Seriously, Every Sunday?

Why God Calls His People to Gather

(Why God Calls His People to Gather)

Hebrews 10:19-25

Intro: Heritage’s mission is “making disciples here and around the world,” and our elders have selected 8 disciplines to identify what success looks like for us. We’ve painted the target in the Discipleship Wheel.

Picture: Discipleship Wheel

The first discipline we’re looking at is the “Sunday morning gathering.” This morning, I want to tell you why the elders have selected this habit as an essential discipline.

First: Note, the Discipleship Wheel Doesn’t Say “Sunday Worship”

Worship is an attitude before it is an action.

There are 4 primary Greek words for ‘worship’ in the NT:

• Proskuneō: humble submission before God (to bow before)

Carpe Diem, Coram Deo – Seize the day before the face of God.

• Latreuō: faithful service flowing from devotion

• Sebomai: reverent awe shaping the heart

• Leitourgia: shared, public expression of God’s worth

Proskuneo and Sebomai are attitudes.

Latreuo and Leitourgia are actions.

The attitude creates and shapes the actions. It’s a matter of “beholding is becoming” or “being is becoming.” Worship is about who you are in relation to God, not what you do for God.

Worship is a 24/7, not just Sunday, attitude of recognizing God’s worth and placing him at the center of our lives, much like the Discipleship Wheel.

a) Outwardly, the Trinity resources the disciplines

b) Inwardly, the disciplines are invitations to love and experience God

This means worship is not confined to singing or gathering but everything on the wheel is ‘worship.’

At the same time, worship naturally culminates in the gathered assembly, where God’s people bow together, serve together, revere together, and offer themselves together to our God.

So, that’s why we don’t call the discipline worship. All the disciplines are worship and a worshipping life practices the disciplines.

Second: We Gather Because We Have Access to God Through Christ (vv. 19–21)

Note: Whenever you read a “therefore,” find out what it’s “there for…”

The word translated “therefore” functions like a theological hinge. It often connects doctrine to devotion, and here, the gospel to the gathering, or Christ’s work to the church’s life.

So, the author of Hebrews does not tell us what to do until it has told us what Christ has done. It’s the “indicative,” “imperative” order. “This is true.” “This is what it means to you.”

1. What comes before the “therefore” in Hebrews 1–10:18?

Verse 19 looks backward across the entire argument of Hebrews.

a) Christ Is the Final and Greater High Priest. Jesus is superior to angels, Moses, and every former mediator. He is the true High Priest who stands permanently before God on our behalf.

b) Christ Offered the Final Sacrifice. Unlike the repeated sacrifices of the old covenant:

• Jesus offered himself once.

• His sacrifice actually removes sin.

• Nothing remains to be added.

Hebrews 10:14 summarizes it: “By a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

c) The way into God’s presence is open

- The old system restricted access.

- The new covenant grants confidence.

IMP: The curtain is no longer a barrier but a testimony to the fact that Christ has opened the way.

2. What comes after the “therefore” in Hebrews 10:19–25

Because of what Christ has done, the writer gives three communal exhortations, all introduced by “let us”:

1. Let us draw near (v. 22)

2. Let us hold fast (v. 23)

3. Let us consider one another (v. 24)

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God…

• The curtain is torn.

• Access is no longer restricted to a priest, a place, or a moment.

• Jesus is both the sacrifice and the great high priest.

• The gathered church is a people invited into God’s presence together.

Sunday gathering connection

• When the church gathers, it is not recreating sacrifice.

For instance, the Lord’s Table is a memorial to us.

• It is responding to finished sacrifice.

• Corporate worship is a shared entrance into grace, not a private spiritual add-on.

APP:

a) Sunday worship re-centers us in a world that constantly pulls us toward self-sufficiency.

b) Singing, praying, and listening together rehearses the truth that we come by grace, not merit.

