Responding to our All-Sufficient Saviour

I'll be reading from Hebrews chapter 10 verses 19 to 31.

Hebrews 10:19–31

And we have just learnt that Jesus, his death for us, his sacrifice for sin has been effective.

So he could sit down next to the Father, job done.

And we have the promise of the Holy Spirit fulfilled where it says, where he says, I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.

And so then it is on every person who hears that message to choose what to do about it.

From verse 19.

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

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

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

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

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.

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth,

there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

but a fearful expectation of judgment

anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God

and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified

and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

For we know him who said,

Vengeance is mine, I will repay.

And again, the Lord will judge his people.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Well, good morning, everyone.

It would be wonderful if you could have Hebrews chapter 10 open.

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

We'll be looking at that passage closely,

especially the first half of what was read.

I'm just going through it verse by verse.

My name is Martin, and welcome to any who are new amongst us.

It's wonderful to have you with us this morning.

I hope you are encouraged by all the time we share together,

including the time in God's Word now.

I'm going to pray again and ask God to help us as we come to his Word.

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you that you speak to us in the Scriptures

and that everything written here is for our encouragement and hope.

We pray, please, that you would be with each one of us

as we meditate on your Word this morning.

Please help us to receive what you're saying,

to be strengthened in faith by it,

and to be spurred on to strengthen and encourage one another.

We ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

When you give someone a gift,

you hope that they will both accept it and enjoy it.

If they don't accept it or they don't enjoy it,

no matter how well-meaning your act of giving,

there's a sense in which the gift has failed.

It's incomplete.

Your act of giving has not reached its intended goal,

that is, to produce joy in the one you give the gift to.

Now, there are different reasons someone might not accept a gift.

Maybe they don't want the gift.

They're just not interested in it.

Maybe their pride gets in the way

and they don't want to accept it, an act of charity.

Maybe they think, rightly or wrongly,

that the gift you're offering comes with strings attached

and they don't want to be in your debt.

There are different reasons someone having received a gift

might not enjoy the gift.

Maybe it's something they didn't really like or need in the first place.

Maybe they don't enjoy it, though,

through their own neglect of the gift.

My mum and stepdad are here with us this morning

and I confess I've frustrated my mum many times

when she's given me money to buy something nice

like a jacket or a pair of shoes

and I just never got around to doing it.

Sometimes gifts miss the mark.

Sometimes the gift is perfect,

but the act of giving fails because of reluctance

or negligence on the part of the recipient.

Well, God has given us the most exquisite and precious gift.

He's given us his son.

He's given us his son.

The main theme of the book of Hebrews

is how precious and exquisite is the gift of God's son.

He is a better messenger than prophets or angels.

We saw that in chapter 1.

He's a better leader than Moses.

We saw that in chapter 3.

He's a better rest giver than Joshua in chapter 4.

He's a better high priest than Aaron.

He inaugurates a better covenant than the law.

He offers a better sacrifice once for all

than the endlessly repeated sacrifices

that were prescribed by the law.

He is better in every way.

And if Jesus is better than prophets and angels

and Moses and Joshua and Aaron and the law,

if Jesus is better than all these things,

then he is categorically and absolutely and unequivocally better

than Peter Dutton or Anthony Albanese or Elon Musk

or Joe Rogan or Jordan Peterson or the Dalai Lama

or Oprah Winfrey or Taylor Swift or anyone else

that people might look to

for hope and meaning and peace.

Jesus is the supreme and all-sufficient saviour.

He is everything we need.

And he's also a gift, a gift to be accepted

and a gift to be enjoyed.

So as Hebrews has shown us all these different aspects

of Jesus' perfection, like facets of a diamond,

there have also been repeated exhortations

not to refuse or neglect what God has given us.

I've seen these in chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 6.

In each case, each of those exhortations or warnings

has driven home the truths about Jesus

that have just been taught in the scriptures.

So in chapter 1, Jesus is a better messenger

than prophets or angels.

The exhortation in chapter 2 is,

well, pay close attention to what we've heard,

the message we've heard.

Chapter 3, Jesus is a better leader than Moses.

Well, the exhortation in chapter 3 is,

don't harden your hearts as the Israelites did

who were led by Moses in the wilderness.

In the same way, as we come to this exhortation,

this admonition in the second half of chapter 10,

it is driving home all the truths about Jesus

that have been taught in chapters 7 to 10.

