Let Us...
Preached by Ben Bechtel
January 3, 2016
All of us long to return back to some point in our lives. Whether it is to a specific moment in time or to a particular place on a particular day, we all desire to relive certain aspects of our lives. I want you to think back with me to one of the best days of your life. Think of who you were with, where you were, and what it was that made that day so special. I’m sure most of you are thinking about your wedding day, or a wonderful vacation, or a specific travel destination that you were able to visit. Right now, I’m thinking back over the last couple of weeks, to my wedding and honeymoon, which were the best I have had in my entire life.We are just exiting the Christmas season (which by the way, very strictly runs from the day after Thanksgiving until New Years Day. I am a firm believer in that, radio stations who are still playing Christmas music). Now, think how we all would react if someone said the best day of their life was when they received a Super Nintendo for Christmas. We’d say that this person must be severely mistaken on several accounts! First of all, as most of us in here are adults who have gone through various life experiences, we recognize that out of all the possible things to experience in life, receiving a Super Nintendo is very low on the list. Getting married, having a child, getting the job you have always dreamed of, watching someone you love and have prayed for come to know Jesus, these are life-defining, best day ever type of experiences. Super Nintendo’s just don’t match up. Second, I can see how a 12 year old version of some of you might say that getting a Super Nintendo defines the greatest day in their life, but a 12 year old today wouldn’t say that. Why? Because today, despite what all of you from the early 90’s may think, the Super Nintendo is obsolete! A 12 year old today would say an Xbox 1 or a PS 4 is the greatest thing ever but not a Super Nintendo.However, in the letter to the Hebrews, we come to find out that there are full grown adults longing back for the day when they were given a Super Nintendo. You see, Hebrews was written to a group of mostly Jewish people, who were facing terrible suffering since turning to follow Jesus. Since becoming Christians, faith became exponentially more costly for these people. Judaism was a religion protected by the Roman Empire and not under persecution. These believers made the costly choice of turning to follow Jesus at the risk of suffering great persecution from the Romans. It was within this climate that Hebrews was composed, to encourage these Jewish believers not to return to their fulfilled and temporary Old Testament religion, their Super Nintendo, but to persevere on the arduous path of following Jesus.Just as in that day, I believe there are many Super Nintendo’s that we as 21st century believers long back for. Although it may not be in the same way as it was in their time, the Christian life is not always easy, fun, or a great time. It can be very difficult. It draws us out of our comfort zones and into the uncomfortable world of obedience to Jesus. It can be easy to long back for times of life when things weren’t so hard. It can be easy to idolize times of comfort, material wealth, marital bliss, and so on. It can be easy to view the Christian life as “not worth it” at various times. But, just as the initial readers of this letter, God wants us not to long back for lesser things but to set our eyes on Jesus and persevere in love and obedience of Him.As we look now at Hebrews 10:19-25 with the stage set for us, we are going to see how we are encouraged, along with these 1st century believers, to persevere in our Christian beliefs and practice. This is on page 1154 in your brown Bible.
Hebrews 10:19-25
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.In this passage we see 3 specific ways that we are to persevere that correspond with the 3 “let us” statements in the passage. We are to persevere in praise, persevere in hope, and persevere in love and good works.
1. Persevere in Praise (19-22)
In verses 19-22 the author summarizes the theological truths he has taught his readers up to this point:
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
The book of Hebrews, like many of the other books of the New Testament, is structured like a mountain. The one side of the slope is doctrine or truth about God, which the author builds up. Then on the other side of the mountain are the ethical commands and exhortations. In the book of Hebrews this passage we are studying today is like the peak of the mountain. The author of Hebrews has spent the last 4 chapters or so giving a rich theological teaching about how Jesus is better than Judaism and how certain realities of the Old Testament were fulfilled in Jesus’ person and work. Now, in this passage he begins the ethical snowball down the other side that arises from the theological teaching of the previous section of the letter. This ethical snowball begins with the 3 “let us” exhortations in this passage.The first of these exhortations could be summed up like this: the truth that Jesus has given us access to God should result in praise and prayer pouring out of the heart of the people of God.There is a lot going on in these 4 verses that relates back to his argument in the previous 4 chapters, which is also deeply rooted in the Old Testament, so let me summarize briefly what the author is saying here. In the Old Testament sacrificial system there would be a day of atonement once a year during which the high priest would kill a goat to atone for the sins of the nation of Israel. The high priest would then enter the holy of holies, where God’s presence dwelled with Israel, and sprinkle the blood of this goat on the top part of the Ark of the Covenant. This was done to signify that atonement had been made for the sins of the people. However, because Jesus is the true sacrificial lamb that has been slaughtered to fully and finally atone for the sins of all who believe in Him, He has given us direct access to the very throne of God, an access which the people of Israel were not given. We have unhindered access to the throne room of God because of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. Not only has He given us access, but also confidence to approach Him, knowing that our sins were paid for by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus and that Jesus now stands as our high priest. We don’t have to approach the throne of God with terror but we can approach with humble joy and confidence because our access doesn’t come from our own merit. It comes from the sacrifice of Jesus. To this we should respond by drawing near to God in prayer and praise.Christian, the only response that makes sense in light of these Gospel realities is to humbly yet confidently approach the throne of grace. The way is open for you to approach your loving Father. Draw near in adoration, praise and joy as well as prayer, pleading, and dependence. Take your cares, hopes, sins, fears, and joys into the very throne room of God. You are welcome there in Jesus. This year Community, may we be a family who perseveres in prayer and praise because we have been given confident access to God in Jesus.
