Co-Mission sermons

Please take a seat. And if you have a Bible, please open it up to Hebrews chapter 10. And I'm gonna be reading from verse 19. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 19. Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the most holy placed by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way open for us through the curtain that is his body And since we have a great priest over the House of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart.

And with the full assurance that faith brings. Having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur 1 another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging 1 another, and all the more as you see the day approaching. Well, let me add my welcome.

My name is Matt Fuller. I'm Victor or senior pastor at Christchurch, May fair, I've been for a good number of years now. And Well, here we are again. A broadcast service, not what any of us desired. Although, to be honest, I am no better in the flesh than I am on screen.

So no great loss having me here. Let me pray briefly, and then we'll have a look at these couple of verses together. At great God and Father, we thank you and praise you that you are the 1 who keeps us until heaven. What a joy that is? For Christians to know that you'll never let us go, but you use each other.

You use your church. You use other members to keep us. So fathers, we consider once again the privilege that it is to be your instruments helping your people to keep living for Christ. Encourages with that we pray in Jesus now Oh, men. In the autumn, my mother passed away.

And so this Christmas, we missed her. And missed a company, of course, most of all. But if it isn't too bad to say, we also missed her gifts because my mom was an unbelievable gift giver, not necessarily extravagant or super costly, but she would buy you things that you didn't know you realized you didn't realize you need it. And you get them going, well, I'm not so sure about that, and then lo and behold. Actually they are fantastic gifts.

It was a slightly running joke that even into her seventies, my mother bought me clothes that suited me far better than I was ever capable through any period of my adult life. Many is the Christmas. She saved my family's day by buying my wife Carrie presents that she loved as opposed to my Meager offerings. And it was sort of 1 of those universal things that people observed about her. She's just so thoughtful.

She just sort of would observe and think, oh, you need this. You'd mentioned something and then a year later, she'd say, well, I saw this. It made me think of that conversation we'd had. A year ago, she was really thoughtful in the gifts she gave. That actually is a very nice thing.

And amongst many other things, we we missed that. He was a very considerate person in that regard. She would assess, analyse, think hard about you as an individual, and buy a gift And our little passage today, just these 2 verses, is a call to consider It's a call to be thoughtful, to analyse, think about other people, assess, what do they need? To be in that sense, considerate of them contemplate, think attentively or look attentively What does this person need? Consider?

Just 2 verses we're looking at in Hebrews chapter 10 verses 24 and 25. 1 verb, consider. Let us consider how we may spur 1 another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing but encouraging 1 another and all the more as you see the day approaching. 1 command consider explained in 2 ways, don't give up meeting together, but do encourage. So there's a command of positive and a negative.

3 very brief sentences of context. The first about us, can I state that start there? For us, at the moment, Look, church is hard, isn't it? You know that. Church is hard.

We can't really gather in any sort of number, and when we do gather, we're not allowed to speak to 1 another. To, therefore, encourage others at church when life is like that, it's quite hard. In fact, it's more difficult than in the normal scheme of life. To do what Hebrews chapter 10 verses 24 and 25 require. It's more effort than normal.

It's 1 observation. Second little word of context, the the bible context, if you will, we're thinking about church. And I hope this is obvious to you. But if you love Jesus, you love his church. Because he gave his blood, he shed his blood for his church.

For the last 2000 years, he has been about the job of building his church. This planet we call earth, this time we call history, it's all about the church. Jesus growing his church. That's what life is about. If you love Jesus, you love his I hope you like that.

That should be fairly obvious. You can't say you love Jesus if you don't love his church because it's the thing that obsesses him. That's the bible context. And then thirdly just as we hone in on Hebrews, a sentence of book context. Why is this Cerman transcribed up for us, probably not a letter, but whatever it is, some people were in danger of giving up.

I guess the main reason is later on in chapter 10, you get a little explanation of it. Verse 33. There's persecution Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution. You suffered imprison, life was just really hard for them. And so a number of them were giving up?

Well, look, you can't say the same for us today, but there's some we think we can learn in that context I mean, for them, it's a lot more serious, of course, they're being persecuted. And so essentially, the book of Hebrews alternates between saying that Jesus is wonderful, don't let go of him. It sort of alternates back and forth passage on Jesus, I say, don't let go it's. No, he is great, don't you dare let go, he is great, don't you lay Don't you delegate go! He is great!

