A Study of the Book of Hebrews
Jesus
is Better
Sermon # 16
“What You Have Is Worth Keeping!”
Hebrews 10:19-26
This morning we come
to the turning point in the letter to the Hebrews. The writer turns from an explanation of
the superiority of Jesus to this truth’s application in the lives of his readers. He begins in verse nineteen by saying, “Therefore, brethren,
having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
(20) by a new and living way which He consecrated for
us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, (21) and having a High Priest over the
house of God.”
The writer now gives a three-fold directive
based on our new relationship with God the Father.
First, We Are
To Draw Near In Faith.
“Let
us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies
washed with pure water.”
The wonderful truth is that we can enter into
the very presence of God with full assurance that he accepts us and hears us.
By
Christ once for all time sacrifice for sin
Christ has purchased for us “a new and living way” (v. 20) into the very presence
of God. The resurrection of the one slain has made this new way, a living and enduring
way. This stands in mark contrast with the former animal sacrifices under the Old
Covenant. These animal sacrifices made by the priest remained dead, they only temporarily
covered sin. We are able, and indeed are invited to walk into the presence of Almighty God
on the merit of the risen, and living Christ.
In verse twenty-two we are told how we are to enter into
the presence of God.
We are to enter with a clear conscience, for
the first time in their lives their guilt was completely gone. The writer says therefore
that they should enter into God presence with a “true heart”
- the word translated “true” here means ‘sincere.” That is with
no mixed motives or divided loyalties. It is the opposite of what we some times experience
in our everyday lives. We have all met people, who when they are introduced keep talking
and smiling at us but all the will there eyes are roaming looking at other people and
other things. They really are not interested in us at all. That is exactly the opposite of
what we are told that God expects from us!
We are
not only invited to Draw Near In Faith
but …
Second, We Are
To Hold Fast In Hope (v. 23)
“Let
us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
So many people in our
world today live without any real hope. In fact they are not living so much as just
surviving. They manage to put one foot in front of the other by depending on some
unfounded worldly “hope.” By that I mean that they are “hoping” that
the future will bring something different into their lives. They live hoping for a
brighter tomorrow, hoping for a change, looking for someone new in their
lives to change every thing. But their hope is not founded on truth, but rather
wishful thinking.
But as Christians our
hope has substance. When the author here refers to “the confession of our hope”
he is referring back to what he said in 6:19. “This hope we have as an
anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence
behind the veil.” We
understand that an anchor grabs onto the floor of the ocean
and holds the vessel securely. But the shifting sands of this world offer nothing to
secure us for eternity. So our anchor does not go down to the ocean below, but upward and
is anchored in God’s presence in Heaven.
We are not only to
Hold Fast In Hope but …
Third, We Are
to Encourage In Love
“And let us consider one another in order to
stir up love and good works.”
Consider
means “to observe,” “to contemplate,” or “to have an intelligent
insight into.”
The idea here is that we are “to spur or
stir up” one another to good works. The King James Version captures the strength of
this verb (paroxusmos) by translating it “provoke.” Normally speaking this is not a pleasant word
– but here has the pleasant connotation of prodding our brothers and sisters to good
deeds. The Greek word speaks forcefully of the tremendous impact believers can have on
each other.
· In
Order That We Stir Each Other Up (To Do Good).
I
think that it can truly be said that we as Christians often stir each other up, but it is
not always to good deeds.
· Accomplished
Through Frequent Assembly (v. 25a)
“not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as is the manner of some…”
People have a thousand
reasons or should I say excuses for why they do not attend church more regularly. In the
church to whom this letter is written, attendance perhaps had been affected by
persecution. That, however is not one of our problems.
Perhaps you have
heard “The Psalm of Summer.”
“Now
it came to pass that spring turned to summer again.
God’s people raised their voices and said:
“Recreation is my shepherd, I shall not stay at home;
He maketh me to lie down in a sleeping bag;
He leadeth me down the Interstate each weekend.
He restoreth my suntan; He leadeth me to State Parks for comfort’s sake.
Even
though I stray on the Lord’s Day,
I will fear no reprimand, for Thou art with me;
my rod and reel they comfort me.
I anointest my skin with oil, my gas tank runneth over;
Surely my trailer shall follow me all the weekends this summer,
and I shall return to the House of the Lord this fall.”
