Building Each Other Up
Notes
Transcript
Scripture
Scripture
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,
25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Introduction
Introduction
A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday or Saturday
He wrote: "I've gone for 30 years now, and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons, but for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time, the preachers and priests are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all".
This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column.
Much to the delight of the editor, it went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:
*"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.*
*Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"*
Today I want to speak to us a little today about building each other up
We are living in some really trying times right now and within these times of adversity there is also great opportunity for the Church today
You hear the saying - TIME FOR THE CHURCH TO BE THE CHURCH
Well we have reached to that time
I speak to many people who at times are not part of any church and they have many reasons why
A lot of people today are not part of a church even though they call themselves Christians because they find it does not really add any value to them
I know a lot of people expereince church hurt and they stop going to any church
Some would say I aint stepping foot in any church again
Being part of a church has its challenges just like every area of life eg work, school, family
However in these times we are living in - we need people to be there for us; to encourage us in these trying times
We the church have this opportunity to build each other up
The world says we needs to social distance from each other and while that is true - we live in a day and age of technolgy where we can build each other up virtuallly as we are doing right now
The people in our congregrations and even the world are looking for us to offer some measure of hope in these dark days we are living in
Oh how I miss Sister Maria during this time
She would have been encouraging all of us at this time to Hold on, To Be Strong and to know that we are blessed
We need to follow her example especially during this time
Men are scared, men are fearful, The future does not look good
Many people listening to my voice right now are out of a job, a lot of people are sick, and we also have to be very careful what we are feeding ourselves right now
All of these videos - doom and gloom
Diandra sharing some funny videos at times
We have to be careful what we share cause it affects people’s spirits
People need hope, people need encouragement , people looking for someone to build them up and not destroy them
It is very easy to beat down each other but it is harder at times to build each other up
My challenge for you today is to build up someone who is going through something
CXC is coming up , SEA is coming up people are being anxious at this times
Parents and children alike
The covid cases not getting any better and there is cause for concern
A lot of people are suffering silently .
That should not be the case. We are here to build each other up.
Not tear them down at this time.
WHERE IS THE LOVE?
LET US BE A PEOPLE WHO WILL BUILD EACH OTHER AND NOT BLAST EACH OTHER
In this portion of Scripture we see 3 Let Us
Let us Consider
Let us Consider
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,
It starts off with us being considerate of other people
Now here is where the challenge lies for all of us
In order for me to consider others I need to let go of my ego
Most of the time we only think about ourselves
My problems, my issues, my goals.....
We are only focused on ourselves that we miss out on others
The scripture says we ought to be thinking of ways to spur one another
The KJV translates it as
Hebrews 10:24 (KJV 1900)
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
It uses the word provoke and I know many of us when we hear the word provoke we think yea
That is easy
It real easy to provoke people and get them vex
But thats not what it means here
We are to stimulate them strongly in 2 areas
It says we need to spur one another in 2 areas - love and good deeds
These are 2 areas and 2 marks of every christian - We need to be seen as people who are loving and also people who do good works
LOVE
The Bible says we shall know we are Christians by our Love!!
This is the first key trait we need to be spuring each other on
If you see brethren in the church not showing love, you need to spur them on to love
Push them in the right direction
Let them see the need for love
We in a time right now where we really need to show love
Times are hard and people are struggling. They need to know that they are loved.
WE are to act lovingly towards other believers
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools – Martin Luther King Jr
GOOD DEEDS
Good works and doing good to people is also very important
WE ought to be doing good to people during this time
If we call ourselves believers but we only doing wrong deeds we need to check ourselves
WE need to do good deeds
If we see people not doing that then your job is to spur them on to good deeds
Thats not just the job of the pastors and leaders - you can spur them on
Let us Congregate
Let us Congregate
25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
one major way the author of hebrews points out for us to build each other up is by us coming together
Coming together is one of the many ways we can encourage each other
While we are physcially distanced at this time - we do meet virtually every week
God is still doing great things vortually
Church has not shut down - Church is not closed down
The location has just moved
All of us right now with the comfort of technology can meet with God’s people from the comfort of your homes
Rowley has not stopped churches . He has not stopped us from congregating but has just moved where we can congrdgate
WE are meeting online and God is doing amazing things online
People are now viewing our services and visiting our services - people who would never come to our buildings
They are coming and not only are they coming they are being built up when they come out to our services
Every time we gather we have the opportunity to build each other up
Everyone who preaches, who cheers, who sings or whatever - we need to see it as an oppoprtunity to build one another
Sometimes that little something you do for someone in the service - it goes a long way.
