WHY ASSEMBLE?
We are living in one of the most fascinating of times.
I believe we need to consider it a privilege.
We have an opportunity to grow in our faith in such a way that very few in the Western World have had in the last two and a half centuries.
If I have a fear today it is that we will waste it!
I cannot stress enough how much I wish you would take the time
· To pray and
· To study some really old church history - Anabaptists before the War for Independence.
I had occasion to comment with a pastor down in Kansas, whose church is open again, but he has a number of people who are not yet willing to come back to church.
He proposed the other day,
“We’ve been meeting again for two weeks now PTL. But at what point are those who don’t come no longer just cautious but disobedient to Hebrews 10:25?”
I replied, “At least we’re not discussing whether a Christian, who recanted his faith in order to prevent his execution, can come back to church.”
For almost 1500 years, that was a real pastoral issue!
In the light of this, I think it would be good to hear the trial of John Bunyon.
Bunyon was a Baptist preacher in England.
He earned his living as a tinker, a fix it man
He was arrested and eventually sentenced to prison for preaching without a state license.
While in prison he wrote the second most purchased Christian material of all time, Pilgrim’s Progress.
These are the actual proceedings of his trial.
Notice particularly the kindness but resolution of his faith
PROCEEDINGS, being a true account of the trial of John Bunyan, Tinker, of Bedfordshire, His Lordship, Judge Wingate presiding at the Courthouse in Bedfordshire on October 3, in the Year of our Lord, 1660. The Accused is charged with willful and deliberate Violation of various and sundry Royal and Parliamentary Edicts. His Trial this Day, however, respects a single Charge: namely, Violation of the Conventicle Act, first proposed by Her Most High and Mighty Majesty, our Late Beloved Queen Elizabeth, and reinstated by His Beneficent Highness, King Charles II. All Parties being in Place, and the Witnesses having been sworn, the trial proceeds.
JUDGE WINGATE: Mr. Bunyan, you stand before this Court accused of persistent and willful transgression of the Conventicle Act, which prohibits all British subjects from absenting themselves from worship in the Church of England, and from conducting worship services apart from our Church. You come, presumably, with no legal training, and yet without counsel. I must warn you, sir, of the gravity of the charge, the harshness of the penalty, in the event of your conviction, and the foolhardiness of acting as your own counsel in so serious a matter. Are you cognizant of these facts, and do you understand the charge?
BUNYAN: I am, and I do, M'lord.
JUDGE WINGATE: In truth, I hope you do. Now, I hold in my hand the depositions of the witness against you. In each case, they have testified that, to their knowledge, you have never, in your adult life, attended services in the church of this parish. Each further testifies that he has observed you, on numerous occasions, conducting religious exercises in and near Bedford. These depositions have been read to you, have they not?
BUNYAN: They have, M'lord.
JUDGE WINGATE: In that case, then, this court would be profoundly interested in your response to them.
BUNYAN: Thank you M'lord. And may I say that I am grateful for the opportunity to respond. Firstly, the depositions speak the truth. I have never attended services in the Church of England, nor do I intend ever to do so. Secondly, it is no secret that I preach the word of God whenever, wherever, and to whomever He pleases to grant me opportunity to do so.
Having said that, M'lord, there is a weightier issue that I am constrained to address. I have no choice but to acknowledge my awareness of the law which I am accused of transgressing. Likewise, I have no choice but to confess my guilt in my transgression of it. As true as these things are, I must affirm that I neither regret breaking the law, nor repent of having broken it. Further, I must warn you that I have no intention in future of conforming to it. It is, on its face, an unjust law, a law against which honorable men cannot shrink from protesting. In truth, M'lord, it violates an infinitely higher law--the right of every man to seek God in his own way, unhindered by any temporal power. That, M'lord, is my response.
JUDGE WINGATE: This Court would remind you, sir, that we are not here to debate the merits of the law. We are here to determine it you are, in fact, guilty of violating it.
BUNYAN: Perhaps, M'lord, that is why YOU are here, but it is most certainly not why I am here. I am here because you compel me to be here. All I ask is to be left alone to preach and to teach as God directs me. As, however, I must be here, I cannot fail to use these circumstances as an opportunity to speak against what I know to be an unjust and odious edict.
