Message
Hebrews 10:24-25
In Fellowship Together – Being Revived
When we talk to people during the week, and they ask us what we do on the weekend, I’m sure there have been times when we have all said, “I am going to fellowship with my church.”
Have you ever stopped to wonder what “going to fellowship” looks like for someone who has never been to church?
For a “fellowship-novice” coming to church could seem to be an odd thing to do.
Sunday after Sunday we gather to hear a message. The message is encouraging and the people a listening and take it in. They do that even when they are told they are sinners, and that they need to keep growing and changing, and that they need to repent.
Then this is called the “good news”.
Then, when all that has happened, every week a bag goes around and you pay for the privilege of being treated like that.
You can understand why some people look at “going to fellowship” and come to the conclusion that they don’t want any part of it.
Yet, for those of us who have been in fellowship together we don’t want to miss it do we …
Do we … ?
For isn’t it true that we find being in fellowship a spiritually reviving occasion?
Maybe we do …
Maybe we don’t …
So today we are going to look at an aspect of being in fellowship where, in fellowship, we are Being Revived.
Let’s read Hebrews 10:19-25
Did you see the structure of these verses?
Therefore …. (verses 19-21)
=> Let us draw near … (verse 22)
=> Let us hold unswervingly … (verses 23-24)
=> Let us consider … (verses 25-26)
The writer of Hebrews gives us a foundational reason and then applies it in three ways.
Today we will have a brief look at the foundation, and one application
What is the foundation?
The description is saturated in Old Testament imagery.
Enter the Most Holy Place
This was the innermost room in the tabernacle and the temple.
The ark of the covenant and the atonement cover were located here.
It was the place where God Himself lived.
Anyone who saw God by looking behind the curtain would die instantly. No one, except the high priest, could confidently approach God – and that only once a year. Until Jesus paid the price and secured atonement.
Enter through the curtain
Simultaneously with the death of Jesus the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom.
The barrier – that which said “no access” – had been removed.
Those in the temple that day would have cringed in fear not daring to look into the Most Holy place. But the fear was for nothing. God had left the building – no longer would he dwell in a building made by human hands.
In Christ we can confidently approach God, approach the holiness of God, for the blood of Jesus has been shed.
Enter knowing Jesus intercedes for you
The writer of Hebrews regularly compares the ministry of Jesus to the ministry of the High Priest. In Hebrews 7:24-25 we read:-
Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
The way to God is not just initially opened by Jesus. It is kept open by Jesus for us as he continually intercedes and prays and mediates for us. Jesus continually walks the journey of salvation with us. Giving all we need hold firm and confident as we look towards eternity.
That is the foundation.
We are connected to Jesus who enables us to confidently approach the Holiness of God knowing that we will be secure and the way will be open because our Saviour keeps interceding for us.
When we have this foundation then one application will be to think about what this means for our fellowship with one another.
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25
The foundation where we stand together on Jesus should cause us to “consider” … to one another.
The focus here is on having attention to detail.
24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.
27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these.
Luke 12:24, 27
When you think about fellowship are you considering?
Are you picking up on the details? Are you mulling these details over in your mind?
Seeing those who are hurting.
Knowing who may need a word of encouragement.
Being willing to share a prayer.
Having a closer look …
… not because you are being judgement and over-bearing
… but for a very specific outcome.
To spur on one another.
Here is how a two other version translate this section of the verse.
And let us consider how to stir up one another (ESV)
and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; (ASV)
We often would say that a provocative person is a negative influence. All they want to do is stir up trouble. We see them as an irritation.
The Greek word here can be used that way, for people who are irritations. But in our context the purpose is to spur on, provoke, stir-up for the purpose of bring our greater love and good deeds.
Fellowship puts us in a place where we give consideration to how we can bring out even greater godliness and Christ-likeness in one another.
We could talk about all sorts of ways to do this. But the best source of direction is the Scriptures.
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.
