Gospel Meeting

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Gospel Meeting
Starts Next Sunday!
November 12-17, 2006
Larry Ray Hafley
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Quiet Please

• Prepare yourself for worship.
• Let others prepare to worship.
• Think about what worship is.

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(No Transcript)
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1. Prayer
2. Bible Study
3. Attendance

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Lesson 1
Pray Without Ceasing
I. The Time For Prayer
II. The Place For Prayer
III. The Reasons For Prayer
IV. The Manner Of Prayer
V. The Content Of Prayer
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Lesson 2
Bible Study
I. Instruction to Study
II. Need to Study
III. Frequency of Study
IV. Way to Study
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Attendance
1. Those who are weak (or become weak) usually
miss a lot of services a. Problem do not think
they miss so much b. In fact - think they do
quite well! c. Most say their absence is
justified (sick, work, etc.)
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Attendance
1. Those who are weak (or become weak) usually
miss a lot of services 2. Common Problem think
nothing of missing a. Meetings own number not
there missing 2- 3 of the nights b. Reasons
for missing
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Varied Reasons

• Working overtime by choice
• Working because dont try avoid / insist
• Least of sickness (headache, sniffle, etc.)
• Tired
• School related events (ball games, practice)
• Just not interested!

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Attendance
1. Those who are weak (or become weak) usually
miss a lot of services 2. Common Problem think
nothing of missing 3. Point is that if a
Christian
The Rest Will Come

• Prays - Regularly
• Studies - Diligently
• Attends - Faithfully

Will Be Spiritually Strong
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Why Is Attendance At Every Service So Important?
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Attendance
I. Commanded
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I. Commanded
A. The Text Heb. 1025
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Hebrews 1025
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting
one another, and so much the more as you see the
Day approaching. NKJV
not forsaking our own assembling together, as is
the habit of some, but encouraging one another
and all the more, as you see the day drawing
near. NAS
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I. Commanded
A. The Text Heb. 1025 B. Assembling 1. Not
assembly (as one or AM service) 2. Act of
assembling
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I. Commanded
A. The Text Heb. 1025 B. Assembling C.
Forsake 1. Not permanent abandonment only 2.
Includes occasional one time a) Matt. 2746
Whyforsaken me? b) 2 Tim. 410, 16 Demas
all forsook c) Heb. 135 I will
neverforsake..
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I. Commanded
A. The Text Heb. 1025 B. Assembling C.
Forsake D. Context Persecution
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• Persecutions
• Heb. 124 - resistance
• Heb. 121-6 - Chastening Suffering
• Heb. 1212 - discouraged
• Heb. 1033 - made spectacles
• Heb. 1034 - loss of possessions / Prison

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Robert Milligan
The primary object of our author in writing this
Epistle, was manifestly to persuade his Hebrew
brethren in Christ to persevere to the end in
their begun Christian course and not fall back
to Judaism.The same spirit of envy and malice
which moved the unbelieving Jews to put to death
the Lord of life and glory, still prompted and
excited them to harass and annoy in every
conceivable way his innocent and unoffending
followers. The Scribes and rulers exercised all
their powers of logic, rhetoric, and sophistry,
against the disciples of the despised Nazarene,
as they were wont to call our Immanuel and when
the force of argument was unavailing, they had
recourse to persecution. Some of them they
killed some, they put into prison and others,
they despoiled of their goods - and all this
they did with the view of putting a stop to the
progress of Christianity, and inducing all to
follow Moses as their leader.
Commentary on Hebrews, 32
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Robert Milligan
The Apostle refers here, not to apostasy from
the Church, as some allege, but simply to the
neglect of public and social worship. The time
when this letter was written was manifestly a
time of persecution in Jerusalem and, perhaps,
throughout Palestine (ch. xii. 4). Many of the
Hebrew brethren were no doubt greatly
discouraged and some of them had fallen into the
habit of neglecting their regular meetings of the
church.
Commentary on Hebrews, 283
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Authur W. Pink
Following the persecution spoken of in Acts 81,
the eminent scholar, Adoph Saphir himself a
converted Jew tells us Then arose another
persecution of the believers, especially directed
against the apostle Paul. Festus died about the
year 63, and under the high priest, Ananias, who
favoured the Sadducees, the Christian Hebrews
were persecuted as transgressors of the law. Some
of them were stoned to death and though this
extreme punishment could not be frequently
inflicted by the Sanhedrin, they were able to
subject their brethren to sufferings and
reproaches which they felt keenly. It was a small
thing that they confiscated their goods but they
were banished from the holy places.
Continued
An Exposition of Hebrews, 12
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Authur W. Pink
Hitherto they had enjoyed the privileges of
devout Israelites they could take part in the
beautiful and God-appointed services of the
sanctuary but now they were treated as unclean
and apostates. Unless they gave up faith in
Jesus, and forsook the assembling of themselves
together, they were not allowed to enter the
Temple, they were banished from the alter, the
sacrifice, the high priest, the house of
Jehovah.
An Exposition of Hebrews, 12
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As manner of some is

• Some had habit / practice of forsaking.
• Some may have been deterred by the fear of
  persecution, as those who were thus
  assembled would be more exposed to danger
  than others. (Barnes).
• Something - causing the problem
• Whatever it was - not a legitimate excuse.
• Whatever it was - should have assembled.
• Either not specifically address - or persecution
  implied

