WHAT TO DO WHILE WAITING FOR THE LORD’S RETURN?
“And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.…”-{Heb 10:24-25}
What are you to do while waiting for the LORD’S return? Be PRO-ACTIVE- What To Do When You Meet Up With Believers!
3 THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU ARE WITH OTHER BELIEVERS…
1. – Spur others on to LOVE
2. – Spur others on to GOOD DEEDS
3. – ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER
“LET US…” it is a mutual lifestyle we are to each take personal responsibility to discharge
“CONSIDER”- means literally to put one’s mind down on something and so to observe or consider carefully and attentively. It means to fix one’s eyes or mind upon and to perceive clearly, cautiously, observantly. The idea is to think about something very carefully or consider closely and includes the action of one’s mind apprehending certain facts about a thing so as to give one the proper and decisive thought about the thing considered.
Notice the present tense which calls for continuous consideration of how to stir other believers – not to stir them in the sense of causing trouble, but stirring them up in the sense of motivating them to live on earth as citizens of heaven who are anticipating a better hope to be fully realized when “the day” draws nigh. The exhortation is to take careful note of each other’s spiritual welfare, for we are in fact in a very real sense “our brother’s keeper” in the flock of God.”-{preceptaustin}
WHAT’S THE POINT? have you ever woke up or felt that way? This verse tells us you have PURPOSE… to “CONSIDER” the word is used in Heb 3:1 of “Consider Jesus”- Think on Him, Meditate upon Him, Continuously have Him set before you… and here it is “Consider”… OTHERS… Think about them, study them , how can you help and motivate the people you come in contact daily with to Love, Do Good…It is to look out for others and seek their highest spiritual good in God’s kingdom. Where God has placed you, is your opportunity to “consider” others and with good, godly intent and desire for them!!
Instead of waiting to be served, or being a spectator, be proactive, deliberately spurring others on … LOVE them. DO GOOD to them, ENCOURAGE them!
It’s to be a mutual ministry, lifetime way of living for EACH OF US…, but don’t wait for someone else to do so first. You take the initiative and be pro active! The writer of Hebrews is addressing believers who are immature and also suffering… and he has them focusing… NOT on themselves but on others well being… in their own circumstances… the point is seek thoughtfully, deliberately how to stimulate others to live as Citizens of Heaven on earth and means… looking outward, not inward… seeking to stimulate others not to anger, legalism but LOVE, sacrificially and humbly serving others, “We know Love by this HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE for us…”- {1 John 3:16- THE CROSS! and we are told ” let us not love with word or tongue BUT IN DEED AND TRUTH “-1 John 3:18}…
DO GOOD… {Read eph 2;10; Titus 3:8}…Good deeds are a TESTIMONY and afford us the opportunity, “that men may SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS and GLORIFY Your father in heaven.”-{Matt 5:16}…and coming alongside to ENCOURAGE them. -“Parakaleo can include the idea of giving help or aid but the primary sense in the NT is to urge someone to take some action, especially some ethical course of action. Sometimes the word means convey the idea of comfort, sometimes of exhortation but always at the root there is the idea of enabling a person to meet some difficult situation with confidence and with gallantry.”-{preceptaustin}
COME TOGETHER AND ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER with a word, a good deed, in love…be looking intentionally to build others up in their faith! And this not for a day, weekend retreat but a lifetime, from salvation to Glorification with Him.. as you travel this earth everyday be CONSIDERING be LOVING, DOING GOOD, ENCOURAGING… It begins with YOU… with ME…
It’s PRESENT TENSE, in other words it’s to be our lifestyle not beginning in the future, but today, who are you seeking to encourage. We tend to put off, or seem it as not a big deal but to GOD it is… He wants His people to be ENCOURAGING one another… don’t wait for others to encourage you first, You choose to be continually encouraging others…TODAY, TOMORROW, EVERYDAY… IT IS HIS WILL for you and me! We don’t have to guess what is His Will, He has revealed it in His Word and includes these three aspects of love, do good, encouraging…
MOTIVATION?
AND the passage GIVES US the MOTIVATION- THE LORD IS COMING AGAIN “… all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching. all the more”- {Heb 10:25} To Live in light of His return is to live thoughtfully, seeking to stimulate, motivate others to LOVE, DO GOOD, ENCOURAGEMENT!
We are not waiting passively but ACTIVELY!
Imagine if we all lived doing these three? But we don’t have to wait for anyone else, each of us is responsible to the LORD to carry out His will as revealed in these two verses. What is the motive? LOVE. His love for us and our love to Him, not for acceptance by Him but because we are accepted -{Eph 1:6; Rom 1:7}
You can live a productive life serving others by applying these three truths wherever you are…you have the power to do so -{Read Phil 2:13}
* While Waiting For The LORD’S Return…* BE LOVING- Sacrificially preferring others for Jesus sake-{Red 2 Cor 4:5; Phil 2:3-4}
* While Waiting For The LORD’S Return…* BE DOING GOOD -{Read Heb 6:9}
* While Waiting For The LORD’S Return…* BE ENCOURAGING DAILY -{Read Heb 3:13}
“The key to encouraging love biblically is given in verse 23: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
The key to love, in the New Testament — the kind of love that magnifies God and not man — is hope rooted in the faithfulness of God. Embrace your hope! Cherish your hope! Because God is faithful. He keeps His promises.
Without this kind of hope, sustaining you day by day through all the disheartening frustrations and crushing disappointments, you would not have any strength or energy or joy to stir anybody up to love and good deeds. But if you bank on God, not on yourself, you always have something encouraging and hope-giving to say, namely, “God can be trusted, God can be trusted. I have no strength, but God can be trusted.”-{John Piper}
MOTIVATION? – The RETURN OF THE LORD JESUS!…THE LORD IS COMING!
“And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities,..but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.. “- Heb 10:24-25 (Amplified Bible – Lockman)