A Challenge To Focus On Encouraging Others Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• I bet you have heard from folks that they could foster their own relationship with Jesus without being a part of the Church. The implication is that the church really offers nothing of value that would make it worthy of their time and busy schedules.

• Even for those who will come to church, some will really not be interested in being involved in the life of the church for many reasons.

• Folks will give all kinds of reasons not to be involved in a local church.

• I hope we can dispel that notion over the next four weeks.

• I hope we can help people see why having involvement in the life of FCC is important enough to make the time to do so. This is not a series on you are a bad Christian if you do not come every time the doors are open, but rather an encouragement to find ways to be involved. With that though in mind…

• Today is the start of the sign-ups for our next session of Life Groups.

• I those who took the opportunity to be a part of the last session were blessed.

• SLIDE #2 (CONNECTION MINISTRY GRAPHIC)

• One of the main reasons the Life Group ministries was started was so that we could have a way to help fulfill our mission of “Connecting People With Christ.”

• The Life Groups as they develop will be a real blessing in our efforts to help people become more connected with Jesus and to be better connected with each other.

• With that in mind, over the next four weeks I want to us through a journey to examine some of the blessings we can receive as a result of being willing to make time to spend together learning together from God’s Word.

• We are going to start our journey with by looking at the challenge to focus on encouraging others.

• I do not have to tell anyone of you how difficult, confusing, and discouraging life can be at times.

• There are times when we struggle in a big way with trying to do what God wants us to do. I struggle with it and I know everyone else here does to some level.

• Isn’t it nice to have people around you who can give you encouragement during those moments?

• Wouldn’t be nice to have others who can be the wind beneath your wings, folks that know you, love you and only want the best for you.

• In our text today we will examine one of the blessing that can come from being involved in the life of FCC.

• SLIDE #3

• We will start with verse 23

• Hebrews 10:23 (ESV) 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

• SLIDE #4

SERMON

I. A personal challenge to stay encouraged.

• In the context of this passage we have the second of three exhortations that are based on verses 19-21. In verses 19-20 we see that Jesus is the basis of our hope.

• SLIDE #5

• Hebrews 10:19–20 (ESV) 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,

• Jesus is our way and access to God.

• The readers of Hebrews were facing difficult times, they were facing economic ruin, and they were facing persecution. Their Chicken Restaurants were under attack for standing on biblical principles. CAUTION!

• The Hebrew writer in the midst of all the negative things that was happening to the Christians gave them a personal challenge to hold fast to the confession of their hope without wavering because He who promised is faithful.

• IF we quit confession our hope in Jesus, then we have no hope!

• WE are being challenged to stand firm in Jesus. We are being challenged to stay encouraged even in the midst of difficult times.

• The word translated “WAVERING” denotes an object that stands absolutely STRAIGHT, not departing from the perpendicular.

• We are called not to waver in our confession and in our hope. WE are called to lay hold of Jesus and NEVER let go, even in the slightest way.

• WE cannot let ANYTHING cause us to waver, we cannot allow anything to cause us to lose faith and hope in Jesus.

• This confession is the initial confession of faith we make at baptism and it is the ongoing confession we make with our lives.

• It is interesting that in each of the three cases where “confession” is mentioned in Hebrews there is a command to CONSIDER (Hebrews 3:1) and to HOLD FAST (Hebrews 4:14;10:23).