Hebrews 10:25, “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.”
I think this verse has often been used as a guilt trip to encourage people to go to church. We should be convicted if we are not regularly gathering with God’s people, because neglecting to meet shows a lack of love and thoughtfulness towards our neighbors. When we encourage our brothers and sisters to attend our gatherings with Hebrews 10:25, can we make sure we all preface verse 25 with verse 24? See them together,
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.
The author starts with the exhortation not to neglect to meet together by first starting with the motivation. The motivation to gather should never spring from guilt, but love. The author of Hebrews begins through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” We have to think about others. We think about their lives, their hurts, their challenges and their sin. And we consider their lives so that we will know how to stir them up to love and good works. We cannot love people well if we do not know them. And we will never know people well if we neglect meeting together.
Those of you who regular miss your church’s gatherings, have you ever thought that not how your lack of attendance may reveal your lack of love or at least your lack of thinking how to love others? God wants you to gather with His people, not only for your own good, but also so you can be a blessing to others.
Simply put, be a thoughtful churchgoer. Do not neglect to meet with your local church and as you meet consider how you can better love the people God has joined together through the blood of his Son.
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