Sermon Tone Analysis

OPENING

I still feel like something good is about to happen.

I still feel like something good is on its way.

I’ve got a feeling, that everything is going to be alright.

I don’t know about you, but I am hungry for a revival.

A true outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Where souls are saved.

Where the sick are healed.

Where miracles are performed.

Where addictions are broken.

Where those bound by the power of the enemy are delivered and set free.

Greater things are yet to come and greater things are still to be done.

God is not done yet, He’s just getting started!

But God is waiting for some individuals to desire to draw closer in their relationship with Him.

He’s looking for some worshipers!

He’s looking for some who will seek His face!

He’s looking for some who will get on the spiritual battlefield and wage spiritual warfare against the enemy!

He’s looking for some who will give all they have to reach the next soul that needs saving!

That is why I feel compelled to preach this message this morning.

God has been dealing with my heart on this subject for several weeks.

I believe what the Spirit is saying to the church today is “Let Us Draw Near.”

I heard someone say the other day, “As a Christian, you are either falling, camping, or climbing.”

In other words, in your relationship with God, you are either (1) falling back and moving away from God, (2) camping out, or sitting still and not progressing, or (3) you are climbing, you are moving forward and drawing closer to God.

This is not the time to fall back.

This is not the time to simply camp out.

This is the time to climb!

This is the time to draw closer to God.

It’s time to step into the water.

It’s time to wade out a little bit deeper.

It’s time to let go of whatever you’re holding onto that is holding you back and jump in feet first into the presence of God!

The message this morning is simply titled “Let Us Draw Near.”

SCRIPTURE

MESSAGE

What a powerful passage of Scripture.

Makes me want to shout!

Those of you who are part of our Bible Study on Wednesday nights will hopefully recognize the imagery in these verses that are intended to remind us of Old Covenant, the tabernacle, the animal sacrifices, and the Levitical law.

But the main point of the book of Hebrews is that Jesus is better!

Jesus is better than Moses!

Jesus is better than the high priests.

Jesus is better than the Law!

Jesus is better than the Tabernacle!

Jesus is better than animal sacrifices!

Jesus has provided a new and a living way through His own blood, by which we can come boldly into the presence of God!

Jesus Has Given us the Boldness to Enter into God’s Presence (19)

Therefore, brethren

The writer of Hebrews begins verse 19 with, “Therefore.”

Every time you see the word “therefore” in the Bible, it means you need to go back and look at what the writer had to say before this verse.

The writer is drawing a conclusion based on what he has just written.

Here in Hebrews Chapter 10, let’s backup to verse 11 to get a sense of what he’s been writing about.

The writer of Hebrews is trying to get across to us that Jesus is better!

Jesus is the once-for-all, eternal, perfect, sacrifice for sins and sits enthroned in Heaven as our High Priest and mediator between us and God.

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has canceled the sin debt and now there is no longer a need for another sin offering.

Jesus is our all sufficient sacrifice!

having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,

The Holiest refers to the Holy of Holies or the Most Holy Place.

It was the inner room of the Tabernacle and later the Temple where the Ark of the Covenant rested.

The Mercy Seat that sat on top of the Ark was the place where God said His presence would come down and dwell among His people.

But under the Old Covenant only one man could enter behind the veil; the High Priest.

And he could only enter behind the veil on one day a year; the Day of Atonement.

And he entered with fear and trembling, because if he had sin in his heart that had not been atoned for, or if he had not performed the animal sacrifices perfectly, when he went in to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice, he would die.

But now Jesus presides over the Heavenly reality to the earthly copy.

The Tabernacle and Temple were just a copy of the reality of God’s throne and the courts of Heaven.

We can now enter into the Holy of Holies, into the very presence of God, through the Blood of Jesus Christ.

We don’t have to worry whether our sacrifice is perfect.

Jesus’ sacrifice was perfect.

We don’t have to worry about if we did everything right today.

Because our access to God is no longer granted on the basis of our own works, but on the finished work of Christ!

Therefore, we can enter into the presence of God with boldness!

Jesus Has Given us the Promise of a New and Living Way (20-21)

By a new and living way

This is an interesting phrase.

The word “new” is the Greek word “prosphatos” which means newly or freshly slain.

In other words, even though Jesus Christ was crucified some 2,000 years ago, it is as if He was just recently slain.

Under the Old Covenant, the blood had to be applied while it was fresh, immediately after the animal was sacrificed.

But Christ’s blood is always fresh.

In 2,000 years the blood of Jesus has not lost its power or its potency.

And it never will!

The blood of Jesus is still saving sinners.

The blood of Jesus is still atoning for sin.

The blood of Jesus is still granting access to ordinary men and women like you and I into the presence of God.

The blood of Jesus still applies today because it is a living way.

The animals under the Old Covenant died.

Jesus, as the Lamb of God, also died for our sins, but He did something else the animals could not do.

He is the only sacrifice to rise from the dead, never to die again.

Jesus is our living way!

Jesus is our living hope!

Jesus is our living sacrifice!

And because He lives, we can face tomorrow!

Because He lives, all fear is gone!

Because He lives, we also live, because His blood has been applied to our lives!

Because He lives, we can enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, into the presence of Almighty God!

Which He consecrated for us

The word “consecrated” in this verse is the Greek word “egkainizo” which means to initiate or to open.

Jesus initiated this new and living way through His death, burial, and resurrection.

When He ascended into Heaven and sat down at the right hand of God, He opened the door for us to be ushered into the presence of God.

Through the veil, that is, to say His flesh

The veil in the Tabernacle and Temple separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies or Most Holy Place where the Ark rested.

The veil separated God from man under the Old Covenant.

But when Jesus died on the Cross, the veil that was in the Temple was rent from top to bottom.

Those people who were standing near the Temple at that moment and had a view of the veil, could have seen directly into the Holy of Holies and looked upon the Ark of the Covenant.