Galatians 6:1
The spurring on is done with gentleness. Recognising that it gentleness and patience will often bring the best results.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2)
It is the gentleness that exists because we are all fully aware that, if it were not for the grace of God, we ourselves would be in a position where we need to be restored.
To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
1 Corinthians 9:22-23
Spurring on to greater Christ-likeness means building up people from a place of weakness to a place of greater strength …
- identifying weakness in a grace-filled manner
- making sure that the process, which may be hard, is still a blessing.
- walking alongside, not trampling people under-foot.
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
Matthew 7:3-4
Spurring on requires a consideration of our own situation.
Making sure we don’t have an over-inflated estimation of our own capacity.
Being humble in spirit so that we are not blind to our own sin and flaws.
We walk together all recognising that we have specks and we have logs and we are blinded to them.
In fellowship – being spurred on.
The Scriptures equip us to do this.
But such an outcome doesn’t appear in a vacuum. So Hebrews also gets us to consider the environment which will be favourable for “spurring on to take place”.
That environment happens when we don’t give up on meeting together.
In a time when there are so many options available which take us away from worship and fellowship these words are just as important as ever. But let’s understand the context in which they are given.
The writer to the Hebrews is not making a legalistic rule … “Be at church”.
The writer is concerned for the spiritual well-being of the whole congregation.
Indeed if you were to read through the whole book of Hebrews you would realise that one of the major issues Hebrews is addressing is apathy.
People were giving up on coming together. Partly the giving up was due to the persecution which they had been experiencing right through their Christian life. But a much larger part was due to the fact that they couldn’t see the value of the Christian life. They had thrown their hands up in the air and said … “This just isn’t worth it”.
But we have looked at the foundation haven’t we.
The encouragement to be in fellowship spurring on one another is based our united connection to Jesus and the knowledge that we can stand securely in the presence of God because of our Saviour who keeps interceding for us.
The Saviour intercedes with God.
The God who says
God has said,
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5
“Forsake” … it is the same word as “giving up”.
God doesn’t give up on us.
God brings us into fellowship – gathering as His people – as essential aspect of our spiritual walk.
We spur one another on in the plan of God by not giving up on meeting together.
That is the environment being encouraged here.
So don’t stop meeting.
Don’t fall into the habit of staying away.
Keep gathering … spurring on … with the purpose of encouraging one another.
What does Biblical encouragement look like?
[Noun]
(Verb)
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all [comfort}, 4 who (comforts) us in all our troubles, so that we can (comfort) those in any trouble with the [comfort] we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our [comfort] abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your [comfort] and salvation; if we are (comforted), it is for your [comfort], which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.
2 Corinthians 1:3-6
Biblical encouragement has a very specific focus in mind. We are to encourage each other in terms of how the Scriptures have unfolded in our own lives, and then use that unfolding so that Scripture may be unfolded into the lives of others.
Encourage by bringing a Biblical perspective in times of suffering.
Encourage by pointing to our hope in Christ.
Encourage by challenging with the Word.
Encourage by praying for one another.
Encourage by using Scripture so that:-
- we will no longer be tossed back and forth by the waves (Ephesians 4:14).
- we can be taught, rebuked, corrected and trained (2 Timothy 3:16).
- we may have the knowledge of the will of God through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives (Colossians 1:9).
- we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Spurring on in fellowship and encouraging one another in fellowship.
Doing so because as the day of the Lord approaches keeping our spiritual fervour is just going to get harder and harder.
Let’s consider how to do this.
Standing on the foundation of Jesus.
Spurring one another on.
Not giving up on meeting together, but instead encouraging one another.
That is the picture of fellowship being promised.
Fellowship where masks come off, conversations get deep, hearts get vulnerable, lives are shared.
Fellowship where gentle accountability is invited and tenderness flows.
Fellowship which happens on Sunday as we gather.
Fellowship which continues outside of Sunday. Meeting for coffee. Using the phone. Sending a card. Gathering to study God’s Word and pray.
Being in fellowship … and being revived by that fellowship.
Prayer
