Exhort One Another - Hebrews 10:24-25

In verses 19 through 21, the author has presented

to us the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in the

Gospel. We see that Christ has reconciled sinners

unto God. He's brought men to God. He's enabled

men to... Come to God. And all of this is the

result of Christ's gospel work. It's all the

result of his sacrifice. It's all the result

of his perfect life. It's all the result of his

death and his resurrection. It's the result of

the gospel. Now we've seen the author in verses

22 through 25 give these exhortations. We've

seen for the last several weeks, for the last

two weeks, the author say, let us draw near with

a sincere heart. Then we saw last week, the author

say, let us hold fast the confession of our hope.

And this week we see the author say, Let us consider

how to stimulate one another or to stir up or

provoke one another. The author is connecting

these exhortations, these commands, to the work

of Christ in His sacrifice and in the Gospel.

He's saying these are the things that New Covenant

believers ought to be about. These are the things

that New Covenant believers ought to give themselves

to. These are the things that New Covenant believers

ought to be preeminently concerned about in their

lives. They ought to be concerned about drawing

near to God in prayer. They ought to be concerned

about holding fast the confession of our hope,

truth, and the Scriptures. But the author also

tells us today, and this is our text for exposition,

that New Covenant believers ought to be concerned

about the New Covenant people of God. That they

ought to be concerned about the assembly of the

saints. That they ought to be concerned about

those whom Christ died for. I would like to consider

three things this morning. We're going to consider

the exhortation to be faithful corporate Christians.

We see this in verse 24, where the author says,

and let us consider how to stimulate one another

to love and good deeds. This is the exhortation,

the command. But we're also going to consider

the means. of obeying this exhortation to be

faithful corporate Christians. We find the means

of obeying this in verse 25. There's a negative

means that he states. He says not forsaking our

own assembling together. But then there's a positive

means that he states, which contributes to the

command. And that is, but encouraging one another.

Lastly, we're going to consider the great motive

for obeying this command, this exhortation from

the author of Hebrews. This is the last phrase

in our verse where the author says, and all the

more. as you see the day drawing near. Here we'll

find the author giving us motivation to be faithful,

committed, corporate believers in the new covenant

community of Christ's church. Beginning with

the exhortation to be faithful corporate Christians

found in verse 24. He says, and let us consider

how to stimulate one another to love and good

deeds. First, the command itself. Let us consider.

This word consider has the idea of careful observation.

or fully understanding something. It has the

idea of being considerate about something. Now

immediately, we find in this text that the author

is implying that believers ought to be those

people who are observant, who are... Considerate

and thoughtful about particular situations, about

particular things, about particular people. We

find this so clearly in the text. Now, what's

the object of this consideration? What is it

that New Covenant believers are to consider?

Well, in the NASB, it's a little tricky because

it almost makes it look like the object is how

to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.

But that's not the object. The object of this

consideration is one another. So New Covenant

believers are called here to consider. And to

be thoughtful. And to carefully observe each

other. One another. Those in the covenant community.

Those who gather as God's people. The people

of God are called to watch over and exercise

an affectionate care and thoughtfulness. an observation

in the life of those they gather with as members

of the new covenant community. This means there

has to be intentionality. There has to be time

taken to think about such things. What fills

your mind, brothers and sisters? And how much

time do you give to thinking about those things

that fill your mind? As believers who have been

bought by the blood of Christ, we ought to have

a portion of our thoughts, a portion of our hearts

allocated for the people of God. We ought to

have a portion of our mind dedicated to thinking

and considering and observing the people of God

that we have covenanted with. The people of God

that we worship with. Now, obviously, we have

to think about our jobs. We have to think about

our careers. We have to think about our families.

We have to focus our minds on certain necessary

realities in our lives. But how do we obey this

command, brothers and sisters, if we never take

the time to get our eyes off of our own situation,

our own lives, our own issues, our own problems,

and to take time to think about brothers and

sisters in Christ? How do we fulfill this command

if we do not do that? Certain things in the Christian

life just require time, brothers and sisters.

They just require us to slow down and to rein

in our thoughts and submit our hearts. And to

think and dwell and meditate on certain truths

and certain realities. And the author of Hebrews

is telling us that one of those things for the

new covenant believer in Jesus Christ ought to

be the people of God. Ought to be our brothers

and sisters in Christ who we're sitting next

to. Who we work in the same town with. This is

what the author is telling us. This same word

is used in Hebrews chapter 3, verse 1, where

Hebrews 3:1

the author says this, Therefore, holy brethren,

partakers of a heavenly calling, consider, consider

Jesus, the apostle and high priest, of our confession.