In some ways, though, it's kind of the culmination

of the book as a whole.

Chapters 11 to 13 are somewhat different.

We're going to see that in coming weeks.

But in a sense, this exhortation here

is the culmination of the entire Christological focus

of the book of Hebrews.

We're going to look at it over two talks today,

verses 19 to 31,

and in a couple of weeks after Easter,

Matt Hunt will take us through verses 32 to 39.

But really, those two passages belong together

as part of an exhortation.

But they're short sections,

so that'll give us time to slow down

and notice some details.

I've split up verse 19 to 31 into three sections,

although on your outlines,

if you have an outline, you're following it,

I got the verse numbers wrong.

So point one is actually verses 19 to 21,

and point two is verses 22 to 25.

I just made an error there in one of the verse numbers.

So three sections.

First, verses 19 to 21,

what we have received.

Then verses 22 to 25,

what we are to do,

what we are to do with what we've received.

And then verses 26 to 31,

the folly of doing otherwise.

First, let's think about what we've received from verse 19.

Look at verse 19 with me.

Therefore, brothers.

Now, or brothers and sisters,

the word Adelphoi, brothers,

is used inclusively of men and women here.

Therefore, brothers.

And it evokes that unity and mutual affection

which we share as believers.

We all share the same fundamental status and relationship.

We are brothers and sisters of one another,

whoever we are.

Teacher and those who are taught alike.

Everyone.

Therefore, brothers,

since we have,

verse 19 says,

since we have,

and we have two things.

First, in verses 19 and 20,

there's something we have because Jesus died.

And then in verse 21,

there's something we have because Jesus lives.

So first,

the thing we have because Jesus died,

verse 19 to 20,

since we have confidence to enter the holy places

by the blood of Jesus,

by the new and living way

that he opened for us through the curtain,

that is,

through his flesh.

In other words,

what these verses are saying

is that we have complete,

uninhibited access

to the presence of God.

In the tabernacle and in the temple,

the holy place

stood behind the curtain.

The holy place behind the curtain

was the innermost room

and it was the throne room of God.

Symbolically,

the place where God dwelt

among his people.

But access was strictly limited.

Only the high priest

was permitted to enter.

And even the site

of the most holy place

was concealed behind a curtain.

The curtain guarding

the most holy place

made an emphatic statement.

Sinners that we are,

we may not enter the presence of God,

the holy God.

But now,

we are authorised to enter.

Jesus has opened the way,

a new and living way

that he opened for us

through the curtain,

verse 20 says.

And he's done this

by his blood

and through his flesh.

Those parallel phrases

at the end of verse 19 and 20

point to

Jesus' death.

By Jesus' death,

he has opened the way

that we may

have access

to God.

Now,

likely the writer

has in mind

that dramatic moment

which is recorded

for us in the Gospels

when Jesus

was on the cross,

when Jesus died.

We read in the Gospels

that the curtain

in the temple

tore in two

from top to bottom.

No more separation

between God

and humanity.

The way opened.

And so,

God's word says here

to us in verse 19,

we have confidence

to enter.

We have bold,

free,

uninhibited rights

of approach.

We have security clearance

not just to enter

a room or a building

but spiritually

to approach

the presence

of God himself,

the God

whom no temple

can contain.

It's a new

and living way

that has been

opened for us,

verse 20 says,

a new and living way,

living because

it's the way of life.

We approach God

and yet we live.

The presence

of God

and life,

two things

lost

when humanity

fell into sin

in Genesis 3,

are ours

now by right

through the blood

of Christ.

brothers and sisters,

do you realise

that?

There is no

barrier

between you

and God,

no barrier.

The curtain

has been torn

in two.

We're like,

you know,

like one of my children,

when one of my children

wakes up in the middle

of the night

or early in the morning,

they feel complete

confidence

to wander

into Jen's

and my bedroom

and climb

into our bed.

They know

they belong there,

they have free access

and they can stay there

as long as they don't

make too much noise.

But that's

we have

a backstage

pass

stamped

with the blood

of Christ.

We may

approach God

and that's

expressed in prayer,

of course.

We can approach

God in prayer

anywhere

and anytime.

But I don't

think these verses

are just talking

about prayer.

It's talking

about the

fundamental reality

of our relationship

with God

as we experience

it both now

and forevermore

because of

Jesus' death.

