• Hebrews 10:24 “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
• 25 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.”
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Church is more than just preaching and praying. Both are extremely important, but there is more. You may have heard someone joke that two Baptist ordinances are food and fellowship. The food part is nice, but not necessary. 🙂 However, fellowship is a necessity. In our text, Heb. 10:24-25, you can see the obligation every believer has to provoke each other unto love and good works and to exhort one another.

There have been a lot of sermons through the years dealing with the evils of peer pressure, and rightly so. The reason why peer pressure is so powerful is because people need people. We influence each other. We discourage or encourage each other. We affect each other.

“As ye see the day approaching” is a reminder that not only is Jesus coming soon, but that also, “the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16) and increasingly so. In I Thessalonians when the believers were reminded of Christ’s soon coming and of the evil in the world, they were also commanded in I Thessalonians 4:18 “’Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

There is a lot of pain, pressure, and persecution in this cruel world towards believers. God already prepared for this by producing the local church. The local church is supposed to be a tightknit family that “provokes,” “exhorts,” and “comforts” each other, and to do “so much the more.” As a matter of fact, Heb. 3:13 commands believers to “exhort one another daily.” At the same time, we must remember that the provocation unto love and good works and the exhortation of one another in Heb. 10:24-25 is to be done while believers are assembling. So, to obey Heb. 10:24-25, every believer must not only not forsake the physical assembling of ourselves together, but also must provoke and exhort one another specifically while physically assembling ourselves together. Make sure not to forsake the assembling of yourselves together. Faithfully attend every church service. And make sure to do your part to help other believers in your local church.