Hope: Hold Fast

If you would, let your new Bibles turn with me to Hebrews chapter 10, page 1007, I believe.

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

And we're going to continue our series in Hebrews this morning.

If you remember, we've come to chapter 10 and we're spending three weeks camping out on verses 19 to 25.

Looking at the three exhortations related to faith, hope, and love.

So this week, hope is on the menu.

And so, if you were there, let's read together Hebrews chapter 10, verses 19 to 25.

Hebrews 10:19–25

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,

by the new living way that He opened up for us through the church, and that is through His flesh.

And since we have a great high priest, a great priest over the house of God,

let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith,

with our hearts sprinkled clean from the evil conscience,

and our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.

For He, the promise, is faithful.

Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and new works,

not neglecting to meet together as is to have a son,

but encouraging one another and all the more

as we see the day of God.

Father, we pray with Him.

Oh Lord, we need You in the works.

We need You every day.

We need You as I should do this morning.

God, that You would awaken our sleeping souls.

You will soften our hard hearts.

That You will open our dull ears.

You will give sight to our blind eyes.

You will bring light to our dead hearts.

That we might take hold of our community

and all the years I can tell us in Christ.

God, I pray this morning that You would help me

and that the words I speak

and the fitting instruments in Your hands

and that Your Word would speak

to each of us this morning.

Lord, that You would impart to us

a hope that cannot be shared.

We pray that we say this in Jesus' name.

Christians have the best hope in the whole world.

Yeah?

Yeah?

Okay, so, now some of you may be sitting there going,

okay, that's kind of arrogant, isn't it?

That you would say that,

like I could just say it better than everyone else.

Well, no.

No.

Because if the hope that Christians have

was based on anything in us,

then it would be an arrogant statement.

But the Christian hope isn't about us.

It's about God,

what God has done for us.

And when we talk about Christian hope,

we need to start from the very beginning,

make sure it works clear,

because hope in our everyday conversation

is used in many ways.

I hope it's not going to rain tomorrow.

Or, I hope I pass my class.

We have some desire that tends to be used

in our common vocabulary word

as wishful thinking,

or some kind of desire

that we would have.

And so,

we need to clarify

that the Christian hope

is not that sort of

uncertain future thing

that we hope,

that we think might happen,

but it really doesn't know.

The Bible uses hope.

It uses it to describe

a future good reality

rooted in God's work for us

that is certain

to come to pass.

Christians have the best hope

in the whole world.

And if you were

the recipient of the letter

of Hebrews

in the first century,

and you read it through,

I think this is

one of the main messages

that the writer of the Hebrews

would want you to get,

is that Christians have

the best hope

in the whole world.

Why do I say that?

Well, let's look at our passage

from this morning.

We've talked about it already.

We're going to try

to not rehash

everything Greg said last week.

But when you look

at our passage,

verses 19 through 22

is a summary

where the writer of the Hebrews

is trying to remind us

in very brief fashion

of all the things

he's been teaching us

about God

and his work in Christ.

And you see these two

since statements.

Since,

we have

look at it with me.

So we get it right.

Since we have

confidence to enter

the holy places

by the blood of Jesus,

by a new living way.

And then since we have

a great high priest,

there are two things

that he wants us

to remember

about what God has done

to give us hope.

The first one

is the word of Christ.

By the blood of Christ,

that is,

by Jesus' death

on the cross

for sinners

like you and me,

he has satisfied

the wrath of God

in sin.

He has,

he has

completed

everything

that needs to be done

for people like us

to approach

a holy God.

The death

of Jesus Christ

has opened up

a new way

so that we can

walk into

the very presence

of holy perfection.

not with fear

and trembling,

not with

the certainty

of condemnation

for our

wicked hearts

and our rebellious

natures,

but with confidence

and full assurance

because of what

Christ has done

him.

And so what is

the work of Christ

that he has done?

If you've been here,

I hope this resonates

deeply.

Jesus is the

perfect sacrifice

that was offered

in the heavenly temple

for us

so that we might

finally enter

into the holy

of the Lord

where God

himself

manifests his presence

so that we can

actually know

him.

And the second

ground

in verse 21

is in the person

of Christ.

Since we have

this work

that Christ

has done,

but also

the person

of who

Christ is.

Christ

who is the

Son,

the final

word

spoken to us.

