Hebrews 10:24-25

Hebrews chapter 10, I'll begin reading in verse 19.

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

Let's pray together.

Father God, we thank you for your visible church.

I thank you that you are at work amongst us,

and that a great display of Christ's work sits in this room together today.

And I pray, Father, because of your great love for your church,

you will add your blessing to the study of your word this morning,

for your glory and our good.

And we pray this in the precious name of Christ.

Amen.

So please grab a seat.

As I do the same, I'm going to dispel some notions that you may have about me.

And I recognize that these might be very deep-rooted beliefs that you have about who I am as a person,

really right down in the midst of you.

And I just apologize.

I'm going to shake you up a little bit this morning,

because I have to tell you that I'm not the strongest guy you know.

I know many of you think that, and it's just not true.

Wes and I took a group of students from Truett McConnell caving and rock climbing this weekend,

and I am in so much pain right now,

which is why I'm sitting down, not because I'm cool and preach from a stool,

but because I hurt.

I don't think I can stand for 30 minutes.

The second notion you may have about me is that I'm the smartest guy you know,

which is also not true at all,

because I took a bunch of young people caving and climbing

and thought I could hang with them in that act.

So I'm not the strongest or smartest person you know,

which is evidenced not just in this morning, but in a number of things.

So we've been working our way through this text that I read to you this morning,

in Hebrews chapter 10, verse 19 through 25,

Hebrews 10:19–25

and we came to it with the intended purpose of talking about the vision of Christ's family church.

How is it that Christ's family church,

which we believe exists to experience, proclaim, and display the supremacy of Jesus Christ in all things,

does that?

How is it that we experience, proclaim, and display the supremacy of Jesus Christ in all things?

And I've told you that we kind of like to use an analogy of ministry about the activity of a church,

and we use this picture of a tree that we're to have roots that are firmly and deeply founded in the word of the living God

and branches that exalt Christ in our congregational worship and prayers together,

and fruit that the action of loving one another and the world through service and through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And so I kind of began in this process of wanting to kind of preach a little series, so to speak,

and God brought me to this text, which contains all of these truths and not quite as neat a format.

But we've been working our way through it, and this will be the last sermon in this text.

Verse 24 and 25 will be our focus this morning.

So let me read just those two verses to you again to kind of bring us in a bit on what we're going to focus on today.

The writer of Hebrews says,

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some,

but encouraging one another, and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.

And we saw, beginning in verse 19, we saw these privileges, two privileges here.

Certainly there are some beyond that, but two privileges here that have been bought for us

are granted to us by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And they were, number one, unlimited accessibility to God.

And we see that in verses 19 and 20, that because Christ, because of his sacrifice on our behalf,

the sacrifice once and for all for our sins, we now have full access, easy access,

not once a year access like the Jews had one guy one time a year to enter in the presence of God,

but we have full, unhindered accessibility to God.

And number two, the second great privilege was great advocacy with God,

because Jesus is now our great high priest.

And even now, as I speak at the right hand of the Father,

interceding for me and the preaching this morning,

and interceding for you and your hearing of preaching this morning.

And so we have these great privileges granted to us by the gospel.

And the writer of Hebrews goes on, as a result of that, to give us three exhortations,

three encouragements to us in light of these two privileges.

And these exhortations, these encouragements,

were called by the Puritans, ways of improving upon these privileges.

Not that we make the privileges greater,

but our practicing of them is an improvement upon these privileges.

And the first two that we saw, number one was,

let us draw near to God.

Christian worship, the act of coming together,

let us as a congregation come together with hearts and minds engaged upon who God is.

And number two, we are to hold fast, verse 23,

the confession of our hope, or the one who is our hope, without wavering.

This morning we're going to talk about the third way we're exhorted to improve upon these privileges,

which is there in verse 24 and 25.

So, he begins by saying,

let us consider how to stir up one another.

And you may have a different translation of that.

That Greek word has been translated a number of different ways.

Stimulate, spur on.

But I think my favorite is incite.

Let us consider how to incite one another to love and good works.

Colin Round, who is probably the most renowned contemporary linguist,

has translated this word affectionate incitement.

So, it's not just the strong word of let us figure out how to command one another to love and good works.

Let us affectionately incite one another to love and good works,

which are authentic displays of Christianity.

So, if we're to incite each other to something,

stir up each other to something,

authentic displays of Christianity,

which the writer of Hebrews simply says,

love and good works.

Love, which is affection,

which desires the greatest good of its object.

And good works,

which is just the tangible outworking of that affection.

Is it not?

So, love and good works

is what we're to incite one another to.

And we could easily call this

the ministry of affectionate incitement.