JUDGE WINGATE: Let me understand you. You are arguing that every man has a right, given him by Almighty God, to seek the Deity in his own way, even, if he chooses, without benefit of the English Church?
BUNYAN: That is precisely what I am arguing, M'lord. Or without benefit of any church.
JUDGE WINGATE: Do you know what you are saying? What of Papists and Quakers? What of pagan Mohammedans? Have these the right to seek God in their own misguided way?
BUNYAN: Even these M'lord.
JUDGE WINGATE: May I ask if you are particularly sympathetic to the views of these or other such deviant religious societies?
BUNYAN: I am not, M'lord.
JUDGE WINGATE: Yet you affirm a God-given right to hold any alien religious doctrine that appeals to the warped minds of men?
BUNYAN: I do, M'lord.
JUDGE WINGATE: I find your views impossible of belief. And what of those who, if left to their own devices, would have no interest in things heavenly? Have they the right to be allowed to continue unmolested in their error?
BUNYAN: It is my fervent belief that they do, M'lord.
JUDGE WINGATE: And on what basis, might I ask, can you make such a rash affirmation?
BUNYAN: On the basis, M'lord, that a man's religious views--or lack of them--are matters between his conscience and his God, and are not the business of the Crown, the Parliament, or even, with all due respect, M'lord, of the Court.
However, much I may be in disagreement with another man's sincerely held religious beliefs, neither I nor any other may disallow his right to hold those beliefs. No man's rights in these affairs are secure if every other man's rights are not equally secure.
JUDGE WINGATE: It is obvious, sir, that you are a victim of deranged thinking. If my ears deceive me not, I must infer from your words that you believe the State to have no interest in the religious life of its subjects.
BUNYAN: The State, M'lord, may have an interest in anything in which it wishes to have an interest. But the State has no right whatever to interfere in the religious life of its citizens.
JUDGE WINGATE: You are a tinker by trade, are you not, Mr. Bunyan?
BUNYAN: That is correct, M'lord.
JUDGE WINGATE: Would you mind apprising this Court of the extent of your formal schooling?
BUNYAN: Not at all, M'lord. Able I am to read and write, and that with difficulty.
JUDGE WINGATE: I surmised as much. I think I perceive why you are unable to appreciate the disaster that would accompany your views should ever they hold sway in our society. I myself--and I say this in all modesty--am not inconsiderably trained in the historian's discipline. If you were half so well-versed yourself, you would instantly recognize the fatal flaw in your reasoning. Throughout history, virtually every significant human tragedy has come about as a result of divergent religious views. Nation against nation. Brother against brother. War. Destruction. Devastation. Time and time again. And why? I shall tell your why, sir. It is because men cannot agree on which God to worship, and how to worship Him
Now, after a long and arduous struggle, we have succeeded in forging a conformity in the religious beliefs of all Englishmen. All our problems will be resolved when everyone finally agrees to accommodate himself, and adopt the same orthodoxy of religious opinion. No more religious wars! No more divisive doctrinal disputes! Think of it, Mr. Bunyan! Does this not portend a society of which any man would be proud and happy to be a part?
BUNYAN: To a degree, M'lord, it admittedly does. But only if everyone can be convicted by virtue of reasoning alone to adopt identical views of God. The society that you describe is an appealing one, but I fear the cost is far too high. It would necessitate that honest men repudiate convictions honestly held.
JUDGE WINGATE: You are, Mr. Bunyan, a strong-willed and opinionated man.
Yet, this Court finds it fascinating to speak with you, and wishes, time permitted, further discussion of our respective philosophies. But, alas, time is passing swiftly, and other cases await our attention. Let us move, then, to the matter before us, shall we? The evidence I hold in my hand--even apart from your own admission of guilt--is sufficient to convict you, and the Court is within its right to have you committed to prison for a considerably long time. I do not wish to send you to prison, Mr. Bunyan. I am aware of the poverty of your family, and I believe you have a little daughter who, unfortunately, was born blind. Is this not so?
BUNYAN: It is, M'lord.
JUDGE WINGATE: Very well. The decision of the Court is this: Inasmuch as the accused has confessed his guilt, we shall follow a merciful and compassionate course of action. We shall release him on the condition that he swear solemnly to discontinue the convening of religious meetings, and that he affix his signature to such an oath prior to quitting the Courtroom. That will be all, Mr. Bunyan. I hope not to see you here again. May we hear the next case?
