Back To The Basics (Part 4)

The Power of Christian Fellowship

Worship

Prayer

Welcome

Main Text : Hebrews 10:24-25

Good to see you all here! I mean that from the bottom of my heart, it is GOOD to be in the house of the Lord AMEN? I think it’s fitting that after the icy then snowy weather we have had preventing travel, that tonight’s word that I have been given is something we have all missed, and something we all NEED..…

The fundamental we are diving into tonight is FELLOWSHIP! Now we may think of fellowship as shaking hands on Sunday mornings, and sharing a potluck in the appropriately named fellowship hall, BUT I WANT TO SHOW YOU TONIGHT

THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO TRUE FELLOWSHIP, AND EVEN MORE, I WANT TO SHOW YOU THE DIVINE POWER THAT TRUE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP BRINGS TO US HERE!!!

Now all of those things I mentioned before are certainly part of fellowship. Being able to shake hands and hug and high five y’all is something we all need to look forward to, and you can look at me and tell I love a potluck, AND THE PEOPLE OF GOD SAID AMEN! But fellowship is not a fleeting interaction, fellowship is not a two hour a week commitment, and in case you were wondering, it’s also not optional....

People, and to be honest with you I used to be in this group of people many moons ago, but people know enough of the Bible to quote the verse “WHERE TWO OR MORE ARE GATHERED”. And I am here to assure you that is 100% facts. Where two or more are gathered in HIS name there he is also. But that verse was not intended to be preceded by the phrase, “I DON’T HAVE TO GO TO CHURCH”.

Matthew 18:20 was said with Jesus knowing a day was coming where He would not be present with the believers in physical body but He would be fully alive through the Holy Spirit, and that in that Spirit filling just two or three would pray, and believe, and worship in a manner that would call Heaven down!

This is explaining the POWER found in fellowship, even in a small gathering. Again, and this is quickly becoming my trademark phrase...

YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE CONTEXT TO UNDERSTAND THE TEXT. A single verse ripped from the context can be misused and misunderstood, but when you read to KNOW JESUS, when you read to UNDERSTAND HIS WAYS, when you read to HAVE A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD, then you will see Matthew 18:20 is the building block of a small gathering, that through prayer and trust in God, will yield GROWTH!!!

And we don’t have to look very far to see that evidence right here at CBC. I have heard about the days of seven or eight people on Sunday mornings, including the pastor! But by prayer, by the grace and provision of God, CBC has a strong BODY OF BELIEVERS, and if you don’t think we fellowship, you need to jump in a prayer text group, or come to Tuesday evening prayer, or just watch how hard it is for me to get y’all back to your seats on Sunday mornings! It’s like herding cats in here, and I PRAISE THE LORD FOR IT!

SO THAT IT IS UNDERSTOOD, WE NEED TO BE AT CHURCH, TOGETHER, WORSHIPPING, LEARNING, LOVING, AND GROWING!

AND WHEN WE LEAVE THIS BUILDING, WE NEED TO TAKE CHURCH WITH US. DON’T LEAVE YOUR SPIRIT OF FELLOWSHIP IN THE PEWS, TAKE IT WITH YOU WHEN YOU GO.

AND IF YOU ASK, WELL HOW DO I DO THAT EARL, THE WRITER OF HEBREWS ANSWERS FOR US ALL.… GO TO HEBREWS 10:24

Hebrews 10:24–25 NASB 2020

24 and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, 25 not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

So let’s jump right on in and break this text down. In verse 24 I want us to focus on one word. CONSIDER....

Now I don’t know Greek, and I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I do have a book that helps me to dive deeper into the English words we read in our Scripture today. In Hebrews, we read consider, but in the Greek we see a different word, and I may butcher this but here we go, Kata-no-wao. This is a compound word meaning...

TO THOROUGHLY THINK ABOUT SOMETHING

TO CONSIDER SOMETHING FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, AND AT EVERY ANGLE

TO THINK HARD, OR THINK DEEPLY ON A MATTER

So with that knowledge, let’s read verse 24 again with that understanding of the word consider in mind… and let’s think deeply, from every angle, to thoroughly consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds…

Hits a little different doesn’t it? The writer of Hebrews is urging us in this part of scripture to operate in our day to day lives in a NEW & LIVING WAY. This is part of how we do that. We remove some of the mind space that we consume with ourselves and replace that with thinking hard about our brothers and sisters! But here in lies the beauty of doing this...

When you are surrounded by like minded believers who follow the Word of God, that space of concern you gave up to consider others, THEY GAVE UP FOR YOU TOO!

God is telling us that we are to be so concerned about each other that we take purposeful, meaningful, careful time to pray, and think about how we can encourage them in the Lord. We should be able to know when someone needs lifting up, but in order to do that we have to FELLOWSHIP. We need to spend time as a BODY. ONE BODY with many parts AMEN!

If I take off and run, well first of all if I take off and run, what y’all should strongly consider is following me because something is chasing me, either that or there is some hot fried chicken at my destination, either way RUN WITH ME.

But back to the point, if i go to run and my brain doesn’t consider telling my feet, I’m not going to make it very far AMEN? Much the same, if we as the body of believers do not consider all the folks who are pouring out to make sure we are lifting them up to be refilled, then we aren’t going to make it very far.