Now, there's that word consider again, and what's

the object in that text? Jesus, the apostle and

high priest of our confession. So the author

is saying in that text that if we want to have

a sturdy, steadfast, constant, balanced faith

in faithful life, then we need to have our minds

set on Christ. But the same word is used in Hebrews

Hebrews 10:24

chapter 10, verse 24, where he says, let us consider

one another. This necessarily and inevitably

leads to interpersonal relationships, the local

church, and corporate Christianity. How can one

fulfill this command? By themselves. How is it

possible? You cannot fulfill this command on

your own. It requires group Christianity. It

requires one another. It requires others be involved

in your life. It requires that we be in relationship

willingly and volitionally with others whom Christ

has died for. It requires that we don't just

be private Christians, but that we be corporate

Christians who are invested and who are part

of. the people of God, that worship together

in one place, under one name, in the name of

the Lord Jesus Christ. There's no way to understand

this text without the local church, brothers

and sisters. No way whatsoever. The local church

is so... vitally important in the New Testament.

Think about all the epistles. Think about Ephesians.

Think about Philippians. Think about 1st and

2nd Thessalonians. Who are they written to, brothers

and sisters? The church at Thessalonica. The

church at Corinth. The church at Ephesus. The

local churches everywhere in the New Testament.

We think about the book of Acts. What is the

book of Acts all about? Brothers and sisters,

it's about the inception and the establishment

and the formation and the growth of the first

century church in the world. Why? Because of

the work of Jesus Christ in the gospel. That's

what this text is telling us. That because of

Christ's work in the gospel, because of his once

for all effective sacrifice, the local church

becomes that much more important to the life

of the believer. Now, what is the aim of this

exhortation or this command? What is the purpose

of it? We know the object and we know the command

itself, but what's the purpose of it? What is

the aim, the goal, the end of it? Well, it's

this. To stimulate one another to love and good

deeds. To stir up. This word is really, really

fascinating. It's the word. Paroxysm. It carries

the idea of almost a convulsion. It carries the

idea of incitation or provocation to provoke.

It carries this idea of sharpness with it. In

the New Testament, we see it used different ways.

Here, the NASB uses it as stimulate. There's

another way that it's used as stir up. In the

New Testament, it's primarily used with negative

connotations. We could think of Barnabas and

Saul or Paul. Remember their split? That's said

to be... A provocation. That was an abrupt thing.

Almost a sudden, immediate, almost a violent

reality that came about. There, and I saw this

from one pastor, he said there, that word signifies

their separation. But in our text, this word

is used in such a way that it's meant to contribute

and bring about men and women who know Christ

and bring them together. Not to separate and

drive apart, but to bring them nearer, to bring

them closer, to produce love and love's expression,

good deeds or good works in the life of the believer.

Now, I don't think we should do away with the

negative connotations of this word. Because there

are times, brothers and sisters, in Christian

relationship inside the church where there are

hard, difficult, challenging conversations and

interactions. which must take place. It can be

said that this in and of itself is loving. One

of the things that I'm fearful about in the life

of the church is that our idea of love and our

idea of... how to provoke one another to love

and good deeds has been taught to us more by

the world, the flesh, and the devil than the

authoritative word of God. What do I mean by

that? What does the world say, brothers and sisters?

What is loving? And what brings about love? And

what provokes good love and good deeds in others?

You just give them what they want and satiate

them. Take away the discomfort. Take away the

difficulty of the situation. Do whatever you

have to do. Just make the situation better. Do

whatever you have to do to make them feel better.

Then they will be loving. then they will be full

of good works and good deeds. That's catechism

by the world, the flesh, and the devil. That

is not loving, and that does not produce love

and good deeds in brothers and sisters in Christ,

friends. The Word of God says, That yes, we come

alongside and we encourage. We bear with one

another. We love each other. But listen. Christ

died for sin. That means that sin is never considered

as light or insignificant. That means that sin

must always be addressed and confronted. And

that means truth in love. This is the Christian

church, brothers and sisters. We are the only

place in the world that ought to do this. Do

you understand that? There's nowhere else in

the world that has an objective, absolute, fixed

standard that is authoritative and sufficient.

