Hebrews 10:19-39 - Because of Jesus, We can Persevere in the Christian Life

Amen. Amen. Well, good afternoon. Good to see you all. And we are in the book of Hebrews chapter 10 starting in verse 19 today. This past week Jennifer and I celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary on November 11th. Thank you, be sure to write that down for next year, 30th is coming up. So we met in high school and initially we didn't like each other. We met in high school, Sunday school actually. And when we sat, we we sat next to each other on a youth choir bus ride up to Oregon and I won't go into all the details of that but all the sudden I realized what house she's pretty great and I was pretty much how did Bambi say it twitterpated? But I was scared to ask her out. I was scared to talk to her. I was scared to to, you know, make the first move. So all I did was sort of lurk around and all summer. We spent time together with a group of friends, almost everyday from the church. And finally at Summer Youth Camp She made the first move by asking me to hold her hand at the campfire. Well, then I knew I could have confidence to draw near and pursue her and praise the Lord weird. We've been married, 29 years. So, it worked out. Well, the book of Hebrews here has been one long, reminder that you and I can draw near to the father because of the all sufficient work of Jesus and the word that used over and over is this word confidence, we're going to see it today parecia in the Greek boldness, confident access and and the amazing thing is the book of Hebrews. The authors arguing, you don't have to wait until Jesus returns to draw near to the father. You can draw near today. And you don't have to wait till you're all cleaned up and perfect that you never will be but you can draw near today. You can come as you are and draw near to a father in Heaven who loves you so much. He gave his best his son, and if you didn't spare his son, how will he not with him freely? Give you all things. Roman says. So I want to remind you before we dive into this, the structure of the book of Hebrews, the book of Hebrews is a sermon, on Psalm 110, I would argue it's an expository sermon. On Psalm 110 a christ-centered sermon on Psalm 110, it's a model of how we should be preaching. The sufficiency that is, the Jesus is all we need and his Supremacy that he's raining in ruling at the right hand of the father as we just sang. To the lamb upon the throne. What we see in Revelation, 5 be honor and glory and worship and praise forever. Why? Because he's worthy of it. And how much we need to hear that in the author of Hebrews. The first ten chapters up to verse 18. He's doing his exposition of Psalm 110, which says verse 1. The Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand until I make your enemies, your footstool for your feet, which is the supremacy of Jesus. At the right hand of the father, then and someone 10 verse 40 says, you're a priest Forever After the order of Melchizedek and we went into that in Hebrews 7, he's an eternal priest who is able to save to the uttermost. In other words he's perfect and eternal and we don't need another savior. You know, we don't need another hero.

