Over the years I have had many bulletins from different congregations from many different parts of our nation. A bulletin article crossed my desk with this title; so the title of this article is not original with me. OI have changes a few things within the article so, just trying to give credit where it is due. This article has many interesting points that need to be pondered.
Have you been to the store and was looking at something big that said assembly required? Or have you looked closer to see if the store would assemble the object for you for a price? When my kids were small it seemed that most of their toys came with the words assembly required. Things are different today.
Today we want simple things we want “stuff” that says, “No Assembly required.” We want the kids toys to have no assembly required. We want furniture and appliances that say, “no assembly required. Why is this so?
Similarly, today some people think that this is true of Christianity! Some want to think that they do not have to assembly with the saints, hence, No Assembling Required. As the toys, furniture or appliances would remain in the box or in many pieces if they were not put together so we as Christians remain either by ourselves or in many pieces if we do not assemble with the saints. This is all wrong! Christians are to work together. Never in the New Testament do you find a Christian all by themselves. So Assembly is required.
Look and study 1 Corinthians 12:12, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.” Can one member of our bodies live and function all by itself? If we consider again 1 Corinthians 12:15-25 this point is made about different parts of the body but consider verse 25, it says, “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.” The body is assembled and must work together so the church must be assembled and work together. The same thought is made in Romans 12:3-10. So for the body to work together it must assemble, therefore assembly is required.
There are other reasons assembly is required. One is worship. 1 Corinthians 16:2 says, “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” Here is a command. For an example of the church assembling on the first day of the week study Acts 20:7, “Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” Are we to worship God? Yes, read John 4:23, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” The Father is seeking those who will assemble upon the first day of the week. Assembly is required.
Some were having the same problem today as they were having in the first century. Read and study Hebrews 10:22-25. How can you draw near to God and not assemble with the saints? Is there not encouragement to be had by assembling with the saints? Is there not help to be had by assembling with the saints? Consider also what the passage says that we are to provoke one another to love and good works. How can we provoke one another to love if we do not assemble with the saints? How can we provoke unto good works if we do not assemble with the saints? Another question also is how much encouragement, help, and provoking can be done if one only comes to the assembly of the saints once a week? God has all given us 168 hours a week and we cannot set aside more than an hour to assemble with the saints? Something is wrong with that line of thinking.
The passage under consideration says, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…” yet many do. Yes, assembly is required, what are you going to tell God on the Judgment day as to why you did not want to meet with the saints? Are you going to say it was not required? Are you going to tell God that you did not love Him enough to meet with His people? Are you going to tell God that you did not love Him enough to keep His commandments (John 14:15)? Are you going to tell God that you did not have time to meet with His saints? I wonder if He will say, “I don’t have time to save you (Matt. 7:21). I wonder what you will say!
There is a booklet that one of the premises of the book is that we are not to assemble after dark on the first day of the week. Many of the brethren would like this for then, “No assembling is required.” I do believe that the saints meet in the first century after dark. Read Acts 20:7 and see if you can get anything else out of it than that. Thomas missed a Lord’s Day service and he missed seeing the Lord (John 20:24-29). You too will miss seeing the Lord if you are not here.
Yes, assembly is required. Where will you be?
Love, Keith