Do you know that? But the church of Jesus Christ,

in fact, does the word of the living God. And

where the word of God speaks, we obey. This is

the church. This is the people of God. Now I

think that when we consider this word, and especially

with this negative bent of the word, we also

need to really recognize the context of this

verse. Right? We can't just say this is absolute

across the board with everything. It is with

regards to truth and love. That's consistent.

But that doesn't mean that we always lead with

a fist. We know parties and we know camps that

do that. We know people in evangelicalism that

are all too eager for a fight any day of the

week. Everybody knows. There's those people.

There are those individuals. They always want

controversy. They always want drama. They always

want to fight. Because they've always got a dog

in the fight on everything. There's always those

people. But we have to understand the context

of this verse. The context of this verse is those

who are consistently in the habit and customarily

forsaking the assembly of God's people. So it's

not a one and done thing. It's not a single act.

It's not a single instance. There's a pattern.

There's a habit. There's a... custom that has

been established in their behavior. The author

of Hebrews is addressing this. And he's saying

in that instance, it's especially important in

the life of the church to stimulate one another

to love and good deeds, no matter the difficulty,

the hardship. or how trying it might be. So,

we see in this text, to be a faithful Christian,

brothers and sisters, we must be a corporate

Christian. There's no way of getting around it.

If you are to be a faithful believer in Jesus

Christ, that means that you have to be involved

in a... corporate, new covenant, community, people

of Christ. There's no such thing as a healthy,

isolated Christian. Zero. I can say that with

100 % certainty. Because it is completely contrary

and antithetical to the New Testament doctrine

of the local. We must be those who are involved

in the people of God. We must be those who are

committed not just to private Christianity and

personal religion, but we must be those who give

ourselves to the local assembly of God's people.

We have to be willing to give in such a way that's

described in this text as believers. We have

to be willing to encourage and provoke and stimulate.

We have to. We as believers must be on board

with giving of ourselves in such a way. That's

part of this. But there's another side to that.

Believers mustn't just be willing to give. Believers

also must be willing to receive in such a way

as described by Holy Scripture. There's a mutual

interworking. There's a mutual interaction that

takes place. in the one another's of the New

Testament, brothers and sisters. We must be corporate

Christians, and we must be relational Christians,

whatever that looks like for you and your personality.

We know that we're all made different. We know

it. God made each one of us unique and distinct

from each other. There's no two persons exactly

the same. God has made us different. It's His

sovereign will for us to be different from everybody.

Which means we're all unique. But, as believers,

we must be willing to be in a corporate relationship

with the people of God, with the group. And we

must be willing to interact with that group.

for their good and edification, and for our good

and edification. I just want to read Romans 12,

at least part of Romans 12. It's an incredibly

edifying portion of Scripture. You know, Paul,

oftentimes, he has these... of general exhortations

throughout the Scripture. We find them oftentimes

towards the end of his epistles. Sometimes I

just love just going and reading the general

exhortations of the Apostle. Because they're

so relevant. They're so edifying. But brothers

and sisters, they are so convicting. They show

me my failure and my weakness. They show me how

far short I fall. But they also show me how to

live in such a way that I can honor Jesus Christ

in the life of the church. And they explain it

and walk me through it and how it ought to be

done. In Romans chapter 12, following Paul's

Romans 12 · chapter mention

doctrine, following all his theology, now he

starts applying the gospel to the people in Rome.

Here's what we read. I'll start reading in verse

4. And take note of the corporate characteristics

in this list. For just as we have many members

in one body, and all the members do not have

the same function, so we, who are many, are one

body in Christ, and individually members one

of another. Since we have gifts that differ according

to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise

them accordingly. If prophecy according to the

proportion of his faith, if service in his serving.

Or he who teaches in his teaching. Or he who

exhorts in his exhortation. He who gives with

liberality. And he who leads with diligence.

He who shows mercy with cheerfulness. Let love

be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling

to what is good. Be devoted to one another in

brotherly love. Give preference to one another

in honor. not lagging behind in diligence, fervent

in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope,

persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,

contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing

hospitality. Bless those who persecute you and

bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who

rejoice and weep with those who weep. Be of the

same mind toward one another. Do not be haughty

in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not

be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back

evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right

in the sight of all men. If possible, so far

as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

Do you see the corporate? character of all of

those exhortations. Paul is writing to those

who are under the expectation that they are a

part of a new covenant community birthed in the

gospel of Jesus Christ. These cannot be obeyed

apart from the local church. and corporate Christianity.