But there's more.

There's not only

something we have

because Jesus died,

there's also

something we have

because Jesus lives.

Verse 21,

and since we have

a great priest

over the house

of God.

Now you might

read that

and think that

the house of God

here refers

to the temple

or the tabernacle

after all

there's a lot

of sort of

temple tabernacle

imagery going on

in these chapters

of Hebrews.

But in Hebrews

house doesn't

ever refer

to God's temple.

It refers

to something else.

The house

refers to God's

people.

So just

if you've got

your Bibles

open,

keep your finger

there in

Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

10 and turn

back to

Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 3 · chapter mention

3,

Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 3:5

3,

verse 5 and

6.

Hebrews 3

Hebrews 3:5

verse 5 and

6 says,

Now Moses

was faithful

in all God's

house as a

servant to

testify to the

things that were

to be spoken

later.

But Christ

is faithful

over God's

house as a

son.

And we are

his house

if indeed

we hold fast

our confidence

and our

boasting in

our hope.

Notice

there's

growing a

contrast between

Moses and

Christ.

Moses a

servant but

Christ a

son, a

son over

God's house,

the son.

But then in

the second half

of verse 6 it

says,

And we are

his house.

Who is the

house?

What is the

house?

It's the

people of

God.

God.

In chapter

3, Christ

is the

son over

God's

house and

that idea

that he's

the son,

that points

to his

divinity,

his divine

nature.

He's the

heir of

all things.

He's the

radiance of

God's glory.

He upholds

the universe.

He's worshipped

by angels.

The master

who rules

over God's

people, over

the house

of God, is

the majestic

son who

has no

peer.

But here

in Hebrews

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10,

we read

that we

have a

great priest

over the

house of

God.

And priest

points to

his humanity.

He's the

man, Jesus,

whose blood

was shed.

He was

made flesh

and blood

like us.

He suffered

like us,

weak like

us, sharing

our humanity,

identifying

with us so

that he can

represent us.

As our

high priest,

he offered

himself,

unblemished

to God,

and he

rose from

the dead

and he

lives.

And in

his resurrection

life, he

remains our

great high

priest.

Hebrews 7,

Hebrews 7:24

verse 24 and

25, he

holds his

priesthood

permanently

because he

continues

forever.

Consequently,

he is able

to save

to the

uttermost

those who

draw near

to God

through him

since he

always lives

to make

intercession

for them.

the one

who rules

over us

as the

son is

the same

as the

one who

represents

us as

our

priest.

We

have a

great

priest over

the house

of God.

And if

the one

who rules

us is

also the

one who

represents

us and

intercedes

for us,

what could

we possibly

have to

fear?

can you

sense how

secure our

position is?

How secure

is the

position of

those who

have come

to the

Lord Jesus?

Jesus

Christ is

our all

sufficient

saviour.

He has

done and

is doing

everything we

might possibly

need so

that we

belong.

We belong

in the

presence of

God.

We belong

among the

people of

God.

So how

do we

respond to

our

all

sufficient

saviour?

We've

seen what

we've

received,

confidence to

enter, a

great priest

over the

house of

God.

What are

we to

do with

what we've

received?

Well, verses

22 to

25 spell

out what

we are to

do.

Three

things.

Draw

near, hold

fast and

consider.

Notice

similar

expressions

there in

verse 22,

23 and

24.

Let us

draw

near, let

us hold

fast, let

us consider.

What did

Don call

them?

Was it

God's

lettuce

patch?

God's

lettuce

patch?

Well,

grammatically

these three

verbs function

as what are

called

cohortatives,

which is

just exhortations

to common

action.

The exhortations

to common

action.

It's where

the speaker

or the

writer includes

himself with

those he's

exhorting.

This is

for all

of us.

Let us.

These are

exhortations

to common

action.

So what

are we

to do?

First,

verse 22,

we draw

near.

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.

Essentially,

this is just

saying,

let us

approach

God

because we're

free to

do so.

Let us

approach

God

because we

are free

to do

so.

The second

half of

the verse

is about

things that

have already

taken place

for the

believers

that he's

writing to.

The second

half of the

verse is

about existing

and enduring

realities.

Our hearts

have been

sprinkled

clean from

an evil

conscience

and our

bodies

have been

washed

with pure

water.

