In Acts 20:7 we learn that the disciples came together to break bread.  The breaking of bread is an obvious reference to the Lord’s Supper, something that disciples did every first day of the week.  The first day of the week is the Lord’s Day (Revelation 1:10).  It is the day that Jesus was raised from the dead (Matthew 28:1), the Holy Spirit fell upon the apostles, the first gospel sermon was preached, and the church was established (Acts 2:1-47).  It is the day appointed by God for Christians to come together to worship Him (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2).  This “coming together” on the first day of the week is not optional for Christians.  God has commanded us to do so.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (KJV)
²⁴ And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: ²⁵ Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Coming together on the first day of the week is one of our greatest blessings in Christ.  It is the primary means of edification for the local church, a time when saints, who have all things in common, are together (Acts 2:44).

The first day of the week is the only time we are authorized to partake of the Lord’s Supper, which we do in remembrance of Christ and the great sacrifice that He made on our behalf (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).  But it is more than that.  This is a time for study and prayer; a time of worship when we teach and admonish one another by singing praises to God (Colossians 3:16).

When we come together, we are filled with the Spirit, that is, we are under the influence of the Spirit as He directs us by the Word of God that is dwelling in us.  In everything that we do in our worship services, the Word of God is on our minds and in our hearts.  We are in a spiritual frame of mind.

When we come together and worship God, it increases our spiritual growth and elevates our knowledge of the scriptures, deepening our resolve to serve Christ and strengthening our relationship with God.  It is a time of praise and adoration that allows us to escape the problems of life for a few minutes and focus on things of a higher and nobler nature.  Can you think of time spent more productively than when you are worshipping God with those who share your faith?

With all that we do on the Lord’s Day, it is easy to see how consistently coming together helps us to be stronger Christians.  It is no coincidence that those who are faithful to Christ need no convincing to attend all the assemblies of the saints.  The plain truth is those who forsake the assemblies of their local churches are weak in faith.  The person who needs to be admonished regularly to come together with other saints to worship God, remember Christ, and study God’s Word is lacking much in spiritual maturity.  Being strong in the Lord and assembling with the saints are indistinguishably linked together.  That is why those who consistently assemble are the strongest, most reliable members of the church, while those who are sporadic in assembling are weak.

I have never seen a strong member of the Lord’s church who is irregular in his or her attendance, have you?  The message is clear—we must determine in our hearts that we will attend all the worship services and Bible classes that our local church offers.  In doing so, we will learn more of the gospel, be stirred up by other Christians in the faith, and continue to grow in Christ.  By our presence in the assembly, we will be helping and encouraging all the other saints as well.  Forsaking the assembling of ourselves together with other Christians is, among other things, a deliberate act of selfishness.  Do you realize how much you are missed by the saints when you are not at church services?  We greatly help ourselves and others when we consistently come together.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.