Sabbath Summons

If someone asked you, what is your favorite day, how would you respond? If you had to say, the highlight of my week is, what would the answer be? Maybe the best day, or maybe a different way to think about it. Which day is the culmination of the week? Okay, they're not trick questions, are they? Hopefully, what came to mind is this day, the Sabbath day. Hopefully it's not just, well, I got to the end of working, and what a relief that is.

Hopefully it's not hump day. Well, I got through the middle of it, and so now I'm on the downhill side. And hopefully it's not just that, well, now at least I don't have to do anything that I don't want to do, just to earn a living.

Hopefully it's more than just that. Because we're certainly reminded that number four of the Big Ten, the Ten Commandments, number four, how does it start? Remember the Sabbath. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Yes, six days you should labor, do all your work, but the seventh day, is that my day?

Is that, well, it is the best day. But why is it the best day? Well, Exodus 20, verse 8 tells us, because it's the Sabbath of the Lord your God. Now this is God's Sabbath day. And of course it says, yes, don't do any work. He says six days God made the heavens and the earth, the sea, all that's in them. But on the seventh day, He rested. And of course we remember that passage, that God blessed the Sabbath day and He hallowed it.

And He said it before us. And as we read that, certainly we conclude that, well, we should be resting on the Sabbath. We're going to follow the commandments. We need to rest. He certainly makes that very clear. Certainly makes it clear that it's not just my day, but it's His Sabbath day. It's the Sabbath of the Lord your God.

But is that the end of the story? I mean, you might read that particular passage and conclude, yes, I have to rest, but here we are today. We're all together. Do we have to be here? Should we be here? Is it important to be here? Well, is there a passage that comes to mind that reminds us that we've actually been summoned to come together on this day?

And you know I wouldn't ask the question unless the answer was yes, there is a passage. And it's that same section of Scripture where it talks about all of God's holy days. So where is it? It's in Leviticus 23. If you'd like to turn over there with me, go to Leviticus 23 and verse 1. Because here's a section of Scripture that when we put it together with the fourth commandment that this is the Sabbath of the Lord our God, it is the seventh day, we are to rest.

We recognize when we put it together with Leviticus 23 that He has given us a Sabbath summons. He has summoned us to come together on His Sabbath day. And it uses a funny word that we oftentimes don't use in English anymore. And that word is convocation. Convocation, when's the last time you use that in everyday talking? Well, I'm having a convocation today. They've, I don't really use that. I've even heard some people say this convocation is a conundrum. It's a conundrum. Is there a convocation? Conundrum?

Is it puzzling? Is there a problem when it comes to the convocation? Well, that's the word if you've got a King James or a New King James Bible. That's the word it uses in this section of Scripture. But let's see if there is any conundrum when it comes to the convocation in the Sabbath summons that God's given us. Leviticus 23 verse 1, it says, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, say to them, The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are my feasts.

Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. So immediately we begin to see, wow, there's some connections here in Leviticus 23 with what we just talked about in Exodus chapter 20. Whose days are these? They're God's days.

It's God's Sabbath. It's the Sabbath of the Lord. It's His feasts. It's not Israel's feast. It's not the Jews' feast. It's not the Jews' Sabbath. We see very clearly these are God's days, and specifically for our topic today, this is God's Sabbath. And he says that seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. Of course, if we don't really grasp what a convocation is, it might not really be very clear. So what is a convocation? Now, if we took out other translations of the Bible, we find oftentimes this word for convocation is translated a little differently. Sometimes it's translated a sacred assembly. Sometimes it's translated a holy meeting. Other times, a sacred gathering. And now we begin to see, okay, as this word convocation is used, it's adding to this concept of rest. Yes, it does talk about right here in this section, it's a day of solemn rest, a Sabbath of solemn rest, a Shabbat tone, a Sabbath of completely resting. And of course, the word Sabbath itself entails that, to stop, to cease. And now we find this is even intensified, complete, total, solemn rest.

