A Gentle Reminder

INTRODUCTION:

Last week we looked at evangelism, the church looking out. Today I want to focus on the church looking in. God has provided us two divine institutions to provides us with support. He gave us the church and the home.

With this, I want to ask you a question: Why are you here today? Are you here for your parents? friends? yourself? God?

We all know why we are on earth, the Great Commission tells us why God has left His children on this earth: to show and tell the world about Jesus.

But why are we here, in this church on such a fine Sunday? I have been pondering that question for some time. Recently some one told me the church has become a social gathering. Something of an holy Elks Club or Kiwanas. Someone from EFCA came to me and said those words: the church is a social gathering. He was want to leave the church. His reasoning was the social gathering. I had to take stock of what had been taught and done over the past year and realized we had only one purely social gathering. The rest of the time had been centered around in depth teaching and memorization of God's Word. Yet, for him the church had been a social place only-no wonder he wanted to leave the church. He didn't view her the way God does. Today's text shows us the importance of the Church as our Community of Hope. It is here we can draw near to God, learn more of Him as a Community of believers, and encourage one another to press on in our service to Him. It is a place where 1 Corinthians 13.13 comes alive. A place where we can experience faith (22), hope (23), and love (24-25).

1.  Why we can come to church (19-21)

HEB 10.19-21 tells us: 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, and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

Then the writer tells us to participate as a Community of Hope.

     a.  19 Therefore, brothers

           i.    addressing Christians

           ii.   verses 1-18

           iii.  sandwich of 18 and 26 "no longer any sacrifice for sin"

                 (1) HEB 10:18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

                       (a) Where Jesus is accepted and His forgiveness applied (ie salvation)

                       (b) there is no more need for a sacrifice

                             (i)     we cannot do more (Eph 2.8-10)

                             (ii)    there is nothing more to do for Jesus done it all

                             (iii)     Jesus is superior (theme of Hebrews)

                 (2) HEB 10:26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,

                       (a) Negatively, if we reject the only way to God there is not sacrifice for sins left for us (ie we cannot do it for ourselves)

     b.  since we have confidence

           i.    our confidence to come to Jesus lay in His making us righteous. We don't have to worry about inadequacy for in Jesus we are made acceptable to God. We are clothed in His righteousness as Paul would say in Philippians 3.

           ii.   Ephesians 1.4 tells us that we are united with Christ and have His holiness for ourself.

           iii.  therefore, we can boldly go where only God could go before: into His throne room

     c.   to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,

           i.    The OT had priests who entered into the Holy of Holies

                 (1) bells and ropes

                 (2) a fearful day

           ii.   Ephesians 3.11-12

                 (1) blood of Christ (Death, burial and resurrection)

                 (2) boldness and confidence (His righteousness)

           iii.  because of

     d.  20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,

           i.    we are able to come to God because of what Jesus did for us.

           ii.   Mark 15.37-38

                 (1) Jesus died

                 (2) the veil torn

           iii.  we can come to God because of this new way

                 (1) this new way is His righteousness in us

                 (2) fresh

                 (3) continually fresh, never to grow old

           iv.  a living way

                 (1) the terminology shows that our entrance to God is evident and alive through the fellowship of believers

     e.  21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

           i.    because we have Jesus as our priest our life as a church is effective.

           ii.   because Jesus is the Lord of this house we are more than a social gathering we are a holy place where faith is furthered, hope is validated, and love is learned. It is a Community of Hope not only for ourselves but for those to whom we take the Great Commission as-well.

Faith can be maintained alone, hope can possibly be seen alone, but love is never alone. Love is where God and people meet.

2.  Let us passages

HEB 10:22 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.

HEB 10:22 let us draw near to God

     a.  He asks us to come to Him

           i.    James 4.6-10 is the negative of this command

                 (1) God resists the proud, gives grace to the humble

                 (2) Submit to God, then resist the devil

                 (3) Draw near to God

                 (4) Forsake the world

     b.  with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith,

           i.    He asks us to come knowing that He accepts our coming to Him

           ii.   He asks us to come

                 (1) weary

                 (2) thirsty

It is as if God knew we would still question our ability to come to Him that He inserts these next two lines in for us. It is as if He knew we would say, "You don't know my sin. How could God accept someone who has done . . ."

Notice the tense (Perfect Passive Participles). This is our completed state. These are not conditions to come to God, but realities we already possess because we have the righteousness of Jesus.

     c.   having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience

           i.    Jeremiah writes that our hearts are wicked

           ii.   He also writes that God will give us a new heart. When we accept Christ we receive that new heart.

     d.  and having our bodies washed with pure water.

           i.    John 13

           ii.   Acts 22.15

HEB 10:23

     e.  Let us hold unswervingly

           i.    without doubt

           ii.   Thomas was hopeless because he doubted, he swerved

                 (1) he wasn't in fellowship

                 (2) and he neglected what Jesus had told him

     f.   to the hope we profess,

           i.    the hope we profess (lit. agree upon in community)

           ii.   what hope?

                 (1) eternal life (Titus 3.7)

                 (2) salvation (1 Thessalonians 5.8)

                 (3) future glory (Colossians 1.27)

                 (4) His calling (Ephesians 1.18)

                 (5) righteousness (Galatians 5.5)

                 (6) many others

     g.  for he who promised is faithful.

           i.    it is not our faithfulness that gives us hope, but His

           ii.   Ephesians 2.8-10

HEB 10:24

     h.  And let us consider

           i.    we are to think, to dwell on, to fix our mind on ssomething(the meeting together of verse 25)

           ii.   the emphasis is on attention and ccontinuous observation of attending church for the purpose of

     i.    how we may spur one another on

           i.    to spur means to irritate, incite or stimulate

           ii.   we have to consider thoughtfully ways we can spur one another on to love and good works

What have you been doing personally to help others in your church to do the work of service and to love each other in a greater manner?

     j.    toward love

           i.    love can only be expressed in community

           ii.   love is where God and people meet

     k.   and good deeds.

           i.    good deeds can only be done in community

           ii.   Jesus, John and James tell us that love or faith without love or community is a lie

HEB 10:25

     l.    Let us not give up meeting together,

           i.    don't leave others in a lurch

           ii.   a place of worship and exhortation

     m. as some are in the habit of doing,

           i.    happening too much today

           ii.   forsaking for family, school, or friends

     n.  but let us encourage one another--

           i.    Ephesians 5.18-21

     o.  and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

           i.    1 John 2.28-3.3

CONCLUSION

The church is the only God ordained place to increase our faith, to develop and manifest hope, and to show forth love. We need the church almost as much as we need Christ. Let us, therefore, come to worship God and exhort one another in faith, hope and love.

MINISTRY

There are some graduates here who will be facing an unknown tomorrow. That is soon they will be graduated and moving off to college or the work field and some to high school. I would like us to practice our faith, hope and love here today with them. I ask the graduates to come forward for a time of prayer. I will ask Tony to pray for you and I will ask each one of us to pray for them as well. Pray there faith to be strengthened the hope to be enlivened and their love to be manifested this Summer. Now that all the graduates are here, will each person from the church surround this group and pray (Come on forward and practice your love). Let us jointly pray for these, then Tony will close as he sees us finishing. After that remain standing for the benediction (HEBREWS 13.20-21).

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