(un)distracted_session 3: Focused on His Bride

Intro

When we talked about gymnastics yesterday it was about the individual’s pursuit of a goal of making it to the olympics. Once they make the olympics though, they become part of a team with a bigger overall goal than the success of any one individual. Simone Biles is my daughter’s favorite gymnast. And she’s really good, one of the best gymnasts in the entire world. 7 billion people, and Simone can say she’s better than all of them in her field. But, if you asked Simone what her goals are for this next olympics she might talk about the individual competitions, but she would most definitely talk about the team goal. The USA gymnastics team wants to take home the gold. To do that, they’re going to need top performances from every individual on the team, and as each individual pursues excellence in their specialty with undivided devotion, the team becomes stronger and stronger in corporately pursuing the goal of winning team gold for the USA.

For those gymnasts, all the hard work of practices and competitions and exercise pays off when they become part of Team USA. For you and me, all of the hard work of Jesus has paid off when you and I, through salvation, become part of the Church. And just like Team USA needs every member fully committed, fully bought in, fully focused on their goal, the Church needs every member fully committed, fully bought in, fully focused on their goal.

We’re going to end our time this weekend by looking at a passage in Hebrews 10 that talks about this team that God has made us a part of in Christ. To pursue the Lord with undivided devotion, undistracted devotion, is not an individual pursuit but a team pursuit. We need each other. We need the Church. Turn to Hebrews 10.

Body

A big part of being undistracted in devotion involves knowing what our God wants us to be devoted to.

Hebrews 10:19–22 (ESV) — 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, 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.

In this opening section of our passage the author makes it clear to us that we should be devoted to one another because of the gospel.

“Therefore brothers...” Points us back to the context:

Hebrews 10:11–18 (ESV) — 11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But 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. 15 And 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,” 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.

“since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,”

“We” not “you”

NT epistles were written to communities of believers, not individuals.

The gospel has secured corporately in us an access to the presence of God, and He intended that to be enjoyed in relationship with one another.

In this letter the author has been out to show that Jesus is better than the Old Covenant, better than the Law, better than judaism.

“Confidence” = joyful confidence

“holy places” = the presence of God

“by the blood of Jesus”

Hebrews 4:16

“by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh”

Were it not for Jesus we would not have the access to the Father that we currently enjoy.

Were it not for the cross, the curtain is still in tact, and we are still separated by sin.

“and since we have a great high priest over the house of God”

All of this again is temple language.

Hebrews 4:14

Hebrews 7:23-25

Hebrews 8

But notice again the corporate language from the authors.

Hebrews 10:22 (ESV) — 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.

Jesus died for the Church not for individual, siloed people. Jesus loves me is fine to teach little children, but really it’s Jesus loves the church. He saved us to be a community of believers loving each other serving each other and encouraging each other. You were saved to be a part of this community of believers, to make this community of believers your primary family. That’s what the gospel does.

P1: Devote Yourself to the Church Christ Died For (vv. 19-22)

Undivided devotion must involve an undivided devotion to the local church.

The language of community is all over this passage.

v.19: Therefore brothers

v. 19: since we have confidence

v. 20: that he opened for us

v. 21: since we have a great high priest

v. 22: let us draw near

v. 22: with our hearts

v. 22: and our bodies

Let’s take a quick survey from 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 12:7 (ESV) — 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

1 Corinthians 12:12 (ESV) — 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:13 (ESV) — 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:18 (ESV) — 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

You have been saved and placed into the body of Christ, and that was intentional. God’s desire is for you to be devoted to His people, and when we’re not, we need to think about what we’re implying about the cross.

Acts 20:28 (ESV) — 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Ephesians 2:19–22 (ESV) — 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

God has saved a people not a person, and if He has saved you He wants your undivided devotion to Him to involve a commitment to His people. Let me put it another way: If you are a Christian, the local church is not optional. Here’s one more way: If you say you’re a Christian but aren’t committed to the local church you don’t understand the gospel. How about one more: There’s no such thing as a Christian who is part of the universal church but not committed to the local church.

[END P1]

This is more than obligation. This is more than duty. This isn’t about a legalistic standard. This is about a devotion to one another that flows from our devotion to the Lord. This is a love for one another that flows from a love for Jesus. And that’s where the author goes next.

Hebrews 10:23–24 (ESV) — 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,

Holding fast = undivided devotion

sticking to it

Luke 8:15 (ESV) — 15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

“confession of our hope” = our profession of faith

Jesus wants you to hold fast to your profession of faith at all times and in every circumstance

“without wavering”

undivided devotion

Not wavering

Opposite of holding fast

Doubting

Second-guessing

“for, he who promised is faithful”

This is why we hold fast

Because we have a God who has promised to deliver us from this world, and He is faithful to fulfill His promises.

But, and we’ve talked about this a little already this weekend, sometimes it’s hard to stay focused, sometimes it’s hard to stay undistracted in our devotion, sometimes it’s hard to believe the promises of God, sometimes it’s hard to hold fast. This isn’t new, and it’s not a surprise to God either. That’s a big reason why He saved us and placed us into the community of the Church.

P2: Realize You Need the Church and the Church Needs You (vv. 23-24)

Illustrate: Playing tug of war, you need everyone on the rope, everyone holding fast, everyone pulling in the same direction

Hebrews 10:24 (ESV) — 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

Every single one of us is going to go through times, seasons, be they days or weeks, where we are going to need our church family to help us stay focused on what matters, to hold fast without wavering.

