Personally, I greatly missed the communication from congregation to preacher when recording in an almost-empty room. Yes, I missed the conversations that normally happen after the service. But a gathered congregation also communicates much to the preacher during the sermon: engagement, interest, excitement, joy \u2013 or drifting, boredom, distraction, and apathy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nBecause of the benefits, we plan to continue streaming our services as we transition to having more and more of us meet in person on Sundays. Because of the problems, we will encourage folks to attend as soon as they consider it wise to do so.<\/p>\n
But can we say more? Does Scripture give us any guidance on this issue?<\/p>\n
Of course, the apostles and prophets had no conception of Zoom meetings \u2013 or even of telephones, for that matter. When they wanted to communicate, they either had to meet face to face or to write (and praise God for what they wrote!).<\/p>\n
We can learn something about our own situation, however, by noting their preference for face to face meetings over communicating in writing.<\/p>\n
The phrase \u201cface to face\u201d appears seventeen times in the English Standard Version (translating several different Hebrew and Greek phrases). We can draw four points from these verses:<\/p>\n
First: Meeting face to face is a great<\/strong> privilege<\/strong>. \u201cThus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend\u201d (Exodus 33:11). Clearly speaking with God face to face is a privilege \u2013 but note that speaking face to face is mentioned as an important part of human friendship also.<\/p>\nThe second point is a corollary of the first: We should desire to meet face to face. <\/strong>Now, we rightly long to meet one another face to face, as the Apostle Paul longed to meet the believers in Thessalonica:<\/p>\nBut since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18).<\/p>\n
For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? (1 Thessalonians 3:9-10)<\/p>\n
But if we long to meet with our fellow believers, how much more do we long to see God face to face! As Paul looks forward to the eternal state, he writes with barely concealed excitement: \u201cNow we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face\u201d (1 Corinthians 13:12 \u2013 see also 1 John 3:2 and Revelation 22:4).<\/p>\n
Third: Communication is better face to face. <\/strong>Paul says as much in the passage quoted from 1 Thessalonians 3: There are ways he can bless them, ways that he can \u201csupply what is lacking in [their] faith,\u201d that are unavailable to him via letters. Similarly, the Apostle John writes, \u201cThough I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete\u201d (2 John 12). As mentioned above, this point is true even of preaching.<\/p>\nFourth: We have a responsibility to encourage one another face to face. <\/strong>Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us:<\/p>\nWe must consider one another, how to stir one another up to love and good works, not neglecting meeting together, as is the custom of some, but encouraging, exhorting, and comforting one another \u2013 and all the more as you see the Day draw near\u201d (own translation).<\/p>\n
Now, the author is not only talking about meeting together in weekly worship services, for in Hebrews 3:13 he says we should encourage one another daily. And praise God that today we have the additional means of phone calls and Zoom meetings to encourage one another when we can\u2019t be together physically.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, it is perfectly possible to come together physically and not <\/em>fulfill this passage. Too often the gathered church is an audience, <\/em>interacting with those up front, but not interacting with one another either before, during, or after the service.<\/p>\nTo this end, note the contrast the author draws: On the one hand, there are those who have developed a habit of not <\/em>meeting together. On the other hand, there are those who do what? Not just meet together, but encourage, exhort, and comfort one another! They think about one another, how they can help one another to become what God intends.<\/p>\nThe bottom line: Know the privilege <\/em>of meeting together. Strongly desire <\/em>to meet face to face, and therefore to communicate<\/em> more effectively. Know your responsibility <\/em>to consider one another, to encourage one another \u2013 and live out that responsibility in the best way you can daily. Meet with us Sundays face to face as soon as you can wisely do so.<\/p>\nAnd know that every in-person worship service, every gathering of believers face to face, is a foreshadowing of the new heavens and the new earth, when we will see Him face to face, when all the redeemed from every tribe and tongue and people and nation will fully love one another and greatly praise the Lamb and the One who sits on the throne.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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