Chapter 9

talked about

how under

the old

covenant

people would

be sprinkled

with the

blood of

sacrifices

that would

make them

for the

cleansing of

their flesh

that would

make them

outwardly

or ceremonially

clean.

But the

blood of

Jesus

purifies us

inwardly.

It cleanses

our

consciences.

It cleanses

us from

the guilt

of sin.

so that

our

consciences

are no

longer

stricken

with the

sin that

stands

against

us.

The

blood of

Jesus

cleanses

our

hearts.

It

cleanses

our

consciences.

And our

bodies washed

with pure

water, that

likely alludes

to Christian

baptism as a

sign of the

purification

that God

works in

our hearts.

the

writer wants

his

hearers to

recall what

their baptism

signified.

That our

hearts have

been sprinkled

clean from an

evil conscience,

forgiven,

cleansed,

purified.

We no longer

carry around

the guilt and

conviction of

sin in our

hearts.

Jesus has

atoned for

it.

God has

forgiven

it.

Chapter 10

verse 10

says,

we have been

sanctified

through the

offering of

the body of

Jesus Christ

once for

all.

It is

done, it

is finished.

Have you

ever experienced

imposter

syndrome?

I'm sure you

have in some

context.

You know

imposter

syndrome where

you kind of

feel like you

don't really

belong somewhere?

Like you're a

bit of a fake

or a fraud?

Let me tell

you, one of

the times I

experienced

imposter

syndrome was

quite a few

years ago when

I played in

the Newcastle

representative

ultimate

frisbee team.

Because I

was, let me

tell you, I

was one of

the lower

order players.

I mean I

kind of just

only scraped

my way into

the team and

so I often

felt like I

didn't fully

belong.

I knew that

as soon as a

better player

came along,

I'd lose

my spot, as

indeed

happened.

And then I

found it much

more relaxing

and enjoyable

playing in the

B team because

you know, the

standards weren't

so high.

Do you ever

feel that way

about being a

Christian though?

Do you ever

feel like you

don't really

belong?

That you know

everyone else

seems to have

it all together

but if they

knew what you

were really

like they'd

show you the

door?

maybe you

even find it

more relaxing

hanging out

with non-believers

than hanging

out with

Christians because

the expectations

are lower.