Third: We Gather to Draw Near Together, Not Alone (v. 22)

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

a) Drawing near is in communal language – “Let us…”

b) Faith is personal but never private.

c) Our assurance of the truth/facts is strengthened in shared worship.

Sunday gathering connection

• The weekly gathering is God’s appointed rhythm for drawing near as a body.

• We all hear the same Scripture read aloud.

• We all hear the same word together.

• We all receive assurance together.

APP: Gathering on Sunday strengthens our individual faith but our faith is never intended to be individual

Note: The three most often repeated NT metaphors for the church are:

a) A body – you need more than one member to make a body

b) A building – you need more than one brick to make a building

c) A bride – you need a groom to have a bride

Just like God lives in eternal community, he’s invited us into his body, his building and to be his bride.

The epistles – letters on how to live as Christians - are written to churches, not to individuals. (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon and 2 & 3 John are exceptions).

POINT: The NT assumes regular corporate gathering, shared teaching, worship, and mutual responsibility.

• When your personal faith feels shaky, the gathered church carries you.

CG Leaders: Ask your CGs for personal illustrations of how the church has carried them.

• Corporate confession reminds us we are not the only ones who are living for Jesus.

• Corporate praise lifts our eyes to others when our own lives feel alone.

Excurses: What about the “with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” See my Note at the end of the sermon notes.

Fourth: We Gather to Hold Fast Our Hope in a Shaking World (v. 23)

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,

for he who promised is faithful.

a) Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,

The Greek of “hold fast” is very important:

Katechō (κατέχω) = to hold firmly, to grasp tightly, to keep secure or to restrain from slipping or being taken away.

It combines kata = down, against and echō = to have, to hold. The picture is pressing down on something so it cannot move.

Katechō implies: deliberate effort, ongoing resistance and external pressure

We hold fast to our faith because something is trying to pull it away and us away from it.

Elsewhere, katechō is used for:

• Suppressing the truth (Romans 1:18)

• Holding a tradition firmly (1 Corinthians 11:2)

• Restraining force (2 Thessalonians 2:6–7)

In every case, the idea is active containment against pressure.

We are holding fast to “the confession of our hope.”

• The publicly declared gospel

• The shared truth of who Christ is and what he has done

• The hope confessed together in worship, creed, and proclamation

Why the Command Is Corporate

Notice the grammar:

• “Let us hold fast”

• Not “hold fast privately”

• Not “hold fast individually”

The verb assumes communal reinforcement.

This is why verse 25 immediately speaks of meeting together. The gathering exists precisely because katechō is difficult alone.

Sunday gathering connection

• The church gathers weekly to rehearse the confession.

• Creed, song, Scripture, and sermon stabilize belief.

• Hope is preserved through repetition, not novelty.

APP: All week the world catechizes you. The Sunday gathering re-catechizes you in the gospel through multiple voices.

b) “And let us consider how to stir up one another…” =

a) Growth is thoughtful. We don’t gather accidentally, casually or thoughtlessly

b) Growth is relational.

- Body - The human body grows together.

- Building - A building is supported by its parts

- Bride - Two become one

c) Love requires proximity.

d) Good works are cultivated, not commanded in isolation.

e) The Sunday gathering creates space for mutual encouragement.

f) This means your presence matters.

g) Seeing faces, hearing voices, sharing burdens shapes faith obedience.

APP:

• We cannot stir one another from a distance.

• The Sunday gathering reminds us that following Jesus is a shared journey.

• Our faith matures in community, not in isolation.

Fifth: We Gather Because God Uses the Gathering to Sustain Faith (v. 25)

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some,

but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

a) Three important thoughts;

• Neglect is gradual, not dramatic.

• Encouragement is preventative care for the soul.

• The Day is drawing near.

c) The Sunday gathering

• Is not optional spiritual enrichment.

• It is God’s appointed means of perseverance.

• The nearer we move toward the end, the more we need one another.

APP:

• The “habit” of your presence reshapes your priorities.

