We Need Each Other

have you ever wondered why people come to church?

it sure can't be for the message

we get them in here, and then tell them that they're disgusting, vile sinners with no hope of receiving eternal life on their own merit

and we call that the good news, the Gospel

and then we get them seated, and they listen to a minister ramble on for about half an hour and tell a couple of sick jokes

even if people did come for the message, the reality is that on any given Sunday morning there are probably far more really good sermons to be heard on the television than in this church

it can't be what we expect of people

we tell them it's their job to give up all their rights, be crucified with Christ, die to themselves daily, and to look out for the interests of others instead of their own

we tell them they better get busy in some sort of ministry of serving others within the church, or cleaning the church, or visiting seniors or prisoners, or shame on them for being pew potatoes

and then every week we pass around a bag and ask them to give up significant amounts of their hard-earned money to support God's work

it can't be for the benefits

when people take a new job, they're always interested in salary and benefits

here we tell you that there is no salary and there are no benefits

you're in it for life, and maybe in heaven God will reward you

so why do people come to church?

there are many reasons, but I would say the number one reason is this: community

we need each other

I would argue that it is impossible to live the Christian life without the support of brothers and sisters in Christ

that is precisely why God did not make us into lone ranger Christians, struggling on our own, listening to tapes of sermons and watching religious programs, and reading our Bibles and praying at home by ourselves

instead, when God saved us, he said, "Look, I've done some work on your soul. But when you're born, you're born into a family, and when you're born again, you're born into your second family - the church"

the first miracle is the spiritual rebirth

but the second miracle is that he places us in a spiritual family

we've been talking these past few weeks about what Christ would do if he came to this community

we've asked ourselves, "What would Jesus do in this situation?"

and we've realized that if Jesus were walking this earth today, he would be a friend of sinners, he would act as salt and light in this world

next week and the week after, we're going to talk about taking on the forces of evil in God's name, openly declaring that we're involved with him

but I'll tell you something

it's not going to happen unless we draw support from the fellowship of believers

please open your Bibles this morning to Hebrews 10

(Hebrews 10:23) Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

(Hebrews 10:24) And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

(Hebrews 10:25) Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

from this passage I want to address two commands we need to keep

two basic necessities if we're going to make it to the finish line

and the first is in verse 23

(Hebrews 10:23) Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

WE ARE TO HOLD UNSWERVINGLY TO THE HOPE WE PROFESS

this is the basic goal of the Christian life

to hold unswervingly

the word unswervingly is sometimes translated without wavering

it has the idea of staying true and firm without hesitation

this is a call to confess in a hostile world the object of our faith, despite a fear of rejection

in the case of the Hebrews, being a Christian meant risking persecution

it appears that these Jewish Christians were getting ready to give up the struggle and to revert to Judaism

and the writer builds a strong case for the supremacy of Christ over the Jewish sacrificial system

but then he issues this challenge: hold unswervingly to the hope we profess

you know, it's not always easy to follow Christ

when we follow him, we can expect difficulties and trials

and many of us will be tempted to give up

but hold unswervingly to the hope you profess

and it's not easy to live the Christian life

we regularly disappoint others and God, not to mention ourselves

it's so easy to be a Christian on a Sunday, but what about the day to day obedience?

what about when you catch yourself bad-mouthing other people?

what about when we entertain impure thoughts in our minds?

like the early Jewish Christians, there is a very real possibility that we could become discouraged and give up

and that's where the other command comes in

verses 24 and 25 say

(Hebrews 10:24) And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

(Hebrews 10:25) Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

THE WRITER SAYS: MEET TOGETHER FOR ENCOURAGEMENT AND TO BE SPURRED ON

the only way that we're going to be able to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess is if we have the support of other Christians to help us

brothers need brothers and sisters need sisters

there is no such thing as a lone ranger Christian

at one time I thought the main purpose of church is to hear sermons, sing a little, and then go out and get 'em

in fact, I was part way through seminary until I knew any differently

in seminary, I wrote a paper that mentioned that basically salvation is a personal matter

believe me, when I got the paper back, I found out that salvation isn't a personal matter

when God saves us, he puts us in a community of his children so we can have fellowship with one another

true fellowship has the power to revolutionize lives

masks come off, conversations get deep, hearts get vulnerable, lives are shared

accountability is invited and tenderness flows

people really do become like brothers and sisters

they shoulder each other's burdens

when the word fellowship or the Greek word koinonia appears in the New Testament, it always has togetherness in mind

sharing something together or sharing in something together

you see, the early Christians had a lot in common with each other

they were together

they didn't just come to worship like an isolated bag of marbles that made a lot of noise as they banged together, then marched out in single file

no, they came together like a cluster of ripe grapes

persecution pushed them together, and they bled on each other

their lives naturally ran into each other

and today as we experience fellowship, we too can become more valuable as our lives become entwined with one another, moving closer together, feeling each others' strain and struggles, deeply caring for each other

did you know that when someone talks about the "right hand of fellowship," that is actually a biblical expression from Galatians 2:9?

