Assembling For Corporate Worship

Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
February 17, 2002 PM

Assembling For Corporate Worship

Reading - Hebrews 10.19-25

What I want to do in this lesson is begin where we left off this morning. In both Biblical Hebrew and Greek, the words translated into our English word worship have two definite meanings.
- To come before God in Humility... Awe... Reverence... and Respect.
- And secondly... To serve Him in obedience to His will.

Tonight we will consider that part of worship...
- That is public...
- That has form and pattern...
- That is formal...
- That of liturgy.
We are talking about... Religious acts... done in Humility... Awe... Reverence... Respect... in Service to God. So... Our subject is assembling for corporate public worship.

The first question is simple... Should we assemble for worship? Is there sufficient Bible evidence that we should gather together for worship? As Bible students we have learned that what we do religiously... We do out of our understanding of God's word... That's called Hermeneutics. Paul instructed Timothy... and us... To study to show yourself approved... Right with God... HOW???... By...
- Rightly dividing...
- Rightly discerning...
- Rightly interpreting...
The word of truth.

Church... We must not make light of this concept... And what it means to us in the churches of Christ. I was surprised when I read in last month's Christian Chronicle on page three this statement: Hermeneutic, schermeutic... Who needs it? Folk... The answer is... We all do. If we didn't have a hermeneutic...
- We would be building arks...
- Migrating to the Promise Land of Cannan ...
- Offering daily sacrifices...
- Worshiping with the help of a Priest...
- And riding home from worship in a chariot.
No wonder we have a misunderstanding of worship in the church when our preachers make fun of a study in hermeneutics. We must have a proper understanding of God's word... And we can... And we can.

You see... The same God who created the human mind... also inspired the Holy Word. And He did so in a way it could be properly understood and applied to life. The truth is... There are no special manmade principles that are a must to understanding God's holy inerrant text... Most of the time all it takes is the common sense God gave us. This can be seen in Jesus' words from John 7.17... If any man will do his will... He shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God. No... I am not here tonight to argue about which hermeneutic... As much as I am to argue for a simple common sense approach to Bible study.

Most of the time this common sense hermeneutic will work. You see... Israel did not disobey God... and wander in the wilderness for forty years because they did not understand God's commands... It was because of their own rebellious attitude. It was their own determinate WILL to do what they wanted to do rather than obey God. And most of our problems with corporate worship today have little to nothing to do with our hermeneutic... But rather with our rebellious attitude.

Now... Having said all this... Let us use a familiar hermeneutic to examine our subject of worship.
- If we can find a direct command,
- Or New Testament example,
- Or where a principle is inferred in the Bible, then we are to just do it!... No questions asked... Right?... That's common sense enough. Ours should be... Speak Lord... Show us Lord... and we will obey.

For instance, Jesus said... Love your neighbor. That's a direct command. So if we rightly discern truth... We will love our neighbor. Jesus gives us an example of loving our neighbor in the narrative of the Good Samaritan. Who could read that narrative and not come away with the idea that...
- We are to love our neighbor,
- Who our neighbor is,
- And what it means to love him... RIGHT?

Necessary inference is a little tougher... But follow me carefully. If we are each made in God's own image... and God loves each of us, isn't it necessarily inferred?... Doesn't it follow that we should love one another.

Common sense tells us that... Things equal to the same thing are equal to each other. Loving God is loving others. Jesus understood this when he said... As oft as you have done it unto the least of these you've done unto me. John understood the principle when he said... Don't say you love God when you don't love your brother. Because loving God is loving others.

Now let's apply this hermeneutic to assembling for worship. Do we have a direct command to assemble? Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as the manner or habit of some... But exhort one another and do it even more as you see the day approaching.

The command is to assemble. The Hebrews writer is writing to Jews who understood what it meant to assemble together for synagogue worship. For generations they had been accustomed to assembling... (HOW OFTEN... YOU TELL ME)... Weekly. . Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy... They understood that meant every Sabbath. Church... No Jew quibbled about the frequency of Sabbath worship.. The admonition here is to not forsake the public worship as they used to do in their synagogue gatherings. The idea is to assemble together for worship as in synagogue. Church... We have to be rebellious to see this verse from any other perspective. It is plain that the writer is encouraging them to assemble for public worship.

