Tuesday, August 08, 2006

The Purpose of Christian Assemblies

For most of us, all our lives, we've thought the "purpose" of going to church was to "worship".

However, I can't find any support for this idea in the New Testament.

I find our purpose for Life to be "worship" (Rom 12:1), but our purpose for assembling is twofold:

1) to participate in the Lord's Supper, and

2) to build up one another.

Granted, worship is included in our assemblies, but worship is not the purpose of our assemblies. Here's a representative passage from Hebrews 10:24-25:

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

Accordingly, I propose (only tongue-in-cheek) that we change the marquee' out in front of the assembly building so that it reads:

Provocation Assembly
Where Our Goal is to Provoke You!
(Unto love and good works...)

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