the apostle Paul is describing how willingly they reached out and put their arms around each other

they enfolded themselves in one another's lives

over and over, the Bible talks about our responsibility to each other

Romans 12:10 says we're to be "devoted…[and] give preference to one another"

Romans 15:7 says to "Accept one another"

1 Corinthians 12:25 tells us to "Care for one another"

Galatians 6:2 commands, "Bear one another's burdens"

I could go on

"Encourage…and build up one another" (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

"Confess your sins to…and pray for each other" (James 5:16)

"Serve one another" (1 Peter 4:10)

"Love one another" (1 John 4:11)

and four times in the New Testament we're commanded to greet each other with a holy kiss

that's fellowship!

unfortunately, fellowship in most churches means only 15 or 20 minutes of shallow conversation after the service

in many churches, it doesn't seem legal to tell anyone you're having a problem

the implicit understanding is that you shouldn't have a problem, and if you do, you'd better not talk about it around the church

we need each other!

Howard Hendricks says, "You can impress people at a distance; you can only impact them up close. The general principle is this: the closer the personal relationship, the greater the potential for impact"

people grow in relationships

in a relationship where there is trust, there is vulnerability

there can be a willingness to admit need and to explore change

there can be the support and follow-through needed to sustain growth

God understands the impact one person can have on another

he made that point a long time ago

in Proverbs 27:17 he wrote, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another"

think about it

who has had the greatest spiritual impact on your life?

think about the time that you spent with that person

think about the things you did

perhaps it was a college professor, a youth pastor, a friend, your spouse, your parents

regardless of who it was, you had a relationship with that person

you knew that he or she cared about you

you probably spent time together

and you have them permission, formally or informally, to check up on you

of all you did together, they key to their influence on you was your relationship with them - the way they shared your life with you

we need this with each other

especially if we're going to fight for Christ and take a stand for him

the reality is, we won't be able to do this with everyone

someone has said we're like Lego pieces: we only have six snaps, and when six people are attached to us, there isn't any room for any more

but there are some things we can do

these suggestions come from a book called Growing a Healthy Church:

the first is, USE LOBBY TIME

don't go running off after the service

before and after services, meetings, and Bible studies, devote your time to meaningful contact with other people

some of the most meaningful relationships begin to develop in church lobbies before or after services

second suggestion: PICK UP THE PHONE

reach out and touch someone

sometimes when a schedule is tight, a phone call can accomplish a great deal

it will never replace in-person contact, but it can supplement other efforts

a call just to touch base and say hello can be significant

third, use the mailbox

make it your habit to write personal notes to people

our mailboxes are increasingly filled with impersonal junk mail, so a handwritten note stands out

it does not have to be long or elaborate

but written notes convey to people that you care about them and that you're thinking about them

remember personal crises

don't underestimate the power of your presence with someone during a crisis

it's called "being there"

I always love it when someone says, "Thanks for being there"

it's my goal to be there for the significant people in my life

look for mutual interests

what do you like to do in your spare time?

play golf? Hunt? Shop? Work on your car? Are you a garage sale nut?

without a doubt, there are people in the church and non-Christians in your sphere of influence who enjoy the same thing

why not double your efforts?

seek those people, and involve them with you

the time you share together will build a common bond between you

another suggestion is to admit your own need

have you learned the value of being in need?

at times we tell ourselves we have to be in control, and that we can't admit our own needs

yet those times when we need assistance from others are often the times we become the most human

the very time we feel like isolating things from people is the time we need to be with people the most

the last suggestion is to take the scalpel to your schedule

sooner or later you will need to conduct surgery on your schedule

why not take the time this week to look over your schedule

candidly evaluate the activities that are crowding out your time for people

make time available for people

this morning I ask you to hold unswervingly to the hope you profess

and the only way you can do this is to draw support from the fellowship of believers

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We Need Each Other (Hebrews 10:23-25)