2. Persevere in Hope (23)
Look at verse 23 with me:
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
Like I said in the introduction, this group of believers was beginning to look back at their Super Nintendos. In the midst of opposition and persecution, these people were tempted to revert back to their Jewish beliefs because the confession of belief in Jesus was costly. Here our author implores them to continue on, to persevere in the Christian hope that they have been given without wavering.This draws to my mind a scene from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. I can tell who the true nerds are in our congregation by just mentioning that because their eyes just lit up. And every single one of them went to the Star Wars premiere the night it came out. But, in the story, Frodo and Sam travel hundreds of miles away from their home, come near death countless times, struggle to maintain their friendship, and resist the temptations of power and greed that the ring of power brings, all in an effort to destroy the ring. They have gone through all kinds of hardship and turmoil and now they are finally in the bowels of Mount Doom, the only place the ring can be destroyed. They have just fought off Gollum, who has fallen to his death in the fire with the ring, and now Frodo is hanging on a ledge above the fire with Sam reaching down from safety. And Sam says this dramatic line to him-“Don’t you let go!”This is what God through this author is speaking to us as well.There are countless other “confessions of hope” in today’s world that are fighting for our belief. There is the confession of the American Dream, which would beckon us to believe that building a safe and secure life and making as much money as we can is what will give us happiness. Or, there is the confession of legalism, which would beckon us to believe that following rules and keeping commandments is what will give us happiness. Or another, there is the confession of relativism, which would beckon us to believe that doing whatever feels right for us is what will give us happiness.But ultimately, these confessions fall short of giving us hope and happiness because they are dependent upon things which cannot bring true hope and happiness. The Christian confession however is based upon God and His action for hope and happiness. Look at that phrase at the end of v. 23: “for the one who promised is faithful.” That is why the Christian confession gives us hope. It is based in God’s promises and God’s action to fulfill those promises. The Christian confession will not return void because it is guaranteed by the word of almighty God. God had promised since Genesis 3 to send a savior into the world who would save the world from the curse of sin. That savior is Jesus Christ, whom God did send into the world, fulfilling His promise. He also promised that He would return again as King and inaugurate the new creation, ending the reign of sin and death. And God will fulfill this promise because He is faithful. This is the Christian Gospel of hope. This is what we cling to.So, believers in Christ, as we face hard times this year, I plead with you as Sam did to Frodo, don’t let go. Hold fast to your confession of hope. If this year brings sickness, disease, and death into your life hold fast to the confession of hope. If this year brings slander or mocking at your job for your beliefs, hold fast to the confession of hope. If this year brings financial struggle and pressure, hold fast to the confession of hope.And also, believers in Christ, if this year brings new life, a new marriage, or new relationships, hold fast to your confession of hope. If this year brings accolades, accomplishments, and praise, hold hast to your confession of hope. If this year brings success, promotion, and financial gain, hold fast to your confession of hope.Only the Christian confession, which says that we have a God who is faithful to His redemptive promises in Jesus, can truly give us hope. Persevere in that hope.
3. Persevere in Love and Good Works (24-25)
This is where I want to spend the largest portion of time in this sermon because I think that this is the one that gets the least amount of “air time” so to speak. And I believe that as 21st century Christians in America this last call to persevere is the one to which we need to pay most careful attention. Listen to what the author says in verses 24-25:
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
This last charge is for the church to persevere in loving Christian community. This should cause all of our ears to perk up a bit because never in the history of the world has there been a society more focused on the individual than the one in which we currently live. C.S. Lewis noticed this pattern in society he called chronological snobbery. What he meant by this was that he noticed a tendency for a present society to think that they are superior to all others that came before them. Let’s not fall prey to that type of thinking here. Let’s expose our own blind spots and tendencies so we don’t miss out on the rich Gospel community God has for us.I want to give you two reasons from these last 2 verses why Gospel community is essential for persevering in the Christian life. Not a side note, or a secondary reality, but essential.a. Your Sanctification Depends on ItTake a look with me at verse 24:
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
Our author recognizes that there is a direct link between Christian community and love and good works. Or to say it another way, our sanctification, our growth in holiness and godliness is tethered directly to our involvement in the lives of other Christians.Since I just got married, let me use part of the story of how Whit and I met to attempt to illustrate this. Whit and I were introduced through a mutual friend of ours and quickly found out that we were in the same biology class along with two other friends of ours. So naturally, due to purely studious motives, I suggested that the four of us should start studying for tests together. Ever since I was very young, science has always been my least favorite subject, especially biology, but because of that study group I ended up getting an A in that class. If I had attempted to study by myself I know for certain that I would have not gotten an A simply because I could not motivate myself to study or devote facts to memory in the same way on my own as opposed to when I was with a group.This is exactly how the Christian life is lived out. Each and every one of us has blind spots, areas of sin that we don’t know about. Each and every one of us has a tendency to become lazy and apathetic towards the things of God at times when left alone. But, by God’s grace He has given us one another to