The List

Jesus gives us permission

I grew up listening to a very famous radio and television preacher.

He died a few years back but he’s still preaching everyday on some radio or television program somewhere.

I looked his ministry up and he’s still very actively preaching.

He is still one of the best, most engaging preachers I have ever heard

He preached the Bible and preached a very sound theology.

His sermon organization was probably the best around

But it was also his achilles heel for me.

He would end many of his messages by saying, “If you will just do these 3 things, 5 things,”

Once it was “10 things,” you can have whatever the theme was for the day.

I remember to this day saying to my friends, “If I add up every list he’s told us to do, I’d have 1,000 things I’d need to do every day.”

We know we can’t keep the 10 commandments.

Adam and Eve couldn’t stay away from one tree.

Even Paul the Apostle - he’s the greatest guy just under Jesus and Moses right.

Remember what he said in Romans 7:7–8 “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.”

Paul confesses right there they he coveted all kinds of things.

Making lists of rules to make us better will not effect a long lasting change.

And yet, right here in Hebrews, chapter 10, verses 19 - 25, the Pastor who wrote Hebrews gives us a list.

Only, it’s a little different kind of list.

It’s a list that we can do and he starts by explaining why we can do it.

He starts with a therefore, which we know means, “based on everything we’ve talked about,”

He then uses the words “since we have” twice - that’s him saying we can do this because we have this thing

And then three times he will say, “let us…” and those three “let us” statements are our list.

It is a very clear and concise outline that sums up how people who are having doubts can fight those doubts

And really, how to minimize those doubts in the first place.

Kids, I want to thank you for you and your parents participation this summer.

You came to VBS.

Many of you went to camp.

A bunch of you are coming to Mission Kids.

School will start back in a few weeks

And then we’ll have kid’s choir and multi-gen Sundays and Wednesday Kids and groups

Thank you to you and your parents for wanting to know more about Jesus.

You are doing great.

The three words to help you focus on the message is Word, Know and Jesus.

If you all have your Bibles open now, Hear now the Word of the Lord from Hebrews 10:19-25

Hebrews 10:19–25 ESV

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great 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 as you see the Day drawing near.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Amen

Let’s ask the Lord for His help as we study:

Dear Lord,

So many of us have so many rules to live by in our heads that our heads are cluttered and confused.

We know you are a God of order.

Please through Your Word today, bring order to our minds and give us rest for our weary souls.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

In one very long sentence, the Pastor summarizes the meaning of the argument he’s been making for the last 10 chapters of the book.

Hebrews 10:19–22 “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God…

We talked about the ‘therefore’ - based on everything we’ve discussed so far

Then he says ‘brothers’

Listen, this is important.

He’s not talking to anyone who is not a Christ follower.

He is very specifically talking to all of the brothers and sisters of the faith and only to them.

None of this works for the non-Christian

They can’t do these things because they have no power to do these things.

The Power is in what we have

“Since we have” he says twice.

What is it we have?

We have confidence, we have boldness to stand before God the Father.

He says “holy places” but you know He’s talking about the Holy of Holies in the temple.

This is where the ark was located and all of the things associated with the ark.

This is where God chose to live - if you will - its where once a year the high priest after a whole bunch of ritual went in to stand before God.

It was a terrifying place.

They tied a rope around the high priest’s foot so if God struck him down, they could drag him out.

No one but no one could go there.

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…”

The words “fear” and “Lord” are combined 316 times in 142 verses in the Bible spanning from Genesis all the way through Revelation.

Age and the Holy Spirit have taught me something very important.

The older I get, the more I realize just how sinful I am.

Progressives say, “Every day in every way humanity is getting better and better.”

That’s the exact opposite of truth.

The Pastor writing Hebrews works from the presupposition that everyone he is speaking to understands that

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

With all including each one of us

The Pastor is counting on each of us having a very humble understanding of exactly who we are.

And since we know this - we have confidence

Not we “can” have confidence

We have confidence that we can enter the very presence of God because of the blood of Jesus, and nothing else.

Where we once entered into God’s presence fearing judgment, now we walk into His presence expecting forgiveness.

The blood of Jesus combined with - look at verse 20

Two important things to see.

First, the end of the verse - through his flesh - his crucified flesh

But back up a few words - “by a new and LIVING way”

Not only His crucifixion, but His resurrection.

Sacrifice a goat and all you’ve got is a dead goat.

Sacrifice the Son of God and you’ve got a risen Savior.

Since we have a risen Savior who has now ascended into heaven

That’s Hebrews 10:21 “and since we have a great priest over the house of God,”

Therefore, since we have Jesus, we can walk with confidence into the presence of God, knowing we are accepted

And knowing that with Him we are safe for all eternity.

Having this confidence, the Pastor then gives us the list of things we CAN do and he begins each one with the words, “Let us…”

Let us draw near

Hebrews 10:22 “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.”

The words full assurance is a really rich word.

It says to draw near to the Father with all the faith you can stand to carry.

For some it’s a boat load of faith

For some it’s just the tiniest bit of quivering faith

But listen, all the faith you need is just enough faith to keep you putting one foot in front of the other walking towards Jesus.

It’s enough faith to know

To know where you stand before the Lord.

Don’t fall into the trap of saying, “If only I had faith like so and so.”

No, all the faith you need is all of the faith the Lord has allowed to you

And that’s enough faith that keeps you walking towards him knowing, knowing, with full assurance, that He will receive us

And learning over time that our consciences have been purged of guilt and shame

And our sinful bodies have been washed clean.

In other words, brothers and sisters, there is nothing standing between us and full acceptance by the Lord.

Not being presumptive on our part.

Not us approaching the Lord like God is lucky to have us on His team.

