Scripture
12Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. Hebrews 3:12-14
Observation
There’s an urgency in the voice of The Holy Spirit through today’s scriptures. Over and over we read the word “today’ emphasizing that this not something we can put off. This passage makes it clear that the life of faith cannot be lived in a vacuum. If we want to “be faithful to the end” so we can “share in all that belongs to Christ” we must acknowledge, no prioritize our “dear brothers and sisters” every day. So, this clearly speaks to the importance of our large group gatherings. The author will go on to write in chapter 10:25, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” If we think we can keep ourselves from being “deceived by sin and hardened against God” on our own then it could very well be proof that we are already deceived and hardened. These verses also speak to the small group gathering as we are supposed to be warning each other “every day”. This paints the picture of a person who has intentionally surrounded themselves with people who will not only only notice when they don’t show up, but will call them out on it. We were created for community, our faith thrives in the soil of a faith filled fellowship, and yet many still buy in to the lie that they can follow Christ without and apart from other bothers and sisters on the journey with them. This simply isn’t true and the current state of the church is proof that our individualistic gospel has led to many turning away from the living God.
Application
I’ve heard it said that the more we miss church the less we miss church. While in Hawaii for vacation we were able to reconnect with a number of friends we didn’t have a chance to say good bye to as we had moved in the middle of Covid in 2020. What has been eye opening to me is how many of them have said quite matter of factly that they haven’t been back to an in- person gathering since Covid. Over and over in these conversations there hasn’t really been any reasons given other than that they feel gathering as the church isn’t as much of a priority anymore as it once was. In fact, I was celebrating the birthday of a friend and their friends mentioned how they are busier now than they were before Covid “as if making up for lost time.” They mentioned how they used to go to the Saturday 7 pm service at New Hope Oahu and were bummed that they no longer had it. I told her they did, but that it was now at 6. The response was telling. She said, “Well, 6 is too early, we’re still in the middle of everything.” That “everything” she was referring to was sports events for their children. So, somehow, sports attendance is required, but church attendance is optional? How is this possible? I truly believe it has to do with the fact that we have made church about “attendance” when it was always supposed to about involvement through service. These families I’m talking to have something they’ve been training for and paying for and feel equipped for and so they don’t want to let their team down by simply skipping out. They have skin in the game. Paul describes the importance of gathering this way, “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” (Colossians 3:16) Paul clearly stated in the these verses that everyone has something to bring to Team Jesus. If people don’t know their place on the team they don’t see a need to be there. Showing up to church has replaced showing up AS The Church. We have worked so hard over the years to keep the invitation to gather so very causal that we have communicated it’s not an actual command from Jesus. Worse yet, in light of todays verses in Hebrews, we are setting people up for a fall if we communicate that this Christian life is possible outside of an authentic community of accountable brothers and sisters. I can’t do this without them and they can’t do this without me and we need everyone showing up on the field for team Jesus!
Prayer
As I look around the fire pit this morning I’m so thankful for these guys in my life. I don’t just like to hang out with them, they are my life line. The amazing people you’ve brought into my life will keep me from being deceived as they will see the blind spots before it’s too late. Lord, I pray that You would continue to stir in Your Church the conviction on display here in these verses. One of the biggest lies of Covid was that the gathered church was not essential. I pray that we would humble ourselves and intentionally seek to share our lives so we can share in all the blessings of Christ. Forgive us for procrastination in the context of community accountability.
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