But then it is hunting season and that’s another psalm.” [Source unknown -www.bible.org/illus/Hebrews]
Perhaps you have heard of the man who refused
to go to church! “When a pastor asked him why, he answered, “I don’t go to church because every time I
do they throw something at me.” “What
do you mean?” the preacher inquired. The man went on to explain. “When I was just a child and my parents took me to
church, the minister threw water on me. When I got married, the wedding ceremony took
place in a church, and they threw rice at me.”
Hearing this, the pastor quickly responded, “And if you don’t start going to church
soon, the next time you do I’m afraid they’ll throw DIRT on you!”
Sadly, this describes the situation for many
people. As far as church attendance is concerned, for some they go to church twice in
their lives - to be Married, and to be Buried—and that’s about all. For an
obedient child of God, however, that will never do. [R.W.D. - Our Daily Bread, October 28 - www.bible.org/illus/Hebrews]
· With
the Result That We Encourage One Another. (v. 25b)
“… but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
The late Bishop Fulton Sheen once entered a greasy-spoon restaurant for breakfast, and when the waitress, groggy and disinterested, took his order, he replied, “Bring me some ham and eggs and a few kind words.” When she returned fifteen minutes later, she set the food before him and said, “There.” “What about the kind words?” The server looked him over a moment, them replied, “I’d advise you not to eat them eggs!” [R. J. Morgan. Nelson's Complete Book Of Stories, Illustrations, And Quotes (electronic ed. -2000) (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Pub.)]
Yet there is amazing power in an
encouraging word. You and I have the power to change a life with a kind and encouraging
word. The fact is that encouragement is a Christian duty.
William Barclay says,
“One of the highest of human duties is the duty of
encouragement….It is easy to laugh at men’s ideals; it is easy to pour cold
water on their enthusiasm; it is easy to discourage others. The world is full of
discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time a word of
praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet. Blessed is the man
who speaks such a word.” [William Barclay. The Letter to the Hebrews.]
Conclusion
Imagine that there is a person standing in
front of you struggling with several large packages. You may know them, or you might not.
It could be a friend or a stranger Perhaps it's someone you see everyday, or it
could be someone you'll only meet once.
Imagine then
there before you struggling with several large packages. They've got more than they can
carry. The burden is too much for them to bear alone. You see them straining and hurting
and aching from the weight of the packages.
Now, what would you do?
Think about it,
you're at Wal-Mart or the grocery store and you're standing there with nothing in your own
hands. And all of a sudden you notice this person in front of you who is just about to
drop their packages because they have more than they can handle. What is your first
thought?
Of course, you
have the natural urge to give them a hand. You wouldn't just stand there and watch them
struggle and drop things when you could easily help them out.
You know, you
really don't have to use your imagination unless you want to. You can see it in living
color every single day of your life.
You see, there
ARE those in your pathway, standing right there in front of you, who are struggling with
more than they can carry. Oh, it may not be groceries or house-hold items from the
department store, but it is a very real burden that weighs them down just the same.
Maybe it's a
divorce they are going through. Or, it might be an illness. It could be a relationship
problem, a difficult decision, a situation at work, or they could just be having a bad
day. There are all kinds of things that weigh us down. Things that we struggle with.
Things that leave us straining and hurting and aching from the weight that is upon us.
Perhaps it is just that they are find themselves in situation where there is no one to
turn to for encouragement, no one who understands the way they feel.
Someone who is
carrying too many packages will be in front of you today. You can count on it. Will you
notice them? It might be a friend or a stranger, someone you are close to or someone you
barely know, someone you see everyday or someone you'll only meet once. And they'll be
standing there struggling under the weight.
What is your
first thought? Will you reach out and give them a hand? Will you do what you can to help
meet the need? Will you offer a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on? Will you be someone
to help bear the burden in whatever way that you can?
You can encourage
those who have been a blessing to you by letting them know that you appreciate what they
have done. There are countless people in every walk of life who are never recognized or
encouraged no matter how hard they try. Often that lack of appreciation is what will make
or break them.
You can encourage your mechanic by telling him how you appreciate having someone you can trust. You can encourage your wife when you tell her how much you appreciate all that she does. You can encourage your children by telling them how much they bring joy to your heart. To encourage is to strengthen, to encourage is to refresh, to encourage is to provoke good deeds in others. Encourage someone today!