We have Jesus. I'm so now as any good sermon does, he's transitioning into the application and I could summarize it. Hopefully in about 15 seconds here. This rest of chapter 10, the first application of Jesus sitting at the right hand of the father reigning as king and interceding as high priest draw near. That's what we going to see today, draw near with confidence. Next time 11:11 have faith the whole chapters about faith and believing this to be true chapter 12, look to Jesus, as you run this race with endurance and then chapter 13, serve one another in the body of Christ pointing each other to Jesus. And because the whole argument of the book is Jesus is better. Chapter one is better than the Angels chapter 2. He's better than Moses chapter 3. He's better than all the Old Testament system chapter 4. He's better than the old high priests. He's a better sacrifice, he's a better Temple. He's a better. Covenant keeper. He is better. And so, the whole argument is cling to Jesus clean to him, you don't need to go anywhere else for anything in your life. Jesus is sufficient. So, these three This dissection here, I'm going to go through versus 19239. The end of chapter 10, we see it, organized around three, famous virtues in the Bible faith. Hope and love verse 22. For example, let us draw near with a True Heart in full Assurance of Faith Dimension space, and that's the subject of chapter 11 that he's going to expand. And then in verse 23, he says, let us hold fast. The confession of Our Hope without wavering for he, who promised is faithful and chapter 12 is, we're looking to Jesus. It's all about hope that we're actually going to receive what's promised. And then in verse 24, he says, let us consider how to stir one another up to love and Good Deeds to see faith. Hope and love right there. 22, 23, 24. And from 12:14. To the end of the book is all about loving one. Another In doing so loving God. And so it's a beautiful organization in the book of Hebrews and we chop it up to get a series out of it. And we sometimes miss the big picture of what's going on on wheat week. So focus on the trees, we missed the forest. So I just wanted to start with a step back to show you the big picture. Especially since we're going to do an advent series for Christmas in December, and we won't be returning to Hebrews until January. What here, in chapter 10, I want you to see for Meaningful ways that the high Priestly Ministry and kingly reign of Jesus. Stirs up our perseverance for Meaningful ways, first it exhorts us to draw near to God and hold fast. Let's begin verse 19. Therefore Brothers, since we have confidence, there's that word to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new one living way that he opened for us through the curtain that is through his flesh. And since we have a great high priest over the house of God, 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. Let us hold fast, the confession of Our Hope, without wavering for he, who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. Not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some but encouraging one, another and all the more is See the day Drawing Near. You see, when we think about Jesus on his throne, as king at the right hand of the father and interceding for us as our high priest, it exhorts us to draw near Jesus is saying, draw near. I've given you access to the father, I'd given you away to come into the presence of a holy God, and he will give you a chapter 4, says grace and mercy to help and your time of need. In fact, that word confidence was used in 414 that with confidence, you draw near to the throne of grace in. You find grace and mercy to help in our time of need. So we have access to the father's presence. We have confidence, this is boldness. This is we have the right of access we have the authorization. This is more than a meet and greet with a famous person, right? This is more than getting front, row tickets to the Tyson fight this weekend. As bad as it was. I hope I don't spoiler alert. It was horrible, but it's not just a meet and greet with the famous person. It's not just an open door policy at work where you have access to your boss anytime. When the boss really doesn't want you to come in, like they have to do the open door policy under duress. They don't really want you to come in their office. That's not how the father is. God is our father. We're part of his home, little children, get this. They have the boldness to approach their mom and dad whether they're working sleeping or in the bathroom. They don't care. They have boldness, they don't like it. Do they? Why do we have boldness? According to this verse? We have boldness verse 20, that is we have a new and a living way that he Jesus opened for us through the curtain. New. It's a new way. It's a New Covenant realities. What is even talkin about the Forgiveness of our sins? God riding his law on our hearts, the spirit indwelling us. So that now we're being made like Jesus, this is a new way. It's not like the old Covenant in Israel, where it was unable to save this way is able to save in the next adjectives, living demonstrates. It it's not just living in this Fallen World, Its Resurrection Life, its Eternal, this is life as God, intended it to be. This is Shalom in the Hebrew that idea of Peace, life is the way God intended it to be. That's what that means. This is the restoration of what was lost in the garden with Adam and Eve this Walking with God is now restored and what we see now, because Jesus is at the right hand of the father. Is that the Eternal State? What we call Heaven the new heavens and a new Earth. It's been brought forward into our present, so that now we can actually approach God and draw near to him because we have Jesus. We've been United to him, the spirits and dwelling us. It's a New and Living Way, this is really glorious. Why? Because as we sang earlier, very often were in the sorrows in the weight of this. Fallen World. Lord from Sorrows deep I call You know what, one of the things that was important to me, when we started the church, is that the entire service would take the shape of the gospel? And I've talked to you about this before, in the past, that we would start with a call to worship, but then we would have a space to, to confess on laments and, and have this reality that we live in a fallen world in the week isn't always great. In fact, sometimes it's horrible, sometimes it's the worst week we've ever had and it's all we can do to get here and we don't want to plaster on a fake smile and act like everything is wonderful for the sake of appearances. No, we want to cry and weep and we don't even really want to talk So, we need to have a space to confess that much like the songs. Do you know that most of the, Psalms are limit Psalms that, that's scripture this corporate Gathering of singing? The songs, most of them were Lament. But then we turn to Assurance in the finished work of Christ. And then is, we hear the word and we take the table and we get mobilized to go out and equipped to do the work of ministry. That's our desire. And so to be reminded in the sermon even here today that we have a New and Living Way. You might have come in feeling like God's not here in your prayers that they're just bouncing off the ceiling and they're not really making it to his throne room. That's not true. Christian The reality of God, hears you. But we could turn to The Sermon on the Mount. You are of more value than many sparrows. He is cares about you. He's concerned about you. And so that's not, that's a lie from the pit, it's not true. And so we need to be reminded of that together. He's going to bring that application in here and verse 25. We shouldn't force a car assembling together. This is not like some kind of taking attendance so that we know you've been here, that's not the point of that. The point of that is we need to be reminding each other. What's true? As we live in this already? Not yet. As we live in this Fallen World, knowing we have a hope of heaven, but we're not home yet. We need to encourage one another. We need to, as he says, stir one another up to love and Good Deeds. So, we know that we have access and we can be bold and it because Jesus has opened the way and he's a high priest over God's people that's verses, 21 and 22. We have a great high priest over the house. So God it's a it's a restatement of Psalm 110 verse 4. Jesus has given us a new heart, by the spirit that gives us full Assurance of faith that we're forgiven. So we can be in the presence of a holy God. He's cleansed our hearts verse 22. So that we no longer have an evil conscience and he's washed our bodies with pure water. Notice the difference in the old Covenant, you had to do all those things before you ever went into the temple in the New Covenant, all those realities are done. And all this, the author of Hebrews is doing is reminding you. This is true in Jesus. So what's the application draw near with Assurance? Draw near with boldness? Let us draw near verse 22 approach. The throne of grace 4:16. He's going to stay in chapter 12, draw near to Mount Zion where God, dwells and why? Because in 7:25 Jesus is the one who gives us access consequently. He Jesus is able to save to the uttermost, those who draw near to God through him since he always lives to make intercession for them. How's your prayer life?

