And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 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. Hebrews 10:24,25

Last Sunday, during our Spiritual Growth hour, we listened to Dr. David Jeremiah as he spoke about “Persecution: The Increase of Intolerance.”  As the intolerance towards Christians and the Church grows, it becomes more and more apparent that we need each other.  I would like to share with you the words of Dr. Jeremiah as he speaks about this.

“In the midst of persecution and suffering, we must draw support from one another. The Bible tells us that Christianity is not supposed to be lived solo.  It’s supposed to be lived in community. Hebrews says, Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, as is the manner of some,…  That’s where most people stop reading when reading that verse. That’s the great verse in the Bible for preachers to preach on to tell their people to get to church! Don’t stay home and watch television, don’t go play golf – come to church. I’ve heard the message. I’ve preached the message.

But have you ever listened to the rest of that verse? Have you ever heard the reasoning behind it, and the time sequence the writer of Hebrews puts in the middle of it?  He says, Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another (or encouraging one another), – now here’s the last phrase: and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.  Hebrews 10:25

Let me break that out for you. Here’s what the writer of Hebrews is saying.  Go to church – absolutely. When you go to church, encourage one another. You ought to go to church every week with a word of encouragement ready in your mind, so that when you meet somebody, you can encourage them.  You go to church, not only to hear the word of God and worship, but you go to church to encourage one another, and to bless one another.  

Then notice what he says. You need to do that even more as you see the Day approaching.  What Day? The Day of the Lord. The coming of Christ. The Rapture. The Tribulation.  In other words, Paul says, “as you get closer and closer to the return of Christ, you ought to be going to church more and more and more, and fellowshipping with God’s people more and more. And guess what we’re doing?  We’re doing it less and less.

I read all the statistics of church growth in our country and it’s not very encouraging.  In our nation today, in a time where we should be more and more together with each other encouraging each other in these difficult times, we’re departing from our church. We’re going on our own. We’re saying, “I don’t need the church. I can do this by myself,” and it’s a road to disaster. Even in the best of times, we should make the church our priority, but when we’re under attack, you need to be with other Christians in your small groups, in your Sunday School classes, in your church services, in your times of worship.

In order to sail through today’s troubled waters, you need all ‘hands on deck.’ 

The church needs you and you need the church.”