Connecting the Dream Because of Jesus

Hebrews 19-25

Welcome back to our sermon series; Essentials of Faith.

I heard a story of a man who came home from church one Sunday and said to his wife, "that's it! I'm never going back to church again," She said, "oh yes, you are," He said, "oh no, I am not. And I will give you three good reasons why I am not going back. 1) Nobody speaks to me. 2) Everybody hates me. 3) I have absolutely no friends in the church."

She said, "Now I'm going to give you three reasons why you are going back to church ." She said,

"First of all, you promised me when we got married you would always attend church.

Second, You need to set an example for your children.

And third, You are the Pastor!"

Yes, that is funny, but on a serious note; Have you ever felt like that pastor?

I think there are times in our lives we all feel like this.

It is sad to say that in churches, there are built-up walls, cliques that people belong to, hatred, and even prejudice, where people don't feel welcomed, where people dislike one another, and it is hard to make friends.

But also some churches are loving, caring, and friendly like this one.

Then others feed on the hatred of the world. They are separating people racially and personally. I know what you are thinking; how can this be? From my standpoint, I believe that the church has become more like the world rather than like Christ.

The church is not supposed to be like the world; we are to change the world!

That is why we are talking about the Essentials of Faith at the beginning of the year.

These are essential beliefs, attitudes and practices that every believer should believe and practice as we walk worth of our Lord.

The 1st sermon was on fasting and the three most important things to remember is that;

Fasting is part of our worship to God.

Fasting creates a hunger for God.

Fasting prepares us for the work of God.

Then last week we talked about prayer. Prayer and fasting go hand in hand.

We learned that we are to pray with persistence, passion, a thankful heart and to make intercessions for others.

This week we continue the series with the thought of Connecting the Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because of Jesus.

You will see how we are called to Holiness.

If you have your Bible with you and you know you should. I invite you to open your Bible with me to the Book of Hebrews Chapter 10.

If you are unfamiliar with the book of Hebrews, you can find it; if you find 2nd Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, you will find Hebrews. Hebrews 10.

The vision of God's Word outlines explicitly for us, as Born-Again Believers, we are to Love God, our neighbors, and be on mission to reach the lost.

That is the basics of our Mission Statement: A diverse family centered on God's love, seeking to grow in Christ-likeness, serving God's Church and our community by sharing God's love to advance the Kingdom.

To Love, Grow, Serve, Share.

When put into action, this mission statement it looks to reach the lost, develop believers, to connect with one another and the world through the Word of God.

When people accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, their lives are changed from that moment forward. Some transformations take years while others happen quickly; no matter the time, we have all been changed through the Love of Christ and the Grace of God. Amen?

The writer of Hebrews is debated today, but many believe it was the Apostle Paul. The writer clarifies in this letter that Jesus Christ exceeds all other people, pursuits, objects, or hopes to which human beings offer allegiance to.

His point throughout the letter is this. Jesus is greater than the angels, He brings a better life to humanity through salvation, as offering a better hope than the Mosaic Law could promise, as a better sacrifice for our sins than a bull or a goat, and as providing a better inheritance in heaven for those who place their faith in Him (Hebrews 1:4; 6:9; 7:19; 9:23; 10:34).

In our scripture reading today we see that the writer encourages and strongly urges believers in light of what Jesus has done to have boldness as we to draw near to God, holding hold fast to our belief about God.

If you are there If you are there in Hebrews chapter 10, begin reading with me from verse 19. This is the Word of God, and it begins like this.

"Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled 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 one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.." Amen?

This is a passage to entice and encourage believers to Godliness.

You know that when I hear Dr. Martin Luther Kings messages I am reminded of this passage because from what I have studied about him, all though his message was about racism at the heart of it He was calling people to the holiness of God.

Which brings us to out take home truth today.

OUR TAKE-HOME TRUTH IS:

THE CHURCH MUST MOVE PAST THE PREJUDICES OF THE WORLD AND LIVE IN HARMONY WITH ONE ANOTHER.

Our nation comes to celebrate the life and work of a Godly man who, through his calling, has changed not only our country but the world.

He stirred others up to do the right thing through love and good works; He encouraged not just the black community, not just a nation, but the world.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I can tell you today: he was a man not looking out for the welfare of just himself, just a little Baptist Church, not just one group of people, just one culture, just one ethnicity, but he was on a mission from God, for humanity.

I believe that through the call for racial equality, Dr. King showed others of their own injustice towards God.

Because God's word is very specific, as the Apostle John wrote in 1st John 2:9-11 where he states, "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. "

Dr. King called people to become true Believers in the faith because he knew as much as I do a true believer means a transformed life.

We are transformed from the old life, lifestyle, beliefs, the way we think, our hearts and world. We become transformed having a new focus on God, His Word, and how we live it out.

