And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
(Heb 10:24,25 NKJV)

Not forsaking our assembling together

The author is in the midst of admonitions intended to challenge the Hebrews to stay faithful to God and not be influenced to leave the gospel and return to the Old Testament (see Heb. 10:23 and verses throughout the book). He earlier admonished them that, to accomplish what was needed, they must exhort one another daily to not fall away, as the nation of Israel had done (3:12-14). He now emphasizes again the fact that we must consider the need we have to be exhorted and stirred up to love and good works. Every Christian needs to receive this stirring up, and every Christian is responsible to meet this need for others.

One of the best circumstances in which to give and receive this exhortation is when the church meets together. New Testament congregations provided opportunities, not just on the first day of the week, but at other times as well, for Christians to meet to be admonished and to admonish one another (Acts 2:42; 20:7; 11:26; 1 Corinthians 14; James 2:1ff).

This passages tells us that the individual Christians have a responsibility regarding these meetings. That responsibility is both positive and negative: (1) We are not to forsake them, and (2) we are to exhort one another in these meetings. Please note that it is not just the church’s duty to conduct meetings. It is the individuals’ duty to be present to receive the benefit of those meetings, so we are encouraged to hold fast and not fall away (Heb. 10:23). We cannot simply think of this as something the church does. We have a personal responsibility to be involved.

Further we see that the assemblies exist to meet a need: so the members can exhort one another and stir one another up to love and good works. This immediately tells us that assemblies should be so designed as to accomplish this purpose. If exhortation and stirring up are what the assemblies are for, then our activities should accomplish that and not be distracted to unscriptural goals (such as pleasing the people’s desire for entertainment, etc.). And if exhortation, etc., is the purpose, then the members should attend and participate so as to accomplish this purpose.

-- David Pratte