Jesus Would Not Covet Money or Material Possessions

JESUS WOULD NOT COVET MONEY or MATERIAL POSSESSIONS
By Todd L. Baker

Jesus came to this world to save sinners. “And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). Paul attests to the same purpose in 1 Timothy 1:15, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” Jesus did not come to seek any material possession and He did not covet the possessions of any of His neighbors.

Jesus spent His effort spreading His Father’s word, not building a physical empire for Himself to enjoy. Jesus could have had all that He wanted on this earth in the physical sense - all He had to do was say the word, and it would have been done. However, Jesus came to this earth to save sinners, and in the process He gave up all physical blessings except the pure necessities. When a scribe declared to Jesus that he would follow Jesus wherever He went, Jesus’ response in Matthew 8:20 was, Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

When Jesus delivered His sermon on the mount in Matthew 5, He did not praise those who were famous, powerful, or rich in this life, but rather those who were poor in spirit, those who mourn, the gentle, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those persecuted for the sake of righteousness, and those who are insulted because of Him; this hardly looks like a list of qualities and characteristics that are valued in our world! Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 5:12, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Here Jesus tells us where our reward is, it is in heaven for those who have obeyed Him.

In the hustle and bustle of our hectic lives where we are always on the go, it is very easy to forget why we are here and what the Lord really wants for us, which Peter states in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” Notice that nothing is said about building our retirement nest eggs, estates, bank accounts, the number and size of our toys, how nice our clothes are, or any other physical thing. This should speak volumes to us about where our priorities should be.

Coveting money and material possessions is very energy and time consuming. We then have very little left to spend pursuing the Lord and reaching out to others. If we followed Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 6, there would be far less depression, frustration, anger, disillusionment, and lack of direction in our lives. Consider what Jesus says in Matthew 6:25, 31 – 34: 25“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” 31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, or ‘What will we drink?’, or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

If we are to truly follow Jesus, we need to be sure our priorities are in the right order. Have you put your “bank account” above seeking the Lord? What reward are you putting your heart into receiving, eternal life in heaven with the Lord, or some physical thing that you can’t take with you?

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Jesus Would Neither Use Profane Language Nor Say Mean, Hurtful Things

JESUS WOULD NEITHER USE PROFANE LANGUAGE NOR SAY MEAN, HURTFUL THINGS
By Todd L. Baker

Jesus said that "the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart, and they defile the man" (Matthew 15:18).

Jesus is considered by nearly everyone as a “good man.” What traits made Him a “good man” in most people’s eye? For one, Jesus would not use profane language, nor say mean, hurtful things. Do not be mistaken, this does not mean that Jesus would not speak out against sin for fear of how He may be perceived by His peers or the elite of His day. Jesus indeed spoke the truth, but in a loving, caring, concerned manner.

“Profane” is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as “not sacred, secular, heathen, showing contempt of sacred things, to violate, desecrate, to put to an unworthy use.” Most folks would agree that given this definition, to profane something is not a Christian quality. To say mean, hurtful things is done for only one purpose: to hurt someone by making him look bad or by making oneself look good. This is also something that is not a Christian quality. Let’s look at some examples of how Jesus did speak.

First of all, Jesus often spoke by quoting or referencing Scripture. In order to do this, it is impossible to use profane language. For example, consider how Jesus answered the tempter after fasting for forty days and forty nights in the wilderness, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” ”On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” ”Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only’” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). Given these types of answers, should we also not seek God’s word as guidance for how to answer when we are tempted?

Throughout the gospels, Jesus showed in His speech that He was often motivated by compassion. Thus, His speech was seasoned with concern for those around Him. Examine how He spoke to the leper (one who would have been shunned and put down in Jesus’ day) in Mark 4:41: “Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’” Should we also not strive to season our speech with compassion and concern for all souls around us?

