Every Member Matters

"The church is not a refrigerator for preserving personal piety. It is a dynamo for changing human wills with power. The church is not a store to furnish hammocks for the lazy. It is an equipping house that offers well-fitted yokes for drawing life’s load. The church is not a place to dodge life’s difficulties. It is a place that furnishes strength and courage to meet them!"

In Hebrews 10:22, we are exhorted:

"22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."

The writer outlines the first reason for the importance of the fellowship in the family of God by reminding us that the church is a place of blessing. He does so by speaking of our standing with God. Notice, he speaks of:

A. How our Relationship to God is Established!

He speaks, in verse 22, of:

"...having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."

The writer is alluding to something that has already taken place in our lives as believers. He is speaking of the moment of our salvation and conversion. He is speaking of the time when the blood of Jesus Christ cleansed us from our sin.

- Salvation brings us into a right relationship to God. Salvation establishes that relationship to God. Before we were saved we were separated from God by sin. But, when we were saved, we were brought back to God, and now have a relationship to God.

Thus, by understand the importance of the fellowship we not only learn about our relationship to God, but we develop, strengthen and enhance our relationship to God. Secondly, the writer speaks of another great truth.

B. How our Fellowship with God is Enjoyed!

1. I find the first four words of verse 22 to be most interesting.

"22 Let us draw near..."

In the Greek the words, "draw near" carry the idea of intimacy, or fellowship. When we "draw near" to someone we do so because we desire to spend time with, and get close to that person.

We are being exhorted, as Christians, to not only draw near to God and experience His presence, but draw near to God and enjoy His presence. One way that can happen, and one place that can happen is by fellowshipping with the family.

* When I become a part of the body of Jesus Christ I enter into a realization that the church is a place where we meet God in a special way. It is a place where we hear about God. It is a place where we learn about God. It is a place where develop a relationship, and a fellowship with God. It is a place where we worship God, honor God and serve God. It is a place where we come to meet God, and desire for God to meet us.

It is true that a believer does not have to be at church to enjoy the presence of God. We can enjoy the presence of God at home, at work, in the car, as well as many other places outside of the church.

However, the context of the statement would seem to suggest that we are to "draw near" to God as we assemble ourselves together in church. Why? Because the church is a place of blessing and the place where God blesses us in an unusual way! We are able to come and bless the Lord, and the Lord comes to bless us. Secondly, the text exhorts us: