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It is written:
Acts 20:7-Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.
Regular assembly with the church family for worship and edification is a normal part of the Christian religion. Yet many do not grasp the importance of assembling with the church.
Speaking of the importance of the church assembly in the New Testament (especially in the Book of Acts), Ferguson has noted:
“The New Testament has a rich doctrine of the Christian assembly and shows that the coming together of believers is important.31 Faith may be private or individual in the sense that someone cannot believe for another, but faith has a community expression and involves a group. If one can sustain one’s faith without the support of common worship, then it is not the Christian faith that is held. The sheer number of passages in the New Testament about Christians coming together is impressive. The frequency of these statements shows the importance of the assembly to early Christians. We group the passages according to the Greek terms “come together” (suner-chomai), “gather together” (synaga), “assemble” (synathroizo), and “the same place” (epi to auto). “Come together” is used in Acts of the crowd gathered on Pentecost cost (Acts 2:6), of the gathering at Cornelius’s house (Acts 10:27), and of the women gathered for prayer outside Philippi (Acts 16:13). It is the word used in 1 Corinthians 11 and 14 for the assemblies of the church (1 Cor. 11:17, 33-34; 14:26). The coming together is specified as “in church” (“in assembly”) in 1 Corinthians 11:18, as “in the same place” in 1 Corinthians 11:20; and all three expressions are combined in 1 Corinthians 14:23: “if the whole church comes together in one place.” “Gather together” (“to congregate,” verb form of synagogue) is used of the gatherings of Christians to pray (Acts 4:31), to teach (“gathered together in church”-Acts 11:26), to hear a missionary report port (Acts 14:27), to decide a disputed issue (Acts 15:6, 30), to eat the Lord’s supper (Acts 20:7-8), and to decide a case of discipline (1 Cor. 5:4; cf. its use in Matt. 18:20). The equivalent compound form of the verb and noun (episynaga, episynagoge) is used in the admonition against deserting church meetings in Hebrews 10:25 and in the description of the gathering together of the elect at the end of the age (2 Thess. 2:1; Matt. 24:31; and Mark 13:27). “To assemble” or “gather into a group,” fairly common in classical Greek, is rare in the New Testament, but it is used in Acts 12:12 for a prayer meeting. The phrase epi to auto can mean “together,” but it can also mean “in the same place,” and when it occurs in connection with the verbs “to come together” or “gather together” must mean the latter (1 Cor. 11:18; 14:23). It seems to have acquired on occasion in early Christian literature almost a technical sense of “in the assembly,” “in the church meeting.” This may be the sense of Acts 2:44 (cf. 2:1, where the phrase must mean “in one place,” since “together” is redundant) and consequently also in Acts 2:47.32 The cumulative impression of these passages is to demonstrate how often the early Christians were together in meetings and consequently the importance of these meetings for them. Christianity was not a private religious experience.” (Everett Ferguson, The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today, 231-233 (Kindle Edition); Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company)
Here are some basic reasons why Christians need to assemble together.
1. God has commanded that we assemble together.
Hebrews 10:24-25-And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
2. Forsaking the assembly is sinful.
Hebrews 10:24-25-And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
3. We worship God in the assembly.
Colossians 3:16-Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
4. We assemble to encourage each other.
Ephesians 5:19-speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
5. The Word of God is distributed in the assembly of the saints.
Colossians 3:16-Let the word of Christ dwell in you (en humin-in the church assembly, cf. Colossians 4:16) richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
6. In the assembly we have access to communal prayer.
Acts 2:42-And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
7. In the assembly we equip ourselves for preaching and teaching others the Word of God.
Acts 14:27-Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
8. The elders in the church help the elders to carry out their responsibilities.
Hebrews 13:17-Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
9. Through the assembly we are able to proclaim the Lord’s death until He returns.
1 Corinthians 11:18, 26-For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.…For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
10. We are filled with the Holy Spirit in the church assembly.
Ephesians 5:18-21-And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
When a person cannot assemble, there is no guilt before the Lord (cf. Leviticus 10:19-20; 13:46; Numbers 5:2; 9:10-13; 1 Samuel 1:21-22; 2 Kings 15:5; 1 Timothy 5:8). These passages of Scripture teach that God did not hold guilty those who could not assemble at the appointed feasts and times under the circumstances of bereavement, sickness (including pandemic and quarantine situations), traveling, and parental and familial considerations.
Many are asking good questions about virtual worship and assembly, where people are able (through the means of technology and social media platforms) to “join in” with other Christians in worship and edification.
What shall we make of this?
First, it is true that those who worship “virtually” are assembling with the saints. As such, it does not seem appropriate to make a hard and fast rule that “virtual worship” should be forbidden or banned (as some attempt to do).
Second, there are advantages to virtual worship. For example, virtual worship services allow a person to worship God with their brothers and sisters during the midst of difficult times and situations (like we have learned during the coronavirus pandemic). This can also provide a forum for parents who may have difficulties with their children (such as nurseries in many church buildings provide).
Third, there are disadvantages to virtual worship. Many may attempt to worship virtually but not interact with other Christians. (Of course, this has been a problem for in-person church services for centuries as well). Moreover, it is difficult to see how elders in the local body could carry out their responsibilities as overseers of the flock if their members are scattered across a city, county, state, or even other countries! (Of course, “difficult” does not translate to “impossible”). Moreover, there seems to be a “personal touch” that may be lost through virtual worship.
Regardless of “how”one chooses to assemble, make no mistake: we need to regularly assemble together! This assembly is especially on the Lord’s Day (Sunday-Revelation 1:10),
Christian, when you were baptized into Christ, you were making a commitment to Jesus and to the body (church) of Christ. Please do not shirk your responsibilities to the Lord, or to your church family.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.
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