“Stir Up One Another” 2-19-23
Overview
Stir Up One Another
Among the many "one another" commands in Scripture, Hebrews 10:24 gives us a striking one: "Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works." The word provoke sounds odd next to gentler exhortations like serving, encouraging, and praying for one another—but it captures something vital. We are called to spur each other on, and Scripture ties that calling directly to the gathered life of the church.
The book of Hebrews moves in waves of doctrine and exhortation: the promises of God are the fuel, and the encouragement to action follows. Notice the rhythm in Hebrews 10:23—"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." Hope here is not a wish but a confidence, anchored in God's faithfulness. Out of that bedrock comes verse 24's call to provoke one another, and then immediately verse 25: "not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some." The author links stirring one another up to the regular gathering of the body for worship.
Two temptations work against this calling, and both cut across denominational lines. The first is a churchless Christianity—the notion that praying, singing, and giving thanks at home is a sufficient substitute for corporate worship. But worship is fundamentally not what we offer up; it is hearing, learning, and receiving. God commands us to gather because He has something to give us in Word and Sacrament—to birth and strengthen faith. Praise and thanksgiving flow out of that receiving. The second temptation is treating faith as a purely private matter—a "me and God" arrangement that reduces worship to personal benefit. Scripture, however, consistently describes the church in plural images: a body with many parts 1 Corinthians 12, a family Galatians 6, living stones and fellow citizens 1 Peter 2, a flock under spiritual oversight Hebrews 13. We need each other.
So come to worship not only to receive, but also to give. Look around for the one standing alone in a sea of conversation; consider whom you might encourage today. Something mysterious and wonderful happens when the body is together—ministry, encouragement, and mutual provocation toward love and good works that simply cannot happen in isolation. And where we have failed in this—where the "me, myself, and I" mentality has crept in, or where we have treated the Lord's Day like any other day—Christ has borne that sin on the cross. Forgiven and gathered, we now stir one another up, here in this room and out through the doors into the week ahead.
Transcript
Would you open your Bible's please with me today to the 10th chapter of the book of Hebrews 3s
for our study if you're using a Pew edition of God's Word that's on page 198 in the 9s
New Testament. 15s
Hebrews the 10th chapter. 17s
We are continuing today our series, one another. 19s
And over these past weeks we have been looking at some of the great one another passages 23s
that we see in Holy Scripture. 28s
We have studied thus far how God calls us together as a faith community. 31s
He calls us together to be one another together. 37s
We have studied. 42s
How we have been called together to serve one another, to instruct one another, to pray for 44s
one another. 51s
We've studied about submitting to one another, counting the other is more important than 52s
himself. 57s
We studied last week about encouraging one another. 58s
Well this morning we come to another one of these one another passages. 63s
And it's a one another passage that says that we are to provoke one another. 69s
Provoke one another. 77s
Now that sounds a little strange, doesn't it? 79s
When you compare it to what it is that we have been studying thus far, those one 82s
another passages of instructing and praying and submitting and encouraging and serving. 87s
Then you come to this one another passage that says we're to provoke one another or 92s
stir up one another. 101s
What does that mean and how do you do it? 105s
Look at Hebrews, such a fascinating book. 113s
We don't know who wrote it. 116s
Now that is a typical isn't it? 117s
Luther guessed that perhaps it was a polo, it's probably a pretty good guess. 121s
But in the end, the author never identifies themselves. 126s
And so we don't know for sure who the book of Hebrews was written by. 131s
But what is clear here is you see swings of exhortation and doctrine in the book of Hebrews. 137s
Exertation is that encouragement unto action. 146s
And doctrine provides the fuel. 150s
It provides the propulsion. 153s
It provides that which then moves us and empowers us to live out the exhortation. 155s
For example, look at verse 23. 165s
Here's the exhortation. 169s
Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering. 171s
Now remember, hope in the scripture is not wish hope is confidence. 181s
So the exhortation then is to hold fast to the confidence that is ours. 188s
There's the exhortation and then here's the empowering doctrine, the empowering promise. 197s
