Assembling with the Saints

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.
Hebrews 10:24-25

The Bible is clear: let us assemble together. And we can look at passages such as Acts 20:7 and see that the first day of the week is a time in which we should assemble, that we may partake of the Lord's Supper.

But is that all that Hebrews 10:24-25 is limited to? Simply meeting once a week? Is our assembling together only just once on Sunday, and then we feel we have fulfilled the directive we are given? Consider the early church, and how often they spent time around each other: they met daily (Acts 2:46, Acts 5:42, Hebrews 3:13). Daily! To us, it may seem strange. After all, how much time do we spend around each other? How often do we assemble ourselves together?

Gathering together should go beyond simple meeting once a week to partake of the Lord' Supper. It should even go beyond meeting three times a week at the building. There should be a desire in each of us to spend time with the brethren, that we can help each other live more godly lives, and that we can each strive become more Christ-like.

After all, who is likely to help you walk in the light? Those of the world, whose god is their bellies and who are enemies of Christ (Philippians 3:18-19)? Or spending time among those who are looking out for your spiritual well being (I Corinthians 10:24)? Hopefully it is a simple decision for all of us.

And how close are we to each other, as Christians? Are we close enough that we can rely on each other in not only good times, but during the rough times in life? Are we around each other and close enough that we can effectively build up and edify each other? Do we spend enough time together to provoke one another to love and good works?

Or is there something else that stands in the way of our assembling together? Is there some hobby, some activity, some thing that we would rather spend time at instead of assembling together and working to strengthen ourselves? Are we allowing something else in our lives to set up things that are more important to us?

Granted, there are times when we legitimately cannot meet with other Christians for one reason or another. Sometimes our sheep falls in a ditch and we have to get it out (Matthew 12:11). Sometimes we are sick and unable to get out. But do we want to? Are we filled with the desire to assemble ourselves together? Do we want to spend time in each other's company? If so, our lives will show it. We will be at the building when the doors are open, whether it is Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday evening, and gospel meeting. We will spend time around the brethren outside of “formal” assembly times, to get to know one another and help each other. We should want to “assemble ourselves together” and exhort one another.

Do we?