The Bible tells us that the old is gone and new has come in 2 Cor 5:17.

From his I have a dream speech, I find four times that Dr. King says he has a dream for people of different racial backgrounds, different spiritual backgrounds, different cultural, and social-economic backgrounds, connecting under the very presence of God.

Living in harmony with one another because of what Christ has done.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said in his I have a dream speech on 28 August 1963.

He said, "I have a dream that one day out on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state sweltering with the heat and injustice of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governors lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers."

Dr. King was talking about oppression. He was talking about prejudice and injustice. He was also talking about people living in harmony, not because of the color of their skin, not because of the numbers in their bank account, not because of their ethnic status, not where they worked, not where they sat on a bus, not because of being poor, or homeless.

He was talking about people surrounded by God's grace and love and the love that Christ Jesus speaks to each of us in the place that we are in, which is supposed to connect us with one another, regardless of all those things.

We are supposed to be connected through the blood and love of Christ Jesus. It was unfortunate that the platform for which his message had to come was because of racism, but it was founded on the love of Christ.

Dr. King's goal, I believe, was all people would live in harmony with one another.

We would work together; we would play together.

We would love together; we would spend our lives together.

We all would be together for one cause; he goes on to say in his speech and to tell us of that one cause; he says:

"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plains, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. (He is quoting Isaiah 40: 4-5)

He says; This is our hope.

That all flesh will see the glory of the Lord, not just the rich, the wealthy, Not just the white, not just the black, not just those who think they are worthy, but everyone. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith, we will be able to hew a stone of hope out of the mountain of despair.

With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.

Can I tell you; that we still fight that transformation today?

With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to worship together, struggle together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day."

This one cause is to connect the brotherhood of Christ Jesus, togetherness in Christ Jesus. This faith that DR King is speaking of is Christ Jesus.

You see, you have to understand you cannot beat prejudice without the Love of Christ Jesus, you cannot beat hate without the love of Christ Jesus, you cannot beat loneliness without the love of Christ Jesus, sorrow, strife, sickness, stiffness of the heart, coldness of the heart, hardness of the heart they all cannot be beaten without the love of Jesus Christ.

It is from our scripture today we find a call for believers to preserver through faith with confidence. But also it teaches three ways to live in harmony with all people.

Three ways we can keep Dr. Kings dream alive because of Jesus.

First, We can live in harmony by:

BY REMEMBERING OUR HOPE.

Look back at verses 19-24 "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,”

Many people often forget this when stuff happens to them, when we get mad our really upset especially when racial tension happens.

But verse 23 tells that we are to hold fast to our hope. We must remember what two things that has happened for us to have this hope.

First a given pathway.

Verses 19-20

"Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.”

This passage begins with “therefore” which connects us to the previous passage that God’s New Covenant in Christ to take away the sin of those people. 

In other words there are implications to these truths for the Hebrews (and for us). The author says “therefore brothers” which can also be translated “brothers and sisters” and he wants these Hebrews to know that they’re not in this race alone.

Notice the author says since “we” have this confidence. The author is not just saying that they ought to do something, but that they are connected to a larger body of believers in the world that are suffering the same thing and they also share the same hope including the author.

And what is this hope?

Enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus by the New and Living Way that is opened for them through the curtain that is Christ.

The author is clearly saying that this confidence leads to draw near to God is not one that has been imagined but is one that is paved  through the work of Christ on the cross.

Notice the language here that this pathway was opened for them through the curtain, that is through Christ’s flesh. It was not just Christ’s incarnation that was enough to save them but that His appearing paved the path for Him to be their propitiation. This curtain had to be torn for access to be granted to the holy place. Likewise Christ had to die as a sacrifice for sins to make this New and Living Way.

Then is our priest.

Look at verse 21: “and since we have a great priest over the house of God”  Their confidence is not just in the pathway provided through the death of the Lord Jesus, but their confidence was to be in the very person of Christ their high priest.

The writer connects this thought with Heb 4:14-16 “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Believing that God involved trusting His Redemptive plan offered in His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, not just in his substitution but also his continuing Priestly service.

We trust Christ present tense. We do not just trust Him once, we continue!

Why is this important?

If Christ died and rose again only to leave his people as orphans there would be agony, discouragement and hopelessness.

But notice how the pathway is a new and living so as with this living priest who lives to make intercession for his people. Resurrection is our hope because our High Priest has risen! He sent His Holy Spirit as the guarantee of our inheritance (2 Cor. 1:22).

You see folks people can live in harmony because they can be confident in the hope because they now have the new pathway, and their confidence in our Great High Priest.

Dr. Kings hope was more than racial freedom and equality. But that all flesh will see the glory of God. That was his hope and faith that we would be able to hew a stone of hope of the mountain of despair through Christ Jesus.

Second to live in harmony;

WE MUST REMEMBER THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD.