And in that rest, what also happens? Well, it's not just resting, but there should be a convocation. There should be a mikra is what the Hebrew word here is for convocation. It's a mikra, a mikra. If you were to look that up in, let's say, the new dictionary of Strong's, Strong's new dictionary, it would tell you that a mikra is something that you're called out to. And so we didn't stay home today. God called us out to come together. And the word can mean a public meeting. It can mean an assembly. First, that's why it's translated a convocation, a convocation. And so we are called out to come together. And so we're called to this mikra. This calling together would be a pretty literal translation of what a convocation is all about. We're called together to meet in a sacred gathering. It's a holy commanded assembly, not just a get-together, because it's a holy get-together. It's one that God has designated. So we are summoned to this gathering that is on God's Sabbath. And it is His day. And He tells us we get together as being called out to this mikra, to this convocation. And when you look at this word, it's a really pretty powerful word when we look at the Hebrew mikra. It is from another Hebrew word called kara. It's just K-A-R-A, K-A-R-A, kara. And kara means to call out. To call out. And the word mikra is a derivative of kara, to call out. Other words that are from that one is to summon. So the word summon is connected to kara, which is connected to mikra. And so a called out gathering, a sacred assembly, all fits together in this meaning of the convocation, of the mikra. In fact, in the the New Strong's dictionary, it even gives another little aspect of this holy convocation. It gives one of the definitions as a rehearsal. A convocation can be a rehearsal. Now, you know, what does that have to do with anything? Well, what do you think of when you think of a rehearsal?

Well, you get together and you practice something because there's some event that's coming that we have to be ready for. That's a rehearsal. In fact, if you just break down that English word, it kind of gets at one of the aspects of a mikra, to rehear the word, rehearsal, right? R-E-H-E-A-R-S-A-L, rehearsal. Do we rehear the word of God? Do we listen to God's word once again? Do we rehear what's been taught in this holy gathering, this sacred assembly, this commanded assembly?

Well, sure. We come together because we know this Sabbath does portray something that's going to come. We recognize the Sabbath has prophetic meaning, that this is representative of what the millennium is going to be like. We have a mini-representation of the Feast of Tabernacles on this day. And so here we are together, rehearsing what is to come. And mikra carries that meaning, that this is a very special appointment with our Heavenly Father, where we read, we rehearse, we recite, we recount God's awesomeness on His special day. And so in a holy convocation, we are called and summoned together to do just that. And then when you think about that amazing connection, think about that's the way it's referred to here in the Old Testament.

Now you fast forward to the New Testament and think of the word church. The word church in the Greek is ekklesia, or ekklesia, E-K-K-L-E-S-I-A. Ekklesia. And do you know what that word means?

To call out. It's connected to the Hebrew, mikra. In fact, that word, ekklesia, or ekklesia, was originally used of how the Athenians had an assembly that came together to govern the city.

So the ekklesia in ancient Athens was this democracy where the representatives would come together in a public assembly and meet in order to govern the city. So ekklesia, they were called out of the general population of Athens to special duties as they got together. So they were the called out ones. But it wasn't just limited to being called out, because what if they were just called out and never got together to actually decide anything or institute any programs or come to decisions for this? Well, nothing would happen. So it wasn't just that they were called out. There's this connection with mikra and kara and what the ekklesia did in Athens is they were called out, brought together for a very specific purpose. And it's no different for us. This holy convocation that we are called to, called out of the world, coming together and assembling together to praise, to worship, to honor God. And so it's God's intent that this kara, this mikra, is where we are called within the Sabbath to come together, not to be kept alone somewhere off in our own home by our... No, it's not supposed... We are called to assemble together. So it's not the time just to rest at home all day long. It's kind of like some toys you might buy. You ever bought a toy and then you didn't really read the label that well and then you open it up and you find the little paper in there that says, some assembly required? I hate that page. But you know what God has said about His Sabbath? Not just some assembly required. It's more like IKEA.

Always there is assembly required. You buy furniture there and I've got to figure out how to put this thing together. Yeah, God created the Sabbath as a time of rest, but He has summoned us and called us and says, this mikra, this ekklesia is called out of the world to come together on His special day. So God has set us aside and set this day aside as holy time and put His presence in this day because that's what makes this day holy. His very presence makes it holy. And so He calls us out to come together and worship and praise Him on this day in a sacred assembly, a holy gathering, a commanded assembly. And of course that reminds us, why do we do it? It's not just that, yes, we're read here in Leviticus 23 that we're to have a convocation, but we recognize He's the authority behind calling us together, calling us out and bringing us together. We're called together by the authority of God. That's what He just says here. This is a feast of the Lord. It's by God's authority. So this isn't just any old get-together. It's not just a social club. It's not just a meeting. It's not any of those things. We're summoned to a convocation.

