Symptoms of a Deteriorating Relationship

Question. What does it mean to be part of God's Church? What does it mean to be part of God's Church? Many possible answers there. But most people do not know. And fact is, neither did we until God opened our minds to understand His Word. For many, to be a member of a church or of the church, as they may mean it, means to be included on a membership list for a particular congregation or maybe a national congregation of some sort. But that's not how we should understand the meaning of being a member of the church. The word church, and sometimes the word congregation, is used to translate the Greek word ekklesia. Ekklesia is spelled E-K-K-L-E-S-I-A.

E-K-K-L-E-S-I-A. Ekklesia. Ekklesia means a body of people called out to assemble together. That just is what happened, actually, to ancient Israel. Ancient Israel was called out of Egypt to assemble before God and the wilderness. And that's a reference, actually, that Stephen would shortly be martyred after stating that statement.

You can read about Acts 7.38. That's how Stephen described Israel as the church, the Greek word there ekklesia in the wilderness. It's in the King James. The New King James uses the word the congregation. In Matthew 16.18, I'm going to turn there. Matthew 16.18, Jesus, among his first references here in the book of Matthew, here Jesus said to Peter, in Matthew 16.18, And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, Ekklesia.

In the gates of Hades, we understand that to mean the grave, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. It's interesting. Young's little translation remains faithful to the Greek. It reads, I will build my assembly.

That's what Young's little translation says. Instead, I will build my church. And so, whether the Bible uses congregation or church, both terms typically, as far as I could tell, always refer to people, not a building in the Bible. And then choosing the Bible refers to people, not a building. And I came in the church. I had to change the way I spoke about church. Are you going to church today?

Well, I am the church. So, and sometimes I notice, you notice how we talk about, I'm going to run up to the church building. We'll actually say church building. We don't say we're going up to the church. We are the church. So, we've had to adjust our definitions a little bit, or how we speak. Now, God's Scripture also reveals that it is the special calling of God in the presence of His Holy Spirit in the minds of those who heed that call that identifies the church of God as a unique assembly of people.

There, I'm quoting from the fundamental beliefs booklet on page 50. Our calling to be part of God's church comes from God the Father. And we're in Matthew. Let's turn to John 644. Perhaps it's been a while since you've strolled down these verses. John, as we walk with God, how about that? John 644. John 644. Jesus said, no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. And also, going on down or over to verse 65, Jesus added these words, and He said, therefore I have said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by my Father.

And so we understand that this means that no one can become part of God's church on his or her own. We might think that we ourselves started the process of looking up information about God and Sabbath day and other things, but hindsight and perspective reveals, no, God nudged us. God gave us a little push along these right directions. We might think we started out our process conversion, but we didn't, based on what Jesus said here in John 6. And as we describe, again, I'm going to read from fundamental beliefs booklet. As we describe in fundamental beliefs booklet, God initiates and guides the process by leading a person to repentance and baptism for the remission of sins and giving the gift of his Holy Spirit, through which a person becomes a member of the church.

God's Spirit has to be dwelling in us. The beget of God's Holy Spirit must be in us to make us part of his church, the body, in the family, as we're going to hear more about today. So my purpose today is to remind us of how blessed we are to be part of God's church. And conversely, on the other hand, what a tragedy it would be to neglect our part in God's church.

We've heard about this sort of a contractual relationship, covenantal relationship in the sermonette. It's true, and it appears as we're going to be talking about our part in God's church. How much do we value being a part of the church of God?

Are there signs of deterioration in our relationship with God? It's a little more troubling question to ask ourselves. Are there signs of deterioration in our relationship with God and his church? Well, if so, what should we do? So we're going to talk about our part in the church of God. And the title of the sermon today is, Symptoms of a Deteriorating Relationship.

Symptoms of a Deteriorating Relationship. I want to begin talking about what the church is described as being. How do we understand God's church, the church of God? Well, God inspired a variety of metaphors in his scripture to describe how the individuals or members of his ecclesia is called out once the church are to interact and relate to one another.