“consider how to stir up one another”

Notice the intentionality here.

“stir up” = irritate positively

Are you intentionally considering how you can spur on your church fam toward godliness?

Think of all the “one-another’s” in the Bible:

Be at peace with one another (Mk 9:50)

Bear with one another (Eph 4:2)

Forgive each other (Col 3:13)

Serve one another (Gal 5:13)

Count others more significant than yourselves (Phil 2:3)

Bear one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2)

Love one another // be devoted to one another in love (Rom 12:10)

These require this consideration, this intentionality to be proactive in carrying them out.

“to love and good works”

This is the end goal, that you would care about the sanctification of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Do you?

Do you recognize that you need this as well? When we have accountability groups and pairings, do you take those seriously? Do you recognize how good it is for you to have someone to care about your holiness, to care about your love for the Lord?

There’s no such thing as a lone-ranger Christian. Remember the church is the product of the gospel. If you’re not rooted to the church, you’ve short-circuited part of the gospel’s purpose in your life.

Who are you praying for?

Who are you holding accountable?

Who is holding you accountable?

Who do you really know?

Who really knows you?

[END P2]

The instructions continue for Christians in verse 25:

Hebrews 10:25 (ESV) — 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.

Because the church needs you and you need the church, it follows that you should make the church a priority.

“not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some”

neglecting = abandoning

P3: Realize the Church is the Best Investment (v. 24)

Your devotion to Jesus will be revealed in your dedication to his bride.

Spurgeon:

“Give yourself to the Church. You that are members of the Church have not found it perfect and I hope that you feel almost glad that you have not. If I had never joined a Church till I had found one that was perfect, I would never have joined one at all! And the moment I did join it, if I had found one, I should have spoiled it, for it would not have been a perfect Church after I had become a member of it.

Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth to us… All who have first given themselves to the Lord, should, as speedily as possible, also give themselves to the Lord’s people. How else is there to be a Church on the earth? If it is right for anyone to refrain from membership in the Church, it is right for everyone, and then the testimony for God would be lost to the world!

As I have already said, the Church is faulty, but that is no excuse for your not joining it, if you are the Lord’s. Nor need your own faults keep you back, for the Church is not an institution for perfect people, but a sanctuary for sinners saved by grace, who, though they are saved, are still sinners and need all the help they can derive from the sympathy and guidance of their fellow believers.

The Church is the nursery for God’s weak children where they are nourished and grow strong. It is the fold for Christ’s sheep—the home for Christ’s family.”

Charles H. Spurgeon, “The Best Donation,” (No. 2234), in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 37,  an exposition of 2 Corinthians 8:5 preached at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, England, on April 5, 1891.

The church is a place where redeemed sinners meet with redeemed sinners to encourage each other toward undivided devotion to the Lord as we see the day drawing near–that is, as we draw closer and closer to the return of Christ.

Jesus is coming back, and the only earthly institution that will remain after His return is the Church.

There is an eternal future for the Church, and investing in it now will bear fruit in the future.

Here’s the thing y’all–Coming to The Bridge isn’t the same thing as loving the local church.

You need to be here on Saturday nights or Sunday morning.

You need to be around other believers younger and older.

You need to be serving the church (1 Cor 12; 1 Peter 4:10)

You need to be giving to the church (Gal 6:6)

You need to be shepherded by pastors

Y’all I have given my life to serve at Compass, so if you’re going to ask me, I think this is where you should be.

It’s not a hard and fast rule that you have to attend Compass to come to The Bridge, but it is a hard and fast rule that you have to be committed to a church (attending, serving, giving, fellowshiping).

Again, I think there’s something to the fact that you attend our ministry events and come on our retreats and are fed by the giving of our people that would lead you to want to make Compass your home church.

But, I understand there are some extenuating circumstances for why you might attend somewhere else.

Just make sure you are attending, and you are committed.

We talked about the type of person you want to marry and what you’re doing to prepare for that now last time. What about the type of Christian you want to be when you’re 40? Where does the Church factor into that? What are you doing now to prepare to be that person then?

Are y’all serving?

Are y’all attending?

Are y’all giving?

Conclusion:

Team USA is made up of more than Simone Biles. She’s good, but without the whole team she’s not winning the team gold. The Church is made up of so many different people, and according to God’s Word from 1 Cor, all of those people play a necessary part in the overall health of the Church. That includes you.

Jesus died to form the Church. Not so that we would be picky and judgmental about preference matters, but so that we would jump into a community of Christians who are also wanting to pull in the same direction with undivided devotion.

The Church is the dearest place, it’s a place where you can take refuge from the distractions of the world. It’s a place where you can be encouraged by brothers and sisters to focus on Jesus, and you can encourage them to do the same. I’m so thankful the Lord saves us and places us in community with one another and doesn’t leave us on our own.

If y’all haven’t taken your spot on the rope to pull with a group of other Christians, now is the time to make that change as we go back home.

Application Questions Session 3:

Why is it necessary for a Christian to be devoted to a local church and not just claim to be a part of the universal church? If someone were to look at how you use your time, talent, and treasure, would they be able to tell that you are devoted to a local church?

Where are you serving in the local church? If you’re not serving, why aren’t you serving?

What does it look like in your life for you to be stirred up to love and good works? What does it look like for you to stir up others to love and good works?

Looking back on the sessions and small group times from this retreat, what are some key take aways from this time and what changes do you want to make moving forward? Share these with someone who will check in with you.