The Blessing of Us, Hebrews 10:22-25

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Happy Father’s Day (Fellowship Theme)

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Video: Father’s Day

Stand with me as we open our worship with scripture.

Opening Scripture:

Psalm 122 NIV

A song of ascents. Of David. 1 I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” 2 Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. 4 That is where the tribes go up— the tribes of the Lord— to praise the name of the Lord according to the statute given to Israel. 5 There stand the thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. 7 May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” 8 For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” 9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.

Prayer

Worship Set

Prayer

Worship Through the Word:

Covenant Declaration

“I am about to study the incorruptible, inerrant Word of God.  I open my heart to God’s message, I humble my mind to His wisdom, and I rest my hope on His grace.

I will accept its rebukes with repentance, rejoice in its truth by faith and trust in its promises that can never fail.

I can be what it says I can be, I can do with it says I can do, and I can change what it says I can change, as I trust in His grace and Spirit.

I covenant with God that I am ready to learn, that I am ready to grow, that I am ready to change, as I hide His Word in my heart, and honor Jesus Christ as the Lord of my life.”

Torn

Father’s Day makes me think of relationships.  It particularly recalls family.  For some, family brings warm feelings and memories.  For others, I am sad to say that family can bring less than happy memories and thoughts.  However, I suspect everyone can appreciate that where there is a good family, there are lots of blessings.

When we become Christians, our view of family should be expanded because we are now all united family under Christ.  Last week, I spoke of the baptism of the Spirit and today I want you to see another aspect of that baptism.  It is found in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13.

1 Corinthians 12:12–13 NIV

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

So, the cleansing work of the baptism of the Spirit prepares us to be unified with one another.  This is important and to understand why, we need to look at 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 NIV

16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you togetherare that temple.

We are not individually dwelt by God’s Spirit, but we are together a unit whether we comprehend that or not.  Even more than a unit, God calls us His family.  No one enjoys living in a dysfunctional family.  God did not join us together to be dysfunctional, but to be strong.  Our bond is to be one of love, not conflict.  This is not an inconvenience, but it is a blessing and that is the topic of our sermon today.

Once again, we are looking at Hebrews 10 but this week we will zero in on verses 22-25.  However, I wish to back up and bring us into the topic with some context.  So, we will begin at verse 11 and read through verse 25.

Hebrews 10:11–25 ESV

11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. 15And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 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,” 17then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” 18Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. 19Therefore, 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.

The Word of God for the people of God.  Thanks be to God!

Father, please bless this Word which you have provided and which we now receive. Amen!

I.  The Blessing of Us  Hebrews 10:22-25

A couple weeks ago, I shared a clip from the Wizard of Oz.  I am talking about the old original one with Judy Garland.  In thinking about that movie, what do you consider to be the major theme? I suspect many would say, “There is no place like home!” Who can argue with those ruby red slippers?

Another strong theme, however, runs throughout the movie. This theme is highlighted in what was probably one of the most memorable songs, and I am not referring to Somewhere over the Rainbow.  The other classic song. That the characters sing as they start off on a journey to go find the wizard. Do you remember the lyrics? You can probably sing them in your head. (Hum a few bars) The song does not say, “I’m off to see the wizard!” No, this is a journey undertaken by friends singing, “We’re off to see the wizard!”  As they continue in their journey, we watch their relationship grow.  When Dorothy gets discouraged, the other three try to encourage her.  When the stuffing is pulled out of the Scarecrow, the others seek to find his straw and restuff him.  When the Lion is fearful, the others gather close and help him to continue moving forward.  Through all these adversities they encourage each other, defend each other, and work to strengthen each other.  As they do so, their bond grows closer.

This is a great example of what the Christian journey is to be like.  You see

A.  We do not take our journey alone .

either.  Listen to the encouragement the author of Hebrews gives us in Hebrews 10:22–25.

Hebrews 10:22–25 NIV

22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Up to this point in our sermon series, we have pointed to the torn veil of Jesus flesh that allows us to draw near to God with confidence.  Jesus provided us the means, but it is not for one individual, such as the priests of the old days, but for all God’s people.  This is not a journey that we undertake alone.   God created us for relationship and the truth is...

1.  We need each other.

We need the mutual encouragement of others. We need the prayers of our brothers and sisters in the faith. We need the ongoing accountability and spiritual oversight of those in our church. In other words, we need us!

The best part is that because of the work of the Holy Spirit within us, our brother and sisters in Christ often have our back even when we are not aware of it.  Last weekend, someone told me that earlier that morning, they sensed God calling them to pray for me that day.  They had no idea that I would arrive at the church to discover that it had been broken into.  When I found out about it, I felt complete peace and I had no idea that someone had prayed for me that morning.

We need each other and the truth is...

2.  Spiritual growth and maturity are best cultivated in the soil of Christ-honoring worship and fellowship .

That is, time spent together sharing faith and hope.  Some have said, “I can worship God alone in the privacy of my own life.” This may be true, but one cannot mature in the life of discipleship—one cannot abound in faith, in hope, in love—without other believers.  Relation and fellowship are God’s design.

The Bible makes it clear: churchless Christianity is unthinkable!

When God established the nation of Israel, He also established rules that they were to gather for worship.  This continued to be demonstrated even in the New Testament church.

People can make every argument they want about it.  It does not change the fact that the Bible is clear that there is no individual Christianity.  We are a unit and to be away from the unit is to not be part of the unit.

Look again at 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 NIV

16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you togetherare that temple.

It is in this light that the author of Hebrews places before us four “let us”statements.

So, “let us!” ;-) briefly consider each.   Look with me at…

B.  The four “ Let Us ” statements of Hebrews 10.

Highlighting the first “blessing of us,” the writer to the Hebrews encourages,

 1.  “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” Hebrews 10:22

“Let us” draw near. When we do not continually draw near to God through the way Jesus opened for us on his cross, we risk the danger of drifting. The word drift implies a gradual shift in position. Drifting is aimless. When we drift, we are carried along with no control or awareness.

Have you ever watched a piece of wood or a leaf drifting in a stream?  It gradually goes one way, and then another current will catch it, and it slowly begins to go in a different direction.  Sooner or later, it gets caught on something or gets pushed up on the shore.  There it sits stagnant and begins to erode with time. 

The writer of Hebrews warns us of the dangers of drifting spiritually. This happens when we slip away from intimate fellowship with our God. That seldom happens all at once but usually comes in stages. It’s so easy to do. All drifting requires is that we do . . . nothing. Drifting requires no effort. Staying the course, however, requires effort and attention.  This is why the Bible says, “Let us draw near.” We need us! We need each other so that encouragement and accountability can happen.  We need to be able to speak what we are learning.  We need our opinions to be tested and purified by the response of our fellow brothers and sisters.  This does not mean that we take their opinion over our own.  It does mean that healthy discussion can help us fine tune what we are learning and understanding.

This is why I like that covenant declaration.  In that declaration, we are taking responsibility for what we hear by taking time to figure out how to apply what we learn.  When we gather and share what we are learning and listen to what others are learning, we grow faster, we learn more, and we help others do the same.  By investing in each other’s lives in this way, we prevent each other from drifting. 

I would add that this means that when we are in Sunday school, we do not only listen.  We speak even if we are possibly wrong so that we can learn what is right!  Do not fear being wrong, because when you do, you limit your own learning.

Unfortunately, the truth is that no one drifts toward holiness. Holiness takes work and intention because we do not drift toward prayer, toward faith, toward delight in God’s Word, toward trust in our Savior, toward love for our enemies. Rather, we drift away from these things. Peter warns us,

1 Peter 5:8NIV

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Satan does not usually tempt us toward hating God but rather toward forgetfulness of God. This happens when we do nothing at all but drift along in our spiritual journey. The Bible warns us against this in Hebrews 2:1.

Hebrews 2:1NIV

1 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

Notice the “we” statements in that verse.  Notice how well that declaration fits with this warning as well.  You see, what keeps us from drifting is gathering with others of faith!

a.  The blessing of “us” is the encouragement and accountability we provide each other.

We need each other to remind us of our Lord’s faithfulness, of his love and forgiveness, especially as we face life’s trials and troubles. When we are weak, other believers remind us that God keeps his promises. We help one another remember Jesus, our High Priest, the One who right this minute is praying for us.

The very best of us—no matter how spiritual we are or think we are—are just one step away from drifting rather than drawing near.

The next “let us” statement is...

2.  “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”  Hebrews 10:23

 I once heard a teacher share how they had set up one of their students.  This teacher had told everyone in the class, excluding one student, that he was going to make some remarks and have people stand up if they agreed.  However, one statement was going to be an obvious true statement, but he wanted the class to remain seated when the time came knowing the result would be that the one student not in on it, would stand and be alone. 

When the class was assembled, the teacher gave the instructions to stand if they agreed with his statements.  The exercise began without this one student being aware that he had been set up.  About the third statement, the teacher stated an obvious truth, however, when the one student stood up, he quickly realized he was the only one standing and immediately sat down.  Now, the point that the teacher wanted to make to the entire class was how difficult it was to stand under peer pressure.

As Christians, we are in the minority.  We see a different perspective regarding things like abortion, homosexuality, drunkenness, etc…  We can often find ourselves not drifting, but swimming upstream against the current.  This is where the blessing of us comes in.

a.  The blessing of “us” is that we provide each other strength to stand against the crowd.

We are not alone.  There are others on this journey with us, and they can sometimes be even closer to us than our own blood family, if our family doesn’t know the Lord.  Just like my friend who prayed for me last week.  God’s Spirit can pull our Christian brothers and sisters to our aide and defense, even when they are not with us.  When we stand alone in a crowd, we are not really alone.  We are united in Spirit with people all over this globe.

The next “let us” statement is found in verse 24.  It says...

3.  “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds”  Hebrews 10:24

Consider, he says! So, Consider the word consider. This very same word is used only one other time in Hebrews.

Hebrews 3:1ESV

1 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,

The word consider carries with it the sense of deliberate and intentional thought. It involves taking the time to observe something or someone carefully. Just as we are to consider thoughtfully and lovingly our dear Jesus, so we are carefully to consider “us,” especially the ways in which we might deliberately spur one another on, stir one another up to love and good works. This requires time and effort. It does not happen automatically.

We need this kind of encouragement from each other as we grow in our life of discipleship:

• Spurring one another on in love is to address our attitudes toward others. These are internal issues, issues of the heart and mind.

• Spurring one on in good works is to address one another’s actions. We deliberately provoke each other to growth in the high calling Jesus has given us as his disciples.

Each of these requires humility of heart.  No one likes to be “spurred.”  We live in horse country.  I cannot imagine any horse enjoying being spurred.  However, the truth is that we all need challenged at times when our attitudes or actions are not right.  If no one challenges us, the next thing that begins to happen is we begin to drift.  When a brother or sister challenges us, we need to hold our tongue and our emotions in check while taking time to consider what they have said.  They may not be right.  If they are not, do not hold it against them.  If they are correct, be thankful that they cared enough about you to speak the truth in love.  Hopefully they did it in love.  Some do that better than others.  But even if it sounds harsh, consider the motive behind it. 

a.  The blessing of “us” is a community of faith with healthy relationships.

Here is where the church you choose is so critical.  This kind of “healthy” spurring can only happen in a church with healthy relationships between its congregation.  It demonstrates a true community of faith. It happens when we are together regularly with each other and with our Savior.  The better we know each other, the better we can speak into each other’s lives.

This brings us to the fourth “Let us” though this one is not stated by implied. 

4.  “[Let us]” not give up meeting together , as some are in the habit of doing, but instead may we encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”  Hebrews 10:25paraphrased

Encouragement at its root means to come alongside others for the purpose of infusing them with courage. William James, the father of modern psychology, once wrote, “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” When we encourage someone, we help that person to know that we value then, and that we cherish and appreciate him or her. Encouragement is to a weary soul what oxygen is to the heart and mind.

During COVID-19, the church (in general, not our church thankfully) took a big hit because some drifted into thinking, “I don’t need the church! I can stay home and watch it on my screen.”  Actually, with so many preachers on television, some had already made this move. 

But, do you see the danger here? It reduces worship to a focus of one—of me! The statement dismisses the “blessing of us.” It forgets the call to encourage one another as we travel together on the path of discipleship. It is not about my needs being served.  It is about serving each other.  We should be giving as much as we receive from others.

The most important thing to remember is that we come to church to worship and worship is not about me. The heart and center of worship is God—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  And God directed His people to come together to do so.

I want to show again the video clip of Pentecost that I showed last week.  I chose that video because it demonstrates well the correlation between Pentecost and the unity and fellowship of the body of Christ, i.e. the Church.  Listen carefully to what they say.

Video: The Fellowship of Believers

Jesus did not direct them to go wait at their individual homes.  They gathered and waited in prayer together!

I read a story about a second-grade boy who was trying out for a part in the school play. When the day came for the auditions, his mother took him to school and waited for him to come out. She was nervous because she knew her son could not sing, act, or dance. Nor could he memorize well. Imagine her surprise when the boy emerged 45 minutes later, a huge smile on his face. “How did it go, Honey?” Mom asked. “It was great, Mom! Guess what? I’ve been chosen to clap and cheer.” When you get right down to it, that could be said about all of us. We have all been chosen by God to clap and cheer for each other in Christ. We all need to hear it. We all need to give it. So, let the applause begin!

This morning, I am going to provide you with a great opportunity to do just that.  There are two people here in our congregation that understand the importance of this message and they have requested to join our congregation in membership.  We have been talking and preparing for this, and it just came together perfectly to happen this morning.  I could never have planned it better.  So, if Don and Marie Woodruff would please come forward.

Membership: Don & Marie Woodruff

(Torn, A CTA promotional series)

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