The metaphors we'll consider today, and there are many, but we're going to consider just two. The two metaphors we'll consider about the church today is the church as a body and the church as a family. And so we're going to begin in Romans chapter 12 verse 3 discussing the metaphor of the church is a body. And so if you turn with me to Romans 12 verse 3 through 8, we'll read there.

And what we find is that Paul describes the church of God, as we may be familiar with, as being members of one body, one body. And each member with a different role or function, but all serving to the benefit of the entire body. All serving to the benefit of the entire body. And so in Romans 12 verse 3, beginning here, we read, Paul writes, for I say through the grace given to me to everyone who is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Being in the church is not a place to get haughty, to get high-minded, thinking we're better than others. Continuing verse 4, Paul says, For as we have many members in one body, making a comparison, just as we have many parts that make us up as a human being, so we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function. And so we, being many, are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.

And he continues verse 6, and he proceeds to talk about gifts we each have. And having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith or ministry. Well, let us use it in our ministering or serving.

He who teaches in teaching, he who exhorts in exhortation, he who gives with liberality, he who leads with diligence, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness. And so God then, Paul says, also gives each member a spiritual gift. These spiritual gifts are not to be kept just for ourselves, but they are meant to be shared to the benefit of the body of Christ, to the benefit of others. Whatever our spiritual gift might be, we are to use it generously in building up, edifying, encouraging, exhorting one another in the ways of God. Let's see, I just read, that's right. Let's, I looked at Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, and I thought I read from the same verse.

No, let's turn to 1 Corinthians 12 now. 1 Corinthians 12, verse 12. It's interesting how they're similar chapters. 1 Corinthians 12, 12 through 26. 1 Corinthians 12, 26. Here again, Paul picks up this metaphor, developing this description of how the church is like a body, a human body. And here Paul emphasizes that we must not be envious of the functions we have in the body, the church. It ties back to what he said in Romans 12, but here he elaborates a little more.

Some scholars point out that when Paul's talking about members of the body, or sometimes translations to say parts of the body, that's how they referred to it back in the time in the Greek in Paul's day.

We might consider it as organs, organs of a body. We have hands, we have kidneys, we have a brain, tongues, whatever it might be. Yes, we do have brains. And we are to be using these together as the body as a church would be using different parts are very important. Some may seem less significant, but all are very important. And that's what Paul talks about here. Verse 12, he says, For as the body is one, it has many members, organs or parts, but all the members of that one body being many are one body. They're a whole, they're an entirety. So also is Christ, he says. For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves are free. All these labels humankind can put on one another, but they're all made one through Christ, through that Spirit, and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. Verse 14, for in fact, the body is not one member, just one organ, as he's going to explain, but many. Verse 15, Paul says that the foot should say, because I am not a hand, I am not of the body. Is it therefore not of the body? Well, of course not. Just because you're saying you're not part of the body, or that doesn't make it so. God makes it so. And if the ears should say, because I am not an eye, I am not of the body. Is it therefore not of the body? Well, of course not. If the whole body, on the other hand, were an eye, where would be the hearing? And if the whole body were hearing, where would be the smelling?

But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he pleased. And if they were all one member, all the same, where would the body be? But now, indeed, there are many members, yet one body, and the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet. I have no need of you. Like it or not? I hope we like it. We need each other. We need each other. God's placed us here as part of the larger body called the church. So these verses tell us that it's really unwise and foolish for us to envy other people, maybe some of their functions, and we might assign them into congregation, or maybe even be envious of their gifts, whatever they might be. Each one has a function in God's church. All members, like all parts of the body, are necessary to the entire body because all members, all parts of that body, are interconnected and vital in the entire body to the benefit of the body. Any debate about certain parts being weaker or less honorable or less important is due to our limited and perhaps biased perspectives we may have as human beings, and it's not due to what Scripture says. God doesn't view the members of His church, the body of Christ, that way, as some being inferior and others being superior. And Paul suggests our problem of having that limited perception is highlighted here a little bit more in verse 22 through 23. Let's read on. So Paul says, no much rather. Those members of the body, notice what he says, which seem to be weaker, are necessary. He's talking about our suppositions. He's talking about our assumptions, our wrong assumptions we make about perhaps the role or position or even individuals and what they do in a congregation in the church. Those members of the body, which seem to be weaker, are necessary.