• Your presence reminds you of what is important.

• It also retrains your desires

So that, perhaps without even realizing your faith is preserved through ordinary, faithful gathering over time.

Conclusion: The weekly gathering of God’s people is not about attendance but about

access,

assurance,

hope,

love, and

endurance.

God calls us together to imitate his life. He calls us together because we need each other

Our Sunday gathering is grace in communal form.

It is where Jesus meets his people together, teaches them how to live in the world and love each other and where he keeps us together until the Day he returns, occurs.

NOTE: – with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

First: What the Language Is Drawing From:

1. Old Covenant Priestly Washing

Under the law, priests:

• Were first sprinkled with blood (Think brazen altar)

• And then washed with water before entering God’s presence (Think brazen laver) Exodus 29; Leviticus 8).

The writer of Hebrews has been working with this priestly framework throughout chapters 7–10.

Since we are the new priests to God, this blood and water metaphor makes good sense.

Second: What the Two Clauses Represent

1. “Hearts sprinkled clean”

• Refers to inner cleansing.

• The conscience is purified by Christ’s blood.

• This is justification and regeneration.

2. “Bodies washed with pure water”

• Refers to outward cleansing, using priestly imagery.

• Symbolizes moral and covenantal purity.

The pairing is deliberate, emphasizing the whole person, inner and outer, heart and body, not merely spirit and ritual.

Third: Is Baptism in View?

Some people say ‘yes,’ because of:

• Water imagery.

• Early Christians naturally associated washing with baptism.

• Baptism is the visible sign of inward cleansing.

But I don’t think the phrasing is about or can be restricted to baptism because:

• Baptism is never mentioned explicitly.

• The argument is about access to God, not entry into the church.

• The controlling metaphor is temple access, not initiation rites.

• The cleansing described is something believers already possess, not something being administered.

I hope that helps if someone asks about that phrase.

Remember friends, the TRAP devotional is intended to fulfil Colossians 3:16 which reads,

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly”

and give you time to

“Think over what I say for the Lord will give you understanding in everything”

(2 Timothy 2:7).

I hope it is a blessing, and not a burden to you.

Monday

“Therefore…” (Hebrews 10:19–21)

Think. Hebrews 10:19 begins with “therefore,” which means the call to gather flows from Christ’s finished work, not from obligation. This is a real joy, friends. All of Christianity is grace. Our access to God is already secured by Jesus’ blood, his torn flesh, his death, resurrection and exaltation as our ever-living priest. Before any exhortation appears, assurance is given to us.

Reflect. Notice how often we instinctively reverse the order, living as if gathering earns access instead of responding to access. Who would refuse the invitation from a President or King or Queen? We have been invited into God’s presence. Remind yourself this week, and your CG, that nothing we do improves our standing before God. Christ has already opened the way. He is the way.

Apply. As a CG leader, resist approaching Sunday as something you must “bring” to God. Instead, prepare to gather as someone who already stands welcomed. The life of God is pouring into you and out of you by the Holy Spirit. Let your life-tone this week, with family, coworkers, and group members, reflect this assurance and rest, rather than spiritual pressure. And pray that for me too because I am prone to feel the pressure of studying and preaching.

Pray. Father, slow my heart down enough to live from what is already true and rest in you in every role I play. Guard me from treating obedience as a way to earn what Christ has already secured. Teach me to live and lead from access, not anxiety.

Tuesday

Drawing Near Together (Hebrews 10:22)

Think. “Let us draw near” is communal language. Faith is personal, but never private. We live rehearsing the life of the Trinity. It is not good for us to be “alone” and an omniscient God knows it. The imagery of hearts sprinkled, and bodies washed emphasizes whole person cleansing that believers already possess in Christ. The goal is to live whole lives before God and people!!!

Reflect. Where have you tried to draw near to God alone in ways that quietly detach you from his people? Think about those moments when the body carried you because your own faith felt weak. Share that with your CG this Sunday and encourage them to do that also.