And I want to give you

four points to that end.

The ministry of affectionate incitement.

Number one

is the responsibility

of all of us.

The ministry of affectionate incitement

is the responsibility

of all of us.

And I pointed out to you before,

I'm going to do so again,

the pattern

the writer of Hebrews is using here.

In verse 19,

we see plural pronouns.

We have confidence.

Verse 20,

open for us.

Verse 21,

we have a great priest.

Verse 22,

let us draw near.

Our hearts sprinkled clean.

Our bodies washed.

Verse 23,

let us hold fast.

Verse 24,

let us consider.

Right?

The ministry of affectionate incitement

is the responsibility

of all of us.

If you are in Christ,

this ministry

has been given to you.

I would say,

not only is it a privilege,

but it is a duty

to serve

in this way.

1 Peter 1,

22 and 23.

Peter writes,

having purified your souls

by your obedience

to the truth

for a sincere

brotherly love,

love one another

earnestly

from a pure heart.

Why?

The beginning of verse 23,

since you have

been born again.

Love one another

because

of who

you

are.

You are children

of the Most High God.

Therefore,

love one another

will be another way

of saying that.

1 John 4,

10 and 11.

John wrote,

in this

is love.

Not that we have loved God,

but that He loved us

and sent His Son

to be the propitiation

for our sins.

Right?

He's talking to the church.

Right?

In this is love

that Christ has died

for us.

Then He says,

Beloved,

if God so loved us,

we also

ought to love

one another.

It's a response

to who

we are

because Christ

has purchased us.

John 13,

35,

Jesus says,

By this,

all people will know

that you are

my disciples.

By what?

By Sunday morning

participation?

By the t-shirts

that we wear?

By the things

we claim to hate

and be against?

Mm-mm.

If you have love

for one another.

This is the

defining characteristic.

Are there other things

that you characterize

as followers of Christ?

Absolutely.

But if we had to say

one that trumps them all,

this is the one.

Our love

for

one

another.

So this is a ministry

that belongs

to all of us.

There aren't

people

specifically called

to be

inciders of

love and good works.

This is something

that is responsibility

laid on all

our shoulders.

Number two,

the ministry of affection

and incitement

is the fruit

of intention.

It is the fruit

of intention.

Verse 24 begins,

let us

consider.

And as

has been the pattern

over these past

couple of weeks,

the let us

is not actually

found in Greek,

but it's implied

in the Greek word.

So it's actually

one word here.

Let us

consider

is one Greek word,

plural,

present active.

It's a very strong word,

this word consider.

it means to

consider

attentively,

to fix

one's mind

and gaze

upon.

It's the very

same word

used in Hebrews

Hebrews 3:1

chapter 3,

verse 1,

where the writer

says,

fix your eyes

upon Jesus.

The idea there

is not that you

glance

at Christ,

but that you

fully set

your gaze

on Christ,

right?

intently

staring at

who Christ

is,

his person

and his work.

The same

word used

there,

very strong

word,

consider

attentively,

fix your

mind

upon this.

It's not

going to happen

just because.

This is something

we're going to

have to work

at.

Not everyone

here needs

to be

incited

in the same

way.

We all have

different

experience.

We're all

going through

something

differently

today.

All of us

have different

home situations.

All of us

have struggled

with various

sins in the

past and

in the

present.

If we

are to

be about

the ministry

of incitement,

it's going

to take

intention

on our

part.

We're going

to have to

pay attention

to those

around us

and their

needs.

We're going

to have to

get to

know each

other a

little bit,

aren't we?

It's also

regular and

ongoing.

I mentioned

that it's

present active

tense.

This is not

something that

you do

one time.

It's not a

checkbox on

your list of

Christian duty

for the week

and you

check it off

once and

you say,

incited,

I'm done,

it's good.

This is a

constant,

engaged

activity that

we are to

be about.

Leads us

to number

three.

The ministry

of affectionate

incitement

necessitates

consistent

togetherness.

Necessitates

consistent

togetherness.

We see

that in

verse 25.

Now,

I don't

know how

your translation

may render

verse 24 and

25,

but upon

an initial

reading,

it seems

as if

verse 25

is a

fourth

exhortation.

That it's

yet another

thing we

should do

in light of

what Christ

has done

for us.

However,

really it

could be

read,

verse 24,

and let us

consider how

to stir up

one another

to love

and good

works,

verse 25,

by not

neglecting

to meet

together.

So,

let us

consider how

to do

this by

meeting

together.

He says

it in the

negative

first,

not

neglecting

to meet

together,

as is

the habit

of some,

but the

implication is

meeting together

and encouraging

one another.

