Let us draw near to God

So please turn to Hebrews 10, verse 19.

Hebrews 10:19

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 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.

Well, good afternoon, everyone.

My name is Dave.

If I haven't met you before, I'm one of the pastors here.

Well, what can draw you away from God?

Let me start by asking, do you feel close to God?

Even framing the question like that, do you feel close to God,

I think makes us all look inside ourselves and see whether we feel it or not.

And what are we looking for?

I wonder if you're like me,

and you assume that feeling close to God must be something like just that excitement

of falling in love.

That kind of feeling, is it that white hot passion for God?

Is that what we should be looking for?

If we assume that, and then if you're like me,

you know that you don't desire to know God as much as you should desire it.

You don't desire to live for God as much as you should desire to live.

Then we can convince ourselves, I mustn't be close to God.

I don't feel that way.

I think another barrier to drawing close to God is a troubled conscience.

As we heard last week, if God is so pure, so holy,

the author of Hebrews describes God as a consuming fire,

no wonder we don't want to get too close.

If he is that holy, how can I pray to him if I know I've committed the same sin today

as I did yesterday?

When I'm so angry, so lustful, so impatient, so self-centered,

how can I with integrity then consider myself to be worthy to come near to God?

When we have a good week, we haven't committed that particular sin

and we read our Bible, we come to church, we might feel confident in approaching God,

but then when we have a bad week, we do commit that sin,

we neglect meeting with God's people, then we can just feel really discouraged,

unworthy to be in God's presence.

Our troubled conscience can drive us away from God.

So one last thing I'll mention that can draw us away from God is when we face suffering and hardship,

when it's so intensely painful, we can either conclude,

God is punishing me for my sin or God's not as good as he claims to be.

So there's just a few things that can keep us from drawing near to God.

But this afternoon, let's hear from Hebrews chapter 10,

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

how we can draw near to God no matter what our personal experience is.

We can draw near to him.

So have a look with me, Hebrews 10, starting at verse 19.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places,

God's immediate presence, his heavenly presence,

we have confidence to enter, then let us draw near.

Now, our immediate gut reaction might be, well, I don't feel confident.

I don't have that confidence you're talking about.

But the author isn't talking about what's going on inside you.

He's talking about something outside of us, something objective.

Notice that the whole section hinges on that first word, therefore.

The author says, remember what I've just said in chapters 7 to 10.

And I know we've only looked at the first part of chapter 10.

But remember what I've said in chapters 7 to 10 about Christ being our great high priest,

who by his once for all sacrifice for sin has abolished the old religious way of coming to God

and has brought a new way, an open way to come to God.

Remember that.

Therefore, we have confidence to draw near.

We're not told to become confident.

We're told we have it.

The word confidence can mean something like authorization.

Since you are authorized to enter the holy places, then let us draw near.

So that begs the question, what is the basis of our authorization?

And it's clear that it's not our moral or religious efforts.

It's not our subjective sense of feeling close to God.

Nothing you do or feel today for the rest of the day can make you more or any less authorized.

The good news in God's word to us this afternoon is it's not about us and what we have or haven't done.

So sticking with the image of the Jewish temple that we looked at last week,

the author reminds us of the three critical aspects of what Christ has already accomplished on our behalf.

How can we draw near to God?

It's by his blood, through the curtain, his body and belonging to the forever priest.

The blood, the curtain, the priest.

So let's have a quick look at each of those things.

So by his blood, as we saw last week,

where a person sins against God,

for God to be just, there must be punishment.

But in God's mercy,

he provides a substitute.

He transfers my sin away from me

and puts it on the head of another.

It's no longer on me.

And the priest takes the blood behind the curtain into God's presence

and sprinkles it to atone for sin.

So in John's gospel,

when Jesus is hanging on the cross,

the Roman soldier pierces Jesus' side

and as the spear comes out,

John notices something.

And he tells us that he saw a sudden flow of blood,

which is to be expected,

blood and water.

