TEXT: Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Not forsaking….. Implies such a desertion, leaves others destitute in deep trouble or distress, when they are needing help.
WHY GO TO CHURCH?
I once came across an article entitled, “Why Are Fire Trucks Red?” It reads: “Fire trucks have 4 wheels and 8 firefighters, and 4 plus 8 equals 12. There are 12 inches in a foot. A foot is a ruler. Queen Elizabeth is a ruler, and the Queen Elizabeth is one of the largest ships on the seven seas. Seas have fish. Fish have fins. The Finns fought the Russians. The Russians are red. Fire trucks are always rushin’. Therefore, fire trucks are usually red.”
Someone has said that being a Christian without being faithful to a church is like:
A student without a school
A soldier without an army
A citizen who doesn’t vote
A salesman without customers
A seaman without a ship
An author without a reader
A parent without a family
A football player without a team
A bee without a hive.
One writer said
“The noblest triumph which God ever gained was when Christ, after subduing sin, conquering death, and putting Satan to flight; rose majestically to Heaven that He might exercise His glorious reign over His church.”
• The church is near to God the Father, because He wrought it.
• The church is near to God the Son, because He bought it.
• And the church is near to God the Spirit, because He sought it.
• That is why Jesus declared in Matthew 16:18, “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
In our text, we are admonished in verse 25, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Apparently, there were some, in the Hebrew fellowship, who were ignoring,
neglecting
dismissing the matter of being faithful to church.
Thus, the writer’s charges them, and challenges them not to take the matter lightly.
So, let’s consider some basics, and establish
WHY GO TO CHURCH?
First of all, the writer reminds us that church is:
1. A PLACE OF BLESSING!
Sometime ago, I read a powerful definition, and description of the church that stirred my heart.
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 to handle 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 verse 22, we are exhorted, “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 tells us that the first reason is because church is a place of blessing. He is speaking of our standing with God. He describes:
A) HOW OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD IS ESTABLISHED!
He speaks of, “having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”
He is describing the moment of salvation, when the blood of Jesus Christ cleansed us from our sin. At that moment, our “hearts” were “sprinkled from an evil conscience,” and “our bodies” were “washed” with the precious blood of Christ.
You see salvation brings us into a right relationship to God.
B) HOW OUR FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD IS ENJOYED!
I love how verse 22 beings, “Let us draw near.” The words “draw near” carry the idea of intimacy or fellowship. The phrase carries an Old Testament ideology. It refers to how the priest would come into the holy place. They would carefully “draw near” to the presence of God.
We are not only exhorted to draw near to God and EXPERIENCE HIS PRESENCE,
But draw near to God and enjoy His presence. One way that can happen is by being a part of His body, and by attending His house.
• You see the Lord Jesus designed the church so that it would be 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 we develop our relationship to God, as well as our fellowship with God.
• It is a place where we honor the Lord, worship the Lord, and serve the Lord.
• It is a place where we come to meet with God, and God comes to meet with us.
It is true that a believer does not have to be at church to enjoy the presence of God. We can be at home, at work, at school, in the car, as well as a variety of other places and enjoy God’s presence.
However, the context of the statement would seem to suggest that we are to “draw near” to God as we assemble ourselves together at church.
1. A PLACE OF BLESSING!
2. A PLACE OF BUILDING!
Verse 23 exhorts us, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”
When I speak of the church as being a place of building, I trust you understand that I am not speaking of this piece of construction. Rather, I am speaking a building where Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone, and every Christian is a brick in that building.
Church is not a material, or a physical building; rather, it is a spiritual building.
A) ITS WHERE WE GROUND OUR FAITH!
He says, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith.” The idea of the words “hold fast” is of “clinging to something, or defending something.”
Simply put, the writer is exhorting us to know what we believe, and why we believe it.
Jude 3 exhorts us to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
1 Peter 3: 15 admonishes us, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”
In other words, we are to be rooted and grounded in our faith so that we are able to defend our faith.
• And church is a place where we are equipped, enlightened, enable, empowered, and energized to keep fighting “the good fight of faith.”
* When we come to church, we HEAR God’s
* Word, we HONOR God’s Word,
* We HEED God’s Word
* We are able to HIDE God’s Word in our hearts.
B) ITS WHERE WE GROW OUR FAITH!
Do you see the words “without wavering,” in verse 23? The word “wavering” speaks of leaning or bending. The writer says that our faith is to be “without wavering” (leaning, or bending). That is, we are to have an unwavering, or an unbending faith.
In other words, we are to become spiritual body builders.
We are to allow the muscles of our faith to become strengthened, toned up and developed.
Do you want to be a good Christian?
Do you want to be a growing Christian?
Do you want to be a godly Christian?
Do you want your Christian life to be healthy, happy and holy?
Then, you must learn to be faithful to the house of God so that you can become faithful in the things of God.
1. A PLACE OF BLESSING!
2. A PLACE OF BUILDING!
3. A PLACE OF BONDING!
One of the most beautiful aspects of a local congregation and fellowship of believers is that it is a place where Christian Brother and sisters bond together.
A) WE SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER!
We read in verse 24, “Let us consider one another.”
The word “consider” literally means, “to give attention to, or to gaze upon.” The word is used in the context of a church family to speak of believers caring for one another.
ILL. Several years ago, a study was done of why Canadian geese always fly in a “V” formation. They discovered that they flapping of each goose’s wings provided an upward lift for the goose that followed. When all of the geese were flying in perfect formation, the whole flock had a 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
We are not here to be in competition, we are here to be in cooperation. This is the house of God for the people of God to support one another.
B) WE STIR ONE ANOTHER!
Verse 24 continues, “let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.” The word “provoke” is often associated with a negative connotation. However, the word here is used in a positive manner. It speaks of stimulating, or encouraging one another.
Believers are to be a spiritual cheerleading squad that encourages each other to keep fighting “the good fight of faith.”
ILL. In 1902, only 23,000 automobiles were on the road, compared to 17 million horses. People viewed motorists with animosity, farmers dug potholes for them to fall into, and communities passed restrictive and unposted speed limits, fining offenders huge amounts. That year, a group of car enthusiasts met in Chicago and formed a support group, the American Automobile Association, so motorists could encourage one another. The AAA’s Roadside Assistance Plan started shortly thereafter so that motorists could literally pull each other out of the mud. Today, millions of Americans carry a AAA roadside assistance card. It’s worth its weight in gold when you blow a tire on the freeway, lock yourself out of your car, or run out of gas on a darkened road.
Yet, the same is true of the local church.
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Hey brother wayne this is nathan Lowman from Liberty Baptist Church how are things going up there at your church. Our church is going great. Well write me back and i will see you God bless you and your church and still remember us in prayer
December 12, 2008 @ 11:52 am