Weekly Message / Prayer Request

Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV

For the past five weeks we have looked into the deep meaning of love in each one our weekly messages. We first asked each other what is our first love? Then we proceeded to discuss what perfect love is and where does it come from. The following week we spoke about how we tap into this perfect love. Then just last week we spoke about how much love this really is—an immeasurable amount of love. It has been very exciting to see how we have proceeded in this journey and where the Lord has directed our thoughts and prayers on the matter of love…

But our work is not finished until we discuss how to share this love with others. We have focused much of our attention on what has been poured into our hearts. Now let us look at what is poured out when we share life together…

The writer of Hebrews shares with us this great passage on meeting together. He makes it clear that our fellowship is not a passive act and never was intended to be a moment steered by apathy or a sense of duty. Everything mentioned here is action by believers; an act upon where people are reaching into the lives of others.

This is seen by the phrase ‘spur one another on toward love and good deeds’. The writer uses the Greek word paroxusmos (παροξυσμὸν) here which literally means ‘contention or provoke unto’. This is significant because it is almost like the writer is calling us to intentionally bump heads with our brothers to provoke something. In fact the word paroxusmos is only used one other time in the New Testament, in Acts 15:39 where it is written: “They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus…” A contention so great that Barnabas left Paul to go a different way… So the word used is definitely an action word, not one which is passive in nature.

When we consider this you may think that we are to be pushy and intentionally pry ourselves into the lives of others. But this can be no farther from the truth. Everything we do is to be done in love. Pushing our way into someone else’s life does not demonstrate a loving nature and therefore does not demonstrate the perfect love God has given us.

Instead I believe what the writer of Hebrews is asking each one of us to do is position ourselves within the ‘body of Christ’ where we can encourage one another and spur others to do great things. It is a positional standing the writer is trying to address here within the fellowship, not a particular act.

See we can withdrawal from one another even in a crowded room. We can withdrawal from a conversation to where nothing provokes us to ask any questions about our brother’s condition. Figuratively sit in the back of the room and never hear the pain which is being shared within the lives of our brothers… This is what I believe the writer of Hebrews is trying to warn us from becoming.

This positional standing is probably best witnessed within the book of Exodus where Moses has a chance to see the glory of the Lord:

“Then the LORD said, ‘There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.’” Exodus 33:21-23 NIV

God positioned Moses on a rock in the right place upon where Moses could see the glory of God without seeing His face directly. It is a great example upon where someone is positioned perfectly. And there is a great lesson to learn from this.

See to love someone is to be positioned in the right place. It is about taking ourselves and putting our life before others in such a way that we can share the good news and be there in a time of need. This is positional standing with perfect love from God as its source.

Brothers, may we place our lives within the ‘body of Christ’ in such a way upon where we can be used by Him in order to love others. This is my prayer for each one of us, our fellowship, and Northshore Christian Church. Through our positional standing next to each other, within the ‘body of Christ’, and within the community of Everett, may we find ourselves in the place God designed and find our lives at the center of His will…

May our love flow into the lives of others…


Prayer requests

Ernie – pray for the health of his wife

Carmine – pray for the personal problems of a friend while she is going through a divorce

Tim – pray that he will be able to raise up his child with Godly wisdom

Ramon – pray for a business opportunity and that the Lord will reveal His will in this opportunity

David – pray that the Lord will enlarge his capacity to know Him

Mark – pray that I will be able to shepherd others with the love of Christ and that my knowledge of Him will continue to grow, pray for continued protection for my family

***Pray for relationship building throughout the Northshore Christian Church

Continued prayer needs

Steve – pray that a friend’s husband will pass his driving test so that he may gain employment

Keith – thanks for Ernie in bring him tonight to the meeting

Monte – praise for new employment with Direct TV

Kelcy – praise for the success of his mother’s surgery, pray for the surgery of Al Moran’s shoulder, pray for pastors and staff

Dick – pray for strength in new employment

Joe – pray that his condo may sell and that he may finally be settled here in Mukilteo

Craig – pray that he will continue to find the Lord in His life

Norman – praise for the health of daughter in dealing with her seizures

Larry – pray for leadership in leading group of men with CTL, pray for the Marriage Seminar which is coming quickly and the leaders of this seminar in order to strengthen families

Gary – pray for strength in working with IRS, pray for stepdaughters in their struggles

Chad – pray for continued seeking of purity in his life

*** pray also for the men’s ministry in developing Godly leaders


Future Meetings

Please make note that the next meeting is back in the Fireside Room at Northshore. Here is the upcoming meeting schedule:

Wednesday, March 12th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting in the Fireside room at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, March 26th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting in the Fireside room at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, April 9th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting in the Fireside room at Northshore Christian Church


Challenge

May we find peace and power within our inner being in order to build unity throughout the Church…

Memory Verse

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” 2 Corinthians 1:21,22 NKJV