Apply. Intentionally pray for your Community Group by name this week. Let Scripture remind you and your CG that our faith is strengthened in shared rhythms, not isolated spirituality.

Pray. Lord, thank you that I do not draw near alone. Thank you for a CG and a church body who help carry my faith when mine feels fragile. Knit my heart more deeply to your church. Help me to lead my CG to love your church.

Wednesday

Holding Fast in a Shaking World (Hebrews 10:23)

Think. “Hold fast” translates katechō, to grip firmly against pressure. The confession of our hope must be actively held because something is always trying to pull it away. What is that for you? For your CG. But remember, the strength to hold fast rests not in us, but in God’s faithfulness. The disciplines are resourced by the Trinity: God’s plan, the Son’s performance, the Spirit’s power.

Reflect. Name the pressures currently working against your hope. Notice how easily hope erodes when we fail to gather with the body and how often the church’s shared words in preaching, teaching or fellowship steady us when we feel unstable.

Apply. Read the whole sermon test today so that it can catechize you. Let the Scripture recalibrate your heart.

Pray. Faithful God, you know how easily my grip loosens. Anchor my hope in your promises, in what Jesus has already doen and in the Spirit’s power. Then, use your gathered people to help me hold fast when my world shakes and don’t let me miss the words or deeds of encouragement.

Thursday

Considering One Another (Hebrews 10:24)

Think. Growth is thoughtful and relational. Love and good works require proximity. “Let us consider” means intentional attention, not accidental presence. The Greek, “katanoeō means, to notice carefully, to observe attentively, to think through deliberately, to fix one’s mind on something with depth and intention.” Are you doing this each Sunday? Is your CG?

Reflect. Think about the people in your group. Who needs attention? Encouragement? Who might be quietly drifting? Ask the Holy Spirit to shape your awareness of the people in your CG and in the church. Then, challenge your CG with these thoughts.

Apply. Reach out to one person in your CG or the church today with no agenda other than the encouragement of your voice. Let your presence reinforce the truth that faith matures in community, not in isolation.

Pray. Jesus, teach me to see people the way you do and love them as you do. Free me from self-focused faith and grow in me a thoughtful, attentive love that stirs others toward you.

Friday

Encouragement and Perseverance (Hebrews 10:25)

Think. Neglect is gradual, encouragement is preventative, and the Day is drawing near. (Read The Screwtape Letters for a good picture of how we drift from God). Our Sunday morning gathering is not optional enrichment but God’s means of sustaining faith over time.

Reflect. Consider how the ordinary, faithful gathering of God’s people has preserved your faith in past seasons of your life. Let gratitude for the church fill your heart this week as you prepare to invite your CG into that same grace.

Apply. As you prepare to teach, resolve not to motivate anyone in your CG with shame or fear. Speak as a CG leader who believes the Sunday gathering is grace in communal form. It really is!

Pray. Father, thank you for using ordinary rhythms like the weekly gathering of your people to do this eternal work in me and your body. As I lead my CG, help me point people to grace, not pressure, and to Christ, not mere habit.

