Motivations for Faithfulness, p.2

Willis grabber Bibles list go back to Hebrews this will be the third installment as we are looking on these verses that something exhorted us about the assembling of the sites together how essential and foundational. That is were talking about the local church. There a lot of ways you can assemble with believers in a lot of places and a lot of good in that nothing takes the place of God's ordained structure of local churches. So, as Paul is writing. I believe it's the apostle Paul.

We don't know for sure.

But as Paul is writing to the Hebrew church he's dealing with a good percentage of folks who probably are not believers so that kinda joined in with the believers and he's dealing with the percentage of folks who believers are not are tempted, and many have already left the church meetings and gone back to the synagogue to embrace the law of Moses. Now I'm sure if you pulled them and asked them what you doing that and I we still hold to Jesus.

I we believe he's he's God's Messiah, but we we think will hold to him and not give up our traditions of the past that so ingrained in us. We were raised that way. So we want to hold to the moral law of Moses goes well we do that, then they would add what I have the ceremonial laws of the ritual system the sacrifices to him, etc. well in Jesus Christ. Everything under Moses, spiritual or religious economy has been made obsolete. The Bible tells you Commit Jesus to anything and keep Jesus so all Hebrews, the writer is showing them exhorting them, teaching them, commanding them that Christ and salvation by grace through faith in the new assembly called local churches is all that matters.

The rest of it was a foreshadowing of foundation and now the real has come. So, no one dealing in verses 24 and 25 Hebrews 10 with those who were not being faithful like they should be. So there's a real truth for us here today. I don't know anyone well I do know of one, actually I do know of one person who left our church to go back to the law of Moses because I don't know that he went back to the law he just read something this on.

He had to embrace the law.

These folks were leaving and going back to the law of Moses and that can't help you so but nobody's doing that today particularly but a lot of people are leaving Salem churches with the gospel is preached with the elders are striving to be built biblically spiritually healthy churches to go to embrace something else also and I'm thinking Jesus. I still love Jesus but I'm going to this different kind thing this different kind of style lecture well I don't know that sometimes that's just not a type. I guess the best way to cite a type of apostasy I falling away from the real to embrace something that's not sanded off, but maintaining your taking Jesus with you as these folks would well real quick running review in verse 24 he says and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.

We sing that already, I call that the agape factor. That was the first myth in the word consider they are the best illustration I can think of is is like I told you before it sporting your rifle, but having your scope focused again when you come to church to be focused toward the people of God you report your life how to serve those people how to minister to those people and I want to be focused in on what is the need of that brother or sister spiritually speaking in mind enough for us to be in a small group benefit for eating church. If you go to be effective in living out a verse like this, you got up small brick so you get to know each other. You can learn each of the pray for each other. Be transparent to each other, etc. let's consider the focus became birthright people and get in focus on what their need is an MB plant be purchasing to meet that need. That spiritual needs basis to stimulate one another word stimulate comes from some rude words. I have a couple of ideas what the root word just to prod her to poke so Liza most like up coding and oxen with a sharp stick to getting to go all another root word is the word vinegar where you splash some vinegar on them and vinegar gets a response and pieces. That's part of what were coming to church to do to get focused in on what brother sister cannot help to go on for God to get back on track better for God. How many of us really come to church with that kind of attitude to be careful were not all John the Baptist profit was a kind and gracious way to do this even though our meeting and assemblies. Most of this I would say the great majority this kind of stimulating should be done with in private and then within humility and with meekness. Nevertheless, that should be our heart attitude about coming together and then he says some Thursday might one another to love and that's that Greek word agape agape. I think it's more than love. The love so permeates the totality of what agape years. It can be called agape love.

Agape is God in you. Agape is the Holy Spirit indwelling presence of the words. I think what the writer is saying here were very prone as Christians. The fall into the kind of common grace love that all mankind have I love my buddies as we office to get all of the guys and I think this where were all cooperating together for this common goal. That's not wrong, but that's not agape that's for Leo.