You might tell a joke and that brigthens someones day. You might play a song and that song ministers to somone....
You might get to preach and you may share all kinds of things but 1 thing in that message could make a difference in the life of someone who needed to hear that.....
It may not be everything but that 1 things could be what that person needed to hear
And that 1 line you said could be the difference between life and death for someone
Hbrews says some people have made it a habit of not gathering
They had vatious reasons e.g persecutions etc
But when you going through a hard time that is when you need to be more in the Presence of God’s people
For support and for encouragement
Right now people need the support and encouragement more than ever
WE may not be able to meet in the room but we can meet on the Zoom
If there are people whom you know have given up on meeting - why not give them a call this week
Semd them a messsage
Find out how they are going
Great things happens when we meet together
When you make Jesus your Saviour you need to be a functioning part of the church
Your ability and your gifts are unique and it helps to build each of us up
My story of church
Dad use to bribe me for KFC
GOD FATHER
BE A functioning part of the church and be a blessing to people
Martin Luther spoke of this when he confided, “At home in my own house there is no warmth or vigor in me, but in the church when the multitude is gathered together, a fire is kindled in my heart and it breaks its way through.”
Hebrews (Living by Faith / 10:19–39)
Believers also must not give up meeting together. Some Christians (then as well as today) were in the habit of not going to the church meetings. For whatever reason, these believers were trying to survive on their own. This individualistic attitude is prevalent today, as well. God did not design Christians to be completely independent of each other, however; he designed believers to need and encourage each other. To withdraw from corporate strength is to invite disaster, like a soldier in battle who lags behind the rest of his platoon and becomes an easy target.
If you want to grow and be strengtheded as a Christians
Hebrews Living by Faith / 10:19–39
• Don’t go it alone. You have been called to participate in a wonderful “body,” the church, a large group of brothers and sisters.
• Don’t try to squeeze it in. Worship should be a top priority.
• Don’t rationalize when you skip church. Worshiping God with the body of believers cannot be substituted with personal study or watching a church service on television. Of course, physical limitations could keep you from attending a worship service. If so, ask some believers to come to your home for personal fellowship.
Joel Osteen or TD Jakes nit going to visit you or call you if you get sick.
I came across this illustraton about church memebership
Here’s something to think about.
Football in the fall. Basketball in the winter. Baseball in the spring and summer. This pastor has been an avid sports fan all his life. But I've had it! I quit this sports business once and for all. You can't get me near one of those places again. Want to know why...
• Every time I went, they asked me for money.
• The people with whom I had to sit didn't seem very friendly.
• The seats were too hard and not at all comfortable.
• I went to many games, but the coach never came to call on me.
• The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.
• I suspected that I was sitting with some hypocrites -- they came
to see their friends and what others were wearing rather than to see the game.
• Some games went into overtime, and I was late getting home.
• The band played some numbers that I had never heard before.
• It seems that the games are scheduled when I want to do other things.
• I was taken to too many games by my parents when I was growing up.
I don't want to take my children to any games, because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.
That’s silly isn’t it? Yet, those are the same kinds of excuses people use for not coming to church. Church is far more important than any ball game has ever been. We need to stow our excuses, and just admit that our hearts are not where they need to be with the Lord. We need to repent of our sin of not attending His house, and get back to where we need to be: the house of God!
Let us Encourage
Let us Encourage
I think 1 of the reasons why we don’t see a lot of people in church is because they are not encouraged to come out
This is one area where all of us may need to do better in
Jesus is coming soon
We need to encourage each other to come out
Serve the Lord together , Be there for each other
We need to encourage those are already coming to keep on coming
WE need to encourage those who are staying away to come join us
It may mean having to show them how to download Zoom, how to get online
How to mute and unmute themselves etc
I remember last year i had to have some 1 on ones with church people concerning Zoom
Not just our church people - people from other churches to wanted my help
This is a time where we need to encourage each other
All of us go through sad times and bad times
Even the leaders in the churches need someone to encourage them at times
Sometimes when you are a leader you get so accustomed to givng that you dont know how to receive
But even you need at times people to encourage you and build you up
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Let us stop blasting each other and start building each other
People need to be built up during this time
We are resposnible for each other .
