And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the Day approaching.    Hebrews 10:24-25 NKJV

I’ve often heard people say that they don’t have to go to church to get to heaven. Maybe that’s true but I ask you this, if you don’t take time out of your busy week to darken the doors of God’s house here on earth, are you so sure He will welcome you with open arms into His mansions in heaven? Just something to think about.

To truly understand this Scripture passage, let’s go back a few verses to get an understanding of what the writer is saying here. If we go to the beginning of chapter 10 in verses 1-4, the writer explains that we are under the new covenant and we no longer need to offer animal sacrifices.

Then in verses 5-10 the writer speaks of how Jesus’s death fulfills God’s will. Verse 10 says, “By that will,” meaning God’s will, “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Verses 11-18 speak of how under the Old Covenant offerings had to be made daily, but Jesus died once to save the sins of all. It speaks of how the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us. Verse 16 says, “This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”. And in verse 17 the writer goes on to say how the Lord says He will remember our sins no more. We are told in Psalm 103:12 that the Lord removes our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Once we repent, we are forgiven and those sins are forgotten.

In verses 19-22 it speaks of how we can boldly enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus Christ. We no longer need a high priest to enter the Holy of Holies and offer sacrifices for us because of what Jesus did on the cross. Verse 22 says let us draw near with full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

We are encouraged to remain faithful in verse 23 which says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” He is faithful, but are we? And this brings us to our Scripture passage.

The writer encourages us to consider one another. We don’t just get saved so we can be alone on an island, we get saved so that we can share that awesome salvation with others. When we get saved, we should want to assemble together in His house.

My friend being a Christian in today’s world isn’t always easy, I don’t know about you, but I need my Christian friends and my church family to support me. I need to spend time in God’s house. I need to be fed His word to quench my spiritual hunger. Sometimes, I even need to be held accountable or corrected when I have done wrong.

And please don’t leave church because your feelings got hurt when you were confronted about your sin. Just be thankful that you have a pastor that is willing to speak the truth. Because honestly, the truth hurts. And if you are going to a good Bible teaching church, no matter how good you strive to be, you are human and you will mess up. And we need good, strong pastors that hold us accountable for our sins and encourage us to do better.

Church isn’t just about you. It’s about supporting your church family emotionally and spiritually. It’s about showing up to give thanks and praise to Jesus Christ who died to save you from your sins.

Church is about taking time out of each week to praise the Lord, serve Him, and serve others. If you haven’t been in church for a while, I know going back is hard, but I promise you won’t regret it.

Have  a great day!