The RSV says, indispensable. The New English translation says, essential. Each is essential.

On these we bestow, and those members, excuse me, verse 23, and those members of the body, which we think, which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor, and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty. But our presentable parts have no need for it.

And continuing, he says, but God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, and that there should be no schism in the body, that no members should have, that the members, excuse me, that the members should have the same care for one another.

And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. Or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. And so Paul is trying to help us to understand how in the church we each have a function to fulfill, a function God has given us just as he pleases and just as he knows best. And no matter the function we serve in God's church, we are each unified together as one through God's Holy Spirit dwelling in us. It unites us so that all that we do does impact one another, and we hope always in a positive way. And so it is that we should most willingly support and honor and love one another as members in the body of the church. And what an immense honor it is if we think about it in that gift of love God has bestowed upon us. And so as members of the body, the church, we should honor that. We should do our part as best we know how and not neglect it.

Now the second metaphor has to do with the church of God as a family. Let's turn to Matthew 12 verse 46.

Matthew 12 verse 46 through 50.

And here we may want us to recall what Jesus said. What Jesus declared to all to all to be, excuse me, what Jesus declared to those who forsook all in order that they might be as faithful followers. He said something about them being his family. Mark 12 46. While he, Jesus, was still talking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and brother stood outside seeking to speak with him. In verse 47, then someone said to him, look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak with you. But he, Jesus, answered and said to the one who told him, well, who is my mother and who are my brothers? And he stretched out his hand toward his disciples. And he said, here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. And then also in Luke 8 verse 21, Luke 8 21, and I'll, you can turn there, I'll read it to you. Luke 8 21. Luke records what Jesus said this way.

Luke records Jesus as saying, my mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it. And we have that principle that's so vital to our well-being spiritually of hearing and doing, not just being a hearer of the word or knowing about it, but actually doing it. And so, both gospel accounts tell us that it does take much more than just believing, but also obeying the Father's will and word to be considered members with Christ in the family of God.

The sort of faithful belief and obedience we need comes with God's gift of his Holy Spirit, God's begettle that makes us a new creation in which we'll fully receive when we're born again as immortal beings at the return of Christ, immortal spirit beings. Let's also turn to 1 Timothy 5, verse 1 through 2. To continue on with this idea of the church as a family, 1 Timothy 5, verse 1 through 2, Paul instructs Timothy to guide and teach the brethren of God's church with love and compassion, the same sort of love and compassion one should treat his own family. He's not necessarily saying how we actually treat our family, because we may find we all have room to improve in how we treat one another and our families, but he's setting the standard that this is how we should be treating one another and our families. 1 Timothy 5, verse 1, here's the love and compassion we're to have for one another. So he's telling Timothy, do not rebuke an older man. Don't be harsh with him. Just beat him up, overpower him with your rhetoric, your command, but exhort him, encourage him, build him up as a father and younger men as brothers. Treat the older men in a congregation like you would your dad. Love and respectfully. And the younger men as your brothers. Hopefully that means in a loving, kind, and helpful way. I'm sure that's what it means. Not like I used to—never mind.

Let's look at verse 2. Also, it continues, he said, treat older women as mothers and younger women as sisters with all purity, with all purity of heart and mind and goodness and godliness.

To treat one another as family members.

And it seems to me I may be wrong. I don't think I'm wrong. I feel like we're—we do a pretty good job of that, and I hope we continue to do that. I see a lot of hugs and kindness and things going on behind scenes. Some of us may not know, and I see it, and it's very touching to see how we do treat each other like family, and we're going to keep working on that. And so, from youth to elderly members of God's church are instructed to love one another with godly love as family members should. And they do that for the purpose of encouraging and building up one another in the way of God and unto receiving its shared purpose, our shared hope of salvation in God's kingdom. Let's also look at 1 John chapter 3. 1 John chapter 3. And here John argues persuasively, as it were. That's what good preaching does, and John's doing it through this letter.

John argues persuasively and instructing us to love one another again as brothers and sisters in Christ must be striving to do. And so he says, 1 John 3.13, do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. That's an indicator of how well we're doing, how we're progressing, and our conversion with God, how we treat our brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love because he laid down his life for us, speaking of Christ, he laid down his life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother in need and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? How? John asks us. And so verse 18, he says, so my little children, let us not love in word or in tongue empty promises and commitments, but indeed and truth. Follow through with what we know to do. Follow through with what we say we're going to do. Verse 19, and by this then and by this we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him, before Christ and God. And so as a church of God, understanding that as being as members of God's family, we must support and love one another through all of our trials, not just ours but one another's. And especially since the world rejects us and hates us, the world cannot give us the sort of support and love that we as brethren with God's Spirit in us should be giving to one another. There's a higher standard we should be aiming for as we love one another and as we continue to endure in love. And so again, our love towards God will be revealed then in our good works and acts of kindness and concern, love towards our brethren. And again, it's not enough that we know God's word, not enough that we simply believe that he exists. A lot of people and even fallen angels believe that God exists. Let's look at Galatians 6, 9-10.

But Paul continuing on with this idea of a family, in Galatians 6, 9-10, Paul's instruction harmonizes with what John has just told us. Galatians 6, 9-10, Paul writes, encourages us, builds us up, exhorts us, let us not grow weary while doing good. For in due season we shall reap. It's a promise if we do not lose heart, if we do not give up, if we do not neglect what we need to be doing. Verse 10, therefore he says, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, but especially to those who are of the household of faith. The word household can also be translated as family. In fact, in the New Living translation says, who are of the family of faith. The New International version says, who are of the family of believers. That's the church. That's us.

And so as individuals who bear the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit, we are also considered a family, not just the body, the body of Christ, but also a family. We are a church of God. When we talk about our church family, it seems like we really need to think about that phrase, our church family.

And it means more than just a passing acquaintance. Perhaps if we're not familiar with some of our church family, we can, and I'm one, I'm going to try harder to get to know all of us much better without being too snoopy and prying, I might say. Okay. And so these two metaphors of a body and family convey much instruction, much more than I have been able to speak right now or can in one message. These metaphors of a body and family convey much instruction about how members of the church of God are to live and to grow together in unity. These metaphors illustrate how the church is comprised of individuals, and while each member has a spiritual gift, you really do, and where to fulfill that certain function God has given us, all members form a unified whole, which is made possible through God's Spirit in us. And God helps us. He helps each member to supply his or her part to the whole, to the larger body, and each member is accountable. We are accountable for edifying, exhorting, and encouraging one another in the way of God and to salvation.

And again, all this happens because of God's love. He loved us first. If we've accepted our calling, received God's Spirit after baptism and repentance, baptism, laying on of hands, we have God's Spirit, and we need to be growing in the ways of God. But it started with God calling us first, loving us, and now he wants us to love one another in him. When we consider these things and how Jesus willingly came and died for our sins, how he willingly paid our penalty of death in our place, how deep and profound should be our willingness, our willingness, to be and to stay forever faithful and committed to God. That's what we're to be doing as a church, the Church of God. Now, as I say that, at the same time, we know that we have not yet received salvation. We're on the way. We're going to keep at it until it's achieved. But we're not there yet.

We must endure with God and His Church until the end, until the time of that return of Christ.

We must remain, therefore, on guard that we not give up and neglect so great a salvation, as referred to in Hebrews 2, verse 4. We must guard our relationship with God and His Church.

We must not take it for granted. So now we need to turn our thoughts, a little more, with a little more scrutiny into our lives.

We need to turn our thoughts to our need to guard our relationship.

We must take care to make sure there's nothing we are doing or failing to do that could undermine and turn us away from our precious unity with God and Christ and from one another in the Church, in the Church, the Eclaecia of God. What might those things be? What might we need to watch out for?

Scripture tells us. Scripture gives us fair warning. And so now let's turn and consider, we're just going to highlight several attitudes and behaviors revealed in Scripture that could turn us away from our unity with God, our relationship with God and Christ and one another as Church members. The first thing we need to be on guard against is love for this present world.

