We are in week 3 of a six-week sermon series. We are covering a core principle of our church being a FAMILY church. Let’s look at those points again. Yes, if you haven’t figured it out, we are doing this each week.

F aith in God - Romans 5:1,2
A vailable to Serve - Joshua 24:14
M eet Together Often - Acts 2:46
I nclusive to All People - Galatians 3:28
L oving God and My Neighbor - Matthew 22:37-39
Y ou First Attitude - Matthew 5:41

The first week we talked about our faith in God and our core beliefs that are the core foundation for all Christians. Last week we talked about how we are called to serve God, others, and how we must serve with love. This week we are talking about meeting together often. Where did we find that point in the Bible?

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, —Acts 2:46

We see the early church meeting together and even breaking bread together. This in Hebrew culture was a big deal. You would eat with those you cherished, that you valued, that you lived life together with. That is why it was a big deal when Jesus ate with sinners. He was saying that we are living our lives together, and I am willing to be seen with you and be known to be associated with you.

Today, in a simple way, this is where did you sit in high school? Were you with your fellow jocks, nerds, cheerleaders, club members, sports teams, rejects? You knew your reputation was built around your friends and who you hung out with. Think of how significant that was to you then, now magnify that times 10, and you get what this meant in their culture.

So why is it important to meet together? I have 3 points to talk about today that will answer that question.

Point 1 - We meet to refocus on God

Why is this necessary? How many people do you interact with in a given week?

Talk about interacting with 100 people and how that can have an effect or be distracting in your life

We are simple yet complex creatures, but we lose focus pretty easily. We see this over and over again in the Bible with Israel, the disciples, other Christians, and the list goes on and on. This is why God reminds us to meet together so we can refocus on God.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. —Hebrews 10:24-25

When we meet together we can encourage one another, refocus each other, reflect on what God did in our lives this week, and point out the God moments we see in each other’s lives.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. —Colossians 3:16

We meet together to refocus on God, and to worship Him, praise Him, grow to be like Him. When we meet there should be conversations of what is God doing in your life right now? What are you learning about Him? How have you seen Him this past week, because the tempter is always there trying to get you to forget about how good God is, and what God has done in your life. The enemy wants us to be isolated, alone, and lost in him.

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. —Proverbs 18:1

It is easy to get lost in lies when we are by ourselves, especially if we are not reading the Word. We are strongest together, and we are at our weakest when we are alone.

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
We have all heard the story of the ember in the fire right? —Matthew 12:30

Point 2 - We meet to live our lives together with God

Our life is hard. I don’t care who you are, what you are doing, life is hard. You might be in an easier part of the season, you might be in one of the harder moments in your life, but it is essential that we do that together, with others who live for Christ.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. —Acts 2:42

It was essential for the early church to do this, and build up the body, it is just as crucial to do this today. This is why we have life groups, potlucks, and other events to bring us together. In all of our lives we need each other to help, to encourage, to laugh, to cry, to rejoice, to mourn, we need each other.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. —1 Thessalonians 5:11

The church in Thessalonica was doing this well, and I believe here at this church we do this well, but we can’t forget to do this. Think of this past week, we had multiple life groups meet, we had an event to hear an incredible testimony on Friday night, the response team and children’s ministry met, today we are here for church, and these are all opportunities to encourage, to love, to help, to build up one another. It doesn’t have to be a big gesture. Just seeing your smiling face, making the joke you did, saying how you liked blank about that person. Is that what the world says to us? No, we are too tall, too short, too fat, too skinny, we are failures, we are broken, we are incomplete. We need to meet together to help each other through the good days and the bad days, because God uses us to be His hands and feet of love.

Point 3 - We meet together to execute God’s will

God doesn’t need us, He can do what He wants, but He chooses to partner with us and to use us in His will. That is hard if you aren’t meeting with, living an engaged life with, or being involved with others. How can you execute God’s will?

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. —1 Corinthians 12:12

We are brought together through Christ, but what do we do? The body works together to accomplish the life that was given it. I can do things, but I can’t do everything. I seek people out for wisdom, guidance, help, love, support. We all need others, and we accomplish more together than we do separately. Is it easy to live together? No, but we are better off.

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. —Romans 15:5-6

We glorify God better together than apart. He made us for a purpose, and as each of us have gifts, abilities, and talents, we can do more for Him than by ourselves.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. —1 Peter 2:9

We are to share the light of Jesus with the world. I can talk to and meet a lot of people, but I can’t do that all by myself, and neither can anyone here. We all have different ways we can reach out to others, and the stories that God has given us and uses are incredible. We all as sons and daughters of God have a unique relationship with Him, and that allows us to talk to others who don’t know their Creator, but they are looking for Him. We as one body reaches out to the lost and broken bits that need to be part of it.

We get more done, we understand God better, and we experience God more when we are together.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, —Hebrews 12:1