Hebrews 10:23–25 - Pursuing One Another in Community

Introduction: A Life in Community

Those are kind words. I actually celebrated eleven years on staff here this past Tuesday, and I’m so grateful for Brad because he saw something in me and for me that I didn’t see for myself. It has been a privilege to serve under him, to serve alongside him, and just to do life in community together. I am so grateful to be here with you this evening.

If you have your Bibles, turn to Hebrews 10. As we’ve been discussing over the last few weeks, we are looking at foundational practices. We started by looking at the gospel. We embrace the gospel at a point in time where we recognize and admit our sin in comparison to God’s holiness. We understand what Christ has done for us on the cross, and by faith, we receive eternal life—all because of the grace of God.

But we also embrace the gospel over time. we recognize that we need to continue to live by God’s grace day in and day out as He changes us, transforms us, and makes us look more like Jesus. We do that through confession and repentance with the help of His Spirit, His Word, and His people. Then, last week, we talked about the fact that we have a story to share. It’s an important story because it’s not actually our story; it’s God’s story, and Jesus is the hero. When we share what God has done and is doing, He uses it in powerful ways.

Today, I want us to look at what it looks like to embrace the gospel by intentionally pursuing community with one another. My prayer is that we come away with a deeper appreciation for the fact that God has created us for community as human beings, but He has called us into community as Christians.

The Hunger for Connection

I grew up in my teens and college years during the eighties and nineties. For the younger folks, this might surprise you, but we didn’t have streaming. If I wanted to watch a show, I actually had to be in front of the television at the time it was on. If I missed it, I had to wait six or eight months for the reruns. You couldn’t binge entire seasons over a weekend back then.

On Thursday nights on NBC, there was something called “Must See TV.” For at least a decade and a half, people were glued to their televisions. We watched shows like Cheers, Family Ties, The Cosby Show, Friends, Seinfeld, and later, The Office. People literally arranged their entire weeks to be home on Thursday night to see what was happening in a Boston bar, a New York coffee shop, or an office in Scranton.

Why were these shows so beloved? Even now, my girls will binge Friends all weekend. What draws us to these fictional characters? I think it’s because, as human beings, we desire relationships. We hunger for connection. We relate to those stories because there is a desire in all of us to not only know others but to be known in community.

Research proves this. Studies show that people with strong social support—family, friends, community—are happier, have fewer health problems, live longer, and have a greater sense of purpose. Conversely, lacking social connection is now considered more dangerous than smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It is more deadly than obesity. Researchers are contending that loneliness is a scourge, an illness that the medical community should treat like an infectious disease. Science is simply confirming what God’s Word has always said: we are created for community.

A Biblical Theology of Community

If you skip a rock from Genesis to Revelation, you will find the marks of community everywhere. Think about Adam in the garden. He’s there alone, and God says, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Out of Adam’s side comes Eve, and together He makes an intimate community of husband and wife. Then He tells them to be fruitful and multiply, creating a community of families.

Later, God reaches out to Abraham and says, “I’m going to make you into a great nation”—a group of people who bear His name. When those descendants end up in slavery, God tells Moses, “Let my people go.” He didn’t just want to save individuals; He wanted to make them into a nation with a law that governed how they related to Him and to one another.

In the New Testament, Jesus shows up. Even though He is fully God, He does not live a “Lone Ranger” life. He gathers men and women, invests in twelve specific disciples, and does life with them. He calls them to be a community of faith that impacts the world. He builds the ekklesia—the called-out ones. Paul later describes this as the Body of Christ, where different parts come together to fulfill God’s purposes. Finally, in Revelation, we see every tribe, tongue, and nation together. There will be Democrats and Republicans in heaven; there will even be Dodger fans and Giant fans existing together!

Author Henry Cloud says, “God created us with a hunger for relationship… The soul cannot prosper without being connected to others.”

The Problem of Sin and the Gospel Solution

If we were created for community, why is there so much brokenness? Why do we see war, divorce, church splits, and online conflict? The answer is found in Genesis 3: Sin. Sin disconnects us. Our rebellion and pride break our relationship with God and our relationship with each other. Sin destroys everything we were created for.

But this is where the gospel invades the bad news. Jesus comes, and through Him, we are reconciled to God. As a result, we are able to be reconciled to one another. The gospel is not purely a personal matter; it has a social dimension. As Christians, we are not only created for community; we are called into it.

In Hebrews 10, the author is speaking to Jewish Christians who are being persecuted. Some were tempted to retreat, but the author reminds them of the finished work of Jesus.

Hebrews 10:14 (NASB)

For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

He tells them they don’t need to keep offering sacrifices because Jesus has paid it all. Because of this finished work, we have a new reality.