Love for this present world. Yes, I know the world's getting uglier, isn't it?

But there's still things about it we might be drawn to, we might be attracted to, we must not.

Love for this present world can turn us away from God and His Church.

Now we might say, oh, that'll never happen to me.

It could. Let's turn to Colossians chapter 4, verse 14. Why do I say that?

Love for this present world can turn us away from God and His Church.

That's what happened to Demas. It happened to Demas.

Demas was a man who had been Paul's faithful companion since Paul's first imprisonment in Rome.

He was that first imprisonment for two years. It happened sometime around 60 to 62 AD.

Writing then to the Colossians, notice Colossians 4, verse 14.

Colossians 4, verse 14. Paul sent greetings to the Colossians from Luke and Demas.

He said, greetings from Luke, the beloved physician. Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you. They greet you. He was well-loved to Paul and known to others that when they said, you say, Demas, I know who you're talking about. Also in Philemon, chapter 1, verse 23.

Philemon's right after Titus. Philemon 1, verse 23-24, another ending of this epistle.

In here, Philemon 1, 23, Paul lists Demas again, and this time he lists them among his fellow laborers. Verse 23, Epiphros, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you. Verse 24, as do Mark, we know who Mark is, and Aristocarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow laborers.

And so Demas was a faithful fellow worker with Paul, and preaching the gospel. He knew Luke personally and Mark as well, well-known members of the body of Christ.

But now to 2 Timothy chapter 4. 2 Timothy chapter 4.

Go back a few pages, forward a few pages, however you look at that. 2 Timothy 4, verse 9-10.

Years later, during his second arrest and imprisonment in Rome, sometime around 66 AD, we believe, Paul writes to Timothy, and he includes some really discouraging news, some tragic news.

2 Timothy 4, verse 9-10. He reports that Demas had left him. He tells Timothy, verse 9-10. Be diligent to come to me quickly. I need you, he tells Timothy.

Verse 10. Because Demas has forsaken me.

Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Cessalonica.

And Cressons is left for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.

So he's been left alone. Now, scholars, reading this the way the grammar is, it does read that Demas has left because of his love for the world. But Cressons, in Titus, it seems that they went on to do other missionary work. They had not forsaken Paul, or the work, or God's calling, but they had gone to do other work for God's people for the church.

Now, scholars debate what Paul meant by saying that Demas had forsaken me, having loved this present world. What does that mean, having loved this present world? Well, some scholars contend that Demas turned away from Paul after being drawn by the material riches of this world. And they note how Paul's words concerning Demas are very similar to the words of John in 1 John 2, 15 through 17. And we might want to refresh your mind. We might want to refresh our minds with that. 1 John 2, 15 through 17.

And here, among warning words from John, we read these. 1 John 2, 15, John instructs us, Do not love the world or the things of the world. For if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Verse 16, For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

It's the opposite. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it. But he who does the will of God abides forever. He will not fade away. She will not fade away. And so it is that many scholars contend that Demas must have given in to the desires of this world. He must have given up on Paul in that tough way of life to take in wealth and to take in comfort, maybe fame, and other such temporary pleasures the world offers. But some have a hard time believing that because Demas spent so many times with Paul and he knew a lot about self-sacrifice and giving and so on.

Others, such as Exposer's Bible commentary, argue that Demas was not taken in by worldly riches.

They argue it's more likely that he was not willing to pay the price of hardship and suffering that Paul was paying. You see, this was Paul's second imprisonment in Rome and would not be long for Paul would be put to death. He'd be executed. And so again, Paul's life was difficult, continual self-sacrifice, preaching the gospel, establishing various churches of God, constant tending to the brethren, worrying for them, praying for them, serving them, things that Paul loved to do.

But they contend perhaps Demas grew weary of that, and he was no longer willing to pay the price that Paul was paying. And so when Demas left, again, Paul was facing a short and short time death.

Now, for whatever reason, we do not know for sure, but for whatever reason, whatever is reason for abandoning Paul, Demas seems to have also abandoned the hope of the world to come, the kingdom of God and salvation. Because that's the world. That's the world tomorrow, as we would say, that Paul was focused on, that we need to remain focused on. Demas's choice was tragic, but Paul remained faithful to God, and Paul remained faithful to the church and to his death.

