Sunday Scripture

 

 Again this Sunday, I'm sharing from the Made for Community reading plan from Love God Greatly that I worked on back in 2015.  With this study, as I have often done, I used the SOAP method of Bible study.  Just a quick reminder that the S is for Scripture, O is for Observation, A is for Application and P is for Prayer.  The fifth section is Living in Community with the Local Church.  So here we go with the Scripture for the fifth day of that section. Again this lesson, I took a rather deep dive into the Observation component of the study.

S= "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.  

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."  (Hebrews 10:24-25)

O= C.I. Scofield explains that "The occasion for the Epistle [to the Hebrews] was the need of special exhortation for Hebrew readers who had professed Jesus as the Messiah, some of whom were wavering in their attitude.  Hence, the exhortation is to 'hold fast' (Hebrews 3:6) and to 'go on to maturity' (6:1, lit.)."

Here in this part of Hebrews 10, the theme is "The Life of Faith."

Verse 24 notes that believers are to consider one another,
* to provoke unto love;
* to provoke unto good works. 

I was intrigued by this word "provoke", feeling that it didn't carry the same meaning then as it does today.  To my surprise, I found that in most cases it does mean the same.  BUT ...  paroxusmos, the word translated "provoke" here in Hebrews 10, denotes a stimulation.  So, it means to stimulate, or to spur one another on, to love and to good works. 

 In order to do this for one another, believers must be assembling themselves together.  In that day, as well as in this, some were doing just that.  Neglect of public worship was one of the concerns the writer of Hebrews wanted to address.  Today, people don't neglect public worship for fear of persecution (though it may come to that) but rather because they seem to think they are enough in themselves, don't need other believers, and don't need to answer to anyone other than God.

But this is wrong.  We must not forsake assembling with other believers.  Instead, we must be exhorting and encouraging one another.  This should become even more important as we see the time of Christ's return drawing steadily nearer.  (A cross-reference for this is Romans 13:11 -- "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.")

A= I need to be considering others to spur them on to love and to good works.  I'm passionate about this in my own life, and I truly do seek to exhort others to exhibit love and good works in their lives.    

My hubby and I have always felt that when the church doors are open, believers should be there.  Recent popular thinking has done nothing to change our idea on that.  Believers need one another, plain and simple!

Over the years we have known folks who miss services more often than they are present, and others who have stopped attending church entirely.  We need to be encouraging them to be in church, especially in these days that are becoming more difficult for Christians.

P= "Lord, I thank You for my local church!  I'm thankful for the good Bible teaching I receive there, as well as the encouragement I gain from being with other believers.  I thank You for putting it in my heart, and my husband's heart, to consistently make the choice to be in church.  I pray that You will help us to spur others on to love and to good works, and that we can encourage others to become more faithful in assembling for services.  I pray that You will work in the hearts of those who are only sporadic in their attendance, and those who seem to feel that church is unnecessary.  I pray that you will bring conviction to their hearts and bring about real and lasting change.  I thank You for all You will do, in Jesus' name, Amen."

There is this week's Scripture Sunday!  Hope it was a blessing to you.