Supreme Encouragement
Hebrews • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Scripture Reading: Ephesians 3:8-13
Kid’s Time: Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory. Charlie gets a Golden ticket that gives him exclusive access to the top secret chocolate factory.
Proposition: Because of our Great High priest’s position and work, we are encouraged to take action
Interrogative: In what ways can we take action in our relationship to God?
There are 4 actions that we are encouraged to take since we live in a new relationship to the Father through faith in Jesus Christ.
I. Encouraged To Be Confident (19-20)
I. Encouraged To Be Confident (19-20)
19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
He has already stated that we possess this confidence in Heb 4:14-16. Now he is going to build on it.
12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.
Because of Jesus, the presence of the Father is not off limits. It is not a locked door any more. The Israelites never had this privelage. When they approached God on Mount Sinai, they were terrified and could only come to the foot of the mountain or they would die.
20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,
It is a Living way because it leads to life everlasting. This points to the resurrection. The sacrifice, which is the Lord Jesus, died but then came He back to life. That never happened withe temple sacrifices. You don’t have sheep slaughtered and burned up on the alter coming back to the sheepfold three days later. Even if you did, they would just have to be sacrificed again.
You can go to the Father and know that He will welcome you into His presence with the same warmth and acceptance that He would welcome His Son Jesus.
Loved like a pet sheep…
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Welcomed home like the prodigal son.
runs to greet him.
gives him his robe.
put a ring on his finger like an honored guest.
kills the fattened calf.
How is it possible for us to enter now? Because the flesh of Jesus is the gate just as the veil of the temple was the gate to presence of God in the holy of holies. His sacrifice makes it possible for the believer to enter God’s presence.
9 “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Application: Think about all times that you though you were unworthy to talk to God. “Because I did ________________, I can’t go to God. He would want me.” Those barriers are gone for you! If you have believed on Jesus Christ, that __________________ is forgiven and will not keep you from fellowship with God. Jesus is your permission and access.
II. Encouraged To Draw Near
II. Encouraged To Draw Near
21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
House of God = temple. There is a new police chief in town. He is the new high priest and the temple here on earth and up in heaven will never be the same again.
What is the temple now?
16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
We are! The church.
22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Draw near — Approach. subjunctive mood, we can draw near if we choose to. It is up to us. This is a corporate thing “us” all together as well as an individual thing. This is a call to intimacy with our God.
With a sincere heart = true, genuine, or pure. — this is something that you have been given, not an a condition for us to meet.
Full assurance — with complete certainty that faith provides. How affirming! He piles the on the descriptions, confidence, sincere heart, full assurance.
THIS DAY IN LINCOLN HISTORY On April 4, 1853, Thomas “Tad” Lincoln was born. Tad was the fourth and youngest son of the 16th president of the United States Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd Lincoln.Named after his paternal grandfather Thomas Lincoln, he was soon nicknamed "Tad" by his father, for his small body and large head, and because as an infant he wiggled like a tadpole.He had a lisp and delivered his words rapidly and unintelligibly. Often only those close to Lincoln were able to understand him. For example, he called his father's bodyguard, William H. Crook, "Took," and his father "Papa Day" instead of "Papa Dear."Upon their father's election as President, both Tad and Willie moved into the White House and it became their new playground and home (Robert was in school elsewhere). During the time his father was alive, Tad was impulsive and unrestrained, and did not attend school. John Hay wrote that the boy's numerous tutors in the White House usually quit in frustration. Tad had free run of the White House, and there are stories of him interrupting presidential meetings, collecting animals, charging visitors to see his father, and more.
Heart Sprinkled clean —
Bodies washed —
This imagery is all of a priest bringing a sacrifice to the tabernacle. He drew near to God because he knew that sacrifice was what God demanded and he fully believed that God would accept it. The priest himself needed to be sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifice and he was required to wash his body before his priestly service.
Jesus has done all this for us!
III. Encouraged To Hold Fast
III. Encouraged To Hold Fast
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;
Hold Fast — also in subjunctive mood. You can hold fast if you choose to. You may or you may not.
