十。為了擁有天堂的盼望
學生有測驗考試；工廠有品質管制；社會有法院、法官、警察；醫學界有合格證。這些的共同點就是生命中的每一方面，每一領域，都重視“標準”。達到標準學生才升級；達到標準產品才可以上市；公民不犯法才不用害怕警察、法官。考試合格，醫學院才發畢業證書和醫生執照。您我希不希望沒有考上執照的外科醫生幫我們動手術開刀？沒有飛行執照的，我們敢不敢乘坐他的飛機呢？我們要不要花錢購買不合格的汽車呢？我們敢不敢住在沒有警察、法官和法院的社會呢？因為很多人不想按照“標準”過日子，沒有警察和法院的社會都會亂。
我想您和我都會同意，“標準”是個好觀念，好規定，好方向。我們期待別人合乎標準。我們以“真金不怕火煉”和類似的話勸別人努力，經過考試、考驗，達到“標準”。問題是我們不一定把這句話應用在我們自己的生命中。我們不一定以很高的標準來要求自己。也許我們為別人預定很高的標準，但卻給自己比較低的標準。
聖經的信息是，當世界末日，審判日，天上的神要以他的標準審判我們。聖經說得很清楚，“按着定命，人人都要死一次，死後還有審判。”（希伯來書9:27）。使徒保羅告訴希臘雅典的學者說，“因為他[神]已經定好了日子，要藉著他所立的人，按公義審判天下，並且使他[耶穌基督]從死人中復活，給萬人作一個可信的憑據”[使徒行傳17:31]。耶穌基督告訴聽眾說，“棄絕我又不接受我的話的人，自有審判他的。我所講的道在末日要定他的罪”（約翰福音12:48）。耶穌基督的道理就是我們做人的標準；神要以耶穌的真理衡量我們的行為。
耶穌的話就是神審判天下的標準，所以我們應該聆聽，學習，遵守耶穌的話，以他的話為我們生活上的目標和標準。這樣，當審判日我們才可以“…坦然無懼；…我們也不至慚愧地躲避他了”（約翰一書2:28）。
每一個星期天基督徒應該參加敬拜聚會。在聚會當中基督徒聽道而進一步的明白神的真理，使得他們更加親近神，而依靠神過聖潔的生活。我們盡量的追求神的標準。參加每周日的敬拜聚會是基督徒的責任。感謝神，敬拜神，紀念耶穌基督的十字架是基督徒的本分。如果不參加主日聚會，基督徒怎麼能夠“…坦然無懼”的站在神的面前接受審判呢？在審判日，他怎麼好意思對主說，“我沒有去敬拜您，沒有吃主餐紀念耶穌的死亡和復活，我沒有學習您的話。每星期天我都隨己意而行，而沒有花時間敬拜您，唱詩歌讚美感謝您。我沒有得着每周日的敬拜可給我的屬靈力量，我也沒有鼓勵弟兄姐妹得到這個力量。主啊，我完全忽略了希伯來書十章所說的‘我們不可放棄聚會，好像有些人的習慣一樣；卻要互相勸勉。你們既然知道那日子臨近，就更應該這樣。’（希伯來書10:25）。”是的，基督徒有責任敬拜、讚美神，學習神的話，鼓勵弟兄姐妹。如果基督徒不這樣做，“那日子臨近”。“那日子”就是末日，審判日；所有基督徒都必接受神“標準”的審判。
我們認為學生有測驗，工廠有品質管制，社會有法院、警察，醫學院有考試，都是應該的。那麼，宇宙的大主宰怎麼不應該也按照他的標準審判天下呢？如果醫學院的學生要通過考試，才可以拿到醫生執照，世人為何不必要為他所作所為負責之後才進天堂呢？基督徒更加如此。
如果基督徒參與每周日的敬拜聚會而對主耶穌忠心，我們可以期待聽到耶穌歡迎我們進入天堂，說：“又良善又忠心的僕人哪，你作得好！… 進來，享受你主人的快樂吧！…蒙我父賜福的，來承受創世以來為你們預備好的國吧”（馬太福音25:23, 34）。
Why Christians Attend Worship Every Sunday
10: In Order to Go to Heaven
By Edward Short
Students take exams; factories have quality control personnel; society has courts, laws and policemen; the medical world has certification boards. What all of these have in common is that every facet of life and every area of endeavor involve standards. A student can go on to the next grade only if he passes the tests; a product goes to market only after the QC Department stamps it “Standard;” a citizen need not fear the police and judge if he doesn’t break any laws. A medical school grants a diploma and medical license only after the med student passes all the exams. Which one of us wants an unlicensed surgeon to operate on us?! Would we ride in an airplane piloted by someone who had no pilots’ license? Would we purchase a car that failed factory inspection? Do we want to live in a society that has no policemen, no judges and no courts? Since many people wouldn’t live according to a “standard,” a society without police and courts would mean chaos and anarchy.
