26-0621p - Detailed Summary

Tom noted that the passage sounded familiar because he had used it in the morning sermon as well. He wanted to tie the evening message together with the morning one. The title of the evening sermon was "Stirring One Another Up to Love and Good Works." In the morning, the focus had been on worshiping God every day in our daily lives and the importance of gathering together on the Lord’s Day. One of the main reasons God wants us to assemble is found right here in Hebrews. Tom read the passage again to give everyone a double dose of it.

In a small congregation like ours, this is especially important. We don’t have big programs or large crowds—what we have is each other. Tonight’s gathering represents a core group that shows up faithfully. Tom encouraged everyone to think about how we can actively stir one another up. He admitted that he needs this as much as anyone. Life gets long, shifts are tiring, and it’s easy to drift. But God calls us to spur each other on. All of us need it at times; everyone struggles a little or has off days or weeks, but we need to be encouraged and stirred up.

The word "stir up" in Hebrews 10:24 is a strong word. It means to provoke, to spur on, or to stimulate someone to action—like poking a horse to get it moving forward when it is slowing down. It is not just being nice or saying kind words; it is intentional encouragement aimed at helping each other love God more and do good works. It is the kind of loving push that moves us forward in our faith. This kind of stirring happens best when we are regularly meeting together. You cannot stir one another up if you are not around one another. The more consistent we are in gathering, the more we can encourage and strengthen each other. That ties directly to the morning sermon on why worship is so important. Obviously, you cannot stir each other up if we are not here, so we should not neglect the assembly of the saints.

We need this kind of stirring mainly because we live in a discouraging world. Long work hours, house struggles, family pressures, and spiritual warfare can make us weary or passive. It is easy to get worn down and start drifting, especially in the crazy times we live in today. There is a lot of sin and many things going on that can bring us down, cause stress, and really break us down if we are not careful. We need encouragement. Even strong Christians can drift if they are not encouraged.

The original readers of Hebrews were facing hard times of persecution, and the writer knew they needed to be stirred up to keep going strong in their faith. In a small church like ours, each person’s faithfulness matters a great deal. When one person is encouraged and growing, the whole body benefits. When one person drifts, it affects all of us. We really do need each other.

Tom looked at some biblical examples of people who needed to be stirred up. Even the greatest people of faith sometimes needed encouragement from others. After his great victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah became so discouraged and afraid that he ran into the wilderness and asked God to take his life (1 Kings 19). God sent an angel to strengthen him and later spoke to him gently. Elijah needed to be renewed and stirred up again.

The apostle Peter needed encouragement after he denied Jesus three times. After the resurrection, Jesus met Peter by the Sea of Galilee while he was fishing. He restored him, forgave him, and recommitted him with the words "Feed my sheep" (John 21). Jesus personally stirred Peter up and put him back on mission. How great would that be to have Jesus personally stirring you up? Or an angel? We do not necessarily get that benefit except through the Bible, but we can definitely stir each other up.

The apostle Paul needed encouragement from his fellow believers. In 2 Corinthians 7:6-7, Paul tells how God comforted him through the coming of Titus and the good report from the Corinthian church. Even Paul, with all his faith and experience, needed the encouragement of other Christians. That means all of us need it. None of us could compare to Paul, so if he needed it, we need it.

Barnabas was known as the son of encouragement. He stirred up the early church by encouraging new believers and standing up for Paul when others were afraid of him. His encouragement helped the church grow. These examples show us that needing stirring up is normal, even for strong believers. That is why God commands us to do it for one another.

Practical ways to stir up one another include encouraging faithfulness. Notice when somebody is here consistently and tell them a simple "I’m glad you were here" or "your presence means a lot." It can go a long way in a small congregation like ours. As 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up."

Another way is to speak truth in love. Gently remind each other of God’s promises or lessons from the sermons. Ask good questions like "How is your daily Bible reading going?" or "What are you praying about this week?" These kinds of conversations, and most importantly the discussions we have after sermons or Bible study, always seem to stir up faith. Proverbs 27:17 tells us, "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." Tom noted that discussions after Bible study or Sunday worship really stir him up. Even that day, he and Scott talked for probably a half an hour. A lot of times, many are here a half an hour or an hour or more after service or Bible study talking about biblical things. That is one way we grow.

We can also serve practically by helping with real needs—giving somebody a ride, bringing a meal, praying with them, or lending a hand with a project. A lot of us do this, and we are great about that here. In a small church, these acts of love really stand out. Galatians 6:2 says, "Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

We can pray for each other. Take time after service or during the week to pray specifically for one another. Share requests and follow up later. There is great power when we pray together. James 5:16 reminds us, "Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The effect of fervent prayer of the righteous man avails much." Prayer is not the least we can do; it is the most we can do. Great things happen when we pray.

Rejoice and grieve together. Celebrate answered prayers and victories. Mourn losses with one another. This builds real fellowship. Romans 12:15 tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. When we do these things consistently, we fulfill God’s command to stir one another up to love and good works.

You are all the backbone of this congregation. Your steady presence, heartfelt singing, attention to the word, and your willingness to encourage and pray for one another stir the rest of us up more than you know. Do not underestimate the impact of your faithfulness. In a small church, what you do really matters. Everybody’s example here encourages others to keep coming, to keep growing, and to keep serving.

Tom urged everyone to commit to being intentional about encouraging one another this week, and all the more as we see the day approaching. He believes we do that pretty well here, so let’s not forget to do it. Realize that every single Christian, no matter how well you might think they have it going for them or how strong they might be, still needs encouraging.

This morning we talked about worshiping God every day and the importance of gathering on the Lord’s Day. Tonight we have seen one of the main reasons God calls us to assemble—to stir one another up to love and good works. Let’s take this to heart and put it into practice. If you’ve been drifting or neglecting the assembly, today is the day to make it right. If you need the prayers of the congregation for strength, encouragement, or any other need, now is the time to come forward.