Developing Relationships
Hebrews 10:19-25
Intro:I found a story about relationships this week that I want to share with you.
76-year-old Bill Baker of London recently wed Edna Harvey. She happened to be his granddaughter’s husband’s mother. That’s where the confusion began, according to Baker’s granddaughter, Lynn. She said, “My mother-in-law is now my step-grandmother. My grandfather is now my step-father-in-law. My mom is my sister-in-law and my brother is my nephew. But even crazier is that I’m now married to my uncle and my own children are my cousins.”
. Relationships can get crazy can’t they?
. The Bible has much to say about relationships and we are going to look at how Christians develop relationships this morning.
. We are back in Hebrews this morning.
. The writer of Hebrews is again driving home the reality that Jesus is and has taken the place of the old sacrificial system that they had been practicing for centuries.
. The covenant that God had made with Abraham and the Jewish people had been fulfilled by the birth, sacrifice, death and resurrection of Jesus.
. Now there was a new covenant.
. Now, the relationship between God and man was on a different level.
. Before, a priest would go before God for them, now they could go themselves.
. As a matter of fact, they had to go themselves. No longer could they depend on a priest to do this.
. The writer covers all of this with them and we come to our scripture this morning that lays out these relationships that God wants Christians to have.
. Hebrews 10:19-25:
. 19And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.
20By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.
21And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house,
22let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
23Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
. The first thing we see here is that we must:
. Develop A Relationship With Christ.
. Everything is predicated upon this relationship.
. The writer says here that:
. “… because of the blood of Jesus.20By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.
. 22let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
. Our guilty hearts have been sprinkled with the blood of Jesus.
. Our sins are forgiven not by the blood of goats or lambs but by the blood of Jesus Christ.
. People don’t like to talk about the blood much anymore. They say that the blood offends people.
. A lot of preachers don’t like to talk about the blood anymore because the blood offends.
. Folks the blood doesn’t offend, it saves.
. By His wounds, by his blood we are saved.
. What can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
. The writer is telling them that they can have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ’s blood that was shed as a sacrifice.
. By his death Jesus gave a new life-giving way, the writer tells them.
. In order for this to happen though there must be a relationship built with Jesus.
. We must know Him, not just know about Him.
. The apostle Paul was standing before King Agrippa defending himself from the Jewish leaders in Acts 26.
. He tells the king that he has done nothing wrong.
. All he has done is to tell everyone that the scriptures have been fulfilled through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.
. In the middle of his defense he says this to King Agrippa in verse 20 of chapter 26.
. I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.
. And prove they have changed; prove they really understand what Jesus did for them through the good things they do.
. Brothers and sisters my heart aches thinking that there are possibly millions of people in the world who think that just because they prayed a prayer that they are saved.
. We preachers are guilty of that.
. We preach that all we must do for salvation is believe that Jesus died for us and that is true but there needs to be repentance.
. A changing of who we are.
. Scripture says that we must believe in our heart which means our whole being. It means that we accept this with all of our being.
. There has to be a relationship with Jesus.
. When we have a relationship with someone we want to spend time with them don’t we.
. I dare say that when we love someone we can’t get enough of them can we.
. Remember back when you fell in love with your wife or girlfriend.
. We would call each other and either talk for hours or sometimes just sit and listen to each other breathe.
. We couldn’t get enough of each other.
. That’s how someone desiring a relationship acts.
. We would do anything for them wouldn’t we?
. I fear that we are just playing lip service and not heart service in our relationship with Jesus Christ.
. Jesus addressed this issue himself in Matthew 7:21-23.
. I call these three verses of scripture the saddest passages in the Bible.
. 21“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter
.22On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name
.’23But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
. This is why my heart breaks.
. This is why all of our hearts break.
. People will say that they know Jesus.
. They will talk the good talk but that is all they can stand on and that isn’t enough Jesus says.
. These folks have been to church. Many probably every Sunday.
. My guess is that many will have been brought up in church.
. They are religious people but they do not have a relationship with Jesus.
. The saddest part is that many have been told by preachers that all you have to do is pray this prayer and you are good to go.
. The writer of Hebrews is telling them and us that we have access to god through Jesus but we must develop a relationship with him.
. We develop that relationship through our salvation.
