New Year’s Message; Sunday, December 30, 2012 from Hebrews 10:23-25
Theme: This passage encourages us to renew our commitment in the coming year to meet in the local assembly of believers.
For several years now—on the Sunday just before a new year begins—I have sought to turn our attention to a passage of Scripture that would give us a good challenge for the year to come. I suppose that I do this because I’m accustomed to think of New Year’s Resolutions. I’m thinking that it’s probably a good idea to make them—so long as we really intend to keep them. And today, I’d like to suggest one for our church family that would be very good to keep.
It’s simply this: that we resolve, in the coming year, to renew our commitment to this church family—that we deliberately increase our active relationship with one another, and our service to one another, and our faithfulness to meet together as fellow-followers of Jesus Christ.
And to get us thinking in that direction, I ask that you turn with me to Hebrews 10:23-25; which says;
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 (Hebrews 10:23-25).
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These words were written to Jewish Christians. The term “Jewish Christians” may come as a surprise to some. But the fact is that—at the beginning—all Christians were Jewish. All of the apostles were Jewish. The first Christian church in the world was formed in the city of Jerusalem immediately after the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost. And of course, our Lord Himself was Jewish.
But life was hard for the Jewish Christians that the New Testament book of Hebrews written to. If you were to look down to verses 32-33, you’d see a hint of how hard things were. The writer of this book—we don’t know for certain who it was—said;
But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated (Hebrews 10:32-33).
Early on in their faith, these Jewish Christians were willing to suffer the ridicule and hostility of those around them. They loved the Lord Jesus so much that they declared their devotion to Him publicly—and without being afraid of how their Jewish kinsmen would make fun of them, or display their hostility toward them, or put great pressure on them to fit in with the religious traditions and practices of their people. They stood strong and faithful; and in love for the Lord Jesus and for the people around them, they willingly endured shame and suffering for His name.
But in time, many of them began to weaken. It’s hard when you’re constantly fighting against the tide all of the time. And so, some of them began to be increasingly silent, and to be ‘privatized’ about their Christian faith. Life just seemed to go easier that way. Some of these Jewish believers were beginning to avoid meeting together in the assembly with other Christians; so they wouldn’t have to suffer the cultural disapproval they felt for being associated with the ‘crucified Nazarene’. Some were even tempted to call it quits altogether; and return to their old Judiastic religious patterns and customs and ceremonies—that is, to just ‘go along and get alone’ with the prevailing beliefs and practices of those around them.
The pressures they felt, dear brothers and sisters, were very much like the ones that you and I often feel today. But if you were to read through the book of Hebrews, you’d find several places in which the author—under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit—urged and warned these Jewish Christians not to give-in and abandon their devotion to Jesus.
May I show you a couple of those passages? In Hebrews 2:1-4, for example, he writes;
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Hebrews 2:1-4).
Or consider this one from 3:12-14;
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end . . . (Hebrews 3:12-14).
You can see in these passages that, even though there were great pressures against them, they were encouraged to keep true to the Lord and to the things He called them to do. Consider one of my favorite—one that’s found in Hebrews 12:1-3, right after the great description in chapter 11 of all the Old Testament saints who endured for their faith;
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls (Hebrews 12:1-3).
And among the many words of exhortation that the author of Hebrews gives to these suffering Jewish Christians are the ones we find in our passage this morning. They are words that were meant to encourage these early followers of Jesus not to give-up meeting together; but to stay true to their faith in Jesus and to their commitment to one another—to draw nourishment together from the teaching of the word of God, worshiping together, and encouraging one another with the expectation of the Day of His return.
They are words of encouragement that we who live in these times need very much to here; just like they who lived in their times did. Let me read them to you again—
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 (Hebrews 10:23-25).
This passage provides the New Year’s charge I’d like to offer to you this morning—that in this coming year, we renew and strengthen our commitment to meeting regularly, to worship together joyfully, and to serve faithfully in this church family. Let’s not forsake assembling together!
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So then; how does the writer of Hebrews encourage these early Christians to commit themselves to one another as a gathered assembly? And in the same way, how do these words encourage us today to recommit ourselves to our own church family in the coming year?
I note first that we do so by . . .
1. RENEWING OUR SHARED HOPE IN THE PROMISE OF JESUS’ RETURN.
I have learned that when the Bible gives us a command to follow, it bases that command on theological truth—on doctrinal realities. And here, the doctrinal reality is the promise of the second coming of Jesus Christ. I believe that one of the most important steps we can take toward renewing our own commitment to this church family is for us—as a church—to renew our sense of excitement and anticipation of the Lord’s return; and to learn to live daily in the light of His coming.
You can see this in what the writer of Hebrews says in verse 23. He emphasizes the faithfulness of the Lord to keep His promise: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Our “hope” is the return of the Lord. He promised to return; and He will prove faithful to His promise.
The Bible tells us that one of the ways that unbelieving people will grow hardened in their unbelief in the last days is through scoffing at the idea that Jesus would return;
knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4).
I wonder if one of the reasons some people start to feel that they no longer need to attend church is because they have started to listen to the world too much, and have lost a sense of the hope of Jesus’ return. But we were told that, after Jesus ascended to heaven in the sight of His disciples, two “men in white apparel” were suddenly found standing by them saying,
“Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
Jesus Himself said,
“I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3).
Our Lord made a promise; and He will keep it. So; the writer of Hebrews urges us to renew our hope in our Lord’s faithfulness to keep His promise.
You can see this also in what the writer of Hebrews says in verse 25. He speaks there of “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.” Here, he not only emphasizes the Lord’s faithfulness, but also the nature of the times. We’re to be even more motivated in our fellowship together as we see the signs that His coming is drawing near.
When will the Lord Jesus return? I like what Billy Graham once said—that he didn’t know when it would happen; but that he knew for sure that we are one day closer today than we were yesterday! And now; here we are one year closer! The Lord Jesus Himself taught us to live in a spirit of ‘watchful expectation’ of that day. He said;
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming (Matthew 24:36-42).
If people truly believed what the Lord promised about His return—and that He literally could come at any time—churches would be packed today! So; in renewing our commitment to our church family and our fellowship together, let’s begin by renewing our excitement and anticipation of the Lord’s soon return—both because “He who promised is faithful”, and because we “see the Day approaching”.
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And basing this renewed commitment on the promise of His return, let’s put it into action by . . .
2. RENEWING OUR PRACTICE OF REGULARLY MEETING TOGETHER.
I was reading an article not long ago that suggested a growing problem in churches across our country. Many people who had been regular church members—and who, indeed, consider themselves to be members of a church— have nevertheless, over the past few years, begun to attend fewer times than they used to. Once-a-weekers are increasingly becoming once-every-two-or-three-weekers; and once-every-couple-of-weekers are becoming once-a-monthers. I have to be honest—I even see it happening here in our church, to some degree.
I think this is a prevailing attitude of the times. I suppose we could speculate on the reasons why this is happening—and maybe we could “scold” one another about it. Maybe we could even set some kind of standard; and say, “Be at church so-many weeks out of the month”. But I don’t think that’s the best thing to do. Instead, I think that the thing to do would be to let this passage speak for itself; and let the Holy Spirit stir-up within each of us individually a renewed commitment to church attendance according to His will.
Look at the motives He sets before us in this passage. The first is a matter of love for one another. In verse 24, the writer of Hebrews says, “let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.” The idea there is that we give regard to how we might spur one another on in our service to the Lord. Like Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:14;
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all (1 Thessalonians 5:14).
Now; there’s just no way for us to do that—no way for us to “consider one another” in such a way as to “stir up” one another—unless we truly are actually with each other. And so; in verse 25, the writer of Hebrews gives us another motive and makes it a matter of faithfulness. He writes of “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some . . .” (v. 25).
I believe we should treat this matter very carefully. I have grown to appreciate that there are some people who we don’t see in church for a while because—for causes that are largely out of their control—they just can’t do it. There may be lots of reasons for this; and I believe we should do our best to be patient and understanding in those cases. We shouldn’t assume that someone is not coming to church because they are not walking any longer with the Lord or because they no longer love God’s people; because that’s very often not true at all. We should never say that such people have “forsaken” the body of Christ.
But we also need to recognize that there are some people who cease actively fellowshipping with the body of Christ because they never were really a part of the body in the first place. The apostle John wrote about this. In a very disturbing passage, he said;
Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us (1 John 2:18-19).
As an aside, dear brothers and sisters, let me offer a warning. Beware of the teachers, and authors, and conference speakers who are going around today and are saying that the local church is an outdated idea; and that it is no longer necessary to go to church to be a truly spiritual Christian. Some of them are even saying that you will be a better Christian if you stop going to church, or disassociate yourself from any form of what they call “organized religion”. I’ll say it frankly; teachers who turn people away from the local assembly of the saints are not teachers from God. They themselves have ceased going to any church because they—quite often—have wandered away from the basic doctrines of the faith, and no longer want to be held accountable for the things they teach.
We’re not to be like them. We are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. And this is for a very good and very practical reason—a third motive. The writer of Hebrews sets before us the matter of our genuine need for each another; and goes on to say, “but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (v . 25).
The closer we are to the day of the Lord’s return, the more urgently we need to be together—to exercise our spiritual gifts to the benefit of one another; to meet one another’s practical needs; to encourage one another and counsel one another from the Scriptures; correct one another when we are wrong; to admonish one another to rise up and do the things that our Lord calls us to do; to lock arms with one another and declare together the message of the gospel; to worship with each other and to turn one another’s attention to the Lord . . .
There are so very many reasons why the Lord has given us to one another! We truly need to meet together often! Biblical Christianity is fundamentally a “one another” kind of faith.
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This leads us to a final point that we find in this passage. We should renew our commitment to this church family by . . .
3. RENEWING OUR SENSE OF MINISTRY TO ONE ANOTHER.
None of us can live independently from the body of Christ anymore than a single body-part can live independently from the rest of the body. We absolutely need to be connected to each other; because our Lord has designed that our growth in Him be derived from the body, and because we have a life-giving, growth-promoting duty to perform to one another.
Look at how the writer of Hebrews emphasizes this. First, he emphasizes it with regard to our doctrine. He told these suffering Jewish Christians, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering” (v. 23). We need to be connected to one another to encourage one another in the word, to be taught together and by one another, and to admonish one another to stay true to what God has said. Particularly in this context, we need to help each other to keep our eyes on the Day of the Lord’s return; and not “waver” from our hope in Him.
And second, he emphasizes our ministry to one another with regard to our duty. He told these early Christians to consider one another ““in order to stir up love and good works” (v. 24). We have a commandment from our Lord to love one another. And we have a commandment from Him to even love our enemies. We are to do good to one another and to those that God places in our path. We need to be with each other so that we can learn to be like Jesus to one another and to the people of this world.
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There’s a great passage in 1 Peter that sums this up. In 1 Peter 4:7, the apostle Peter started of by telling us that the Day of the Lord is coming. The end of this age is drawing near. He wrote that “the end of all things is at hand . . .”
Sounds pretty ominous, doesn’t it? And what would you suppose he would tell us to do about it? Run and hide? Get into our shelters? Cancel all appointments and check out of life? No; he doesn’t say any of those things. And he especially does not say that we should give up on church life. Far from it! In fact, what he tells us to do is to commit ourselves to our church life even more! He writes,
But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:7-11).
Dear brothers and sisters; in this coming new year—one year closer to the return of the Lord than the year before—let’s renew our shared sense of hope together in the promise of His coming. Let’s be eager and excited about that Day. And let’s make an even greater commitment to meet together in the light of that hope—not forsaking our assembling together. And in doing so, let’s renew our commitment to serve one another—establishing one another in our hope, and serving one another in love.
Let’s renew our commitment to ‘us’.