Community of an assembly: keeping Christians

Turn with me please to 2nd Chronicles chapter 20 and we'll read a verse 1 2nd Chronicles chapter 20 and verse 1. It came to pass after this also that the children of Moab and the children of Ammon and with them other beside the Ammonites came against Jehoshaphat to battle. Further in the chapter turn to verse 4. And Judah gathered themselves together to ask help of the Lord even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court and said, O Lord God of our fathers art not thou God in heaven and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathens and in thy hand there is power and might so that none is able to withstand thee? Art thou not our God who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before the people before thy people Israel and gave us it to the seed of Abraham thy friend forever? And they dwelt therein and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name saying, if when evil cometh upon us as the sword judgment or pestilence or famine we stand before this house and in thy presence for thy name is in this house and cry unto thee in our affliction then thou will hear and help.

And now behold the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt but they turned from them and destroyed them not. Behold I say how they reward us to come to cast us cast us out of thy possession which thou has given us to inherit. O our God wilt thou not judge them for we have no might against this great great company that cometh against us.

Neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee and all Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones their wives and their children. My wife and I were reading this portion in the evening a month or so ago and the last verse the last verse struck me and all Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones their wives and their children and I thought about Israel was truly a community God God wanted them to be a community and here they are the people who are coming against them are their relatives. The Ammonites the Moabites were the incestuous children of Lot and the people of Mount Seir were the Edomites of descendants of Esau.

They know they're going to be defeated and they come the whole community comes down stands before the tabernacle or before the temple excuse me in Jerusalem and they plead before God and I was touched with that and I thought about something and we're going to look at the scriptures in the New Testament I thought and this is I don't have titles normally to what I speak on but I do today tonight today the community of the local assembly and we're first going to look at the community of Israel but the question over this whole thing this was the question that kind of prompted me to think about this and I hope to give at least a partial answer why do people leave the local assembly because we know they do and I hope to give you some answers and maybe in some small way some solutions to that question so over this whole thing why do people leave the assembly and the thought of the community of the local assembly turn to the New Testament please Luke chapter 2 and we'll read a verse 41 now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover and when he was 12 years old they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast and when they had fulfilled the days as they returned the child Jesus carried behind at Jerusalem and Joseph and his mother knew it not knew not of it but they supposing him to have been in the company when a day's journey and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance and when they found him not they turned back again to Jerusalem seeking him okay now I want you to I want you the descriptors were reading I'm not going to explain them but I want you to get a picture of what's happening in in each of the in each of the scriptures will look at we have here the Passover Jesus is 12 years old and their custom is to go to Jerusalem there was one of the three feasts they were to come the whole nation was to come to Jerusalem they went up from Nazareth or went down really from Nazareth to Jerusalem and they're going home and they go a day's journey and they don't realize that the Lord Jesus isn't with them or the young man Jesus is not with them now think how did that happen I can with with as many children as I had I can tell you that that happened to us a couple times but not the same situation but but why why did they leave why did they lose him it was not I can you not just picture this in your mind they're walking they're going back north to Nazareth from Jerusalem the women are walking together talking the men are walking together talking the kids are playing around and and they're they're not with their own parents there with a group they get to where they're going to camp that night and the Lord Jesus isn't there well not an unusual we had a community from Nazareth and it says kinsfolk kinsmen and acquaintance so there were there were family and and neighbors traveling together and they thought the Lord Jesus was with somebody and he wasn't so you can see there there the whole the nation was a community there were communities and they lived and worked and functioned together they came to Jerusalem three times a year I said to worship they worship as a community they were to marry within their nation within the twelve tribes they were to marry they would were to fight and to defend one another you remember the ones that stayed on the east side of the River Jordan they wanted their inheritance there they were they had to go over and help their brother and conquered the land on the west side so they fought together they entertained each other if someone was coming coming through and they had no place to stay there was no motels in they would stay with they would entertain strangers and and bring them in their home so we see in the Old Testament that God the nation was a community and they had a common family they were all the descendants of Abraham they had a center Jerusalem and they had God that would be their God and would protect them and and and take care of them so now let's let's look now that we're thinking of this in as a New