Think of it this way. Any of you ever been summoned to court?

No? Okay, good for you. I have to raise my hand. Yes, I've been summoned to court.

I had to testify in court before. Well, I got this summons. Someone came to my door and said, here, you've been summoned to testify in court. And so my initial response was, yeah, so what? I don't want to go. I don't have to worry about that. Well, if you don't go, what happens?

Yeah, you're going to jail. You are in contempt of court. You're in contempt of court. And you're going to go to jail. You see this mikra, this kahra that God talks about here, is connected to a summoning. That this isn't just an invitation. There's more to the Sabbath assembly, the holy gathering, than just a nice meeting. Or it would be nice if we got together. This is more in line with what a court summons is all about. So if we don't take a summons from a human court for granted, we don't consider that just to be a nice idea or, well, it's a request. I can show up if I want to. No, we know it's a court order. It's an order from the authorities that we must appear. Would we take a summons from God any more lightly than something like that?

Because it's not just some court. It's not just some judge that has summoned us. We are talking about the creator of the universe summoning us into his presence. How much more important is that? How much do you think God is eagerly waiting for us to assemble before him? And it's not something like we have to be worried about appearing before court. Yeah, that can be stressful and worry, but the Sabbath is not supposed to be that way.

And God says it's totally different. He summons us to appear so that we can rejoice. And we can enjoy being in his presence so that we can worship him and honor him and thank him. And so we don't want to take that summons lightly. And so when we are called, we recognize, yeah, this is a serious thing. It's a blessed thing. It's a wonderful thing. It's our special appointment. But even more than that, we recognize it's not something I could just stay home. You know, am I keeping the Sabbath if I just stay home? Well, I'm keeping a part of it, but I'm not responding to the summons that God has given us. I'm not really recognizing the authority behind the sacred assembly, the holy convocation. God is the attending authority. I think that's a second important aspect of what God's commanded here. Yes, there's a convocation, first and foremost, but we recognize the authority behind the summons. And because of God's authority in our life, we respond to that summons and we come together to worship Him. And we eagerly come together. We come together with others who have been called out and brought together with us. So I can't stay home. I can't ignore it. Should I be late? No. Well, we can't be late to court or we are in trouble. We are in trouble. And so imagine those connections there. I mean, there's an amazing passage back in Ecclesiastes chapter 5.

I had definitely read this many times over, and I'm sure that you probably have too. Ecclesiastes 5, right at the very beginning of the chapter 5, verse 1. Ecclesiastes chapter 5, verse 1 didn't really ring true to me as I read it in my New King James version. If you've got the New King James, it'll sound very familiar here. Ecclesiastes 5.1, it says, walk prudently when you go to the house of God. Draw near rather than give the sacrifice of fools. So, okay, I'm not really well versed in what prudent is and what it's not. Walk prudent? What does that exactly mean?

Well, some of the modern translations are pretty interesting when it comes to these specifics of behavior and what we're supposed to do. Not very good on doctrine sometimes, but really good when it comes to maybe getting to a deeper intent of Christian living and what we're supposed to do.

I looked this up in the New Living translation and kind of startled me. Of course, New King James says, walk prudently when you go to the house of God. Here's what New Living says. It says, as you enter the house of God, of course, here we are. Are we God's house? Yeah, that example is used in the New Testament. We are the household of God. Paul told Timothy that very thing. He told Timothy, this is how you should conduct yourself in the household of God, in God's house, in His family, in His body. We are the house of God, especially as we come together to worship Him. So as you enter the house of God, here's what New Living says, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. Well, yeah, you do that in court, don't you? Judge, I've got a... Sit down one more time and you're out, which means you're going to jail. Yeah, as you enter the house of God, keep your ears open. Yeah, we're here to rehearse. We're here to listen to the... We're here to recall. We're here to praise God. Keep your mouth shut. He says, this is a New Living. Don't be a fool who doesn't realize that mindless offerings to God are evil. And of course, we recognize, we come together. This isn't that time we pass notes. It's not the time we send text messages. It's the time to sit down and we listen. We listen and we rehearse. We have a sacred gathering. We have this mikra. We are the ecclesia. And so we don't sleep. This isn't the time to rest in that. We got...

