Part-Time Help Needed?

^"And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near." - Hebrews 10:24-25

It must have been hard, very hard, being a Christian during those early years of Christianity. Think about it for a moment, everything that you had been taught since birth, your customs, your traditions, your whole way of thinking was turned upside down by the Messiah. Jesus Christ came and, even though He fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies about Himself, He still did not meet what the Messiah was in many of the people's minds. It should not surprise us at all that the early Christians struggled with the ideas of the Judaizers. They added many of the Jewish teachings to Christianity and even added requirements to salvation. They struggled with the fact that Christ really was all they needed! Hebrews addresses many of those concerns regarding Judaism and the Judaizers. In Hebrews we see that Jesus Christ is superior to all things, He is our High Priest of a superior covenant, He is who we rest in and He is the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He is all that we need for salvation!

As the author of Hebrews penned 10:24-25 he probably had in mind this struggle with the thinking of the Judaizers. As these early Christians were facing the pressure to submit to the Judaizers way of thinking and also facing persecution because of their Christianity, it would have been easy for them to either give in to the false teaching of the Judaizers or to give up on their relationship with Christ all-together. That was why it was so important for them to consistently attend their worship meetings! During these meetings they would love each other and encourage them to love others with the love of Christ. They would promote good works. Good works is a way that we love each other and bear spiritual fruit. Their gathering times were to be times where they would strengthen and encourage each other "and all the more as you see the day drawing near."

What amazes me is that the early church had the same problem that today's church faces. What problem is that? "staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do..." As a pastor, I often find myself disappointed at how many people who call themselves a Christian do not value assembling together as a church body. The early church struggled with false teaching and persecution. What keeps the modern church away? Things such as rain, family gatherings, sports, hunting season, but most of all, laziness. And that's just for Sunday mornings! Do I even need to mention the lack of commitment to attendance on Sunday Evening or Wednesday Evening???

I want to challenge you to examine your personal church attendance. As Christians, we are to be Christ's ambassadors and ministers to a lost and dying world! How can we effectively do that if we are not consistently connected to Christ in prayer, consistently seeking direction from His Word or consistently encouraging, studying, serving or worshiping together as a church? As those early Christians were encouraged to consistently be a part of the church so that they would not fall away due to persecution and false teachings, you are encouraged to consistently be a part of the church today so that you will not fall to Satan's temptations and succumb to the ways of the world. Remember what 1 Corinthians 12:27 states, "Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it." It's time for you to quit being a part-time follower of Christ!