Testament assembly turn to Acts chapter 2 please very common the beginning of the church will read a verse 41 then they that gladly received his word were baptized in the same day they were added into them about 3,000 souls and they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers and fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done by the Apostles and all that believed were together and at all things common and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need and they continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved so we have here at the beginning of the church we have this assembly in Jerusalem and we and I want you you know we we talk about the function that we have four functions of the New Testament church they get them in order Apostles doctrine to continue steadfastly and in the teaching and fellowship and breaking of bread and in prayers but I want you to look at the words in verse 46 and they continue daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house they were eating meals together did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God can you not just get a sense of feel for this community in Jerusalem I mean they were now recently saved and baptized and added together enjoying fellowship with one another going in and they were together in each other's homes they were happy God was saving others they were being added you can just and you can go through the first of chapter 3 chapter 4 chapter chapter 3 and 4 before we get to Ananias and Sapphira but you can get a sense of their oneness together their their gladness their happiness their joy they're the thrill of being a part of this so we have in this portion of the function of this community just look at for one verse or two verses in Acts chapter 20 except for 20 we have verse 17 and from the latest he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church verse 28 take heed therefore and to yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost have made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he had purchased with his own blood for I know this that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them so we have here that that the Apostle Paul through the direction of the of the of God the Spirit of God did not leave this community without leaders without direction without guidance without protection and they were we can read in Peter they were among the the they were among the flock they weren't over the flock so they these men were raised up of God to guide to protect the community turn please to chapter 16 I said I'm not going to spend much time on any any one verse but I want you to get a feel for the New Testament assemblies how they functioned how they how they work together Romans 16 verse 1 we read this pretty much every time we read a letter don't we have combination I commend unto you Phoebe our sister which is a servant of the church which is in centuria that you receive her in the Lord has become a saint and that you assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you for she hath been a sucker of many and of myself also greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus who have for my life laid down their own necks and to whom not only I give thanks but also all the churches of the Gentiles likewise greet the church that is in their house and I won't continue to read down through here but we have here Paul expressing his appreciation and his love for these named people he appreciated them individually and he notes that and and there is he expresses his love and and at the end of a lot of his epistles he expresses his love towards individuals and so in this community there is an expression of love and appreciation and you can see that like I said at the end of most most of the epistles 1st Corinthians 16 the end of another epistle please turn there we'll read at verse 13 watch ye stand fast in the faith quit you like men be strong let all your things be done with love I beseech you brethren you know the house of Stephanus that it is the firstfruits of Achaia that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the Saints that you submit yourselves unto such and to everyone that helpeth with us and laboreth I am glad at the coming of Stephanus and Fortunatus and Achaicus for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied for they have refreshed my spirit and yours therefore acknowledge ye them that are such the churches of Asia salute you Aquila and Priscilla there their names come up again salute you much in the Lord with the church that is in their house all the brethren greet you greet one another with an holy kiss so we have here there's a house a family that have addicted themselves usually addictions are bad but this is a good addiction they've addicted themselves to the ministry or the serving of the people of God that's that's their goal that's their life that is their their all that's what they want to do they have a care for the people of God for the community of the local assembly a couple more were look at Titus chapter 2 really let's look at try to do these in order let's look at first Thessalonians chapter 1 first first Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 7 so that ye were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia for from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place your faith to God word to God word is spread abroad so that we need not to speak anything so we have here this community at Thessalonica proclaim the gospel in the whole area they work together as a community to proclaim the gospel so there was no need for Paul to come and preach the area knew all about the Lord Jesus had already been preached and one last scripture in Titus chapter 2 Titus chapter 2 verse 1 but speak thou the things which become sound doctrine that the aged men be sober grave temperate sound in faith in love and patience the aged women likewise that they be in behavior as become of holiness not false accusers not given too much wine teachers of good things that they may teach the young women to be sober to love their husbands to love their children to be discreet chaste keepers at home good obedient to their own