It's a reflection of how well you understand this, I think more than habit formation. It's a reflection. Do you believe your father is for you and he wants you to draw near she so many times we think of our Father in heaven, like an Earthly father, Even the best of Earthly fathers are flawed but very often we think oh oh God is like he's like an Earthly father who we only Drawing Near when we want something. We only Drawing Near when we have to ask him something or maybe he's like a boss or a king or a president. And we don't really feel like we have the right of access, the authorization know, you do in Jesus and you can have confidence that your father, he initiated all of this salvation, he wanted you to draw near. He's drawn near to you first in Jesus. So now just draw near and enjoy him. And prayer is just a conversation with him. And of course, we at we tell him what we need and vision says he's able to do exceedingly. Abundantly above all we can ask or think. Cuz it's not your asking or thinking that he responds to as it were. He responds because he said his affection upon you Christian and he loves you. And if you didn't spare his own son, how will he not with him freely? Give us all things.

Now, what do we do, when we draw near? Cuz sometimes that idea of drawing nearer is, is vague, it's confusing. Well, he says, in verse 23, that when we draw near, we hold fast the confession of Our Hope without wavering. For he who promised is faithful. We hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope is he says, in chapter 3, we hold our confidence firm to the end. We hold fast your confession. He says, in chapter 4, it's this idea of keeping a tight grip on the Christian faith. What are we doing? When we draw near we're saying, I still believe this gospel is true. And what it does for us is it brings healing to our soul confidence, to draw near to God the Father. It's as he says back in chapter 4 it's the boasting in our hope, we're boasting in glory and what God has done through Jesus. Go back to that illustration, I used it the beginning as soon as Jen held my hand at that camp fire at summer camp, all the sudden I had confidence to call her. We didn't have cell phones back then but I had confidence to talk to her. I'd confidence to, you know, ask her out on a date. I knew I had this access Well, everything is changed, why? Not? Because I had done something but because she had done something she initiated The father has initiated our Salvation, he did something. What did he do? He gave you Jesus. He sent his son to be your savior and your high priest in your king. Why would you ever believe he's against you? Why would you ever believe that you can't draw near to him that you don't have access to him? Well, the only reason you would believe it is because Satan is a liar.

Because of indwelling sin, that gets us to feel guilty that maybe I've outs in the grace of God in Christ. And maybe the father is like, Earthly fathers, and he's just one step away from kicking me out of the family. But that's not what the gospel teaches, he loves you, when you were at your worst,

While we were still enemies Christ died for us. So we hold fast the confession of Our Hope without wavering. Why? Because God is faithful and he promised. What else do we do? We consider verses 24 and 25, how to stir one another up to love and good deeds. He says Rich 24. Let us consider how to stir one another up to love and good work. So as we draw near to the father, it causes us to think about our Brothers and Sisters in Christ in how we could stir them up. Rally them how we could get them fired up for these same things that Jesus is on his throne. We're believing what's true. There's great hope in this and it's the only hope we have in life and others need to know it. It galvanizes us your galvanizing is when you apply zinc, coating to Steel, to strengthen it, Because it needs to be stronger for various reasons. As we store one another up to love and good works. We're galvanizing one another to not grow weary in well-doing.

