Strathalbyn Church of Christ

Heb 10:19-39 Theme: Our shared hope. Sermon by Pastor David Williams. Strathalbyn Church of Christ. 16 Jan 2022.

Pray: open our ears to receive your word to us today, Lord Jesus, Amen.

Remember waiting outside the headmaster’s office? You didn’t want to be there. Would he throw the book at you? Bring out the cane? Keep you in detention? Or even worse, send you home with a letter for the parents? Coming before God is nothing like that – yet for some, it may be a good deal worse. Today’s passage is in 3 parts:

1. Let us draw near. 10:19-25

2. Rejecting Jesus. 26-31

3. Enduring hope. 32-37

1.Let us draw near

19 Therefore brothers and sisters… Why the “therefore”? When you see a therefore, it is often a crucial turning point. For all that comes before in Hebrews leads to this point. Hebrews has been showing Christ as the son of God and our great High Priest. He brings about a new covenant – a new and living way for us to relate to God – not like the old one that relied on the death of animals.

19 Therefore … we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus.

Therefore, because of who Christ is and what he has done, we can approach God boldly – not like waiting for the headmaster! Why such confidence? It is certainly not because of anything we have done.

20 For he opened for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, his body). We can boldly front up to God because the curtain separating us from God was torn in two. The writer connects that curtain to Jesus own body being torn for us on the cross. Also, our confidence is not just based on that past sacrifice, but on who he is now.

21 We have a great High Priest who is over God’s house. He rules over heaven itself as our great high priest. Our Saviour is also our advocate. He is the one who goes between us and God. That’s what an advocate does. Fronting up at the headmaster’s is a lot less scary when you have an advocate with you – a sympathetic teacher or a friendly school chaplain. Jesus is our advocate. How then should we respond? By eating lettuces – Five of them! Don’t believe me. Well, here’s the first “lettuce”:

22 Let us then draw near to God …

Drawing near. What is it to draw near to God? We’re not just talking about prayer and doing spiritual stuff. Draw near to God when you’re having that hard conversation with a son. Draw near to God when you are driving or shopping. In everything!

Seek to live in his presence all the time. We can do this for we have had heart transplants. Our old guilty hearts have been changed for true ones.

22 Let us then draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith. For our hearts have been sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

A true heart. Before Christ, we had little idea of what a true human was like. There has only ever been one true man, one who is fair dinkum through and through. Made in God’s image. Living a life under and with God. His every thought, deed and desire was right and true and good. Doing nothing for selfish or proud motives. Imagine what it would be like. Having a heart that it true – without conflict, or doubt, or self-deception, or corruption. Imagine that! Don’t think of Jesus as some ultra-goody two-shoes. No, he had real integrity – his heart was true. Like that man, we can also live as a true man, a true woman, a true boy or girl. Christ has given us true hearts. As Jeremiah foretold, God will place his laws in our hearts and minds. We are being transformed - becoming truly human, from the inside out.

23 Let us hold on tightly to the hope we profess, without being diverted, for he who promised is faithful.

Hold on for he holds on to us! Our hope is a sure anchor for we read - We have God’s promise as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, Heb 6:19-20. It’s like learning to drive, in one of those dual steer cars – you need to hang on to that wheel. But if you let go in panic or a lapse of concentration, the teacher has it firmly in his hands.

So, we need to work, but we work trusting in God. It is hard work too. We need to hold tightly to the hope we profess. It needs focus – we cannot be diverted from our hope. We need to hold both truths together – we work as God works in us.

But what about you? Are you striving or coasting? We are in the middle of a war, a spiritual war. Does a soldier go off to do the crossword in the middle of an enemy attack? Yet that is what so many Christians are doing. We need to hold tightly to the hope we profess.

24 Let us consider how to spur one another on towards love and good deeds.

Why come to church? To hear a good sermon? To enjoy the singing. To catch up with friends? Why do people not come to church? The preacher is boring. I don’t like the music. I was offended by what someone said to me. Notice what all these have in common - how utterly self-centred these reasons are – reasons for drawing some, for keeping away others. Christians need to wake up. Christ has died to build his kingdom through his church. Through his church, men and women are snatched from the jaws of hell. Through his church, the hopeless find hope and life. You cannot follow Christ unless you belong to his church. It is in the church we find encouragement, correction, opportunities to serve, to hear the voice of God. That is why we attend church – not for our own benefit but – to spur one another on to love and good deeds. To put a simple question, what can I say or do for the person in the next pew, to spur them to love and good deeds? This is what should be in our minds as we come. Not the Sunday roast, not the aphids in the roses, but how can I love my brothers and sisters today and next week? I admit – it sounds a bit odd doesn’t it. It is not what naturally springs to mind, not for me anyway. But we are in a battle. Soldiers I’m told – do this all the time. They encourage one another when fear or failure or apathy strikes. They encourage each other to hold their nerve, to be more diligent in looking out for one another. To hone their skills.

Spurring one another on towards love and good deeds. How shall we do it? We may not be good at it. We may not be comfortable with it. We are probably really terrible at it – especially us blokes. But we need to try. Just start praying for one or two others. That may get you thinking. Thinking of what you might say or do that might avert disaster or bring encouragement. You may not be a talker but a word, just one word may bring some back to God. Many older blokes are heavily depressed. Like so many, when my best mate suicided, I had no idea. Do you really know where your brothers and sisters are at? How is their walk with God? How are they getting on with their spouse or kids? What’s it like at work for them? What’s it like without work?

One reason why we don’t think this way is because our culture tells us to mind our own business. But this is not God’s way. I am my brother’s keeper! (cf., Gen 4:9) If my brother is grieving or lonely or troubled, it is my responsibility.

A visitor from Africa was stunned on being driven through an Australian suburb. “Doesn’t anyone live here”, she asked? She had not seen one other person except in cars. Why are not people out in their yards chatting, living life together. Other cultures are shocked by our individualism. Our relationships seen so shallow to them. The bible was written to communities, not to individuals. It was written to churches where there were strong family and community bonds and obligations. Western individualism is not a biblical idea – it is driven by pride, by selfishness, by materialism. Our individualism is perhaps our greatest sin. But we don’t see it; we’re immersed in it. It is perhaps the main reason for Christians not engaging with Christ’s family. As Aussie Christians we need to wake up! To follow God as his people we need to repent of our individualism – the attitude that says, “don’t interfere with my projects, my agenda, my desires, my money, my plans. You do your thing, I’ll do mine.” This leave-me-alone mentality infests our culture and our churches. It is driving up divorce rates in the church, loneliness, mental health problems.

That’s all rather negative, but let’s look at what can be done. Think what a church can do when everyone is pulling together, working together, worshipping together, seeking God’s will together. We achieve so much more when we work together – supporting and encouraging one another.

One of the things I dreaded when working for CMS was the person who came into my office telling me God had told him to become a missionary and set up his own mission outfit, or orphanage, or some such thing. My first question was always, “What does your pastor say?”, “What does your family think?” or “Have you spoken to anyone about this?” Inevitably, they had consulted no-one, and inevitably, their ideas came to nothing. So many Christians are trying to do their own thing rather than working with the rest of the body of Christ.

By definition, a Christian is a member of the body of Christ. But you cannot be a member of the body of Christ unless you are turning up to his body, regularly. We need to question those who are church-less Christians – are you truly converted or are you fooling yourself? Are you really converted if you think that Christ’s church is so unimportant? The Church for which he died. The church that is Christ’s instrument for building his kingdom. This leads us to the next Lettuce:

25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.

Giving up meeting. But this is not you. Thank you for turning up. It encourages me; it encourages all of us. But where are the rest? Please don’t take what I’m about to say as a personal attack. I will never use the pulpit to single out anyone, apart from calling out heretical leaders. But sadly, we all know many – dear family and friends -who are caught up in what I’m about to say. For this problem is an epidemic across the Western world. Giving up meeting. The first readers were tempted to give up meeting because of persecution. They could face prison – their property could be taken – because they were meeting together. But mere persecution does not stop brave brothers and sisters attending church. Today, some are going to church knowing they may be bombed – this is happening in Indonesia, in India, in Egypt. Churches are being bombed.

