Abiding in Jesus Together

Community Intro

An Unquestionable Biblical Conviction

Hebrews 10:19–25 CSB

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, 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)—21 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, 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.

Hebrews 10:19–25 CSB

23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. 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.

Jesus-focused, Gospel-centered community is a vital rhythm of a vibrant Christian life.

Without Christian community as a regular part of your life, your faith in Jesus will suffer.

In the same way your faith will struggle without regular time in the Word, in Prayer, and in the other disciplines of the faith.

I pointed to Hebrews 10:19-25 last week regarding the importance of us gathering for worship weekly and singing songs to the Lord.

Verse 24 is the hinge verse, meaning the verse that the passage hinges on.

We typically point to this passage when we are making a case for the importance of gathering with God’s church on Sunday mornings, and it very much is that.

But, in order to understand what the author of Hebrews was saying, we have to look beyond just this passage, to the context he would have written in.

Acts 2:42–47 CSB

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. 44 Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. 45 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Hebrews was likely written before AD 70, so the general rhythms of the church was likely similar to what we read about in Acts 2.

Hebrews is thought to be a sermon, so it is possibly the message preached in the church gatherings it was sent to.

Read by a elder/pastor, as the church family gathered around, maybe after a song had been sung and a time of prayer.

They may have shared a meal after the message and talked about what they had just heard.

But Acts 2 doesn’t talk about a single weekly meeting, but a regular rhythm of community and connection.

“Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house.”

Life revolved around their connection to community.

Heb 10:25 doesn’t seem to be talking only about not coming to church once a week, but a neglecting to put themselves in and around Christian community in their lives.

What we are doing here is deeply important to the life of a Christian and the ministry of the church, as we talked about last week, but it isn’t the only connection to community that we are believers need in our lives.

We need purposeful, Jesus-focused, gospel-centered community to be a regular part of our lives

I want to point to 4 reasons found in Heb 10:19-25 that this is true.

Reason 1: Because we share a IDENTITY that draws us together.

The whole book of Hebrews is about Jesus being better than everything else.

Better than the Angels, better than Moses, better than the law, better than the prophets, and better than anything this world has to offer.

So after a long section of making the case that Jesus us better, the author of Hebrews gives us a “therefore”.

And he calls us “brothers and sister”.

“Knowing all the ways Jesus is better, brothers and sisters, we now, together, have confidence to come to our God, through the blood of Jesus.”

Everyone of us, who have put our faith in Jesus, have been given real, unhindered, unencumbered, intimate access to a relationship with God.

Each of us have literally been adopted into the family of God, hence the use of “brothers and sister”.

So, because we share an identity as brothers and sister, we, together, are able to draw near to God and, as a result, draw near to one another.

Why does this matter?

Because each and every one of us wants to belong, wants to be known, and wants to be loved.

Whether you want to admit it or not, we all like the feeling of included, of having access to something because we are a part of a privileged group.

We all know how it feels when you walk into Sam’s Club and pop out your membership card you are saying “I have access to the 45 roll member’s mark toilet paper and the 9lb roll of ground beef.

How about when you get invited to something you would never do otherwise just because you know someone who gave you access.

Or when you meet up with a group of friends and, regardless of how long it’s been, you pick up right where you left off.

Now take each one of those examples and multiply them by infinity.

We, together, share access to the most privileged family in the entire universe.

We have been chosen, accepted, bought with a price, and cleansed from all our sin, not because we did enough, said the right words, or paid some entry fee, but because Jesus loved us and died for us.

My first job in ND was at OfficeMax, selling computers and printers.

I didn’t know anyone who worked there and figured that no one else there was a believer in Jesus like me.

In the first few week, my suspicion seemed to be proving true, until I worked with a guy names Shane.

I couldn’t put my finger on it, but Shane just seemed different than anyone else I worked with.

One day, Shane and I had a break at the same time.

I started asking him the normal “get to know you” questions, and then he asked me why I moved to ND.

When I told him I had come as a missionary to start a church, his eyes lit up and he excitedly proclaimed “I am a Christian too!”

That was almost 16 years ago and Shane and Tana (his now wife) were the very first members of our church, he has served as a deacon in our church for 10 or more years, Tana sings on the worship team, and their 4 boys are some of our girls dearest friends.

We were draw together because of our shared identity in Christ.

