Spiritual Habits: Community
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Introduction
Introduction
Over the last few weeks, we have discussed spiritual habits that help us grow as Christians. We have talked about the importance of Bible study, Prayer, and applying God’s word to our lives. One area that we can do all of these in is the spiritual habit of Community.
Throughout scripture, we see the need for people coming together to worship, learn, pray and experience life together.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Unswervingly
Unswervingly
You will notice different words depending on the translation you use, but you are going to see the same powerful meaning. The King James Version and other versions like the New King James and the Christian Standard Bible used the words “without wavering.”
If you take a thesaurus and look up either one of these words, you will find synonyms like:
The Christian Standar
Steady
Unfaltering
Not turning aside
Fixed
Undivided
Holding fast
Pick out the word that works best for you, nevertheless, the writer of Hebrews gives us wisdom, perhaps written sometime between AD 64-68, that is still relevant to us today in 2018.
The people to whom this book was written, were starting to splinter away from meeting together, thinking they did not need each other to worship and glorify God. If you notice, this thought is prevalent today as many folks no longer feel that being part of a church is necessary for their faith.
The writer Hebrews gives the admonition to hold fast, to hold unswervingly to the Hope we have. To hold fast is never appropriate in a world whose values are continually shifting. Think about this with me, we live in a world today where what used to be wrong is now right, and what used to be right is now wrong.
Even in the Christian realm it seems that our standards have been watered down. However, the imperative from scripture is that the Christian standard should be constant.
So let me ask you this question: are you without wavering or unswervingly holding on the that you profess?
Is your hope or faith firm in some areas and shaky in other areas?
What is the hope we profess?
This same word is used earlier in Hebrews
Hebrews 3:6
But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
and again in
We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
Notice that this is translated here as confidence.
What is your confidence or hope in?
In the Christian world, our hope and confidence is in Jesus Christ.
As a Christian we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the hope for the world. We place our faith in Him. He is our rock, our fortress, our defender and our Anchor.
Maintaining this hope is not dependent on oneself, but on the faithfulness of the One who promised us that He is faithful!
When you are holding unservingly to the faith and hope you profess in Christ, you are embracing all the truths and ways of the gospel!
You are keeping hold against temptation and opposition. You are standing firm in that you know that you know that you know that He, Jesus Christ, who has called you is ABLE.
Our motive in doing so is that HE WHO HAS PROMISED IS FAITHFUL! HE IS TRUE! HE HOLDS NO FALSENESS NOR FICKLENESS!
The result of His Faithfulness should:
Ignite us!
Excite us!
Encourage us!
and
Empower us!
We certainly can depend on His promises to us a whole lot more than our promises to Him!
One writer stated that “The boldness we have in heaven ought to lead to spiritual growth and dedication on earth.”
Are you stronger because of the ability to trust the Lord Jesus Christ and His faithfulness?
Look at the next verse:
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Hebrews 10:
The Christian Standard Bible says: “ Let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good words.”
The New King James Version says: “ Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.”
I love the translation that is used in the NIV here and the use of the word “spur.” I have to admit, that I tend to be a little hard headed at times, and I need to have people in my life that will love me enough to spur me along.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
I am so thankful to have people in my life and in this church that spur me along toward love and good words. You see, we need each other! This church exists so that you and I can come alongside each other and feel the might presence of our Lord and Savior and encourage each other with love and good words.
Church attendance is not what you can get but but what you can contribute!
Christians ought to have tender consideration and concern for one another. We should not be arguing, fussing and fighting trying to get our agendas done and shame on us if that is what we are about!
Rather, we are to love and do good works. Loving one another and doing good works just does not happen, it must be worked at and done so intentionally!
The word GOOD (kalos) is not a good work in appearance or just having an attractive quality about them, it is about doing the works so that there is absolutely no doubt about their origin or value.
Do you do good works to be seen or do you do them to bring the value of the good to life?
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Look next at verse 25 of our text:
Hebrews 10:25
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
One of the greatest lies of satan is convincing people that they do not need church, meeting together in worship and in study of God’s word. We can jump on that bandwagon or we can listen to this ancient word.
God’s people have assembled over years for prayer, for participation in the Christian Ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and for mutual edification.
The bible believing, Christ-centered church should:
promote cordial friendships
encourage the practice of God’s love
promote unity among God’s people
be a place where iron sharpens iron
be a place that is intended to be positive and helpful
Int
The church is not just a good idea, but a place that is an absolute necessity for the Christian to grow. God help us if we become stumbling blocks instead of building blocks!
I need you and you need me.
Ecclesiastes
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
The reason we have Sunday School classes, prayer groups, women’s groups, and a youth group is to allow people to get involved and meet together so that they can grow, they can spur each other along in love and in good works. In fact, we are in the process of creating more opportunities for you. We need leaders and teachers to step up and help start a new Bible Study class or a men’s group, or a mission group or a prayer group. You might say, we don’t have any more room to do those things on Sunday. Who said we had to do those things on Sunday?
We have tremendous opportunity to consider groups meeting in homes or even here during the week.
You might say, why do we need to do this? For one, it says to do so right here in this text.
But notice the end of verse 25:
“…and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Most versions of the bible will have the word day capitalized. So in my mind, it is something I need to look at more. It is indeed an attention grabber for me.
Friday was my mother’s birthday. I called her up to wish her a Happy Birthday and she said to me did you know that the world was supposed to have ended last night? I said, “no I did not, I have not listened to the news in a few days and had not heard that.” She began to explain to me that someone had calculated that it was supposed to happen, but she woke up at 1:00 am on her birthday and realized that she was still here and so was the world.
While I do not claim to be a dooms day proclaimer, you know the Bible tells us that there will be a day of reckoning for those of us that may still be alive.
for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
Re
Jesus told us that we are not going to know when it will happen.
Matthew 24:
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
But nevertheless, we do need to be ready.
The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Philippians
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.
The Bible is clear that we need to be active in encouraging each other, spurring each other along in love and in good works, because we live in a dark dismal world that needs to know that there is a God who loves, forgives, and restores. Let’s get a bit more active in reaching out and bringing in those friends and family members that need to know the Lord. Let’s continue to meet together. Let’s encourage each other and spur each other along in love and good works. Let’s invite others to join us by creating new opportunities as we go forward. The opportunities are great and the time is short. How is God leading you to respond?