BUNYAN: M'lord, if I may have another moment of the Court's time?
JUDGE WINGATE: Yes, but you must be quick about it. We have other matters to attend to. What is it?
BUNYAN: I cannot do what you ask of me, M'lord. I cannot place my signature upon any document in which I promise henceforth not to preach. My calling to preach the Gospel is from God, and He alone can make me discontinue what He has appointed me to do. As I have had no word from Him to that effect, I must continue to preach, and I shall continue to preach.
JUDGE WINGATE: Mr. Bunyan, you are trying the patience of this Court.
BUNYAN: That is not my intention, M'lord.
JUDGE WINGATE: I warn you, sir, the Court has gone the second mile to be lenient with you, out of concern for your family's difficult straits. Truth to tell, it would appear that the Court's concern for your family far exceeds your own. Do you wish to go to prison?
BUNYAN: No, M'lord. Few things there are that I would wish less.
JUDGE WINGATE: Very well, then, Mr. Bunyan. This Court will make one further attempt in good faith to accommodate what appears to be strongly held convictions on your part. In his compassion and beneficence, our Sovereign, Charles II, has made provision for dissenting preachers to hold some limited meetings. All that is required is that such ministers procure licenses authorizing them to convene these gatherings. The Court will not require you to sign any documents, but will require on your verbal commitment to proceed through proper channels to obtain licenses. You will not find the procedure burdensome, and even you, Mr. Bunyan, must surely grant the legitimacy of the State's interest in ensuring that any fool with a Bible does not simply gather a group to people together and begin to preach to them. Imagine the implications were that to happen! Can you comply with this condition, Mr. Bunyan? Before you answer, mark you this: should you refuse, the Court will have no alternative but to sentence you to a prison term. Think, sir, of your poor wife. Think of your flock, who can hear you to their hearts' content when you shall have secured your licenses. Think on these things, and give us your answer, sir!
BUNYAN: M'lord, I appreciate the Court's efforts to be--as you have put it--accommodating. But again, I must refuse your terms. I must repeat that it is God who constrains me to preach, and no man or company of men may grant or deny me leave to preach. These licenses of which you speak, M'lord, are symbols not of a right, but of a privilege. Implied therein is the principle that a mere man can extend or withhold them according to his whim. I speak not of privileges, but of rights. Privileges granted by men may be denied by men. Rights are granted by God, and can be legitimately denied by no man. I must, therefore, refuse to comply.
JUDGE WINGATE: Very well, Mr. Bunyan. Since you persist in your intractability, and since you reject this Court's honest effort at compromise, you leave us no choice but to commit you to Bedford jail for a period of six years. If you manage to survive, I should think that your experience will correct your thinking. If you fail to survive, that will be unfortunate. In any event, I strongly suspect that we have heard the last we shall ever hear from Mr. John Bunyan. Now, may we hear the next case.
WHY ASSEMBLE?
Hebrews 10:16-26 (KJV)
This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
And having an high priest over the house of God;
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
By now I suppose we have all heard that the Supreme Court of the United State sided with the Governor of California against a church’s right to assemble.
At issue is whether church assembly is “essential”.
Our governor, a month ago, said he thought churches could go on with online preaching indefinitely.
Our President stated publicly that he wanted churches to open on Memorial Day weekend.
One church on the East Coast is now praising God for a victory because their government has allowed them to open up with “50% capacity.”
Previous to the War for Independence, a Baptist church would not have ever had the legal right to assemble – they just did anyway.
The way I understand it, so long as there is a chance that our assembly could contribute to the spread of a dangerous virus, we ought to take precautions.[1]
I believe the current CDC guidelines provide a workable plan to do that.
Otherwise, the people of God not only have a right to assemble, we must do so.
But I think this is a good time to meditate upon why we must assemble.
I. WHY ASSEMBLE?
A. It is the clear teaching of the Word of God.
Hebrews 10:25 (KJV)
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
This verse, coupled with the next, makes it clear that to forsake the assembling of ourselves is a “willful sin”.
