Purpose: To explain how true fellowship happens.
Aim: I want the listener to see the benefits of being accountable.
INTRODUCTION: The human tendency is to hate authority. The Bible, on the other hand, not only exalts God’s authority, but it also places its blessing on certain forms of human authority. This includes government (see Romans 13:1-7), the husband’s authority (see Ephesians 5:23), and church leaders (see Hebrews 13:17 & 1 Peter 5:1-2, 12-13 & Colossians 1:28).
God has also made every church member accountable to every other church member. God want us to see that as a blessing.
We don’t like authority because by nature we don’t want to be held accountable for our actions. The problem is that our faults (sins) keep us from having a joyful relationship with Christ and with others. So, how can we overcome that awful tendency?
Our text gives us a clear outline. Notice: we have two explanations of a Christian’s relationship with Christ "since we have..." in verses 19 & 21. Then we have a threefold invitation based on our relationship with Christ: "let us..." in verses 22, 23, 24 which includes our faith, hope, and love.
Vs.19-21 I. How Can we Fellowship with God?
Here we see the phrase "since we have..."
Vs.19-20 A. Through the sacrifice of Christ "by the blood of Jesus...His flesh"
We must NOT approach God through formalism, tradition, hypocrisy, hard work, or religious ceremonies. We can only move from the Holy Place (Vs.19) into the Holy of Holies (Vs.20) through the bloody sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
This is what the book of Hebrews has been explaining up until this point. The only way to get to God is through the dreadful death of Jesus Christ. "Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,[in Psalm 40:6] "SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; " (Hebrews 10:5, NAS)
"By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD " (Hebrews 10:10--12, NAS)
The sanctuary is divided into two parts: the Holy Place & the Most Holy Place. If you were to enter the Holy Place you would immediately notice a strong smell. Burning frankincense is in the air which is mixed with the delicious aroma of fresh baked bread. By the flicker of the menorah candles you notice the floor: streaks of red blood stripe the floor which then disappears, under the veil into the Holy of Holies.
We can only move from the place of sacrifice, the Holy Place, into the place of intimate fellowship with God, the Holy of Holies, because of the sacrifice of Christ. Before we enter we must lay down anything we are clinging to and acknowledge our own nakedness before God. All my ambition, all my good works must go. It wasn’t until Adam and Eve felt their complete nakedness that God clothed them with animal skins.
We must become naked before we can be clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Jesus warned us not to approach Him with our own efforts. "Many will say to Me on that day, ’Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ’I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ " (Matthew 7:22--23, NAS)
Vs.21 B. Through the supreme authority of Christ "a great priest over the house of God"
Christians make up a house that God built. (Hebrews 3:2--6, NAS) "[God] was faithful to [Christ] who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house--whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. "
"[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. " (Colossians 1:15--18, NAS)
Vs.22-25 II. How Can we Fellowship with Believers?
Vs.22 A. It begins with personal accountability: a sincere faith "assurance of faith"
The writer is showing us that two things are required in order for us to have fellowship with each other. First, we must trust the blood of Christ to make us clean:"hearts sprinkled clean." The forgiveness of Christ is the ONLY way to be clean. Trying to do good or trying to punish ourselves for our sin is doomed to failure. We must be fully trusting Christ to make us clean. "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin" (Psalm 51:2, NAS).
"FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE" (Hebrews 8:12, NAS).
Maybe we should pray: "Lord, please forgive me of my prideful/human attempts to get Your approval!"
Second, we should examine ourselves carefully before attempting to fellowship with God and God’s followers. We should make sure that our "bodies are washed with pure water."
In the OT the priests had to wash their hands before they could enter the Holy Place (Exodus 30:18-21). In the same way Christians must be careful how they approach worship and fellowship. "This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. " (1 John 1:5--7, NAS)
Jesus warned us that we should look carefully for a log in our own eye before we even consider trying to remove a splinter from someone else’s eye. Some night when the moon is out, go outside and notice that you can block out the entire moon with your thumb. Your thumb is obviously much smaller than the moon, but because your thumb is so close to you it can block all of the moon’s beauty. It only takes a seemingly small sin to keep us from being able to accurately see someone else’s problems.
God hates careless worship. "’THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME" (Matthew 15:8, NAS).
Vs.23 B. It includes public accountability: an outward hope "confession of our hope"
We need to be so sure that Christ has forgiven all of our sin that we have no reluctance to announce that faith publicly: "because He who promised is faithful." "Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25, NAS).
Real forgiveness will move us to publicly proclaim Christ. "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. " (Romans 10:9--10, NAS)
If we really believe that Jesus died for us and is coming again for us, then we have a solid hope that Jesus will always take care of us. "so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever .... " (Hebrews 6:18--20, NAS).
A new pastor of an inner-city church was looking out of his office window at the neighborhood around him and he began to weep. A church member who happened by tried to console him. "Don’t worry, Pastor. After you’ve been here awhile, you’ll get used to it." The Pastor responded, "I know, that’s what I’m afraid of."
Vs.24-25 C. It requires church accountability: a selfless love "stimulate... to love"
The same word, CONSIDER, is used in (Hebrews 3:1, NAS) "Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession". Instead of wondering what we can get out of church gatherings, we need to ask what we can give to church gatherings.
What does church accountability look like?
Vs.24 1. Church accountability requires planning "let us consider"
We need to carefully plan how we can reach out and help other believers to grow in Christ. Christ centered encouragement rarely JUST happens.
For example, Paul told Timothy to "Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you...Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you" (1 Timothy 4:13--16, NAS).
Every time we come to church we should come with a plan to encourage others.
Vs.25a 2. Church accountability requires time together
"not forsaking...assembling"
ASSEMBLING is the same Greek word used in (James 2:2, NAS) "For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes."
Every person has different needs and struggles. We can’t help a person we don’t know very well. "do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." (Philippians 2:4, NAS)
"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor" (Romans 12:10, NAS)
God says that it is arrogant to believe that serving God is a worthless waste of time. "’Your words have been arrogant against Me,’ says the LORD. ’ Yet you say, ’What have we spoken against You?’ You have said, ’It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the LORD of hosts? So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and escape.’[Real followers of God gather together and encourage each other] Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. ’They will be Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts, ’on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.’ " (Malachi 3:13--17, NAS)
Vs.25b 3. Church accountability requires urgency "all the more"
We should never be satisfied with how good we are at encouraging other Christians.
Life is hard. We all need a regular dose of encouragement from someone who really cares about us for at least two reasons. First, once sin gets a deep hold on us it is harder to get rid of. "But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." (Hebrews 3:13, NAS)
"Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:22, NAS)
The longer sin goes unchecked the worse it gets.
"preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine... " (2 Timothy 4:2--3a, NAS)
Secondly, we have no idea how much time we will have to encourage other believers. "FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY" (Hebrews 10:37, NAS).
CONCLUSION: In order to pursue a joyful fellowship with God and each other we must accept godly accountability. "Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy" (Proverbs 27:5--6, NAS).
Dr. John MacArthur: "To genuinely love is to manifest the truth, even if it means to rebuke." [1]
[1] John Jr MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., Pr 27:5 (Nashville: Word Pub., 1997).
