May 20, 2026
Wednesday, May 20
The Church is the Bride of Christ. We can’t claim to love Him if we denigrate Her, any more than a man can say to his best friend, “I love you, but please don’t ask me to spend time with your wife.” Yesterday, we noted that many professing believers are de-prioritizing, even outright walking away from, the institutional Church. It takes real grit to overcome these societal trends. Hebrews 10:19-24 tells us this isn’t a new problem. There are three imperative verbs in the passage, and all three apply to us today. Let’s look at the third of those verbs today.
In v. 24, we’re commanded to “Stir up one other to love and good works.” I’m willing to bet we’ve all left church at some point thinking, “Man, I didn’t get anything out of that. The sermon was dull and didn’t apply to my life. I didn’t like any of the songs. None of my friends were there today, either. I should have just stayed home.” I say this in love: Where did we get the idea that what happens on Sunday morning was about us? Where in the Scriptures does it say, “If you come to worship, I promise you’ll be glad you did?”
The author of Hebrews doesn’t say, “Keep gathering together, because you need a weekly pick-me-up.” No, he says that instead of dropping out, we should show up every Sunday to encourage each other. What happens on Sundays isn’t about you at all. Don’t misunderstand: I do believe the sermon should teach and inspire you, and the music should usher you into the presence of God, and the people you meet should be warm and loving. But, next Sunday, consider the possibility that the entire reason God brought you to church was to encourage a specific person. Maybe it’s a first-time guest who will walk out and never come back unless someone shows them they matter. Maybe it’s someone in your Life Group who’s struggling just to survive and needs someone to help bear their burden. Maybe it’s a volunteer who’s ready to quit their ministry because they think they’re not doing any good.
I remember reading a story by a pastor who went to seminary late in life. He was the oldest student on campus besides a black pastor who was about his age. Perhaps because of their racial differences, he didn’t make any efforts to befriend this man at first. But halfway through the semester, he invited his fellow middle-aged student to lunch. Eventually, they became friends. Years passed, and one day he was invited to speak at the black pastor’s church. Introducing him, his old friend said, “When I went back to seminary, I felt all alone. I was older than everyone else, and a different color than most of them. One day, I told the Lord, ‘If someone doesn’t show me today they want to be my friend, I’m quitting.’ And that’s the day this brother invited me to lunch.” That story has stuck with me, because it’s a reminder that we have no idea who needs an encouraging word…so we should give them out generously.
And that’s not just for Sunday morning. Some of our transforming relationships will be with fellow believers: We walk with a friend who’s grieving after losing a loved one; we take a younger Christian under our wing to encourage and pray for them; we meet once a week with a believer who’s struggling with their faith and help them try to wrestle with their questions and doubts.
It’s interesting: The Greek word that’s translated “stir up” here is an aggressive word. It means “provoke.” It’s the kind of word you’d use for a coach who gets in a player’s face and inspires them. That doesn’t mean we need to be rude or loud, but that we don’t wait for someone to ask us to encourage them. We’re on the lookout for people who are struggling, so we can be the one who gets them back in the game.
“Father, please show me who I need to encourage this week. Help me to look for those opportunities every day. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Conroe
More from Pastor Jeff at his website: jeffbergerwriting.com