Hebrews 10:26 (KJV)
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
I’ll have a bit more to say from this passage in a little bit. Let me just say that the Bible is filled with command, precepts and principles concerning the assembling of believers.
· Old Testament
· New Testament
It’s all through the Bible.
God’s people are to assemble.
We are to come out of the world for a time specifically to worship the God of Heaven.
Why ought we to assemble?
B. It is exactly what the early believers did
Jesus called to Himself twelve men, baptized by John the Baptist.
He organized them into a functioning body
· They had leadership[2]
· They had instruction[3] and
· They had purpose[4]
He taught them
He prayed with them and for them
He rebuked them
He encouraged them
After He was crucified, they assembled together.
After he was resurrected, He met with them over the next 40 days.[5]
If you will remember,
· They were assembled together when He told them to wait for the promise of the Holy Ghost[6] and
· They were assembled together on the day of Pentecost when they were all filled with the Holy Ghost[7].
Read through the book of Acts and you will discover, assembly, after assembly, after assembly.
When the disciples were scattered in the persecution of Saul, they went everywhere preaching Jesus and assembling.
The very word translated church means assembly.
Simply, if it isn’t assembled, it isn’t church.
By the way, when they assembled
C. It was always with some fear of persecution, or death
That never prevented them.
They considered assembly so essential, they would do it even if it did mean death.
Why assemble?
Because the Bible commands we do it.
But it occurs to me that, so far, what we have is similar to when the child asks “Why?” and the parent says, “Because I said so.”
It’s a legitimate answer.
But it won’t do for the long term.
II. WHY DO WE ASSEMBLE?
A. For instruction in the Word
1 Timothy 3:15 (KJV)
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
2 Timothy 3:14-17 (KJV)
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
So many other passages could be shown.
Let me just say that we assemble in the church of the living God
To be taught, reproved, corrected and instructed in the Scripture.
We assemble
B. For the benefit of mutual faith
Hebrews 10:22-25 (KJV)
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
You see, when we draw together as believers
When we consider one another
· We are provoked to love and good works and
· We are exhorted and encouraged one of another
This cannot happen in any way other than being assembled.
· The telephone won’t do it
· The YouTube videos won’t do it
· The livestream messages won’t do it
Even personal visits and private conversations with the pastor won’t do it.
There is nothing that takes the place of being assembled together under the sound of the preaching of God’s Word.
I have but one other reason why assembly is essential,
C. For the purpose of corporate prayer
Acts 13:1-3 (KJV)
Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
It was in an assembly of believers fasting and praying together the God called Saul and Barnabas to serve and church planters.
Acts 4:29-31 (KJV)
And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
After Peter and John had healed the crippled man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple they were arrested and spent the night in jail.
Next day they were released but threatened to not preach the name of Jesus again
The believers in Jerusalem assembled together in prayer and God literally shook the place where they were praying.
Later on
Acts 12:1-5 (KJV)
Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
The Bible says that as they prayed
An angel came to Peter in the prison
· Woke him up
· Loosed his chains and
· Led him out of the jailhouse
When Peter came to himself, he made his way to where the church was meeting.
I am pretty sure it was a secret church service because, when Peter knocked on the door, a single damsel went to see who was there.
He wasn’t allowed in until they were all sure it was really him.
Conclusion
The assembling of ourselves together in church is no small thing.
A church is only a church when it is assembled
· It is the instruction of the Lord that we assemble
· It is in the assembly of the church that we are equipped to serve the Lord
· It is in the church assembly God calls new laborers into His fields and
· It is when we are assembled we are exhorted and helped in our faith and
· It is in our prayers together at church that God emboldens us and empowers us to be light and salt in this world
Of course we want to care for our neighbors and take precautions in the midst of this plague.
But let’s keep our faith about us and if at all possible…
let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.
[1] I want to urge all those in our congregation who have any reason to believe it may not be safe for them to return to church yet, to continue listening by way of the internet or on the FM radio in the parking lot.
You will know, I am confident, when it is safe for you to assemble in person.
[2] Jesus himself
[3] I think specifically of His Sermon on the Mount, His parables of Matthew 13, His Olivet Discourse
[4] The Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 was given to them as a body and not as individuals.
[6] Acts 1:4 (KJV)
And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
[7] Acts 2:1 (KJV)
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
