NOTS OF HEB. 10:24-25 Neither should we allow our present religious behaviour to make the passage say what it does not say. We must simply take it for what it says. IT MEANS WHAT IT SAYS AND SAYS WHAT IT MEANS

The Dos of Hebrews 10:24-25 Now here are some points to consider concerning what Heb. 10:24-25 does say. These are actions that house churches try to reestablish in the lives of each individual member.

The Do s of Hebrews 10:24-25 Cont 1. Consider one another 2. Stir up; a. Love b. Good works c. A desire to assemble

CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER, HEB. 10:24 THE DOS OF HEB. 10:24-25

CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER, HEB. 10:24 Christianity is relationships. If there are no one another relationships established among members of the church, then there is no church.

CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER, HEB. 10:24 The organization, programs, meetings, work and every other aspect of church must accomplish the goal of establishing one another relationships among the members.

STIRRING UP LOVE, HEB. 10:24 THE DO S OF HEB. 10:24-25

STIRRING UP LOVE, HEB. 10:24 This stirring refers to the bonding of the members. Christians do not love one another simply in word, but in deed and truth (I Jn. 3:18).

STIRRING UP LOVE, HEB. 10:24 CONT.. If one forsakes this opportunity by forsaking assemblies wherein this takes place, then he or she has missed an opportunity to be loved and to love.

STIRRING UP LOVE, HEB. 10:24 CONT.. The love of members can be stirred up when the needs of members are laid open before one another in a close relationship. CLOSE PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS ACTIVE PARTNERSHIPS.

STIRRING UP GOOD WORKS, HEB. 10:24 THE DOS OF HEB. 10:24-25

STIRRING UP GOOD WORKS, HEB. 10:24 The second goal that must be accomplished in the assemblies about which Heb. 10:24 speaks is that members must stir up good works in one another s lives.

STIRRING UP GOOD WORKS, HEB. 10:24 The members must therefore be brought into an assembly arrangement wherein there is mutual stirring of one another to identify, explain, claim and give accountability for the accomplishment of good works.

STIRRING UP GOOD WORKS, HEB. 10:24 Healthy assemblies provide opportunities for service. Works can be identified in small assemblies. Love can be activated because needs can be identified.

STIRRING UP A DESIRE TO ASSEMBLE, HEB. 10:25 THE DOS OF HEB. 10:24-25

STIRRING UP A DESIRE TO ASSEMBLE, HEB. 10:25 When one does not want the type of one another responsibility with others that is identified with the nature of the true church in the New Testament, he or she will leave,

STIRRING UP A DESIRE TO ASSEMBLE, HEB. 10:25 If there is no desire for close bonding and works building, then there will be forsaking of the assembly. The fellowship of true Christianity is more than attendance at a religious assembly.

STIRRING UP A DESIRE TO ASSEMBLE, HEB. 10:25 Church is love and deed oriented; church is bonding and building. Anything else is simply a religious social club to which members show up in order to keep up their membership

CONCLUSION FAITHFUL ATTENDANCE

CONCLUSION The assemblies of the first century church weeded out the uncommitted. The closeness of their one another relationships produced assemblies that only the truly converted desired.

CONCLUSION And thus the converted and enthusiastic were bound together in weekly and daily assemblies wherein they energized one another by inner relational love and work definitions.

CONCLUSION Since enthusiasm is contagious, they infected one another with a holy heart burn that took them into all the world. THEY HAD MORE CONVERSIONS BECAUSE THEY HAD MORE COMMITMENT.

end