Gathering

Gathering
Words of Faith 3-12-26
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2026
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Hebrews 10
[25] Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another— and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

The New Covenant of Christ calls us toward God— to draw near to God and hold unswervingly to the hope we find in Him. We are also called into the Body of Christ to stir one another toward love and good deeds. We are exhorted not to give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing. We are to meet together and encourage one another in Christ as we see the coming of Christ approaching.

The Body is called to be exactly that— a body, a unit, a whole. If we neglect the gathering of the Body, we lose the basic vitality that makes the Body alive. We miss the circulation and respiration that are essential to spiritual life. We become like severed limbs or fingers that quickly begin taking on the appearance of death rather than life. We cease receiving and giving. We starve. There are life operations that we cannot get anywhere else except in connection with the Body and the assembly of the believers.

What do we gather for? Of course, we gather for corporate worship. Private, personal worship is delightful, but we are called to worship corporately. "I was glad when they said to me, Let us go into the house of the lord" (Psalm 122:1).Corporate worship and prayer are private, but they are also a Body thing. We must realize that it is not "about me". It is about what we give, contribute, and join together to produce in praise and prayer. This is always more powerful than even the sum of the individual voices, parts, and hearts.

We assemble for study. Without the careful corporate study of God's Word, it is very easy to get lost. We can find ourselves astray on our subjective tangents and odd interpretations. We need one another to discuss and consider the Word of God. We need the heart of the Berean fellowship in the book of Acts, who were considered of more noble character than others because they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true (Acts 17:11).

We assemble for fellowship, ministry, and witness that encourage one another. We are called to parakaleo— a gentler word meaning to call near, invite, invoke, come alongside. It is an imploration by encouragement, not discouragement. We don't gather to pick at each other. We gather to lift each other up.

We are never to forsake this assembly. This does not mean that we will never miss church. Certainly, there are times we are sick or unable to gather with the believers. But we will not forsake, set aside, or even take the gathering of the Body casually. It may be more convenient to have "church at home," or "church for one," or "television church" on a particular weekend. None of this provides a place for us to give and receive the vital life nourishment that is only found in connection with the Body.

This verse is not legalism. It must not be. We do not gain God's approval by engaging in any religious activity. But it is not "legalism" to be directed to a drinking fountain when one is thirsty. It is not legalism to suggest that one come to the table regularly so as not to be hungry. It is not legalism to exhort one to breathe if they appear to be in need of oxygen.

The truth is, we all need water, food, and air! The Body is where we find these things. Once we discover that joy, it will never be legalism for us. We rejoice in the approach and connection to the Body.

As the Psalmist declares: My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God (84:2).Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked (84:10). Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you (84:4). Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple (65:4). This is the joy of the gathering.

The gathering of God's people in God's house is energizing and revitalizing. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another— and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Father God, draw me near to Your heart and also near to Your people, the Body of Christ. Draw me into the place of encouragement, learning, prayer, and worship. Draw me into the gathering of the set apart ones that I may be formed more after Your image and discover who You have created me to be. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2026
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2026 Jeffrey D. Hoy.