Sermon Series Part 7

Opening Review:

Week 1- Paul’s letter to the believers at Corinth- Had to treat them as babies, could only give them the milk of the word. They refused to mature.

Week 2- The argument between the disciples- who would be the greatest!

Week 3- We took at look at the beginning stages of maturity- looking to what is above! Focus on the eternal things not the temporal things of this world. PUTTING on the New Man every day.

Week 4- We discussed LOVE (SACRIFICIAL LOVE) And that Jesus Christ is our example of sacrificial love.

Week 5-Christ is our example

Week 6- Church Membership- Why it is important

This week: A Call to action / The phrase “let us”

1. Let us draw near to God! verse 19-22

How? With Boldness(Confidence/Freedom of Speech), enter the Holiest (HOLY OF HOLIES) (Remember the Jewish Temple?)

Through the blood of Jesus, the NEW VEIL!

What manner do we draw near: (MAINLY PRAYER)

a. with a true (sincere) heart. c. By what means? having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience.

b. in full assurance of faith. d. By what means? Having our bodies washed with pure water (water of life)

**Remember the sermon on Christ example of washing the disciples feet?

**When God “bathes us all over” in salvation, He brings about our union with Christ; and that is a settled relationship that cannot change. (The verb wash in John 13:10 is in the perfect tense. It is settled once and for all.)

**However, our communion with Christ depends on our keeping ourselves “unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). If we permit unconfessed sin in our lives, we hinder our walk with the Lord; and that is when we need to have our feet washed.

2. Let us hold fast to our hope! verse 23

a.HOLD means: hold to, keep, detain, retain, contain, occupy, posses

*to keep a tight grip on the Christian faith!

b. without wavering- based on the concept of stability or immutability, which is an attribute of God! In essence the writer is stating that as believers we can hold fast to our faith BECAUSE THE ONE HOLDING US IS IMMUTABILE (GOD NEVER CHANGES HIS WILL OR HIS WAYS)(WE ARE SECURE IN HIM)

3. Let us consider (encourage) one another! verse 24-25

a. in order to stir up- the author of Hebrews use this term which has a broad contextual meaning:

1. TO SPUR ON 2. TO STIMULATE 3. TO BE PROVOKED

b. stir up what? LOVE! and Good Works

c. not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together! WHY- TO ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER!

*Encouragement cannot take place in isolation.

*Christians are to display a deep care and concern for one another, expressed not only through positive support and reassurance, but also through reproof and warning.

d. the author advises that has we approach the DAY approaching- what DAY? CHRIST’S RETURN!

*Believers must remind one another that we live from day to day in anticipation of that Day at the end of the age.