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Redefining Service

By Reggie Weems • February 23, 2026

Redefining Service Mark 10:42-45

Let's Learn To Pray

By Reggie Weems • February 18, 2026

Let's Learn to Pray - Matthew 6:9-13 Friends, Good Monday morning to you. The sun is shining; the weather is going to get in the 60’s. Spring is in the air!!! But let’s turn our attention for a moment from what’s going on outside, to what’s going on inside…our hearts. This needs to be emphasized and re-emphasized. The difference between living like verses 2-4, as modeled by Janes and Jambres who have “a form of godliness (but deny its power) is Paul’s encouragement to “abide” in the Scripture; to “trace” the life of God that makes us “wise for salvation which is through Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 3). That’s it, friends. To master the word until we are mastered by it. Because the more you know the Bible, the more you will know God, the more in love with him you will be and the more closely you will follow him with your heart, mind, soul and strength. You, the elders and I, as the spiritual leaders of Heritage must live this life, model it and teach our people to thrive in the Bible. Take the doctrine of prayer, our subject matter this Sunday. Had Jesus not taught the disciples how to pray, they would not have known how to pray. Had the Gospel writers not recorded Jesus’ words on prayer, we would not know how to pray. If we do not read, study, memorize, meditate on, and practice Jesus’ words, we are not praying. This text alone teaches us the Christian life cannot be lived separate from the Bible. It is not enough for us to hold the Bible in high esteem, to talk about it or to have innumerable copies of it in our homes, on our phones, etc. We must immerse ourselves in it. We are saved by the Word – 1 Peter 1:23 We are sanctified by the Word – John 15:3 We are told how to live in the Word – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 The Bible is literally the answer to everything for us. So, let me encourage you to be a person of the Word, to listen to God’s command to Joshua (1:8) and to sincerely follow it – This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth = The Word must not drift away from your speech or consciousness. but you shall meditate on it day and night = the word “meditate” = to prize the Bible like a lion growling over its prey, its food, its sustenance. so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it = continual meditation on and speaking God’s Word is intended to produce vigilant, comprehensive obedience to everything he has commanded. It’s the only way to “prosper” and have “success” (1:9) in the Christian life, friends. With that in mind, let’s prosper in our prayer lives. Let’s have “good success” in prayer. It begins with knowing what Jesus said about prayer and then living a life of prayer. Here’s a proposed outline for this Sunday – Let’s Learn to Pray Matthew 6:9–13 (cf. Luke 11:1) Big Idea : Jesus teaches us to pray by reshaping who we trust, what we want, and how we live. Introduction: The Request Behind the Prayer (Luke 11:1) - “Lord, teach us to pray.” The disciples had witnessed Jesus’ authority and power, and they traced it to communion with the Father. Prayer was not ornamental in Jesus’ life. It was foundational. When Jesus says, “Pray then like this,” he is not giving a script to recite mechanically, but a pattern to form disciples. IMP: We are never more the Christians our private prayer life and private Bible study reveal us to be. First: Prayer Recognizes a Father (Matthew 6:9a) - “Our Father in heaven…” Prayer is all about a relationship and relating to God. Second: Prayer Reorders Our Priorities - (Matthew 6:9b–10) Before Jesus allows us to ask for bread, he teaches us to long for glory. Third: Prayer Retrains Our Dependence (Matthew 6:11–13) As sinners, we strive for independence, but we are dependent creatures. Until we realize this and live like it, we won’t pray. Nor will we possess the life God intends us to have through prayer. Fourth: The Movement of the Whole Prayer a) Father — Identity b) Glory — Priority c) Kingdom — Mission d) Will — Surrender e) Bread — Dependence f) Forgiveness — Humility g) Protection — Watchfulness Jesus is not merely teaching words. He is forming the lives of disciples. Prayer reshapes: · Who we trust · What we want · How we live Conclusion: When the disciples said, “Teach us to pray,” they were not asking for things. They were asking about a relationship. Jesus answered not by giving them a formula to master, but by giving them a Father to trust, a kingdom to seek, and daily posture to embrace. Prayer begins in a relationship. It moves toward adoration. It ends in surrender. And the more we pray like this, the more our hearts