It's another Greek word that is translated love but agape is that thing that only the children of God have in common. We've all been born again. There's been a new birth ministers a new dwelling indwelling presence and that is the presence of God himself. And so we want to start one another to walk in God and deliver the kind of agape love that is unique only to us.

One of the overwhelming unique characteristics of agape years. It gives me a special love for other believers. We love all mankind. But there's a special unique bond desire for care for ministry to those others who have been born again like I have been so you might so a pastor you say were supposed to give preference absolutely that's what the Bible teaches you to do good and all.

When the Bible says, but especially those of the household of the faith. So we want to come to get everyone to start one another to get about the task of God. The purposes of God.

The plans of God.

The mission of God.

The agape that's in all of us because in this world we drift back and we get back into this the common graces of fellowships and all that sweet and I enjoy these guys and that is not all bad. We constantly need to be stimulated, walk in the flow of agape. Well, now we come to verse 25 and I called this motivations for faithfulness and would begin a verse 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more to see the day drawing near, not forsaking the word forsaking their means a total falling away. It's not missing church.

Be careful that you think you can miss church did not violate the truth this day habit of missing church is the beginning of forsaking church. Nobody starts missing saying I'm going to forsake the menu start missing in the forsaking so we don't want to get there, not forsaking again in this context, love, these folks were drifting back off into the Mosaic economy and therefore putting in and behind the of the Assembly of God Church and the centeredness on Christ and Christ alone for their salvation that Roman one. This is a review we talked about the fact that we have a sacred oneness lease is not forsake our own assembling brothers and sisters. There is a radical glorious uniqueness. Christians who come together in a local church as I sacred this eighth sanctity to it that no other organization group are collectivity has literally God's people who aren't swept by God, who are meant to be together for God and for their own good.

It's our is a sacred oneness. We said lot about this, but there are a lot of good things you can be a part of. But notice that go back to verse 24 so I don't always feel that sacredness I don't always have this excitement about the specialness of the local church. That's what you need to come to church and stimulate one another undo agape to get that stirred back up a French I don't have much of a congregation here, but all 45 these folks here they all leak like Ali, we gotta get back together and get back on track with agape and that special devoted sacred oneness and love, we are to have stirred up one for another, and by the way, by God's grace.

Out of this, not just a phrase I mean by God's grace and certainly for his glory. I see a lot of agape fellowship and grace like church but you know what we need to keep stimulating for another to keep on going to find a little bit more Wiedemann okay Roman to review, use the first say curse folly to stir your own faithfulness pieces. Do not forsake your own assembling together here it is, as is the habit of some use. There bad example as a warning to yourself.

A caution to yourself. I reminder to yourself and I could be one who falls away and I don't want that to happen. So I will when I hear and when I see others all they've left our church don't know make it. Never start with the notion all, what's wrong with us. No no no no turned back around to start the notion what's wrong with them and I don't want to go there nothing you're saying what's wrong with them in some sort of arrogant condemning posture, I mean that it unless there's a glaring biblical compromise and failure in your church.

Those who fall away, should be looked upon as having a weakness or problem, not those who try to be faithful well III this is new material.

We have a divine enter dependency a God ordained you might say it's her dependency. We all have to have each other what what if the apostle Paul encouraged things were talks about. I can't say is more important than the finger articles off of the body parts and they all have to have one another, even the lesser members become as valuable. I think Ames is more valuable than the ones we give greater esteem to all members of the body have this God ordained interdependency.

This mutual reliance in Christianity.

It's absolutely and always true. No man is an island, God has ordained you to be a local church congregation because we are saved to need each other. We are saved to serve each other. My faith in God's great glory of his purposes. He didn't just save you, he saved you to be with other Christian it's much like the husband and wife relationship. There is an incompletion until a man's with a woman, then the whole lives there, then the image of God is releasing as it needs to be say well as a believer in Jesus Christ.

