On Sunday, one of the Pastors spoke on the topic of Church Community. Some similes describe the community as - a Body, a House, a Family, Stones built on The Cornerstone, Marriage, and the Temple of God. Each of these descriptive ways of explaining the relationship with The Church is to show how it is a collective community and not stranded Island living. The importance of us learning to need one another is stressed in these metaphors. "And let us not neglect meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another… " We must reflect on this biblical truth: Hebrews 10:24-25: "And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together…”
Before expounding on the importance of community, the Pastor shared a story about his father being hurt in a weight-lifting accident. I won’t share the full story of the accident, though I received permission when I asked if I could. The accident happened partly due to warming up with bench presses without a spotter. It could be easy to come to some conclusions without hearing the entirety of the story but don’t get stuck there. I want to point out from Hebrews 10:24-25 how absent of having each other as spotters it is easy to go on and do what verse 26 warns us against: “If we deliberately keep on sinner after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left…” That is equivalent to the outcome of the Pastor's dad having his teeth broken out without waiting for a spotter.
I’d like you to consider another metaphor for the Church, “Spotters.” The very thing this man lifted weights without. How, in hindsight, things would have been done differently.
1. Hebrews 10:24: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.”
The work of a spotter is to encourage. They help those lifting a weight understand their capacity to get it done. They cheer on the work that another needs to accomplish. They help others move from doubt to faith.
A passage that speaks the heart of the community towards one another is found in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” This happens to be my life passage. When I say or quote it to others, it is in the vane of encouragement. My goal is always to be a spotter to a brother or sister in the Lord to move forward in the power of God’s might. That is what a spotter wants to accomplish.
The work of a spotter starts in their words. Ephesians 4:29: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” We can hurt one another deeply with our words or spur one another toward love and good deeds. A good spotter looks to do the latter. They look to build up, give hope, and help those lifting life's weight to know they are not alone. It can be the suitable usage of their words that may get the job done. Pointing each other to God through His Word is not self-righteous. It is everything needed for growing dependency on the Lord.
A spotter cannot offer encouragement if they are more concerned for themselves than the one they spot. Philippians 2:4 is a good spotter’s goal, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.” I love that this passage doesn’t say that a spotter cannot look out for their good. Spotters must know their abilities, gifts, and limitations, too. They must be inclined towards practicing what they preach. They must believe what they say to others. They can help others pick up significant amounts of weight. Spiritually, the weight is full of doubts, fears, or worry, and the spotter must be able to help other followers lift those before the God who tells us to “take up My yoke… for My yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” Matthew 11:28-30.
2. 1 Thessalonians 5:14: “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.”
The work of the spotter is to show patience. A good spotter sees things the one lifting may not see. In the faith community, it is essential to recognize those struggling or at a point of despair. We are our brother’s and sister’s keeper. Struggling might foment from a wrong expectation of God. A spotter, graciously and in truth, comes along to help disabuse wrong thinking; just like with physical weights, our form cannot be minimized. Spiritually, our thinking about God is crucial. If we believe things about Him that are not true, we can drop the weight, which is to stop looking to him through prayer. We might pull a spiritual muscle, maybe to pull away from fellowship. God has given us the community to be patient spotters and to receive from others when it’s our time to be spotted.
3. Galatians 6:1: “If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”
The work of the spotter is to bear one another’s burdens. As in the Thessalonians passage, “admonish the idle,” this is where reproof is necessary. In my younger days at the YMCA, Marlon and I were heavy into weightlifting. A young lady was lifting, and her spotter put more weight on the bar than she thought she could lift. She started cursing at him and walked away in a huff. He looked around and patiently said to the onlookers, “I’m going to give her a minute, but she’s going to get this done.” Whatever was said outside the free weight room, the young lady returned apologetically and was sure she could lift the weight. All of us who received her apology cheered and patted her on the back when she accomplished what the spotter knew she could do before she ran off in a huff.
The same thing happens in the Christian community with those who stumble. Those presumptuous with sin or unintending to sin must be restored in a spirit of gentleness. Psalm 34 tells us we cannot always discern our errors. That is when we might sin unintentionally. As we grow, we also learn what pleases God and what is unacceptable. Spotters in the faith, which we all are on some level, understand there are Christians of all maturities of faith in the Christian community. We help keep each other from stumbling. When stumbling happens, we help each other come to repentance, come back into the community, reconcile where necessary, and continue where we thought we were incapable of walking righteously before God and each other.
4. Galatians 6:1b: “ …Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”
I want to stress that the spotter's dependence on all they encourage others to do must be on the work of the Spirit of God. He teaches us how to be a good spotter and builds muscle memory—John 14:18-31 (paraphrased). We cannot spot others if we are unwilling to be checked ourselves. To be the best spotter we can be for our brothers and sisters is to come humbly before God and pray, “Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then, I shall be blameless and innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock, and my redeemer.” Drawing again and again from the Spirit and the Word is the muscle memory we can never lose.
Galatians warns us that we will not encourage, be patient, or bear other’s burdens if we do not “keep watch on [ourselves]…” The best part of being a spotter in God’s community is that sometimes, we feel like the weight put into our lives is too much for us. We will fall short at times, too. We will need to be patiently encouraged and have others come alongside and bear our burdens or spot us at times. We may even recognize our areas that need correction. When that happens, we have this encouraging message from God’s Word in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” After this, you and I spot others in the community again.
That’s good news!
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