Now... It is not easy to say FOR CERTAIN what is meant by... So much more as you see the day approaching... What is THE DAY???...
- The day may simply mean Sunday, the Lord's day, the day of assembly.
- Or it may be taken in a much larger context as the day of persecution.
- Or, the day, may be speaking of the day of Jesus' return.

You see, the overall context of Hebrews is perseverance... Keeping on keeping on... Not giving up on the doctrine of Christ... On Christianity.. These Hebrew people had left Judaism and now were beginning to go back to it. Some were going back because of persecution. Others were giving up on Christianity because of the anticipation of Jesus' quick return. They thought Jesus was going to come reward them with heaven during their lifetime. Some of them were dying and it looked like there was no validity to Jesus' promise to return. So they were giving up and going back to Old Testament Judaism. The Hebrews letter was written to say... Don't do that... Don't give up... The doctrine of Christ and Christianity is superior to Moses and the Law. It makes little difference what the proper interpretation of the day is. Because, the command is still to assemble in worship, as we anticipate that day. Are we willing to obey him?... Or will we be argumentative and rebellious as was Israel?

Secondly... We have New Testament example. Acts 20.7 plainly states that they, the disciples of Christ, came together... assembled... upon the first day of the week to participate in worship activities that of breaking bread, fellowship and teaching.

Number three... A church assembly is inferred. The first inference we want to use tonight is in I Corinthians 11.33... Turn there with me. This is important.... I Corinthians 11.33.... Are you there? The context here is the Lord's Supper... With admonishments on how to partake properly. First Corinthians... 11... Read verse 33... So brothers when you come together to eat wait... (tarry.. KJ)... for each other. Audience... If they wait... If they tarry for one another... Doesn't that infer, suggest, an assembling of the whole church?... Of course it does.

In the New Testament... The Lord's Supper was taken in an assembly... not privately... not as a husband and wife... not as an family unit... But done in corporate worship.
- Look at verse 17... When you come together... (Assembly)
- Verse 18... When you come together as a church... (Assembly)
- Verse 20... When you come together in one place to partake of the Lord's Supper... (Assembly)
- Verse 30... When you come together wait on one another... ASSEMBLY!!!
Who would deny that the New Testament church assembled together for public acts of worship... In this case the Lord's Supper.

Turn two pages in your Bibles for another example... First Corinthians 14 is about speaking in tongues in the assembly. Read verse 19... In the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
IN THE CHURCH.. Infers an assembly. Look at 23... So, if the whole church be come together into one place... An ASSEMBLY. Verse 26... When you come together... Suggesting an assembly. Let me give one more... Turn to I Corinthians 16.1 & 2. The subject here is not the Lord's Supper,... But WHAT?... Giving! Now concerning the collection of the saints, as I have given orders in the churches of Galacia, even so you are to do. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by in store as God has prospered him..

Does it sound to you like the churches of Galaciai were meeting... assembling on the first day of the week?... Sure does. Wasn't Paul commanding the Corinthian church to do the same... He sure was.

Who could deny tonight that there is New Testament:
- Command...
- Example...
- And inference...
For Sunday... first day of the week... public... corporate worship.
Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as the habit of some has become.

So we assemble... What for?... Why do we assemble?

The early Jerusalem church met to pray.
- Acts 2 tells us that the church continued in the Apostles doctrine, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread and prayer.
- Turn your Bible one page to Acts 3... Peter and John are headed to the temple to pray.
- Acts 4.... After their release from jail they prayed.
- Acts 6... The church prayed before what we believe as the first appointment of deacons.
- Acts 12... Peter returns to the home of Mary and her son John Mark, where the church is in prayer for his release.
- Acts 13... The church selects Paul and Barnabas for the first missionary journey and they prayed.
- First Corinthians chapter 14 is about tongue speaking in public worship... And there, Paul declares... I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding.
Prayer is appropriate anytime; but, corporate worship is for prayer.

We assemble is to partake of the Lord's Supper. We come here on each Lord's Day to...
- Memorialize Him...
- Remember Him,
- To worship and praise Him.
Revelation 5 says... Worthy is the Lamb, worthy of our praise, honor, worthy of our worship.