Look back to the second part of verse 23 with me

“for He who promised is faithful.”

When the Bible says God is faithful it speaks to the very core of God’s character.

Faithfulness has to do with being reliable, firmness, stability, trustworthy, truthfulness to one’s word, dependability.

While no person is 100% faithful, the Bible teaches that God is 100% faithful in all He does in accordance with His divine character. God is always faithful to Himself. God is unchanging; therefore, He can never cease to be what He is and He will always be consistent with His righteous character.

God is faith to His Word. Joshua said, “Not one word of all His good promises have failed” (Joshua 21:45). Jesus stated, “Your Word is truth” (John 17:17).

Both the OT and NT echo the message that all that God has recorded to us in His Inspired Word may be trusted, and that the Bible supplies us with reliable and dependable information and instruction that one can rely upon with certainty. We can be sure of the truthfulness and reliability of His Word.

The Bible tells us “All your commandments are faithful” (Psalm 119:86). The Lord wants us to have assurance that His promises cannot and will not fail. He has promised He will never leave us or forsake us regardless of the circumstances, that He will work all things (good and bad) for the good of those who love Him, that heaven awaits those who trust Christ.

The Bible says in 1 Cor 1:9 “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

God is faithful in His love. John declared, “God is love” (I John 4:16). The Bible teaches us in Romans 5:8 that "God demonstrated His love toward us, that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."

God is faithful in His love toward humanity. One may reject His love, not believe, make fun at His love, but He will continue to be faithful in His love.

In Christ God has expressed a love that shouts He will never cease to love us, for even if we refuse him and find ourselves in hell His love will never cease.

One may reject the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ but His holy-love still shines from His faithful character continually urging all to embrace the Savior before it is too late.

That is a faithful God.

To live in harmony with others we must remember our hope, the faithfulness of God.

Then third to live in harmony with others;

WE MUST STIR THE POT OF FELLOWSHIP.

Notice verses 24-25 with me.

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.."

Do you see those words "consider one another" This wording "one another" emphasizes not only the responsibility we have to one another but the benefits that come from having someone you can refer to as "another."

Let me explain:

The word another means someone like you; the Merriam-Webster Dictionary's definition of the word is:

"Being one more in addition to one or more of the same kind."

The meaning for this word "another" in the Greek context of this scripture is. "Another is used to refer to an additional person or thing of the same type as one already mentioned."

This goes back to verse 23 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope”, so we find the one another are believers.

Each Believer is to stir up and encourage one others.

You cannot do that just by meeting on Sundays. You see, I am talking about connecting, a community, a partnership, a lifestyle with one another, other Believers.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, "Two are better than one."

There is unbelievable power in partnership, community, and lifestyle with one another.

This stirring up the writer speaks of is to incite them or stimulate towards love and good works. It implies for these Hebrews that a settling had happened, that they had become complacent, content, possibly happy where they were.

Has that ever happened to you?

Found yourself so comfortable that you became complacent or content. This is unhealthy for our souls and for the church.

It’s like coals in a fire that start to cool down, they need to be stirred up to catch fire again, to produce the heat that was once there.

Our actions are contagious church! For good or for evil! Are we are to stir one another up towards love and good works?

Here is what the bible teaches of steering up and encouraging one another.

"We are to love one another."--Jn. 13:34

"We are to receive one another."--Rom. 15:7

"We are to admonish one another."--Rom. 15:4

Admonish means that you give friendly advice or encouragement

"We are to serve one another."--Gal. 5:13

"We are to be kind to one another."--Eph. 4:32

"We are to submit to one another."--Eph. 5:21

"We are to comfort one another."--1 Thess. 4:18

"We are to edify one another."--1 Thess. 5:11

"We are to exhort one another."--Heb. 3:13

"We are to pray for one another."--James 5:16

"We are to be hospitable to one another."-1 Pet. 4:8

If we are to do all these things, for one another, in a partnership and community as a lifestyle, how can you do it alone?

You see God calls us to be in this harmony with one another because he made us with a need to:

§ be loved,

§ be served,

§ to be comforted,

§ to be edified,

§ to be encouraged,

§ to be prayed for

That is why we need to be connected to one another, not just on Sundays but throughout the rest of the week.

That is why we are not to forsake meeting together like some already have done.

Listen folks, everyone needs somebody and somebody is needed by everybody.

If we are to remember Dr Martin Luther King Jr. We should remember what he stood for equality, injustice, community, living in harmony and most of all that all flesh would see the glory of God together as one.

To live in harmony with one another we must get over ourselves. The church must move past the prejudices of the world and be the example to our community.

To live in harmony we must remember that our Hope is in Christ Jesus, Remember the faithfulness of God,his promises, and his love and stir the pot of fellowship not forsaking to meet together.

Invitation