I mean, we have the blessings here in Cincinnati East, don't we? You could come in the morning if you've got to have an afternoon nap. Well, if you're bad in the morning, you come in the afternoon. You got plenty. You got all the rest of the day to rest and nap and relax. All you want. But the Holy Convocation is set aside for praise and worship. It's set aside for learning and listening. And so we try not to make noise. I shouldn't have to get up and go to the bathroom.

Yeah, I know there's needs and challenges and... But those should be exceptional situations. I got a week bladder. Okay, I get it. That's a different situation. But I don't want to use that as an excuse. Well, the guy's boring or I'm tired or I just want to get out of here. I have to walk or... No! This is the Holy Assembly. God's called us to a sacred gathering. Don't take it so lightly. You just don't get up any time in a courtroom and do whatever you want. Unacceptable. Should it be any less acceptable before God? I don't hang out in the hallway. That's the hallway. That's not the assembly. I don't have my own private fellowship time during services because I recognize I'm here to praise and worship God. I don't have my own private convocation. No, this is God's convocation. I don't slurp coffee. I don't eat food. I don't have to do that during church because we're told how to conduct ourselves in the house of God as God's family. This is His house. He is the head of the household. And we know when you're a part of the family, there's way that things work. There's the way that the family operates. There's rules in every family. And God as the authority, you know, Christ as the head of the church, God the Father, ultimately, He says, I should be a part of the family. I don't go off by myself. And as an active member of God's family, I do what I need to do. I do what I need to do. I need to be here. I need to listen. I need to glean. Yeah, even if it's a boring sermon, I got to recognize, hey, he's reading from God's Word that can I glean something from the Word of God, even if I'm not thrilled and not excited and it's not very good at presenting this. Well, wait a second. You know, when it comes to that, we got to recognize there is a standard of behavior that we are obligated to. Families have values. God's family has values and standards. And He sets those standards that sometimes it's easy to overlook them. It's easy to overlook them and maybe take them a little bit too lightly. But God says, don't do that.

When it comes to His thoughts and His attitudes, the reasons why He brings us together, those are critical things. And so we talk about God's will, His Word, His thoughts, His attitude. What's right? What's proper? How do we maintain not our standards, but how do we maintain God's standards when it comes to being good disciples? And as good disciples, we know that's connected to discipline. Disciples and discipline goes together. Self-control, being disciples, followers of God.

Listening to His words, following Christ's actions and His standard. You see, all of those things apply within this sacred gathering. So I don't get out my computer and surf the web. I don't play computer games. I don't have to get up and use the bathroom. I can do that before the assembly. I don't have to laugh and talk and giggle and share things with my neighbor because that's disrespectful to God. Plain and simple. That's what it comes down to. And I don't doze off. I took my nap before church. I rested. I was ready for that. I don't walk in and out of church.

I sit and listen to special music because special music is a part of the service. It's a part of the holy convocation. It's not the time, well, I guess we're going to music now, so now I'll go get a drink and go to the bathroom. No. The music is part of the worship. Being ready for my part, to collectively worship God, I'm ready for services. I'm in my chair. I've got my hymnal ready. I'm going to sing praises to God because this is the only opportunity collectively throughout the week that we can come together and actually sing praises and worship together. And even though I might not be singing the special music, I'm with it. I'm into it. I'm listening. I'm recognizing God's presence in this. And so I recognize that this honors and worships God as well. But if I walk out, I'm not interested, I go to the bathroom, how is that in keeping with what God's commandments clearly say? You see, we miss out. And maybe we forget those passages that sometimes are, they hurt when I read them. You know, when God says, I'm not the author of confusion. No. 1 Corinthians 14.33, he's pretty specific there. And he says that's the way it should be in all the congregations, all the churches of the saints. God says, I'm not the author of confusion. And so we are disciplined and we recognize who's really in charge. Because just a little while after that in 1 Corinthians 14, he says in verse 40, let all things be done decently in an order. So we just don't want to be haphazard about how we come and worship before God. Because we recognize we're coming before the God of the universe.

