Catechism--Third Commandment--Remember the Sabbath day, by keeping it holy. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.
Acts 2:42--And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Devotion--Why did those early Christians find it so important to regularly gather together? Well, we could probably think of a number of reasons. They were just beginning to discover what it meant to be God's people, and how Jesus' life, death, and resurrection was a part of that. They were the minority in pretty much all the places they lived, and needed the mutual encouragement of each other in times of adversity. They wanted to learn more about what their faith meant for their lives, and the best way to do that was to gather together to talk about it and work through situations in life as they arose.
Perhaps you can see how things may have changed in the centuries since then. For many of us, we have at least some background in the Christian faith. Perhaps we attended Sunday School and catechism class. We've worshiped with some degree of regularity in our lives. We live in a nation where we may not necessarily be the minority, at least in cultural terms. So some of the reasons that the early Christians may have gathered may not necessarily be the same for us now.
And yet, don't we still need regular encouragement in the living out of our faith? Don't we need to be growing in our understanding of what we believe, and how that impacts all parts of our life? Aren't there times when we need to get together and lament the fact that so many around us just don't seem to understand what it means that we are God's people? Don't we still need strength and encouragement for the journey of faith?
There is a very personal component to our worship times together, in which many of these concerns and needs are cared for. We pray for each other. We encourage each other. We teach each other about our faith and life. We are strengthened by God for the journey of faith and life. And we all need these as we walk through life.
Acts 2:42--And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Devotion--Why did those early Christians find it so important to regularly gather together? Well, we could probably think of a number of reasons. They were just beginning to discover what it meant to be God's people, and how Jesus' life, death, and resurrection was a part of that. They were the minority in pretty much all the places they lived, and needed the mutual encouragement of each other in times of adversity. They wanted to learn more about what their faith meant for their lives, and the best way to do that was to gather together to talk about it and work through situations in life as they arose.
Perhaps you can see how things may have changed in the centuries since then. For many of us, we have at least some background in the Christian faith. Perhaps we attended Sunday School and catechism class. We've worshiped with some degree of regularity in our lives. We live in a nation where we may not necessarily be the minority, at least in cultural terms. So some of the reasons that the early Christians may have gathered may not necessarily be the same for us now.
And yet, don't we still need regular encouragement in the living out of our faith? Don't we need to be growing in our understanding of what we believe, and how that impacts all parts of our life? Aren't there times when we need to get together and lament the fact that so many around us just don't seem to understand what it means that we are God's people? Don't we still need strength and encouragement for the journey of faith?
There is a very personal component to our worship times together, in which many of these concerns and needs are cared for. We pray for each other. We encourage each other. We teach each other about our faith and life. We are strengthened by God for the journey of faith and life. And we all need these as we walk through life.
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