And all

the more,

as you say,

this day

drawing near,

probably this

book was

written just

prior to

70 AD,

we don't

know exactly

when,

but probably

so.

It was rather

early in the

Christian church,

and it would

seem that

already,

Christians had

gotten out of

the habit

meeting together

had already

become a

challenge in

the church.

This book

written to

Jewish believers

in Rome

had already

began to

drift apart

and neglect

their gathering

together.

We don't see

in this text

why.

He doesn't

get to that,

but we know

historically there

are documents

outside of

Scripture that

talk about what

was going on

and the

varying reasons

that people

were potentially

not meeting

together.

Fear of

persecution

from the

Romans,

embarrassed by

the size of

their small

congregation

compared to

the large

gathering at

the Jewish

synagogues,

business

possibly.

Until the

fourth century,

this was a

day of work,

the first day

of the week.

The Lord's

Day was a

day of work,

and they

met in the

evenings,

early Christians

did,

on the first

day of the

week.

So that's

potentially

spiritual

laziness.

Not really

another way to

put that,

just spiritual

laziness

would have

caused them

to neglect

to meet

together.

As I said,

none of these

things are in

the text,

but the

reason for

that, I

believe,

is that none

of them

really matter.

It doesn't

give us a

way to

wiggle out

of this.

If we have

a ministry

that we've

all been

called to,

that's going

to take

intention,

we ought

to meet

together.

We ought

not

neglect

meeting

together.

Some people

will say,

you don't

have to go

to church

to be a

Christian.

Many of you

may know

people like

that.

You may

be one

of the

people that

would say

that,

whether

you'd say

it out

loud or

not.

You don't

have to

go to

church

to be a

Christian.

And I

agree with

you.

You also

don't have

to go

home to

be married.

But if

that's the

attitude that

you cherish

in your

heart,

there's

something

seriously

wrong in

both cases.

Because of

the privileges

bought for

us by

Christ,

we ought

to want

to be

together.

I'm not

being

legalistic.

There are

things that

take us

away,

and that's

okay.

I wouldn't

begin to

say I

expect you

all to

be here

every single

time we

gather

together.

There are

circumstances

that take

us apart.

Next week,

I won't be

here.

I'm taking

a forced

vacation.

Chris has

told me that

I have to

take a week

off this

fall before

I die.

And so I'm

doing that

next week,

and I won't

be here next

Sunday.

However,

if I don't

long to be

here next

Sunday,

if it's not

the place I

would ultimately

love to be,

there's

something wrong

with my

heart.

I will

miss you

guys next

Sunday.

I know

that for a

fact.

Sam and

I are

going to

go spend

the Lord's

Day with

her family.

Her father

is a

pastor,

and we're

going to

visit his

church.

I've only

been there

once,

and all

the time

I've been

married to

Sam,

so we're

going to

go do

that.

But I'm

going to

sit there

the entire

time wishing

!

I was with

you,

because you

are my

church,

and that

ought to be

the attitude

of our

hearts.

So,

don't

mischear me,

I'm not

being legalistic.

I'm talking

about your

heart,

not the

activity so

much,

but where

do you

long to

be?

Young

people,

when you're

up here

for school,

come and

be with

us.

When you

go home

for the

summer,

I hope

you miss

us.

I hope

you can't

wait until

school starts

back in

the fall.

So it

necessitates

consistent

togetherness.

How are we

going to know

one another

if we don't

spend time

together?

Inciting

one another

to love

and good

works,

encouraging

one another

as the

day draws

near,

is not

something you

can do

if you're

a church

hopper.

How will

you possibly

know how

to encourage

a person

if you

don't know

anybody

at the

churches

you go

to?

Speaking

particularly

to you

young

people,

pick a

group of

people.

No church

has it

all right.

We're all

a mess

because we're

made of

people.

Go to a

church and

get involved

and love

the people.

Fall in

love with

people,

not

programs.

Certainly

there are

attributes that

make a

godly church.

We can

talk about

those later.

But just

be sure

you're not

worshipping a

show,

serving your

ends,

but you're

going to

serve a

group of

people.

number

four.

The

ministry

of

incitement

expresses

itself

in

encouragement.

It

expresses

itself

in

encouragement.

This

is how

we

incite

one

another

to

love

and

good

works.

He

concludes

verse

25 by

saying,

as you

see the

day

drawing

near,

and this

is my

belief,

this is

my

presumption

that he

includes

that because

he believes

that things

are going

to get

tougher

for these

people.

Things are

going to

be more

difficult for

them.

We see at

the end of

chapter 10

that they've

already endured

suffering.

