Sermon Tone Analysis

The Importance of Faithful Attendance

Hebrews 10:23-25

Introduction:

1.                   Paul Harvey once reported on a 73 year old man who was pinned beneath his farm tractor in driving rain and freezing temperatures.

Concerned friends finally went to see about him, apparently just in time.

Evidently he survived the ordeal, although he did lose one leg below the knee.

a.                   His survival was amazing, but even more amazing was what caused his friends to check up on him.

What prompted them to think something was wrong?

He missed a church service.

Just one, that’s all.

Apparently that man was so consistent, faithful in his attendance that his brethren knew that if he was not there, there must be something seriously wrong.

b.

We might conclude that faithful attendance may save your life.

More importantly, a /failure/ to be faithful in attendance may cost us our souls.

2.                   /Where is God in your life?

What place do you give him?

How much do you love Christ, how strong is your commitment to him?/

One way you can tell, and that others can tell as well, is by your attendance at the services of the church, or the lack of it.

3.                   As we read through the N.T. we find the Lord’s church came together regularly (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor.

11:20; 16:2.

Acts 2:42).

4.                   So we, as the Lord’s church today, are to continue steadfastly in assembling.

In keeping with the apostles’ instruction we meet together on the first day of each week for worship.

But we also meet for Bible class, again Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening for Bible class and worship, and for gospel meetings…

a.

There are some who are supposed to be members of the church who seldom attend any of these services.

Perhaps Christmas, Easter, maybe mother’s day or perhaps when they can think of nothing else to do.

b.

Others attend regularly every Sunday morning worship service, and supposing they have rendered sufficient devotion to the Lord in this one meeting, apparently do not see the need to attend the others… There are many of you here now, who are members of this congregation, who were not here for class, and do not plan to be back tonight or Wednesday…

5.                   I am not here to twist your arm, point fingers and accuse, or point fingers and condemn.

I am here to say, I am concerned about you and am willing to help you in any way I can.

6.

What many may not realize is that failure to be properly concerned about attendance at all the worship services of the church is a serious problem –for the individual, and the congregation.

It may be some simply do not know, others know and need to be reminded, others just don’t care.

But we all should care about… TITLE.

Discussion:

 

*I.

**WHY SHOULD WE FAITHFULLY ASSEMBLE?*

A.

To worship God.

1.                  God is worthy to be praised.

a.

Psa. 18:3: /“I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised.”/

b.

Rev. 4:11/: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power…”/

                                                                        c.

Rev. 5:12: /“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”/

d.

Psa. 29:2:/ “…Ascribe unto the Lord the glory due his name.”/

2.                  We should /want/ to worship God for his greatness but also for his goodness toward us.

a.

Psa. 95:1-7a:/ “Oh come, let us sing unto the Lord; Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving… For the Lord is a Great God… Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker: For he is our God; And we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand…”/

                                                                       b.

Psa. 100:1-5.

/ “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord…”/

3.                  When we think of all God is, his love, all he has given us in the world and in Christ, all Jesus suffered for us, why would we not /want/ to take every opportunity we have to join together and give him thanks, praise his name.

/Where else we would want to be?

How could we stand to miss it?/

a.

If you have to /drag/ yourself to worship, if it’s a /bother/, only attending to soothe your conscience, out of irksome sense of duty, if you have to be /begged, badgered and browbeaten/ there is something seriously wrong.

b.

Psa. 122:1: /I was *glad* when they said to me, Let us go into the house \\ of the Lord/.

B.

The study of God.

1.                  Teachers labor with love to teach our children to help them to know God, his Son, his will.

What a tremendous blessing the Bible class program of the church is in helping to shape our precious children in the image of Christ.

/They love to come, but they can’t… if mom~/dad don’t bring them./

2.                  Many so ignorant of the Bible because they simply do not read it themselves, and fail to take advantage of the classes on Sunday and Wednesday to teach them…Are we like the psalmist when he said:

                                                                        a.

Psa.119:97: /Oh, how I love Your law/!

                                                                       b.

Psa.119:40: /Behold, I long for Your precepts/.

c.

Psa.1:2: /His delight is in the law of the Lord/...

3.                  We need spiritual nourishment…Mt.4:4:

/Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God/.

C.

Devotion to God.

1.                  Matt.6:33: /But *seek first the kingdom of God* and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you/.

a.

Notice that it is not enough merely to seek… to have some place, importance.

There is an order, a priority: FIRST.

The kingdom of God must have first place in our lives or no place at all.

                                                                       b.

That means it comes before family (“But I have family visiting…”), friends, school, sports, work, recreation…

                                                                        c.

/Am I seeking first the kingdom of God when the church assembles and I choose to be elsewhere?/

Is the church of Christ the most important thing in my life on Sunday morning?

Evening?

Wednesday night?

2.                  What does the Lord think of me if I’m only half-hearted?

If I am anything less than on fire?

                                                                        a.

How many here would say that a person who only went to work 3 or 4 days out a 5 day work week was a faithful worker?

b.

How many here would say a car that only started 8 out 10 times was a dependable vehicle?

c.

What about a Christian who only attended 1 of the 3 or more services offered every week… would they be considered a faithful servant of Christ?

                                                                       d.

Rev.3:15-16: /I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot.

I could wish you were cold or hot.