Today's speaker is Brian Charette, a part of our church staff. Brian, his wife Pam and their family have been part of our church for many years.

As we enjoy the afterglow of our Independence Day celebrations, it's poignant to think of brothers and sisters around the world who don't have the freedom to meet together as we do. For those dear souls, the risks are significant. Why do they risk it?

The imperatives of the Hebrews text:
> Hold tightly to hope
> Consider how we may spur one another on
> Don't give up meeting together
> Encourage one another

It wasn’t always easy or comfortable or safe to commit to a life in Christ - to commit to brothers and sisters in the church.

There was pressure to flee, pressure to scatter…to isolate.
And if your enemy has anything to do with it, there will always be pressure to give up the habit of meeting together.

The central problem in the text: As some are in the habit of doing.

Davis, Graham and Burge (2023) The Great Dechurching: Who's Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will it take to Bring Them Back?

The more serious dechurching began in the early 1990s. What happened then? First, When the Soviet Union collapsed and that struggle ended, it became more culturally acceptable to be both American and non-Christian. Second, the rise of the religious right and its involvement in politics alienated some people, but, as is sometimes unsaid, left-wing politics alienated just as many. Finally, third, the internet. People could get what they wanted online without the bother of getting dressed and going to church. But, perhaps most importantly — people who went to church but weren’t really Christians in the biblical sense felt free to stop attending.

There is likely a connection between people giving up the habit of assembling and the increase in loneliness in America. We are the most connected, yet the most isolated generation. But the importance of this lesson goes well beyond that. Consider how Jesus Himself characterized the church.