Grow With Pastor Joe

Everything in life hinges on, builds on, and is directed by relationships. Man is a relational being. We were designed by God to have a life, truly an eternity, filled with relationships. First and foremost, we were designed to have a relationship with God. Sin of course has marred this relationship and created distance and promised death to us. However, Christ has come so that we might have life. Eternal life. Everlasting life. Abundant life. True life. I like to call this our vertical relationship. It is upward and Godward. We can know God and we must know Him in an intimate relationship. We may only know Him through faith in Christ and we grow to know Him more through the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the scriptures. Every horizontal relationship (relationship with others or our fellowman) depends upon our vertical relationship with God. If you aren’t right with God, then you won’t be right with man. Our vertical relationship with God is the root of our horizontal relationships. The relationships that we have with one another, whether it be family, friends, church etc., are the fruit of our relationship with God. Because of sin, we are tempted to isolate ourselves in self-sufficiency. We say things like, “I’m not a people person.” We don’t like to depend upon another, but the irony is that we are always dependent upon another. We are dependent upon God and as well the world around us. The actions of others always influence and impact on our lives. Self-sufficiency is isolating. Thinking that you don’t need God or others is foolish. Self-sufficiency is idolatry and isolating yourself from the world around you is to make yourself your own idol and temple. The other side of this temptation is the temptation to become so dependent upon another to satisfy the longings that only God can satisfy. Your heart needs others, but it can’t be satisfied with anyone else but Christ. This temptation too is the slippery slope of idolatry where others around us are given the expectations to fulfill our wants and needs that only God can and has designed to do.

            Sadly, I have seen both of these played out in the lives of many. In the past four years I have seen believers isolate themselves never to darken the door of the church again claiming that they and God have their own thing going on. Newsflash, they don’t. I have also seen believers crumble because man has disappointed them or hurt them. Both cases lead to discouraged, disgruntled, and disengaged believers. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me that they were leaving the church or considering leaving because they “don’t feel a part…or connected etc.” I’d have a lot of dollars. Often these believers have fallen into one of those two temptations and can’t be settled and satisfied in Christ alone. Have you noticed that those who are the most irritable and irritating in the local church are those who have isolated themselves? Isolated believers become irritated believers and if that isn’t dealt with then they’ll become irritating to the rest of the church. If you are looking for problems, you’ll find them. If you are looking for discouragement, you’ll always find it. If you’ll find a reason to leave, then you’ll find one or make one up (I’ve heard them all). If you are looking to be angry, quit, or leave then you’ll always find it. But on the other side of that, if you are looking to Christ in faith and you heed the exhortations presented in Heb. 10:19-25, then you’ll always find a reason to be engaged, encouraged, and excited by the word, work, and will of God in the life of the local church.

            The believers that are being written too were ignorant and choosing isolation. They had forgotten the superiority and sufficiency of the New Covenant in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Many of them were leaving the benefits of the New Covenant and were leaving perhaps one of the greatest blessings under it being the New Covenant Community i.e. The Church. These struggling believers became so focused on themselves that they had forgotten that church and their own personal relationship with Christ was for the good of others. They had forgotten that they were not only united to Christ, but united to one another. To get the focus of these believers back on Christ, the author writes Heb. 10:19-25 which says,

“¹⁹ Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; ²¹ And having an high priest over the house of God; 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. ²³ Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) ²⁴ And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 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.”

In this passage we have seen the need to personally and corporately draw near to God (and one another by way of drawing near to Christ). Now, we will see the last exhortation which is that we must consider one another. Your relationship with Jesus influences and impacts others for good or bad. You need others and others need you. You need the church and the church needs you. You are a sheep within a flock. You are a member of a body. You are not an island, lone ranger, or a lone sheep. John Wesley wrote, “There is nothing more unchristian than a solitary Christians.” God wants you to enjoy the blessing and benefits of a biblical relationship with other believers. In these last days, we need one another. We are stronger together than on our own, because together we are strengthened and served so that we may strengthen and serve others. Every member has a ministry, and ministry is always outward focused. So, today, we will see in Heb. 10:24-25 that we must be engaged, encouraging, and expectant.

Let us be engaged with the life of the local church as we worship, work, and wait upon Christ. By definition, to be engaged means to be involved and occupied with something outside of yourself. To be engaged in our Christian life both personally and corporately deals with several key things that we’ll see in these verses.

