Assembling

Hebrews 10:19-27

A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick


The message of Hebrews Ten is a strong exhortation and admonition about faithfulness.

Last week we put our Biblical knowledge to the test, to see how much we knew of the OT. Perhaps you've noticed that over the past few years, a whole list of "Did you know?" Bible questions have been circulated. Like, "Did you know that baseball is mentioned in the Bible? (In the "big inning.") Or tennis? (Enter into his "courts.") Or, cigarettes? ("She lit off her camel.") Well, did you know that there is a lot of lettuce in the Bible?

In the New Testament Epistles there are about 36 exhortations using this phrase, "let us". Here's a sample:

    "let us be content" (1Tiimothy 6:8)
    "let us love one another" (1John 4:7)
    "let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness" (2Corinthians 7:1)
    "let us put on the armor of light" (Romans 13:12)
    "let us walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25)
    "let us walk honestly" (Romans 13:13)
    "let us follow after the things which make for peace" (Romans 14:19)
    "let us do good unto all men" (Galatians 6:10)
    "let us watch and be sober" (1Thessalonians 5:6)
    "let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him" (Revelations 19:7)

But the book of Hebrews is the champion, having at least 12 "let us" exhortations. Specifically, we're going to look into chapter 10 where there is a garden row of 4 heads of "let us".

"Let us" #1 - Let us come near to God - this is a call to worship.

"Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." (Verse 22)

"Draw near" is from the Greek word "proserchomai" (pros-er'-khom-ahee), which means "to approach, come near, visit, worship, assent to, draw near."

Note that there is a qualification, that is, we must be clean in thought ("conscience"), and action ("bodies"), when we approach God in worship.

The use of the word "sprinkled" brings up the question about the practice employed by some churches. While it's common to see this verse containing a reference to baptism, please note that the author is talking about "heart" sprinkling. Few today would be so foolish as to think that a bit of water on the outside can somehow cleanse the inside. If baptism is in view at all, it is in the second phrase. We must never forget that the symbolic washing of the body can only follow the heart cleansing which comes by means of the sprinkling of the blood of Christ. (Just take a quick look at the offering instructions in Leviticus, and you will see that it is the blood that is sprinkled.)

One commentator, Albert Barnes, points out that there was among the heathen a practice of ritual cleansing. "There was usually, at the entrance of their temples, a vessel placed with consecrated water, in which, as Pliny says, (Hist. Nat. Lib. xv. c. 30,) there was a branch of laurel placed with which the priests sprinkled all who approached for worship." Barnes goes on to explain that "It was from the heathen custom of placing a vessel with consecrated water at the entrance of their temples, that the Roman Catholic custom is derived in their churches of placing 'holy water' near the door, that those who worship there may 'cross themselves.'"

"Let us" #2- Let us hold fast - this is a call to perseverance.

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)." (Verse 23 - KJV)

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." (NIV)

The word "hold" means to "stay", "retain", or perhaps even "keep in memory".

The exhortation is strengthened by use of the word "unswervingly". The root verb, "klino", means "to slant or slope, to turn to flight, or to wear away". Our word, "aklines", then means "not leaning", i.e., to be "firm, without wavering."

It reminds us much of I Corinthians 15:58, "be ye steadfast, unmovable."

To what are we to hold? "The hope we profess." And what is it that makes it possible? "He who promised is faithful."

"Let us" #3 - Let us consider one another - this is a call to love.

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works." (Verse 24)

To consider one another is to pay close attention to each other's gifts and trials. That's why Paul says that in the church, "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." (I Corinthians 14:26) "Rejoice with them who rejoice, and weep with them that weep."

More specifically, the goal is to provoke (excite) one another on toward love and good deeds. Barnes writes, "Men are sometimes afraid of excitement in religion. But there is no danger that Christians will ever be excited to love each other too much, or to perform too many good works."

"Let us" #4 - Let us not forsake assembling - this is a call to faithfulness.

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Verse 25 - NIV)

Up until now, all the "let us" exhortations have been cast in the positive mode: "Let us draw near"; "Let us hold fast"; "Let us consider one another." But now the language changes to that of a double negative, "Let us not, not meet together."

The writer seems concerned that some have already left, and he doesn't want others to follow their example. We are careful not to have a judgmental attitude toward those who have departed from the fellowship, but neither do we want to follow their example.

Note that the word "assembling" is from "episunagoge", a word which has "synagogue" as its main part. Together, the full word means "complete collection."

Whenever we discuss religious duties, such as church attendance, the question of "free will" comes into play. Most religious systems, Christianity not excluded, have tried to make certain behaviors obligatory. But know this, God never forces His people.

