"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." Hebrews 3:13
We're three weeks into seeking growth in our discipline and devotion to God's Word. I decided to continue listing these challenges out each week so that whether you have been seeing them from week one or for the first time today, you can pick up and start. Here's a review of the last three week's challenges:
#1 Commit time each day to the study of God's Word.
#2 Begin forming regular prayer habits that will lead to a life of prayer.
#3 Connect prayer and the study of God's Word.
Challenge #4: Make time to study God's Word with other Christians. This will be one of the hardest challenges so far, simply because who has the time for that? However, God has called us into the community of the church, but this community should and must go beyond Sunday morning worship. The verse above, calls us to "exhort one another". The word "exhort" means to strongly encourage. The Greek word here is "parakleō," which loosely means to address or speak to in different ways, including instruction or comfort.
What should we use to exhort one another? From Matthew 28:20 and Acts 2:42, we know that the only thing we have to exhort one another with is the Apostles' teachings, which are the teachings of Jesus Christ that he commanded us to teach. Simply put, this means the Bible. When we gather on Sunday morning, where I have the privilege of sharing God's Word with you, I am exhorting you in God's Word. When you take part in a Bible study, the teacher is exhorting you in the Scriptures. When you come together in a small group or just a few individuals and learn from God's Word, you are exhorting one another. This exhortation in its many forms is a part of God's design for Christian growth.
All too often today, Christians and churches settle for nominal Christianity, 90 minutes of exhortation on a weekend and nothing more. However, God calls us to so much more! It is good and necessary to come together with the church as a whole to learn from God's Word. Also, it is most excellent and necessary to study God's Word at the individual level. Likewise, it is extremely important and necessary that we come together in Christian fellowship with focused time on God's Word, that we may encourage one another. Notice the common thread in the last three points is "necessary." These various forms of exhortation are all equally necessary and should all be a part of our lives as Christians. The verse gives us to reasons why. One reasons is because time is running out. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn't promised so we only have right now, today, to encourage one another. Don't waste time regretting yesterday and don't put off until tomorrow. The second reason is that doing so keeps us from becoming hardened to sin. Christian exhortation through the Word of God should keep us keenly aware of sin, which helps us avoid it. Exhorting one another daily builds us up in our faith, builds God's church up, and ultimately brings glory to our Heavenly Father as we live out the life he has designed for us!
So, there is your week 4 challenge. Get together with other believers and encourage one another in the Word today! Watch God work as you submit to His design! I'll see you Sunday!
Grace & Peace,
John
(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)