Rethinking Church Fellowship, Part 2: Be Present
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
If I had to summarize where I see God taking our church in 2024, it is in the word simplify.
Ask a question to ponder to get us started. Why are you here?
· Relationships?Are you building good, solid, lasting, transformational relationships?
· Service?Are you being used according to your giftedness on a regular basis within this body?
· Worship?Is that reflected in action that moves beyond this time and into the lives of others?
· Duty? I think the first three are legitimate – this one? Not so much.
If you’re here for some religious checkbox, I want to see you experience more!!
Hebrews 10:19-25
Hebrews 10:19 (CSB)
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters…
(19a) “Therefore, brothers and sisters…”
I want you to see this indicates Family of God/Ekklesia. Those who make up the Church (notes from last Sunday)
“The Called”
o Called to salvation
o Called to serve
The Bible is the Word of God to the Family of God and so this is written to the brothers and sisters.
The writer is going to call us to some things as the Family, but first he wants to instruct us or remind us of what God has done that makes this all possible:
God’s provision for the Church:
Hebrews 10:19–20 (CSB)
19 ...since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus—
20 he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)—
1. (Hebrews 10: 19-20 ) “…since we have boldnessto enter the sanctuary [ie God’s presence] throughthe blood of Jesus— he has inaugurated [to put into effect for the first time] for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)——and…”
· We can boldly come to Him, welcomed into His presence
· We can know that God is good, in control, and He loves us– that should make an amazing impact in our lives!
There is nothing the enemy can do to us when we can run right into our Daddy’s room and right up to His throne in prayer.
21 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God,
2. (21)“…since we have a great high priest over the house of God,”
When we come to Him, He intercedes for us.
Jesus, Himself, as our Big Brother and Lord, goes to the Father on our behalf – a Father who is more than ready to hear and respond because He, himself, loves us! (John 16:27)
“We have” can only mean the church.“House of God” is the universal church, comprised of
Believing Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) who repent and confess Jesus as Lord, living out that life of faith in the local expression of His Body – the local church.
In that local expression, God’s will is that we experience “koinonia” – [Review definition]
Koinonia is deep, self-revelatory, self-sacrificing, covenant relationship within the ekklesia, established by the effectual call of the Father into unity with Christ, based on the atoning work of Christ, then expressed in the same kind of relationship with each other as we hear, respond to, and live according to the gospel.
[“since” followed by implied “…then…”]
– that is, in light of the two “since” provisions, do these things]…
Let us live with conviction, hold onto our confession, and take seriously our commitment.
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.
1. (22) Conviction –
“Let us draw near with a true heartin full assuranceof faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.”
We have access through the two “since” statements, but we have to actually draw near. Why wouldn’t we actually do it? What might prevent it?
· Doubt – Does God really love me? Has He really saved me? Is He still mad at me?
· Abiding guilt (that is, the feeling/sense of guilt).
Remedy: Draw near with a TRUE heart in FULL ASSURANCE of faith
· The Word is clear that we’ve been washed as white as snow and that our sins forgiven.
Yet sometimes there is a disconnect between the fact of my cleansing and the feeling of being cleansed that keeps me down.
On top of that is the Accuser, who reminds me every day all day of how unworthy I am. What weaponry do I have at my disposal?
1. The Gospel– I have the written word of God full of promises that I can remind myself of. Promises like:
§ Romans 5
§ Hebrews 10 (others in Hebrews?)
§ Ephesians 2
§ Psalm 103:11-14
§ Romans 6:23
§ Romans 10:9-10
§ Romans 10:13
§ Romans 8:1
§ Romans 8:16
§ Romans 8:28-31
§ Romans 8:38-39
Even still, if the attacks are bad enough, it’s possible to forget or disbelieve that those promises are for me, and I’m no better off.
I need something else to go with that written word. Something outside my own experience that can speak hope and truth into my doubt and guilt. I need…
2. The Church/Ekklesia– I often need people to speak the Word into my life, reminding me of the Truth and combatting the words of the Enemy with Words of the Gospel spoken authoritatively into my life.
We need to go on offense with the Gospel, because it is the power of God to salvation and, according to Peter,…(2 Peter 1:3-4 )
3 His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
4 By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.
2. (23) Confession –
23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.
“Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering since he who promised is faithful.“
We hold onto the confession of our hope together= that Christ, the eternal Son of God, has overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil through His atoning death, burial, and resurrection.
That he ascended to be seated at the right hand of the Father, but that He will never leave us or forsake us through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, and that He will come again to take us home. He has promised it and He will do it.
Why must we hold onto this confession together? Because, on our own, the centrifugal force of life can stress us to our limits, threatening to spin us off into confusion, doubt and disbelief.
We need the collective strength of the Body of Christ to hold onto the hope that we have in Christ.
When jobs are lost, loved ones die, attacks come, depression sets in, hopelessness is knocking at the door. How will we stand?
ILLUS: Exodus 17 - When Israel went into battle against the Amalekites, Moses had to hold his arms up with the rod of God, and the battle would be won. If his hands came down, the battle turned. Why? I think it’s because God demonstrated that Moses, alone, could not stand alone – he needed help. Because of Aaron and Hur, Moses fulfilled his task and the people won the victory.
We sometimes act like this is an individual event when God has called it a team event and has given us everything we need to win. Yet some of you are going it alone either because you are too afraid to risk trusting your junk with other people, you’re too far out from the center of koinonia fellowship, or too prideful to ask for help. All three amount to disobedience and a high probability of defeat in the battle waging against you.
3. (24-25) Commitment –
24 And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works,
25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
“And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.”
Consider = “give careful thought to”
Give careful thought to one another. Not a passing thought, but contemplative.
ILLUS: When I started dating Karen, I didn’t give her a passing thought, I give careful thought to how I could demonstrate how I felt about her.
We are to give careful thought to each other in order to (for purpose of accomplishing)…
1. Provoke love and good works
a. Be an agent of peace and service – set the example.
2. To encourage each other to meet together
a. We can’t do it together if we’re not together – not just Sundays!
3. Encourage each other more and more as the day approaches.
a. Jesus is coming back
b. The times are getting hard
We have to show up! (Be physically and emotionally PRESENT)
· When there is a need, show up and help (sometimes just sit and say nothing!)
· When there is an opportunity to grow in our community, show up and develop relationships
· When there is an opportunity to worship together, show up and BE the local expression of the choirs of Heaven declaring the glory of God to our world (Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty who is worthy to receive glory, and honor…), determined to be the outpost of grace as we strengthen each other through the declared Word of God as it is proclaimed.