FOUND FAITHFUL
Hebrews 10:19-25
The book of Hebrews teaches us about the supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way to God. God spoke in the past many different times and in many different ways. God’s final revelation was through His Son, Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ consists in who Jesus is and in what he has done for us. We have seen that Jesus, through the blood of his cross, has opened the way to God for us.
Under the Old Covenant only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies. He entered into the holiest by sacrifices he had made for himself and then for the people. Jesus is our great high priest. He entered into the heavenly Holy of Holies. He entered in with His own blood, not that of bulls and goats. Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, you and I now have access to the very presence of Holy God.
"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body......" A new and living way has been opened for us by the blood of Jesus.. Christ’s way is “new” because he opened it by His death. By His resurrection from the dead, he made the “way” a “living way.”
The “curtain” refers to the veil that stood between the holy place and the Most Holy Place. In Hebrews the “veil” speaks of the life of Jesus. He is the “veil” into the presence of God.
The author proceeds to give an exhortation to his readers. The first readers of the book of Hebrews were Jewish believers, in danger of deserting their faith and reverting to the old system of law. The author was challenging them to be faithful to their faith in Jesus Christ. That challenge is now given to us as well.
I. LET US DRAW NEAR TO GOD IN FAITH
How are we to enter into God’s presence? This speaks of PRAYER. How are we to draw near to God.
A. WE ARE TO ENTER IN WITH A SINCERE HEART. We do not enter in as they did, by offering a sacrifice. Jesus has already made the supreme sacrifice for us. Jesus our High Priest invites us to enter into His presence. We are to come with a sincere heart. This calls for genuine devotion rather than hypocrisy. Some translate it a “true heart” or “a pure heart.”
B. WE ARE TO DRAW NEAR IN FULL ASSURANCE OF FAITH. this demands a bold confidence that God has provided full access to His presence through Christ alone.
Hebrews 11:6 says that "Without faith it is impossible to please God." Biblical faith, however , is not a blind leap into the dark. In is built upon the Biblical foundation of God’s Word. The word says, that the way to God is now open for us in Jesus Christ. Let us draw near. Our conscience has been cleansed, our bodies washed, all because of the blood of Jesus. Let us draw near to Him.
C. WE ARE TO HAVE OUR HEARTS SPRINKLED FROM A GUILTY CONSCIENCE. This demands constant confession of sin and openness to God.
D. WE ARE TO HAVE OUR BODIES WASHED WITH PURE WATER:. This may be a reference to baptism as an outward commitment to Christ, or it might be symbolic as in the previous reference to hearts sprinkled with blood. If it is symbolic, the hearts sprinkled from a guilty conscience would picture our salvation, and our bodies washed would symbolize a righteous lifestyle. In this new state of purity made possible by Jesus, believers can come boldly to God and claim His grace and mercy.
II. LET US HOLD UNSWERVINGLY TO THE HOPE WE PROFESS.
The writer of Hebrews has presented several warnings in this letter. It seems some were in danger of giving up on their faith in Christ. Persecution, criticism, etc. The writer warned about the danger of drifting, unbelief, immaturity, drawing back, etc. All the warnings were designed to encourage the readers to keep their eyes upon Jesus.
Don’t give up when the going gets tough. We live in a dark world. A world that is becoming increasingly evil, more and more fearful. I see a spirit of fear plaguing God’s people now. Don’t lose hope. (Heb 12:1-2)
Note some translations use the word “faith.” However, the Greek word means “hope.” W. E. Vine describes the believers hope. The word is elpis and means “a favorable and confident expectation.” It has to do with the unseen and the future. The word “Hope” describes:
(a) the happy anticipation of good (the most frequent significance), “Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and athe acknowledgment of the truth bwhich accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who ccannot lie, promised before time began,” Titus 1:1-2
“ knowing that you were not redeemed with 7corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but bwith the precious blood of Christ, cas of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 dHe indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was 8manifest ein these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, fwho raised Him from the dead and ggave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Pet 1:18-21)
(b) the ground upon which “hope” is based, Col. 1:27, “Christ in you the hope of glory”;
(c) the object upon which the “hope” is fixed, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,“ 1 Timothy 1:1. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the object of our hope.