And love and good works. Cannot happen if we don't meet together regularly, can they more importantly, Satan wants to isolate us, make us discouraged so that we don't stir one another up. And I love this word, he says not neglecting to meet together as a habit of Sunburst 25. But encouraging one, another and all the moor's. You see the day approaching its word encourage, It's a Wonderful word in the Greek is used over a hundred times in the New Testament. It means to come alongside and be the coach the cheerleader to say. You can do this. You can make this, you can still keep following Jesus. It should be the heart of our love for one. Another is to encourage one another.

There's a famous picture of this out of the Olympics. Remember that Olympic runner in the 90s who couldn't make it to the end from the marathon and he collapsed. Right hundred feet from the end in his dad jumps out of the stands of the stadium and comes onto the, the track and he grabbed his son under the arm and he walks us on across the finish line. That's encouragement. That's the idea of this word. We're standing alongside one. Another saying, look to Jesus, keep running the race, don't grow weary in well-doing. I know you can make it. One of the reasons we love to sing, I love the singing at Trinity. By the way, I want the best seats in the House in the front row to hear it. But you know what? It says to me. It says what Colossians says that we're to let the word of Christ dwell in this richly and encourage one another. Same word songs, hymns, and spiritual songs. Why does it encourage us? Because I know what you all are going through and you're still believing the gospel. That means I can still believe the gospel that means with what I'm going through. I know that what I'm going through is not as bad as what you're going through and you're still believing. This is true. I can believe this is true and you've encouraged me to keep going. That's why we need to be together. That's why he says it, not for attendance, but for encouragement to stir one another up. Charles Spurgeon. Name of the famous Baptist preacher. He at the height of his ministry would send out 1 million copies of his sermon every week. He had three men in his church who would take shorthand notes and then they would transcribe it into a sermon. And if you've ever read a Spurgeon sermon that's why you have all the words. They would send them out for a penny each and he would Lament The Bat quote bad use of what ought to be a great blessing in his day. Some people stayed home and read his sermons, rather than go hear their Pastor preach. So, there's nothing new Under the Sun. What are the main reasons we don't live stream here at Trinity is so that we can gather together to encourage one another to love and good deeds.

We need each other and as we draw near to God, it encourages us to encourage others to draw near to God. That's what the author of Hebrews is saying. Well he's s meaningful way that the Jesus causes us to persevere is that he warns us against Falling Away through willful sinning. Look at verse 26. If we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth are no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment in a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone it was set aside the law of Moses dies without Mercy on the evidence of two or three Witnesses. How much worse punishment you think will be reserved by the one who was Trampled Under Foot. The Son of God has profaned the blood of the Covenant by which he was Sanctified an outrage the spirit of Grace. We know him. Who said vengeance is mine? I will repay. And again the Lord will judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God will. Why is this warning here? What we need to encourage one another in the previous section because if someone intentionally turns away from the gospel, what do you talked about in chapter 6? As apostasy? There's no forgiveness available. I noticed in verse 26. He's not talking about any sins. We may commit. He's talking about something very specific. If someone is sending deliberately, what disease is a rejection of the Gospel ongoing, willful sin, John Calvin says the Apostle describes as Sinners. Not those who fall in any kind of sin, but those who forsake the church and separate themselves from Christ, there is a great difference between individual lapses and Universal desertion of this kind, which makes for a total falling away from the grace of Christ. It's been five warnings in the book of Hebrews, he's been going and These Warnings were all about spiritual immaturity and laziness which are the road to apostasy and turning away from Jesus back in verse 28. He uses the Mosaic law as an example because some of his audience were thinking of returning to Judaism And he says, even the law of Moses had a punishment for someone who committed, high-handed, sin, numbers 15, and that person should be cut off from among his people. And what exactly is this in verse 29, it's trampling. Underfoot the Son of God. Profaning. The blood of the Covenant by which he was Sanctified outraging the spirit of Grace and causing the father to Savers. 30 vengeance, is mine. I will repay noticed. All three persons of the Trinity or mentioned here or rejection of Jesus, as rejection of the trinity. The author gives one last thought in verse 31. It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.

It's a one of the applications, the author makes is, I've been telling you all along. Jesus is better, but if you turn away from Jesus, it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.

