When the Local Church Seems Unnecessary

by Micky Galloway

Hebrews 10:23-25, “let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for he is faithful that promised: and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting (one another); and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.”

This passage was written to discouraged Christians who were enduring a most intense persecution because of their faith (cf. Hebrews 10:32ff). What if we have actually learned to like NOT assembling with the local church during the pandemic? Maybe it’s just the slower pace of Sunday mornings, or more family time, or just the freshness of change of online studies. Maybe there is an unspoken disappointment when local church assemblies started again. We have missed the people, but NOT the worship or the sermons or the work or the serving. Or maybe we haven’t missed each other at all and Zoom meetings feel “good enough” or have become a “substitute.” Perhaps to us the local church has become unnecessary.

It’s about God. Serving God can easily slip into serving in a way that respects our likes and preferences over His. We have to remind ourselves that worship assemblies are about God and His will, not “me” and “my” will.

God knows that when we worship together we “stir up love and good works …” (NKJV), and exhort “one another” (Hebrews 10:25). The Lord’s Day assemblies are a time to remember our Lord in the Lord’s supper (I Corinthians 11:17-34). These assemblies are a time to focus on the text of Scripture (Colossians 4:16), and to pray and sing praises to God. Assemblies can even be an opportunity for spiritual warnings, discipline to remove evil influences and to save the erring. When fornication was practiced among the Corinthians, Paul instructed them, “in the name of our Lord Jesus, ye being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh” (I Corinthians 5:4-5).

God says there is value in assembling and so let’s make it about Him by assembling to worship Him. However, if assemblies are not edifying, we desperately need to be present to help make them edifying! The assembling of the saints in Corinth had become chaotic because of the improper exercise of the spiritual gifts. However, they were NOT told to stay home! Rather they were told, “When ye come together, … Let all things be done unto edifying” (I Corinthians 14:26). Regarding the Lord’s supper, Paul condemned them for their divisive practices, “ye come together not for the better but for the worse” (I Corinthians 11:17). However, they were NOT told to stay home! Rather they were instructed how to properly observe the Lord’s supper in their assemblies (cf. I Corinthians 11:23ff).

It’s about others. “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; not forsaking our own assembling together …” (Hebrews 10:24-25). Most discovered that, with a little creativity (like home delivery), we could be self-sufficient during the pandemic. Perhaps we feel that we just don’t need one another. A lot of “one another” things occur when the church assembles. For example, when we sing, we are, “in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms (and) hymns (and) spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God” (Colossians 3:16). Others need you to stir them up, edify and exhort them, and set an example for them. Local church assemblies give us opportunities to express our love in all these things!

It’s about me. We are often not the best judges of our own spiritual needs. We may need the stirring up and exhortation of an assembly (Hebrews 10:24-25) without realizing it. A group brings a wealth of knowledge, wisdom, and experience to worship and Bible studies. Assembling gives us an opportunity to share; to literally not be alone in serving the Lord. The Lord values this and so must we.

Indeed, “Satan is sifting us” with this pandemic. This is an allusion to Satan’s request to test Simon Peter in Luke 22:31. Assembling with local churches at this time may be a test of Satan. It will make the “strong” stronger and it will make the “weak” weaker. When we were meeting outside our assemblies were awkward, uncomfortably hot, cold or windy (or all of the above). Perhaps we were distracted by neighbors or street noise. Perhaps it was less connective, and maybe less edifying than in the past. Now we are back assembling in the building wearing uncomfortable masks. Brethren giving up on assembling is not the answer! Zoom is not the answer! Choosing either Sunday morning or Sunday evening as optional is not the answer! The Lord has made assembling with the church important! Now it is up to us to make it equally important to ourselves. It is as important to my spiritual growth as it is to yours.

(I am greatly indebted to an article by David Diestelkamp https://www.thinkonthesethings.com/ for many of the thoughts in this article. Micky)