And our God is to be respected. He is to be held in awe. He is to be praised. He is to be worshiped. He is to be honored in everything we think and we say, and we do. And there are some amazing Psalms that continually point to that very fact, that God and His glorious greatness should be praised, especially as we come together, as we are called out and brought together as His church, as His people, as the body of Christ. That is so important. If you want to look at just a few of those examples in the Psalms, Psalm 89 verse 7, notice how it points to God's glorious greatness. God's glorious greatness is recognized here. In fact, the phone is ringing. We've got to recognize. He must be on the line telling us. Take a look at Psalm 89 verse 7.

And notice how specific this particular passage is and how it ties into this idea of the mikra, or the ekklesia being called out, brought together in a sacred assembly, in a holy gathering, a commanded assembly. Psalm 89 verse 7, God is greatly to be feared. Okay, don't stop there, though. Yes, that's true. He is to be held in awe, honored, and respected. But notice it even says where. Where does that take place? In the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around him. Especially as we come together as his assembly in this convocation, he's to be feared and honored and awed in this assembly. Turn over a couple of pages to Psalm 107. Psalm 107 verse 32. Notice the emphasis on God's greatness as we come together as his people. Psalm 107 verse 32. Notice the location that these things take place. Psalm 107 verse 32, it says, let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people. In this gathering of God's people, we come together and we exalt him. What would happen if God didn't say, I'm telling you to come together and worship me? I'd probably say, well, I'll get around to it, God.

You know, Monday would be a whole lot easier for me if I could do it on Monday, you know.

No, he gives this day as the day that honors him. So we exalt him in his way on his day within his congregation, within his people, within his assembly. In fact, if I got just a little bit ahead of myself, I skipped over Psalm 100. If you go back to Psalm 100, notice verse 2. Notice verse 2.

Here it even says how we can do this, how we're supposed to come together. Not only that God is awesomely great and glorious, and He should be honored. Yes, He should be exalted, but here it even as how we should do this as we come together. Psalm 100 verse 2. Serve the Lord with gladness. That's my frame of mind. Come before His presence.

If you feel like singing to Him, well, sing. Well, no, He does, He says, with singing.

Look down to verse 4. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, into His courts with praise.

And so when we recognize this holy assembly, we worship God in His commanded assembly. And of course, those assemblies also include the feasts, those feast days that are mentioned in Leviticus 23 as well. And so we reflect on that. We glorify God, what He is, what His purpose is, His plan for humanity, how He's worked in our lives. We reflect on His presence and our relationship with Him. We reassess our lives and we rehearse. Have I been putting His way into practice? I learn of fear and irreverence for Him on this day. And I look at myself and I assess myself. How well am I following His commands? That's part of the rehearsal that we do on His day.

So that in Psalm 111, we're reminded, is this really where my mind is at? Is this how I come to worship God? Psalm 111, right at the very beginning of that chapter, He says, I will praise the Lord, not half-heartedly, but wholeheartedly. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. So oftentimes throughout Scripture, the assembling of God's people is recognized and noted. And the praise and worship that is due to God is emphasized in these passages. In fact, if you go to the very end of the Psalms, not the last one, but right there near the end, Psalm 149, look at verse 1. Psalm 149, verse 1, it reminds us, sing unto the Lord a new song. This morning, we had the opportunity to sing a brand new song. Most people weren't familiar with it. So we did sing a new song to the Lord, and it says, and His praise in the congregation of the saints. So if we stay home on the Sabbath, say, wow, the webcast is there. I'll just tune into the webcast. Was that what the webcast is for?

Well, it's not. It's for those who have no other means. They are homebound or they are ill. It's not just, well, I'm tired this week because that's the wrong... We are to assemble together, to be together as His congregation. And it's wonderful we have technology that we can do this, but it's not for that purpose. It's for those exceptional situations. And so one of the reasons God calls us and summons us together is so that we can fellowship, that we can be together. Part of the summons includes the fact that we are called together for godly fellowship, for coming together, not just to talk, not just to share, well, how'd you week go, but for godly fellowship, for godly fellowship. And sometimes we take that for granted and we talk about everything else but the sermon or what we read this week in the Bible or what we've been studying or how God has impacted our... We talk about everything else but that.

