MPC, 14th September 2003.Hebrews 10:19-25 - "Encouragement"
Dan Bigg
MPC, 14th September 2003.
Remember that TV show that used to be on a few years back called Where are they now? I forget which channel it was on, but they used to do interviews of former superstars. They'd show you what they were doing and what happened to them. It was an interesting show, because so often you do wonder what happens to former heroes. Sometimes they just seem to disappear altogether don't they. So many of the stars seem really promising to start with and then they just burn out and are gone and forgotten.
Does any one here remember Brad Backer or John Lang? I'm just checking to see if we've got any die hard footy fans here. They were both footy greats. In 1980 they were part of the Queensland State of Origin team. The very first State of Origin game. But where are they now? They're gone. These days, almost nobody remembers them. I wouldn't have known who they were except that there's a Web site called www.fogs.com.au. That stands for Former Origin Greats. And that sums it up, doesn't it, while they're playing footy everyone knows them, but when they give up playing the game they disappear.
Movie stars and singers are the same. who remembers Lief Garrett or Shakin' Stevens? You might remember them if you were a teenager at the time when they were all the rage. They were huge. They were teen idols. But where are they now? They've faded away.
We talk about one hit wonders, don't we? How big was Acky Breaky Heart a few years back? I think Billy Rae Cyrus takes the cake when it comes to one hit wonders because he just hasn't produced anything else since then. So many famous people start out so strong and fizzle away to nothing. They disappear. Never to be seen again.
But it's not just a percentage of superstars that don't seem to finish what looked so promising at the start, is it? It's life. We get all enthused about things, don't we? And then it gets too hard, or we slowly lose interest and finally we give up on the idea altogether. But isn't it really sad when you see people who seem to be really excited about Christian things going that way and giving up on Christianity. Maybe you know of some of your friends or people in your family who've gone cold on Christianity and given up. Jesus no longer means much to them. They don't take him seriously. It's sad isn't, it? Seeing people giving up on Jesus. Sometimes it's because they run into a rough patch in their life. Or Jesus gets crowded out of their life because they get to caught up doing other things. Or a new interest drags them away. Whatever the reason they give up and go off and do their own thing.
Today we're looking at the fourth of our church core values. And it's all about encouraging one another - so we don't become has-beens. So we don't drift off. And give up. But rather so that we keep on going. And keep on growing in our Christian life. Have a look at it there. It's printed on the inside of your service sheet. And it says, We value one another and seek to encourage one another to grow in Christian matunity in everything we do. That's a nice concise way of summing up what the New Testament teaches in many different places. Christianity is all about encouraging each other to grow in our knowledge of Jesus and to live that out in our lives.
We're looking at that little passage in the letter to the Hebrews that I read before. Hebrews 10:19-25. The author of Hebrews seems to be really urging his readers to stick with Christianity and to encourage each other in their faith. Have a look at v23 he tells His readers to hold unswervingly to their faith. If you're swerving all over the place you're not going to stay on the road. You're going to crash.
That's what the author wants to get across to his readers, stick with Jesus, hold unswervingly to the hope you profess. But how are they to do this? How can they stay on track? Well, by being committed to meeting together so that they can encourage one another. Look at v25, Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another. The author wants to persuade his readers to value each other and to encourage each other.
But it doesn't come automatically. It's not easy. It's not a spontaneous action. It says here we're to consider how we can spur each other on. If you've got to consider something then it's not involuntary is it? You know Phil's looking after Maurie's car at the moment while Maurie's away. And Phil was telling me that when he drives Maurie's car he gets caught out because his car's different. The indicator lever's on the left not the right. Now you don't think about your indicators when you're driving, do you? You just do it. But Phil's gotta think. Because if he doesn't consider it, the wipers come on every time he goes to indicate. And swapping between the two cars doesn't help. The poor chap's getting all confused.
But encouraging each other's like that. It just doesn't come automatically. We have to think about it. We have to consider how best to do it. And the writer of the letter says it's tough to do so we've got to help each other. and spur each other on. So we don't swerve all over the road.
V24 says, "Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds." The word translated 'spur' there carries the sense of provoking or stirring. The sort of thing that happens in families all the time. Well it happens in our family all the time and it's usually in the negative, "Mum, Dad, David's teasing me", that sort of thing. If you've got kids you'll know what I mean. But here it's a positive thing.
We're to be urging each other on towards love and good deeds. They're positive things. Love's a positive word.
Do you want a one word summary of the Christian life? It's love. Not the Hollywood perversion of the word but its real meaning. Not self-pleasure but rather the unconditional giving of ourselves for the good of others. That's real love. Jesus dying for us, that's real love. Christian love is being committed to each other. If you love someone you want to be with them, don't you? You want to care for them. You want to see them happy and safe.
That's the sort of attitude that we're to be urging each other on towards. An attitude of real love for each other.
And what's the other thing we're to do? We're to spur one another on towards love and good deeds. What are good deeds? It's not very specific is it? You'd feel a bit silly going around to each other and saying, "I want to encourage you on towards good deeds." We just don't talk like that. But we all do know how to do good deeds, don't we? It's an attitude - a mind set. It's being willing to do things when you see the need. Christians are called to be really good people. But it's tough. isn't it? Selfish thoughts quickly kick in, don't they? "Why should I bother; nobody else does?" "I'm sick and tired of being used and abused." Number one's going to come first. You see, doing good deeds costs a lot. So we need each other's encouragement to keep going.
And what the passage is getting at is that we're to encourage each other on toward good deeds. Are you a muso or a cook or a good listener or a good talker? Do you see any special qualities in others? Then encourage them and help them to figure out how to use those skills and do good deeds in service of others.
How quickly we loose sight of the fact that Christianity is all about each other. It's not a solo sport - it's a team one. We've got to train together. We've got to play together. It's all about bonding and you can't bond if you don't meet regularly for training sessions. You know bonding's a big buzz word these days. I went off to one of Steve Biddoulf's raising boys seminars a while back. And you know, we learnt a lot about bonding. It starts right from the birth. He told us Dads that when your baby boy is born, you have to hold the little chap close to your chest and that way you'll bond with each other because he'll get the smell of you, so don't wear any deodorant or he might bond to Rexona or something instead. But you get the idea. If you don't meet and spend time together you can't get to know each other so you can't really encourage one another. We're family; we need to stick together and work at encouraging each other.
And that's exactly what v25 is saying. Some of these early Christians hadn't cottoned on to the fact that Christianity is all about each other. And it's the one another element that they're really missing. They'd stopped seeing other Christians, stopped meeting regularly together. Take a look at V25, it says, " Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another". Christianity's all about encouraging, not avoiding each other. Meeting together, not flying solo. Some say, you don't have to go to church to be a Christian. That might be true in a way. But why wouldn't you love being part of a church family that was bending over backwards to be encouraging. And encouraging each other is a big part of the reason for why we gather together each week
So how do you think we're going at this? How are we going at encouraging each other as a church family? You know, I've been here since the start of this year. This is an encouraging church. As a family we love it. My kids can't wait to get here on Sundays. I asked Robert why he loved going to church the other day, and first he gave me the religious answer and said, "because we learn about Jesus". But then he went on and said, "and I really love going because Zac's there and Zac's my best mate and I love my teachers. You see it's his friends that make church great for him and he doesn't realise it but because he comes he makes church great for them.
And if church is what it should be, then people will often be saying the same about you!! That they can't wait to get there because someone like you is such a great encouragement. It's good to know, isn't it? We come to encourage each other in love and good works. That's the purpose. That's what we're on about.
But the problem is that we can't encourage each other if we don't come. How often have you come to church hoping to catch up with someone only to find out that they're not here? It's discouraging, isn't it? You know, for the past two weeks I've been doing some research. Collecting some statistics. And the results are a bit discouraging. Both last Sunday and the Sunday before more than a third of us were not here at church. That's one in three people missing. That's really sad. Because most weeks it's the same.
Now I'm sure if I went around and asked those who regularly miss church they'd all have really good reasons for missing. And naturally if you're sick or in prison then you can't come. In that case we'll come to you. But think about it. If you've over committed yourself to other things no matter what they are, by not being here you're causing discouragement. You're letting your Christian family down. People are being disappointed.
The problem is that the people who really need to hear this probably aren't here! So what can we do? Well, have a look around. Who's not here that you would've liked to have caught up with? Make a list, I hope it's not too long. And ring them. Tell them you really missed them. Tell them they missed a really boring message. No, don't do that! Say it was great and encourage them to be here next week. When they really will hear a good one.
Let's encourage one another. Be real. Share openly the struggles you're having in your Christian life. There's nothing more encouraging than knowing others are struggling with the same problems you've got. Lets encourage each other in love and good deeds. Do you see people who are doing heaps around the church but don't get much recognition? Go and tell them you've seen it and that you've been encouraged by their hard work.
How are we going to make the distance? The passage ends by urging us to encourage one another and all the more as we see the Day approaching. Christianity is not s short-term thing. We're to encourage each other until Jesus returns. By valuing one another and by encouraging one another we will make the distance. When Jesus returns where will you be? With those in the limelight who have been regularly and consistently meeting together and encouraging each other in love and good deeds? Or will your name be listed on some Web site labelled Former Enthusiastic Christians? I hope you'll be in the first group.
We've really got to help each other. Life's tough even when the going's good. We need encouragement. We need all the support we can get. Let's stick together and be committed to each other. And let me finish by reading out our fourth core value again. It says, "We value each other and seek to encourage one another to grow in Christian maturity in everything we do."