Unfortunately many people seem to think it’s their mission to provoke others who don’t believe exactly like they do, whether it be in the area of politics or theology.
But i want to talk about a different kind of provoking.
There’s a scripture in Hebrews 10: 24 that reads, “Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good works...”
To provoke one another to love - We use the word "provoke" now in a somewhat different sense, as meaning to offend, to irritate, to incense; but its original meaning is to "arouse, to excite, to call into action," and it is used in this sense here.
The Greek is, literally, "unto a paroxysm of love" - εἰς παροξυσμον eis paroxusmon - the word "paroxysm" meaning "excitement or impulse," and the idea is, that they were to endeavor to arouse or excite each other to the manifestation of love. The word is what properly expresses excitement, and means that believers should endeavor to excite each other, not put each other down! Still with me?
So...with that in mind, who are you going to provoke today?
This weekend at Alive Church we begin a new series called SNL, (Salt N Light). This is all about choosing to make a positive difference in the lives around us. You can provoke someone in a negative sense or you can do it in a positive way. The way of love!
For more information or to catch up on past talks, just go to AliveChurch.com.
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