But the Sabbath is not for that. We're called together and summoned for spiritual fellowship, godly fellowship. There's a great passage in Malachi 3 verse 16 that is such a reminder of that very fact. Notice what Malachi chapter 3 verse 16 says. It says it in an amazing way as well. Notice how fellowship and that calling that God's given us, because we can fellowship with people out in the world, people at our jobs. We can talk and we can share socializing. That's probably a better word for that kind of fellowship. Socialize. But God's not just called us to socialize. He's called us to koinonia. That's what that word fellowship is in the New Testament. To sharing, to participating in the truth of God's way, His will, His plan, His purpose. That's what it's all about. So Malachi takes us to that very perspective. Malachi 3 16 says, "...then those who feared the Lord spoke often to one another." That's what King James says. They spoke to one another. King James says, "...often to one another. And the Lord listened and heard them." So a book of remembrance was written before him for all those who fear the Lord and who meditate about what happened during work this week, meditated what the score of the football game was, what's going to happen at volleyball tonight. Well, no! None of those things. What does it say?

Those who fear the Lord and meditate on His name, on His way, on His will. That's what it's talking about. You read this in contemporary English version. It says, "...those who truly respect the Lord and honor His name started discussing these things." Well, wow! That's pretty amazing.

Then it goes on. It says, "...when God saw what was happening, He had their names written as a reminder in His book. Then the Lord, all powerful, said, You people are precious to me. And when I come to bring justice, I'll protect you just as parents protect an obedient child." That's the contemporary English version. That's pretty amazing when you put it in that context. And when you think about it, how many times in the New Testament, after the church has begun, is it recorded that the brethren were together? They were together in one accord. And on the Sabbath day, they heard and they talked and they discussed these things. They listened. Because it points to the fact that proper Sabbath observance allows us to develop a deeper relationship with God, a personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ. It helps us to develop our relationships with each other as the family of God. And so when we consider those things, we recognize it's not just a fellowship with each other, because remember what the Apostle John said about this fellowship, this this Koinonia that we have? There's even more to it than that. If you look at 1 John 1, verse 3, 1 John 1, verse 3, oftentimes we'll read verses like this at the Passover time, because these things are particularly on our mind at that time. But this passage shows this should be our Sabbath frame of mind. This is a weekly kind of thing that we should be thinking about, especially as we consider what fellowship really is. 1 John 1, verse 3, it says, that which we have seen and heard we declare to you that you also may have fellowship with us.

We're partners together in the faith. We share the faith. We come together and do that. And notice the significance. It says, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. Of course, if you say that in reverse, what happens if we don't fellowship together? What happens if we take a week off? Well, we miss out on opportunities. Is our fellowship, our joy, really full if we don't take advantage of the blessings that God gives us? And really, how many times a week does God bless us with this kind of fellowship? Well, it's usually just today. Just the Sabbath. The Sabbath gives us an opportunity to all come together. And of course, as you consider that, this shouldn't be, oh, I have to, or oh boy, I got to get up, get dressed, get going. Our frame of mind should be one that Leviticus 23 talks about. I don't know anybody that feels sad about having to go to the Feast of Tabernacles. Oh, great! This is fantastic. And you put that together with all those other days that are mentioned in Leviticus 23. We recognize these are God's days. These are His feasts. And when you talk about feasts, we're talking about, wow, rejoicing, feasting, occasions where we come together that involves celebrating. It involves rejoicing. It involves having fun. So we come together on the Sabbath to do those very, and God gives us one day a week. We don't have to wait for the Feast of Tabernacles. We don't have to wait for Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread for the next feast. This is a feast day. This is a day to celebrate and rejoice. It's a day that we come together. It binds us more closely together. We commemorate this day in recognizing God's great significance that He's given to it. And so this day should be a day to celebrate, a day to rejoice, to enjoy getting together with people that think like you do, that think like God wants us to think. And so no wonder, you know, Isaiah 58, it says that this day God set aside as His day sort of trampled on it. In fact, we don't even speak our words. I've got my mind focused on God's words, His way, His purposes. And so we speak those words. And we might even take time while we're resting. You know, maybe this morning you did. Hopefully you did. Did you think about planning spiritual conversation?

Planning to talk about wonderful ways that God has blessed you or blessed your week.

