Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

THEME OF THE DAY. THE BEAUTY OF TOGETHERNESS. My church holds two services on the Lord’s Day. Each Sunday morning, we gather for worship, fellowship, and instruction for about ninety minutes. Some Sundays we may go a little longer but we are generally in a corporate setting from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Then we have an evening service. It normally lasts from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. Like the morning service, we may go a little longer. Yet, we aren’t in a hurry. It is standard practice to see many people hanging around after both services to enjoy the togetherness as God’s people. In the morning, it is not rare to see people smiling and talking with one another well close to 12:30 p.m. And in the evening? It is a delight to see small groups of people meeting afterwards all through the sanctuary for fellowship, and small prayer meetings praying for one another. The lights hardly ever go out in our church on Sunday nights before 8:00 p.m. and from a pastoral point of view, it is a joy to see God’s people maximize His Day to be with one another.

As for the two services my church holds on Sundays, this practice doesn’t make our church more spiritual than one which holds one service. Nor do we judge other churches who don’t have evening services. For me personally? I would never consider giving up our evening service. It is special. And in keeping the Lord’s Day, well, the Lord’s Day, it provides another opportunity to be together in the Word of God with other brothers and sisters. There is something beautiful about the togetherness of God’s people on the Lord’s Day and having two opportunities is a delight and joy. And it is this beauty of our togetherness we want to consider from today’s scripture.

God never intended the Christian life to be experienced alone. He saved us through the Lord Jesus individually but not to then grow in Christ privately. He wants, and expects us, to practice the beauty of our togetherness because He knows we need it.

First, our togetherness is necessary to keep us encouraged in the work of the Gospel – “two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.” Laboring in the Gospel is hard and to go at it alone, a recipe for discouragement. Conversely, there is great joy in working with another believer in the Gospel. It really does lift us up in the labor.

Next, our togetherness is necessary when we spiritually fall and need a brother or sister to come alongside and help us. If we are left alone in spiritual warfare, the devil, the “roaring lion”, will devour isolated Christians. Solomon writes, “For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” Spiritual isolation always leads to spiritual defeat. The beauty of our togetherness is also the posture for successful spiritual warfare.

Finally, our togetherness is necessary to keep us close to the love of Christ – “Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?” We need to be close to Christians most full of Christ and who are walking in fervent first love to Him. If we attempt to live a privatized Christian life, the first thing which will begin to erode is first love for Christ. Why? Because any known form of disobedience cools love for Christ and to attempt to live the Christian life alone is simply to disobey the will of God. When in the Garden of Eden God said, “It is not good that man should be alone”, that truth also applies to His children living out their life in Christ. We are called to the beauty of togetherness.

PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for putting Your people in my life to help me in my walk with You.”

QUOTE: “We are not only to lean on each other for spiritual encouragement, but delight in the leaning”