Garry spoke tonight from Hebrews 10:22-25 about the importance of Christian fellowship and the role of the church of God. It can be easy to be half-hearted in our approach to church (and indeed to God), but these verses urge us to draw near to God with a sincere heart, so that we are not just ‘going through the motions’ and attending services because it is routine or what is expected of us. The word ‘sincere’ is derived from a word meaning ‘not concealed‘; a sincere heart has nothing to hide and does not have mixed motives. Is 29:13 reminds us that we can come near to God with our mouths but our hearts can still be far frm Him; God wants us to be real and to come to Him, no matter what. We can’t afford to wait until everything is ‘sorted’; we need to come as we are, warts and all!
These verses also urge us to ‘spur one another on toward love and good deeds.’ We need to stir each other up, to egg each other on, to push people further rather like a sports coach does with an athlete. Great sports people often have great coaches who know how to motivate, criticise and encourage, and we have the Holy Spirit to urge us on, but we do also need other people. We need people to encourage us, get alongside us, motivate us and believe in us. All of us need this encouragement; all of us can give this encouragement.
These verses remind us not to give up meeting together. We need each other and must work together We are called to carry each other’s burdens, problems and difficulties, to open our lives and share with each other. As we do this. we reflect God’s caring nature and become empowered to do His will.