This leads us to the second thing, the means

of obeying this exhortation. Naturally, the question

comes up, well, how exactly do I obey this exhortation?

How do I obey this command that the author of

Hebrews is giving to me? What do I need to do?

What needs to take place in my life? What do

I need to change? What do I need to adjust? How

do I need to act, live, think, whatever it might

be, to be in conformity with the command of Holy

Scripture? There's two things, according to verse

25 in Hebrews 10. The first... is found in verse

25, the first part, where the author says, not

forsaking our own assembling together. Now, when

the author says this, he's using a negative to

express what he desires and what he wants in

the positive. Meaning he's saying, don't do this.

And I'm saying, don't do this. Because I want

this. So the first thing, the first way that

we obey this command is through a commitment

to the gathered assembly of the local church.

Why is the author saying this? Why is he pushing

this matter? Well, he has good basis for it.

He has good reason for it. He says, as is the

habit of some. So we think back to the first

century when the great Apostle Paul was still

ministering. We think back to the first century.

when the voice of the apostle could be heard

by Jew and Gentile. We think back to the first

century when Peter, the apostle that spent so

much time with our blessed Lord, was still roaming

the earth and ministering to the people of God.

And people would see them and people could be

around them and interact with them when the gospel

was first landing on ears. Immediately, the church

starts dealing with issues, does it not? Immediately,

men and women start caving to pressure and persecution

and rationales and all kinds of carnal justifications.

for not faithfully attending the assembly of

the local church. The author has good reason

to put this forward. You know, I think of Acts

Acts 18 · chapter mention

chapter 18. In Acts chapter 18, it's Paul at

Acts 18 · chapter mention

Corinth. We read this of Paul and his co -workers,

starting in verse 5. But when Silas and Timothy

came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting

himself completely to the Word, solemnly testifying

to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. But when

they resisted in blaspheme, He shook out his

garments and said to them, Your blood be on your

own heads. I am clean from now on. I will go

to the Gentiles. So, Paul is interacting with

the Jews, and he's having no success, and they're

being ignorant and hard -hearted, and he says,

Listen, judgment be on you. I'm done. My hands

are clean. And so what does Paul do? We read

this. Then he left there and went to the house

of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of

God, and listen to this, whose house was next

to the synagogue. Crispus, the leader of the

synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his

household, and many of the Corinthians, when

they heard, were believing and being baptized.

So Paul has no success with the Jews. So what

does he do? He goes across the street and he

plants a church in this man's house. Now I bring

this up to emphasize this point. Imagine the

Jewish converts that would come to Christ who

used to worship at the synagogue. The Jewish

converts who used to go this way. Who are friends.

Who have grown up with these individuals. And

now they come to know Christ. And they go this

way. They go to Justice's house. Not the synagogue.

Imagine the pressure. The peer pressure. The

anxiety. Imagine the fear of man. Those converts

would have to wrestle with. Walking this way

when all their Jewish friends are walking that

way. Identifying with Christ here and not the

Jewish worship here. Now let's say that one of

these converted Jews decides to cave. Say one

of these converted Jews says, I don't want this

pressure anymore. I don't want the mocking. I

don't want the scorning. I don't want the pressure.

I don't want to deal with all of the things that

come with knowing Christ. So they stop coming

to the worship of God on the Lord's day. That

very same thing, very likely is the same thing

that's taking place in the book of Hebrews. Now

here's what I want to ask you. According to the

author of Hebrews, is that justifiable? Is it

okay for them to forsake the assembly of God's

people because of the pressure on them? No. The

author of Hebrews in this text is implying, culpability

and negligence and fault for those who forsake

the people of God. He's saying it's unacceptable.

Now, we think about the many reasons we don't

go to church today. What would the author of

Hebrews have to say, brothers and sisters, about

our reasons? Are they justifiable? Are they reasonable?

Are they acceptable? This command necessarily

requires not just corporate Christianity. This

command requires committed, faithful attendance

of the worship of God. How else can we view this

text? How do we get around it? You say, well,

I believe everything else the Bible says, but

this one, I'm just not sure. You're telling me

that... As a believer, I have to be committed

to attending church. Brothers and sisters, if

this portion of Scripture is not authoritative,

then none of the rest of Scripture is authoritative

whatsoever. It just takes one verse. That's it.

