Text: Psalm 122:1
The psalmist expressed gladness at the thought of going to the house of the Lord to worship. Obviously, there are differences between Jewish worship and our assemblies. But our attitude should be the same – assembling is a blessing, not a chore (cf. Malachi 1:13). Many congregations have mid-week Bible studies. These should be seen as a blessing. This lesson will consider some reasons why.
Another Opportunity to Study God’s Word
- Bible study is important – so we can present ourselves approved to God (2 Timothy 2:15); the word of God is the only way to know the will of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-13); some passages are more difficult than others (2 Peter 3:16) and require study, not just reading
- Christians in the first century came together to study the Scriptures (Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Corinthians 14:26)
- Advantage of group Bible studies – we can help improve one another (Proverbs 27:17); even Apollos who was “mighty in the Scriptures” missed something important (Acts 18:24-26)
Another Opportunity to Encourage Our Brethren
- Christians can encourage one another during the week when the church is not meeting (Hebrews 3:12-13)
- But there are several reasons why coming together is good for encouraging one another – we can encourage through teaching (1 Corinthians 14:26), singing (Colossians 3:16), and stimulating one another to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24)
- This opportunity should not be forsaken (Hebrews 10:25) – we face difficult times (Philippians 2:15); we need all the encouragement we can get (and give)
Another Opportunity for Visitors to Attend
- When the early church met, visitors were welcome (1 Corinthians 14:23-25) – the goal was to lead them to worship God and recognize that God was with them
- The church is the pillar and support of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15) – we are to sound forth the word in our area (1 Thessalonians 1:8)
- The more times this can reasonably be done, the better – more chances for visitors to hear
An Opportunity to Develop Teachers
- A mid-week Bible study provides additional opportunities for people to teach – adult Bible class, invitation, children’s classes
- Churches should have, or be working to have, multiple teachers (Acts 13:1; Titus 1:5, 9; 1 Corinthians 14:29)
- Christians are expected to grow to the point in which they can teach (Hebrews 5:12) – doesn’t necessarily mean all will teach publicly, but this would be one way to teach
- Part of a preacher’s work is to help develop teachers (2 Timothy 2:2) – through his teaching; over time, more should also develop the ability to teach
A Spiritual Boost Between Sundays
- As we have seen, having another hour of Bible study is a very good thing – but why not just add this to what a church does on Sunday?
- Why meet in the middle of the week (such as on Wednesday)? … it provides a spiritual boost in the middle of the week to help us deal with challenges of the world
- At minimum, a church must meet once on Sunday (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2) – but we can meet other days
- Following Pentecost, the early church met daily (Acts 2:46) – we can’t necessarily do that today; but if it is feasible to meet other times (second time on Sunday, Wednesday, etc.), we absolutely should do so
Conclusion
- We need to have the attitude of David (Psalm 122:1), not the Jews of Malachi’s day (Malachi 1:13) – opportunities to meet as a congregation are a blessing, not a chore
- Let us strive to do our best to take advantage of the blessings that a mid-week Bible study provides for us
