August's Sermons

Church Period: The First Sunday In Advent
Sermon Title: By True Worship We Encourage One Another In Good Works
Sermon Date: November 30, 1958
Rev. August Hauptman
Sermon Text: Hebrews 10:19-27

Dear Christian friends:

Today, the first Sunday in Advent, we begin a new church year of worship. Why do we worship? Why do we go to church? Our text tells us, "not forsake the assembly of ourselves together." We are commanded to gather together regularly in church. But why? Because of friendships? Because we feel bad if we don't? Because of duty? Our text tells us one great reason why God wants us to gather together in worship:

True Worship Encourages One Another To Good Works

But it must be true worship. Not all worship will give such wonderful results or blessings. If we go to church carelessly or without thinking we do not encourage one another to good works. Christians do not always remember that they are going before holy God. They do not see God; only His minister. And so we have little respect for Church, preaching and worship. Not very eager. Feel bored and uninterested. True worship means we feel to come before God with strong faith. We feel the need for God. We feel love and praise for Him our one great Helper.

This means that everything which interrupts true respect for God must be thrown away. Our indifference, selfishness, fleeing of shame and guilt, idolatry - love of worldly things. Chiefly we must remember that we need and have forgiveness of sins. That is why we begin each worship service by humbly confessing our sins to God and receiving His forgiveness. But sometimes we see people yawn during the confession of sins. It shows apathy. We should think about our sins, cities sins, nation's sins! Beg God's mercy.

Our sermons, Lord's Supper also should impress on us that we have sins and need and have forgiveness. For the very heart of true worship is that Christ, the Chief Priest has made a sacrifice for man's sins. And he did not sacrifice bulls or sheep as the Old Testament priest Aaron. He sacrificed Himself on the cross. He was both Priest and Lamb in one. And by sacrificing Himself, He has opened the road to God for us. Therefore in our worship we follow this way Jesus went into the holy place before God, pleading not self-righteousness, but His righteousness and His blood.

Such worship stimulates one another to good works as our text shows. (vv. 23-25) The holy writer says, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much more as ye see the day approaching."

He speaks of "professing our faith" and assembling ourselves together" that means gathering for worship. When we gather together at church we talk, and sing and preach about our faith in Jesus. And we do this not only to have a nice gathering or to see how many we can get together (to break records), but we "consider one another" and to exhort one another. Paul says in Colossians 3:15-17 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Again in Ephesians 5:18 He writes; "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." I want to underline the works: "teaching and admonishing one another" and "speaking to yourselves."

Often we think we only speak to God in church worship; But that is only half of it. By our worship we speak to one another to ourselves, teaching and helping one another. Thus if we fail to come to church with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we fail to teach and help them on that Sunday. Church members maybe feel: "If I stay home I will hurt no one." That does not agree with our text.

So you see in true worship we teach and admonish one another. What do we teach? Christ, by our confession of sins; by pastors absolution in the name of Christ; by our reading of Gospel lessons, by preaching, hymn signing and attendance at the Lord's Supper and by Baptism we teach and admonish one another of Christ our God and Savior.

This is a powerful thing: It teaches our hearts and enables us to love God and serve Him. But someone may say: "All right but weekly is too often - once a month or once a year is enough! But the holy writer says we ought to do it more and more regular: "do it so much more, as ye see the day approaching." What day? The day means the last day, judgment day. As we near the end of the world we are to gather together more often than before. Maybe you think the end is far away. If you look around in the world you can easily see proof that the last day is very near. Wars and rumors of war, earthquakes, fighting, hating, killing, violence between people, wickedness multiplying. These are some of the signs of the last days. Read your newspapers and magazines and you will see.

Yesterday the army successfully fired the Atlas I.C.B.M. 6325 miles full range. The U.S. has a terrible weapon in the Atlas and Russia has the equal of it. In one more year Russia will have an I.C.B.M. prepared and aimed at all our large U.S. cities including Spokane. Next year the U.S. will build Atlas launching sites in many places also here at Spokane and aim them at Russian cities and targets. That is your sign of the last Day. What more proof do you need?

So let us not forsake church gathering together to worship our Lord and Savior and also by that teach and admonish one another in faith that we may not despair in these troubled days, but endure faithful unto the end.

But if we sin and forsake gathering ourselves together we will lose faith and wait for the end in fear and anger against God and man. (verses 26, 27)

May God graciously keep us gathering together with one another unto the end.

Amen!