build one another up and spur each other on. We are each absolutely essential to one another’s growth in holiness.This is taken a step further when we notice the word “consider” in verse 24. We don’t enter into Christian community with a care-free attitude. We enter into Christian community with a heart and mind that is actively engaged and ready to practically love and encourage others because we know that both our and their holiness depends on it. We don’t just get together to have a Bible study, input our two cents, and then leave without truly relating to anyone. We show up, ask questions, remember people’s names, pray for one another both then and throughout the week, and stay late out of love for one another.This type of attitude towards community is something completely lost on us today. We are taught and conditioned by both our culture and our sinful hearts to view people as burdens and not a vital means of God’s grace. Brothers and sisters, the Gospel mandates that we radically change the way we view others. People within the Church are not obstacles to be avoided but children of God who need you just as badly as you need them.Let me just say as well, this is one area by God’s grace where I believe our church is the healthiest. I have been absolutely blown away in these months since I have come on staff at how this church models the Gospel by the intentional love you all show to one another. This church is made up of people who love one another deeply because the Gospel has changed them and we praise God for His grace in that. But may this word today be a call to grow deeper in community. May we more and more see ourselves as what we truly are: the blood-bought, redeemed family of God, called to live in loving relationship with one another.b. We Are in the Last DaysChristian community is also essential because we are approaching the final day of judgement:
25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
This verse shows the dire necessity of persevering in communion with other believers by framing Christian life in light of the coming Day of judgement. Fellowship with the family of God is seen as a pressing matter in light of the reality of the last days. You get a sense of urgency about fellowship with other believers from this passage.The phrase “sense of urgency” is one I heard a lot while playing sports in high school. If you are in an important game and your team comes out playing flat there reaches a point where you realize that if we don’t pick up our play, we are going to lose. It creates a sense of urgency within your team. You realize that this is a do or die moment.That is how we are to view living in community with other Christians in light of the Day of Christ’s return. The church in one sense is in the end times right now, and has been since the resurrection and ascension of Christ. This is a time of war where we have a very real enemy who wants to do everything he can to see God’s plans foiled. And one of the greatest vices in his arsenal is isolation. If he can get professing believers to forsake gathering together as a church, he can stall out their spiritual growth. Satan doesn’t care if that believer continues to attend church on Sunday morning as long as he or she does not enter into any real relationship or community. As long as he or she slips in right at 9:15 and right out at 10:30 that is perfectly okay. Fighting to be in Christian community goes hand in hand with fighting against sin. Yes, there is certainly an individual aspect to this. But without the church, you cannot survive as a follower of Jesus and our enemy knows that.Fighting to be in relationships with other Christians in the church is a life or death matter with dire consequences. If what our author said in this verse doesn’t communicate his sense of urgency, the next several verses following will. Look at verses 26-27 with me:
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
These words are not written by someone who takes sin, holiness, or community lightly. This is a very hard text and I don’t want to get into too much detail about it. But I want us to see how imperative it is that we continue to stir one another up to love and good works by meeting together. That Day that is coming will mean something completely different for those who forsake the assembly of believers. For true believers who persevere in Christian community, fighting sin together, that Day will be a day of joy and one to look forward to in hope. For those who forsake the assembling together of believers, that Day will be a tragic day and one to run away from in fear. True followers of Jesus, no matter how hard it gets, persevere in living life with a community of believers in order that the whole corporate body of Jesus might be presented to Him in beauty and splendor.Here at Community, we take gathering together for the purpose of relating to one another very seriously. If you are looking for a way to become more involved in meeting together with other Christians I would encourage you very strongly to join a small group. Small groups are designed to be just what this passage describes—a small group of Christians gathering together for Bible study, prayer, and encouragement. If you are not in a small group I would highly encourage you to talk to one of the elders and become a part of one. If we run out of space we will make more groups! We would be thrilled if that happened. That would be a great problem to have. As well, it doesn’t have to just be in a small group setting. Stay 20 minutes after the service every Sunday and get to know some people. Invite a family over for dinner from the church. Do what you have to do to be in relationships with others here at this church.So there was my closing encouragement, now here is my closing caveat. Living life in community with other believers does encourage us but it does not make life easier. In fact, it has a tendency to make life much harder sometimes because now it’s not just you and your sinful self but it’s you and 10-15 other people just as sinful as you are trying to relate to one another. Things are going to be messy. There are going to be people much different than you. There are going to be people who drive you insane. There are going to be people who have different theological beliefs than you. And there will be times when you long back for the Super Nintendo of not being in these difficult, sanctifying relationships. But guess what? That is the church! And because God has loved us, we love one another and are committed to one another no matter what. And in the midst of all of our sin and struggles and issues we all can relate to one another and look to Jesus in humility together. Let’s persevere and be a church like that this year.
