Assembling

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 (KJV)

There are a number of specific instructions given to mankind in the New Testament. Men and women are to believe (I John 3:16-23), repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38), grow in the faith (Hebrews 6:1-3), and a number of other things. One of these commands is to assemble. Or rather, we are forbidden from not assembling. The churches that we read about in the Bible met with much regularity. Acts 20:7-12 shows a church meeting on the first day of the week to partake of the Lord's Supper. Acts 2:46 shows that Christians met almost constantly (Not just a 2-3 times a week, but daily! How many today would be willing to assemble daily, I wonder?). The Lord has given us several purposes for the assembly, and if we choose not to gather together, we do not properly fulfill these tasks.

One of the more obvious purposes of the assembly is worship. While the assembly is not the sole worship we should offer to the Lord, it is one of the forms of worship required of the Christian. Acts 13:1-2, among other passages, shows this. If a person chooses to forsake the assembly, they choose to forsake one of the forms of worship required by the Almighty God.

Another clear purpose to the assembly is to learn and teach. I Timothy 4:13 is a command to public reading and teaching of scripture. Ephesians 5:18-21 and Colossians 3:16 are both passages which show how we are to teach one another in song. Most of the time we are assembled is spent teaching each other in one way or another. If we choose not to assemble ourselves, we choose to not teach or learn in this way. Much as forsaking the assembly is forbidden, lack of knowledge in regard to God's will is condemned.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Hosea 4:6 (KJV)

The assembly also serves as an encouragement. It can be difficult, at times, to truly serve Christ. Christians are often faced with discouragements and obstacles. Assembling with the saints, knowing that others face the same troubles, and helping one another through these trials is of great benefit. By his associations with other Christians, the apostle Paul was greatly encouraged (Romans 1:12, II Corinthians 7:4, Colossians 2:2, etc.). Moreover, not only will a person leave encouraged, but will encourage and strengthen others. In this way, through the assembly, we help others live a Christ-like life, that more may have eternal life.

Sometimes people have legitimate reasons to not be at the assembly (Luke 14:5), but more often than not is seems that people are willing to seize any excuse to forsake the assembly. In so doing, a number of people are caused hurt.

First, you hurt yourself by choosing to forsake the assembly. You choose to give up teaching and learning, encouragement, and choose to not worship the Lord as He wants to be worshiped. Rather than building up your strength and growing as a Christians, over time you will instead be weakened, even to the point of falling away from Christ (Galatians 5:4).

Second, you hurt others in the congregation. Instead of being an encouragement, the brethren are discouraged by the absence of those who choose not to assemble. Instead of being encouraged, the preacher and song leader are discouraged by a lack of care for God's word. Instead of having your knowledge shared with them, the brethren receive less teaching.

Third, if you have a family, you hurt them. Your children do not learn to place Christ in their lives as a priority, but rather as something that can be skipped when it seems inconvenient, and are discouraged in the faith (Colossians 3:20). The same if you have an unbelieving spouse. Your extended family will often see a lack of assembling as a lack of focus on Christ, perhaps even to the point of seeing it as hypocrisy. You do your family no favors by choosing to not assemble each and every time.

Fourth, you hurt the work of the local congregation. In the assembly, there are fewer who will take part. In growth, many will look at the church and see one that is dwindling, not growing, and so not take the time to learn God's word.

We cannot pick and choose which of the Lord's commands we obey. The command to assemble is as binding on us the Lord's commands to believe, love, and obey. In choosing to not assemble, we choose to disregard the Lord's command and we choose to discourage and place a stumbling block in front of others.