Or think about ways that we could have that kind of fellowship as we get together after services or before services. Rather than being at home thinking, you know, I'm pretty discouraged. I think I'll stay home. That's why you should come. This is probably a great reason to go to services and not stay home because I am down. I think we've got to turn that idea around. Instead of thinking of reasons to stay home, turn that around and focus on the reasons why I need to be here. Not the excuses to miss services, but why I need to be together. Yes, I'm feeling down. I'm feeling discouraged. I want to be around people who are up, who can help me, to encourage me, to lift me up, to edify me. That's a purpose for spiritual fellowship. If I stay home, I might stay in that frame of mind. And God doesn't want me to feel that way. I mean, you might even say, well, it doesn't often happen here, but I know it happens in many locations.

Well, there's not going to be a minister there, so why should I go? You know, I'm just going to have to watch a DVD or listen to some streaming thing. So why bother? But wait a second. We're still called together. We still praise God. Yeah, okay. Is there a minister there? Well, maybe not in physical presence, but certainly through those means there is. There is. So rather than finding excuses, well, I'm too tired. Well, what about charging up those spiritual batteries? Okay, maybe physically I am tired, but I can go home afterwards and I can lay down, catch up that way.

Well, I got to rest up for the volleyball game tonight. Wait, is that the right perspective?

No, I've got to make sure I'm going for the right reasons. I want to be spiritually recharged. Yeah, but I got a headache. Okay, how bad is it? How bad it... Okay, be like a good mom or dad when your son or daughter says, dad, I got a headache. I can't go to school today.

Really, how bad is it? How is it bad enough to miss the sacred assembly of God Almighty?

Assembly that you've been summoned to? Is it that if it is, stay home? Absolutely, you need to. If you're sick, stay home. Don't pass the germs. Absolutely. And there are times those exceptional situations happen. There's no doubt about that. But don't make that the rule. We should seek ways to recognize we should be there because God's called us to that very fact, that we need to be together. In fact, one of the Psalms, if you're anywhere near the Psalms, turn over to Psalm 92. Psalm 92 kind of speaks to that perspective that I believe God wants us to have. As we focus on reasons why we need to attend, why we need to be together at this commanded assembly of God, Psalm 92 verse 13 is certainly a reminder of this great fact. Psalm 92 verse 13, it says, those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God, planted in the house of the Lord. Well, that means I got to be here.

It's not that I just stuck my toe in the water and I'm kind of there once in a while, or when it's convenient I show up, or I'm there most of the time. Was that really planted? Am I planted in the house of God? It certainly points to that fact. It's got to be who I am. It's about what I'm about. It's my purpose. We have to go to the house of the Lord. And boy, if you ever do a Bible study, just Google those words. If you can Google in your Bible app, the house of the Lord, the house of the Lord. Hundreds of times you'll find it come up in Scripture over and over and over again. That expression is used. And this is so important that we are planted. And when we are planted, well, what happens? It means I go to the house of God. I'm going to be watered. I'm going to be fed. I'm going to grow. And of course, God promises to do that very thing. And so, how planted are we within this sacred assembly that God's called us to?

Over and over again, Scripture encourages us to be a part of that very family, to be a part of this awesome blessing of His sacred gathering. And it's a New Testament thing as well. In Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 23, a familiar passage where we're reminded once again of this great gathering that we've been called to. Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 23. Here, we're given instructions.

I believe the Apostle Paul here tells us pretty specifically some guidance on how we can grow in God's way, how we can be planted in His household. He says in verse 23, let's hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. Now, we want to be planted. We want to be secure. We want to be growing in grace and knowledge. Well, how can we do that? Well, he says, let's consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. Yes, there is this godly fellowship that can take place when we come together, called by God, called out of this world and assembling together. In fact, that's exactly where the Apostle Paul goes with this. So we can stir up love and good works by not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some.

So to help hold fast the confession without wavering, we need to be here on the Sabbath. We need to come together as God has called us out and rehearse His word. Be in God's presence.

Worship Him. Paul says he's promised, he's faithful, and we contribute to each other's growth. We challenge each other, we help each other, we spur each other on, we edify each other. We don't forsake us. We'd miss those opportunities. We'd miss opportunities to praise and worship God. We'd miss opportunities to be His people together. We might miss an opportunity to exhort or encourage each other. And he even says, even more so, we should be doing this as you see the day approaching.