But what about us. Aussies give up because we need to finish the gardening or take the kids to sport or there is a family function on. And I blame myself here. My record is not good. Any trivial excuse will stop us coming. Some have stopped meeting together because they are asked to wear a face mask. Indonesian Christians going to church knowing they could be killed and Aussies who won’t come because it interferes with their hobby. Jesus died to build his church – the church some have dumped so they can pursue hobbies. Those who have given up on church need to hear what comes next.

2.Rejecting Jesus

26 For if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no further sacrifice for sin. 27 Instead, there is a fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume his enemies.

If someone rejects Jesus, there is no plan B. There is no greater Saviour than Jesus, no greater sacrifice. There can be no further sacrifice. If he is rejected, the rebel has no hope of salvation. A fury of fire will consume him. This is not a one-off rebellion. David wilfully sinned. So did Paul. And both were forgiven. This is a deliberate ongoing rejection of Jesus and what he stands for. The writer spells out just what a wicked thing it is to reject Jesus.

28 If anyone refused to obey the law of Moses, he was put to death without mercy … 29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, who has violated the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has scorned the Spirit of grace?

I realise there are several views on hell. Most are attempts to explain away the clear teaching of Christ. Here we are told that a fury of fire, a fearful expectation of judgment awaits those who reject Christ, who scorn him. Hell is not the image many Aussies conjure up – a quaint fellow standing by with a pitchfork while you catch up with your mates around an overheated BBQ. No, 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

I know this is very hard. I have lost many dear friends who, it seems, died without knowing God. We cannot know what went through the mind of a dying soul as he or she passed into eternity. But neither should we invent false hopes because we cannot bear to face hell’s reality. But lets turn to the hope we have.

3.Enduring hope

Hebrews was written to Jews who converted to Christ. It seems they had suffered much at the hands of both Jews and Romans. We have a glimpse here of one of the earliest persecutions, and their remarkable response.

32 … Remember how you stood your ground through terrible struggles and suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to ridicule and abuse. Sometimes you stood side by side with those so treated. 34 You shared the sufferings of those in prison.

The church in the West has had it easy for many decades, but the tide is swiftly turning. Many now see Christianity not simply as irrelevant but as an enemy to be destroyed. Suffering will come. Paul warned Timothy, “whoever desires to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” and called him to “Share in suffering for the gospel in the power of God”, 2 Tim 3:12, 1:8; 2:3; 4:5.

In a few years, we could easily face the kind of suffering these Hebrews endured. How will you cope? Hear these words. Their response seems almost impossible to us in the West, given the way we treasure our possessions.

34 When all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.

The writer ends this passage on the same note that he began – our confident hope.

35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 You need to persevere patiently. Then when you have done what God wants, you will receive what he has promised.

Our Christian hope is a great thing. It is that which beyond all else often marks out Christians as different. Why do these people have such hope when all seems so hopeless? Our hope looks forward to his return.

37 “For in just a very little while,
He who is coming will come and not delay.

But as with anything, the devil has a way of taking God’s truth and twisting it. Using it to raise doubts and fears. Using it to divide Christians. Sadly, the end times have always been a fertile source of dispute and division among the faithful. I’m not saying it’s not important to question these things and look into them, but these are only matters of opinion on which Bible-believing Christians can differ. We can differ without dividing. Now with COVID, China, Russia, Israel and Trump there are dozens of prophets claiming the end is just around the corner. Many are sowing doubts and fears among the faithful. But remember Jesus’ words,

4 … “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumours of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come….

The end will come, in God’s good timing. Our task is not to try and predict it. Rather, as Hebrews says:

36 You need to persevere patiently. Then when you have done what God wants, you will receive what he has promised.

But rather than being anxious, Christians should stand out as those who are at peace. We have nothing to fear because of our great hope. Our peace holds out hope to those who are afraid. Those who fret about COVID should look at us and say “What do they have that I don’t? Why are they so peaceful?” His return should be a source of great encouragement, not fear, for those who hope in him, as the last “lettuce” says:

25 But let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day of his return drawing near.

Pray:

Thank you for the hope that is ours in Christ. A hope that survives death. A hope that is unshakeable. Help us live as the ones who patiently wait in these uncertain times. Amen.

If anything I’ve said raises any issues for you – anything at all, please speak to me or to one of the deacons about it.

Series: Hebrews

Topics: #Hebrews