A Mutual Ministry of Encouraging One Another

A further excerpt from Consider Each Other How to Stir Up Love by John Piper

Hebrews 10:23-25

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.

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Verse 24 gives the focus and aim: "Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds." Then verse 25 gives us instructions how. It says, " . . . not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another." Two things. First, don't neglect to get together.

Second, encourage one another. When I was growing up I heard this text referred to most often as an argument for regular attendance at worship services. "Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together - come to church regularly." And that is not a wrong application of the text since one of the most important kinds of encouragements and exhortations that we get is from the preaching of God's word in the power of God's Spirit. (Hebrews 13:22 calls the book of Hebrews a "word of encouragement.")

But in the context, the kind of coming together in view seems to be one where the members "encourage one another." Verse 25 is explicit: come together and encourage one another. The "one another" implies that there is something mutual going on. One is encouraging another and another is encouraging one. Each is doing or saying something that encourages. If you ask what that corresponds to in our church, I would say the closest thing is the small groups - which is why I regard this ministry as so utterly crucial. I am a great believer in preaching. There is something about the Word of God that begs to be heralded and trumpeted and exulted over - as well as discussed and taught. But I have no illusions that preaching is enough in the life of a believer. The New Testament - and especially this book of Hebrews calls us again and again to a kind of mutual ministry that involves all the believers in encouraging others.

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