God has always been a memorial-minded God... Hasn't he?
- Remember the rainbow in Genesis 9?...
- Passover...
- Pentecost...
- The feast of tabernacles.

Today, in the new dispensation, in our church age, we too have a memorial. As Christians, our memorial feast is the Lord's supper. His instructions were... Do this in remembrance of me.
How often?... Church... How can we read Acts 20.7... How often can we read First Corinthians and come away with any other idea than that they met each First Day of the week to memorialize Jesus in the communion. Isn't it strange that the early New Testament church... and for hundreds of years afterward, everybody understood that the church was to meet to partake in the communion upon the First Day of the Week?

Another point here is this... This communion was to be taken in the assembly. Listen as I read First Corinthians 10.16 & 17... The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion (NIV says... A participation)... In the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion (A participation)... In the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

The Lord's Supper is an event to be shared with Him...and with one another in the ASSEMBLY, when the church comes together. This is what the New Testament witness says!!

We also assemble to know doctrine. Doctrine in the Greek is Didactic... It means teaching. They continued in the Apostles' teaching...In the Apostles' doctrine. Doctrine is that which has been taught. This Greek word appears 30 times in the New Testament, 29 times in the KJV it is rendered doctrine. One time it is translated that which has been taught, in Titus 1.9.
So we meet to rehearse the Apostles' doctrine... the Apostles' teaching. We assemble to learn about... be taught... share Apostolic teachings.

Acts 20.7 tells us that... On the first day of the week we came together to break bread... And Paul spoke... PREACHED... TAUGHT... The people until midnight.

We assemble to study the word of God, that is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction, and correction in righteousness that we as men and women of God might be equipped to every good work.

We assemble to give to the Lord. Listen as I read from a few verses from Second Corinthians... Chapter 8 and 9... We want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity...They gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,.. They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will... So... Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work... He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

Now church... Let's read about when we are to give in such a manner... Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

Who can deny that the primitive church worshiped through their giving in the assembly?

We have both command and example to sing in the assembly. One can clearly establish that the early church sang in public worship. Although Ephesians 5.19 introduces singing as a part of Christian living... Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.

I want you to note that the reflective pronoun suggests... Singing to one another. Now where is this done?... I suggest... In public... Corporate worship.

Colossians 3.16 indicates that this singing is a part of teaching and admonishing one another. If we are to teach and admonish one another... There must be some kind of assembly... RIGHT?

Again... First Corinthians 14.26 solidifies our point... When you assemble together, everyone has a hymn, word of teaching, instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the edifying/strengthening of the church. Remember that in verse 15 of this same chapter... Paul says... I will sing with the spirit... And I will sing with the understanding.

Church... This entire chapter is about Public Worship... the Assembly... and what is appropriate in public... corporate worship. Hebrews 2.12 says... I will declare your name to my brothers... In the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.

There should be no doubt that singing psalms...hymns... and spiritual songs is commanded in corporate worship?

Then finally... We assemble for the purpose of fellowship. Fellowship is Koneia in the Greek. It means a joint participation in religious activities.
- We come together...
- We fellowship...
- We jointly participate...
In all these areas of worship.

Corporate, public worship is to be done in an assembly... That demands fellowship. Paul makes the point in First Corinthians chapter eleven, that if there is no fellowship, there is no worship. Fellowship is an obvious part of corporate worship. For years, we have maintained that there are five avenues of worship... I believe there are six... This includes fellowship.

Church... I ask the question... If there is no fellowship... Can there be a worship assembly? Of course the obvious answer is NO!! O yes... There can be an assembly... But folk, it is not a Biblical worship assembly. Because that demands FELLOWSHIP!!

Here is the lesson in one sentence... Worship is obedience to God... And that includes assembling for corporate worship.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

The invitation tonight is to worship God through obedience.
- Perhaps you need to worship Him by becoming His child by faith, repentance and New Testament baptism, immersion in water for the forgiveness of sins.
- Perhaps you need to worship Him by being more diligent in assembling for corporate worship services.
- Maybe you need to worship Him by forsaking some other sin in your life.

Worship Him right now as we stand and sing this invitation song...
Will you come!!