BACKSLIDING When You Drift Away From the Family of God, It is Only a Matter of Time until You Drift Away From Fellowship with God. HEBREWS 10;24,25 GLORY HALLELUJAH, I SHALL NOT BE MOVED; Anchored in Jehovah, I shall not be moved; In His love abiding and in Him confiding; Though all hell assail me, though the tempest rages, on the Rock of Ages… Just like a tree that’s planted by the waters, I SHALL NOT BE MOVED. Have we ever fully considered the fallacies of those who proclaim – proudly – that they can worship the Lord just as good in the middle of their favorite fishing spot, or on their jet ski, or in their vehicle while traveling the beautiful nature spots that God, Himself, made for our enjoyment… as you or I can as we assemble in our Houses of Worship? If worship were the only reason we are commanded to meet, then those who claim that they can worship just as well at home would perhaps have a strong argument. BUT! WORSHIP IS NOT THE ONLY REASON THAT WE ARE COMMANDED TO MEET TOGETHER. Nor, is it so that we can be taught the Word. After all, we can turn on our radios or TV and hear good Bible teaching. On the surface, it would seem that anything we can do at church, we can do just as well at home, alone. SO: “Why are we commanded to meet? WHY GO TO CHURCH?” The writer of Hebrews says it is to SAFEGUARD US AGAINST DRIFTING. Forces around us work to blow us off course. Sheer individual commitment is NOT enough to keep us in line. There are those times when WE FEEL as if our faith makes no difference. We feel blind in seeing fruit in our lives and we don’t seem to be making any difference in anyone else’s life, either. During these times, we are tempted to pull up anchor and drift. After all, look around us and we can see a great host of folks blazing away on this path also. Then, we begrudgingly allow our spouses to “drag us to church” and we go just to shut him/her up. This is when WE DISCOVER THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE. We hear others testify how God came through for them in a tight spot. Someone else describes the pain suffered when he left the faith. A new believer tells his/her story and rejoices in God’s grace. And then something begins to happen inside us. WE ARE SPURRED ON TO FAITHFULNESS! The accountability and encouragement found in church anchor us against the tides that work to sweep us away. To neglect the regular assembly of fellow Christians is to miss out on this essential element in the development of our faith. When we drift away from the family of God, it is only a matter of time until we drift away from fellowship with God. Church will encourage us to cling to the hope that is within each of us. Yes, I KNOW, “There’s just a bunch of hypocrites down there at the church house”! And when you – or I – show up… there’s just 1 or 2 more that are now present. THE CHURCH IS A HOSPITAL FOR SINNERS and HYPOCRITES (who lurk within each of us). We are who Jesus came to minister to… THAT’S WHY HE… He established the Church Himself so that we might be saved and sanctified in His service over our lifetime. WE MUST KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE IS NO PERFECT CHURCH; not as long as you and/or I are present there. We owe it to ourselves to make sure that we find one that accurately presents Scripture and practically demonstrates God’s love, AND REMEMBER – YOU TOO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ACTIVELY USE YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHER BELIEVERS!
Posted on: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:32:02 +0000
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