And Paul will experience the first resurrection unto immortality. In that phrase of his in the twinkling of an eye, Paul looked forward to that moment at Christ's return.

We need to follow Paul's example. I think we'd all agree. We must be determined to do like Paul and never love this present world more than we love God, more than we love church, more than we have hope of salvation. We must turn away from our love for the world.

The second thing, the second thing that could turn us away from God and his church, for this we can be turning back to the Hebrews 10. The second thing we must avoid is the forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.

Forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.

We should understand from what Scripture instructs us to the doctrine, the instruction from Scripture, that it's vital that we assemble together as church on the Sabbath and Holy Days to worship God and to learn from his Holy Scripture. In assembling together, the members of God's church are also to enjoy godly fellowship or to take this time to encourage and edify one another in the ways of God. We need one another. So let's read the exhortation to assemble. In Hebrews 10, verse 23 through 25, it's almost hidden there. You can almost gloss over it. Here we read Hebrews 10, 23, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful, and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. And here it is, verse 25, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner, you might put practice or habit, of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the day approaching. As you see the day approaching.

These verses are a serious reminder and a call to action for all who sincerely hope and trust in God's promise of salvation. It's a colony warning also not to become lethargic and spiritually lazy members of the Church of God. We need to be gathering in person together in worship of God so that we can be edified in exhorting one another, encouraging one another, together, worshiping together. We each need the other, one another, whether we truly know it or appreciate that right now. Now, some nowadays might claim that they don't actually need to assemble in person with their brethren in a local congregation. They might argue that it's good enough, it's good enough to join in by webcast or listen to sermons through a website. These can be good things to do, but it's not quite what Scripture is talking about. Now, let me quickly define who I'm not talking to and who I am talking to and what Scripture is talking about and not talking about. Now, if it's the best one can do because of long distances to travel, I know some brethren that would love to visit and attend with this every Sabbath, but they live like they're out in the middle of Louisiana and there's just nobody close by.

They're four or five hours away and that's too much. It's just too far. And so there are some because of long distances, some due to their inability to travel, back problems, mobility issues, some just due to poor health that they are unable to attend. And all those reasons are quite understandable, absolutely understandable. You see, there are many who truly want and yearn to be with their brethren on the Sabbath but are simply unable to do so. That's really not their fault. Hebrews 10.25, whoever more narrowly addresses those who could readily assemble with others, they are capable of attending personally, in other words, but their manner, their practice, their habit is to choose not to. These individuals are choosing, unfortunately, to endanger their spiritual well-being and the unity they need to be developing and sharing with their fellow members of God's church. Again, I say God's people need to be with God's people, and that's a powerful lesson I think we all learned during the COVID years. I want to say it like that because I hope they never come back. The COVID years. Remember being unable to gather at that time. Remember how we hated that. It rankled us. We hated it. We got by with listening on webcasts, but it was not the same, and we know it. We need to be with other people who share God's spirit and understanding and faith in His word. But, unfortunately, there are many in God's church and those who are not in God's church, and I wonder if maybe it's just become, as it says here in Hebrews 10.25, a manner, a habit. That it's a habit perhaps developed during the time of COVID that some of us are comfortable not attending. It's something that's happening apparently in churches, all churches everywhere. I saw an article just this week talking about a lot of congregations, whatever Catholic, Protestant of any type, they're all noticing there's at least a 15% drop in attendance from what it was prior to COVID. And I'm not sure about all our congregations. I haven't seen numbers, but I know I have talked with other pastors and elders. They're seeing that there's been some drop-off. Some of it's just due to health reasons, and again, that's understandable.

But what this scripture is addressing is those that choose. Their manner is that they don't choose to attend, and that's dangerous. We need to rethink what we're doing if that's what we're doing. Let's look at Proverbs 18. Proverbs 18 verse 1. Let's have a little food for thought.

More reasons why we should not forsake gathering with one another as we need to be doing.

