“We Need Each Other”
“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” Hebrews 3:12-14 ESV
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:23-25 ESV
- Notice in chapter 3 verse 13: We are to do this daily, exhort or encourage one another daily.
- And notice the connection between unbelief and sin.
- A heart of unbelief gives rise to sin.
- We should do all we can to help each other battle unbelief in our heart.
- We must help each other fight the fight of faith. None of us is above this need.
Five Points on Hebrews 10:23–25
- Meeting Together
We are commanded to meet together. The kind of meeting in view seems to be one that allows for some kind of mutual encouragement and stirring up of one another. It is not talking about merely showing up at a big church service, putting your time in and leaving. It’s talking about the kind of meeting where you say something to someone that will help them be more loving and where someone can say something to you that will help you be more loving, and help you have the strength to more good deeds. There is this “one another” principle that requires personal interaction with people at a pretty significant level. Some of this can happen Sunday mornings if you are with people in a way that encourages and builds up. Coming to worship on Sunday morning — as important as that is — is not enough. God means for us to be with each other so that we can exhort and encourage each other to press on.
2. Avoiding the Habit of Not Meeting
- The second point is don’t get into the habit of not meeting.
- This is almost the same as the first point, but verse 25 seems to give it a special stress.
- It says, “Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some.”
- The warning here is that not meeting with other Christians in this way can become habitual.
- Bad habits are like comfortable beds–easy to get into but hard to get out of.
- Ask yourself right now: Has not getting together with other believers become a habit? Are you in the habit of only coming to more or less anonymous, bigger meetings of the church where there doesn’t have to be much personal interaction or accountability?
- Does that pattern of life feel comfortable now?
- So, my second point is: don’t get into this habit of not meeting in this way. And if you are in that habit now, resolve to break it.
- Increasing Frequency and Seriousness
The third point is the frequency and seriousness of your meetings should increase as the Day draws near. At the end of verse 25, it says, “and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” That’s the Day of Christ’s second coming and the end of the age. The stresses and troubles and dangers are going to increase as history comes to a close. There will be greater satanic activity, greater evil, greater threats to your faith and love. Jesus said in “And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:11-13 ESV That’s why we better take this word of Hebrews 10:25 very seriously in our day. I really believe our getting together with believers needs to be more frequent and more serious and urgent. Realize one of the great tactics of the devil is to get us busy, too busy to get together with other believers to be stirred up to love and good works.
4. Be intentional to stir one another up to love and good works.
- Make your meeting together with believers specifically for the encouraging and stirring up to love and good works.
- Don’t be unintentional when you get together.
- Verse 24 says, “Consider one another in order to stir each other up to love and good works” (literal translation).
- There is a clear goal. We are meeting so that when we leave, we will have more power to love, more resources to love, more motivation to love, more wisdom to love and do good works, so that people will see our good works, as Jesus said, and give glory to our Father in heaven.
- The visible glory of God is at stake.
- And not only is there a clear goal, but there is also a kind of urgent intentionality.
- The word “Consider” suggests that we come on the lookout for how we can specifically help other people get power to love.
- We don’t just drift into a meeting thinking about all kinds of worldly things.
- We come on a mission. We come “considering,” on the lookout, watching, listening. What does Amanda need tonight? What would help Amanda be stronger tonight?
- So, the fourth point is, be intentional in your coming together. Aim at stirring each other to love and good works.
5. Strengthening Faith in the Promises of God
The last point is in answer to the question: How do you empower another person to love and good works? The answer is belief in the promises of God. Make the main basic goal of getting together to strengthen faith in the promises of God. This is implied in verse 23: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,” So, these two things are very closely related: stirring each other up to love and helping each other hold on to hope in the promises of God. How do you empower someone to love and good deeds in spite of all the obstacles they will run into at home and work? Answer: build their hope in the promises of God.
Living Hope Ministries 