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“search the scriptures” John 5:39
Should I be at assembly gatherings?
‘Should’ sets a low bar as we begin to address this question. ‘Should’ suggests obligation or duty. It is symptomatic of an underlying lack of motivation to come into the presence of the Lord. As the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus spoke of Himself, ‘To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice’, John 10. 3, 4 NKJV. The picture contrasts the Old and New Testament dispensations. The law was like a sheepfold based on rule keeping and constraint, fencing around those who were under it. In contrast, now we, as His sheep, hear the voice of the Lord Jesus and willingly follow Him. We desire to be in His presence, not because we have to be, but because we want to be. So, let us raise the bar much higher and consider why we come along to assembly gatherings, not through constraint, but because of a genuine desire to be there. Here are three reasons to reflect on:
The Lord Jesus said, ‘where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst’, Matt. 18. 20. The context of this well-known verse directly relates to church discipline and dealing with strife among believers. However, we can apply the principle that the Lord Jesus has promised to be personally present when Christians gather together as a local church, at the time when they gather, and in the place where they gather. Although saints may get together in a house or online, there is something fundamentally different when Christians gather as an assembly. They constitute the house of God, 1 Tim. 3. 15, the very place where God is present. It is the only place on this earth today where God is personally present in such a way. His presence should be palpable. So much so that, through the atmosphere in an assembly and the exercise of spiritual gifts by Christians, a person from outside should find, ‘the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth’, 1 Cor. 14. 25. Our desire to be in the presence of the Lord Jesus ought to be that of a deep longing. As the psalmist said, ‘My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God’, Ps. 84. 2.
The local church constitutes a body which is incomplete when we are not present. As members of that body, we all have different roles and are endowed with different spiritual gifts. This is the teaching of 1 Corinthians chapter 12. ‘And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it’, v. 26. The collective experience shared amongst God’s people is what we call fellowship, and we all need it. Our presence in the meeting encourages God’s people. This can even be just because we are present, but also as we contribute audibly or inaudibly, or perhaps provide a listening ear to, or offer a word of prayer for, a believer going through a difficult time. Our presence when a local church gathers, edifies, or builds up, God’s people, Rom. 15. 2. Conversely, God’s people can also be discouraged by our absence.
Although we did not deserve it, God did much more than forgive us of our sins the day we were saved. John reminds us, ‘Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!’, 1 John 3. 1 NKJV.1 We are now part of God’s family. Like a family, the assembly is a place where we are cared for and protected, and where we can grow and develop spiritually. It is a hospital for the spiritually sick, a school to learn about the Lord and His word, and a place to fall back to in respect to the spiritual battle we face in the world.2 We need to be at the meetings for our own benefit.
Obligation or ritual are low forms of motivation. Much better to approach the meetings with gratitude to the Lord, and anticipation. However, sometimes we can grow cold in heart, or the assembly we belong to may be experiencing problems. At such times a sense of duty honed from getting into good practices can bring us into contact with other Christians who may be able to help us through their encouragement and ministry. Ultimately, our main motivation should be a desire to be in the presence of the Lord who loves us and died for us.
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