“This do in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19). Sometimes we hear well-meaning believers saying, “Why isn’t so-and-so in fellowship and remembering the Lord? The Lord asked us to remember Him and that’s a command.” I have often wondered if the Lord’s words really should be thought of as a commandment to be obeyed in a legal fashion. I rather believe that it was an expression of the deep desire of His heart, intended to evoke a loving response from our hearts. The deeper our realization of our precious Lord’s infinite love toward us, expressed in giving Himself for us, the greater will be our desire to unite with our fellow saints in the remembrance of Him in His death, and the greater will be the outflow of praise and worship from our hearts and lips. If we are attending the meeting simply as a matter of obedience and routine, it will not bring much satisfaction to our Lord nor blessing to ourselves.

While it is a wonderful privilege to be in fellowship with our fellow believers, and to participate in that wonderful expression both of fellowship with one another and of worship and thanksgiving to our Lord in remembering Him in His death, a great responsibility is involved as well. Each one thus in fellowship is accountable to the entire assembly as well as to the Lord, and his or her behavior and manner of life will reflect upon the entire assembly. If there are those who do not feel ready to accept such a responsibility and public accountability for their behavior, I believe it unwise to urge and cajole them to take their place at the Lord’s table. Let them rather be drawn to that place by the sense of the wonderful love of their Lord who gave Himself for them.