Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV) -- 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.

Have you heard people refer to their idea of going to church as “my church is” and then list something like going to the lake, being out in the woods, or going to the beach? People who say this are usually indicating that they are not a part of a local church, but instead see going to places they enjoy as their church. This kind of thinking is the height of arrogance and error. It reflects the age we live in, an age where people believe they can design their own personal spirituality to live by. 

And it is true that they can do this. But that doesn’t mean that God adopts it or looks upon it with approval. In fact:

God has revealed through His Word
that He not only saved us from our sins
but saved us into a family.
The church is not a building to visit,
but a people to belong to. 

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Our passage today shows us God’s desire for our involvement in the church. The writer of Hebrews tells us to consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. The “one another” in this passage is the local body of believers. It is other Christians we fellowship with. Then the writer says that believers are not to neglect the practice of meeting together (presumably for worship and fellowship). Some had developed the habit of not meeting, and the writer is correcting them. Believers need time together. 

Why? We encourage one another and stir one another up to love and good works. And we do this day-after-day, week-in-and-week-out as we watch the Day drawing near. The “Day” referred to in this verse is the Day of Christ’s return. The great Day in which the Savior returns and all things are restored and made new. This Day will usher in eternal life and freedom from sin, hurts, struggles, and disappointments. In a world still filled with all those things, and more, we need one another until that Day comes. So don’t stop meeting today. We need one another.

Reflection & Journal
- Why do some people call their leisure activities “their church”? 
- What are the benefits of believers meeting together? How have you experienced this in your life?
- Why do you believe most people’s thinking has gone astray on the need for involvement in the church?

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