I think most

of us feel

that way

at least

sometimes

but when we

do feel

that way

what I

want us

to recognise

is that

when we

feel that

way

we are

failing

to enjoy

fully

what God

has already

given us

I'm not

saying this

to make you

feel even

worse if

you feel

that way

so you

don't only

feel you

know

you feel

bad about

not fitting

in and then

you feel

bad about

feeling bad

and I'm

not saying

that

I'm just

saying

like

when we

feel like

we're

for those

anyone who

believes in

Jesus

if we

feel like

we're an

imposter

among the

people of

God

we are

failing to

enjoy

what God

has already

given us

confidence

to enter

by the

blood of

Jesus

a great

priest over

the house

of God

verse 22

is simply

saying

enjoy

what we've

received

let's

draw near

with a

true heart

in full

assurance

of faith

we are

free

to bask

in God's

goodness

to us

to live

our lives

close to

him

to know

we belong

for he

has

cleansed

us

through

Christ

the

second

thing

we're

to do

there's

the first

thing

let us

draw

near

the

second

thing

we're

to do

is

to hold

fast

verse 23

let us

hold fast

the confession

of our

hope

without

wavering

for he

who

promised

is

faithful

Christians

have always

been people

who say

we

believe

we

believe

in what

God

has

done

in the

past

we

believe

God

created

all

things

we

believe

God

came

amongst

us

in the

person

of

his

son

we

believe

Jesus

died

for

our

sins

we

believe

Jesus

rose

from

the

dead

we

believe

we

also

believe

what

God

has

promised

for

the

future

and

here's

where

the

emphasis

of

verse

23

lies

we

believe

what

God

has

promised

for

the

future

we

believe

Jesus

will

return

we

believe

we

will

see

him

we

believe

God's

kingdom

will be

established

over

all

we

believe

in

the

resurrection

that

we

will

be

raised

as

Jesus

was

raised

we

believe

in

life

everlasting

we

believe

here

in

verse

23

the

emphasis

is

on

that

future

because

you

see

there

it

says

let

us

hold

fast

the

confession

of

our

hope

the

things

we

are

waiting

for

I

won't

say

too

much

more

on

this

because

this

is

a

major

theme

in

the

chapters

of

Hebrews

to

come

in

fact

even

in

verse

32

to

39

so

I'm

sure

we'll

come

to

it

in

future

talks

but

in

brief

living

as

people

who

believe

what

God

has

promised

about

the

future

and

God's

word

assures

us

that

God

is

faithful

he

will

keep

his

promises

the

promises

of

God

will

never

fail

because

they're

the

promises

of

God

he

doesn't

forget

them

he

won't

neglect

them

he

can't

be

thwarted

nothing

can

obstruct

him

from

keeping

what

he's

promised

from

doing

what

he

said

now

life is

very

different

when

we

believe

God's

promises

for

the

future

it

changes

how

we

think

about

what

matters

now

so

for

example

it

means

it

enables

us

to

say

with

Paul

that

physical

training

matters

less

than

training

in

godliness

so

if

you

believe

that

this

present

life

is

all

there

is

then

physical

training

has

supreme

value

your

health

fitness

physical

condition

they

will

potentially

enable

you

to

live

longer

and

live

better

maybe

but

if

you

believe

God

will

raise

us

from

the

dead

physical

training

has

only

limited

and

temporary

value

now

I

say

this

as

someone

who

values

I

enjoy

physical

training

but

no

matter

how

hard

I

train

or

how

well

I

eat

my

present

body

in

a few

short

decades

will

waste

away

and

die

but

God

has

promised

me

a

better

and

imperishable

body

he

has

that

covered

I

don't

need

to

worry

about

that

so

as

Paul

says

godliness

unlike

physical

training

godliness

is a

value

in

every

way

it

holds

promise

for

the

present

life

and

also

for

the

life

to

come

there

are

all

kinds

of

forces

in

our

world

that

will

tempt

us

to

live

only

for

the

present

and

not

for

the

future

to

live

only

by

what

we

can

get

or

achieve

now

and

not

by

faith

in

what

God

has

promised

us

even

something

as

simple

as

envy

can

tempt

us

to

live

only

for

the

present

and

not

for

the

future

we

look

around

and

we

see

people

who

live

only

for

the

present

we

see

what

they're

enjoying

and

we

want

to

enjoy

what

they're

enjoying

and

we

want

to

have

everything

they

have

and

we

want

that

they

have

all

their

good

things

in

this

life

and

we

want

all

our

good

things

in

this

life

or

maybe

we

just

even

want

to

fit

in

and

be

!

everyone

else

but

when

we

live

only

for

this

world

as

Jesus

said

we

are

trying

to

save

our

lives

but

we

don't

need

to

save

our

lives

we

already

have

a

saviour

and

we

have

promises

of

God

which

will

not

fail

so

brothers

sisters

let's

hold

fast

the

confession

of

our

hope

without

wavering

for

he

who

promised

is

faithful

there's

a

third

thing

we

have

to

do

with

what

we

have

been

given

that

is

consider

verse

24

let us

consider

how

to

stir

up

one

another

to

love

and

good

works

a

more

literal

translation

of the

Greek

would

be

something

like

this

let

us

consider

one

another

the

object

of the

verb

there

is

one

another

let

us

consider

one

another

for

the

stirring

up

of

love

and

good

works

that

is

we're

encouraged

to think

about

each

other

to

keep

each

other

in

mind

to

consider

one

another

Christianity

is a

team

sport

we're not

solitary

nomads

we're

brothers and

sisters

we're

fellow

members of

the people

of God

we share

in the same

salvation

we've received

the same

promises

we're fighting

the same

battle

it's

God's

plan

and

design

that

we

reach

our

goal

together

so

we're

to

consider

each

other

to

think

about

each

other

to

keep

one

another

in

mind

in

particular

to

consider

how

to

stir

one

another

up

the

word

that's

translated

as

stir

up

it's

a

strong

one

it's

used

elsewhere

in the

New

Testament

of

a

disagreement

between

Paul

and

Barnabas

in

a

verb

form

it's

used

with

a

sense

of

provoking

it's

kind

of

stirring

up

or

provoking

this

is

what

my

kids

do

to

each

other

when

they're

annoying

each

other

it's

that

kind

of

word

here

it's

a

strong

word

it's

an

uncomfortable

word

and

using

that

word

rather

than

like

a

more

gentle

word

here

I

think

it

points

to

the

fact

that

we're

all

of

us