If somone is hurting we ought to hurt you, if someone is rejoicing we ought to rejoice to.
You know we need to get rid of this jealousy and bitterness we may have at this time.
If you are a person who is struggling at this time - don’t throw talk or blast someone who may be doing well....
Let’s assume you are without a job right now and you hear of a brother or a sister who get promoted in their job during this tine - dont bash them
Be happy for them
Encourage them to share what they have with other
Be an encourager to everyone
COVID AND OXYGEN
Encouragement is oxygen to to soul
Hebrews Vol 1&2—An Anchor for the Soul Encouragement
Journalist Robert Maynard related the following story from his childhood in The New York Daily News: As a young boy Maynard was walking to school one day when he came upon an irresistible temptation. In front of him was a fresh piece of gray cement—a piece that had replaced a broken piece of sidewalk. He immediately stopped and began to scratch his name in it. Suddenly he became aware that standing over him with a garbage can lid was the biggest stone mason he had ever seen!
Maynard tried to run, but the big man grabbed him and shouted, “Why are you trying to spoil my work?” Maynard remembers babbling something about just wanting to put his name on the ground. A remarkable thing happened just then. The mason released the boy’s arms, his voice softened, and his eyes lost their fire. Instead there was now a touch of warmth about the man. “What’s your name, son?”
“Robert Maynard”
“Well, Robert Maynard, the sidewalk is no place for your name. If you want your name on something, you go into that school. You work hard and you become a lawyer and you hang your shingle out for all the world to see.”
Tears came to Maynard’s eyes, but the mason was not finished yet. “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“A writer, I think.”
Now the mason’s voice burst forth in tones that could be heard all over the schoolyard. “A writer! A writer! Be a writer. Be a real writer! Have your name on books, not on this sidewalk”
Robert Maynard continued to cross the street, paused, and looked back. The mason was on his knees repairing the damage that Maynard’s scratching had done. He looked up and saw the young boy watching and repeated, “Be a writer.”
There is amazing power in an encouraging word. You and I can change a life with a kind word
Encouragement goes a long way
Conclusion
Conclusion
I shared we can build each other up by Considering each other, Congregating and not staying away and also by encouraging each other
Some practical things we can do :-
Pray - Prayer is something that we all need. Especially during this time we need people praying for us. Just recently I was going throgh a little something and had to ask for some prayers. Prayer is one of the best priveleges we have out there. ROWLEY AND HIS DAY OF PRAYER . We should not reach the level of pride where we say nobody can pray for me. The best thing you can do for me right now is pray. Pray does wonders, prayer brings miracles
Our words as in Eph 4:29 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen
Our Words have power to give life and to bring death. How often have we hurt people or been hurt by people because of words
3. God’s Word - Of course, the Word of God is our basic primer for love and good deeds. When we internalize it, allowing God’s Word to flow through us, we become conduits of its virtues and are gentle examples and provokers of grace.
Hughes, R. K. (1993). Hebrews: an anchor for the soul (Vol. 2, p. 36). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Wayne Smith tells a story about a man who was an incredible human being. He was one of the founders of the Billy Graham crusade. He was known for his encouragement and sacrifice. He was a well known author and preacher He also was an incredible swimmer. One summer he vacationed on swoon lake in New York. Which as I understand is a rather huge lake. He was on a boat with about 12 other people and it was getting dark when the boat took a sharp turn and 2 teenage girls fell overboard. Without even stopping to take off his shoes Dawson Trotman age 56 immediately jumped in after them. Because it was so dark no one thought he would find the girls but he found one and managed to pull her over to the boat where the people pulled her up. After that Dawson went down again and almost miraculously found the other girl she was pulled into the boat and when they went to reach for his hand to pull him in, it was gone.
The church of the open door in Colorado Springs in was where Billy Graham had the funeral service. It was the biggest funeral that town had ever seen. The media was there everybody had a story. But I think time magazine had it best. On the cover there was a picture of Dawson Trotman with a caption about what he had done and these four big words across the front of the magazine: Always holding somebody up”
Who are you holding up?