husbands that the Word of God be not blasphemed young men likewise exhort to be sober minded in all things showing myself a pattern of good works in doctrine showing uncorruptedness gravity sincerity sound speech that cannot be condemned that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed having no evil thing to say of you exhort servants to be obedient and to their own masters and to please them well in all things not answering again not purloining stealing not sure but showing all good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things can you not see in these verses a community functioning you have aged men and I think I'm there and older women and young men and young women and you can see they're they're they're coming together to the older women are to teach the younger women the young men are to be sober minded showing a pattern of good works we have we have all the classes we don't have I get concerned a little bit as I I've got children from Boston to Seattle now and so we travel and I'm a little concerned when I see meetings being held for different age segments of an assembly that just I don't see that in my Bible you know heaven forbid that you're against a meeting to study the Bible but I just don't see that and I don't see a age segregation in this community of a local assembly I see that all are important and we have here but what is important as I read in Titus here we have the the words that the word in verse 5 that the Word of God be not blasphemed that they on the contrary part verse 8 may be ashamed having no evil thing to say of you I see here testimony the testimony of the local community of the local assembly when functioning as they're supposed to be they can't find anything to say wrong about you now we've looked at the Old Testament the nation of Israel we've looked at at the Word of God as we have the local assembly as it's as it's shown to us in the various places what about us what about today Wayne Granzell and I visit have a Bible study in a prison in Prairie we have for almost four years now and most of the men that are in there come from the other side of the state but it's interesting sometimes to listen to how they were raised I remember a man his name is Raymond Smith he's about 47 got had gotten saved a couple years before in prison has spent most of his adult life in prison he has three children I don't know how many wives or how many women I shouldn't say wives but at least two has never been a father to his children he never knew his own father it doesn't know who yes his mother was a crack addict and in Chicago he grew up in Chicago his mother was a crack addict his grandmother raised him in Chicago but that is kind of a broad statement she raised him because the gangs on the street is who raised it that was who took care of him who protected him who gave him food who gave him shelter shelter and and it's all he needed he needed to belong to something he didn't have a family to belong to so he belonged to this gang and I and I understand I mean we're told this I guess we don't see it too much in prairie but gangs are a huge thing in prisons we everything that we take in has to be gone over to make sure it's not gang-related you know the two roads to destiny's chart I wonder how they do with that looking through that see if there's anything in there that that it's gang-related I don't know but but everything because it's a huge huge problem but they need they need to be needed to and we all do we need to be needed we need to know that people care about us and that we're appreciated and we need examples and teachers and you see God has provided all of this you know in a functioning assembly we need we need direction and in teaching we need direction because we need activity I remember Fred Hill years and years ago and I was very blessed to have four couples my wife and I four couples in our early Christian experience there was a tremendous help to us Louie and Amanda Brant Henry and Gladys Walsh and they were old enough to be our grandparents and Fred and Teresa Hill and Joe and Fran Procopio in the Boston area that's where we were in the service a couple a year after we were saved but Fred Hill said to me one time he said and he was the most unathletic un coordinated great great great elder great shepherd but he was not into any ball game or anything like that but he was aware of young people and he said young people need activity and if you don't find that they don't find that activity in the local assembly they're going to find it someplace and that will be someplace other than the local assembly they need not not just I'm not talking ballgames okay I'm talking spiritual activity in the proclamation of the gospel in Sunday school work they need that they need activity they need and again they need to be needed the Bereans were known to be ones who search the scriptures we need to be like that to the Thessalonians they sounded out the gospel and I was thinking how does this how do we promote as a people of God and and I'm looking at a whole lot of age variation here and we're all responsible for this community of the local assembly to promote that but how how can how can you a single person maybe a young single person how can you promote an older person who doesn't have much resources possibly how can you promote how can you promote this feeling of community because without this feeling of belonging to something people leave if they don't feel they're important or nobody cares or nobody's interested why stay now I will say this we all have most of us in our halls over the back or two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them all right I want to tell you that that should be enough to keep us he has promised to be there we've heard that he has promised to be there and and for some that is enough that will be enough but for a lot of people that is they need to be needed they need to belong to something so how can we help how can each of us individually help the first thing I have I have three three little more this is not exhaustive by any means but the first one I have is hospitality okay and hospitality is not a measure of how big your house is or how much money