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How Do These Compare?
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Attendance
I. Commanded
II. Priorities
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II. Priorities
A. Top Priority God / Spiritual Matters 1.
Matt. 633 seek first kingdom of God 2. 1 Pet.
315 Sanctify God (set apart) 3. Matt. 1037
Above dearest relationships 4. Matt. 1926
Above dearest relationships
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II. Priorities
A. Top Priority God / Spiritual Matters B.
Conflicts Cause Reshuffling 1. Luke 959-62
but first I need to 2. Luke 1038-42
Troubled about many things 3. 2 Tim. 410
loved present world
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II. Priorities
A. Top Priority God / Spiritual Matters B.
Conflicts Cause Reshuffling C. What is your
priority? 1. With some its never a question of
whether they will miss or not. 2. With
others missing time again is not
uncommon. 3. When a conflict arises which of
the two takes priority?
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Attendance
I. Commanded
II. Priorities
III. Purpose To Praise
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III. Purpose To Praise
A. We Assemble to Worship 1. John 424 Worship
in spirit truth 2. Rev. 226 Worship God 3.
Heb. 1315 sacrifice of praise
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III. Purpose To Praise
A. We Assemble to Worship B. The God We
Worship 1. Gen. 11 creator of all things 2.
Rev. 48, 11 Almighty 3. Neh. 15, 414
great awesome
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III. Purpose To Praise
A. We Assemble to Worship B. The God We
Worship C. How Could You Over Do That? D. Not
What You Get But What You Put In 1. Eph. 519
singingto the Lord 2. Heb. 212 in midst
of assembly I will praise you
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Attendance
I. Commanded
II. Priorities
III. Purpose To Praise
IV. Value System Instill In Others
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IV. Value System Instill In Others
A. All Instill Value Systems Good or Bad 1.
Value System What Is Important 2.
Particularly in our children 3. Not always done
with word / instruction 4. What you emphasize
what you allow tolerate sets the value
systems 5. Illustrations Education / Healthy
eating
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IV. Value System Instill In Others
A. All Instill Value Systems Good or Bad B.
Any Passage on Example Warns Us to Watch Our
Value Systems 1. 1 Tim. 412 be example of the
believers 2. Ezek. 1644 like mother, like
daughter
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IV. Value System Instill In Others
A. All Instill Value Systems Good or Bad B.
Any Passage on Example Warns Us to Watch Our
Value Systems C. What Value System Are you
instilling? 1. Attend even though had a
headache? 2. Miss ¼ of services because tired,
felt bad? 3. Willing to lose money to be
present? 4. Miss for school activities,
overtime? 5. Whole family miss if one is sick?
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Attendance
I. Commanded
II. Priorities
III. Purpose To Praise
IV. Value System Instill In Others
V. What Miss When Not Present
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V. What Miss When Not Present
A. Thomas Was Not There (John 2024-25) 1.
Missed blessing of peace (v. 21) 2. Missed
faith built up (v. 25) 3. Missed seeing the
Lord (v. 20) 4. Missed proof given of
resurrection (v. 20) 5. Missed instructions
Lord gave (v. 22)
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V. What Miss When Not Present
A. Thomas Was Not There (John 2024-25) B. What
You Miss Each Absence 1. Edification (Eph.
412, 16 519) 2. Giving Encouragement (Eph.
519 Heb. 1024) 3. Praising God (Acts 242,
47) 4. Gaining knowledge (2 Pet. 318)
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V. What Miss When Not Present
A. Thomas Was Not There (John 2024-25) B. What
You Miss Each Absence C. Made Weaker
Weaker 1. If attendance makes me stronger
then missing makes me weaker 2. The more I
miss weaker I get. 3. True whether absence
is justified or not!
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Weaker Weaker
If One Does Not Eat
Cant Help It Cant Eat
By Choice Does Not Eat
Physically Weak
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Attendance
I. Commanded
II. Priorities
III. Purpose To Praise
IV. Value System Instill In Others
V. What Miss When Not Present
VI. How We Compare
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VI. How We Compare
A. Often Comparisons Condemn (Luke 1131-32) B.
How Do We Compare to
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How Do You Compare?
Reasons You Miss Sick (feel bad) Overtime
(choice) School Activities Cold
Outside Raining Tired Etc
1. Hebrews not let persecution cause them to
miss (Heb. 1025)? 2. Paul companions waited
a week to attend (Acts 206-7)? 3. Archery
Champions (MN) would not miss wed. night to
try out for Olympics? 4. Preacher whose wife
died Sunday afternoon yet he was at
church that night? 5. Employee in AL converted
his boss because refused to work on Sun? 6.
Elders go in 3 am to be off for worship go
back to work?
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VI. How We Compare
A. Often Comparisons Condemn (Luke 1131-32) B.
How Do We Compare to C. Is My Absence Justified?
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Justified or Not?

• What reasons are given in the text?
• Sickness?
• How sick are you?
• Miss work or school?
• Cant go to church go all over town?
• Difference in sick (cant attend) feeling bad

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Justified or Not?

• What reasons are given in the text?
• Sickness?
• Work?
• Try to arrange schedule better?
• Tell your boss you wouldnt work on Sunday?
• Did you have a choice
• Numbers 29 besides

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Justified or Not?

• What reasons are given in the text?
• Sickness?
• Work?
• Difference in Ox falling into the ditch and in
  pushing him into it!

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Attendance
I. Commanded
II. Priorities
III. Purpose To Praise
IV. Value System Instill In Others
V. What Miss When Not Present
VI. How We Compare
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1. Prayer
2. Bible Study
3. Attendance

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