Worship is a privilege only
children of God have. There are many blessings we receive from
faithful attendance in worship. God has commanded us to assemble
regularly to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Hebrews
10:25-27 says, "Not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one
another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. For
if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth,
there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful
expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation." When we
forsake the assembly of the church, except for sickness or circumstances
beyond our control, we are not only disobeying God, but we are robbing
ourselves of all the benefits of worship which would have helped us to
grow and become spiritually strong.
By forsaking the
assembly, we also endanger our souls because as the above verse says "For
if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth,
there no longer remains a sacrifice for our sins." It is bad enough
for anyone to be lost, but to see one of God’s children fall away is a
disaster. It is heartbreaking because Christ is our only sacrifice
for sin. When people reject their only sacrifice for sin there
remains nothing but "a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery
indignation."
It will be a sad
day for those who fall away because as we continue reading in Hebrews
10:29, "Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose,
will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot,
counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common
thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?" Then verse 31
concludes by saying, "It is a fearful thing to
fall into the hands of the living God." It will not only be
fearful but horrible beyond description when those who were once
"sanctified" children of God who have turned their back on the Lord when
they find themselves in eternal punishment. The sad part will be
they didn’t have to be there, but they became careless and indifferent
with their souls.
When people fall
away from the Lord, it is usually not a sudden thing. They usually
start by forsaking the assembly of Wednesday night Bible study. Then
they start missing Sunday evening worship. Next they stop coming to
Sunday morning Bible study; and then finally they stop coming to Sunday
morning worship. This is the usual path of apostasy for most people
who fall away. Oh, some may come back and "visit" several times a
year and a few may even attend only the Sunday morning worship with little
regularity. These are described in 2 Peter 2:22 as, "A dog turns to his own vomit again, and a sow that was
washed to her wallowing in the mire." Some members have
turned to their own vomit and are in the pigpen and can no longer smell
the stench.
We are encouraged
not to let this happen in Galatians 6:9, "And let us
not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do
not loose heart." But for us to obtain our eternal reward we
must be consistent. Our Lord says in Revelation 2:10, "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of
life." Only if we remain faithful are we promised eternal
life.
Some people may
ask, do I have to attend Sunday night and Wednesday night services?
If we really love God and Christ we will never ask such questions.
Jesus says in Luke 17:10, "So likewise you, when you
have done all those things which you are commanded, say, we are
unprofitable servants, we have done what was our duty to do."
We can never on our own earn our way into heaven. It is going to
take the grace of God for us to get to heaven. Isaiah 64:6 says,
"But we are all like an unclean thing and all our
righteousnesses are like filthy rags." We can never slip into
heaven with a "get by" attitude. If we are trying to do as little as
we can, I am sorely afraid we will be in for a great surprise on Judgment
Day. It will be too late to make things right then. Our
eternal fate is sealed forever when we draw our last breath. Why do
people endanger and gamble with their souls?
Our soul is worth
more than the whole world. Our Lord says in Mark 8:36-37, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world,
and looseshis own soul? Or what will a man give in
exchange for his soul?" The answers to both questions are he
gains nothing but looses his soul into eternal punishment, which will be
permanent because nothing will be able to get him out. The Lord is
trying to give us the greatest warning of our life. We need to
listen to what we are being told by our Creator before it is too
late.
We should look
forward with joy for the opportunity to worship God. When we worship
God in spirit and in truth we can know the Lord will be there with
us. Jesus says in Matthew 18:20, "For where two
or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of
them." Do we want to miss being with the greatest guest of
all, our Lord? We should look forward to attending and worshipping
God, otherwise how will we be able to enjoy worshipping God in
heaven?
Going to heaven
must be the number one priority in our life. Jesus says in Matthew
6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and
His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to
you." I want to "seek first the kingdom of God" by not
allowing anything to hinder me from meeting with the saints and the Lord,
don’t you? We don’t want to miss the greatest gift God will ever
give which is our home in heaven. We are told in 2 Peter 1:10, "Therefore, brethern, be even more diligent to make your
call and election sure." We need to ask ourselves, is my
calling and election sure? We are told how to make it sure in 1
Corinthians 15:58, "Therefore, my beloved brethern, be
steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing
that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
Jesus gives a
parable in Luke 14:16-20, 24 which applies quite well to our attending
worship services of God. "A certain man gave a
great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say
to those who were invited, come for all things are now ready. But
they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to
him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I
ask you to have me excused. And another said, I have bought five
yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me
excused. Still another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I
cannot come." Anyone of those invited could have attended the
supper if they really wanted to, but they thought other things were more
important. In our day of "busy activities" it is easy to allow
life's distractions to "choke out" our serving the Lord.
But notice the
conclusion in verse 24, "For I say unto you that none
of those men who were invited shall taste My supper." Are we
rejecting the Lord’s invitation of our regular attendance at His worship
service in His church? Are we rejecting His invitation of partaking
of His supper, "the Lord’s Supper", and of feasting on His word which
provides us with the spiritual food we desperately need? If we
reject our Lord’s invitation, He says that none of us "who were invited
shall taste My supper."
Please don’t put
your soul in jeopardy of being rejected. It just isn’t worth
it. This life is so short in comparison to eternity. We are
told in James 4:14, "For what is your life? It
is even as a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes
away." We have got to get it right the first time.
There will not be a second chance! We must look forward to every
opportunity we have of worshipping God "in spirit and in
truth."
Questions Lesson 10
Attendance Of Worship
(click on the
button of the answer of your choice)
1) (Hebrews 10:25-27) Concerning our assembling
for worship of the
church
We can assemble when we don’t have anything else better to
do.
We are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together.
We do not have to assemble at all.
2)
When we fail to assemble for worship we are disobeying
God.
3) (Hebrews 10:25-27) If we sin willfully and don’t
repent
There no longer remains a sacrifice for our sins.
God will overlook it.
God can’t do anything about it.
4)
Even though we sin willfully by forsaking the assembly and
don’t repent we
will still be saved.
5) (Hebrews 10:29-31) If we count the blood of
Christ an unholy thing
and fall away
It won’t matter.
The everlasting punishment we will receive is beyond
description.
We will not be punished.
6)
Eternity in Hell will not be all that bad for those who fall
away.
7) (2 Peter 2:22) Those who become unfaithful to the
Lord are
described as
A pig that has been washed, going back to her wallowing in
the
mire.
Being saved.
Being clean.
8)
One who has become unfaithful to the Lord is like a dog
going back and
eating his own vomit.
9) (Galatians 6:9) If we do not grow weary in
doing good.
God will never recognize it.
We shall reap in due season if we do not loose heart.
It will do us no good.
10)
We must not grow weary of doing good if we are to go to
heaven.
11) (Luke 17:10) Even after we have done all those
things we are
commanded.
We are profitable servants of God.
That alone without God’s grace will get us into heaven.
We are still unprofitable servants of God.
12)
We can never earn our way to heaven.
13) (Mark 8:36-37) What will it profit a man if he
gains the whole world
and looses his own soul?
He will be lost in eternity.
He will not be lost in eternity.
He will get a second chance in Purgatory.
14)
If we loose our soul we can still be bought out of
purgatory.
15) (Matthew 6:33) What should be our first priority
in this life?
Making a lot of money.
Having a good time.
Going to heaven.
16)
Our first priority in this life should be to be popular.
17) (1 Corinthians 15:58) If we abound in the work
of the Lord.
It will do us no good.
Our labor will not be in vain.
Our labor will be in vain.
18)
We must be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in
the work of the
Lord.
19) (Luke 14:16-20, 24) In this parable, those who
rejected the invitation
to the supper.
Were not allowed to taste his supper.
Were allowed to come anyway.
Were invited to another supper at a later date.
20)
It is serious to reject the Lord’s invitation to His Supper and
worship.
21) (James 4:14) Our life on earth in comparison to
eternity
Is very long.
Is very, very short, like a vapor that appears for a little while
and
then vanishes away.
Our life on earth will never end.
22)
This life is very, very short in comparison to eternity.