Don't you delegate go! No! No! No! No!

No! No! No! No! That sort of thing!

That's how it works as a book. And in that context, for them persecution, when life is hard, it's easy to shrink in just on your own concerns and not worry about others. In our far less let's be honest, far far less extreme setting of a year of COVID and and lockdowns. But even so, when life is hard, and we're only just about managing to homeschool kids and get to work and keep the house running and just about to speak to someone. Life shrinks in.

And so in that context, we all need the reminder look consider others. We all need to hear that. In the wisdom of God, he set up the church that you need me and I need you. That's how we set it up. We need to consider 1 another.

Okay. Well, let's have a look at our text then. Chapter 10 and verses 19 to 25 is a great summary, really, of where we've got to in the book so far, it's parallel with chapter 4 verses 14 16, many familiar themes. The the essence being, look, Jesus has provided access to God in heaven. That is a wonderful thing, and certain imperatives flow from that so verse 22, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart, spend time with him.

You belong in his presence, so go there. But again, verse 23, let us keep going or let us hold firmly to I'd swervingly rather to the hope we profess. And then the third imperative is this, and here's the 1 we spend our time on verses 24 and 25. Verse 24 let us consider how we may spur 1 another on. Okay.

So we're we're going to do that. Consider negatively, don't give up meeting, positively do encourage. Okay. That's how we'll work through it. So firstly, there's 1 verb.

It's pretty obvious what we're to do, verse 24, consider how we may spur 1 another on towards love and good deeds. Consider The verb used only 1 at a time in the book, chapter 3 verse 1, consider Christ. Think hard about him. Dwell upon him, set your thoughts upon him. That's primary.

Here's the second time. Consider others. Actually, more specifically, the purpose of considering is consider how to spur 1 another on. Towards love and good deeds, spur, stir up, often used in the new testament of emotions. He was stirred to anger.

She was spurred to action. It's encouraged rouse people. So there's a certain assumption in our text that none of us are as active in love and good deeds as we should be. We're all a little bit sleepy is the assumption of the text. There's a sense or the picture is a bit like Someone on Christmas day might be me, I wouldn't comment, but someone on Christmas day you have your large lunch probably far too large.

You may have a glass of wine and the presents are opened and the queen is watched and then the eyelids droop and you have a little little half 4 ish little snooze in a in a chair if someone lets you do that. And you need rousing, you need stirring up, you need stirring on. That's the sort of picture here. Because again, when life is complicated, when life is hard, we shrink in. We've got enough cares of our own.

And so we need reminding look out. Consider consider others. Discern what other people need What does this sleepy person over here need? I've woken up. What do they need?

A word of encouragement, a word of word of chastisement, consider, think. Again gets explained in 2 ways, negatively, positively, negatively. Don't give up meeting verse 25. So let's consider how we may spur 1 another onto was love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together. As some are in the habit of doing because again, if you're getting persecuted with the easy thing to do is not go to where you may be persecuted, to stay and go to church.

People may try and round you up and throw you in prison. Or is explained slightly dimly, chapter 2, verse 1, people are drifting away is certainly different. Laziness, I don't know. But for whatever reason it may be, don't give up. On meeting together, Now, I imagine there's a great variety of opinions amongst Christians in London, some would say, at the moment, well, we must resist the government and they say we must meet and we must defy them.

And they say, wear masks and we must sing. It was taking off our masks and some will feel strongly about that and others will think, no, no, no, look. We have freedom to meet in a limited form at the moment, but let's not use it because, you know, the case loads the numbers are going through the roof and London hospitals are full and let's be good citizens and cautious. I know there'll be variety of opinions. I know.

But as far as we're able, don't give up on the habit of meeting. If physical church is an option, And in 3 days' time, who knows? But if in physical church is an option, bust a gut to get there. Because even in the highly limited form we have at the moment, there is great encouragement in, well, we songs a song from the front and we sort of harm or sway or clap along, and there's encouragement in that, there's great encouragement hearing sermon. With other people around, you just listen differently, we do, don't we compare to our sofas?

And sort of nodding at them in a room, we're going to do this. This is this is really encouraging, isn't it? Yeah. I was really encouraged by that with your 1 other person as you wander off outside. Look if charities online and we can't meet physically, we suck it up and meet remotely.

And it's not great, but we can still do it. I mean, just Who knows quite what the next couple of months look like. But you got to be realistic. I enjoyed during the first round of lockdown. It's probably the only 1 we'll remember is near lockdown 1.

By the time we get to lockdown 17, who knows? But the first round as in June time or May time or something, I 1 of the home group leaders at church, and they said, look, I've got to be honest with you last night. Yeah. We were meant, you know, this is a home group and I just said to everyone, I can't do it tonight. Look, I'm putting my laptop on the floor.

I'm lying on the floor next to it. And I'm gonna talk to you. In fact, let's pray for 1 another. I just can't bear to look at the screen for any longer. And that's just where he was at.

And you know, you can't do it every week, but they still met. And they prayed for 1 another, even when exhausted. Now, some of you may think I'm not an encouraging person. How can I be an encouragement at the moment I'm I'm only just about hanging on? Actually, I've been fairly immoral for the past few weeks.

I don't think I can encourage anyone. Can I let you know? You are far more encouraging than you realize, you really are, or certainly potentially, you are far more encouraging than you realize, Because actually sometimes all you need to do to be a massive encouragement is turn up That's it. You just turn up and people are delighted. Say nothing, fall asleep.

It doesn't matter you're there. Turn up. Back in April, the first prayer meeting we had as many would be the first Wednesday of the month. And is that stage where everything had just moved on Zoom and no 1 really knew what they were doing. And so you just sort of set up this pro meeting with lots of different Hello?

Hello? Can you hear me? Can you see me? You know, we're all terrible at that stage. But April prayer meeting, or here are all the details on how many What's going to happen?

People turn up. We had the largest prayer meeting we've ever had at church by a mile. I mean, the majority of people were there online. It was extraordinary. Of course for the next month, so many people said, oh, so encouraging.

You know, in our context, just hundreds of people so encouraging. Never been into any pro meeting like it at church. There it was, really encouraging because people turned up. I was praying that we broke out into small groups. Breakout rooms.

We were so excited. We worked it out back in April. And then he's sort of praying with 1 student and so hold her a minute. Are you back in Hong Kong? Yeah, yeah.

It's 3 in the morning. Yeah, and you've turned up for the prayer meeting. Well, yeah, I love you. It's amazing. Just the power of turning up sometimes can be a massive, massive encouragement A look even if church is remote, you can still consider how to spur people on.

You could ask a really simple question. Okay? After this broadcast, who am I going to Spur on in some way, whom am I going to encourage in some way on a Zoom call? I can't bear Zoom on a phone call old fashioned. Go for a walk.

He could still go for a walk, 2 by 2. It's very biblical, 2 by 2. Summer in the habit of not meeting, he says, you can get into just habits, patterns. Yes, I need to do church. I can fit it in between this and that and still have the dinner on the table at Well, what are you meeting anyone?

Just watching Tully to write, But who are you encouraging? I need encouragement. I need encouragement from someone else, consider how to meet up. So don't give up. That's the negative.

Don't give up on meeting in whatever form we're allowed to. The positive version more briefly is do encourage verse 25. That's how it's explained. Encouraging 1 another and all the more, as you see the day approaching. Encouraging is a massive word in the the the sermon to the Hebrews, chapter 13 verse 22.

He describes the message as a word of encouragement. Probably 2 senses to it. You have to take a pick on how you're gonna translate it. Encourage or exhort. So you might think of a parent, can be gently encouraging, with their child.

No dorothea. I know long division is hard, but when you put your mind to it, you and do it. Look, you know, look, you've done that 1 and you could be encouraging and sort of building up in that sense. Or a parent, maybe a bit more exhorting on the sidelines of a sports pitch. Come on.

For goodness sake, lazy, so and so. I mean, both descriptions fit within the range of encourage, That's what you have to consider. Does this person need gentle building up or actually a word of rebuke? You have to think about that. Everyone's different.

You ought to make sure you understand where they're at. It takes a bit of work. Considering. With what do we encourage 1 another? Well, the truths certainly that he's talked through in the rest of Hebrews, the summary that you get in verses 19 to 23, look at what Jesus has done.

Find strength in God. Again, sometimes it will be like, look, you can find strength in God. Other times? No, look, you need to find your strength in God, and not that. But we need encouragement to look to Jesus to consider him.

And we do all need that. I think I probably bore Christchurch Mayfair. I quite often use a little quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his book Life Together. That's a good book. He writes some others variable, not all are good.