Brothers and sisters, New covenant believers

are called and exhorted to be committed to corporate

Christianity and faithful attendance of that

local church. Don't buy into the lie of the world,

the flesh, and the devil that you can do it on

your own. That is a lie from the pits of hell.

Don't listen to the whisper of Satan when he

says, you don't need them. Don't listen to the

whispers of your sin and your carnality and your

flesh. Brothers and sisters, don't listen when

he says, you're better than all of them. You're

fine by yourself. You don't need the church.

Lies. That is not true. That is not what the

Word of God says. That is not what God's authoritative

and errant and sufficient Word teaches about

Christians and the people of God. You need the

people of God. And the people of God need you.

And God has so ordained it that you intimately

be involved. and committed as you wait for the

day of the Lord to arrive. Don't listen. Don't

give in. Don't submit to the lies of the flesh,

the lies of arrogance, and the lies of the devil

himself. Give yourself to the local church. Be

joyful and cheerful and love the local church.

as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself does. Christ

loves the church more than any of us could ever

think about loving the church. He is more faithful,

and He is more committed to the assemblies in

His name around the world than we ever will be.

He holds dear the people of God. Let us... emulate

and seek after that same love, that same commitment,

and that same dedication to worship Him and to

be with the people of God. I think it's also

important that we recognize from this text that

though what church we attend is a matter of conscience,

I believe that wholeheartedly. In God's providence

and opportunity. And is leading. New covenant

believers. In the freedom of their conscience.

Have the ability. To decide. Which church. They

go to. That's within orthodoxy. No heresy allowed.

Within orthodoxy. And preaches the gospel. But.

Once. A believer enters into relationship with

that church. Their attendance of that church's

worship is no longer a matter of conscience.

It's a matter of duty and command according to

Scripture. It's not dogmatic to say that. It's

not legalistic to say that. Because that's what

the Bible teaches, brothers and sisters. Christ

wants His name worshipped. Christ wants you among

the people of God. He wants your soul edified.

And He hasn't left it open to whether you want

to or not. He's saying, worship me, gather me,

be a committed, faithful, corporate Christian.

Give yourself to the people of God. So the first

way we do this is how? Through a commitment to

the gathered assembly of the local church. But

the text continues. And the text says this. One

another. So we might think. Well I can show up.

I can be there. I'll give them my presence. And

my person. I'll be among. The people of God.

But we all know. Because we have children. Because

we are husbands or wives. We all know. That it's

very very possible. To be present and still be

absent. To be here and still be elsewhere. To

physically be in a place. To physically be among

a group, yet not be engaged and be inactive.

uninvolved, and not participatory. We see another

way that New Covenant believers are to fulfill

this command. It's through active involvement

and participation in the gathered assembly of

the local church. When the author says, but encouraging

one another, notice something about that. He's

contrasting it. with not forsaking your assembly.

There's a clear contrast that's taking place.

So there's two things assumed in this encouraging,

but encouraging one another. The first, I believe

the author is saying this, this is an encouragement

that can be given and enjoyed, but it's dependent

on one's commitment to gathering with the local

church. So it's only an encouragement that can

be enjoyed and experienced and be a blessing

to the soul for those who are committed to the

faithful gathering of the saints. But it also

assumes that it's more than simply one's presence.

In the gathering. There is active. Encouragement.

Exhortation. Pleading. And edification. That

is meant to be derived. From that person. That

is present in the assembly. Otherwise. It could

just be. Be there. The author knows. That there

is always. A temptation. To fall into these ceremonial

rituals. Just like those in the old covenant.

To go through the motions. To make things outward

and external and physical and natural and material.

But that's not what is being called for here.

It's not just being present in the people of

God. It's being engaged. It's your spirit. Humbly

being in submission to God as we come to Him

and the Word of God and as we gather with other

saints. It's engaging our minds, our hearts,

by faith, in corporate worship as we gather.

So it's not just being here. It's being here.

And it's being present. And it's thinking. It's

being intentional. It's making sure you're listening

and hearing and loving and caring. There's intentionality

that is present in it. What are some ways that

individuals can be present and still be absent?

What are some ways that individuals can be in

a place but be completely in another land? Well,

there's being physically present while your mind

is off here somewhere else doing something else.

There's being present but being distracted by

everything else. There's being present but having

no intention of hearing or listening to anything

that's said. There's being present, there's being

here, but no love or edification or encouragement

being given to brothers and sisters in Christ.

Christ wants a people who don't just gather.

He wants a people who don't just come together

and physically be in the place, but he wants

a people who come together and give their spirits

to worshiping him in one spirit. Where they come

together and they love one another and they hear

Christ and His voice and they give themselves

to that. Where they shut out everything else

and they concern themselves with singing the

music that praises Jesus Christ. Where they shut

out everything else and they turn their ears

to the pulpit to hear the preaching of the Word.

A people who gather together and they listen

as the Word of God is read. And they're careful

in their hearing. They're careful in what they're

watching, what they're observing. They're intentional.

We cannot obey this command without intentionality.

And it's more than simply being present. I believe

the author is referring to the same thing. That

Paul is, in Ephesians chapter 5, verses 15 through

Ephesians 5:15–21

21. Listen to what Paul says in chapter 5, verses

15 through 21. Therefore, be careful how you

walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making

the most of your time, because the days are evil.

So then, do not be foolish. but understand what

the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk

with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled

with the Spirit. Speaking to one another in psalms

and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making

melody with your heart to the Lord, always giving

thanks for all things in the name of our Lord

Jesus Christ, to God, even the Father, and be

subject to one another. In the fear of Christ.

Brothers and sisters, that's mutual encouragement.

Mutual admonition. That's mutual edification

that takes place in the worship of God. It's

not just vertical between man and God. What do

we see in that text? That there's a horizontal

element. To gathering together as the people

of God. That's edifying. That's building up.

That's encouraging. And that's strengthening

to God's people. And it takes place in the assembly

of the saints. So if we want to obey this command.

Then we must do it through a commitment. To the

gathered assembly of the local church. And we

must do it through active involvement. And participation

in. The gathered assembly. Of the local church.

And we have good reason. And good motive. To

obey these things. The author says all the more.

Referring to the coming. Of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We need. Motivation. In our lives. Unto diligence.

And faithfulness. We need reason. And we need

encouragement ourselves. To be encouraging. To

others. And the author gives us this. In this

statement. He knows. That it's motivating. And

it induces faithfulness and commitment in us.

And he knows that the return of Christ motivates

us because the church is the appointed means

that God has given for Christians to persevere

in this world. But the church is also the appointed

means that God has given to believers, to grow

and to be strengthened while we wait on the return

of Christ. There's a lot of positive things taking

place in the world right now, largely due to

the election. A lot of positive things. A lot

of beneficial things. But brothers and sisters,

that doesn't change the fact that we still live.

In a fallen world. It doesn't change the fact.

That we still have sin. In our hearts. And we

have a tendency. To hardness of heart. It doesn't

change the fact. That we have a tendency. To

unbelief. It doesn't change the fact. That we

have a tendency. To waywardness. But God has

ordained it that we not wait on Christ alone.

He has ordained it, brothers and sisters, the

risen Lord Jesus Christ has designed it to be

in such a way that you as a believer do not persevere

and struggle and wrestle in this life as we near

the day of the Lord by yourself. He has given

you a band of brothers to lock arms with that

is led by our elder brother, the Lord Jesus Christ.

You don't have to persevere by yourself. The

local church is given as a great blessing to

the people of God. Where we can love one another

and provoke one another to love and... Good deeds.

There's all kinds of motivations to give yourself

to the local church and the assembly of the local

church. There's many that are beneficial for

your own soul, but there's many that are beneficial

for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Nothing

good comes for your own soul or the souls of

other saints by forsaking the assembly. Positives

come. Blessings come as a result of faithfully

committing yourself to gathering together with

the saints. And if those aren't cause enough

to motivate us, remember that the one who loves

the church perfectly and knows the hearts of

all men will arrive and enter into this world.

And He will make known the motives of our heart.

He will reveal the justifications, the rationalizations

in our mind and our hearts. He can't be fooled.

He knows the intent and motives of our heart,

brothers and sisters. And He is coming. He will

arrive. And he loves his people. He loves his

people dearly. And on that day, he will separate

the sheep from the goats. Many who say they are

a part of the church will be revealed that they

were a goat in sheep's clothing all along. Christ

will come and sift every human being on the planet.

You will either be a part of the true church

because you have believed in Christ and His perfect

sacrifice, or you will be judged according to

your sin as you deserve as one who never knew

Jesus Christ. So the author gives us this exhortation.

He tells us how we can bring it about and obey

it. And he gives us great motive for obeying

every single one of us.