Christ

who is

the second

person

of the Trinity

who took

on humanity

so he can

identify

with us

in our

weakness,

yet without

sin,

so that he

can be

the perfect

sacrifice.

And not only

that,

he also is

the high

priest

who then

takes the

sacrifice

into the

very presence

of God

and offers

it on

our behalf.

He does

all the

work and

he himself

is the

one in

his person

who carries

this out.

Right

if you

said,

because

Christ

has opened

this way

and because

of who

Christ

is,

skipped

down to

verse 23,

let us

fall fast

to the

compassion

of our

hope

to the

power of

the

Lord.

Hope

is a

future

looking

forward

to the

goodness,

to the

certain

goodness

of what

God

has done.

Not only

has Christ

done all

of these

things in

the past,

but there

is a

certain

future

that he

has secured

for us.

Do you

remember

chapter 6?

Turn with me

back to

chapter 6.

It's actually

kind of an

inclusio.

Chapter 6

and chapter

10 kind

of

frame

this

thing.

Chapter 6,

verse 18.

18.

I want

you to

see it.

He's been

making the

argument about

how God

has prepared

us and

how God

is going

to prove

himself to

be trustworthy

through an

oath and

through a

promise that

he made

to Abraham

and how

there's this

greater

promise that

he's made

for us.

So in

verse 18 he

says,

so by two

unchangeable

things in which

it is impossible

for God to

lie, we

who have fled

for refuge might

have strong

encouragement to

hold fast to

the hope set

before us.

That's the

exact same

phrase we see

in chapter 10.

Hold fast to

the hope.

Hold fast to

the hope set

before us.

We have this

as a sure

steadfast anchor

of the soul.

A hope that

enters into the

inner place behind

the curtain where

Jesus is gone as

a forerunner on

our behalf.

Having become

high priest

forever.

in the order

of the

Lord,

his name.

Not only

is Christ

a forerunner

for our

future.

What does

this mean?

Well, this

word, we've

talked about

this before,

but it means

that he has

gone ahead

and secured

away.

He has placed

the anchor

of our hope

in the very

presence of

God because

he himself

has gone

there and

now sits

there.

having made

a way

for us.

I don't

know if

you've

ever been

to the

forbidden

city in

Beijing.

It's a

magnificent,

awe-inspiring

place.

place.

And if

you've

ever seen

any of

the movies

that feature

those huge

courtyards,

basically the

forbidden city

is a series

of gates

and courtyards

and gates

and courtyards.

And in the

very middle

of it is

the place

where the

emperor would

entertain those

who would come

to see him.

And then beyond

it is the

private palace,

so to speak.

But you go

through and

as you walk

in, you walk

in and you pass

these massive

walls through

this massive

gate into

this huge

courtyard and you

walk down

into it and

walk back up

and through

another gate and

then down and

back up.

And if the

emperor was

there,

at least in

my mind's eye,

those courtyards

were filled

with soldiers.

And there's

always a question

as you walk

through,

are you actually

going to get

to the emperor

or not?

Do you actually

have access

to him or not?

And as you

walk through,

your very life

is a danger

because if you

ever showed

a threat,

unless you're

gently in a

bad movie,

you're never

going to get

there because

he is well

protected.

the holiness

of the emperor

is protected

by the guards

in each of

these courtyards.

Friends,

Jesus has

walked through

the courtyards.

He has

satisfied every

requirement,

every demand.

And when we

walk into the

heavenly,

forbidden city

of the presence

of God,

God,

if we look

ahead,

we see the

throne of God

and Jesus

standing at the

right hand.

And he is the

one who is

saying to the

emperor,

and therefore to

all of the

angels,

well,

to all of the

forces that

would protect

the holiness

of God,

I vouch for

him.

I have

done what

he needs to

approach you.

He is with

me.

He is here

under my

invitation,

and he is

here under my

heart.

Jesus is the

forerunner who

has gone ahead

and now invites

us into the

very presence

of God,

having done

everything we

needed.

And this is

now awful.

This is not

just a past

reality of his

death,

but it is also

a future

reality that

for our

eternity,

we will be

with Christ

in that place

with God.

By his

past life,

death,

and resurrection,

Jesus,

cured for us

a certain

future with

God that

cannot be

shaken,

that cannot

be overturned.

As I was

meditating on

this tree this

week,

as I've been

thinking past

for you,

as I long

for you to

get the weight

of how

glorious this

is,

that we

have this

past

word and

future hope

that is

certain and

secure and

completely done

for us,

my fear

for you

is rooted in

what I see in

my own heart,

which is a

little bit of

hope,

hope.

the hope that

Christ has

secured for us.