Jesus avoided idle, unproductive talk. All that Jesus spoke had a purpose - to teach us how to obtain salvation through Him because He does not want any to perish. “So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish” (Matthew 18:14). Jesus did not spend His effort using speech to gain any worldly position or popularity; He also did not spend His effort using speech in order to be “political.” Paul followed Jesus’ example when he admonished the young preacher Timothy, “But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17aand their talk will spread like gangrene” (2 Timothy 2:16-17a).

Jesus spoke words of comfort and hope to His disciples. Consider how He spoke in John 15:12-17: “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17 This I command you, that you love one another.” These are all words of love and comfort to all of His disciples because of His concern for their souls. Should we also not seek to encourage those around us with our speech, to always strive to the best of our ability to live for God and to love one another?

The decision is up to you. Will you do what Jesus did and avoid profane, mean and hurtful speech?

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Jesus Would Follow The Golden Rule

Jesus Would Follow the Golden Rule
By Jeff Himmel

Near the end of His “sermon on the mount,” Jesus said, “Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). We often paraphrase this command as, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” We have come to call it “The Golden Rule.”

The point of this “golden rule” is not that we should do good to others in hopes that they’ll do good to us. In fact, Jesus teaches us to treat others well even when they treat us poorly. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?…If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?…” (Matthew 5:43-47).

Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan illustrates this teaching. Read it in Luke 10:25-37. A lawyer asked Jesus what he should do to inherit eternal life. When Jesus asked him what the Law said, he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said he had answered correctly. “But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” (verse 29).

The lawyer’s question implied that there must be some reasonable limits on love and mercy. Surely God didn’t want him to love everyone, did He?

Jesus responded with a parable. Most of us know the story: a traveling Jew was robbed, beaten, and left for dead; a Jewish priest came upon the man and passed him by; another religious leader came upon him and also passed by; but then a Samaritan came along and compassionately took care of the man.

What modern readers often ignore is that the hero of the story was a Samaritan. Most Jews despised Samaritans, viewing them as half-breeds and heretics. The average Jew probably wouldn’t have stopped to help an injured Samaritan; but in Jesus’ story, a Samaritan goes to great lengths to help an injured Jew. It was the last thing anyone would have expected.

Jesus closed by asking the lawyer which man in the story was “neighbor” to the wounded traveler. The answer was obvious: “The one who showed mercy on him.” By now the lesson was also obvious: “Go and do the same.”

The Samaritan’s act of kindness likely would have been neither returned nor appreciated. But he did it anyway. Jesus’ parable teaches us that the “neighbor” we must love includes people who may not love us.

Most of us have little trouble going out of our way to do some act of kindness if we know we’ll be rewarded for it, or if the receiver is a friend. But what if we think no one will notice (Matt. 6:1-4)? Better still, what if there’s a good chance we’ll be repaid with contempt? Will we still be so ready to act? That is Jesus’ challenge to us. Rather than doing good to others in hopes of receiving good from them, Christ asks me to put myself in their place. My motivation is not to be self-interest, but love.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law… Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfill¬ment of the law” (Romans 13:8-10). The golden rule is not a substitute for God’s specific commands, but rather a motive for obeying them. What command has God given that is not seen more clearly when we view it as an expression of love for others?

The ultimate example of the “golden rule” in action is Jesus Himself. He sacrificed His sinless life to offer forgiveness of sins to all people. And He did so knowing that most of those people would never accept His offer. “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7-8).

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Jesus Would Obey God in ALL Things

JESUS WOULD OBEY GOD IN ALL THINGS
by Bill Blue

The impact of culture upon a Christian cannot be overstated. Modern America is a contradiction, a religious nation with a Humanistic culture. Christian Americans strive to live by the Bible, which contains admonitions to strongly oppose sin, while living in a nation whose culture says nothing is wrong so long as it does not hurt someone else. This tension causes the evolution of faiths which permit “Christians” to pick and choose those portions of the Scriptures that they will live by. What would Jesus do?