He knows

that more

is coming.

As the

final day

of judgment

comes,

persecution

will rise

in the

world,

and they'll

need this

even more

than they

need it

now.

This

encouragement,

this word,

this Greek

word,

encouraging,

is a

very elastic

word.

It can

mean lots

of things.

It can

mean to

exhort,

to comfort,

to help,

to urge,

to appeal

to,

to admonish,

to strengthen.

It can

mean all

these things.

There are

a number

of others

that it

can also

mean.

But its

emphasis,

the word

of emphasis,

is verbal.

Emphasis is

verbal.

So this

kind of

encouragement

can come

in the

form of

a sermon,

can come

in the

form of

a piece

of music

performed,

or led,

can come

in the

form of

a letter.

Actually,

at the

end of

Hebrews,

the writer

calls his

letter words

of exhortation

or words

of encouragement.

Same word

there.

Words of

encouragement.

But since

this ministry

has been

given to

all of

us,

it also

must express

itself

one-to-one.

On a

one-on-one

basis.

It must,

right?

I can't be

the only one

this morning

that's going

to be an

encourager.

But we

must be

expressing

this one-to-one.

Have you ever

considered that

the part you

play in us

coming together

is to come

and encourage

somebody else?

Have you ever

thought about

that?

We might

show up

before 1030

if we

realize that.

We might

come looking

for an

opportunity

to encourage

somebody

in our

setting.

We might

stick around

a little bit

beyond our

formal gatherings

together.

We might

look for

opportunities

beyond the

organized times

we meet

together to

get with

members of

the church.

church.

Have you

considered that?

You play

an important

part in our

meeting together.

You're not

merely a

spectator.

You might

ask me,

how do I

do this?

How do I

encourage?

I don't

find myself

to be a

particularly

encouraging

person.

I don't

really feel

that I'm

equipped to

counsel

somebody or

minister to

them in

any way

whatsoever.

I'm not a

very knowledgeable

person.

I feel

theologically

weak.

I feel

like I

fail so

much in

my own

sin and

I just

don't have

a lot to

offer to

anybody to

think through

processes.

How is it

that I'm

meant to

encourage the

church?

Let me

tell you how

you can

encourage me.

Talk about

Jesus Christ.

Talk about

the great

work He is

doing in

your life.

And that

will move

me to do

the same to

you.

this

becomes a

cyclical

ministry

in the

church.

You

encourage

somebody

with a

great

work of

the

gospel

in your

life

and it's

going to

motivate them

to do

the same.

Love and

good works.

It begins

to build

like a

snowball

amongst us.

That is

the way

you minister

to those

around you.

Somebody

here may

have a

wayward

father.

Feels

a lack

in their

life.

life.

And you

may not

have ever

experienced

that.

There is

no way

I'll ever

have all

of the

life

experiences

shared in

this room.

Praise God,

that would

be a lot

of a mess,

wouldn't it,

for me?

handle.

But the

gospel of

Jesus Christ

ministers to

all of

those

situations.

So

minister to

one another

with the

gospel.

Encourage

one another

with what

God is

doing in

your life.

I hope

and pray

that God

is doing

something in

your life

worth sharing

this week.

If not,

let's get

busy.

Right?

Let's

imagine if

all of us,

the few of us

that there are

here, but if

all of us

came this

morning with

a thought in

mind, I'm

not coming

here to

serve myself,

I'm coming

to corporate

worship to

praise God

and to

encourage the

church.

That's what

you had.

You got up

this morning

with that on

your mind

and prepared

yourself for

it.

All of us

came together

for that

activity.

Can you

imagine what

a different

group of

people we

would be?

I do

not want

Christ Family

Church to

be known

for the

distinctives on

our website.

Those are

good things.

Those are

important

things.

We're

reformed,

Southern

Baptist,

missional,

family

integrated,

good things.

I don't

want to be

known for

those things.

If that's

all we're

known for,

we're just

another

flavor.

We're just

another type

of church.

I want

people to

know us

for our

love for

one another.

I want

somebody to

say to

you,

someday,

I want

them to

say,

what church

do you

go to?

You say,

oh,

Christ Family

Church,

and in

their minds

they go,

of course,

those people

really love

each other.

That's the

kind of thing

we should be

known for.

Not buildings

and signs

and programs,

but how much

we love

one another.

Can you

imagine

what that

would look

like?

Briefly,

I want to

talk about

four things

that hinder

this kind

of ministry

amongst us.

Four things,

quickly.

Number one,

self-sufficiency.

Self-sufficiency.

You were

not saved

simply for

yourself.