In Proverbs 18 verse 1, it reads this way. Proverbs 18 verse 1, I'll let you turn there. It's in Ephesians 1. It states Proverbs 18 verse 1, a man who isolates himself, a person who isolates himself, seeks his own desire. He rages against all wise judgment.

It goes against wisdom. The New English translation reads this way.

One who has isolated himself seeks his own desires. He rejects all sound judgment.

This proverb suggests that to isolate and not assemble may be a sign of self-centeredness.

We are our own best judge on that. We have to evaluate ourselves to see if that might be so.

But if we're not assembling, for whatever reason, it is contrary to sound judgment. And it's simply not healthy. It's not healthy for our spiritual well-being.

Let's also turn to Proverbs 27 verse 8. Proverbs 27 verse 8, another proverb we haven't read for a while.

Proverbs 27 verse 8 reads like this, Like a bird that wanders from its nest is a man who wanders from his place.

Like a bird that wanders from its nest is a man who wanders from his place.

Let's think about that. What happens to a bird? What happens to a little chick that wanders from its nest? We had chickens on the farm. I know what happened.

Well, that chick removes itself from the protective and nurturing care of its mother.

It's defenseless. It's on its own. That chick is going to get lost.

And more than likely, that chick is going to die.

It's going to get eaten by a cat.

Or if you prefer to follow another analogy here, it's going to get eaten by a lion.

If we're that little bird, I think you understand.

You see, our place, our nest, so to speak, is God's church.

God has called us and placed us here under the protective and nurturing care of God and our brethren. We're here for one another. And so, to make a habit of not assembling with the people of God when we're fully capable of doing so is not wise. It's spiritually dangerous.

We're endangering our relationship with God. We're making it easier to become lost spiritually.

And ultimately, we're endangering our salvation when we give up assembling with our brethren in the church. But when we are faithful and gathering together, we need to be doing more than just listening to a message or two taught from the Word of God. That's an important part, of course. But we're here to worship. We're here to fellowship. We're here to help one another.

And that means we must be doing more than just being acquaintances. And yes, we need to be developing friendships. But the meaning of friendships for us in the church must go beyond being just friends and must become being like brothers and sisters.

And so we're to use this precious time assembled together, learning about one another, learning to care for one another, sharpening one another, an iron sharpening iron metaphor, Proverbs 2717.

We want to do that so none of us becomes dull in the way of God.

We come together to worship God, to know about God, more about God, and to love one another as God would have us be. So we must not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.

A third thing to avoid.

We must be mindful not to forsake sound doctrine, and so turn from God in His church.

Paul addresses this dangerous tendency in 2 Timothy chapter 4.

He addresses this dangerous tendency of forsaking sound doctrine where he warns against having itching ears.

There's a medical condition, all sorts that could cause that, but this is meant metaphorically.

2 Timothy 4 verse 2 through 4. Paul instructs Timothy to preach God's word, to maintain sound doctrine among the members of God's church. 2 Timothy 4.2 he says, Preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season. When it's convenient and inconvenient, we have to be ready, especially the elders whose responsibility particularly is to teach and preach. 3 Convince, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and teaching. For the time will come and they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers.

And they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables.

There's Greek lexicon states that the phrase itching ears was an idiom back in the days of Paul, and it meant to have itching ears, it meant to be desirous of hearing something pleasant.

They desired to hear something pleasant. In other words, people had an itch that needed to be scratched. They had an itch for something more pleasant, interesting, something different. Not necessarily doctrine, because they were tired of hearing doctrine. They were inclined to scratch that itch by hearing something that Timothy nor Paul nor scripture taught. They wanted something different.

People are naturally inclined to hear what is more comfortable. We are naturally inclined to hear what we agree with, which sounds good. We're naturally inclined to be comfortable hearing our own opinions and feelings repeated back to us, perhaps more so than hearing God's sound or helpful doctrine, his instruction, that is absolutely necessary for our salvation.

Now, this tendency among God's people is nothing new. We probably understand that. Let's look at Isaiah chapter 30. It was a thorn, you might say, that God hated and the prophets of old hated. A tendency among God's people as well. Isaiah 30, verse 8 through 11.

