Biblical Reasons Why Christians Are to Assemble with the Saints Rather Than Watch Online
Choosing to stay home, or in another location, during the time that the local church assembles to worship is not something new. It was, after all, even “the manner of some” in Biblical times, which the Holy Spirit saw fit to address, even back then (Heb. 10:24-25).
But choosing to stay away now comes with a new option—watching the service from home instead. There seem to be many personal benefits to this new feature of “online church services.” But, as with all things, we must examine it in light of Scripture—is watching from home authorized by God? Is watching from home essentially the same as assembling in person?
Due to serious personal health struggles, especially since the onset of Covid in March 2020, many faithful Christians have stayed home and watched services online, but only because they had no other choice at that time. What many of them have expressed repeatedly—regarding watching online versus assembling with the saints in person—almost sounds like they are all reading from the same script. Yet, their hearts are so in tune with God that they are actually expressing His heart when they say, “It is NOT the same!” That is not merely a human evaluation. In God’s eyes, watching online is NOT the same as being there in person. Let’s study this solely from a Scriptural standpoint.
THE CHRISTIAN
A Christian is one who, by definition and Biblical explanation, belongs to Christ (for example: see the possessive “Christ’s” in Galatians 3:29; 5:24). A Christian belongs to Christ by means of purchase, for he has been “bought at a price” (1 Cor. 6:20), with “the precious blood of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:19; cf. Eph. 1:7). Therefore, Paul tells Christians, “you are not your own” (1 Cor. 6:19). A Christian belongs to Christ through personal choice and submissive obedience to His will, for only one who “names the name of the Lord” (though obedient faith—see Matt. 7:21-23; Acts 22:16) and chooses to “depart from iniquity” is called “His” (2 Tim. 2:19).
Why is all of that mentioned here? Because a Christian is one who has chosen to become a Christian (no coercion was involved) by willfully submitting to Christ and His will. Therefore, as “a living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1), the heart of the Christian says to the Lord, “not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). “Whatever” the will of the Lord is on the Christians assembling or not assembling must be the will of the Christian himself, for we are instructed, “Whatever you do in word or deed” (that would obviously include the choice to watch online or to assemble with the saints), “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col. 3:17). We must have His authority in all things! A Christian is a faithful follower of Christ—not of others and not of self!
The New Testament does not depict a Christian as one living and operating as a Christian in isolation. The very first Christians—i.e., those who were “saved” from their “sins” through obedience to Christ on Pentecost in Acts 2—were “added” by the Lord to His “church” (Acts 2:41, 47). He did not give them a choice. He did not ask their preference. The Lord took every newborn Christian and placed them in His body (1 Cor. 12:12-27), as ones born into His family (John 3:3-5; 1 Pet. 1:23). As a God-added part of His body and family, every Christian (without any exception) has a God-given responsibility to that body/family/church. That will be detailed more below, but to neglect (and even refuse) to fulfill that God-given responsibility is to defy the will and law of God, to which a Christian promised to submit upon his baptism and acceptance of salvation through Christ.
THE CHURCH
It is often emphasized that “the church is not the building but the people.” That is so very true. But there is more to it than that (as defined and explained in Scripture). What does the Bible tell us about these “people” called “the church”?
The word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia. The word literally describes “the called out ones.” When one picks up any Greek dictionary and looks up this word, the first and fundamental definition of the term is “assembly, gathering.” It is used in Acts 19 of “the assembly” of citizens in Ephesus, describing both the mob that gathered (19:32, 41) and a legislative body gathering (19:39). It is used in Acts 7:38 of “the congregation” of the Israelites “in the wilderness.” The Greek ekklesia is used over 100 times in the New Testament of the Lord’s “church,” which emphasizes that this body of people is fundamentally a people who gather and assemble together.
This is one reason why the terminology regarding the gathering of the local congregation in 1 Corinthians 11-14 is so natural to read. Paul uses the expression “come together” five times in chapter 11 alone (11:17, 18, 20, 33, 34) and again in 14:26 to speak of what the church does to worship God on Sundays—they “come together.” Read 11:18 carefully—“you come together as a church” or “come together in the church” (ASV). In fact, he describes what happens in this way: “the whole church comes together in one place” (14:23). Did you notice the emphasis? The WHOLE church (i.e., every member) comes together in ONE place (not multiple, separated places). That one place is “in the church.” That’s not the building. That’s the assembly! There is no justification for not coming together with the church.
Consider also that the church is “a spiritual house, a holy priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:5). Coming together in corporate worship is part of the church’s priestly function, when we are “to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (2:5). The collective nature of New Testament priests worshiping together is emphasized in this text.
In God’s Divine wisdom, He has entrusted the elders of His congregations with the tremendous responsibility to “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers” (1 Pet. 5:2; Acts 20:28). They humbly, prayerfully and painstakingly “watch out for your souls, as those who must give account” (Heb. 13:17). Do you know which sheep are nearly impossible for shepherds to shepherd (as God has charged these men to do)? The ones who choose to not assemble with the other sheep. Remember, the sheep are directed “to esteem [their shepherds] very highly in love” (1 Thess. 5:12-13), and to “Let them do [their work in watching out for your soul] with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17).
