“The Road to a Better Life: Major in Perseverance”
Hebrews 10:11-25
They were having a hard time deciding. Should they follow the old, familiar, comfortable religion or the new, unfamiliar religion? Should they follow the Jewish faith or the Christian faith? It was a tough, emotional struggle. So the author to the Hebrews, in chapters 1-10, laid out the better road - the superiority of Jesus and the Christian faith over the old Jewish faith. At 10:18 he finished with this theology, so in 10:19-21 He gave one final succinct summary. Jesus is superior because: He gives us confidence to approach God; He opened the way to full, total, unhindered access to God; and He is still now, and always will be, our Great High Priest, interceding for us.
But so what? What’s the big deal? What’s it all for? What difference does it make? What’s his point? On the Merv Griffin Show years ago, one of the guests was a body builder. During the interview, Merv asked, “Why do you develop those particular muscles?” The body builder stepped forward and flexed a series of well-defined muscles from chest to calf. The audience applauded. “What do you use all those muscles for?” Merv asked. Again, the muscular specimen flexed, and biceps and triceps sprouted to impressive proportions. “But what do you use those muscles for?” Merv persisted. The body builder was bewildered. He didn’t have an answer other than to display his well-developed frame. The author of Hebrews did not want his readers to think that just knowing about Christ was all there was to Christianity, or to be left wondering about the practical affects of the superiority of Jesus. So “Therefore…Let us…” Since life is tough, let’s take what we know and meet life head on! HEBREWS IS A CALL TO PERSEVERE IN AGGRESSIVE CHRISTIAN LIVING. This aggressive Christian living is outlined in the text by following the words “Let us”.
First of all, verse 22: “…let us draw near to God…” RUN INTO GOD’S PRESENCE IN FAITH. Verse 19 sets the stage: “…since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place… let us draw near to God…” The word ‘confidence’ in verse 19 can be translated “boldness.” Because we’re forgiven and clean, we can enter God’s presence with boldness –In other words, don’t be shy! To have ‘boldness’ indicates we have freedom of speech, permission to approach authority without fear, with plainness and openness, and without anxiety. So the invitation to draw near to the most holy place is, in reality, an invitation to run boldly into the chamber of innermost communion with God – to get as close to and as intimate with God as possible! It’s important to note that the word “draw near” is in a tense that means to keep on doing it – be regular at it. MAINTAIN A POSITION OF CLOSENESS. Get in God’s face – up close and personal. After all, this is the whole purpose of Jesus taking on flesh and dying on the cross – to re-establish our relationship with God. Use the new way to God – Jesus Christ – to build your relationship with God. God allowed us to see His heart on the cross – He opened up His heart of love to us – and now He invites us to open up to Him. Let God be your confidant. Since Jesus went to all the work to open up the way into God’s presence, let’s take full advantage by repeatedly, regularly, faithfully, running into God’s presence; get face to face and heart to heart with God.
And we do so by ADOPTING A POSTURE OF CONFIDENCE. “…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” We have this full assurance because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. As Paul wrote (2 Tim. 1:12): “…I know whom I have believed and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” Like Paul, we give our lives to Christ and stop worrying! He will take care of all the things that are beyond our control. Our task is to stay close to Him and TRUST IN THE UNIMAGINABLE POSSIBILITIES OF THE LIMITLESS GOD. As Paul wrote, “God is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work in us…” (Eph. 3:20) God is more than able to accomplish what concerns us today – all it takes is our faith and trust. Faith and trust form the channel through which God releases His power and does His work.
There was a farmer who had three sons: Jim, John, and Sam. No one in the family ever attended church or had time for God. The pastor and church members tried for years to interest the family in the things of God, but to no avail. Then one day, a rattlesnake bit Sam. The doctor did all he could to help Sam, but the outlook for his recovery was dim. So the pastor was called. He decided to draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith by praying: “O wise and righteous Father, we thank Thee that in Thine wisdom thou didst send this rattlesnake to bite Sam. He has never been inside the church and it is doubtful that he has, in all this time, ever prayed or even acknowledged Thine existence. Now we trust that his experience will be a valuable lesson to him and will lead to genuine repentance. And now, O Father, wilt Thou send another rattlesnake to bite Jim, and another to bite John, and another really big one to bite the old man. For years we have done everything we know to get them to turn to Thee, but all in vain. It seems, therefore, that what all our combined efforts could not do, this rattlesnake has done. We thus conclude that the only thing that will do this family any real good is rattlesnakes. O Lord, send us bigger, and better rattlesnakes. Amen.”