. Next the writer tells them that they should develop relationships with each other through:
. Shared ministry
. Look at verse 24 again:
. 24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
. Develop a relationship with each other through acts of love and good works.
. These are some of the things that bind relationships together.
. We grow in reliance and love for each other as we minister and serve together.
. We learn to work together and rely on each other.
. Winston Churchill was one of the great leaders in our day. He understood the Law of the Big Picture. It is said that during World War II when Britain was experiencing its darkest
days, the country had a difficult time keeping men working in the coal mines. Many wanted to give up their dirty, thankless jobs in the dangerous mines to join the military
service, which garnered much public praise and support. Yet their work in the mines was critical to the success of the war.
Without coal the military and the people at home would
be in trouble. So the prime minister faced thousands of coal miners one day and told them of their importance to the war effort, how their role could make or break the goal of
maintaining England’s Freedom.
Churchill painted a picture of what it would be like when the war ended, of the grand parade that would honor the people who fought the war.
First would come the sailors of the navy, he said, the people who continued the Tradition of Trafalgar and the
defeat of the Spanish Armada.
Next would come the best and brightest of Britain, the pilots of the Royal Air Force who fended off the German Air Forces.
Following them would be the soldiers who had fought at Dunkirk.
Then last of all would come the coal-dust-covered men in miners’ caps. And Churchill indicated that someone from the crowd might say, “And where were you during
the critical days of the struggle?”
And the voices of 10 thousand men would respond, “We were deep in the earth with our faces to the coal.”
It’s said that tears appeared in the eyes of those hardened men. And they returned to their inglorious work with steely resolve, having been reminded of the role they were playing in their country’s noble goal of preserving freedom for the Western World.
Churchill motivated them toward a common cause and developed a relationship with them that I understand was present until he died.
. Folks we have a common goal.
. To share the love of Jesus Christ.
. To encourage and develop those we meet into committed followers of Jesus.
. We must motivate each other to minister together with one another.
. We must build relationships that are centered on ministry.
. Exciting things are happening here at the creek. Be part of it. Lets motivate each other to acts of love and good works.
. Let’s do this together.
. Let’s do it through our relationship with Jesus Christ and with each other.
. It takes team work to do this.
. A man who couldn’t swim went fishing with his friend and after awhile caught a really big fish. He was so excited about catching such a big fish that he leaned too far over and fell into the water.
“Help! Save Me! Help! Save Me!”
His friend reached out and was going to grab him by the hair and get him into the boat. But the man’s toupee came off and he slipped back into the water. He came up again and yelled, “Help! Save me!”
This time his friend grabbed him by the arm. As he pulled on his arm, it came off because it was an artificial limb.
The man continued to kick and thrash around. The friend reached out and managed to grab a leg and as he pulled on it, it came off. It was a wooden leg.
As the man continued to splash, calling out for help his friend disgustedly said, “How can I help you if you won’t stick together?”
. The writer of Hebrews is telling us to stick together. Motivate each other.
. Build relationships with each other through ministry.
. Lastly we are to build relationships with each other through:
. Fellowship & Worship
.Look at verse 25 again.
. 25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
. We develop relationships through coming to church and fellowshipping with one another.
. That is one of the advantages of a small church such as ours. We can get to know one another on an intimate level as we worship and fellowship with each other.
. The writer is telling the people to come to church so you can motivate and get to know each other.
. Don’t neglect this the writer states.
. This is important.
. As we fellowship with one another and worship together we will draw closer together and develop relationships that will last an eternity.
The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is available for a relationship. That is the most important relationship that you will ever have because that relationship brings you into the presence of God.
. Once you have that relationship, build upon it with relationships through ministry, worship and fellowship.
. Do you have a relationship with God through Jesus Crist this morning.
. You can’t just know about Him, you must know Him through a personal relationship.
Invitation
*** To my Christian brothers and sisters, thank you for taking the time to read this sermon. I ask that you take another second and score this for me. I am always open to feedback so that I can continue to grow in the proclamation of God’s word.
May God bless you as you continue to strive to walk worthy of His calling.
Sources: The Holy Bible, NLT
The Do’s & Don’ts of Restoring Relationships – Steven Dow
“Teamwork Needed – Marilyn Murphree