But approaching Him knowing that our raggedy selves have been given the greatest gift of all time.

He’s given us the life we’ve dreamed about.

A brother said to me, “A peace came over me and lifted the weight off my shoulders.”

Yes, yes, a million times yes.

You’ve heard the verse, Philippians 4:7

Philippians 4:7 ESV

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Let us draw near, and

Let us hold fast

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

What is our confession of hope?

The word confession is a compound word - homo meaning one and logian meaning word

Let us hold that the one word of our hope…

What is our one word of hope?

It’s Jesus.

It’s that simple and not that simple all at once.

It is simple in that we hold fast, we cling to Jesus with everything we’ve got.

The entire first 10 chapters of Hebrews has been an argument to get us to see the supremacy of Jesus everything everywhere.

But its not simple in that we have to know what we believe about Jesus

And we have to hold fast without wavering.

Wavering is a picture word

You know a couple of weeks ago it was so hot you could bake cakes in your mailbox.

Imagine working outside in that heat, in a very physical job without taking a water break.

What would happen to you?

You would fall out, right?

The word wavering is built on a word that means to be far spent

A good southerner would say, ‘He’s plum worn out.”

Let’s hold fast to the one word of our hope without getting plum worn out.

Without wanting more.

Without asking for more.

Knowing Jesus is enough.

How can we do that?

There’s lot of folks saying we are wrong - how do you not get plum worn out in the face of that?

It’s back to Jesus, right?

“For he who promised is faithful.”

You can weather the onslaught because you know how the championship is going to end.

2 Timothy 1:12 ESV

which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.

Paul said in his letter to Timothy exactly what the Preacher is saying to us.

People say I should be ashamed of what I believe but I’m not.

For I know WHOM - notice that - not what, but WHOM

Our one word confession - Jesus

For I know Jesus whom I have believe

And I am convinced, unwavering, not letting myself be plum worn out, because I know that I know that I know

That the one who was resurrected and ascended is able to guard me and hold me and keep me until the day He calls me home.

I’ve entrusted Him with my life.

He will not let me down.

Brothers and sisters, we can do this - and now the Preacher is going to tell us how.

Let us consider how to build each other up

Let’s figure out how to help each other do this.

Look at verse 24 Hebrews 10:24 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,”

That word stir is a good translation but it does not carry the flair of the original.

Some versions use the word provoke with is better but here’s the energy behind it

The root word means “sharp disagreement.”

Take the energy of a sharp disagreement and turn it into positive energy.

With the energy you would use to convince someone just how wrong they were

Flip that on it’s head and use that same amount of energy to encourage your brothers and sisters to love and good works.

Ya’ll are familiar with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, right?

Who is the hero?

A common everyday hobbit named Frodo Baggins.

But who made sure the mission was accomplished?

His friend Samwise.

Frodo would not have completed the quest without Samwise.

Oh yes, there were lots and lots of other characters.

But it was Samwise who stirred Frodo up to complete his good work.

Now consider this - what if Samwise had decided that he could be just as effective writing Frodo an occasional uplifting letter.

Maybe Face timing him on occasion

Watching the livestream.

What if Samwise had just visited with Frodo every other month

What would that have meant to the quest of destroying the evil Ring of Power?

Frodo would have failed.

Verse 25 Hebrews 10:25 “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.”

I know I’m all into words today but these words paint such a wonderful picture for us.

Neglecting doesn’t mean simply deciding not to go.

Neglecting means to forsake, abandon or desert

Think of the picture those words paint.

It’s not that you are simply forsaking your need to go to church

You are forsaking, you are abandoning, you are deserting your Christian brothers and sisters.

Yes your life is hard, but so is theirs

And you know what, what is the first part of John Donne’s poem?

“No man is an island, entire of itself.”

When you argue that you can worship just as well in the woods, on a deer stand, on a lake, on the porch with your Bible and a cup of coffee

You are arguing American civil religion - you are not arguing Christianity.

Yes you can worship and feel close to God and God be close to you in all of those places

And it is great to do those things on occasion.

But Christian worship requires community - true community.

On the macro level, coming into this room and joining our voices in the confession - in our One Word Jesus.

But on the micro and most necessary level for this to work - coming into a group and joining in each other’s lives.

Did you notice that in this section of scripture, the only negative is for us to not forsake being there for each other?

See the word encouraging in verse 25?

The greek root word is a word that a few of you will recognize.

Parakalew

It means to be called alongside.

A form of this word is the parakletos

Which is another name for the Holy Spirit.

This name for the Holy Spirit can be translated Helper, Comforter, Advocate or Counselor.

Do you see what this means?

Instead of simply praying for the Holy Spirit to work in a hurting brother or sisters life and hoping for a little God magic

We are called to BE the helper, comforter, advocate or counselor.

We are called to be Jesus’ Hands and Feet.

And we can’t do that if we aren’t here.

I read the other day where someone said they were tired of coming to church because they had to, not because they wanted to.

I suspect there are a lot of us that feel that way from time to time.

Let the Pastor from the Book of Hebrews answer that for us.

Instead of preparing your heart to receive something before coming church

How about preparing your heart to be the one who stirs up the faith of someone who is struggling?

How about releasing all of the thoughts that stir up bad feelings, strife and dissension,

But instead stir up the faith of someone who’s about plum worn out?

I promise, if you do what the Pastor said, you WILL go home satisfied

And, you’ll not be able to wait until you get to come back to stir someone else’s faith.

One day your faith will need stirring, and maybe that will be the day someone else comes to church looking to love on someone.

As my famous brother pastor used to say

“If you will just do these three things:

Draw near, Hold Fast, Build each other up

And depend on Jesus to give you the power.

Well, your life can be changed.

Let us pray.