What are the rattlesnakes for which you need to boldly ask God? Trust in the unimaginable possibilities of the limitless God. God is more than able to accomplish what concerns us today – all it takes is our faith and trust. Run into God’s presence in faith.
The next characteristic of aggressive Christian living is to RELY ON HIS PROMISES IN HOPE (23): “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess...” Hold unswervingly. We must BE STEADFAST IN CONFESSION. The word ‘hold fast’ carries the meaning of holding firm or tightening down. The thought contained in “unswervingly’ is to avoid leaning or sloping. Stay balanced. So the idea is that we are not to alter or question our confession just because life gets tough or things don’t go our way. Even though we may not feel the truth of our confession, we are to maintain it as the anchor of our soul (6:19): “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” We are to BE UNSWERVING AND UNBENDING, NO MATTER WHAT.
Wavering and bending fears, “We shall fall by the hand of Saul;” Holding fast claims, “No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper.” Wavering and bending fears, “Who will roll away the stone?” Holding fast claims, “The Lord will go before us, and make the crooked places straight.” Wavering and bending fears, “The people are powerful and their cities and towns are fortified and very large.” Holding fast marches in and claims the land. Wavering and bending fears tomorrow; holding fast lives each day to the fullest, knowing the Lord gives all we need from day to day. Wavering and bending fears reprisal and criticism; holding fast shouts, “Lift up your banners let the anthems ring praises to our King – great and mighty is the Lord our God, Great and mighty is He.” Be steadfast – unswerving and unbending, no matter what.
We can do this when we recognize that we can BE STRENGTHENED IN the CERTAINTY. (23) “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess...for he who promised is faithful.” The stars always come out at night; the sun still lights the day (even when we can’t see it!) and the moon the night; spring still follows winter, which follows fall, which follows summer. God is faithful. (1 Cor. 1:9) “God will surely do this for you, for he always does just what he says…” (1 Thess. 5:23-24) “Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God, Who calls you, is faithful; he will do this.” (2 Thess. 3:3) “But the Lord is faithful; he will make you strong and guard you from the evil one.” (2 Timothy 2:13) “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.” (1 John 1: 9) “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” (1 Cor. 10:13) “But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.” In other words, CLAIM THE PROMISES OF OUR BAPTISM, that God will be faithful to us and to our children throughout their generations, and that in Christ we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own – forever!
When Crowfoot, the great chief of the Blackfoot confederacy in southern Alberta, gave the Canadian Pacific Railroad permission to cross the Blackfoot land from Medicine Hat to Calgary, he was given in return a lifetime railroad pass. Crowfoot put it in a leather case and carried it around his neck for the rest of his life. There is no record, however, that he ever availed himself of the right to travel anywhere on the trains. What are you doing with the promises of God? Are they hanging on your neck or stored in a file n your mind? Or are you truly standing on and travelling on the promises of God? Rely on His promises in hope.
To participate in aggressive Christian living also means to REACH OUT TO HIS PEOPLE IN LOVE. According to Hebrews this involves three elements. The first way we reach out in love is mentioned in verse 24: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” We are to AROUSE POTENTIAL. “Spur’ means to ‘provoke.’ We are to literally provoke, stir up, and stimulate one another. But notice – we are to provoke towards love and good deeds. It’s like shocking or stimulating the heart to get it beating again – a jolt of sufficient, life-giving power is needed. We are to STIMULATE EACH OTHERS HEART. It’s very similar to Paul’s admonition to the Romans to “outdo one another in showing honor.” Some have, in fact, suggested that the best translation is “Let us rival one another in love and good deeds.” Can you imagine what the church would be like if the only competition was to see who could exercise more love? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the only time church members felt overwhelmed was when other members were lining up to share love? Remember – the early church had a reputation. The non-Christians said, “See how they love one another.” Your love will give a life-giving jolt to another.
