Why are some people so heavily involved in their assembly? They are always there, always available, always willing to help. These folks rarely complain and when the assembly passes through times of trouble, they are looking for solutions, not problems.
Others, however, are not so committed. They stand on the sidelines of assembly life. Their work and their family and their health and their business seem to prevent them from being reliable members of the fellowship (as if others don’t have work or families or health or busyness). In fact, you might even be tempted to conclude that these obstacles are mere excuses. Apart from what the assembly can do for them in weddings, funerals and little Johnny’s contribution to the Christmas program, their involvement is minimal.
What is the difference between these types of believers? How can I be sure I am one of the workers? How can I be in fellowship, in a practical way, in my assembly? Here are some keys:
Be There!
The early church naturally gathered together. They felt the need of it in a hostile world. As you read through the Acts, you will notice their frequent gatherings “in one accord.” They met for fellowship, for prayer, for the teaching of the Word, for worship. In a world that was against the Lord Jesus, the only place of comfort was with other believers around the Word of God. Perhaps our problem is we are too comfortable in this world, desensitized to how much it hates Him.
We too need to be together as believers. It is the responsibility of every believer to be at as many of the assembly meetings as possible. Our meeting together is based on our mutual life in Christ. We come because we have the same nature and have a great deal in common.
Unfortunately, for some, attendance at the meetings has become optional. It has become a negotiable duty and is based on convenience of schedule, or worse, whether we like the preacher.
There are of course legitimate obstacles that prevent us from attending meetings. Obligations to employers, to family, to our own health. But these should be exceptions, not the daily routine of our lives.
You cannot be in fellowship if you are willingly absent from the meetings. Our attendance brings mutual blessing. It blesses others. It blesses us. It blesses God. Be there!
Be Aware!
Any believer who wants to contribute to the health of the local church needs to be a well taught believer. I can only help others if I have good spiritual health myself. We need to be Bible readers. Only the truth of the Scriptures can build up the saints. Not all of us are called to be Bible teachers or preachers, but the truth of the Book should permeate our lives and be evident in our service and walk.
Paul’s words to Timothy (2 Tim. 3:14-17) are good for us too! The Scriptures equip us “unto all good works.” Be aware!
Be Ready…to Share!
Assembly fellowship has financial responsibilities. The apostle Paul, in a practical way, in 1 Corinthians 16 and 2 Corinthians 9 instructs the believers as to their financial responsibilities in the assembly.
It is a privilege to give of our resources to God. God is not broke. He is not dependent on the state of the economy to carry out His purpose. The issue is: Am I going to have a part in His work? He graciously condescends to let me help from my resources. He knows that money is a deeply personal thing. How a person relates to money, can tell you a great deal about that person. Quantity of money is irrelevant. It is the motive that counts.
The youngest believer who gives out of their allowance or paper route money can do big things for God. The young couple struggling to “make ends meet” should not forget the Lord’s portion. The middle-aged, the businessman or woman, the elderly all have a responsibility in giving to God.
Every believer should “lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him” (1 Cor. 16:2). Our duty is to set aside an amount for God first, not what is left over. Financial planners tell us to “pay ourselves first.” The Christian alters that advice and says, “pay God first.” When we do this, not only are the assembly’s needs cared for, but our needs are cared for too. You’d be surprised. Be ready…to share!
…to Bear!
That is to bear our responsibilities to one another and our own work. Paul teaches us: “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). Here it is in the context of the need to restore the falling and faltering. When believers stumble on the path, the flesh can easily resort to idle talk and convenient avoidance of the struggling saint. It is the spiritual who engage in restoration.
But Paul goes on to tell us: “For every man shall bear his own burden” (Gal. 6:5). Here he speaks of our responsibility in our work in the assembly. Don’t worry too much about what others are doing or not doing, be faithful in what God has called you to do.
In Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, Paul exhorts the believers to bear the responsibility in the exercise of gift. We are members of a body, the Spirit of God teaches, interdependent, not independent. When I fail to bear my share of the load, some other member of the body is put under additional pressure. Be ready…to bear!
…to Care!
The local body of believers, like a human body, has a mechanism that protects itself. Paul made this observation in writing to the Corinthians. He says, “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Cor. 12:25-26). “I don’t care!” is not an option for me if I am in fellowship. I am connected to the body. Be ready…to care!
Be Fair!
Inevitably in human relations there are upsets. The fact of them should not surprise us, even among Christians. However, believers have resources to deal with these situations. The apostle succinctly states the believer’s attitude towards others, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:31-32). Think about that! Believers who arm themselves with this state of mind have little difficulty “getting along” with others. They cheer the heart and encourage the saints. They are never sidetracked on self-centered human relations issues because they are occupied with the work to be done. They find themselves being treated, the way they treat others. Be fair!
Be in Prayer!
We are not called to do the same things in service and gift. But we can all pray. Several verses in the Scriptures confirm our duty in this matter. It is particularly vital for those in fellowship in a local assembly. Pray often. Pray systematically for those in your assembly. Pray for the elders. Pray for workers commended from your assembly. Pray for the sick, the young, the old, the lost. Make assembly problems a matter of prayer. Speak to the Lord about them more often than you speak to others about them. Make assembly blessings a matter of praise. Be at the prayer meeting. It takes discipline. It takes faithfulness. It brings results. Be in prayer!
Our membership in the church is based on faith in the Lord Jesus and what He has done for us. Our fellowship is based on what we do with our responsibilities. The work of the local assembly is worth investing our lives in. It will build up the saints, it will bless your own family, it will give you a satisfying life, it will endure for eternity and it will give glory to God. “…that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15).