CHURCH MATTERS: Commitment Matters (Hebrews 10:19-25)

gamophobia???

not fear of turning into The Incredible Hulk

fear of commitment in a romantic relationship, especially fear of marriage

ever heard of commitment-phobia?

only introduced in 1987, Men Who Can’t Love: How to Recognize a Commitment-Phobic Man before He Breaks Your Heart

FOMO??? (fear of missing out)

not studied until 1996

wait until absolute last opportunity just in case something better comes up

seems we are in a new era of commitment

gone are the days when someone starts and ends their career at the same company

has commitment phobia crept into many Christians’ commitment to their local church?

even members of a local church

how committed to attend? even then to be engaged?

on average, 40% of members present on typical Sunday

where are the other 60%?

are all home sick? nursing home? college? vacation? military?

does nonattendance really matter?

is nonattendance really a big deal?

or is it the new standard in our commitment phobia era?

Commitment Matters

would you come to worship if it cost you?

long journey, $, inconvenient/raining

we typically forsake the assembling together due to inconvenience or find “something better”

what about the underground churches in Asia???

what about those who would love to come but cannot??? (quote from Walt)

is nonattendance really a big deal?

this is not a ploy from a pastor to grow this church numerically

according to the Bible, do you believe nonattendance is a big deal to God almighty?

pew Bible # 1194

Since we can enter into Almighty God’s presence by the blood of Jesus

10:19-21

enter with confidence /boldness before a holy, holy, holy God?

Isaiah 6:4–5 “And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!””

how can we have confidence much less boldness???

confidence to enter the holy places

tabernacle

Leviticus written to Levites, the priestly tribe

sacrifices for sin

1 year

113 bulls

1,086 lambs

> ton of flour

1,000 bottles of oil and wine

courtyard

only ceremonially clean Jews

Holy Place

only priests

Holy of Holies / Most Holy Place

only the high priest (1 time a year)

Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement (Lev 16:1-2, 29-30, 34)

sprinkle blood on ark of covenant, mercy seat

bells on hem of priestly garment

to be heard by God, so that he does not die (Ex 28:35)

legend of rope tied to foot

no high priest entered the Holy of Holies with confidence

humility, but not boldness

prior slide

confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus

not just any sacrifice would due for our sin

Jesus great high priest

fully man (to identify and represent us)

Hebrews 2:17–18

fully God (that His sacrifice was divine—able to apply to us)

Hebrews 1:3–4

once for all sacrifice — Himself through his flesh

Hebrews 10:11–14

through the curtain, that is, through his flesh

curtain/drape torn in two (Matt 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45)

temple mount x 3

size

this was no dainty doily curtain that blew with the wind

60’ high by 30’ wide

2x as high; as wide as stage

it took an act of God to tear in two from top to bottom

prior slide

significance

through his flesh

not earthly temple, but heavenly temple

Hebrews 9:24–28

he opened / inaugurated

beginning of new relationship with Almighty God

inaugurated access to God

this confidence/boldness did not exist before

no priest to access God

by the blood of Jesus

because of who Jesus is and what Jesus did

we can enter the holy places with confidence

not in ourselves

but in Christ

we can enter the holy places with confidence

for our prayers

for our eternity

by the blood of Jesus

this is the only way we enter into God’s presence for eternity (heaven)

Since we can enter into Almighty God’s presence by the blood of Jesus

let us move closer and closer to God

10:22

let us draw near

c.r.a.z.y.

this kind of access to God was restricted to a 1 priest…1 time per year

now we can approach God in full assurance of faith

because we have been sprinkled clean from an evil conscience

OT this is how ceremonially defiled person became clean

now our evil conscious that says we are guilty has been removed through the sprinkling, not of water, but of Christ’s blood

we are now to move closer and closer to God

in our time in the Word

in our prayer life

in our worship on Sundays

in everything

great temptation

I like God and everything but don’t want to get too close

I might have to change some things

impossible to be in God’s presence and stay the same

do you think God doesn’t want what’s best for you? (Good Father Luke 11)

do you think the changes God would make are bad for you?