The second way we reach out to His people in love is to ASSEMBLE PUBLICLY: (25) “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing...” Celebrating God’s worth and remembering His faithfulness is the life blood of who we are and all we do. Louis Evans has pointed out that some of the radioactive elements used in therapy have a short half-life of radioactivity, so that they must be used within a few minutes of their production. This means that the cyclotron used in making them and the patient must be in close proximity to one another. Christians are like these short-lived radioactive isotopes; we have a very short half-life. Worship is the event in which we become radioactive for God. PUBLIC WORSHIP FIRES OUR RADIANCE FOR GOD. When we are not in collective worship with God’s people, we have missed an exposure to God, and having missed it, we lose our radiance. We are enlivened through worship.
Verse 25 also lifts up the third element of reaching out in love: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…” Let us ANCHOR PEOPLE. The words, “…let us encourage one another…,” are part of the same sentence that talks about meeting together! I believe the idea of encouragement has some particular application, therefore, to worship. We are to anchor people TO WORSHIP. I realize that in one sense I’m ‘speaking to the choir.’ You’re here. Yet it’s the choir that needs to hear it. The question is, “Have you encouraged others to be here?” “Have you invited others?” “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…” According to Hebrews, the responsibility of getting people to worship, of inviting people to worship, of encouraging people to worship does not lie solely with the pastor, the Consistory, or the staff: it lies with anyone and everyone who comes to worship. Research still shows that over 80% of people who join a church, came the first time because someone invited them. Your testimony as to the power and importance of worship, your word of encouragement as to how worship impacts you, is the most valuable tool we have in encouraging others to worship – in infusing their hearts with the courage and fortitude to worship.
But there is a broader application as well: “…let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Because life will continue to get tougher and tougher as earthly history speeds towards its final days, encouragement is becoming more and more important. WE ARE TO ANCHOR PEOPLE TO GODLY AFFIRMATION. Again, Paul wrote to the Romans (14:19): “…Let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.”
We understand the importance of encouragement, of affirming people. Four year-old Jenny was in the back seat of her family’s car, having a good old time singing to herself. Soon her parents listened closely and heard her words: “It’s not my brother, not my sister, but it’s me oh Lord, standing in the need of praise!” It’s where we all stand; and we’ve all been positively changed by someone else’s encouragement of us.
The idea is to GIVE OUR BEST TO BRING OUT THEIR BEST. To encourage, in its core meaning, is to inspire with courage, spirit, and confidence. The great quarterback Bart Starr had made an agreement with his oldest son to encourage good grades. For every “A” Bart Jr. brought home from school, Bart Sr. would give him a dime. (This was the ‘60’s!) One Sunday the Packers had a terrible game and Bart Sr. had done well. After a long plane ride home he arrived at his house and entered his bedroom where he saw a handwritten note from Bart Jr. It read: “Dear Dad. I thought you played a great game. Love Bart.” Taped to the note were two dimes! Kind words, positive words, coupled with loving actions strengthen people; strong people have courage to grow and to live aggressively.
The great painter Benjamin West took joy in telling about the incident that gave him the courage to be an artist. One day his mother went out, leaving him in charge of his little sister, Sally. In his mother’s absence he discovered some bottles of ink and began to paint his sister’s portrait. In doing so, he made a big mess. His mother returned and saw the mess, but she said nothing. She picked up the paper and then saw the drawing. “Why, it’s Sally!” she exclaimed as she stooped and kissed him. Benjamin always said that it was his mother’s kiss that made him a painter. We need to anchor our brothers and sisters, to godly affirmation. Then it will be said of us, as Eliphaz said of Job, “Your words have kept men on their feet.”
We stay on the road to a better life by majoring in perseverance. As Hebrews 12 encourages, “…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.’ Through Jesus Christ, run consistently into God’s presence in faith, rely on His promises in hope, and reach out to His people in love. (Heb. 12:2-4) “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.”
