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Time Out
As with all things our Lord tells us to do for Him, our assembling to worship the Almighty has a benefit for His people as well. Sure, our primary motivation for being at the building at the appointed times is to worship God according to the pattern He has given. But that’s not all there is to these assemblies. God knows, there’s a huge benefit for His worshipers, too. If you’re not attending every assembly you can, you’re missing out on blessings your God has intended for YOU!
It is often instructive to compare physical things that we understand clearly with spiritual things that can be more elusive to grasp. Remember how often our Savior taught spiritual concepts with parables – physical stories with a spiritual lesson? Let’s try that.
Consider how similar our worship and study assemblies are to a "Time-Out" in team sports. Time-outs interrupt the game, but they are called for good reasons. The dictionary says a time-out is "a short interruption in a regular period of play during which a referee or other official stops the clock so that the players may rest, deliberate, make substitutions, etc."
What happens when a time-out is called? First, competition is suspended for a brief period while the team members assemble on the sideline. Oddly, there are a few members so entranced by Satan’s snares that they actually choose to stay on the field. These unfortunate souls wander about tending whatever the adversary has convinced them is more important than assembling on the sidelines for rest and further team instruction and deliberation. Where else can you escape the daily confrontations with the adversary as in these time-out assemblies? True, the adversary can turn up anywhere, and Jesus, Paul, and Peter all warn of intruders among our own, disguised as one of us (Mat 7:15; Acts 20:29). But we have diligent watchmen in our assemblies who take their job most seriously – in and out of the assemblies. Here, you are literally shoulder to shoulder with others who, like yourself, have committed their lives to our Lord and who daily face the same foe you face, and who carry some of the same wounds and are plagued by the same problems. Where else can we find such a welcome assembly? Perhaps the place we all intend to assemble in the end.
What would the team owner, or coach, or other team members think of a supposed teammate who chooses to wander about on the field or court, rather than assemble with the team when time-out is called? At first, they might think some blow to the head had addled and disoriented the wanderer. They would certainly go to his aide and seek to restore him to his rightful place with the team. What if he came back to the assembly after encouragement, only to display the same uninterested behavior at the next time-out? Get the picture? Now he is willfully remaining in the presence of the adversary, minding things he deems more important than his role with the team, and cares little about the team deliberations and strategies on the sidelines. How long do you think he will remain identified with the team?
What happens next when time-out is called? Rest! Team members are tired from vigorous competition and need a period of rest. Oh, yes, our team (the saints of God) is involved in tough competition. Satan is our arch-competitor and we are in direct, vigorous competition with him and his demon team. Peter calls him "your adversary, the devil" (1 Peter 5:8). Paul warns the Ephesians that "our struggle" is against the rulers, powers, and world forces of this darkness (Eph 6:12ff). He then explains to them how to take up the full armor of God to "resist" and "stand firm." If they’re not speaking of tough competition, what would it be? If you are not fully engaged in this competition, perhaps that explains why you don’t feel you need a good time-out.
Another reason for calling time-out is to refresh the team members on the game plan. Sometimes a coach or captain can see that team members are missing assignments or failing to perform according to the play book. A time-out is an opportunity to go over those plans and refresh the minds of the team members. The Scriptures contain our overall game plan, as well as clearly diagramed plays that will defeat the schemes of the adversary. They tell us what to do in real-life circumstances. You don’t think Satan is without cunning plans, do you? Our play book (the Bible) even describes the ploys our adversary uses! Back in the sixth chapter of Ephesians, Paul encourages them to stand firm against the "schemes" of the devil. In both of Paul’s letters to Timothy, he warns Timothy of "the snare of the devil." Friends, snares are sneaky things. They require devious planning and forethought. Satan is planning for our loss. Jesus encouraged his disciples to be "shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves" (Matt 10:16). We need planning and forethought to defeat the snares of Satan.
The Lord’s team is composed of rookies, seasoned members, and older, experienced veterans. But one of the great attributes of the Lord’s team is the way we support one another. Sometimes our veterans have helpful advice or insight gained through years of tough scrapes – some victories and some, not so much. Other times the less experienced members have fresh perspectives or a slightly different take on familiar passages from the play book.
In this competition, there is no bench; there are no substitutions. All are in full time participation. You can see why our time-outs are so important to us. We need al the time-outs we can get. Will you be there?
