LOVE ONE ANOTHER
Pastor Chris
Sunday, August 16
a capacity in our being to place value or worth
to something or someone
LOVE IS THE ROOT . . .
All other ONE ANOTHERS are the FRUIT!
Hebrews
10.22-25
Borrowing one of ours?
pg. 1203
Espanol pg. 1576
Vs. 22 “Let us
DRAW NEAR”
• With sincere hearts (w/out hypocrisy or pretense)
• With full assurance of faith / trust
• With pure heart and mind
Vs. 23 “Let us
HOLD FAST”
• How? without wavering, unswervingly
• What? The “confession” (our testimony)
• Who? “our hope” (salvation in Christ Jesus)
Heb. 10 believers were wavering b/c of the intensity of persecution
and rejection . . .
1) Confession
2) Church attendance
• Why?
“He who promised is faithful”
True Biblical HOPE . . .
Certain, but not yet realized.
• Rom. 5.5
“hope, does not disappoint
• Col. 1.27
“Christ in you, the hope of glory
• Heb. 6.19
“anchor of our soul”
• 1 Pet. 1.3
“born again to a living hope”
Real ENCOURAGEMENT is rooted
in love and born out of this hope.
It is a NECESSARY part of our walk of faith . . .
“PARAKALEO”
BUILD UP – EDIFY – EXHORT – ADMONISH -- TEACH
‘Para’ – from close beside
‘Kaleo’ – to call
*To call to one’s side . . . purpose of giving aid to
1 Thes. 5.11
“encourage one another and
build one another up”
‘En-courage’ is: “Bringing Courage”
“Courage is the quality of mind that enables people to
encounter difficulty and danger with firmness and resolve in
spite of inner fears, to continue on in the pressures of life by
faith so that we don’t throw in the towel.”
(Steven J. Cole, www.bible.org)
S. Michael Houdmann, www.gotquestions.org
“without encouragement, hardship becomes meaningless, and our will to go on wanes.”
Where Encouragement EXISTS - - easier to love, live, sacrifice
for others, offer hope and help to others in need
Where Encouragement is LACKING . . .
• Life seems pointless and burdensome
• Overwhelmed by life’s pain and struggles
• Feel unloved . . . Begin to think of God as a liar
“One of the highest human duties is the duty of encouragement . . . it is
easy to laugh at men’s ideals; easy to pour cold water on their
enthusiasm; easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers.
We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time a
word of praise, thanks, appreciation, or cheer has kept a man on his
feet. Blessed is the man who speaks such a word.”
William Barclay, Commentary on Hebrews
Vs. 24 “Let us
CONSIDER”
• Observe: take note, pay attention
• “Stimulate” provoke, spur on
“What does this person need to help him grow
in love & good deeds?”
This is why “KOINONIA” is so important.
“Lost people need direction. Blind people need enlightening.
Stubborn people need prodding. Clear instruction on how to handle
life’s problems is obviously necessary.”
“We are not called to walk the road of life alone. God kindly gives us
the grace of knowing His encouragement and acceptance.
He then provides us with the encouragement and acceptance of others.
Finally, He invites us to participate with Him in the giving of these
same gifts to those who follow our lead.”
Larry Crabb
Vs. 25 “not forsaking our own assembling together”
• Believers TOGETHER
You can practice faith and hope
when you’re alone,
but you can’t encourage others to love
and good deeds when you’re alone.
Vs. 25 “not forsaking our own assembling together”
• Believers TOGETHER
You can practice faith and hope when you’re alone,
but you can’t encourage others to love and good
deeds when you’re alone.
Vs. 25 “not forsaking our own assembling together”
1. A healthy body cares and encourages its own.
o“The muscles of relationship within the Christian body atrophy when we fail to
exercise them, and the church becomes limp.” Larry Crabb
2. Requires more than superficial knowledge
3. Eyes off self and make a deliberate effort to “see” others.
(Phil. 2.3-4)
HEBREWS 3.12-13
12 See
to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful,
unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
13
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called
“Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s
deceitfulness.
How do we Encourage?
1. God’s Word
2. Personal Testimony . . . willing to share
“Barnabas”
(Joseph of Cyprus, Acts 4.36 . . . Son of Encouragement)
2 Corinthians 4:7-9, 16-17
7
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing
greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;
8
we are
afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;
9 persecuted,
16
but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying,
yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
17
For momentary, light
affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all
comparison,