Look at the next part of verse 23. 206s
For he who has promised is faithful. 209s
So we see then in the book of Hebrews, it's great topics are being talked about. 216s
Remission of sins and heaven and it's glorious topics. 220s
Then these exhortations emerging from this bedrock of the promises. 225s
And of course, the very foundation of the promises is the faithfulness of God 231s
to do that which God says he's going to do. 237s
And then it comes. 242s
Verse 24. 244s
And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds. 247s
So what's that all about and how do you do it? 274s
Each and every year it's published. 282s
It's a survey entitled The State of the Allus. 286s
It's put out by a real reputable group that I trust every year I read this. 290s
And every year I sigh. 299s
I sigh. 303s
So this is a side part of the sermon right now. 305s
All right? 310s
Are you ready? 311s
48% of those in the survey that identified themselves as Christians. 315s
48% of those identified themselves as Christians said that Jesus was a great teacher. 323s
He was not God. 335s
48% sigh. 339s
72% of those that identified themselves as Christians said that God accepts the prayers of all religions. 347s
78% sigh. 366s
49% of those that identified themselves as Christians in the study said that religious beliefs 376s
are based upon personal opinion and not objective truth. 385s
That's 49% of Christians saying that what they believe is based upon their opinion 394s
and not objective truth. 405s
sigh. 413s
Jesus teacher but not God. 417s
God accepts the prayers of all religions and religious beliefs based upon personal belief. 421s
Not objective truth. 431s
There's a whole bunch of sermon series right there. 437s
This is where I want to focus today. 442s
63% of those that identified themselves Christians said that worshiping alone or with 447s
one's family is a valid replacement for attending church. 461s
63% said that worshiping by yourself or with family is a valid replacement. 476s
47% for worshiping in church. 487s
God calls us together. 497s
He calls us together because he has something to give us. 501s
He commands us to be together because he comes to us to give us word and sacrament. 507s
Now, are there times when we don't do that? 515s
Of course. 522s
When we're ill or if we are shut in or if we are concerned about our own health, are there 526s
valid times not to do that? 538s
Of course. 540s
But that's not the normative principle. 542s
You see the reflection from this survey was reflecting a belief of a normative principle 546s
that it's fine to worship alone or with one's family as a norm. 556s
Not with the exceptions of being a shut in or ill or recovering from surgery or there's 564s
a concern if you gather with others about one's own health. 573s
Not those kind of valid reasons. 577s
This is a normative principle of 63% of Christians saying that's fine. 580s
Not together in worship. 589s
What does Scripture tell us? 595s
Scripture tells us that we need spiritual oversight. 596s
We need that oversight. 602s
That's Hebrews 13. 603s
How is the church described? 606s
And notice the plural nature of the descriptions. 608s
It's a body with parts. 613s
First Corinthians chapter 12. 615s
We're family members. 618s
That's Galatians the sixth chapter. 621s
We're a temple made up of stones and citizens first Peter too. 623s
Here's the point. 630s
Right after the author of Hebrews says, provoke one another to love and good works. 632s
Right after he says that he gives the obvious way where that is carried out and what's the obvious way? 643s
Verse 24. 654s
And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 656s
not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some. 662s
Provoking one another then to love and good deeds is linked to the body coming together 674s
for worship. 686s
And notice also who is the exhortation directed to? 688s
The exhortation is directed to those that were in worship. 695s
Those that were in worship. 706s
Two temptations. 713s
Two temptations. 714s
It's a cross-denominational lines. 716s
You look at the studies on this. 719s
It is rampant. 721s
Pick it an nomination or even non-denominational churches. 723s
Just across the board. 727s
The temptation is number one. 729s
For a churchless Christianity, a churchless Christianity. 733s
Pastor Clement, he's a Lutheran pastor. 743s
He writes about a question that he received one time. 746s
Person, a person with me and argumentative, they honestly wanted to know. 751s
And they said, Pastor, why is it that we need to come together to worship? 758s
Why do we need to do that? 765s
Can't we just pray on our own? 770s
Can't we sing some hymns around the table as the family there when we have dinner? 772s
Can't we do that? 778s
Proy's responded. 782s
You have your communication wrong. 786s
He said correctly. 792s
So, if one understands worship as giving thanks and praying and praising, 795s
you can do that any place. 804s
But what is worship he said? 808s