Do you remember when Israel wanted to have a king like the other nations around them? (I Samuel 8) When they told Samuel this is what they wanted, he was bothered, and went to the Lord. The Lord understood it as rejection of Him, as "forsaking me and serving other gods." Then He gave instructions to Samuel - "listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." (verse 9) You see, even though God knew that having a king would be bad for them, He still gave them the freedom to chose. Yes, He appealed to them, trying to convince them that the direction they were going would be injurious, but in the end He let them choose for themselves.

During my college years, I had earned extra credits so that for the fall term of my senior year I did not have to live on the campus at Green Lane, PA, but lived at home with my parents in Coventry, CT. I did have one course to take, "Sociology", and I took it at the State College in Willimantic. As part of that course, I took a week-end visit to a small town on the Massachusetts - New Hampshire border, and did some research on the religious make up of a small New England town. There were only two churches in town - I visited them both and interviewed the Pastors of both. It just so happened that the Catholic church was considered to be quite progressive. This was in the mid-sixties when most Roman Churches were still conducting their masses in Latin. This particular church prided itself in that the service was all in English, and they even used some congregational hymns. But the part that hadn't changed was how the Pastor urged his members to be present for a High Holy day which was coming up that Tuesday. He made it clear that if they didn't attend, they would be committing a "venal" sin.

While we don't follow that same tact, we are required to urge faithfulness in attendance.

In the King James rendering of this verse there is a word which ought not to be left out, the word "forsaking." "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. . . ."

This word, "egkataleipo", is in what is called the future aorist tense, which has to do with completed action in the future. That is to say, at some time in the future, never let it be said that you have stopped attending the worship gatherings of the church.

Also, this word is only found a few times in the New Testament. One example is when Paul used it to refer to someone who had given up on the ministry, "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world." (2 Timothy 4:10)

Why would it be necessary, in the New Testament church, just a few years after the death and resurrection of Jesus, to include this exhortation? Actually, the first century Christians may have good cause to stop attending - persecution.

Adam Clarke writes, "For fear of persecution, it seems as if some had deserted these meetings. . . . They had given up these strengthening and instructive means, and the others were in danger of following their example. "

Paul understood this. In one place he acknowledged that he was "persecuted but not forsaken." (2 Corinthians 4:9) If it is true that the Lord will never leave us or forsake us, then it only stands to reason that we should be determined not to forsake Him. Is "forsaking the assembling" synonymous with forsaking Christ? No, but even the casual observer will have to notice that very often, those who begin to miss church, start down a path which ultimately leads to backsliding and a loss of faith. In William Burkitt's Notes on the NT, he writes, "forsaking of church assemblies is usually the forerunner of apostasy."

Today, if the writer of Scripture was concerned about people staying away from church gatherings, I doubt it would be for the same reason, at least not in the U.S. Why, then, is it that contemporary Christians fail in maintaining their faithful attendance?

There are many reasons, and among them are the big four "F"s: Family, Finances, Fatigue and Feuds.

    Family - "We won't be in church this Sunday - we have family coming in from Osh Gosh, and well, you know, they're not the church going type." Well now, who's influencing whom?

    Finances - "With the economy being the way it is, I had to take this second job, and the only hours I could get include Sundays." If so, then arrangements can be made to attend worship at another time.

    Fatigue - "After all, Sunday is supposed to be a 'day of rest', isn't it?" Actually, it is intended that worship gatherings provide spiritual renewal. Shame on the church which produces more stress than inspiration.

    Feuds - Someone said to me recently, "Satan thinks he's hurting the church by causing church splits; but now, instead of having one church to fight, he has two!" Unfortunately, this interpretation doesn't take into consideration the innumerable people who just stop attending worship out of discouragement over church fights.

But more than these four, let's be honest, for many, the fire has diminished - love has "waxed cold", some have become "weary in well doing", while others have been lured into a life style which has less and less time for God.

While we're looking for Scriptures where the word "forsaken" is found, we are surprised to find that it's the same word Jesus used when He cried from the cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me" (Matthew 27:46) Earlier Jesus had feared that His disciples would forsake Him, but now He felt that His Father had forsaken Him too. When we talked about that experience, we said that Jesus experienced being forsaken so that we would not need to. Doesn't it make sense for us to give to others that which we have received? We have received the promise of not being forsaken, let's give that same promise to one another.

In closing, I want to observe that these four "let us" exhortations are bracketed by two positive affirmations and two negative admonitions.

    Affirmation #1 - We have entrance into the Most Holy place (Verse 19, 20)
    Affirmation #2 - We have a great priest (Verse 21)

    Admonition #1 - There is no other sacrifice (Verse 26)
    Admonition #2 - There is the expectation of judgment (Verse 27)

Therefore, "Let us not give up meeting together"

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