Hebrews 10:19 (NASB)

Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,

Notice he calls them “brethren.” He uses communal language. We are adopted into the family of God, coming from different backgrounds and ethnicities, yet we are one in Christ. Because of Jesus, we have the “confidence”—the boldness—to approach God without guilt or shame.

The Three “Let Us” Exhortations

The author then gives three exhortations that define how we live in community.

Hebrews 10:22-25 (NASB)

let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled [clean] from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 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.

First, he says let us draw near in faith. We need one another to encourage us in the truth that Jesus has paid it all. Second, let us hold fast to hope. We need one another to remind us that God is a promise-keeper when life gets hard. Third, let us stir each other up to love. That word “stimulate” or “stir up” means to provoke or entice. We need each other to push us toward action, compassion, and service because our selfish nature often fights against it.

But here is the reality: you cannot draw near, hold fast, or stir up if you aren’t actually together. The Christian life is not a solo endeavor. The vehicle God uses for this is the church. Pastor John Stott said the church is not a divine afterthought; it is God’s new community.

When we gather, we preach the Word, we sing the Word, we pray the Word, and we “see” the Word through communion and baptism. We need this consistency. We’ve found that at The Well, average attendance is about once every three weeks. Now, I’m not here to give you a “drive-by guilting.” There are seasons of rest or travel. But often, we are just too busy with soccer, volleyball, or work. The Hebrews text warns us: don’t forsake the assembly. It is vital to your spiritual health to be here consistently.

The “One Anothers”

Community also happens in smaller pockets. In a room of eight hundred people, you might only know a few. We are called to live out the “one anothers” of Scripture. There are about a hundred of them in the New Testament: love one another, serve one another, forgive one another, confess your sins to one another, bear one another’s burdens.

This isn’t just about having a barbecue or studying the Bible to get smarter. True biblical community is about helping each other look more like Jesus. It’s messy, it’s frustrating, and it’s challenging, but it’s how we grow.

I know this from my own story. I grew up in the church, but I lived a very isolated spiritual life. I was an athlete and a coach; I understood “team” in a practical sense, but I didn’t apply it to my faith. My wife, Jen, and I went to church sporadically, but we never got into a small group. During that time, I was hiding a porn addiction. I was struggling with food addictions. We were struggling with finances and marital issues, but I never let anyone in.

It is a miracle of God’s grace that we aren’t divorced and that I’m standing here today. In 2003, living in Santa Barbara, we finally joined a small group. We started to see what the Bible meant by community. When we moved back to Fresno and joined The Well, I heard Brad say, “Groups and teams.” So, I joined the parking lot team. My job was to hang out with a guy named Steve, set up chairs, and wave at people on Gettysburg Avenue.

Then, for some reason, they made us Life Group leaders. We opened our home to families like the Tozerudes and the Smiths. Over fifteen years, I’ve watched God use this community to transform my marriage, my parenting, and my freedom from sin. I need the people of God. Community is messy because people are messy, but it is worth it.

Our Mission in Every Neighborhood

For twenty years, our mission has been the same: helping people connect to God and to each other in every neighborhood. We want to connect vertically with the Lord and horizontally with each other.

In Acts 2, we see a beautiful picture of the early church. They devoted themselves to the Word, to fellowship, to prayer, and to meeting each other’s needs. And the Bible says a sense of “awe” came over them. That’s what we want here.

We gather every week at multiple campuses, in English and Spanish, to hear the Word. We offer community life through Regen, Reengage, Women’s Bible Study, and Life Groups. Whether you are in Regen for recovery or Reengage for your marriage, the heart is the same: discipleship in community. We even find community in serving, like seeing seven hundred kids at Summerpalooza or our Reengage leadership team praying and confessing to one another every week.

Conclusion and Challenge

I want to leave you with two takeaways tonight.

First, examine yourself. Ask yourself: “Do I understand God’s design for community? Have I been resisting it?” Maybe you’ve been too busy, or maybe you’ve been hurt by a previous church experience and you’re afraid. Be honest with the Lord about that.

Second, exercise new muscles. Take a step. Come more regularly to our gatherings. Volunteer to help on a team so you can start to connect. Jump into a community life environment. Show up at Regen on Monday night or Reengage on Tuesday. God wants us to live in community because that is how He grows us and how He reaches the city.

1 Peter 2:9 (NASB)

But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR [God’s] OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Let’s embrace the gospel, intentionally pursue community, and watch God transform us and the world around us. Amen.

Let me pray for us.

Father, thank You for this evening and the privilege to gather in Your name. I pray for us as a people. I know community is messy and difficult, yet it is beautiful. You have called us into it. Help us to pursue it intentionally so that You might use it for Your glory and to help us become more like Jesus. As we worship now, let our voices be lifted together, making much of Jesus—our King, our Savior, and our Hero. It’s in His name we pray, Amen.