If you've not put your faith in Jesus, yet, come to Christ. Believe upon him, he is a wonderful saver. Who will save you to the uttermost? He'll forgive your sins. Cleanse you entirely. We saw it. He cleanses even our consciences The guilt and the stain of sin. Come to Jesus, believe upon him for salvation, don't put it off. It's a Dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the Living. God vengeance is the Lord's. He will repay.

The third meaningful way that the Jesus seated at the right hand of the father, is King and priest enables us to persevere. Is it calls us to remember our past fruitfulness look at verse 32 recall? The former days when you after you were enlightened you endured a hard struggle with sufferings sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach in Affliction, sometimes being partners with those. So treated we had compassion on those in prison and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property since you knew that you yourselves, had a better possession and an abiding one therefore do not throw away your confidence which has a great reward, he mentions the word confidence, again, not an accident. What is he saying? You might be tempted to to fall away from Jesus, but just look at the past relationship. You had with Jesus. Look at how the father has borne fruit in your life. In in the specific things. He knew about these Hebrews is verse 32, they had endured sufferings verse 33, they were publicly mocked. They were identified with those who were mocked verse 34. They had compassion on those in prison and they lost all their goods and possessions and the early church persecution sprung up. We know this Rapture familiar with this. The very first persecution was in Rome under the emperor Nero in 64 a.d. and he was being blamed for setting fire to Rome. And so he blamed the Christians and shifted the blame, and as a result Christians were sewn into animal skins and fed to the lions in the Colosseum, he also burn them alive is candles in his garden to entertain people in. Evening wickedness.

In Lyon France, modern-day France and 177 ad. One of the greatest persecutions of the church broke out and Christians were publicly mocked over and over to try to get them to recant. One woman in particular, blandena remain faithful in this persecution and they tortured her put it before a bowl. She was tossed and not killed. And finally after torturing her some more and she refused to recant, they killed her with a dagger.

Justin Martyr who lived in the 100 zadie. He was converted by watching the persecution of Christians in the Colosseum, in Rome as these Christians, were identifying themselves with others who are Mach. He said when I myself reveled in the teachings of Plato and heard the Christians misrepresented and watch them stand Fearless in the face of death and every other thing that was considered fearful I realized the impossibility of their living in sinful pleasure and it brought him to Jesus

Perpetua and Felicity were martyred in Carthage and 203 a d, and they were known for visiting Christians who have been in prison for their faith. And it's why they were arrested cuz they kept going to the jail to visit imprisoned, Christians under the persecution, the greatest persecution of the early church under Diocletian. In 30 32 311 Christians had their churches burned their possessions taken their scriptures burned. Diocletian is the is the real life Emperor from whom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The fanos snap was taken after Diocletian at the height of his reign in the height of this persecution decided to retire. The only emperor in Rome to ever do so and he retired to be a gardener caring for his vegetables and he had laid waste to Christians throughout the Empire who refused to worship him as a god,

Why did these Christians do it? Well, it says, here in the text, they knew they had a better position that would last forever. You could be brought up again in chapter 11, all of these Heroes of the faith. We're looking to the reward that's in the future. That's the encouragement. Hey, remember your past fruitfulness. And remember that, there is a reward waiting. So, verse 35, do not throw away your confidence. It has great reward. He's tying a back together. You have confidence to draw near to God. It may seem like you're not receiving anything from this, but you have a great reward that's coming. You have a great reward. And so he pleads, or this reality of Christ ruling and reigning pleads with us to endure through faith verses 36 239, you have need of endurance. Why would assume? So after all of these persecutions after the, the the danger of apostasy and falling away from Jesus, You have need for endurance so that when you've done the will of God, you may receive what is Promised for yet a little while. In the coming, one will come and not delay but my righteous one shall live by faith and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and preserve their souls. So endurance is needed to receive the promises and he's going to give a bunch of examples in the next chapter. Go ahead and read it this week Hebrews 11. The Hall of Faith. The promises will come why verse 37? Jesus is returning. We confess this, we declare this, we believe this, Jesus is coming back and he's going to make all things new. And the author here is quoting habakkuk chapter 2, which is quoted numerous times in the New Testament. Galatians, and Romans it's it's mentioned in both of those books as a defense of justification by faith alone. Believing the gospel, and because you put Faith, you've been declared righteous. So now you have a new standing before God. This is why he says, we're not those who shrink back in or destroyed, but those who have faith and preserve their souls. True faith in Christ leads to faithfulness the righteous trust Jesus until the end. What the author is trying to say is you need perseverance endurance. It's A Hard Road. We need each other. We can't do it alone.