begin to look like Heaven. Here’s this week’s TRAP devotion for you, to help the Scripture fill your mind and heart as you live prayerfully in Jesus and prepare to lead your CG to do the same. Monday - Teach Us to Pray (Luke 11:1) Think. Before Jesus gives the model prayer in Matthew 6, the disciples ask in Luke 11:1, “Lord, teach us to pray.” They had seen his miracles. They had heard his teaching. And they traced his life to communion with the Father. Prayer was not ornamental in his life; it was foundational. As such, they did not assume they knew how to pray. They asked to be taught. Prayer must be learned from Scripture. If Jesus had not taught them, they would not have known how to pray. If the Gospel writers had not recorded his words, we would not know how to pray. The Christian life cannot be lived separate from the Bible. Reflect. As a CG leader, learning to pray is a prerequisite to teaching others how to pray. How are you learning to pray? What are you learning to pray? Are you still asking to be taught? Apply. Read Matthew 6:9–13 aloud three times today. Slowly. Do not analyze it yet. Just listen. Let the words shape your thinking about prayer. Pray. Father, teach me to pray. Do not let me teach others what I am not living myself. Tuesday - Prayer Begins with a Father (Matthew 6:9a) Think. Prayer begins with relationship. Not performance. Not technique. Adoption. “Our” reminds us prayer is covenantal. We belong to a people who are being conformed to Jesus’ image. “Father” reminds us we already are reconciled and our approach to God is based on Jesus’ life and works, not ours. “In Heaven” reminds us he reigns over all our requests and should reign in our lives. Your view of God determines your prayer life. If he is distant, you will be formal. If he is harsh, you will be guarded. If he is Father, you will come. Reflect. Do you approach God as Father or as evaluator? Does your prayer life reveal intimacy and reverence? Apply. Before asking for anything today, spend five full minutes addressing God as Father. Thank him for saving you. Rehearse to him and yourself what it means to belong to him. Pray. Our Father in heaven, anchor my life and CG leadership in sonship, not performance. Wednesday - Prayer Reorders Our Priorities (Matthew 6:9b–10) Think. Glory comes before bread. God gave Israel manna in the wilderness to display his glory. God’s priorities shape how he provides for us. Can you trust him with that? In this prayer, Jesus trains our desires before he allows us to request anything. Otherwise, we are wasting our breath. To hallow his name means to treat it as weighty, the priority. To seek his kingdom means to want his reign extended, in us and the world. To pray for his will means surrender to that kingdom. Prayer is not aligning God with our agenda. It is aligning ourselves with his. Reflect. When you pray, what comes first: your crisis or his kingdom? Does your leadership in the CG reflect God-centered priorities? The difference will shape your life. Apply. Write down your current prayer requests under three headings: 1. God’s Name 2. God’s Kingdom 3. God’s Will Let Scripture reshape your prayer list. This will change your life!!! Pray. Father, reorder my loves. Make your glory weightier to me than my comfort. Thursday - Prayer Retrains Our Dependence (Matthew 6:11–13) Think. Daily dependence dismantles self-sufficiency. “Forgive us our debts.” – We all need mercy. “As we forgive…” Unforgiveness suffocates prayer. “Lead us not into temptation…” Prayer assumes our need for God. This prayer retrains the illusion that we are strong, sufficient, and secure on our own. Reflect. Where are you living independently instead of dependently? Is there someone you must forgive before you teach this Sunday? Apply. Confess one specific sin today before God. Name it. Receive forgiveness. Extend forgiveness if needed. Pray. Lord, keep me humble, dependent, and vigilant. Friday - The Word Forms the Prayer (Joshua 1:8; 2 Timothy 3) Think. Continual meditation on and speaking God’s Word is intended to produce vigilant, comprehensive obedience to everything he has commanded. We are: · Saved by the Word (1 Peter 1:23) · Sanctified by the Word (John 15:3) · Equipped by the Word (2 Timothy 3:16–17) If we do not read, study, memorize, meditate on, and practice Jesus’ words, we are not praying. The Bible should not be a prop. It is our life. Reflect. Are you holding the Bible in high esteem? Are you daily immersing yourself in it? Are you mastering the Word to be/and being mastered by it? Apply. Work on memorizing Matthew 6:9–13 before Sunday. Speak it aloud. Don’t let it depart from your mouth and heart. This will reshape every day of your life. Pray. Father, make me a person of the Word. Let your Word form my prayer and let prayer shape my life.