you have it's a measure of your heart I can tell you that most if not all the Saints would be perfectly happy if they were invited to your home and you popped popcorn and served kool-aid because they're not going to remember oh it wasn't that great that was Orville Redenbacher's popcorn yeah they're not going to remember that they're going to remember the time of fellowship that they were important enough to be invited over and I can tell you it doesn't take much money to serve popcorn and kool-aid if you can't handle that see me afterwards and I'll make sure you have enough money for that hospitality open hearts open homes phone calls not gossip phone calls phone calls you that you're interested that you haven't seen them for a while or wonder how they're doing or you heard that something happened or or you saw on Facebook or I don't know I look at my wife's Facebook I don't have one there's a lot of us out there we don't have them but we look at other people's supplying a physical need if you know they need something to go to James if you say you know somebody has need of food or clothing and you have the means to do so and you just say be warm be be filled and don't do it your faith is kind of empty James says so if you know they have a physical need or an emotional need I can go to that too sometimes when something happens in somebody's life and you go man I have no idea what to say in this situation I've never experienced this go anyway you don't have to say anything most of the time just be there just care enough care enough to be there the second thing that we can all do I see I don't think I've had anything in here that there's not I couldn't look at any one of you and say you could do what I just said the second thing I can still do the same thing I can look at any one of you and say you can do what I just said prayer you can pray for them I can tell you in our assembly on a prayer meeting night there's a brother who's not here today so I can talk about it I won't tell you but he prays for my son Seth who's not saved he prays for my father who's not saved he prays for my sister who has cancer at this point in time he faithfully prays for my family every Wednesday night do you not think that that builds in a feeling of care of community it does when you are actively praying and and some people have less trouble praying by name for somebody especially that's in there I remember I remember art could pray he gets very sad he didn't see who came in and he could they could come in and he didn't know they came in and they're sitting back there and he could pray for them in such a way that they wouldn't be upset at all and didn't even know they were there and he was praying for them by that by name I'm not very good at that but just praying for one another being concerned and and and I just build a sense of community and the last thing I have I really got this from Val Brandt a long time ago he wasn't saved I think he was the last in his family to get saved and he was in his 30s and his son Dale didn't get saved until he was in his 30s and he made this statement he prayed that if God saved all of his family that he would have the same care and concern for the children of the Saints in the assembly that he had for his own and I thought what a wonderful thought so from the time I heard that I look at the children in our assembly whether they're mine or not as our children there are and isn't that going back to what I'm talking about here the community of a local assembly there are children you know we we were there when they were carried in for the first meeting sometime in our assembly it was kind of a race to see who could do it the youngest you know like it's a day old and it came to a first meeting but we were there when they first came we watched them grow up and hopefully we saw them we saw them saved and we were there when they were baptized and there are children and so thinking of them as our children not just your children and my children but our children helps to build a sense of the community of the local assembly so Israel had they were the children of Abraham they had Jerusalem as their center and God promised to be their God what do we have we are the sons of God the children of God that's our bond that's what brings us together to begin with it's interesting sometime in an assembly when you see people of different backgrounds from different parts of the country different races all sitting down together in a local assembly capacity so we are the sons of God our Center I'm careful now I'm I've thought about this word where we meet is the local assembly our Center is really Christ the Lord Jesus as our Lord our Savior our friend our advocate our great high priest our bride group so it comes down now so what are you gonna do I have thought about this a lot we all go to ministry meetings you know a lot of the people that need to hear this are here the people who need to hear at the least are here they come to conferences and they and they go to ministry meetings and things in general not that we don't all need to hear that so so what are you going to do most of the time in a ministry meeting if one or two percent of the people that were listening actually made some changes in their life with what they heard it would be a lot different one or two percent what if half of us did what if all of us did made some adjustments in our life you see people wouldn't people wouldn't be so prone to leave they feel wanted they'd feel needed they'd feel cared for we would be adorning the doctrine as Paul said that Timothy the doctrine so we would be attractive to a world around us when they see this this group of people really love each other they work for each other they care for each other they pray for each other they enjoy each other I'd like to be a part of that we would be attractive to the world around us and we wouldn't lose people that are there already so I have enjoyed this thought lately why were we saved because God wants to enjoy us and he wants us to enjoy him and an assembly that's functioning and working and expressing the characteristics of a community God will enjoy and functioning that way we will enjoy him as well