Even more so. And so in this context of holding fast, it's not something we take lightly. In fact, he even says this not forsaking assembling together. Look that up in some other passages.

Many times it says, don't forsake assembling yourselves together.

But other translations will say, don't quit. Don't stop assembling yourselves together. Some translations say, don't stay away from gathering together.

Even one translation says, never stop assembling together. And so that that emphasis about being together, called out by God, summoned together, is certainly a way that ultimately we can overcome, because we're reminded of these things and we can begin to put those things into practice in our life.

And so hopefully as we rehearse these things, we do recognize how critical this amazing gathering that God has given us and how important it really is. So as we think about this, this week, can we take some time to really look at our lives? Can I identify if I truly have been keeping the Sabbath holy? Have I really been keeping the Sabbath holy? How have I been?

Which would probably also mean, yes, I have been. Here's ways that I have been in keeping with God's directions. But you know, as we do that, there's probably going to be things pop up that say, you know, I need to do better in these ways. And if we take the time this week to identify, have I really been recognizing the significance of what it means to rest and what it means to come together as God's people? Of course, then that probably means, have I really hedged? Have I compromised? Have I taken the assembly of God for granted? And we have specific challenges here in Cincinnati. We're a big group. We're unlike many smaller groups, you know, around the country and around the world.

We're big, and sometimes we can get lost, or we can get in our own little groups and our own little cliques. That shouldn't be the way that it is. To have the kind of fellowship that God wants us to have that really brings honor and praise to Him. Have I really submitted to God and His authority in my life? That kind of becomes the bigger question. Have I really taken advantage of the opportunity to worship and praise together? Taking advantage of the opportunity to fellowship as God wants us to fellowship. And maybe it even just means asking myself, am I there? Have I made every effort to be where God wants me to be, especially when it comes to collectively worshiping Him? Have I read about it? Have I studied God's Word? I might even ask myself, when's the last time I read that little booklet we have? And we've got a beautiful booklet that covers so many facets about the Sabbath and worship and the Holy Convocation. It's a beautiful booklet. It's called Sunset to Sunset. God's Sabbath Rest. If you haven't read it lately, may you put that on the agenda. When you're resting at home on the Sabbath, that's a good time to break out that little booklet. Read it, rehearse it, recount it. Get those things in mind. That will help us to look at our own lives and recognize, all right, I've been doing really well in this area. But you know, over in this facet, I need to change. I need to do better. Have I really made God that authority in this way? And so I think by doing that, it may be part of what we can do this week as, you know, once the Sabbath is over, what's the next focal point when it comes to the days of the week? It's next Sabbath. Next Sabbath is the focal point. So this week, can I begin to think about, can I begin to meditate on how can I honor God? How can I celebrate when it comes to His Sabbath, His feast day? And what can I bring when we come together? How can I contribute to this convocation, the sacred gathering, as we come together? Can I plan for it? I think God wants us because if I don't plan, it probably won't happen. I know that's the way it is in my life. I don't plan it. Don't write it down. Don't account for it. Probably going to go by the wayside. And so God tells us, okay, plan for it. Plan for it. Rehearse it. Get ready. Celebrate and find ways that we can break through the barriers that separate us so that we can become this true household that God wants us to be. And we can plan for those very things.

Because I think if we could summarize the whole aspect of when we consider God's holy convocation, I believe how we observe the Sabbath day when it comes to rest, when it comes to restoration, when it comes to reflection and true worship and convening together, how we observe even this sacred gathering does tell us something about how much we really want to be a part of God's way. How much do we really want to be in His family? How much do we really want to be a part of His household? Hopefully as we rehearse these things in our mind and recognize these areas that maybe we've fallen short in, that we can begin to realign our lives and our thinking so that ultimately we can have this mindset that's found over in Psalm 122 verse 1. Notice Psalm 122 verse 1.

As we put all of these different facets together about this wonderful opportunity God's given us in His Sabbath day, hopefully we can look through our lives and refocus and recognize this is the way I truly want to be. And in every area of my life, I'm going to strive to make this my mindset. Psalm 122 verse 1. I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord.