Don’t Do It Alone - No Empty Word

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25, NLT)

A feast is not meant to be consumed alone. I heard a pastor say, “Our time with God should be personal but never private.” We were not meant to study in isolation. Yes, we need personal Bible study time, but we also need to gather in community. We need a place to wrestle the hard questions and have the hard conversations with the Scripture between us. Yes, you could study on your own and get some good stuff, but what you gain in community is gold.

We are called to gather. The author of Hebrews says don’t neglect to do it, and he gives two reasons community is so important. The first one is that we “stir one another up toward love and good works.” Other versions say “spur” or “provoke.” The Greek word for stir literally means an “irritation”; it’s this idea of rubbing one to action. It’s an irritant that causes someone to respond. I would call this accountability. It’s not a negative; it’s a good kind of irritant.

Think of an old piece of furniture. Before it can be restored, it must first be sanded. The gunk that is built up would keep the paint from sticking or looking smooth. As the sandpaper rubs against the wood, it leaves a smooth surface. The same goes for us. The rub of accountability helps us look more like Jesus. Community helps us see our blind spots and know where we need to grow. When it comes to Bible study, it’s also an added layer of confirmation so that we know we are interpreting correctly.

The second call to action is “encouraging one another.” This is more than just us cheering each other on and saying, “Good job! Way to go! You’re doing great! Hang in there!” The Greek word for encourage is the same Greek word used in The Beatitudes in Matthew 5:4 where Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (emphasis mine).

This word encourage not only means “to exhort” and “to encourage,” but “to comfort.” It comes from two root words meaning “up close” and “to.” It means to be up close and personal with one another. We cannot do this at a distance, and I’m not talking about physical distance. We cannot be emotionally and spiritually distant from each other. We must be in each other’s lives. We must keep showing up for each other. We must be vulnerable and authentic with one another.

Why is it so important to know God’s truth, study the Bible, and gather in community to discuss it? Because it keeps us from becoming hardened. Encouragement and accountability help us stay on the right track. Earlier in Hebrews, the author quotes a portion of Psalm 95. It tells the tale of the wilderness wandering and warns us what can happen if we do not keep our hearts softened toward God and His Word:

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” (Hebrews 3:12-15, ESV)

Sin is a liar. It always overpromises and underdelivers. It cannot fill the deepest longings of your heart. It will lead you astray. And not just off God’s path, but away from God Himself!

It has always struck me that when the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, they could literally see the power of God guiding them daily in a pillar of cloud and nightly in a pillar of fire. They witnessed the split of the Red Sea, the defeat of enemy after enemy, bitter water made sweet, water from a rock, manna falling from heaven, miraculous healing, His glory in the Tabernacle, and so much more. And still, they walked away. Their legacy throughout all of Scripture is a people who go astray.

Take It a Step Further:

Let’s not be like that. We must know Scripture. We must make the commitment every day. We must get up close and personal with each other and ask the hard questions. We must continue to encourage one another. We must do it to keep ourselves from becoming hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Today. Every day. Gather. Encourage. Discuss. Comfort. Stir up. Pray. Learn. Grow.

Prayer: