True Life With Christ

Introduction

1. Welcome

2. Invitation to open Bibles to Hebrews 10:18-25

3. Read Passage

4. Pray

5. Ask, Did anyone play sports in high school, raise your hand. (2 or 3 People)

Ask them what was the best thing about playing that sports, and what was the hardest thing about playing that sport?

I played volleyball in high school. The best thing about my time playing volleyball was hanging out with my friends. My freshman year, we didn’t have enough people for the team, so me and my two friends had to go recruit just so we could have a team. We tried to ask obviously athletic people who we thought would help us win, instead we got the skater kids to join us. We didn’t win a single game, but it was a blast!

The hardest thing about volleyball was the conditioning. I chose to play volleyball because I hated running! So when I was forced to run sprints, I wasn’t too happy. But I soon realized that to get good at volleyball or to get good at any sports requires endurance. No matter if its a sport or a skill, no one just becomes great that thing, it requires endurance.

The Christian life is no different. 1 Corinthians 9:24

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

6. Transition

This life is a race, and my question to you tonight is, where are you in that race?

Some of you might be running as though you are a bird soaring through the air, not weighed down by anything. You are loving Christ and you living in loving obedience to Him.

Some of you might be running but man are you feeling the weight of tiredness. Asking yourself, why am I running or Lord, can i just get a break?

Some of you might not have even started the race of the Christian life but you are running the opposite way. Away from Jesus into your own sinful decisions.

Wherever you are in the race, tonight’s passage is for you!

I know literally nothing about marathons but I do know that throughout a marathon, there are stations set up with water where runners can stop, take a break, and rehydrate themselves. Those stations literally sustain marathon runners as they run their race and keep their eye on the finish line.

(Emphasis) Tonight’s passage is that sustaining substance that Christians need to continue to run the race. Like a dehydrated marathon runner who is refreshed and renewed by the water stand, tonight’s passage will show us that through the sacrifice of Jesus, believers now possess full access to God which leads us to enjoy that fellowship with Him and with one another. (Repeat Main Point)

We will look at this passage under three headings. First the Christian’s Possession. Secondly, the Christian’s Priorities. Third, the Warning of Apostasy

Overview- As we have been going through the book of Hebrews, what has the main theme of Hebrews been?

Right! Jesus is better is the central theme for the book of Hebrews. We have seen the author say that Jesus is better than

1.Angels

2. Moses

3. The Old Priesthood

4. The Old Covenant

The book of Hebrews is a plea for Jewish people not to turn back to their old way of life.

The author of Hebrews is like a lawyer making a closing argument in front of the jury. I’ve never been to a court but i have jury duty in a month so thats fun.

But the author of Hebrews is like a lawyer who is pleading with the jury of Jews to not fall for other lawyer’s tactics. The other lawyer being the Law and Old Covenant. He is laying out all of the evidence until he calls for the jury to make a decision. The author of Hebrews is calling for his readers to make a decision. Likewise, COC students, we must make a decision to follow Jesus. There is no neutrality in this world. You are either living in loving obedience to Jesus, or you are rejecting Jesus and choosing your own way of living your life.

So many of you have been saved by the grace of God, so please don’t misunderstand me thinking that you can lose your salvation or earn your salvation. I’m not saying that at all. What I am saying is that those of us who are believers in Jesus Christ need this reminder too, not to fall back into the old way life but to live how Jesus calls us to live.

So as we consider this first point of the Christian’s possession, look back at verse 19 again.

1. The Christian’s Possession (Hebrews 10:19-21)

Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus.

Notice the word therefore. Whenever you see the word therefore in your Bible, it is a good idea to read the verse above. Doing so helps you understand the context of what the author is referring back to. Look at verse 16-18 with me.

English Standard Version Chapter 10

16  “This is the covenant that I will make with them

after those days, declares the Lord:

I will put my laws on their hearts,

and write them on their minds,”

17 then he adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

A. Christians possess a foundation of forgiveness. (18)

The author of Hebrews reminds his readers of the promise of the new covenant. In the passage that the author of Hebrews quotes from Jeremiah 31:33-34 when God promised the prophet Jeremiah of what God would do to the house of Israel. During Jeremiah’s time, God was judging the people of Israel for their sins. Throughout the majority of the book of Jeremiah, he is proclaiming the impending judgement that will come to the Jews.

The book of Jeremiah is one of sadness and sorrow but also grace. Like the sun that breaks through the clouds after a rainy day, the author of Hebrews reminds us that if you are a believer, you are fully forgiven all of your sins.

Verse 17 says, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

God is not saying that he has amnesia

God is not saying that he forgets our sins like how we forget where our car keys are.

What it means when God says that he will remember our sins no more is an active choice on the part of God. Going back to the court room scene. If God was the prosecuting attorney, for God to not remember your sins anymore is His choice not to bring them up and not to count them against you in a judicial way.

Why can God say that he will remember our sins no more? Doesn’t that make God unjust?

The answer is no. God is not unjust. When Jesus went to the cross to die, he did so in order that he might die in our place and atone for all of our sins, past, present, and future and in doing so, Jesus gave us his righteousness because he never sinned, not even once. So now when God looks at those who put their faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, God sees Christ in us.

So now, God says he remembers our sins no more, not because he is some crooked judge or lawyer, but because Jesus Christ paid for all of our sins, thus giving us a foundation that is built upon the forgiveness of our sins.

B. Christians possess a confidence to come before God (19-21)

Look at verses 19-20 with me.

English Standard Version Chapter 10

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

Can someone remind us, who was allowed into the holy place in the Old Testament?

It would have been crazy to hear that any Jewish person now could enter the holy place now.

But now, the author of Hebrews says that we have confidence to enter the holy places. This reference is s reference to the place of the Tabernacle and temple, but what the author is trying to emphasize is that believers now possess confidence to come before Jesus.

We are reminded of the source of this new possession of confidence for the believer. The author says that this was accomplished by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain that is through his flesh.

There is a lot of symbolism here. The author calls this way new and living. Without getting too deep in the weeds, the author is highlighting the sacrifice of Jesus being a new way leading to everlasting life.

The use of the word curtain would bring the Jewish person’s mind back to the curtain or veil that would separate the holy of holies from the rest of the area.

Through Jesus’s sacrifice as David preached some weeks ago now, the veil was torn in two, resulting in access to the living God once again!

You might be asking yourself, ok, I get that, but so what? What does having access to God do for me?

My main answer to that question would be that you can have peace with God. Too often we live our Christian lives thinking that God is angry at us or that if things aren’t going well in our life, God is somehow out to get us. Both of those are not true. Romans 5:1 is a helpful passage to memorize. 1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Having access to God means that you can enjoy a full relationship with God. Please don’t interpret God’s love for you or your relationship with God based off of what you have or what you don’t have. Please don’t think that because things may not be going the way you want them to, or if a trial has come into your life that somehow God is mad at you. Romans 5:1 and Hebrews 10:19 are two passages that tell you that if you are a Christian, you possess peace with God and confidence to come before God in prayer and in fellowship with Him.

Christian’s also possess a great high priest over. Verse 21, indicates that Jesus is the great high priest over the house of God. He is greater than the Levites of Old, greater than Melchizedek Himself, Jesus is the great high priest over the house of God. This term house of God has both believers in heaven and the church here in view.

Hebrews 4:14-16 says

English Standard Version Chapter 4

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 7:25 ESV

25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Jesus is not just in heaven waiting to come back. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. This word intercede means to

“to make an earnest request through contact.”

What does Jesus ask of the Father on your behalf and mine?

There are many examples that the Scripture gives but one that is very clear is that Jesus intercedes as our living sacrifice for sins.

1 John 2:1–2 ESV

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

One quote that helps drive this reality home is from a pastor who says, “

Hebrews: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Security of Salvation

Whenever we sin He says to the Father, “Put that on My account. My sacrifice has already paid for it.”

Jesus is in your corner when life is going great and also when life is extremely difficult and everything in between. He is not just waiting to come back, he is actively working for your good this very moment.

2. The Christian’s Priority

We have seen that if you are a Christian, you possess a foundation built on forgiveness, confidence to come before God, and a high priest who actively intercedes for you, the author of Hebrews now turns to what those possessions should result in. There are 3 priorities that the author of Hebrews encourages his readers to do.

A. Priority 1, Let us draw near to God.

These three statements that your Bible may translate “let us” is a way of urging someone to do something. The first priority we find is in verse 22. Look there again with me.

English Standard Version Chapter 10

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.

Similar to the confidence we possess as Christians, there is a priority to draw near to God with a true heart and assurance of faith. This word draw near means literally to approach God. It is like you are walking up to Jesus himself.

There may be reasons that you may lack this assurance of faith that the author of Hebrews mentions.

It may because you are struggling with sin and you feel like if you were a Christian, you wouldn’t be doing this sin.

It may because you don’t feel God’s love

It may be because you don’t desire to pray or read your Bible.

All of those reasons while understandable, are not any reasons that should cause you to doubt your salvation. Look at verse 22 again. Notice those statements with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. I don’t like bringing up the Greek in sermons a lot but here those two statements in the Greek proclaim that those happened to you in the past and they have an everlasting effect on your life.

c. In other words, if you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and died for your sins, verse 22 is true about you and therefore you are able to draw near to God in full assurance.

The answer to struggling with assurance of faith is not looking at yourself, it is looking at the God man, Jesus Christ who you call savior!

B. Priority 2, Hold Fast to the Confession of Faith

Look at verse 23 with me.

English Standard Version Chapter 10

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful

The author of Hebrews gives his second priority to us saying that given what we possess as Christians, we are to hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. Here the author of Hebrews tells us that we are to hold fast to the hope that is within us

2. We live in a world that does not like God or Christians and that is putting it nicely. This world is full of trouble and trials. When we walk through the hard times in life, it may be tempting to want to give up, to throw in the towel, but the author of Hebrews pleaded with his audience and he pleads with us.

3. Hold fast to the gospel that saved you and that changed you from the inside out.

4. Hold fast to living your life in a way that magnifies the gospel. . 1 Peter 3:15

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

5. Even if we feel like giving up sometimes, Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:13

2 Timothy 2:13 ESV

13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

6. Those whom Jesus saved, he will never let go because as Paul said, he is faithful and he promised to keep his own, thats John 6:39

John 6:39 ESV

39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

C. Priority 3, Stirring one another up to love and good works

Look at verses 24-25

English Standard Version Chapter 10

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 final priority, the author of Hebrews stresses the priority of life with other believers. This idea of considering how to stir up one another to love and good works requires relationships with other believers.

If I were to ask your best friend to describe you, I would hope that would be a long conversation. I hope your best friend would not stop telling me all of the details about you. Your likes, dislikes, fears, accomplishments etc.

Christians need fellowship with one another, deep fellowship, so that we can stir one another up to love and good works. This idea of stirring one another up means to provoke someone to action. The ones who do this best are the ones who don’t necessarily have a lot of friends, but those who have deep friendships.

Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV

says 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

4. The way that God works through his people is through his people having fellowship with one another. Verse 25 makes that so obvious. He says, don’t stop meeting together as some have done.

5. Technology is a gift from God and it has its place in the life of a Christian but it should not and cannot replace believers being physically together. If Covid taught me anything, it taught me that I took going to church on Sundays for granted before Covid. Gathering together is a vital priority for the life of the believer.

6. The main place where that happens is in the local church. Some of you may have been hurt by a church, if that’s you, I’m sorry, but please do not let that be the thing stopping you from fellowshipping with other Christians. No local church is perfect because there are people there, but the church is the establishment God has given us to live out His Word together.

We have considered the Christian’s possessions, and the Christian’s priority, as we close, let us consider the Warning of Apostasy

3. The Warning of Apostasy

What is an apostate? A simple definition of an apostate is “a person who has heard the gospel and who then rejects the gospel.” An apostate may reject the gospel the moment they hear it, or an apostate may have the outward signs of a believer but then later rejects Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Story of Roman

Two Attributes of Apostasy

One who sins repeatedly with a growing sense of not caring (26-27)

This person is someone who continues to sin but over time (this word deliberately means a long time) grows cold and callous to sin.

The reference to there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins means that if someone rejects the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, there is no other sacrifice or work, that can make that person right with God.

There is a fearful judgement that awaits that person (27-28)

Verse 28 is saying that those people who broke the Mosaic Law willingly, died without mercy because that was the punishment for disobedience, now the author of Hebrews is saying there is now a stricter punishment that will come upon that person.

Outward Rebellion Against God (29-31)

This person outwardly rejects God wholeheartedly. The phrase trampled underfoot the son of God literally means if one were to step on Jesus to injure him. The term profaned the blood of the covenant is to call the blood of Jesus any old blood. Like the blood of a bull or that of a sinner.

This phrase “by which he was sanctified is not referring to the unbeliever who was sanctified somehow by the blood of Jesus, but rather the believer who is sanctified by the blood of Jesus. There are different views on this passage but it cannot mean that an unbeliever was sanctified and then somehow lost their sanctification or salvation. Hebrews 10:9-10

Hebrews 10:9–10 ESV

10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

c. For those who apostatize, , the author of Hebrews says, God will judge that person for their sins since they have rejected the work of Jesus Christ.

Closing

If this last point somehow causes you to doubt if it is possible for you to apostatize if you are a believer, please listen. Jesus Christ came to this world from heaven. He could have come as a king, but he came as a child. He grew up, just like you and I did. He lived the life you and I should have lived. He never sinned although he was tempted in every way we are. He chose to go to the cross of his own volition and die the worst death imaginable and on that cross he paid for the sins of all who will believe in Him for the forgiveness of their sins. He will never cast anyone out who comes to Jesus for full forgiveness and he will give you eternal life spent with Him in heaven forever.

If you believe this good news with your heart and profess that Jesus is Lord of your life, you are HIS. If you don’t believe in this message, please believe in it, because it is the truth. If you have any questions, please talk to me, a staff member, or your small group leader.

Lets pray.