First, to truly be engaged we have to give our attention. “Let us consider one another” immediately exhorts us to crush the god called “self.” Your life is not about you, it is about the glory of God and the good of others through growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. You are not your own. Your life is by, with, in, and for Christ. Therefore, if we are to live as Christians, we are to live as Christ. Jesus was always and only giving His attention to others. When you read the gospels, He is always fixated on the needs of those around Him even though it led to His exhaustion and eventual execution. The phrase “let us consider one another” is in the present tense, meaning this is to be the continual pattern and practice of life. This includes everyone. This is not for the spiritual elite or for only certain Christians. To consider someone else means that your attention is off of you and on to them. This is living with the mind of Christ. The word that is used here means to put one’s mind to, consider carefully and attentively. How much do you think about yourself as opposed to others? Now, put yourself in the Sunday morning worship service. How much are you thinking about Christ, His Church, or yourself? We’d love to say that we are only focused on what we can give and not what we can get, but our lack of engagement in the life of the church would tell otherwise. God wants us to continuously consider the spiritual well being of others. This can’t be faked or forced. The Lord’s will for you is to give your attention to His Church by being considerate and concerned for others. Both Eph. 4:1-7; Philippians 2:1-5 and countless other passages reiterate this practical point. We should be giving as much attention to the good and growth of others as ourselves; but there is another issue. If you aren’t concerned about your own growth, then you’ll never grow enough to be concerned about the growth of others. A key word in this verse, is “to provoke.” This word means to sharpen or incite to illicit a response. Some people are provokers in all the wrong ways. To provoke can be negative such as Acts 15:39 where Paul and Barnabas are provoked to separate themselves. Here, the word is being used in the positive sense that is seen in Proverbs 27:17 which says, “¹⁷ Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” To provoke gives the idea to stimulate or stir up. All of us are provoking either for good or bad. The Lord wants you to provoke in a strengthening and serving way as we give our attention to others as we engage in the life of the local church.

Second, to be engaged in the life of the church we must give our affection to one another. “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love,” shows us that we must be focused on others. Whatever has your attention will have your affection. If we only look to ourselves, then the only person that we will love is ourselves and we will only give “love” to those who give us what we want. When we give our attention as we engage in the life of the church, we are to provoke, sharpen, and stir up others to grow in love. Love here is the word “agape.” It is selfless, self-giving, and sacrificial love that only looks outwardly without concern for personal gain. Love is the decision to be devoted to another without the desire for personal benefit. Love is central to biblical Christianity. We are saved by the loving sacrifice of Jesus. We experience His love daily and eternally. We are called to enjoy His love and express His love to others. Love is our message, motivation, and ministry. Love is an identifier of Christians and the work of the Holy Spirit. An unloving Christian is no Christian at all. True love is active, it is not merely words, but it works outwardly in service. However, all the ministry and service without love is worthless as we see in 1 Cor. 13. Love doesn’t seek to only consume from others, rather it seeks to contribute to others. To be engaged in the local church means that you are not only a consumer, but a contributor to the health of the body of Christ. Romans 13:8-10 gives us a good understanding of what love should look like in our daily life saying, “⁸ Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. ⁹ For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ¹⁰ Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” To be engaged in the local church means that you will lovingly, faithfully, authentically, and consistently give your attention and affection to other sinners who are saved by God’s grace so that the body of Christ will grow to be vibrant and health to the glory of God.

Third, to be engaged in the life of the local church requires action. We are to “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.” Whatever you give your attention and affection to will move you to action. Think about a husband who lovingingly moves toward danger to protect His wife or a mother and her children. To be engaged in the life of the church one must not only be in attendance but be active. Some church members are just like a bump on a log. You can attend every service without being active. God wants you to not only be active in attendance but be active in the activity of the church. Don’t let your body be here without your mind’s attention and heart’s affection being active and engaged. Good works are not just good things, but good things done God’s way. Love without work isn’t love and working without love isn’t real ministry. Good works grow from the soil of love. Love is the motivation of our ministry of good work. 1 Cor. 16:14 says, “¹⁴ Let all your things be done with charity.”