And we don't do these hard things in order to gain God's favor. That's the exact opposite of the Gospel. That's what the old Covenant had to do know. We persevere and endure because the father has given us, he's given us Jesus. And Jesus is at the right hand of the father interceding for us so that we can draw near to the father and the spirits been poured out into our hearts and the laws been written on our hearts. And so now we know that we can persevere because we have the ability to persevere through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. But yet, we still have to persevere.

I started training Jiu-Jitsu about 20 years ago, little less than 20 years ago, but I started doing it cuz I needed to lose weight after my Master's Degree, too much sitting studying too much, eating bad food, and I needed to lose weight kind of like now. And I started doing this and Jiu-Jitsu is absolutely all about perseverance. In fact, all black belts, love to say, a white belt to a black belt is just a white belt that doesn't give up. Eventually, you get it. Well, we would have to in our warm-ups do these things called wall sits, and if you've ever tried to go just to a wall and sit down, like you're in a chair but there's no chair. Then he'd make us sit there for excruciating amount of time. And it my instructor Ricardo, he would just say let it burn, let it burn as if that was encouragement to just enjoy the burning in the muscles, then we would do drills. And one of the worst is where we would have to keep our guard clothes. That's where we have to keep our feet connected so that the person couldn't get away from us as they're trying to break, open your guard. And so the pressure on your ankles is enormous. Or when we were training, there was nothing worse than training with somebody 100 pounds heavier than you and they begin to smother you it cures your claustrophobia very quickly. All of it requires, endurance and perseverance and very often. I've been doing it long enough. Now that most of the success is mental, not physical. It's mental fortitude. It's it's reminding myself. What's true? This guy smothering me but I won't die. Yeah, it's very uncomfortable, but not only will I not die. Ricardo used to, always say, if you can talk, you can breathe, which isn't helpful in the moment cuz you're saying get off me. But I'm not going to show any discomfort or fear because it's a mental game and I'm going to show this guy that he's not even bothering me when he's smothering me. Make a move.

There was a reward for enduring which is finally getting your black belt overtime. What is our reward for enduring in the Christian Life? I just want to read to you revelation 22 verse 1, the angel showed me the river of the Water of Life. Brightest Crystal flowing from the Throne of God, in the land, through the middle of the street of the city. Also on either side of the river the Tree of Life, with its 12 kinds of fruit yielding, its fruit each month, the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the Nations, no longer will there be anything that cursed? But the Throne of God, and the lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him, they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads and night will be no more. They will need no light of lamb person for the Lord. God will be their lights and they will reign forever and ever. So the reward and revelation 22 as we draw near to God, not by faith anymore. But by sight, before we see his face, I don't even know what that means. God is as well as an unapproachable light, he's Spirit. What does it mean that we see his face? I don't know. The Illusions have been wrestling with that for centuries. We know 1st. John 3 says, when we see Jesus will be like him will see him as he is. We know that Jesus said, blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. We know the job said, Do My Flesh be destroyed it with my eyes? I will see God. There's this great hope that we draw near Now by face. But in the future we're going to draw nearby Stites. Our faith will be made site. Not only that, we're going to serve in his presence forever. That was in verse three, his servants will worship Him. And here's the astounding, 1 verse 5, we're going to rule and reign with Christ forever. They will reign forever and ever. So let us store one another up to love and Good. Deeds encourage one another galvanized one, another waiting for the return of Jesus. Let's pray. Father, thank you for this time in your word. How we need endurance and perseverance and we can't Drum It Up In Our Own Strength. We need you to provide the spirit of God in our hearts so that we endure you need to keep pointing us to Our Risen Savior. Jesus, who seated at your right hand reminding us of what true is true that our sins are forgiven, the Jesus is alive but he's coming back to get us and we're going to rain with him forever. We're going to serve you forever and we're going to be in your presence forever. So even now today may we draw near by face. Drawing Near to you praying to you finding comfort knowing that you're here with us. It's returned to the table. Now would it be a reminder of these truths? We do this as often as we do it until Jesus returns. I pray in Jesus name, amen.