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The Importance of Local Church Gatherings | Hebrews 10:23-25
Introduction
Please Stand for the reading of Gods Word
Hebrews 10:23-25 ESV Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. (24) And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, (25) not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
You may be seated
Church, it is incredibly great to be here, in person, with all of you. To worship, to sing, to fellowship as one church body.The passage I just read was written to a persecuted church.In a time and place where people were risking their freedom, and even their lives to meet together and worship.The writer of Hebrews urges the church, even through threat of arrest or even death, to not use those things as an excuse to miss meeting together… to miss church gatherings.Instead he urges the church to be faithful, as God is faithful, to hold fast to their salvation without wavering, and to stir up and encourage each other.By far the most difficult thing I have done as a pastor was navigate the waters of Covid-19…Every choice I made seemed like the wrong one to some people…My peers too struggled with how to run their churches… so asking them what to do didn’t always pan out… we were all doing our best to figure it out.We ended up, like many other churches, live streaming our services… praise God for that option.But, as we exit this season and enter into a new one, as we look back, there are many who doubt the necessity of the measures taken.Certainly Covid-19 is a horrible disease, that much is for sure… but don’t we serve the great physician?Doesn’t the 1st Amendment protect our right to gather as a church?It is my firm belief that our government, though trying it’s best, overstepped it’s rights in closing down churches.And if I have learned anything from this experience, it is this… church online… digital church… is no substitute for gathering together to worship, to grow, to encourage, and to love.Today I am going to take a break from Luke to talk about the Importance of Local Church Gatherings. The importance of “going to church” if you will.To those of you livestreaming because of health concerns, this sermon is not directed at you… in fact we encourage you to stay healthy and stay home as long as you need… but what this sermon should do is encourage you to join us again as soon as possible.For everyone watching, this sermon should highlight the importance of the local church and completely demolish any lack-luster excuse to miss church. There are very few good reasons to miss church, and Covid-19 precautions may be one… but it is one of only a handful. Let’s pray:
Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray.
Luke 4:16 ESV And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.
Mark 1:21 ESV And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.
Luke 6:6 ESV On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered.
Acts 11:26 ESV and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
The first, and probably the best reason to go to Church is because JESUS went to church!
We are Christians, Christ followers, imitators of Christ.You know what Christ never said… Christ never said “I am the church”.That’s the lame excuse I often get when I ask people where they worship and grow at…What church do you go to “I am the church”… no you are not! You are a part of the church, a very small part… you are a member of the body… what good is a nose if it is not attached to the rest of the body?I digress… Jesus went to church, be like Jesus Amen?
The sec
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By Cedar Rapids ChurchIntroduction
Please Stand for the reading of Gods Word
Hebrews 10:23-25 ESV Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. (24) And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, (25) not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
You may be seated
Church, it is incredibly great to be here, in person, with all of you. To worship, to sing, to fellowship as one church body.The passage I just read was written to a persecuted church.In a time and place where people were risking their freedom, and even their lives to meet together and worship.The writer of Hebrews urges the church, even through threat of arrest or even death, to not use those things as an excuse to miss meeting together… to miss church gatherings.Instead he urges the church to be faithful, as God is faithful, to hold fast to their salvation without wavering, and to stir up and encourage each other.By far the most difficult thing I have done as a pastor was navigate the waters of Covid-19…Every choice I made seemed like the wrong one to some people…My peers too struggled with how to run their churches… so asking them what to do didn’t always pan out… we were all doing our best to figure it out.We ended up, like many other churches, live streaming our services… praise God for that option.But, as we exit this season and enter into a new one, as we look back, there are many who doubt the necessity of the measures taken.Certainly Covid-19 is a horrible disease, that much is for sure… but don’t we serve the great physician?Doesn’t the 1st Amendment protect our right to gather as a church?It is my firm belief that our government, though trying it’s best, overstepped it’s rights in closing down churches.And if I have learned anything from this experience, it is this… church online… digital church… is no substitute for gathering together to worship, to grow, to encourage, and to love.Today I am going to take a break from Luke to talk about the Importance of Local Church Gatherings. The importance of “going to church” if you will.To those of you livestreaming because of health concerns, this sermon is not directed at you… in fact we encourage you to stay healthy and stay home as long as you need… but what this sermon should do is encourage you to join us again as soon as possible.For everyone watching, this sermon should highlight the importance of the local church and completely demolish any lack-luster excuse to miss church. There are very few good reasons to miss church, and Covid-19 precautions may be one… but it is one of only a handful. Let’s pray:
Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray.
Luke 4:16 ESV And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.
Mark 1:21 ESV And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.
Luke 6:6 ESV On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered.
Acts 11:26 ESV and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
The first, and probably the best reason to go to Church is because JESUS went to church!
We are Christians, Christ followers, imitators of Christ.You know what Christ never said… Christ never said “I am the church”.That’s the lame excuse I often get when I ask people where they worship and grow at…What church do you go to “I am the church”… no you are not! You are a part of the church, a very small part… you are a member of the body… what good is a nose if it is not attached to the rest of the body?I digress… Jesus went to church, be like Jesus Amen?
The sec