Present and Accounted For

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:25

How do we assemble ourselves together?  Is it simply by “showing up” at the appointed time?  Filling the pew on Sunday morning?  We are conditioned to think that if we are present than we are accounted for, and therefore not forsaking the assembly.  However, nothing could be further from the truth, we can be complete present and totally unaccounted for.   

Consider this, the church is like an orchestra.  A great assembly of people, of which no two people in the orchestra are the same.  They assemble together for the purpose of playing a beautiful musical piece that inspires, captivates, and motivates the congregation.  They want the music to influence the audience.  However, if each musician was left to his own motivation, the symphony would not sound as it should.  If they were too come together and play whatever they had in mind it would not sound like music so much as noise.  The people are present but the music, and purpose of the musician, totally unaccounted for.  They need a conductor, someone to: lead, guide, and instruct the musicians; to lead them through the complicated musical piece.  Each musician must play his part the best he/she can, all the while looking towards the guiding hand of the conductor.  When this happens the orchestra is finally assembled, and the result is beautiful and inspiring music.  So it is with the church of God.  We each have our own instrument and part to play; but we do not play our own notes, we play at the command of the conductor.  This is how we assemble ourselves together.  By assembling ourselves to him, to Jesus Christ.   You could have an orchestra of a thousand stringed instruments and two thousand wind instruments but if they are not following the conductor no music will be played.  Likewise, no matter how many "Christians" you gather together and how many times you gather them; without “true fellowship with the Father” there will be no assembling of ourselves.  We will be together, but ultimately there is still disconnect because we are operating on our own terms and for our own means.  Many may gather into a service, but the question is not “are you there”, but “why are you there?”  You can have gathering after gathering, meeting after meeting, but unless you have a group of people willing to follow the Spirit it will not profit.  It will not be music.  It will not captivate the congregation and cause them to want to turn over their life over to God.  This willingness cannot come when you walk in the doors.  It must be present when you walk in the doors.

The exhortation of the Bible is salvation must come with sacrifice, by faith, through Jesus.  Jesus said “the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life”.  We must read the Word and follow our great conductor.  Then and only then, will we truly be able to play music that will inspire the congregation out of sin and into a life of holiness and godliness.  Is that not the true motive?  Is that not the main thing?  To live holy and lead others to holiness?  If so, then let the church play that symphony, at the will of the conductor.  May we all endeavor to play our part, and assemble in body and Spirit; present and accounted for.