If you do hold fast you will enjoy the blessings of security in you salvation. It is an evidence of your salvation
If you don’t hold fast, it is also an evidence. It is evidence that the salvation you confessed was not real.
Hebrews: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Hold Fast in Hope
A true believer will be around in the end. He may become discouraged or frustrated, and occasionally fall into a sinful habit. But he will hold fast the confession of his hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
We can hold on to this hope because we know that Jesus is faithful to keep His promise.
Hebrews: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Hold Fast in Hope
There was once a young boy whose dad left him on a downtown corner one morning and told him to wait there until he returned in about half an hour. But the father’s car broke down and he could not get to a phone. Five hours went by before the father managed to get back, and he was worried that his son would be in a state of panic. But when the father got there, the boy was standing in front of the dime store, looking in the window and rocking back and forth on his heels. When the father saw him, he ran up to him and threw his arms around him and hugged and kissed him. The father apologized and said, “Weren’t you worried? Did you think I was never coming back?” The boy looked up and replied, “No, Dad. I knew you were coming. You said you would.”
IV. Encouraged To Love
IV. Encouraged To Love
These encouragements follow a progression. Because of what Jesus did we should be confident in our personal relationship, and then we need to hold on to our hope to a lost world that has no hope, and finally we motivate fellow Christians in their walk with Christ.
24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
Consider — to think about carefully. Subjunctive mood again. You could be one of those who think about this carefully or you could choose to not think about it at all which would be tragic.
What should we consider? Ways to help motivate one another or cause a reaction in someone to love and do good things. Part of the word is sour wine. It is something that causes a reaction. Like smelling sour milk causes you to rear back in disgust. But instead of causing a reaction in disgust, we are look for ways to cause a reaction to love.
Example:
2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them.
This takes effort and carful consideration. Ask yourself, how can I motivate my brother or sister in Christ? Some ways include: being a good example, writing an encouraging note to them, taking them out to coffee (Hannah Miller), men’s prayer meeting, noticing that they are gifted in a certain area and challenging them to use that gift, “annoying” them to follow through with a commitment, helping them complete a task is difficult for them, ladies study, men’s breakfasts, one on one discipleship.
17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.
25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
The examples I mentioned before are individual or small group ways of encouraging love. This verse is the corporate way to stimulate each other. It sounds simple, but regularly attend church.
Not forsaking — stopping something that has been going on regularly. Like the sun shining. What if the sun just stopped rising. We would be in big trouble! An occasional cloudy day or even an eclipse is something that we can handle, but for the sun to stop shining at all would be catastrophic. So missing a service here and there is understandable, not showing up to church as a habitual practice is a problem.
Do you have to go to church to be christian? no. But if you are christian, one of the evidences will be a desire to be in fellowship with other Christians.
When people tell me that they love Jesus but just don’t like the church, or “organized religion” I like to point out that the Bible says that the church is the body of Christ. It is the physical representation of Jesus on the earth. I then like to ask them, “What if you told you spouse, Honey, I love you but I just can’t stand being around you physically. You have so many physical flaws, your breath stinks, and you don’t alway smell the best. How about we just text each other once a day and call it good?” “How do you think they will respond to that?” “Is that relationship going to go well?” That is very much like saying to Jesus, “I love you Jesus, but I don’t like the church (your body). It has so many flaws, I don’t get along with some of the people there, and it stinks how many hypocrites there are there.” “How about I just pray to you from the comfort of my bed once a day and call it good?” How do you think Jesus will respond to that? Is your relationship with Him going to go well?
Christianity is a very social religion. We are commanded to love one another, have concern for each other and help each other. That requires community together. Developing Christian community takes spending time together centered around Jesus Christ.
Conclusion:
Considering what Jesus did to secure our salvation, that he is the supreme High Priest in the order of Melchizedek and that He never ceases to make intercession for us to the Father, I encourage you to have confidence in Him, draw near to Him, Hold fast the hope He gave to you, and think carefully how motivate each other to love the Lord your God.