We have to be in tune with the Holy Spirit inside of us to realize what others around us are going through. Y’all tell me all the time to rest and I know I need to do better with that, but you say that when you can SEE that I am pouring it all out. All of us in here have that need and that desire to be rested and refilled. We cannot pour from an empty cup, but without thinking about it deeply we will try. The Holy Spirit will guide and direct us in all ways, including letting us know when a smile and the words I’m okay, really mean “I AM EMPTY, AND I NEED ENCOURAGEMENT.

Verse 24 is not a lightly taken statement, it’s calling us into action,

An action that takes dedication, that takes time, that takes thought, that takes love, and that takes FELLOWSHIP!

Where does it say fellowship is required there? Just keep reading, VERSE 25 says

Hebrews 10:25 NASB 2020

25 not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

OUR OWN MEETING TOGETHER! There it is. Now just like Matthew 18:20 is used as a “Get Out Of Church Free” card. Hebrews 10:25 is the verse against that. BUT....

Verse 25 doesn’t mean just going to church! The correct way to put it, is verse 25 is about BEING THE CHURCH.

We are not just some people.… WE ARE BLOOD BOUGHT AND BORN AGAIN!!!

So good I’m gone say it one more time,

WE ARE NOT SOME PEOPLE, WE ARE BLOOD BOUGHT AND BORN AGAIN. IN JESUS NAME I AM HIS AND HE IS MINE!!! HALLELUJAH.

Coming to church is important, we need to meet and study and worship, BUT THAT’S NEVER BEEN CONFINED TO SUNDAY AT 11 AM.

I told y’all Sunday I use all the translations of the Bible Amen… In the KING JAMES, HEBREWS 10:25 says, but EXHORTING ONE ANOTHER...

EXHORTING in the modern day definition is … TO STRONGLY ENCOURAGE SOMEONE.

Back to my Greek deep dive, EXHORT is translated from another compound word that means to urge or beckon someone, alongside of them.

WE ARE CALLED TO BE ALONGSIDE ONE ANOTHER. Not just on Sunday, Sunday is special, but we need to come in agreement that EVERY DAY IS THE LORD’S DAY AMEN!

He has given us every day, He has given us new mercies every morning, this is the day HE HAS MADE… COME ON SOMEBODY.

It’s Wednesday night but I’m preaching like its Sunday Morning!

WHY? Because I want to EXHORT you to FELLOWSHIP together, in the Biblical manner.

Breaking bread is a great place to start, food warms hearts and opens doors, but that is the start not the finish. The finish is not what we read here in Hebrews either, this is the work phase. You want to know what the finish is.… I’m talking about the banana pudding to that fried chicken I was running to earlier..… the finish is found in John 13:35

John 13:35 NASB 2020

35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.”

This is what fellowship in Christ looks like. In John 13:34–35

“34 I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.”

When we love one another, move alongside one another, encourage one another, meet with one another....

WHEN WE DO WHAT JESUS DOES AND WHAT HE TELLS US TO DO, THEN OTHERS WILL KNOW AND SEE!!!

Let me take is back to the EARLY CHURCH, Lets go to ACTS 2

Acts 2:42–47 NASB 2020

42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all the believers were together and had all things in common; 45 and they would sell their property and possessions and share them with all, to the extent that anyone had need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Look at what the WORD says!

They are taking in teaching and praying, AND FELLOWSHIP. In doing this the people are IN A SENSE OF AWE. AWE OF HOW GREAT GOD IS BUT ALSO HOW GREATLY HE EMPOWERS HIS CHILDREN IN THIS WORLD! If they were not alongside each other they would not have seen the signs and wonders! They were building into a COMMUNITY of BELIEVERS, this is what we are established in!

IT STARTED RIGHT HERE SO WE COULD STILL BE DOING IT RIGHT NOW!

They were giving possessions to share and help anyone in need!

And I love this, LOOK AT THE CORRELATION FROM 46 to 47

DAY BY DAY CONTINUING WITH ONE MIND! 47 DAY BY DAY THE LORD WAS ADDING TO THIER NUMBER.

Wanna know why?

Because day by day they were in FELLOWSHIP, PRAYING, BREAKING BREAD, WITH GLADNESS AND SINCERITY OF HEART, THEY WERE PRAISING GOD AND HAVING FAVOR!

And you know what happened....

DAY BY DAY PEOPLE WERE BEING SAVED. We talk about revival and a change, the change starts right here, just like it did back in ACTS 2. That group was the change, and you know why, BECAUSE JESUS WAS THEIR CHANGE, HE CHANGED THIER HEART OUT, HE CHANGED THEIR MIND AND THEIR WAY OF THINKING, HE CHANGED THEM FROM WHO THEY WERE TO WHO THEY ARE HERE IN ACTS 2.

BUT THAT CHANGE DIDN’T STOP, it’s ours now. When we COME TOGETHER IN FELLOWSHIP. WHEN WE LOVE EACH OTHER AS CHRIST LOVES US....

PEOPLE WILL SEE, PEOPLE WILL KNOW, AND PEOPLE WILL COME!

Make no mistake, the Bible is clear the FELLOWSHIP brought power in Acts, but the LORD added to their number day by day! Because we are called to set the stage, and then Jesus takes center stage and the NUMBER OF PEOPLE SAVED IS ADDED TOO!

Casting Crowns sing a song called START RIGHT HERE. We need to go back in time a bit, yeah?

Starting right here, let’s remember what POWER we have in Jesus Christ!

Let’s remember that the change in us comes from Him daily, and that God’s desire should be our desire, TO BE ONE, so that others may see and know, and have a desire to step into the Kingdom that we get to walk in!!!