You're not a whole without a sense without wholehearted emotion and commitment to a local church is a pastor. We can even meet right now yeah but I want to stir you up for when we can. And that's what this truth of the these trees whether this text is doing force, but encourage one another.

He says in verse 25.

Don't forsake it but encourage this trend. It refers to and inciting to duty is not just inciting anyone in the general sense when we see brothers and sisters in Christ that we work with the factory are in the office are run into them at school yet. Will try to always encourage one another.

But God's not holding you accountable to be inciting to faithfulness. Every Christian you know in your neighborhood are in your work environment is just too much but he is holding you accountable to be inciting one another in your local church that grace like church that your small group primarily.

You can believe that.

That's five, eight, 12, 15, 20 people, but we can just tell you what okay nine side about you know to be faithful to God does not holding you accountable to that and that's not the way he's ordained things to function. So instead of forsaking the contrast here is to meet together and motivate each other encourage one another. The King James uses the word exhort one another is earnings call upon another and stir him to duty. William go the Puritan in his excellent commentary on Hebrews says quote in reference to spiritual duties.

We are Dall and heavy and the bold exhortation and in citation we need that. That's what you think. If you sure are our so-called church where you come and attend and is just comfortable. It's just easy. It's enjoyable there some warm thoughts about Jesus and you go home and that's about it. I don't see what you don't want church you will just kind of a religious hang out club.

That's not church churches were men learn to help one another go home for God and ladies learn to help one another to go on for God in all of us. Help our children together, to go on for God or find out if they're not, you should consider how to stimulate one another to love and good works, not forsaking your own assembling together. Here is an encouraging one another that's working on now the disciples are a good example for us. Of those who needed inciting and encouraging to stay the course. Remember, it wasn't just a few days ago that the disciples fell asleep. When he was in great agony of soul in Gethsemane, praying before he went to the cross that these are I think good men of God but like us. They needed the regular encouraging and inciting faithfulness did not the Lord. Tell them it is not the Lord telling us this morning. Your but flesh.

Remember the psalmist while the Psalm says God remembers that we are but flesh. Thank God he does. But then God not back up and say but wait a minute now how I did say I remember that your but flesh, but I gave you local churches I gave you a way to get together to keep this thing going.

But you wouldn't get to we go home and get to lazy only get to inactive on me and serving so we need these expectations to remain faithful and excel all the more. Even the most faithful need the I miss you because I feed off of you.

When I preach to you. You strengthen me to go on for God and God ordained that the preachers used of God to strengthen you to go on for God, but it's in interdependency it's a divinely ordained one and then we have to have that for each other couple verses that show how this is so consistent throughout New Testament teaching. First Thessalonians chapter 4 verse one finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that as you receive from us instruction as to how you all to walk and please God, just as you actually do all he said you doing good that you excel still more, that's it. And so I just didn't do more, keep going on for God. First Thessalonians 410 for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in Macedonia, but we urge you, brethren, to excel steel more, we need to be encouraged and excited to keep on keeping we have a God ordained to divide interdependency. We have to have each other to do this ministry. One to another, now the fourth thing here in our text, realize the Lord's coming is soon realize the Lord's coming is saying this is interesting here. He says in verse 25 want you to just flow at 3 PM Martin starting in verse 24. Let us consider aim at the local church is for your heart energy should aid and get in focus how you can help that brother sister gone for God, stimulate gold ortho splash some vinegar on every now and then one another, not just anybody, and come in the society going to be pretty, but primarily her local church. The one another local church to love and good deeds at the agape factor, but that verse 25 not forsaking our own assembling together some are in the habit of doing that, but encouraging one another. Here's the phrase, and all the more as you see the day drawing the day drawing near. You might say pastor it's been 2000 years since Jesus ascended back into heaven. Why should we be overly concerned. Why so how should this be a challenge. After this be a stirring all that we should be greatly concerned because the day of the Lord's coming is closer than almost any of you right now think it is you.

