This passage tells us 2 things: (1) we need the church; (2) the church needs us to play our part.
You cannot live a good Christian life all by yourself. We need to be part of a community called the church. This is even more so, the Bible says, as "we see the Day approaching." We are drawing closer to the day of Christ’s return; therefore we cannot “give up meeting together.”
You and I cannot be on our own. We need the church. We need to be a part of this community. My spiritual “well-being” is a community thing.
Verse 19 tells us we are encouraged to draw close to God. Through Jesus Christ, we come to know God and we are encouraged to enter into His presence. We "draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith."
And then verse 23 says we can hold on tightly to the hope we have, because God is faithful.
What more do we need? The requirements did not stop here. The Bible says we do need something more.
Verses 24-25 tell us what we need: “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
It is very clear here - besides having personal faith and hope, we need to meet together. We need to do this even more today, because we’re nearer to the day of His return. We need the church community, to help us stay strong and faithful to God.
It is not dispensable. It is God-ordained environment for us to grow. We need brothers and sisters-in-Christ to encourage us, to help us, to pray with us - we need to love another and do good deeds together, the Bible says.
There is no substitute for this. There is no such thing as a solo Christian. There are many things you can do on your own, but to grow strong in your spiritual life - that you cannot do it on your own. We need each other. We need each other on a regular, deliberate basis.
What is a brick made for? It is used to build houses. If you see one lying on the ground, then it is not used for its intended purpose. It may be a very good brick, but it is a good-for-nothing brick. It is useless, because a brick is meant to work together with other bricks to form a wall or house.
If you are a Christian without a church, you’re just like a brick not attached to the house. You are not really serving your purpose. We are actually living contrary to the life that Christ expects us to live. It is through the church that you are able to stay strong and do God’s work in this world today.
It’s difficult to freeze stirred-up water because molecules in motion produce friction - heart. So water that is moving won’t freeze easily. Prov 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Only in the community called the church can we stay fervent and strong.
THE BURNING EMBER
A pastor went to see a member who very seldom attended church. The man presented the usual argument that he could worship just as well at home and be a good Christian. He really didn’t need the church.
The two men were sitting in front of a burning fireplace. The pastor reached over while the man was talking and took out a burning ember. In just a few minutes, the ember had lost its heat and grown cold.
He said to the man, "My friend, that is what is happening in your life. As soon as you isolate yourself away from the church, the fire goes out."
Do you see now how important a church is to you? Do you know how important it is to meet together?
We treasure Chinese New Year reunions. We make extra efforts to get back home, even for those who are overseas. It’s the family get-together. If one or two family members missed the reunion, and you do not know why - never called, just did show up - will the family be worried, will they be sad? Yes, most likely.
How much more this spiritual family? We are going to be together for eternity to come. Therefore whether I come to church or not is everybody’s business. Not just the pastors, although they ought to have the greater responsibility. But the Bible says here very clearly, it everybody’s business. You have a part to play, and I have a part to play.
The Bible tells us one clear reason why we meet together - to encourage one another. The emphasis is not on what we can get from the assembly, but rather on what we can contribute to it. It’s not about self. It’s about others. If we only focus on self when we come to church, that perspective is not correct. We are told to spur one another, to encourage one another. When we come to church, we should be thinking of someone else.
Who is not here today? Where is the sister who used to sit beside me in worship? How is my brother today, I heard he was sick last week. Is my pastor doing well?
At Christmas time, children will think about gifts. They’ll ask, "What do I get this Christmas? What will my SS teacher buy for me? Will my parents give me the toy car I love so much?" For children, they think only about getting gifts. It’s only when we get older, that we focus on giving. Christmas is about buy gifts for others. We ask, "Who do I want to give? What should I buy?"
If only children celebrate Christmas, no one would get anything. Everyone would be sitting around waiting to see what he or she is going to get. The Bible says this is not what we’re going to do when we gather as a church. If everyone comes only to get something for themselves, we will most likely go away disappointed. But if we come together to give, we will all receive. If we come together to encourage, we will all be encouraged. If we come together to build up, we will all be edified.
The church is like a body, Paul says in 1 Cor 12. We are so closely connected, that when "one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it." (1 Cor 12:26). Have we come to that stage?
In order words, bros/sis, if you take the church lightly, you are affecting more people than yourself.
SEE IT THIS WAY
If your car once every 10 times, would you consider it good?
If they deliver newspaper to your house but missed a day or two a month, would that be fine?
If you didn’t show up at work two or three times a month, would your boss call you faithful?
If your refrigerator quit a day now and then, would you excuse it and say, "Oh, well, it works most of the time."
If your water heater gives you with cold water one or two days a month, would you be happy?
If you miss worship and attend meetings only often enough to show you’re interested but not often enough to get involved, are you faithful? Would the Lord be pleased?
WHICH SIDE I’M ON
Every Sunday morning without fail an elderly man could be seen walking to church. Everyone in the block knew he was deaf, unable to hear a word of the congregational hymns, the choir music, or the sermon. A cynical neighbour wrote him a note, "Why do you spend your Sundays in church when you can’t hear a word?"
He answered, "I want my neighbours to know which side I’m on!"
Conclusion:
TUG OF WAR
We play tug of war. The team that is able to pull the other team over their side wins. Each member must pull with his or her strength and body weight. We are all different - some stronger, some weaker; some fat some thin; but all must put their strength and weight in. It doesn’t matter whether your contribution is big or small, if you really want to win, everyone matters. And you have to stay on it together.
That’s the picture of the church. We are given different talents and gifts. But we’re going to serve together, and to hang in there until Jesus comes. It is important therefore that we "do not give up meeting together" and each time we meet, we come to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds" (v.24) and "encourage one another" (v.25).
Ask this question: "To whom am I giving encouragement today or this week, by my presence, my actions and my words?"
