Sermon Notes - The Church: Gathered and Encouraged

The Church: Gathered and Encouraged, Hebrews 10:19-25
J. Josh Smith, MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church , attended May 9, 2010

Matthew 18:15-19, the “church discipline” verses, assumes that believers are gathering together and, thus, can see the sin in the body.

Since we have been united with each other through Jesus Christ, we must faithfully pursue deeper personal relationships in order to encourage each other to live distinctively Christian lives.

We have…

Confidence – Hebrews 10:19

By His death the veil has been removed that has separated us from God. If we trust His death we have access to God (John 14:6-7). We cannot access God without Jesus.

A great priest – Hebrews 10:21

Jesus Christ is the great priest. A priest is a mediator between man and God who would make sacrifices for the people. Jesus has the right to bring us to the Father.

We must…

Draw near – Hebrews 10:22

We must get close to God. Take advantage of what has been done by Jesus. What a wonderful opportunity!

Hold fast – Hebrews 10:23

God allows keeps His promises. We must hold on to that no matter the difficulty.

Consider – Hebrews 10:24

We must get involved in the lives of others. When you respond to the gospel your life is now marked by concern for brothers and sisters. Our faith in Christ unites us to God and each other. He knows we are tempted to not draw near. We need encouragement. We must spend time thinking about how to help others walk more faithfully with Jesus Christ.

Obedience to Hebrews 10:24 hinges on…

An event – Hebrews 10:25

This is the primary means to keep you going. This isn’t enough however, at the event something must occur.

An activity – Hebrews 10:25

There must be encouragement. One of the marks of a Christian is gathering and encouragement. You must be present and doing the activity. Encouragement can’t happen without relationships, so relationships must be pursued. They do not happen without a conscious investment of time and energy.

Five marks of Biblical encouragement –

1. Personal – Hebrews 10:24, “…consider…one another…”

Consideration is an active verb, mental and physical energy is exerted. You are thinking about that person, it is thus very personal.

2. Thoughtful – Hebrews 10:24, “…consider how…”

Thinking about the “how” part. He may not receive encouragement like others do. He may receive it best verbally, physically, in written form, etc.

3. Purposeful – Hebrews 10:24, “…consider…to love and good works…”

There is an end in mind; we are looking “to” something. The motivation is that they might walk with Christ.

4. Continual – Hebrews 10:25, “…not neglecting to meet together…”

This means to keep coming. It isn’t just one moment but a lifestyle.

5. Spiritual – Hebrews 10:23, “…he who promised is faithful.”

We are not naturally personal and thoughtful. The Holy Spirit must be doing this for us.

Our relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ were purchased by Christ. We must be selfless enough to love them more than us. We must bathe our relationships with prayer while walking in the Spirit. If we aren’t we will be mad that no one is encouraging us. We meet together but really never know each other. We don’t see each other during the week so we don’t see the junk. We can put on a facade. This is dangerous in that know one will come to you as Matthew 18 describes. We must love each other enough to get in their face, lovingly, and say, “Don’t act that way.”

Pray that God will give you those relationships. Initiate relationships. Be honest with each other. Start with the fact that we are all messed up! Start at home. The hardest place, often, to be a Christian is in the home. The true authenticity of a Christian may be best demonstrated at home. Prayerfully, begin to think how you can spur them on and obey the leadership of the Holy Spirit in Biblical encouragement.

NOTE: These are my notes, taken as I listened to the sermon live. Any errors, misunderstandings or misinterpretations are my responsibility entirely and not the fault of the preacher.