Fourth, to be engaged in the life of the local church requires assembling together. If we are to give attention, affection, and action we must assemble together. To love someone else, specifically, to love Christ and His Church you must commune with her. “Not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together, as the manner of some,” is often used to guilt people into coming to church. If you have to be guilted in to being a part of the church, then you have a big heart problem. This should be a priority and pattern of life. The Church is a called-out assembly that assembles together in fellowship under the commands of scripture weekly for the worship and work of God through the word of God. The phrase “not forsaking” means without neglecting, leaving behind, or separating connection. If you allow other things to consistently take you away from the preached word and people of God, then you are neglecting Christ and His church. You won’t feel connected if you stay disconnected through a lack of engagement in the life of the church. It is easier to get out of church than get back in it. Christians today are coming apart at the seams because they simply won’t consistently be a part of the local church. The word “manner” has the meaning of custom, habit, or pattern of life. You schedule your week out with certain priorities that are non-negotiable. For example, you plan on going to work, eating meals, family functions, and all of the mundane chores of life. These are priorities that have become patterns of life that require little to no thought. What about being engaged in the life of the church? Do you plan and prepare your heart and family’s schedule with gathering together with the church in mind? We must be engaged together in the life of the church by giving our attention and affection to others so that we will have a life of faithful action and assembling together. R. Kent Hughes writes, “On the most elementary level, you do not have to go to church to be a Christian. You do not have to go home to be married either, but in both cases if you do not, you will have a very poor relationship.”

            Let us be encouraging in the life of the local church. “but exhorting one another,” is the next phrase in this passage. The word “exhorting” is the word “parakaleo” meaning to come alongside and encourage. As you and I engage in the life of the local church we can’t help but be encouraged by the fellowship that we have with one another in Christ. Church life is designed by God to be encouraging so that we would then be encouragers. The Holy Spirit is this for us as seen in John 14:25-26. He indwells us to not only teach or correct us, but to comfort our hearts in Christ. We are united together in Christ so that as we engage in the life of the church, we would come alongside one anther to encourage each other in these last days. Yes, like David, we must encourage ourselves in the Lord, but we also need encouragement from others. You might not be able to do much, but you can be an encouragement to others through prayer, participation, and providing encouragement through words and work. You don’t need to have a bunch of spiritual gifts to be an encourager. It should be natural for Christians to be engaged, encouraged, and encouragers in the life of the local church. You and I are filled up to be poured out into one another. In these days, we need to be rooting for one another. We are on the same team, a part of the same body. Being disengaged and disgruntled will not make yourself or others encouraged. Being an encouragement is a decision and attitude that we should all naturally have. If you want to be discouraged and discourage others, then disengage in the life of the church. Stop coming. Stop giving. Stop helping. Stop fellowshipping. Start complaining. Start gossiping. Then, you’ll find yourself discouraged, disengaged, and a discouragement to the health and unity of the local church. The church needs your encouragement.

            Let us be expectant for the Lord’s return as we by faith engage and encourage others in the life of the church. The final phrase of this practical passage says, “and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” The early church believed and behaved as if Christ’s return was imminent, because it is. We ought to do so likewise. This is the motivation for us to be engaged and encouraging in the daily life of the local church. Christ is coming to gather His saints and reward them for their faithfulness to Him. There is urgency in this message. The time is short and is at hand. The imminent return of Christ is the motivation for us to “draw near…hold fast…and consider one another.” We should be intentional with how and why we live the way that we do. Notice the phrase, “so much the more.” Statistically speaking, believers today read their Bible less, pray less, and gather less than ever before. We are individualistic to a terrible extreme. Christ and His Church should be the reason that we can’t make it to other things in our life. It should be a priority to us because church is Christ’s priority. It is how we are encouraged and encouraged by others. It is how we are strengthened and served so that we may strengthen and serve others. Remember, Christ is coming for the entire Body and Bride of Christ, not just individual members or churches. He’s coming for the whole thing. Our Christian life is much bigger than ourselves or our own little world.

            As we bring this to a close, I ask, are you drawing near to Christ and His Church? Are you holding fast your profession without wavering? Do you consider Christ and His church in all parts of your life? You may be discouraged and even feel out of place in the church today, but I wonder have you isolated yourself? Have you made Christ and His Church a priority in your life? What keeps you from being engaged, encouraged and encouraging? Do you long for and expect Christ to return? God wants you to be strengthened in your relationship with Christ so that you would be able to strengthen and serve the Church to the glory of God. This means that we must be active in being engaged and encouraging with one another. This means that we realize that if we belong to Jesus then there is a place for us in His Church. There is a place for you to grow and serve. Won’t you let God use you to build His Church?