Here God speaks to Isaiah, declaring, Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and note it on a scroll, that it may be for time to come forever and ever. There's a warning here that him has ears to hear.

Verse 9, that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children who do not hear the law of the Lord, who say to the seers, do not see, and to the prophets, do not prophesy to us right things. Imagine saying, we don't want to hear right things, we don't want to hear God's word.

But speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits, tell us lies. There's an old song about that.

Tell me lies. Verse 11. God says, Get out of the way, turn aside from the path. They don't want to hear the truth. Get out of the way, turn aside from the path. Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. They don't want to hear about God. They don't want to hear about walking with God, except how they want to walk with God. And they'll tell us, or try to tell us.

Romans 16 verse 18. Romans 16 verse 18. Paul also wrote warning, warning against individuals, in this case, individuals who caused division in the church by teaching smooth words. Very much what Isaiah was having to contend with. These smooth words are contrary to Scripture.

Romans 16 verse 18. Paul writes, can jump in the middle of thought, he says, For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly. And by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. Referring here to false teachers. Those who have, who appear to be righteous but are not speaking the righteous words of God's Scripture. That has to be our source.

Scripture is our authority. And so Paul warns Timothy, and he's warning us today, to not gather to ourselves teachers that teach doctrines and instruction contrary to Scriptures.

We must not scratch that itch to hearken to instruction that gratifies and pleases our own desires, and which is not drawn, not taken from a sound understanding of God's Scripture.

And so there will be those who will seek instructors for themselves, meaning they will allow themselves to be drawn away, and even to the point of rejecting the very sound wisdom and instruction of God's Word. And it's sad, but those who have itching ears who keep searching and searching for what pleases them, that feels good, something new, some new truth. The fact is, that's a man or a habit that will never be satisfied. We develop that mindset, we'll always be searching and never coming to the truth.

And the world is rife with preachers and teachers of all sorts right now.

They want to tell us what sin is and what sin isn't. They preach and teach that if it feels good to you and you think it's okay, well then it's okay. It's not a sin. Go ahead and do it.

But that's a lot of what people want to hear today. They don't preach the truth of God about His Church, about salvation, Jesus Christ, Kingdom of God, and everlasting life.

The true principle we should follow, the true principle we should be following, are those that Paul and Timothy, another faithful and godly ministers of Jesus Christ and the Father, adhered to. And that's the principle of faithfully declaring and preaching the truth of God.

It's a principle Isaiah declared in Isaiah 8, verse 20. Isaiah, verse 8 through 20.

This needs to be something firmly embedded in our hearts and minds to be our guard.

Isaiah 8, verse 20. To the law and to the testimony, go to Scripture. If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. It's a principle. Stick to Scripture. When you don't know what to do, go to the Bible. It'll come to you in time.

Resist itching ears. And so these three, love for the world, failing to assemble, and having itching ears, were serious problems for the early church. In many ways, Paul would address this over and over again. And frankly, they remain so for the members of God's church today.

In some ways, perhaps more dangerously so. It's so easy now to let these truths into our hearts and heads, in our homes, among our families. These three are symptoms of a deteriorating relationship with God and His church. These three are symptoms of a deteriorating relationship with God and His church. We need to be aware. Now, just to be clear, this sermon is not an advertisement for the United Church of God.

I hope you understand that. All of you listening.

It's an exhortation for those whom God has called and given an ear to hear to hear, and to stop going the wrong way. Spiritual and moral darkness has long affected and afflicted humanity. And times have become increasingly dark, and we all know it.

But Jesus Christ is the light, the only light, of the world. And through Him, God, our loving Father, has established His church, His ecclesia, and again, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail. And so it's time for us to be fully engaged with God in His way.

We need to be right with God and fully embrace within that spiritual body and family, which Scripture does call the Church of God. It begins, how do we do that? It begins with recognizing and admitting when we're on the wrong path. When we're on the wrong path, and moving away from God, we need to repent. And then we pray earnestly with faith in Jesus Christ's sacrifice for God's mercy and forgiveness, and pray that He would help us to remain fully engaged with God and with His Church. And so my final question to you is, what will you do?