Exploring Faith 19: The Crucialness of Togetherness
By Jeff Fry, Darwin Park Community Church, Lichfield, UK
NIV Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
I. Intro
A. Review
B. This Week: We must come together to practically encourage one another.
II. We must come together to practically encourage one another
A. State
1. Background to the passage
a) Historical context: Hebrews written to Christians who were undergoing persecution from the Roman government – for example they were confiscating the property of Christians simply because they were Christian (see 10:33). Some were publically insulted and generally suffered for the name of Christ.
b) Some of these Christians were losing their nerve in light of the pressure on them from the world – persecution, suffering etc..
c) Who is speaking? (writer)
d) The writer has two “let us” commands – what are they?
e) What is “the Day” (v. 25)?
2. literally “let us ( consider/think of/be aware of ) how we can stimulate one another toward love and good deeds”
a) “consider” others’ needs - means a focus off of self and onto others
(1) many times we can become so consumed with our own needs and problems and difficulties that we never consider others
(2) The Christian on the other hand is not to be a navel gazer and self-interested, but instead to consider the needs of others!
(3) Philippians 2:4 says, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
(a) You are to care for your own needs – don’t neglect them
(b) But you are also to do what you can do to help others
b) Our sinful tendency will urge us to put ourselves at the center of our life instead of putting Christ at the centre of our life.
(1) Our culture doesn’t help – it encourages us to indulge ourselves:
(a) Entertain yourself
(b) Treat yourself
(c) It’s all about YOU and YOU deserve a break.
(2) Christ is the counter-example, the counter-advert, the anti-advert
(a) Jesus sacrifices himself for us
(b) John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay his life down for his friends”
c) “encouraging love and good deeds”
(1) we are to help in practical ways
(2) words are good and helpful but actions are even better!
(3) This stimulates love
(4) Don’t let the world dictate your norms for you. The norm in the Christian life is to think not only of your own needs but those of others too. Often, without any other stimulus such as Christ a person will take the path of least resistance – thinking only of their own needs.
(5) Illustration of how helping other stimulates love
(a) Iain Brazendale
(i) Had company but warned them that he had to leave for church to do the audio/visual
(ii) Iain’s commitment encourages me to no end that I have a mate that I can count on come rain or shine
(iii) Ian Whitby-Smith
(iv) When I was having a hard time as chairman of the residents association Ian made sure he was there at the residents association meeting to give me support in the face of some vocal and aggressive opposition who was there too.
(v) Others of you (Rachel) too supported me which I greatly appreciate and drew strength from
(vi) Esther
(vii) She comes here and whenever there is someone new that comes here on a Sunday I often see Esther greeting them and welcoming them.
(viii) What an encouragement to me as I am usually busy and can’t always get to meet everyone and Sarah is out with the kids
(ix) Jon & Hayley have jumped right in being willing to do worship to give Ian a break. What an encouragement to Ian and to me!
(x) Sarah and Angolia giving up their opportunity to be here and worship in order to minister to the kids every Sunday
3. The Purpose
a) Hebrews 10:25 “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching”
(1) Togetherness
(a) Gifts come together for mutual encouragement
(b) Stronger together – more gifts, more of Christ
(2) Those falling away – weak brothers/sisters
(a) “as some are in the habit of doing”
(i) losing their nerve under the pressure of persecution
(ii) suffering
(b) “the Day” refers to the day of judgment when Christ will return and judge all men/women
(c) those who fall away because they don’t come together with other Christians for encouragement, will be judge as those rejecting Christ and face judgment
(i) v.26 “if we deliverately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God”
(3) When you get together with a brother or sister you mutually encourage one another and contribute to keeping that person from falling away and from final judgment!
(a) What a great purpose!
(b) What a way to fight the enemy who wants to attack our faith and destroy our confidence
(i) Satan will have us think our confidence is in us
(a) The Satanic lie goes like this: “I am as confident as I am holy and I am as holy as I act. When I act filthy then I am filthy in God’s eyes. So, I must be filthy and no good and so why bother.”
(b) Godly truth: your confidence doesn’t come from you and how holy you are, it comes from Christ. Christ is the one who cleanses you of your sin when you repent and confess your sin to him. White as snow clean!
(i) V. 22 “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience …”
(ii) V. 35 “so do not throw away your confidence (because its not in you, but in Christ); it will be richly rewarded. You need to persever so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”
B. Illustrate
1. A New Community
a) God doesn’t want our church, our gathering, to form a community that acts like the world. God wants to form a community where love and good deeds avalanche to inspire everyone to more love and good deeds!
b) Picture of a new community – Acts 2:42
(1) Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
(a) Sacrificially care for the practical needs of one another = love (Christ’s love)
(b) They were together even every day!
(c) Opened their homes to one another
(d) Christ was the centre
(e) They had favour in the eyes of other people outside the church
(f) God honoured it with more people being saved
C. Apply
1. Angolia is moving house soon – probably before Easter. She’s moving just around the corner from where she lives now. You see where I’m going ….
a) Moving party!
b) Practical help, love, good deeds , sacrifice
c) Please help if you can
2. When is the last time you intentionally sacrificed your time to meet the need of another brother or sister in Christ?
a) 1Thessalonians 4:9 says, “Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.”
(1) When you love God you love others even when they are hard to love!
b) 1 John 3:10 goes even further: “Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.