We are to hold on to our “hope” “unswervingly. This speaks of an object absolutely straight,. We are to lay hold of Christ and never let go, even in the slightest.
You and I however, do not have the strength to hold on to our hope. God is faithful to provide His strength and stamina to enable us to endure. We will see more of this in chapter 11.
III. LET US CONSIDER HOW WE MAY ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE
"Stir" "Spur" one another, not in a negative way but in a positive way. That is, we are to be mutual encouragers to other members of the family of faith. It is easy to become discouraged. Sometimes I need you to encourage me. At other times you need me to encourage you.
ILL. One of my favorite New Testament characters is Barnabas. Actually, that was his nick-name and means"son of consolation." or "son of encouragement." He encouraged Paul following his conversion. He encouraged John Mark. He was "Mr. Encouragement" in the early church. We need people like Barnabas today. In fact we need to be “Barnabas” to each other. We need to encourage one another:
A. TOWARD LOVE. Love must abound in the believers life. He is speaking of unconditional Calvary love.
B. TOWARD GOOD DEEDS. Hopeless people don’t do many good deeds. they are too discouraged. Yet, ministering to others in Jesus’ name encourages us to ministry.
One of the ways we can encourage one another is by our being faithful to the body of Christ. This is especially true in relationship to our worship with the family of God. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.“ Our attendance at church encourages others.
Some had become negligent of worship. The same is true today. Most churches run less than half of there membership in church on any given Sunday. This is discouraging. It discourages young Christians when it seems that many don’t see the importance of worship. It discourages pastors, Sunday School teachers, etc.
Once someone coined a phrase, “What if we had church and everybody came?”
Discouraged people, people who lose hope, soon drop out. Some of the Hebrew Christians had given up and had drawn back in their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Today, it is popular to confess faith in Jesus Christ without having a relationship with the church. Christ died for the church.. Christians who live in isolation are USELESS TO THE KINGDOM, LONELY, SUCEPTIBLE TO EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE.
ILL: In my first year at the Seminary, I became the minister of music of the Plum Orchard Baptist Church in New Orleans. The church had a great pastor who constantly knocked on doors in the neighborhood. Yet the church struggled for survival. Even though their were 69 Baptist families living within ten minutes of the church, the church finally died. Those folks did not want to leave their home churches back in Mississippi and Alabama. Some said, “well our folks are buried back home and that is where our family cemetery is.”
Folks, when you leave this church and move else where, one of the first things you should do is to find you another church that preaches the gospel, and join it. That church needs you. You need that church. Besides if you keep your membership here, you won’t do us any good, you won’t do yourself any good, and you won’t do your new community any good. or yourself, or the community where you live. Belong where you live.
“Oh, but I love Springfield.” That’s fine. But you need to belong where you live and if you ever move back to Springfield, you can always move back.
Encourage one another all the more as you see THE DAY approaching. Last week, I wrote about the three appearances of Jesus in my weekly devotional. He appeared to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself, He now appears in the presence of God for us, and He will appear to bring our salvation to completion. A friend responded to the message, “Jesus put in an appearance when I trusted him as a young boy. There have been times when, as with the Apostle Paul, "the Lord stood by me." As the Crabb family now sings, "He shows up to take me through the fire again." I do look for His glorious appearance in air, which appearance is much nearer than when we first believed.”
Now some people are so consumed with trying to figure out when that Day will come that they have become miserable and fearful. Just rejoice in the fact that The Day is nearer now than when we first believed. I want you to be filled with the fullness of Jesus in worship, in service, in witness. Get excited about Jesus, and you will not have to live in dread.
DON’T give up. DO PRAY. Draw near to God. DON’T lose hope. He who promised is faithful. DO encourage one another to love and good works. DO be faithful in worshiping, serving, and witnessing. because the one we worship and serve will triumph. Most of all, do be sure that you have entered into the Christian life by the “new and living way.“ (19-21) But remember, your salvation is only the beginning.