Jesus would not pick and choose which Scriptures He would obey. As we have read already, Jesus would study the Bible (Luke 2:41-50; WWJD no. 3), which He knew to contain “all truth,” (John 16:13), and give Bible answers to spiritual questions (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10; Matt. 19:4; WWJD no. 2).

Jesus began His ministry by obeying God’s will to be baptized. He did not question the purpose or necessity of baptism. When John protested that his own righteousness was inferior to Christ’s, Jesus said, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness," and then He was baptized (Matt. 3:13-15).

Jesus obeyed God in the face of temptation. Following His baptism and fasting for 40 days, Satan tempted Jesus with food (Matt. 4:3), pride (Matt. 4:6), and power (Matt. 4:8-9). Jesus chose to obey God and resist Satan’s temptations by relying upon God’s word (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10; Heb. 2:17-18; Heb. 4:15). We, too, are capable of resisting temptation. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor. 10:13).

Although Christ’s death ended the Law of Moses, He obeyed the Law during His life. “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:17-19)

Jesus obeyed God even when obedience caused Him great agony. The night before Christ was crucified He became “sorrowful and deeply distressed,” knowing what fate awaited Him (Matt. 26:37; see also Mark 14:33-34; Luke 22:44). He then prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will’…. Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.’ So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.” (Matt. 26:39, 42, 44; see also Mark 14:35, 36, 39; Luke 22:42, 44).

Christ was obedient to the point of death (Phil. 2:5-8). Christ did not want to die. He was tempted, sorrowful and deeply distressed (Heb. 4:15; Matt. 26:37; Mark 14:33-34; Luke 22:44). He prayed three times to God for another way (Matt. 26:39, 42, 44; see also Mark 14:35, 26, 29; Luke 22:42). Nonetheless, through it all, He put God’s will ahead of His own, and obeyed God by dying for a world of sinners, though Jesus Himself was sinless (Rom. 5:6-9; Phil. 2:5-8).

“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put [it] on hyssop, and put [it] to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (John 19:28-30).

In Revelation 2:10, Jesus admonishes Christians to, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Considering His example of complete obedience, how should we act when confronted with Scripture that requires us to do something we may not like? Jesus obeyed God when He was in agony. Will we ignore His command to be baptized (Mark 16:16; Matt. 28:19)? Jesus obeyed God when it meant He must die a tortuous death. Will we now refuse His commandments regarding marriage, divorce and remarriage (Matt. 5:31-32; Matt. 19:3-10), or will we, like Him, obey God in all things?

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Jesus Would Humble Himself

Jesus Would Humble Himself
By Jonathan Baker

Jesus, during his ministry, taught us many things about humbling ourselves. When the disciples asked Jesus, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” … [Jesus replied], “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:1-4). While Jesus and his disciples were at supper, Jesus “got up, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded” (John 13:4-5). Afterwards, Jesus asked, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:12-14). By washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus taught the disciples to humble themselves. “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, Truly, I say unto you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him” (John 13:15-16).

Jesus humbled Himself on numerous occasions so that others would believe He is Savior. In John 4, while Jesus was traveling through Samaria, He came to a well where there was a Samaritan woman drawing water. During this time period, the “Jews [had] no dealings with Samaritans.” Jesus, however, did not view her as lower than Himself, so He went to her, and said, “Give Me a drink”(John 4:7, 9). Astonished, the woman replied, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman” (John 4:9)? Jesus talked with her a little longer until in verse 19 she said, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.” Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman eventually led to an opportunity to speak to other Samaritans who came to believe, “that this One is indeed the Savior of the world”(John 4:40-42). Many believed that Jesus is the Christ as a result of Him being humble enough to resist Jewish prejudice against Samaritans.

Sometimes pride will prevent people from speaking to another that the world looks down on. This will even prevent us from speaking to others about salvation, but as in the case of the Samaritan woman in John 4, Jesus never allowed pride, nor prejudice to prevent Him from speaking to someone about the kingdom of heaven. On another such occasion Jesus refused to succumb to Jewish prejudice against tax collectors. “And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through the way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house’” (Luke 19:2-5). “When [the people of Jericho] saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner” (Luke 19:7). Despite the criticism of the people, Jesus still went with Zacchaeus and said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:9). Jesus humbled himself so that others would come to believe and also have the hope of salvation.

