And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25
How did this verse become a religious mandate for attending religious services? I have read the theological commentaries on these verses. It may have been much better during the first century for a while till the ‘religious elite’ took over leadership and moved the ‘service’ into a religious liturgy, tradition, with formulized rules and rituals. I understand greatly the need to stay ‘plugged in’ with other ‘believers’ who are part of the Body of Christ and who are closely connected to you, but how does the current “Church service” that is closer to a ‘movie going experience’ in a theater help me to ‘connect’ to the Body when the majority of the ‘service’ is facing forward and sitting ‘quietly’? Where is the ‘connection’? Where is the conversation? Where are the questions and personal weekly events that speak to the testimony of Jesus in our lives? Where EACH member shares and has a chance to express themselves? Oh … that’s for another time? When is Jesus really in our midst? When is the Holy Spirit allowed to move, and speak? Where is the real ‘teaching’? So… is lecture for you your best way to learn?
Is that ‘service’ really a ministry to Jesus or to the people? Who really is getting the glory (attention)? Why does tradition and ritual trump the move of the Holy Spirit? Is the ‘pastor’s sermon’ really sacred? Is the method of the pastor’s sermon really about discipleship? It seems it is more like the method of Jesus when He addressed the “unsaved” crowds. Is that what the Sunday morning ‘Church service’ is all about – preaching to the possible one or two in the assembly who are new and not yet know Jesus? Where is the assembly that 1. Really ministers to Jesus – first and foremost. And 2. Really allows the Body to fellowship together with connection, food, conversation, and discipleship? Where people really can ask questions and grapple with the times they are living in. I think we need to begin to look straight at what traditions are no longer working in growing people in Christ. Is the weekly pastoral sermon really the thing that is worthy of a large salary?
I encourage you to meet with the Body of Christ outside of the Sunday morning ‘service’ and go deep in spiritual discussions. Really ask for Jesus to be in your midst. Really invite the Holy Spirit to teach you. Really learn to go deep spiritually instead of being satisfied with an inch of depth a mile wide. Most pastoral sermons are actually very shallow as they are written for the lowest common denominator—which is about 3rd grade. Don’t you need more meat than milk if you are no longer a ‘child’?
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 1 Corinthians 13:11
Are you really growing spiritually? Are you being challenged daily? Find who you are really connected to spiritually – and dump the rituals / traditions, and really talk with one another. Be really connected rather than just sitting in a theater once a week.
I can already hear the excuses. I lived them for decades. But actually my spiritual growth didn’t really take off until the Sunday morning service was no longer viewed as a place to learn spiritual things and I turned to the Holy Spirit for teaching.