This glorious,

wonderful hope

doesn't actually

seem particularly

attractive to us.

Now, some of you

may be going,

no, this is the

best thing in the

world, amen,

amen, and we'll

get there at the

end.

But my fear is

that for many

of you,

the hope of

being with

God in His

presence for

eternity isn't

a very attractive

thing.

It's not

something that

grips our

hearts.

And I've been

thinking about

why that is

and trying to

figure out what

is it, what

is it for the

writer of the

Hebrews that

makes him have

to say, having

laid out how

glorious his

work is in

all sorts of

detail, why

does he have

to say, hold

fast?

Who in the

world would

turn away from

access to the

unburnt world

for all

eternity?

But we do

don't.

We do turn

away.

It's hard to

hold fast.

Why?

Why?

Because I

think it can

be hard against

what the

hope can be

given to us.

I think there

are a number

of reasons for

this.

Sometimes I

think as

Christians we

can be

embarrassed.

We can

think, well,

hope of heaven

is really nice,

but I don't

want to be one

of those

high-in-sky

Christians who

just pretends

like everything's

okay, I'm

just going to

go to heaven.

I think we

can be

embarrassed about

being high in

the sky or

too heavenly

minded and

the earthly

good or

whatever critique

that you

have heard.

And so we

kind of

downplay it in

our hearts.

I think

honestly it's

probably

need to

come in

that

though.

I think

that we

have lost

the sweetness

of hope

and future

because we

live in

culture and

because we

have embraced

values that

we look for

the present

to be

everything we

hope for.

we are

looking for

this life,

our 70

or 80

years,

to actually

be the

fulfillment

of our

lives.

And you

know friends,

this is not

normal.

If you go

back and read

throughout the

history of the

world,

most people,

and particularly

in the church,

most people

throughout history

have thought

that we have

a very short

life here and

then we die.

And most

people in the

world,

throughout most

of history,

have spent

their time on

earth trying

to figure out

how to be

prepared for

eternity.

And the

church,

in its

history,

has seen

the Christian

life as

preparation

for heaven,

not

satisfaction

here on

earth.

I think

that we

set our

hopes on

the things

of this

world.

And so

we have

to get

it all

now.

He knew

the most

boys wins,

so on and

so forth.

And when

we focus

our hearts

on the

things of

this world,

hope slips

away from

us.

You can

simplify it

different ways

because when

we get what

we want and

our hearts

are satisfied,

when our

desires and

longings are

fulfilled in

this world,

then hope

seems unneeded.

We don't need

anything else.

If I have

everything that

I'm longing for

right now,

how good is

it going to

be if I

haven't been

with God?

It doesn't

seem any

better than

what I've

got right

now.

And when

we don't

get what we

want,

when we

face the

disappointments

and the

discouragements

when the

world isn't

meeting our

desires and

satisfying our

health,

we fall

into despair.

We see

hope as a

dangerous thing

that will only

lead us

ultimately to

discourage

our lives

because we

won't get

it.

You see

the danger?

So

prosperity

dulls are

needed for

hope.

You know

the C.S.

Lewis quote

but it

has a

slightly

different

take in

this world.

Our

desires are

too small,

not too

great.

We're too

easily

pleased with

the things

of this

world and

so we

prefer the

month-pies

of this

world to

the glories

and the

joys in

his image

of the

vacation in

the sea.

So

prosperity

dulls our

heart and

trials

overwhelm

them.

when we

get the

news

we get

the call

your dad

is in

hospital.

You didn't

need to get

into the

program.

I need to

return this

ring to you.

there's

nothing more

we can

do.

Feels like

life

crashing

down around

us,

slipping

through our

fingers.

Disappointment

crushes our

spirits.

And when

we put all

of our

hope in

this life

and it

slips away,

there's

nothing

left.

nothing

wanted.

So of

course we

despair.

And we

might drown

our despair

and eat

and drink

and be

married,

for more

we may

die.

We may

sink into

darkness,

loneliness,

depression.

When we

make our

present

reality the

greatest

reality,

the thing

that we

put our

love is

hope.

Hope has

more

meaning

than

else.

There's

a third

reason why

we can

lose hope

in the

world.

It's not

true for

those of

us.