You need to be spurred afresh to a wholly joyous trembling at the Lord's coming soon. I found this and goes commentary. There are 6+ days of God's governance over the world that have already come and gone. They hear symbolically referring to an ethic of time. There's ethics at time six distinct ones.

God already passed the world through and there's only one day left. They won the first ethic of time was from Adam to Noah for God's covenant of grace was first made to man day to do was know what to Abraham were God's covenant was revealed day three was Abraham to David covenant was promised in the seed of Abraham day for David to the captivity of Israel. Covenant was established in the royal line. Day five from captivity to the birth of Christ with the covenant that Christ was formally established day six the last epoch of time before this last one basics from Christ's birth to the end of the church age. Listen were already 2000 years in to the last epoch for the return, the last days began when Jesus came to the ER. The last days began when the church age began 2000 years ago where right at the end of the last day before the seventh day, the seventh day is the eternal state. When Jesus return.

I think what the writer saying you read that you think of the Bible. Biblical writers thought he was coming the next couple months and that's why they said that we know it's kind not to know what they mean is we are in the last of the last of what God's book, God has no other agenda on earth but to come again and establish his kingdom and the earth. That's the last thing the slapped wanted 2000 years closer than we work day. What is gone day to his golf.

Day three is gone day for is called day five is over 2000 years in the day six Day seven is when he return was my point with the point of the text is my point that is be about being faithful to God's church in the work of God's church because it's close. Maybe this COBIT 19 pandemic where he and his God sending a little wake up, shaking like the disciples sleeping in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus just wake up boys.

Can you not stay awake and pray. But you know something significant is about to happen. They didn't get it. They didn't know what was coming. Jesus and this is why the Lord to say in Luke 2128. Your redemption is drawing nigh. James 58, the coming of the Lord is at hand. Philippians 45 the Lord is near. First Peter 47 the end of all things is at hand. Revelation 13 behold, I come quickly, so we should behave as if it's the early morning hours just before the dawn of the new and final day when he returns. Romans 819 reminds us for the anxious longing of creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. One of the sons of God going to be revealed.

When he returns on the final day of the eternal state to set up how much one Bible translation is the creation groans for that day when the curses looked to the curse of sin is affected all of creation. It groans for that date because when the sons of God are glorified. The there's a new heaven and new earth and the world's are all glorified what groaning, they must be doing at this point. Now I'll not much more than read these, so don't get anxious on me TN conclusions for practical epic application about being faithful to the assembly number one. Learn what a true church looks like. Learn what a true church looks like. Ephesians 414 says were no longer be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine will be to chase in this Chase net find out what a true church is low. It didn't matter if it fits you. Doesn't matter for crank your tractor, then met if it blesses you. Does it fit God you find a church that fits God and you learn to be happy and make sure they have a sound confession of faith. Make sure they have a sound of understanding of evangelism and conversion make sure they have a true membership roll. Make sure they're committed to every member ministry through small breaks. Make sure they have expository pulpit. Make sure there's an evidence of spiritual power. Here's what I mean by that. Are they are they looking primarily to events and gimmicks. Creativity are they looking to God using his word change men's lives. The look I'm in my 40th year just starting it today here so not every church is had the time to get this done with your pastor's got a heart to do these things and build a true church and you dive in and be his most faithful encourager and supporter learn what is true church looks like number two make a resolution to be faithful. Second Timothy 19 says he saved us and called us with a holy calling your calling to serve God and that includes of course that is foundational. He calling to serve him in the local church like a resolution to be faithful. Thirdly, guard your heart against pride. Guard your heart against pride. The Bible says and wrote wrote Romans 1120 quite right. They were broken off for their unbelief that you stand by your faith.

Do not be conceited, fear.

You have looked cockiness you have little raised up confidence. I think I could get this way. I think this lot in all this, stuff look. Pride goeth before the fall, bloom or your planet. Find a place to serve and safe. Sign me up.

I'll do it needs to be done set specific parameters for your attendance. We used to tell folks manual not miss eight times with your leadership go missing more than eight times that we were not legalistic. We just townsfolk try to not miss. Have you done that for you and your family know were just going to cybernaut to select the sink.