One cannot get away from, explain away or deny the definition of or intrinsic nature of “the church.” God chose the word ekklesia—thus, by God’s definition (not man’s), if I am part of His church, then I am part of an assembling people. If I choose to not assemble with the assembling assembly of God’s assembling people, then I am not living as part of His church in practice, regardless of what I may claim. Watching from home is not the same as assembling—by definition or by practice. If I willfully choose to watch online, then I have made my own assembly/church that is convenient for me but doesn’t conform to Him.
RESPONSIBILITY TO THE CHURCH
If we are honest about it, willfully watching services online at home is what “suits me” and is “good for me” and is focused on “me.” When one chooses to watch from home, he is thinking about himself. This sounds harsh, but it is the only conclusion to which the evidence leads. For if one was truly concerned about one of God’s fundamental aspects of the worship assembly, he would not be able to keep himself away from it.
Certainly, the worship assembly is designed to praise, honor and glorify God (1 Chron. 16:29; Psa. 29:2; 95:6; Heb. 13:15). Of course, that can be done by anyone anywhere, including by one’s self at home, which is what many try to assert when defending their practice of watching online. But that is ignoring not only the definition of “church” (Greek: ekklesia) above, but it is ignoring clear foundational elements of the worship assembly that require the worshipers to gather together with each other in person.
Return to the context of 1 Corinthians 11-14. In chapter 14, the word “church” is found nine times—sometimes in reference to “the people” who make up the church and sometimes in reference to “the assembly” of the church. Essential to the very nature of the church is the assembly. To be His church is to assemble together regularly. And chapter 14 emphasizes the reason for that—a form of the words “edify” or “edification” is found seven times in this chapter. The word literally has to do with “a building or building a house” and came to mean “building up.” There is an interpersonal purpose of the church assembling and that is to encourage and build each other up. A person literally cannot fulfill this responsibility when watching from home.
Consider that dozens of times in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit uses the pronoun “one another.” This is a reciprocal, reflexive pronoun. What does that mean? Reflexive indicates that action is taken by the subject and to the subject itself. Reciprocal expresses a mutual action between two or more people. In other words, the subject of the sentence (in the “one another” passages, the subject is the church itself) is involved in mutual action (where everyone in the church is involved in the action) that is directed toward itself (at everyone else in the church). Thus, for example, when Jesus commands to “love another” (John 13:34-35), everyone in the church is to engage in that action toward everyone else in the church. No one is exempt from the giving or the receiving.
In the New Testament, the Lord commands His church to engage in “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19). Or as worded in another passage, “teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). Who is to sing? The “one another” pronoun demands that all worshipers are to sing and all worshipers are to be sung to. A Christian at home can listen to other Christians sing (perhaps, if microphones in the church auditorium pick up the sound), but those Christians present are not actually “speaking to” those online, for they are not visibly present in the assembly. And, those who stay home can sing along at home, but they are not fulfilling Ephesians 5:19 or Colossians 3:16, for the “one another” is not there to hear them. Singing to one another requires being in the assembly of the church family and cannot be obeyed by watching online.
In considering “one another” passages related to the worship assembly, the Holy Spirit literally tells us to “consider one another” (Heb. 10:24). The word “consider” means “to think about carefully, closely, thoughtfully.” One Greek dictionary emphasizes, “It is best understood as a focusing of one’s complete attention on something.” The complete, careful and thoughtful attention is on “one another in order to stir up love and good works,” and notice that the Holy Spirit ties this very action to “the assembling of ourselves together” (Heb. 10:24-25). Being present in “the assembling of ourselves together” is not something that one merely does for his own spiritual benefit, but it is a careful and thoughtful action that is taken in order to “stir up love and good works” in each other, as we focus on “encouraging one another” to faithfully walk with the Lord. There is no way for a Christian to fulfill this God-given responsibility when he chooses to watch services online instead of assembling with the saints.
We began this section with a seemingly harsh statement that, when one chooses to watch services online, he is thinking about himself. That may not seem like a fair thing to say, but having examined some of the teachings of Scripture on this matter, it is evident that God Himself has revealed the same. One who chooses to watch the livestream is not considering his brethren, as God commands us to do, for He makes that an innate aspect of the worship assembly. If a child of God truly focused on his brethren (cf. Phil. 2:3-4), he could not and would not stay home. When brethren assemble, there is encouragement just by their presence. When brethren willfully do not assemble, there is discouragement just by their absence. Truly, we have a responsibility to each other.
THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS
Jesus was raised from a young age to assemble faithfully wherever God commanded His people to assemble. The inspired Luke records that “His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover” (Luke 2:41). They kept doing this in obedience to the will of God. But it was not just the annual feasts that He attended. As an adult, “He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day” (Luke 4:16). As He was accustomed to do, Jesus did what He usually did—He assembled with God’s people where God wanted Him to assemble. What an example for us today!
So, where is Jesus today on Sunday? In Revelation 1:10, the inspired apostle John calls Sunday, “the Lord’s Day.” So, have you ever thought about this—where is the Lord on the Lord’s Day when the Lord’s people are assembled?
