Join us this week as we focus on generosity in our Presence. Hebrews 10:24-25 talks to us about being together. As Christians, we were never meant to experience the Christian life on our own but rather in community with each other.
We need each other in the body of Christ, and so Christian fellowship is an important theme throughout the Scriptures. We have to ask ourselves the question do we have Generosity in Our presence? In other words are we committed to showing up and being a part of the Christian community? This week let’s take a look at two commands from Hebrews 10:24-25 and see what they can teach us about the importance of Christian Presence. Join us for The Generous Life: Presence.
What’s the difference between Halloween, All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day and Days of the Dead?
Everybody knows the secular holiday of Halloween. But not everybody knows it derives from a holy day, All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1, which is followed by All Souls’ day on Nov. 2.
al.com
PJ Pondering: But what truly makes a saint? Is it what they did? Or did they have extraordinary courage or special powers? Or is it really the fact that they were present and listening to the will of God and willing to risk for the family of God?
11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
Ephesians 4:11-12
18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,
Ephesians 1:18
PJ Pondering: The question we have to ask is do we have Generosity in Our presence? In other words, are we committed to showing up and being a part of the Christian community on more than Sundays?
Do we believe in the importance of Christians getting together on a regular basis for intentional prayer, Bible study, and mutual support?
PJ Point: As Christians, we were never meant to experience the Christian life on our own but rather in community with each other. We learned several years ago through one of my favorite movies The WAY. In fact, many aspects of the Christian life cannot be put into practice on our own. Guess how many “one another” commands are there in the Bible?
DYK?: The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish believers who were in danger of turning their backs on their Christian faith and going back to their old ways before Christ. Hebrews tells us that Christian fellowship is one of the primary resources God has given us as Christians to help us stand strong in our faith.
There’s no such thing as Lone Ranger Christianity. We won’t make it on our own. We need each other to cling to Jesus.
~John Piper
PJ Point: The first command is this: motivate one another to love and good works.
24 And let us consider each other carefully for the purpose of sparking love and good deeds.
Hebrews 10:24
DYK?: There are actually two commands tucked away in this verse: the command “to consider”. The word translated “consider” is a word that means “ to think about it very carefully.” So, when we come across this word in Scripture, we need to pause and think very carefully about whatever comes next.
DYK?: The word translated sparking “spur on” is also translated “stir up” or “motivate” or “provoke” one another. It’s a word that usually appears in a negative way. But the main meaning is to have a strong reaction to something, and that’s what Hebrews 10:24 is getting at here. When we provoke or spur one another on toward love and good deeds, we are trying to motivate one another forward in our faith.
PJ Point: What Hebrews 10:24 tells us first is that when we experience true Christian fellowship with each other that we have the opportunity to motivate one another to love and good works. These things don’t happen in isolation from other believers but only when we engage in intentional, purposeful Christian discipleship.
PJ Point: So first we should motivate one another to love and good works, and then second, we should meet together regularly.
25 Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:25
PJ Point: This verse encourages us to keep meeting together as believers and warns us about not doing it. There is a profound truth that some of us have not discovered yet. You and I need to understand that Good Shepherd isn’t the same when we’re not here. One of the most important habits you will ever develop in life is the holy habit of meeting regularly with other Christians for worship and discipleship.
20 For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.
1 Corinthians 6:20
PJ Point: Inertia can sink us into bad habits of not going to church rather than the good habit of going to church regularly. If you make a commitment that you’re part of the family and you’re not going to miss an opportunity to take part in what happens, you will end up with a much better track record. I think that often we miss the grand picture of life when we are so centered on only us. We forget as Christians we are part of something so much larger than ourselves.
PJ Point: Now there is a difference between presence and attendance. You can be somewhere physically without actually being their emotionally, spiritually or psychologically. It is only when we are really present that we can be of use to someone else. When we are only physically present we may actually do more harm than good.
PJ Point: But I believe this verse also speaks about meeting together regularly for Christian fellowship in smaller groups. Because once again, we have a “one another” command tucked away in there. “Let us not give up meeting together … but let us encourage one another.” And we can only do that if we have involved in Christian discipleship as well as worship.
PJ Point: A biblically based disciple-making small group has to have three things: 1) It is a place where shepherding takes place. Ezekiel 34:2-5 stresses the shepherd strengthens the weak. Heal the sick. Help with struggles. Pray and reach for those who are drifting.
- It is a place where shepherding takes place. Ezekiel 34:2-5 stresses the shepherd strengthens the weak. Heal the sick. Help with struggles. Pray and reach for those who are drifting.
- A place where real teaching takes place with questioning, modeling and stories and where people can really learn to understand scripture and use it wisely in their lives. But remember this is not a teacher teaching and everyone passively listening.
It is the Word of God along with the Spirit of God and the people of God that are the three primary components of affecting life change. - A place where authenticity and accountability go hand in hand and are encouraged. This was the secret to the extreme growth of the Methodist church. John Wesley had three levels of organizing people. There was the society-corporate worship then there were weekly class meetings small groups of mixed gender gatherings ( D-Groups). And then were the bands-more intimate same-gender gatherings to mature in the faith (B- Groups).
The emergence of religious movements is probably the perfect example of a social epidemic
One of the things that fascinate me about the rise of Methodism is the role played by John Wesley, the movement’s founder and the one responsible for its extraordinary spread. His travel schedule was phenomenal: he basically spent forty years on a horse, going around and infecting people with the idea of Methodism and then — importantly — creating small groups that kept the infection alive.
theatlantic.com
Final Point: We have a responsibility to carry on the great tradition, the heritage of those who came before us and pass it along to the next generation. We have received a glorious inheritance that demands us to be present fully in the family of God.
When we get together as a church family then we can teach each other, we can learn from each other, we can encourage each other, and we can help lift each other up.
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