Stir Up

Promise

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

- Hebrews 10:23-25

Purpose

While the actual author of Hebrews is unknown, we do know that his goal was to encourage believers. These verses in Hebrews are specifically encouraging us to consider, to remember, that we are a community.

We are not called to be a group of people that get together on Sunday mornings in the same building to hear the same message, see each other for an hour a week in a life group and then go on about our lives. We are called to be a community that considers one another, stirs up one another, provokes each other to love God, love each other, and to do good works.

Proverbs 27:17 tells us, "Iron sharpens iron, as one person sharpens another."

God called us to be a community because he knew that we would become dull without each other. Without other believers to sharpen us, we become unable to sharpen others. Our community keeps us sharp and encourages us not only to hold fast to our faith but to hold fast to the confession that our own mouths have spoken: that our hope is in God who is Faithful.

Plan

Often, when we think of "anchored" in the biblical sense, we think of verses that have to do with our hope being anchored in Christ.

Today, I want to consider an anchor in the literal sense. An anchor is a large and heavy object that a ship will drop into the sea when it's ready to "park" and be unmoved by the winds and the waves.

In life, I believe that people tend to drop anchor as well. For instance, we may drop anchor when we find ourselves somewhere we are comfortable - such as a job, a place we live, or a season of life.

Recently, due to the pandemic, a lot of us were asked to "drop anchor" at home. We needed to stay home, socially distance, and find a new way to live within those parameters for our safety and that of our loved ones. Unlike during other national emergencies, where our country came together in unity, we were told to stay apart.

For the first time in history, there were more church services available online than ever before to more people than ever, thanks to the work-at-home situation. People were attending church for the first time in a long time, if not for the first time ever. Long time churchgoers were finding themselves at home, on the couch, attending service as well.

I don't know about you, but after three months of being at home to watch service, it had become more than my new normal. It had become a comfort. I could log in when the service went live or sleep in and catch it when I woke up. I could watch it while I made breakfast or while I sat and drank coffee in my pajamas at noon!

When it came time to go back to in-person services, I didn't just consider and pray over the safety of it all. I genuinely struggled with giving up the freedom and comfort of my at-home services.

It is verses like those above and the community we form at church that encourages us and reminds us of the importance of being in church each Sunday. Not just to be in the building, to hear the Pastor's inspired messages but also to be with community. To show up not only for ourselves but for them. It is time to weigh anchor, raise it from the couch, and go back to the church God has called us to.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for creating us for community. Thank you for placing us in a church that values community. Thank you for the ability to stay home safely and still receive your word when needed, and the community that found ways to be present when we couldn't be together. I pray that we always remember to be thankful to live in a part of the world that allows us to worship, attend church, and express our faith openly. Lord, please continue to bless the friendships found and formed in our church - that we would continue to honor and bless not only each other but also you. As your word says, I pray that we would encourage one another, love each other, and stir one another up to do good works. I pray these things in Jesus' name, amen.