Worship fundamentally is not praying and praising and giving thanks. 812s
It is hearing and learning and receiving. 816s
That's the heart of worship. 822s
The prayer of the praise of the thanks that all comes out of them, 825s
the hearing and the learning and the receiving. 829s
That's why God says, 833s
I command you to come together. 836s
Why? 840s
Because I have something to give you. 841s
Give you. 843s
And he comes to us in Word and in sacrament for what purpose? 845s
To birth faith and to strengthen faith. 850s
See, when we conceive of worship as this sacrifice that is somehow being given to God, 855s
instead of God's direction in coming to us in Word and sacrament, 863s
we have a faulty conception of worship. 871s
And so then you see we can't then worship around the table. 877s
We're singing a few hymns. 884s
Because what is worship? 887s
God says, I call you together. 890s
One another to come together 893s
because I have something to give you. 899s
Because worship is about hearing and learning and receiving Word and sacrament. 904s
First temptation then, cross the nominal lines. 918s
We see it. 923s
It's this understanding of a churchless Christianity. 925s
Here's the second temptation. 932s
Second temptation is to understand faith as a personal matter. 935s
To understand faith as a personal matter. 942s
It's this understanding of this, of this, 946s
me, myself and I. 950s
So it's the understanding. 953s
It's the temptation here. 955s
That we worship in order to get something for ourselves. 959s
Now, does that happen? 967s
Of course because God here is teaching us. 969s
We are learning. We are receiving. 973s
And so of course there's a personal aspect of that. 975s
But the danger lurking around that is to say, 978s
I don't need to come together because my faith life is between me and God. 986s
And I can get that. 994s
Whenever I want to get that, 998s
through whatever podcast or whatever, I listen to. 1002s
Anything that matter with podcast, absolutely not. 1009s
We do them here, right? 1012s
But it's not to be either replacement for the gathering together. 1015s
You see, when we don't gather together, what happens? 1023s
But a minister is gone then. 1030s
We gather for worship, not just to get, that's to me, myself and I, 1035s
mentality, we gather for worship to give. 1040s
We gather one another so that we can minister to another. 1046s
That's the mindset of worship. 1050s
Not, I'm going to go and I hope there's something for me today, 1055s
but I'm going to go and who is it that I can minister? 1062s
Who's that I can minister to? 1067s
Who is it that when we leave here from these doors today, 1068s
the periscope goes up and you look around and you say, 1074s
who's standing alone, who's standing alone, 1079s
amidst a sea of conversation, who don't I know 1083s
that I can minister to today. 1089s
It's the mentality that we come to worship with the same identity 1093s
that God has given us for all other six days of the week, right? 1098s
That mentality that we come to worship to give, to give. 1102s
We hear, we learn, we receive for what purpose to give. 1110s
Going piece, serve the Lord and it starts right on the other side of those doors. 1119s
Right on the other side of the doors. 1127s
That's the mentality you see of giving. 1130s
To temptations then. 1136s
To temptations. 1138s
Cross the nomination line. 1140s
I mean, you read this all over the place you see in all kinds of studies. 1142s
First temptation, churchless Christianity, 1148s
second temptation, faith as a private. 1152s
Matter. 1158s
This is a private matter. 1160s
The Lord Jesus Christ has taken our sin upon the cross, all of it. 1165s
And that includes that He paid for our sin of the times when we're tempted. 1175s
And maybe give into the temptation of rejecting His call together. 1184s
The Lord Jesus Christ has borne all of our sin on the cross, 1196s
including the sin of those times when it creeps in to that Ime mentality. 1201s
He bore that on the cross. 1209s
The Lord Jesus Christ bore on the cross the sin of understanding the Lord's day as if it's any of their day. 1213s
It's not. 1229s
And Jesus bore the sin of all of those missed opportunities. 1231s
To provoke one another. 1243s
Because as one author puts it, something mysterious and wonderful happens when we are together 1248s
there's something wonderful about the encouragement that happens in that there's something 1262s
wonderful in the ministry that happens as we serve one another, submit to one another on Sunday morning. 1270s
There's something wonderful that happens there that we experience. 1279s
Why God says, 1287s
don't forget together as is the habit of some. 1293s
Because we need one another. 1301s
And today we love it. 1310s
Today you're provoking one another in the best of sense. 1313s
You're provoking one another. 1326s
Right now, and you'll provoke one another on the other side of those doors. 1330s
How good and right. 1342s
And God pleasing. 1347s
Is that. 1353s