It's true

for the

Hebrews

though,

those who

are receiving

this letter.

For them

following

Christ was

a very

cost of

being

in their

culture.

I

cost them

their

jobs.

I

cost them

their

belongings.

In fact,

chapter 10,

if you look

down in

verse 34,

it says,

for you

had compassion

on those

in prison,

you joyfully

accepted the

plundering of

your property.

That seemed

to be real

for these

believers that

they were

suffering deep

social

injustice,

and probably

material

poverty,

life

and physical

suffering.

for being

a Christian.

It can be

hard to

hold on

hope then

too.

Where is

God?

Have you

abandoned

me?

I

believed in

you and

what am I

getting here?

Suffering

and

trial.

But do you

see that even

then, the

reason why it's

hard is because

we think that

the promises of

God have

meant to be

fulfilled here

and now

in this

time.

instead of

receiving our

blessings and

our prosperity

as a

forte of

heaven,

instead of

receiving our

trials as a

reminder that

this world is

never meant

to satisfy

us,

we lose

hope.

We lose

hope.

But friends,

holding on to

hope is

possible.

Seeing hope

as good

and taking

hold of it

and holding

fast to it.

The image of

holding fast is

a great one.

It's a

nautical term

where if you

take a rope

and you tie it

to the

worry,

yeah,

and you

pull,

the idea is

that when the

knot is tied

well,

it will hold

fast.

And the

harder the

pressure is on

the rope,

the tighter

the knot will

be.

Friends,

this is the

picture of what

the writer of Hebrews

is adoring us

to do,

is to take

hold of the

hope in

Christ

without

wavering

like that.

so that when

the greatest

storms blow,

so that when

the greatest

prosperity comes,

we are not

pulled away

from this

coming.

Now,

it would be

very easy at

this point to

think,

and I'll end

the sermon

with,

so hold on,

cling harder,

do more,

try harder to

hold on.

But thankfully,

we would be

verse 23.

The writer of Hebrews

knows that that

is not

actually the

God's way.

hold fast

to the

confession of

hope

without

wavering

for

explanatory

grounds.

The reason

for why

we can do

this

is he

promised

his

faithful.

Friends,

the reason

why

we can

cling to

hope

is God

will not

let us

go.

In the

argument of

Hebrews,

he's already

proved how

God was

faithful in

all of the

promises and

all the

hopes that

were laid

out in the

Old Testament

found their

critical and

their fulfillment

in the

person of

Jesus Christ.

When he

came, he

was the

temple and

the sacrifice

and the

high priest

and the

king.

He was

the one

who would

come and

fulfill all

of those

hopes.

And so

he has

already

demonstrated

his

faithfulness

in sending

Christ to

do what

he did

on the

cross.

But friends,

his faithfulness

doesn't end

there.

His

faithfulness

is anchored

in the

cross saying,

I will not

forsake you,

I will not

obey you,

I have

done all

that I

need to

do for

you to

be secure

in me.

And that

anchor now

points forward

and God's

faithfulness

looks ahead.

It looks

ahead to

the dead

where you

can finally

applaud all

that he has

accomplished

in Christ.

And the

dead will

be raised

to life

and sin

will be

no more.

There will

be no more

sadness,

no more

sickness,

no more

tears.

There will

be no more

sorrow.

There will

be no more

death.

And the

prosperity

that we

have will

be the

riches of

the presence

of God

which will

be

secure

than

anything.

He

who

promised

is

faithful.

He

has taken

hold of

us

in Christ.

And so

the

exhortation

to hold

fast is

rooted in

God's

faithfulness

and his

taking hold

of us

in Christ.

By doing

what we

could not

do and

by calling

us to

himself and

by turning

our hearts

towards him

and by

allowing us

to make a

profession of

faith, I

believed that

Jesus is all

that I need.

He has

done this

for us.

And that

is how

we

think

about

him.

How do we

cultivate

this in

our hearts?

There are

things to

do.

We're

writing a few

reasons to

learn it out.

Chapter 3,

consider Jesus.

Think on

him.

Remind

yourself

potentially

of who

he is

and what

he has

done for

you.

Chapter 7

talks about

boasting

in our

hope.

Friends,

do you

boast about

Jesus?

Do you

boast that

the power

of sin

and death

has been

broken?

Do you

boast about

the fact

that if

you die,

you know

exactly where

you're going?

Not because

you have

done anything

to deserve

it.

