Sep 17, 2026 · 13 min · 9 segments
Gathering with other Christians is a crucial way to encourage and be encouraged in Christ. But do we really need to gather every week?!https://feed.desiringgod.org/link/10715/17464404.gif
John PiperGuest
Tony ReinkeHost
I think it is good now and then to step back and ask why we do some of the most familiar things that we do.
Like, why do we eat three times a day [laughs] and not two or four? Uh, w- why do we pray before we eat? Why do we have family devotions or personal devotions? Why do we have church services once a week or twice a week or three times a week? Why do we sing as part of the service of worship? Uh, should we even call it worship service? I know people, uh, who, who think that since the New Testament never calls our gatherings worship, we shouldn't call them worship either.
So w- should we? [laughs] Why is there such a thing as preaching? Uh, why is it so central in the Protestant church? And on and on.
So I think it's just as important as asking those questions that we ask them in the right spirit.
And I think that includes having a lot of respect for historic patterns of Christian behavior that have gone for years and years, hundreds of years.
It's very likely that a good deal of careful thought has gone into these things, most of which we know very little about.
I certainly have a lot to learn in asking some of the most basic questions of why we do what we do.
So I think we should be humble and eager to understand and slow to become iconoclasts, tearing down things, or anarchists who just love to tear things down rather than do the hard work of, of building them up.
Oh my goodness, the work it takes to build things and the ease with which they can be torn down, what a contrast.
So Bridget is wondering about why we worship weekly, and she refers to Hebrews 10:24-25 and asks, "How do I know if I'm achieving this?" Uh, and what is, what is this? Here's, here's what the text says.
"Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 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." Now, let's, let's notice four things.
I think it is good now and then to step back and ask why we do some of the most familiar things that we do.
Like, why do we eat three times a day [laughs] and not two or four? Uh, w- why do we pray before we eat? Why do we have family devotions or personal devotions? Why do we have church services once a week or twice a week or three times a week? Why do we sing as part of the service of worship? Uh, should we even call it worship service? I know people, uh, who, who think that since the New Testament never calls our gatherings worship, we shouldn't call them worship either.
So w- should we? [laughs] Why is there such a thing as preaching? Uh, why is it so central in the Protestant church? And on and on.
So I think it's just as important as asking those questions that we ask them in the right spirit.
And I think that includes having a lot of respect for historic patterns of Christian behavior that have gone for years and years, hundreds of years.
It's very likely that a good deal of careful thought has gone into these things, most of which we know very little about.
I certainly have a lot to learn in asking some of the most basic questions of why we do what we do.
So I think we should be humble and eager to understand and slow to become iconoclasts, tearing down things, or anarchists who just love to tear things down rather than do the hard work of, of building them up.
Oh my goodness, the work it takes to build things and the ease with which they can be torn down, what a contrast.
So Bridget is wondering about why we worship weekly, and she refers to Hebrews 10:24-25 and asks, "How do I know if I'm achieving this?" Uh, and what is, what is this? Here's, here's what the text says.
"Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 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." Now, let's, let's notice four things.
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