When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He made a very interesting statement: “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom” (Matt. 26:29). Jesus promised to be present during the Lord’s Supper. That makes sense—it is “the Lord’s Supper” after all (1 Cor. 11:20). When we partake of the elements, we are in “communion” with Him, for it is “the communion of the blood of Christ” and “the communion of the body of Christ” (1 Cor. 10:16). When we “commune” with each other (while gathered together in the assembly), we also (all of us together) “commune” with the Lord during His supper. Note that Paul’s discussion of the Lord’s Supper (in 1 Cor. 11) emphasizes that this requires assembling: “When you come together to eat…the Lord’s Supper” (1 Cor. 11:18, 20, 33).
The Hebrews’ writer makes an amazing statement about Jesus, when he states, “He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Heb. 2:11). Can you imagine that? Jesus is “not ashamed” to call us His brethren. So what does that have to do with the assembly? In the very next verse, the writer quotes from Psalm 22 (a Messianic psalm) with these words from the Messiah Himself, “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You” (Heb. 2:12; Psa. 22:22). Where is Jesus when we are “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Eph. 5:19)? Jesus says that He Himself is “in the midst of the assembly” and He is singing.
When one chooses to not assemble with the saints and chooses rather to watch online, He is doing something that Jesus Himself does not do, and He is doing so in a place where Jesus has not assembled. Jesus is in the assembly of His saints, communing with them in His supper (while they commune with each other also) and singing with them (while they sing to one another also). Watching online does not follow the example of Jesus or put one into the presence of Jesus.
THE SIN OF FORSAKING
Of all the subjects for God to address in the New Testament, isn’t it interesting that He even mentions “forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” (Heb. 10:25)? As often as individuals have tried to explain away the import of that passage, it is, nonetheless, placed in Scripture by God Himself.
Consider the context of the verse. The book of Hebrews was written to Christians who were falling away from Christ and returning to their old ways in Judaism—a religion that had been taken away when Christ brought His new covenant (Heb. 8:8-13; 9:15-17; 10:1-10). There were many factors that were causing these Christians to lose their faith and leave Christ, and one of those factors was “forsaking the assembling” of the saints. A chief function of the assembly is edification (cf. 1 Cor. 14:26), and when one neglects the assembly, he is neither receiving nor giving edification. Thus, abandoning the assembly led these Christians to abandon their faith and fall away. Christians have an ever-present need to continually encourage one another (for that is how God designed us). To challenge that is to challenge the Creator Himself.
Therefore, it is critical to recognize that God calls for His people to NOT engage in “forsaking our own assembling together” (NASB) or “neglecting to meet together” (ESV). The word “forsake” means to “separate connection with someone or something.” This is a conscious choice, and it leads to self-inflicted consequences. Notice that the very next verse begins with the word “For,” which is explaining why “not forsaking the assembling” is so important. This is God talking: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries” (Heb. 10:26-27). When one “willfully” chooses to not assemble with the saints, God says that such a person is “sinning willfully” (NASB) or “sinning deliberately” (ESV).
Forsaking the assembly is no small matter. God calls it a “sin.” And God says that such sins have “a certain fearful expectation of judgment.” Watching is not the same as assembling—never has been, never will be.
CONCLUSION
This is not a pleasurable thing to write. However, it is a very necessary thing to write. Too many Christians have convinced themselves that watching services online is just as good and just as acceptable as being there in person. The Word of God shouts just the opposite!
If you are a Christian, you have promised (past, present and future) to submit yourself to the will of God. That Divine will involves you assembling with His saints. Are you submitting to Him?
If you are a part of the Lord’s church, you are (by definition of the term) part of an assembling, gathering people. Can you rightly say that you are in His church if you are not coming together with His church but are worshiping in isolation?
If you are a Christian in the Lord’s church, then you have a God-given responsibility to consider your brethren, stir up your brethren to love and good works, and encourage your brethren—all terms used regarding what Christians do in the assembly with each other. Are you fulfilling these responsibilities from God in the assembly of His saints?
If you knew where Jesus was going to be on Sunday, would you want to meet Him there? The Bible tells us that Jesus is in the midst of the assembly of His brethren—singing and communing with them. Are you there with Him, in the midst of the assembly? Or are you choosing less than Christ Himself?
If you learned that God’s Word teaches that choosing to watch services online, rather than assemble with His saints, is a “sin” in the eyes of God, would you ever forsake His assembly again?
Obviously, this is not addressed to those who are physically debilitated and cannot (and do not) leave their house (but long mightily that they could assemble with the church). This is addressed to those who can and do leave their house for a variety of things but then choose to stay home and away from the assembling of the church.
We were not redeemed to worship from a distance but to “draw near” to God and His people together (Heb. 10:22). In the assembly, heaven meets earth in a way that personal worship alone cannot provide or accomplish.
If you have been choosing to watch online instead of assembling with your fellow saints, please “examine yourself” (2 Cor. 13:5). Please pray to God, change your ways and come back. We miss you, need you and want you here!
Truly, when we compare watching online with actually assembling with the saints (from God’s viewpoint and from the heart of a faithful child of God), “It’s not the same!”