This happen. We don't do that if anything else in your life that's important thunderstorm sodomite will miss more than this writer.

Now things could happen.

A child gets sick. We all know that set us parameter for your attendance. I'm not going go beyond this Mark 715. Just beware the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing. You don't understand this lot of folks working out there to pull you away and are not solid men to follow are sometimes women to follow. Number six, I'm sorry, I should've said Mark false teachers as number five.

Did I miss it you mark false teachers us while talking about those who would try to pull you away now number six deny your tickling years. Here's a reality. Hopefully you've matured toward your tickling years don't affect you much. We all have some degree of tickling years will have some degree of collective go works a little more fun. I collect the big blown good church where it's not that this accountabilities account you we all have that tendency is just part of being fallen in fleshly second Timothy 43 for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled are furnished with the latest fad. The scholars tell she could amplify that out, they will accumulate for this of teachers in accordance with their own desires deny tickling years make a commitment. What's true and right be faithful there. Number seven holdback on the reins of lust. Faith falters when the conscience is hardened when you given the lots lust and you're not in the battle to get more hardened you get Martin in the word of God didn't penetrate as well. The word of God and bless you as well. The people of God are not the pleasure and the joy they should be harder holdback on the rains would be a faithful fighting repent or you see, if you're not fighting lust is not because you don't have any lust because you stop fighting you not, you're not done yet you stop, stop fighting for truth I forgot church fight for what's right fight fight fight don't quit what we can quit not home yet. When enemy territory will fight to get home for what's right was true what Gord think of God, i.e. the local church.

First Timothy 119, keeping faith and a good conscience, with some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Don't lift lust. Things of the world sexual is, whatever it may be, don't let those lust reign in your heart and harden your heart and damage your conscience is it will shipwreck your faith in Jesus Christ.

Number eight. Focus on the good in the church.

That's understanding that you've Artie discerned the time of the church with elders are striving to but it true spiritually biblically healthy church art that's done then there's always be a mean one, things you can pick out say without it just right missing just right. I don't like this was sure we don't do that. I got news for you are like me on the pilot free to pass around like I can tell you that I'm striving to be a horrible repent or and God has the humble million, but by the way, God knows how to humble his preacher.

God knows how to humble his preacher. You get on your knees and save God. Keep that preacher right will be faithful and you watch and see if you don't keep that preacher right there be perfect. God also take care of us.

The focus on the good in the church, the Pharisees, the Bible says salt for something to accuse Jesus.

Don't be like a fair say. Don't look for something. The seeds of a critical spirit can grow into a crop of apostasy.

How many people have fallen away is just because they that in their OCD complexly couldn't get over picking this all the stuff as if they themselves had arrived number nine pray that the church will prosper. Do you do that. Pray for the church front Ludmila hold it now. Do you do that you do that why pray for none of the pray for the church.

You know my pray for the church is that we would be a true church that God might use as a model for others.

All for the glory of God takes up when I first begin to pray that my heart would initially start about it. It would missing the past of my parts of the Bible taught it, but as I prayed it through the year just because of the passion of my heart your heart your heart becomes changed becomes molded to what you're praying toward and for you.

Pray toward truth, and the God changes your heart to align with truth.

Pray that the church will prosper and then lastly number 10 pray specifically that God would hold you faithful acknowledge your weakness and be thankful that he's allowing you to see the truth in this context. The truth of his work, his purposes in the local church. Let's all renew ourselves, the fresh and new as we complete the unpacking of these two verses to honor what God honors to put first what God puts first to be committed to what God's committed to know what got our God is a local church, God. That's what it's all about is all about it until that last day, wherein the end of the six day the seventh day is coming on that they will be one glorious universal church. But even in that setting. He says the apostles will sit on thrones the might be some segmented organization to that list be about what God's about list be committed to what God's committed to let us be faithful to what God's going to be faithful to take care of his church for his glory