Jesus’ greatest example of humility is His death on the cross for us. On the night before his death, Jesus went off, “And being in agony, He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground” (Luke 22:44). Jesus knew what he had to do and dreaded its coming, but despite all the dread, he prayed to God, “yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus humbled himself greatly before God for our salvation.

Remember Jesus’ examples of humility, and humble yourself. Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). ”If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them” (John 13:17).

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Jesus Would Pray

JESUS WOULD PRAY
By Bill Blue

Most Americans regardless of faith would probably agree that people, even faithful Christians, do not pray enough. It comes as no surprise that unfaithful believers do not pray often enough, but why not faithful Christians? Perhaps the reasons why some Christians have poor prayer habits include material wealth and success, the influence of an ungodly culture, worldly values, and the lack of belief that God answers prayers. Perhaps tragedies and injustices in our daily lives convince some that God doesn’t care for our present needs. In the United States political-correctness has successfully banned God from schools and the workplace; God is out of sight and out of mind until the next worship service and as a result, godly people are out of practice, and have simply forgotten the importance of prayer. What would Jesus do? Jesus would pray.

Jesus had a habit of praying (Luke 5:16). We should have the same habit (1 Thess. 5:17).

Jesus would pray at any time of the day or night (Luke 6:12). Prayer was a priority for Christ. Jesus would even on occasion rise long before daylight to pray (Mark 1:35). In other words, Jesus planned for opportunities to pray.

Jesus would pray anywhere. Jesus prayed in the wilderness (Luke 5:16), on mountains (Mark 6:46, Luke 6:12, Luke 9:28), and at Gethsemane (Mark 14:32). In other words, Jesus took advantage of His opportunities to pray.

Jesus prayed long prayers (Luke 6:12) and short prayers (Luke 11:1-3). Our prayers to God have no required length as long as our prayer is humble and sincere (Matthew 6:5-7, Matthew 23:14, Mark 12:40, Luke 18:10-14, Luke 20:46-47). Regardless of length, Jesus prayed earnestly, knowing that the Creator of all things was listening (Luke 22:44).

Jesus would pray at many different occasions. Jesus prayed when He was baptized and began His ministry (Luke 3:21), before He selected twelve disciples to be His Apostles (Luke 6:12-13), at His transfiguration (Luke 9:28-32), before instituting the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26) and at His moments of greatest need (John 17:1; Luke 22:44).

Jesus would pray privately, in small groups and publicly. At times, Jesus sought opportunities to pray alone to God (Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Luke 9:18, Luke 22:41). At times, He even asked the disciples to stay behind, or sent them away, so He could pray alone (Matthew 26:36; Mark 6:46). On other occasions, He took disciples with Him to pray (Luke 9:28).

Jesus prayed for many different people:
• Himself (John 17:1);
• The Apostles (John 14:16, John 17:6-15);
• All believers (John 17:20);
• His enemies (Luke 6:28); and
• The entire world (Matthew 5:44).

Jesus prayed for many different things, such as:
• God’s work (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2) and God’s will be done (Matthew 26:39, 42);
• Children be blessed (Matthew 19:13);
• Believers be strengthened and be able to strengthen others (Luke 22:32);

Jesus tells us how to pray. “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name [in other words, honor God and acknowledge His authority] Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven [we accept God’s will] Give us our daily bread [help us with our necessities of life – not material excess] And forgive us our sins [help us with our truly important problems, like avoiding hell] For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us [we acknowledge God’s word on mercy and forgiveness (Matt. 6:14-15; Mark 11:25), thus we conform to His will] And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one [again we focus on our true needs, spiritual in nature]” (Luke 11:1-4; Luke 22:40).