do you think God is worth getting close to?

enter into God’s presence…all because of Jesus

knowing God will draw near to you

knowing God will make you pure

Since we can enter into Almighty God’s presence by the blood of Jesus

let us persevere in our conviction of who Jesus is

10:23

Let us hold fast

to continue to believe, with the implication of acting in accordance with such belief—‘to continue to believe and practice, to continue to follow.’ LN

confession

declaration that we believe Jesus is who He says He is & did what He said He did

thus we have surrendered our life to Him based on our belief

rock solid conviction

without wavering

no matter the circumstance

Jesus is our anchor despite the storm

“It Is Well”

Horatio Gates Spafford

lawyer blessed with wealth

wife Anna and 5 children

tragedy

4 year old son died suddenly of scarlet fever

then 1 year later, in Oct 1871, Chicago fire lost dearly

2 years later, sent family to England

delayed because of business

boat was struck

all 4 daughters died

only wife survived

after uniting with his wife,

Horatio was on the sea

captain summoned him to tell him this is where daughters died

Horatio went back to cabin and wrote…

When peace like a river, attendeth my way

“It Is Well”

Anna say, “God gave me four daughters. Now they have been taken from me. Someday I will understand why.”

confident, tenacious, conviction that Jesus is who He said He is NO MATTER WHAT

because 3rd verse

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!— My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

our hope is secure because of who we hope in

for he who promised is faithful

we can hope even when it seems hopeless because our confidence is in Jesus

Abraham 100 and Sarah 90

we can persevere on the hardest days because we believe Jesus is worth it

how hard is it to persevere though???

perseverance isn’t a solitary duty

but a corporate one

let us ponder how to provoke one another to love and good works through corporate worship

10:24-25

why do you come to church?

if it is only to be fed, then you have missed the whole purpose of why we gather

2 main reasons you come to corporate worship

worship God

singing, reading Scripture, preaching

all ways God is forming into the likeness of Jesus

not only ways, but formative ways

encourage one another

ponder (give careful consideration)

how much do you carefully consider how to encourage your brothers/sister?

do you actively do this???

that means when you come to church,

it isn’t ALL about you receiving, but giving

hundreds of interactions when gathered that do not happen when not here

BUT assumes don’t slip in late and slip out early

tempt us to give you keys…to lock up

cannot do that online (but great for extenuating circumstances)

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some

neglecting—separate connection

meet together—assembling

habit

a pattern of behavior more or less fixed by tradition and generally sanctioned by the society—‘custom, habit.’ LN

maybe you think corporate worship is not a big deal

God would disagree

when you miss?

are you moving closer to God or slipping away?

maybe not in miles but in inches

God’s plan to make you more like Christ INCLUDES your commitment to corporate worship

the Christian life is hard

not all of the soils make it

not everyone that proclaims Lord, Lord

we need each other to help us endure to the end

“I don’t have to come to church every Sunday to be saved”

it is not about salvation

it is about sanctification

w/o sanctification there is a great question if there is salvation

you can try to do it on your own but will fail

it is not the way God designed you to live

we are to live in an encouraging community

so when you are not present with the community

you are missing out on being encouraged & being an encouragement

we want to obey what God wants of us…

remembering judgment day is coming

10:25b

the Day—the day of God’s final judgment BDAG

this is a warning passage

you must push/persevere to the end

and all the more as you see the day drawing near

it is the coming day of Christ and His judgment

10:26-31

to abandon Christ who as your only hope is disastrous

10:31

we need to encourage one another so we don’t shrink back

Satan’s greatest temptation is for you not to have community when you need it most

10:32-39

shrinking back is dangerous

includes habit of some to neglect corporate worship

tempted on Sunday unlike Monday, but keep eternity in view

10:35-39

is nonattendance a big deal?

do you value gathering to worship each week in light of judgment day?

how different would our corporate worship be if all members came to motivate others?

if all members at FCC were as committed as you, what kind of church would we have?