John, in his first letter, says the way we loved our brothers and sisters in Christ reveals the genuineness of our faith.

1 John 4:20–21 CSB

20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And we have this command from him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.

We need the reminder, brothers and sister, that we are invited, chosen, accepted, loved, and valued, and that reminder comes in community.

Reason 2: Because BELIEVING and FOLLOWING is hard by ourselves.

Hebrews 10:23 CSB

23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.

Those reading this letter were living in a very different world than we live in today.

The church was only 30 or so years old, and being a Christian was not a popular thing in Roman culture.

It was actually incredibly dangerous, often leading to persecution, imprisonment, being shunned by family, or even being killed.

There was a lot at stake for those who chose to follow Jesus.

And these dangers are likely the reason some were “neglecting to meet together.”

Out of fear and in order to keep themselves and families from harm, they were distancing themselves from the community of Christians.

That is a lot different than our reasons for not being involved in Christian community and not coming to church regularly.

Yet, even though the author understands the danger, he points out the source of their fear.

It isn’t so much that they are afraid, but that they have wavered in their hope and have began to question the faithfulness of God to His promises.

It happens to us too doesn’t it?

At some point in our lives we meet Jesus and start following Him without reservation.

We show up on Sundays, volunteer for everything that comes up, and are like Peter, ready to jump out of the boat and join Jesus on the water the first chance we get.

And then life...

We get busy, we get focused on jobs, kids, friend, hobbies, money, bills, and a thousand other things.

It isn’t that we don’t believe anymore, it’s just that life is busy and church and Christian community just aren’t the priority right now.

Or, life hits us in a way that shakes our faith.

We get a diagnosis we weren’t prepared for.

We lose someone we love unexpectantly.

Our marriage hits a rocky patch or we go through a season of struggle with our kids. (those are often connected)

We go through a season of money struggles.

Whatever the scenario, struggles and suffering often lead us to question whether God is actually worth trusting and worth following.

It is in these moments that we are tempted wander away from the Church and Christian community.

But it is in these moments, whether pain and struggle, or misaligned priorities, where we need each other the most.

The author says “Let us” meaning “together”, not as individual, “LET US, hold fast to the confession of our hope...let US not waver in our trust in God’s faithfulness.”

We need each other to constantly and lovingly remind us what we believe and who we believe in.

Because it is not easy to follow Jesus.

Reason 3: Because we make a larger IMPACT together.

Hebrews 10:24 CSB

24 And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works,

There is a connection to serving and community.

The author challenges us to consider how we might provoke, or stir up, one another to love and good works.

The word “consider” means to give thoughtful attention and deep concern for something.

We are to give thoughtful attention to how we can help one another to out our faith in action.

There is power in numbers, both in the impact we have on those we are serving, but also the impact we have on one another.

The author of Hebrews understands that and wants us too as well.

We need each other to help us put our faith into action.

As we practice selfless love toward one another as we serve and care for the needs of one another (pointing back to Acts 2)

But also as we see the needs of others around us and loving and sacrificially serve those needs as well.

Ephesians 2:10 CSB

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Paul says we were created in Christ Jesus for good works, for ministry, for service.

It is the way we live out our faith, and we need each other to provoke and stir up that love and service in us.

Reason 4: Because life is BIGGER than we can see on our own.

Hebrews 10:25 CSB

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.

we need others to help us look up and see a bigger reality.

we are often overwhelmed with the present or stressed out by the thought of what might happen in the future (like a week or two from now)

survey shows 53% of Americans rarely if ever think about the distant future, 36% rarely think about 10 years from now.

the survey didn't ask how often you think about eternity.

During the early years of the Roman Empire, Christians faced persecution and death. Yet, they supported one another, sharing hope and comfort in their gatherings. One historian noted how their deep sense of community helped them endure hardships, reinforcing their belief in eternal life. They faced persecution knowing they were part of something larger, a kingdom that would never end, illustrating how community binds us to our heavenly future.

We only think about what is right in front of us and most of our decisions are made from that perspective.

But Jesus is coming back, keep looking up, don't get fixated on the momentary struggles or the temporary pursuits.

Christian community reminds us that we are made for more, saved for more, and destined for even more than we can imagine.

Closing

Commit to being here weekly.

We have avenues and are planning new avenues

Find friend and invite them into your life.