Jesus would pray for the right reasons. Jesus would not forget that God is a prayer’s target audience, not others listening to His prayer. Jesus would pray to enlist God’s help, not men’s attention (Matthew 6:5-7, Matthew 23:14, Mark 12:40, Luke 20:47).

Jesus tells us the benefits of prayer. Prayer strengthens our faith (Luke 18:1), and helps keep us from sin (Matthew 26:41, Mark 13:33, Mark 14:38, Luke 22:46).

Jesus would pray with faith, not doubting whether God would answer His prayer (Matthew 21:22, Matthew 26:53, Mark 11:24, Luke 18:1).

Jesus understood that some things happen only through prayer. In Mark 9:29, Jesus said to His disciples that, “This kind [of demon] can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” We do not have demon possession today, but the point is still valid. When Jesus Himself had no place else to turn, He “fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him” (Mark 14:35).

Do you pray as you should? Do you plan and find time to pray? Do you take advantage of opportunities to pray? Are your prayers humble and reverent? Do you pray for others? When times are good do you neglect prayer? Talk to your Father. In times of need do you hesitate to ask your Father for help because you failed to pray when times were good? Ask your Father for help. Jesus would.

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Jesus Would Attend Church

Jesus Would Attend Church
by Scott Mixon

Attending church is a crucial and vital part of a Christian’s life. Yet many people who consider themselves Christians don’t attend Church on a regular basis. What would Jesus do?

First and foremost, it is God's will that Christians assemble together regularly. Hebrews 10:25-27 says, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching.”

When we forsake the assembly without a valid reason, whether it is occasionally or completely, we are disobeying God and denying Him of our worship. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus says, "Seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." The Church must be a top priority for the Christian.

We have a number of commands associated with the Church that can not be followed unless Christians attend. In I Corinthians 11: 23-26, Christians are told to assemble to commemorate Jesus' death by partaking of the Lord's Supper. How can we follow the command, in Hebrews 10:25, to “exhort one another” if we do not assemble with other Christians? In Ephesians 5:19 and Col. 3: 16, Christians are commanded to sing and admonish "one another.”

Members of the early Church continue to provide an example for us today concerning how often we should attend. In Acts 2:42 we read, "They continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine, in fellowship, in breaking of bread and prayer." Acts 20:7 states, "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them.” The book of 1 Corinthians also provides strong evidence that Christians met weekly (1 Corinthians 11:17-18, 20, 33; 14:23, 26). In I Corinthians 16:1-2, the New International Version and the New American Standard translations make it clear that the First Century Christians met at least weekly ( “first day of every week” – NIV and NASB).

We are commanded to be like Christ and follow his example (Phil. 2:5-8). While most Christians will agree with the command for disciples to be Christ-like, many don’t believe that their failure to assemble is a violation of that command. Let’s consider the following:

In Luke 2:42-49, when Jesus was 12 years old, his parents could not find Him after leaving Jerusalem. After searching for three days, they found him in the temple sitting among teachers, listening, and asking questions. He responded to his parents, “Why is it you are looking for me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father’s house?” Even at a young age, Jesus displayed His devotion to the Father by assembling with those who were studying and teaching the Word of God.

In Luke 4:16, the Bible says that Jesus had a habit (or “custom”) of attending synagogue for worship.

Jesus maintains an example for Christians today. In fact, Jesus has never forsaken an assembly of Christians. In Matthew 18:20, Jesus said "For where two or more are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Do we want to miss being with the greatest guest of all, our Lord?

When people fall away from the Lord, it is usually not a sudden thing. They usually start by forsaking the assembly of Wednesday night Bible study. Then they start missing Sunday evening worship. Next they stop coming to Sunday morning Bible study; and then finally they stop coming to Sunday morning worship.

When we choose not to gather with other Christians, we are denying ourselves of all the benefits of worship that allow us to grow and strengthen spiritually. If we do not look forward to every opportunity we have to worship God "in spirit and in truth," how will we be able to enjoy worshipping God in heaven?

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