The Importance of Worshiping Together

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  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.
                                                                                                                         -Hebrews 10:23-25

Hebrews 10:25 is a key verse in our understanding of how we can grow to mature Christianity through worship; we are not to give up the assembling of ourselves together.  We make coming together for worship a priority, and we seek to worship God on a regular basis.  All of my adult life I have heard people say that a person does not have to be in church to worship God.  Well, that is pretty obvious.  I frequently commune with and worship the Lord when I am all alone.  Many a man has said that he doesn’t need to worship God in a church, but can do so just as easily on the golf course.  Nevertheless, one would be hard pressed to find a golf course where people were praying, singing hymns, or having Bible study.  There is definitely a need for private worship as a part of our daily time with God, but nowhere in scripture do we find that this is to replace worshipping with the people of God. We are shown throughout the Bible that when God’s people were serious about their relationship with Him, they came together for worship.  It was a vital part of their relationship with God.

The same holds true for us.  Hebrews 10:25 also instructs us to encourage one another all the more as we see the day approaching.  In its most basic terms, this means that we encourage believers to attend, and we invite unbelievers also.  We can do a lot of advertising, mailings, and other strategies to get people to come to church, but the best method is still a personal invitation. 

So, what do we do when we worship?

·       We exalt the Lord.

·       We sing His praises.

·       We uphold the Bible as the Holy Word of God.

·       We earnestly pray.

·       We make our focus upon the Lord Jesus Christ. 

If we are honest, we will admit that there are times in church when our minds are on anything but worship.  Unless we are careful, our minds can wander to anything rather than what we are supposed to be focusing upon.  The least we can do is to spend a couple of hours a week focusing on the Lord.  Everything else can wait until we are through with the worship time.  The growing and maturing believer will make it a goal to grow through worshipping the Lord among other Christians.

From, Get up and Grow: Becoming a Mature Christian, by Dan Birchfield