Why not stay home

David Swayze

Perseverence • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

0 ratings

· 3 views

Importance of Christian Fellowship to the Believer

Notes

Transcript

Introduction

Imagine the early church in the years after Christ’s death. Groups of devoted Jewish men and their families who have left their synagogue with its familiar rituals and traditions because of their faith in the Messiah they know as Jesus, the Christ. now assemble in small groups we call churches to worship, study the Scriptures and pray.

Their faith in Jesus as Messiah placed them at odds not only with their former religious leaders but also with their family, friends, and coworkers.

Now, add to this the real and present danger of imprisonment and death by Roman authorities for their faithfulness to the crucified man mockingly called “the King of the Jews.”

Now think of where we are today as Christians. Many have lost relationships, friends, and family because of their faith in Jesus. The world, in its many forms, pulls us from our associations with other Christians. Church attendance among Christians is continuing to drop. Some have even claimed the Church is no longer relevant.

Now think of where we are today as Christians. Many have lost relationships, friends, and family because of their faith in Jesus. The world, in its many forms, pulls us from our associations with other Christians. Church attendance among Christians is continuing to drop. As a result, the Church has lost her voice and many Christians have lost their way.

One might be tempted to say “I don’t need church.”

“Do we?”

This passage, answers that very question for a group of Christians tempted to stop attending and perhaps gives the answer for us today.

Let us pray:

Dear heavenly Father, we thank you for your word and for your Son, without whom we would not have a certain expectation of eternal life with you - our savior and Messiah. Help us, I pray, to see the wisdom from Hebrews in continuing to remain in fellowship and relationship with Christians in these dark and evil times. We thank you and praise you. IN Jesus name. Amen.

Verses 23-25 (NKJV)

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching.

Dear heavenly Father, we thank you for your word and for your Son, without whom we would not have a certain expectation of eternal life with you - our savior and promised Messiah. Help us, I pray, to see the wisdom from Hebrews in continuing to remain in fellowship and relationship with Christians in these dark and evil times. We thank you and praise you. IN Jesus name. Amen.

Remembering

Let’s now examine the text to see what the author has for us today.

The New King James Version Chapter 10

let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

The New King James Version Chapter 10

19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22

Assembling for prayer

Corporate prayer is fundamental

Assembling together is important

To better understand the Jewish-Christian perspective who better to explain the significances than a Messianic Jewish Scholar, Dr. Stuart Sacks. In his book, Hebrews Through a Hebrew’s Eyes: Hope in the Midst of a Hopeless World, he explains some of the background that makes this passage more significant.

According to Dr. Sacks, traditionally Jewish men would wait for a quorum of ten men to pray. The significance of gathering together to pray strengthened the bonds between them. Nothing is more important than this togetherness. For Christians, even two or more praying together () is significant.

Even today, Christians seek other to pray with when in need of prayer. Corporate prayer is fundamental part of our worship experience - praying alone does not replace it.

This new power in prayer would have been further strengthened by the understanding of boldness to enter the Holy of Holies through Jesus. This gave them an access to God they will never obtain through a human High Priest.

In fact we now have the ability to approach God without fear something even the High Priest could not do. Christ has done the work - cleansed us, purified us, sanctified us through His death.

Assembling for our witness

In our text, the author reminds his readers that assembling together is important. So why were these Christians prone to not fellowship together? For some of the same reasons, if we are honest, that we sometimes fail to attend church.

Other places are more comfortable. For us, it may be an extra hour or two of sleep, or an outing with friends . Have you ever been tempted to do something else instead of attending church? I have.

Perhaps these new believers had some friends or family encouraging them to return to the synagogue. There was a real pressure to go back to the Jewish faith as they practiced it before because it was familiar and accepted instead of remaining in the Messianic faith they had now observed and professed.

With the pressures that they faced , social and military, there was a real temptation to return to the safety and comfort of the familiar. It is hard to be different!

I can remember the day well. It was one of the most lonely days of my life. After a long bus ride the driver stopped and opened the door.

A man in a brown hat was yelling to quickly exit the bus. I stood shoulder to shoulder with other men and women I didn’t know trying hard to understand the commands through his unfamiliar hispanic accent.

The day I had prepared for six weeks earlier had arrived. I wanted to be here. Yet it was foreign, unknown. I longed for the familiarity of home.

I wanted to leave, but I stayed because I believed in the reason I was there - to be a soldier. To leave would betray my oath. I also had Christ with me.

In the barracks, I found a “few good men” who were Christian to associate with in that environment. We attended church services together and prayed together. Remembering Christ through that trial and assembling with other Christians empowered me to complete basic and move on to a military day job.