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In Acts 20:7 Paul had stayed in Troas, a seaport town on the Aegean Sea near the ancient site of Troy, for seven days. This verse is considered by evangelicals as one of the clearest New Testament references that the apostolic church met on Sunday rather than a Saturday for worship – “the first day of the week.” For Jews 6 PM Saturday started their first day of the week; for Gentiles it began on Sunday at midnight. Luke, author of Acts, utilized Roman time which ran from midnight to midnight as we do today.
This visit to Troas took place approximately twenty years after Christ’s ascension. Paul spent most of the week witnessing there. Apparently, Sunday was a normal work day in Troas, so Paul met with the believers there on Sunday evening to fellowship, break bread, and preach what God had laid on his heart, lasting until midnight (Acts 20:7). Many believers of Troas were slaves living in a heathen environment and did not have the luxury of attending during the daylight hours. Paul left Troas the following day which was on a Monday.
The first day of the week was set aside for a local body of believers to worship and fellowship corporately. Many “feel” (without biblical reason) the local church is irrelevant today. There is a widespread defection among believers that have an attitude of – “I don’t need the church” or only attend church in the “Oh, my God!” moments of life. If the truth be known, these unchurched believers or even believers who are casual attendees (HIHOs, half in half out, or one foot in church and one foot in the world) are defecting on far more truth than simply failing to attend church!
The Bible was not given to us as a cafeteria styled spiritual menu to pick and choose what we want to observe or not to observe. For those who claim to be a Christian, we need to be reminded that the Bible is the infallible authority in all matters of faith and practice (2 Tim 3:16-17). We are to be submitted and committed to the teaching of Scripture in all things, not some things that fit our fancy. We show our love for Christ because we keep His Word (Jn 14:15, suggestive of all).
We cannot incite one another to love and to do good works (Heb 10:24) or exhort or encourage one another (Heb 10:25) if we are neglecting going to church or in the words of the writer of Hebrews – “forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” (Heb 10:25). The Greek word for “assembling together” is found only here and in 2 Thess 2:1 which is translated “gathering together.” The Hebrews passage refers to a collection of people for worship, and the passage in Thessalonians has reference to the body of Christ collected in the rapture (1 Thess 4:15-17).
Meeting on “the first day of the week” denotes a customary conduct, not a singular or an occasional event. According to the Hebrews passage, some believers were making a habit of not attending church – “… forsaking … as is the manner of some.” This practice continues today for those who have decided to quit going to Church on Sunday for whatever reason; the difference is numerical, forsaking as is the manner of many. The tense of the verb “forsaking” is in the present, meaning some kept on forsaking, a pattern of desertion, which argues that believers were meeting on a regular basis while some were continually choosing not to meet with the local body of believers for worship.
The phrase “so much the more” is found four times in the KJV: Mk 7:36, KJV; Lk 5:15, KJV; Lk 5:15, KJV; and Heb 10:25, KJV. It refers to something that was not contained or restricted in the first three occurrences. In Hebrews it is not intended to be restricted, limited, or contained in any way. In light of Christ’s coming and judgment, we should not be limiting our ability to encourage one another. One of the main reasons for failing to encourage others is refusing to assemble with other believers on a regular basis when it is within our power to go.
Assemble is more than simply showing up, however; it also embraces getting involved by being faithful, fellowshipping, sharing, giving, praising, praying, supporting, helping, being an example, and building one another up in the faith, but all is for naught if we don’t show up and get engaged.
Assemble is more than simply showing up, however; it also embraces getting involved by being faithful, fellowshipping, sharing, giving, praising, praying, supporting, helping, being an example, and building one another up in the faith, but all is for naught if we don’t show up and get engaged.
Many simply attend with a “slip in / slip out” approach, wearing a protective shell, never getting close to anyone, keeping under the radar, and maintaining a low profile. This mode of “worship” keeps commitment low and options high. It breeds like bacteria in larger congregations. This type of worshiper only wants to “hear” the Word by a good homiletician, making no personal application; he or she avoids drawing attention to self, stays away from any connect groups, and ejects during the closing prayer of a worship service for a greater priority: first out of the parking lot, beating the church crowd at a restaurant, or getting out to the lake, mountains, or whatever. Some even skedaddle during the altar call time in the earlier services to get their favorite seat in a Sunday school class!
There is absolutely no way anyone can be a source of encouragement to others or be encouraged to love and do good works by a “slip in and slip out” attitude or being absent most of the time due to a lack of accountability to a local group of born again believers. They can “fool” others, but no way can they circumvent God’s omniscience or all-knowing attribute. He is fully cognizant of all of our motives and behaviors (cf. Psa 139:1-12).
Encouragement is not meant to be limited or restricted by our actions. God knows every believer needs encouragement to continue to show forth the love of Christ and do good works in the difficult days ahead. Just how difficult will the days ahead be prior to the rapture of the church is uncertain. The fact that America is not in the best of shape spiritually and financially could be a signal to us that tough times are not leaving this country very soon, if ever, and particularly if there is no national repentance.
The time could not be more ripe for us to quit slip sliding away and do some repenting of our own, getting our own house in order, and start encouraging others so much the more by giving back Sunday, the first day of the week, to the Lord and getting involved. It's a start in the right direction. One thing is certain about the future; He’s coming back. We definitely don't want to be found forsaking upon His returning! <><
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