But life together is a good book and this phrase that's just stuck in my head, the Christian needs another Christian to speak God's words to him. For the word in his own heart, is weaker than the words of his brother. You see, Sometimes you need someone else to tell you stuff you know. Know it, but you need someone else to say it to you and that has a massive impact. I just think that has been so true in my own life.

You know, certain friends have come and told me, are they ain't, how weird? But you hear it differently when someone else says it. Sometimes, if someone far younger in the faith as a teenager, someone has become a Christian a month ago, is very excited. It's all Did you know that when we get to heaven, it's like a feast. You know you know, I do know that.

I've been a Christian a few decades. But actually you hear it in the words of someone else, it just has a massive effect upon you sometimes. We need the word to come to us from others sometimes much stronger than the word which grows in our heart, depends where we're at. And you do this all the more as the day is approaching the day. The day when Jesus return the day of judgment, but the day when Jesus returns, it's so close now.

He is wonderful. Do not let him go. He is wonderful. Don't you dare let go? We need that encouragement.

So look, very practically, consider consider consider consider. Look here's a girl. She is lonely Louise and she only moved to London in 20 20. That's a bum year to to to move across and living on her own and she doesn't really know many people, what does she need? Just a walk, ongoing version of online scrabble, pastel favorite in lockdown.

But what does she need? Here's a bloke. Faithful Fred. He's been at church for years. He probably built the church.

He's been here ages. He's been here for so long. And he's such a great servant. He just goes around serving other people. What does Fred need?

Oh, he's fine, isn't he? Fred? Yeah, but We all need encouragement. What does Fred need? Here's a couple, mister and missus homemaker.

I haven't seen them very much recently. Actually do, bump into them in the town, in the village nearby, you bump into them, and it's all, I haven't seen much at Church. We said, no, well, we've just bought forever home, and we're very excited. And lots of time decorating and sorting things out. What would do they in heat?

Possibly, that they need a word of, it's not your forever home. That's heaven. That's new creation. You got a new house. Great.

Enjoy it. It's just a resource to serve Jesus with. It's not your abraham. Come gather with us, we need you. Consider.

Perhaps go through the people in your small group. What do they need individually? What will spur them on to love and good deeds? Consider. Don't stop meeting.

Do encourage. Well, of course, as we finish, of course, this is an orientation of the heart. You could have a sort of manic week or even month now. Say, what? I'm gonna encourage everyone as sort of collapse and burn out.

So you don't want to do that. You need to be sort of something. Is this something you build into the rhythm of life? Not just have a splurge for a week and then keel over. Then others will say, look, I'm just tired.

Getting through the day, you know, by the time the homeschooling and then I finished those emails at 11 o'clock. I'm just tired, I know. I know. And hopefully others are considering you. And maybe you can consider just 1 other, maybe good for you to go for a walk as well.

But alongside that, of course, as he said in verses 19 to 23, consider Christ He never gives up on meeting with us, he never gives up on us. He's a constant encouragement. Consider him. Look he's given you a command, he'll give you the resources to meet it. Consider him and then consider others.

Because a day's coming. Some point we pray in the next year, a day's coming when we return to a physically gathering, the whole church together, and we shall burn our masks, and we shall sing until we're a horse, and we shall hug and kiss 1 another like Italian mummies with their kids. And it'll be wildly exciting and it won't hold a candle to that day, the day. And we want to be there on the day, and I need encouragement. I need to be spurred on to love and serve others to encourage them.

So this might be I don't know. 1 of the easiest sermons to apply all year long for you, because what you do at the end of this broadcast is you pick up the phone or you go online and you think, who am I going to call? Who am I going to speak to and encourage? Can all do that? It's so easy.

Who do I want to say? Let's go for a walk, but consider we spur 1 another on. So consider how we do that. It's a great joy. We've got 1 another.

We have Jesus. He is wonderful. We have 1 another and we do need 1 another. So let's consider how to spur 1 another on. Let me lead us in prayer.

Great Godfather, here is a really simple command and yet makes a profound difference to our life at church. Father, if all of us are about this task of considering thinking hard individually about people, what they need, what will help them. If people are doing that for us, what a joy? What a joy. We all long to be in a church where this is actively demonstrably taking place.

Father equip us for that, we pray, even this afternoon, would we consider and spur someone on we ask in Jesus' name? Our men.