How to Hold On

Big Idea

Tension: How should Christians draw near, hold fast their confession, and consider how to stir one another up?

Resolution: By not neglecting the gathering.

Exegetical Idea: Christians draw near, hold fast their confession, and consider how to stir each other up by not neglecting the gathering.

Theological Idea: By gathering together, Christians are drawing near, holding fast their confession, and stirring one another up.

Homiletical Idea: By coming to church, we hold on to Christ. When we don’t, we let go of him.

Outline

Introduction: the Christian life is hard right, how in the world can we stay holding on?

The Conditions for Holding On (vs. 19-21)

Confidence - we have the confidence to draw near to the Holy places. Did you know, right now, you can enter into the throne

This confidence is not because you’re a particularly moral person, this confidence is not because you’re a particularly praiseworthy person, this confidence comes only by the blood of Jesus. He is our confidence, he is our boast. (Eph 2:8-9) If you are looking to get any kind of hope, any kind of confidence, any kind of stability and certainty and rest from Christianity, you can only do that in Christ in the gospel.

This way that we enter in is through the body of Jesus. Because you and I are united to Christ, because we are in him and he is in us, because we “share” in him as chap 3:14 says. Just as the veil in teh temple separated the outer from the inner, and in doing so actually brought htem together, so Christ is the veil that brings together heaven and earth, and we can only approach heaven through him.

But not only can we approach him, but he is our great priest. Just as the high priest presides over the temple, so Christ presides over us his house. He has sprinkled us clean, sanctified us and set us apart. He has removed our sin.

What Holding On Does (vs. 22-24)

Draw near - He says to draw near, specifically in prayer for mercy. And notice how this is present tense verb. That means it isn’t something we do just once, it’s something we need to do again and again and again. (Heb 4:16)

With a heart sprinkled clean from a dirty conscience - this specifically refers to the heart that has been washed by teh blood of Jesus. Remember how in 9:13-14, he says how Jesus sprinkles our heart clean. He removes our guilt and shame. He gives us forgivenes.

And a body that’s been washed by pure water. This is probably a reference to Ezekiel 36:25. And it is essentially saying what Jeremiah says when he says God will give us a new heart. In other words, he gives us new life.

And notice here how the letter is saying this has already happened past tense, but you have to keep drawing near again and again. SO yes, we’ve been forgiven once and for all, yet we keep drawing near so that our conscience will be purified, so that our hearts will be renewed.

Hold fast to the confession of our hope - he says here, we need to maintain teh gospel. We need to not relinquish it. WE need to know good and true doctrine so that when someone comes telling us something that’s wrong, we can sense that it’s off and do something about it.

ANd notice how this too is in the present tense. It’s not enough to learn about the gospel once. it’s something we should always be doing. We need to keep doing this again and again, renewing our hope in the gospel.

Unwaveringly - this will take courage, this will take work. It will take commitment on each person’s part. Do not think other people can do this for you. It is the time for courage.

ANd as we hold fast to the confession of our hope, we can take comfort in this fact, “he who promised is faithful.” The one who promsied to save us, the one who told us I have removed your sins as far as the east is from the west, the one who as told us, “Don’t stop running, just a few more miles, a few more hours and rest is up ahead, that one is faithful, far more faithful than we could imagine.”

Consider how to stir up

Consider, think about, meditate on

to love - in other words, we want there to be a bond of unity. The people in this church should be people you feel a bond for. Listen, this church is more than me. And here’s the deal, don’t say, “Well, nobody loved me.” No, you are the one who has been loved by Christ, go out and love somebody. Dont’ wait for others to do that.

And good works - but you should be thinking about how to stir others up to lvoe one another, but also how to do good works. Maybe inviting other people to come with you as you do good works, maybe having hard conversations with others who have sinned.

Transition: How do we do that?

How to Hold On (vs. 25)

Well, the whole paragraph is one sentence. SO he has three verbs in 22, 23, and 24 that all follow the same form. I think all three of these, drawing near, holding fast, and considering how to stir up are modified by the verbs in verse 25. So the verb in vs. 25 tells us how we do those things.

Not neglecting to gather together as is the habit of some. - Apparently, this was the custom of people in teh early church, just like it is now. Now this word “gathering” is the word ἐπισυναγωγη, from which we get the word “Synagogue.” It is the regular, habitual, sabbath gathering of the people of God every week.

Big Idea Reveal: By coming to church, we hold on to Christ. When we don’t, we let go of him

LIsten, you draw near to God, you hold fast your confession, you stir others up to love and good works, how? Go to church. Which means this, when you fail to show up to church, you are not drawing near to God, you are not holding on to your confession, and you are not stirring others up.

“Encouraging others all the more as the day draws near.” - And notice here, how when we do gather together, it’s described as actually encouraging one another. Coming to church actually encourages one anothers.

Which means when you fail to come to church, you are telling your brothers and sisters you don’t care about encouraging them.

Does that mean every Sunday? Yes.

What about if I’m sick…? Look, you all are old and smart enough to know if you are making an excuse. You’re not children. You’re adults. Sometimes being an adult means sucking it up and doing things that are hard. But my general rule of thumb is if you can be here, you should be. You say, but I got tickets. Well, go scalp em later or show up late. This is of eternal significance. If you feel the need to justify why you didn’t come to church, that probably means deep down you know you’re making an excuse.

Well, it’s not a sin.? Anytime we do something the Bible tells us not to do, it’s a sin. But just to hammer home the point. Go read one more verse in vs. 26, “if we go on sinning...”. That’s talking about not coming to church in context.

but what if God talks to me out fishing? Well, let me reject the premise. GOd just told you how to draw near. It’s by coming to church. You think God’s going to have a connection with you when you deliberately disobey him and presume upon his grace? But there’s another thing that will maybe help you. You say, “Well, I’m not feeling it,” or “I need to go get groceries” or “i have to do homework…” or “that’s not how God talks to me,” well, at least come for number three. Come to encourage others. Part of the reason you show up here is so that you can encourage your fellow Christians. I mean, how selfish is it to say, “Well that does nothing for me, so I don’t need it.” When an integral part of church is you being there to lift someone else’s spirit, to encourage others.

Pharisee

We don’t come to church to establish our own righteousness, we try to come to church to be refreshed in his grace and mercy.

if you are here and you feel guilty because church prioritization has not been a part of your life, what better thing could there be than to come here and find mercy and grace.

Conclusion: What if today was the start ofa new day for you? A day where you said, “I’m going to from this day forward...”