When you

boast about

something,

it's the

thing that's

captured your

affection to

this thing

everyone knows

about you.

draw near

to Jesus.

Seek

him.

Seek

him in

personal

devotions.

Seek

him in

regular

Bible

reading.

Seek

him

corporately

by

coming

and

being

together

with

his

people,

reminding

us

of the

work that

Christ has

learned.

And

finally,

we have a

gospel

in chapter

12.

Look to

Jesus,

the author

and effector

of our

faith,

who

through the

joy set

before him

endured the

cross,

despising

his shame,

and now

seated at

the right

hand of

God the

Father.

Friends,

it's possible

to do

this.

Chapter

11,

the

will

remind

us

of

those

who

died

in

faith,

having

not

received

the

things

promised,

but

having

seen

them

and

greeted

them

from

afar,

having

acknowledged

that they

were

strangers

and

exiles

on the

earth.

These

people

who

speak

with us

make it

clear that

they're

seeking

a better

homeland,

a different

homeland,

to seek

a better

country that

is a

heavenly

one.

As I

was

poking

around,

I found

a story

of a

woman

on her

blog.

Her name

is

Starry.

She lived

in England.

She died

last December

of Hodgkin's

lymphoma.

Last month

before she

died,

she wrote

this.

One

thing I

noticed,

though,

she's

kind of

got a

funny

grade

writing,

so bear

with me.

One

thing I

noticed,

though,

is that

people will

always tell

me how

faith and

hope,

it's an

interesting

concept,

faith and

hope,

that is.

It's

interesting

because the

real and

more important

question is

what should

the object

of my

faith be

revealed?

What am I

asking for

faith and

hope in?

God,

my faith

and hope

are firmly

rooted in

God.

That does

not mean

that I'm

praying and

asking God

to keep me

alive.

Having faith

and hope in

God is

knowing that

your salvation

is safe.

I know

where I'm

going.

We've all

got died at

some point

and of

something.

For me,

that's what

it means to

have faith

and hope.

God loves

me.

He knows

how hard

this life

is.

I want

to go

home and

have every

tear wipe

away.

For my

eyes,

here in

time,

be well

done,

good and

faithful

servants.

Welcome

home,

my child.

Let's

pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Lord, we want to repent this morning

looking for satisfaction in this moment

for thinking that these 70 years

are the son of our lives.

For you have created us for eternity.

Create us for eternity with you.

Lord, you have done all that we need in Christ

and that that may be ours.

We need you right now.

Lord, I pray that you would help us

to live with you.

Help us to hold fast.

Help us to hold patience.

Lord, you are faithful.

Lord, you do this.

Lord, we pray to Jesus.

Lord, we pray to Jesus.

It's fitting to end the sermon on hope

with the table.

When Paul writes to the Corinthians

about the Lord's table,

he reminds us that this is a table of remembrance.

We remember back to what Christ has done,

but it's also a table of remembrance

where we look forward

and making fun real

and making fun real

of all the things that he hoped for.

He said,

for our sake of the Lord,

but I also delivered to you

that the Lord Jesus on the night

when he was betrayed

took bread

and when he had given thanks,

he broke it and said,

this is my body,

which is for you.

Do this in remembrance of me.

And in the same way,

also,

he took the cup

after supper,

saying,

this cup

is a new covenant

in my blood.

Do this as often

as you drink it

in remembrance of me.

Or as often

as you eat this bread

and drink this cup,

you proclaim

the Lord's death

until he comes.

We live in the between times

where

the pastor of Christ

that secured

a certain future

for all of our in Christ

is able to give us hope

today

to persevere

in faith.

To persevere

in cherishing,

serving,

and worshiping

in Christ.

And that's what we celebrate here.

Let me ask those

who are going to serve

and come forward.

And as they come forward,

let me just say,

if you're here this morning

and if your hope

has not been

in security in Christ,

if you don't know

if that's where

your hope is yet,

we pray that you can just

let these pass by.

Let these pass by

so that you can spend time

considering

what it is that

would mean

the body and blood

of Christ

that was shed

for your sin

and broken for you

so that you might

turn

by the meaning of Christ

have access

to God

so think

on these things.

But if you're here this morning

and you know

that Christ is your hope,

even if your hope

has been wavered,

take hold of this

as a reminder

of the certainty

of what God has done

and the certainty

of the future

for all

He's seen

Jesus

Thank you.