I believe that both you and I will agree that “standards” are good and should be implemented. We want other people to live by standards. We encourage others to do their best, to pass exams, to clear the bar, and to meet other challenges. We quote proverbs such as “true gold fears no fire” and other such statements. The problem is that while we apply these standards to others, we don’t necessarily make ourselves live up to them.
The Bible has a message—that there will be a Day of Judgment, and that on that day God will judge each of us according to his standard—his word, the Bible. The Bible speaks plainly when it says that, “…just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment…” (Hebrews 9:27 NRSV). The apostle Paul told the scholars in Athens, Greece, “because he [God] has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed [Jesus Christ], and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Hebrews 17:31 NRSV). Jesus Christ himself told his audience, “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; on the last day the word that I have spoken will serve as judge” (John 12:48 NRSV). The teachings of Jesus Christ are the standard by which we’re to live; God will measure our lives according to the truths of Jesus.
The words of Jesus are the standard by which God will judge the world, so we should listen to, study and obey the words of Jesus. We should take the words of Jesus as the goals of our lives and the standards by which we live. If we do, then on the day of judgment, we “may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming” (1 John 2:28).
Christians should take part in the worship assembly each Sunday. During the worship, Christians hear the truth of God preached, and they come to a better understanding of it. This in turn draws one closer to God and helps him rely on God and live a holy life. Let’s do our best to live according to God’s standard. Participation in the worship assembly each Sunday is a responsibility of Christians. How grateful to God we are that worship of God and commemoration of the cross of Jesus are duties that Christians enjoy! If we don’t attend worship on Sundays, how will we be able to “have confidence” when we stand before God’s throne and are judged? On the day of judgment, how embarrassed a Christian will be to look at God and say, “I didn’t worship you, I didn’t partake of the Lord’s supper in memory of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and I didn’t study your word. I did whatever I wanted to on Sundays, and didn’t take time to worship and sing hymns of praise to you. I didn’t receive the spiritual strength that I would have, if I had attended worship each Sunday, and I didn’t encourage my Christian brothers and sisters to receive such spiritual strength either. Lord, I paid no attention whatsoever to what Hebrews chapter ten said, ‘not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching’” (Hebrews 10:25). Yes, Christians have the responsibility to worship and praise God, to study God’s word, and to edify other Christians. A Christian may fail to do these things, but “the Day is approaching.” That “Day” is the end of the world, the day of judgment. On that day every Christian will be judged by God’s “standard.”
We believe that it’s fine and well for students to take tests, for factories to have quality control, and for there to be police and courts in society. We agree that medical schools should evaluate students. Why then should the God of the universe not judge the world according to the standards that he has set? If medical students must pass examinations before they’re given a medical license, why shouldn’t all people take responsibility for all their actions before they can enter heaven? This is even truer for Christians.
If Christians participate in worship services each Sunday and if they’re faithful to the Lord, then we’ll be able to look forward to hearing the Lord welcome us into heaven, and say, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; …enter into the joy of your master. …Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:23, 24).