“Absence!” - #1 “The Absence Of Church & Community!”

“Absence!” - #1

“The Absence Of Church & Community!”

Text: Hebrews 10:25

Hebrews 10:25 (KJV)

²⁵ Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

** I want us to look at important aspects of the Christian life and what it looks like and means when these things are absent! **

** Let’s look at the context of our particular scripture. Here we will find        commands, the way to achieve them, and the results of not following through! **

Hebrews 10:22-27

²² Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

²³ Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

²⁴ And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

²⁵ Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

²⁶ For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

²⁷ But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

-        Here we have the command to draw near to Christ, living in sanctification and holiness, & to hold to our faith! Then the writer exhorts us with the truth that God is faithful in what He promised! We’re then commanded to take that truth that we know and are living out and make it purposeful in others by way of exhortation and encouragement by assembling together! -

Paul says……

Colossians 3:13-17 (KJV)

¹³ Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

¹⁴ And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

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.

¹⁷ And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

-        Keeping them believing! -

-        You may say “Preacher, I can survive without regular church attendance, my walk isn’t diminished by my absence, to which I would proclaim is a lie from Satan, but say it’s true. Maybe you can survive spiritually being a nominal church attender, Maybe so. But what if others can’t survive without you? Oh, you don’t think you’re responsible for them? Read the text again! -

-        You being absent from the body creates havoc in your own life no matter how blind you are to it but it also causes pain in the lives of every person you profess to love in the congregation of the body that you have committed to in covenant! Don’t just say you love them, be present in love towards them! - 

1)                   What It Creates -

The absence of church & community in your life creates….

a.)  A lack of accountability!  -

Who are you going to confess your faults to if you’re not present?

Who is holding you to the standard of the word?

Counsel is in the heart of the wise! Where’s your council if you’re absent?

Causes us to not see sin so clearly and thus we slide downward!

How can the men of God reprove and rebuke you if you’re not present?

b.) A lack of encouragement & exhortation!

You can’t make it alone!

Who’s lifting you up?

Who’s speaking life into and over you?

Who’s speaking the Word of Life unto & into you?

c.)  A lack of real, true, authentic worship!

Who’s singing to and for you?

Worship is far more than an individual practice! A hand can only do so much alone, it NEEDS the rest of it’s body to perform it’s full breadth of purpose!

You are less if not completely ineffective in the lives of your brothers and sisters in Christ if you are absent from worship!

Worshiping alone and worshipping corporately are BOTH necessary! Food & Water! You NEED BOTH!

d.) A lack of effective witness!

Who are you leading?

Who are you discipling?

Your commitment to the command of scripture regarding the church will be lived out in the lives of those closest to you! You don’t care, they won’t care!

Your credibility and influence in the lives of your fellow believers suffocates in your absence!

e.)  A lack of power & unity!

Your absence makes the body weaker and broken!

Your absence makes YOU weaker, faithless, hopeless, broken, and wavering!

A scattered body is a dead body!

I’m better off when you’re here! We’re ALL better off when we’re all here!

f.)   A lack of spiritual balance

Who pulls you back when your sight is skewed?

You’ll never be wrong if no one is there to challenge you!

You don’t know what you believe until it’s tested!

An unbalanced soul is a desperate, wavering soul!

g.)  A lack of purpose!

You will NEVER fully fulfill your purpose in Christ completely outside of the Church! For we are the body of Christ!

You are who you are for a specific purpose inside of the church! You can’t live in it if you’re absent! You’re just burying your talent and eventually Christ will take it away and give it to another!

h.) A lack of zeal!

No one wants to nor can they fight a war alone!

A lonely soldier is a defeated soldier!

No one is zealous working alone without company! Elijah proved that!

You’re ineffective because you lack zeal because you’re lonely in the war because community is absent!

2.) What It Proves -

a.)  Our lack of love for the brethren!

How can we love our brethren when we’re not present in their lives especially in the most intimate place in the life of a Christian, Worship!

Real love takes presence not words nor promises!

b.) Our lack of understanding of it’s purpose!

We cannot understand the purpose of nor what God’s plan is in and for the church if we aren’t supremely committed to it in every aspect, work, worship, outreach, prayer, giving, etc.

c.)  Our lack of commitment to Christ!

We cannot claim allegiance and commitment to Christ if we are not committed to HIS church! Christ and His church are inseparable!

d.) Our lack of devotion and submission to his commands!

If you love me keep my commandments!

e.)  That we don’t fully have the mind of Christ!

Husbands love your wives like Christ loved the church! How much did he love the church? He died for it! You can’t even sacrifice pleasures for it! What if you had to endure pain, hurt, loss, and even death for it!

Don’t claim you die for Christ when you can’t even live for Him!

In Closing:

Absence of church and community in your life creates distance between your brethren and yourself, between yourself and Christ, and between heaven and now!

Absence of church and community in your life proves far more about your relationship with Christ than you can possibly imagine!

Whatever constantly takes priority over the assembling of yourself together with other believers ranks higher in importance to you than your spiritual walk, your joy, your relationship with Christ, your brethren, your eternity, and your God!

BE PRESENT!!!!