Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

It’s a Saturday morning.

The kids are all sitting around the kitchen table after breakfast.

Dad comes down the stairs and gathers his things.

On his way out the door to go run some errands, he walks in and says to the children:

I’m going to be out running errands for a few hours.

While I am gone, I want you all to clean your rooms.

A couple of hours passes, dad returns home to find the kids gathered around the kitchen table.

The children are all huddled around a particular piece of paper with an intricate oultine drawn in crayon.

When they look up and see their father, they get excited and say:

Oh, dad, you’re going to be so proud of us.

Since the moment you left, we’ve been sitting here planning out the best way to clean our rooms.

We’ve written some articles on 5 easy methods for picking up your toys, and we’ve even started planning a conference for other children so they will know how to clean their rooms effectively as well.

We’re currently working on our website for it.

Confused, dad looks at his children and says, “That’s all good… but, did you actually clean your rooms?”

There’s a difference between talking about doing something and actually doing something, right?

Well, there’s a difference between talking about how to be a disciple, and actually being a real disciple.

For this sermon today to make any sense, there is one simple but important concept you have to grasp.

Here it goes:

Faith is not the same as belief.

Now, let me add a couple of qualifiers.

When I say faith, I am talking about the way the Bible uses that word, and the Bible’s definition of faith is pretty important if we’re going to understand the gospel at all.

And when I say belief, I mean the way we tend to define it in our own culture here in America.

We’ve got a peculiar definition of that word today.

It’s a fluffy word that just means you admit that something is true.

For instance, the vast majority Americans say they believe in God.

However, for the overwhelming majority of Americans, this “belief” makes no actual difference in their lives.

So, the Bible’s definition of faith is not even close to our culture’s definition of belief.

And if we ever want to understand the real meaning of discipleship, then we have to get this one straight.

Main idea: Since we have such a Great High Priest, true disciples journey in godliness by exercising real faith.

Open in prayer

Our text today is a call to action from the author of Hebrews.

In it we find a practical summary of what it means to live like a Christian.

And I think there are two questions you need to come to this text asking today:

Are you a real disciple?

If so, how can you journey in Godliness by faith?

An Exhortation to Godliness

To give you a quick outline of our passage for today, the author begins with a call to action that includes three exhortations to godliness.

He then gives a warning and a call to remember.

Let’s begin with his call to action:

Read this whole section of text.

The author of Hebrews gets right to it and begins with a call to action:

Read this whole section of text.

​Hebrews 10:19–25 ESVTherefore, 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.

The Preconditions of Godliness

The first verse starts with a “therefore.”

A “therefore” connects two ideas and makes the second idea conditional upon the first.

Here’s what I mean.

A couple of years ago, the Astros won the World Series; therefore, a million people flooded downtown for a parade and subsequent pandamonium.

Now, if the Astros had not won the series, would there have been a parade?

No, of course not.

How about this: Since the Astros did win, then that kind of celebration seems like the only fitting response.

The Astros win was a precondition for the celebration.

True discipleship has a precondition.

Living in godliness, living by faith, has a precondition.

Today’s text summarizes that precondition with two statements:

Today’s text summarizes that precondition with two statements:

since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus — ​& — and since we have a great high priest over the house of God

These two conditional statements are actually a summary of the previous section of the letter.

In chapter 9 and the first half of chapter 10, the author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant.

But now he has appeared one time, at the end of the ages, for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of himself.

And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—so also Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Since Jesus has accomplished the perfect sacrficie, once and for all.

Since his shed blood on the cross atones for our sins, purifies us.

Since our priest, or mediator between God and man, is no mere human priest.

He is the Great High Priest.

This once and for all act by Jesus has given us confidence to enter the holy places by his blood and given us a Great High Priest of the house of God, that is over the church.

Since these things are true; therefore, we can do what is asked of us in the exhortations that follow.

Of course, the reverse is also true.

If Christ’s sacrfice and atonement has not been applied to you, if you have not crossed the line of faith, then you are no more capable to obey these exhortations than a tree strump.

Christ’s salvation is a precondition to godliness.

It is a precondition to being a real disciple.

Three Exhortations to Godliness

Three Exhortations to Godliness

Now let’s look at those exhortations.

There are three:

let us draw near - to the presence of God

let us hold fast - to the confession of our hope

let us watch out - for one another

Let us draw near to the presence of God

Now that we have unbelievable access to God himself, let’s draw near to him.

If we’ve crossed that line of faith, we have close, personal access to the one who carved out the mountains and scattered the stars.

The only one who is sovereign over history.

He holds your past and your future in his hand.

He knows you better than you know you, and here’s the crazy part, He desires that you know him.

God wants you to come into his presence.

He wants to know your concerns, and he wants your worship.

You say you’re a disciple, but do you draw near to the presence of God?

Total access, freely available to you, paid for by the very blood of Jesus.

This is a gift worth more than gold.

Do you reach out and take it?

Do you value it enough to use it?

One commentator on this passage says it this way,

As the wick of a lamp continually draws oil for the light, so let us continually draw from God the strength and grace we need to function.

Since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus, let us draw near to him.

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope

Today, we usually use that word confession in the context of someone messing up and coming clean, right?

I was pilfering around in the fridge looking for something to eat this past week, and I made a discovery.