TIME OUT with Pastor Ben Talley - July 27th 2020

Morning family. This is Benjamin Talley. I am one of the associate pastors at Wyden Memorial Baptist Church and This is another timeout. So today I am in Florida One of the chaperones on the 8th trip and Just wanted to share some scripture with you it comes out of Hebrews chapter 10 Verses 24 through 25 and I think it's an important passage of scripture In Hebrews Hebrews is written to a group of Jews Hebrews And they are in Circumstances having having times of persecution and some of them Are considering are either they're new converts or they're new to the faith.

They're just learning haven't really taken a step into fully trusting and believing but they are beginning to gain full knowledge of the faith and they are tempted to go back and Practice Judaism. So So whoever this is who is writing Hebrews some believe Paul some believe Priscilla some believe Apollos.

But whoever this is is writing them and saying hey Persevere press on believe produce faith keep growing. So there's a lot of talk on perseverance. Hey, Julie. There's a lot of talk on perseverance and keep going and believing stepping forth.

Don't don't slide back. He gives strong warnings on Whether or not. Well, not whether or not they give strong warnings on veering from the faith after having full knowledge of the faith and and that is to People who are new to the faith and just learning and gaining full knowledge of the faith, but not fully Committing to the Lord and so so they say I Personally believe it was mostly Paul wrote this but but many people differ with me.

I do I believe that just because of the outline of the letter and you know the different things but I could be wrong, you know. But let's let's get into it verses 4 and 24 and 25 say this says let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.

Exhortation to Persevere in the Faith and Meet Together

Not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some but encouraging one another all the more as we see the day drawing near so. The first thing is this it says let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.

Thing you want to think about is first it says consider that word means Understanding so you want to gain we are to this. They say the writer says let us consider. Let us understand how to stir up one another For love and good works.

Okay, so understand or consider we need to be considerate. We need to be understanding of the people who are in our congregation right so that we can stir up so that we can motivate so that we can provoke so that we can Persuade One another for love and good works we can love the brethren and Motivate each other to practice good works now that that does happen In our individual lives when we spend time with them apart from the church, but see the the church was created for fellowship for Ministry for Empowering of the body or so so we are to operate as one.

So you can't do that apart from the body. So so you have to operate As a body you can't just do that alone you can't motivate someone for good works and Love when you're alone by yourself you have to be a part of the body you have to be there with the body.

And he says that he says you have to consider how to stir up one another. For love and good works you have to be With the body you have to have fellowship with the body in order to do that. You can't do that out on the lake.

You can't do that in the woods by yourself. So a lot of people say oh well I have church in the woods or now that's my alone time with God or you can't you can't do that apart from being with the body.

So we are to and you can't consider one another you can't understand each other. And how to love each other learn how to love each other and how to motivate how to persuade one another. Loving good works by yourself.

You can't you just can't. And and so we are to get to know each other we are to learn each other. You know I Take the illustration of learning my wife. If you're a husband or if you're a wife you are to always learn about your spouse you are to study your spouse.

Find out what they love what they hate what they don't like what they what they do love. You know what what makes them tick you know you have to study them you are to find out what what they? What what drives their affections?

You know things things like that so we're to do the same with the body where to get to know one another so that we can better persuade them to love one another and Practice good works, so then he says this then then he says not neglecting to meet together as the habit of some.

Now I understand that Nowadays you know we we are trying to be safe and trying not to meet each not not trying not to Get sick and trying to stay at home and all that but guys. Really truly how many of you are concerned about getting sick and how many of you just wanted to be lazy and Stay at home and watch videos.

I mean just be honest. Just be honest. No. Don't make it a habit of oh, I'll just watch the video. I'll stay at home. On church service. I'll just watch the church video and stay at home stay in my pajamas.

I Mean he says don't don't neglect meeting together as the habit of some. I Mean yeah, you don't want to get sick, but I mean you know if you're if they're if your church is social distancing or social distancing and wearing a mask and that's what the government approves of and and I Mean if you're following the right things.

Why are you not in church? Why are you not in church? Don't make an excuse not to meet. If you have met the standards and and you're able to meet then go and meet. Don't make an excuse not to meet. Oh, I'll just watch the video.

You need to meet because you can't. You cannot can you cannot consider one another to stir up one another and love and good works without meeting together. Said don't neglect one another. And then I think these Jews these these Hebrews were neglecting to meet with one another out of fear out of fear.

Are you neglecting to meet one another out of fear out of laziness out of? Comfortableness that makes sense out of comfort. You choosing comfort out of getting outside of your comfort zone and zone going and encouraging one another.

I? Mean what are you doing? I mean don't make an excuse not to meet together if if you are following the examples of your leaders and. And you have every Ability to go and meet together then go and meet together.

Don't make an excuse not to meet together. Your church needs to be encouraged by you. God has called you to encourage one another. To live for Christ to stir up one another for love and good works. Don't say Oh Jesus.

Well. I'll just watch the video. I'm not gonna encourage one. I'm not gonna go to church. Jesus I can learn. I can learn about you at home or on the lake. No go to church. Go. Encourage the body go meet with the church so.

Then he says this be encouraging one another but encourage one another. All the more as you see the day drawing near. All the more as you see the day drawing near. Let me just share this. Jesus is coming.

Jesus is coming. Don't sit back and watch the world destroy itself. Get out there and get active. Do something for Christ? Whether that's being active in the body. Encouraging one another praying for one another equipping one another.

Learning about Christ and sharing it with the lost. Or getting out there and witnessing to somebody. Praying for somebody calling someone up. Don't sit back and be at home watching YouTube watching movies.

Binging on Netflix and watching the church over over YouTube or videos or whatever. Get get doing some get to doing something. Jesus is coming back. If he's coming back soon, you want you want you want him to catch you on the couch watching YouTube?

But you want to get caught by him doing something for the body of Christ. Encourage one another as you see the day approaching. Make the most of your time. But the days are evil. Get active. God is good y 'all.

We don't have much time left. We do not have much time left guys. You don't know when he could come back. Get your oil ready. Trim your wicks. Get to studying. Get to reading up. God is doing something big in our time.

God is doing something y 'all. Get out and be a part of it. Don't just sit back on the couch and not meet with your body. With his body. I love you. I'm praying for you. Anyone who doesn't know the Lord.

Call to Repentance and Salvation in Christ

You bet you better get to know him before it's too late. Christ came to die for sinners to die for sinners. We're all sinners we're all corrupt. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.

Our hurt our heart thirst and it hungers and it desires for things that are ungodly. Even for things that are that are not wrong, but it thirst and makes idols of things that are not meant to be idols.

But Christ died so that you would make him the Lord of your life and if you haven't done that I I Beseech you. I beg you. Get on your knees. Get on your knees and declare that he is the Lord. Cry out to him.

God be the Lord of my life. Rid me of sin. Take my sin. Take my heart. Make it clean. Oh God for I'm a sinner and wretched. Rid me of my sin. Your sin will destroy you and send you straight to hell. Cry out to God surrender to him.

Make him your Lord and Master. I love you guys. Have a good day. It's a good day to be alive in Jesus praise God all blessings flow.