In the

70s,

I've harped

on this a

couple of

times in the

past,

in the

70s,

a little

bit of

language

entered

into

Christendom.

That phrase,

personal

relationship

with Jesus

Christ,

and I

think it

was birthed

out of

good

motivation,

but why

we think

that when

we mess

with

biblical

language,

it won't

have some

negative

side effect

is beyond

me.

Gospel

presentation

should be

repentant

belief,

not personal

relationship

with Jesus

Christ.

God saves

individuals,

but he saves

them to

the church.

You are

not self

sufficient.

You were

saved to a

community of

believers.

God's

graces

come

through the

church.

John

Wesley

once said

there's

nothing more

unchristian

than a

solitary

Christian.

There is

nothing more

unchristian

than a

solitary

Christian.

Number two,

formality.

formality.

Having

certain

expectations

of our

time

together,

our

liturgy

together,

and a

belief that

our time

together does

not extend

beyond our

organized time

together.

That coming,

walking in the

back door,

sitting down,

going through

the motions,

getting up and

walking out,

is the extent of

your Christian

participation.

Formality will

get in the way

of the

ministry of

incitement.

number three,

bitterness.

As I've

said before,

we are an

imperfect group

of people.

I won't

always say

the kind

words you

need to

hear.

I pray

that I

always do,

but I

won't.

I won't

always walk

in here with

the best

attitude.

I won't

always call

you when

you feel

you need

a call.

don't let

a root of

bitterness

form in

you toward

members of

the church.

We are

all imperfect.

We are

all on a

progression

towards

perfection,

but we

fail a lot.

Don't make

being here

about you.

Think about

serving others.

Don't let

bitterness get

in the way.

And number

four,

elitism.

Elitism is

the creation

of cliques

based on

exclusiveness.

J.I.

Packard

called

elitism

a satanic

counterfeit

of true

fellowship.

A satanic

counterfeit

of true

fellowship.

The ministry

of incitement

involves you

getting involved

in people's

lives of

varying

backgrounds

and

demographics

from you.

don't allow

yourself to

become a

clique that

excludes

others from

your group.

You never

know who

may need

to be

in your

group both

for their

benefit and

for ours.

It's worth

noting that if

we have a

love like

this that

expresses itself

properly,

this love

and good

works,

that this

kind of

affection,

us being

known for

our love

for one

another,

this kind

of affection

is going

to spill

outside of

our borders.

I believe

that if

I'm

encouraged

the way

I should

be

encouraged

in this

meeting,

the

encouragement

I can

give back,

I'll have

too much

of it.

I won't

be able

to give

it away.

And it's

going to

spill

outside of

the borders

of this

meeting time

to our

communities,

places we

live and

work and

play,

that ultimately

there will

be not just

fruit of love

within our

church,

but fruit of

love to the

world.

We won't

be able to

contain the

goodness of

Christ,

which is

experienced

here amongst

us.

And it's

my deep

prayer,

and I

realized as I

was looking

over my

notes this

morning that

I'm not

shy to try

to coin

phrases.

And I say

try because

if you

actually coin

a phrase,

people begin

to use it,

exchange it

as currency.

They actually

understand what

it means.

And I tend

to say things

and just

continue to

say them and

nobody has a

clue what I'm

talking about.

So let me

tell you when

I say it's

my deep

prayer.

Deep prayers

for me come

out of deep

conviction.

An understanding

of what church

should look

like is not

just something

that God's

put in my

head,

but it

kind of

is sitting

down here

in my

gut.

I long

for our

church to

look like

this.

I desire

not just

a small

group of

people that

understand and

engage in

what community,

what church

is actually

meant to be

about,

but a large

group of

people that

get this.

that put

down the

consumerism of

American

Christianity,

understand that

Christianity is

relational.

It's a

fellowship.

First,

vertical,

and second,

horizontal.

It makes me

hurt to think

about how bad I

want to see this

happen.

And that's what I

mean when I

say it's my

deep prayer.

Christ Family

Church will be a

church that so

greatly appreciates the

privileges bought for

us by Christ,

understands them,

really knows what's

been granted to us

by Christ,

this unlimited

accessibility to

God and our

great advocacy

with God,

that will actively

and continually be

about the work of

improving upon

these privileges,

and that will do

so by drawing near

to God and God

centered,

frequent,

corporate worship

that will hold

fast to the one

in whom we have

hope through a

deep understanding

of His redemptive

work,

and that fixing

our gaze on

mutually encouraging

one another

will be known

for love and

good works.

I hope that

the analogy of

the tree now

has become

glaringly,

abundantly

clear to all

view,

roots,

branches,

and fruit.