Blood and water came out of Jesus when he died.

Now, more than just proving that he was actually dead,

John has, he's a Jew,

he understands the theological significance of that.

Instead of the priest washing in the basin with water

and the blood of animals to approach God,

true cleansing has now come through the death of Jesus,

his blood.

And this cleansing isn't just external,

it's internal cleansing.

Have a look at verse 21.

It is our hearts that are sprinkled clean from an evil conscience

and our bodies washed with pure water.

It is by his blood,

verse 19,

that is the means,

by his blood,

that we are clean

and that we have confidence

to enter God's presence.

We are clean.

This doesn't mean that we are instantly perfect

or sinless,

but it does mean the basis of our guilt and shame

has actually been dealt with.

It's taken away.

We may not feel that way,

but it has happened.

It is an objective reality

that happened 2,000 years ago.

It is done.

The blood has been shed.

So there is one means

by which you and I can enter God's presence

and that is by Jesus' atoning blood,

his cleansing blood.

And the picture of the temple continues

with the author saying that the curtain

into the most holy place,

so in the temple,

in God's presence,

pictured in the temple,

you've got the holy place

and then the most holy place,

there was one way to enter.

That's the curtain.

But the curtain isn't a literal curtain anymore.

That was just a picture of the real thing.

The real thing is Jesus' flesh,

his body.

which he gave up

when he died on the cross.

Now don't try and picture this literally.

It's obviously a metaphor.

The curtain was the only way

to come in to God's presence.

The only way.

The old way of approaching God

under the old covenant law

with the animal sacrifices

and the human priests,

that is done.

That was just a picture.

The new way.

The real entrance into God's heavenly presence

is now here through Jesus' death.

There is one way.

Buddhist meditation,

Muslim submission and prayer,

Catholic tradition and ritual,

being considered by others as a good person.

You cannot have peace with God through these means.

There is one way.

Through the curtain,

which is his body given for us on the cross.

There is one way.

All people are invited

all over the world,

but there is one way in

to God's presence.

So it's by his blood shed for us

through the curtain,

his body,

and the final basis of our authorization

to enter God's presence

is belonging to our forever priest.

We're not represented by a sinful priest,

one whose service must end when they die.

We are represented by the only obedient son,

the only person who has the right

to enter the father's presence

whenever he wants.

That is who represents us.

And he has conquered death

and lives forever

seated at God's right hand.

And because he lives forever,

it means his priesthood is forever.

His sacrifice is constantly applied.

It will never fail.

Hebrews 7.25

tells us the significance of Jesus

being our forever priest.

The verse says this,

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.

Christ is our forever priest

sitting at God's right hand.

You can't get any closer to God.

He's applying the promise

of the new covenant

always.

That promise in verse 18

is always applied to you and me.

I will remember their sins

and their lawless deeds

no more.

If you look at your own worthiness

to enter God's presence,

then you should be afraid.

But if you look

at the worthiness

of what Christ has done

on your behalf,

then you have every right

to enter.

We are called

to have peace with God

through Christ's finished

priestly work

on our behalf.

So what's our role?

How do we enter

by what Christ has done

for us?

I think at this point

it's helpful

to consider

what we're not

meant to do.

And to do that,

let's consider

the Catholic idea

of mass.

I'm going to read

a section of a book

by a man

who grew up Catholic.

So I didn't grow up Catholic,

but this man named

Ray Gilear,

he's a pastor

in Sydney,

evangelical pastor now,

but he grew up Catholic

and he explains

the significance

of mass

and why it doesn't

add up

to what we're learning

about here in Hebrews.

So the book

is called

Nothing in My Hand

I Bring

to God.

So he says this,

Even as a young adult,

I couldn't have told you

exactly what was going

on during the mass.

I knew that the bread

was somehow

the body of Christ

and that eating it

was supposed to be

good for my soul,

but I couldn't have

explained very clearly

what it was all about.

It was just something

I did three times a week.

If you were to ask

a Catholic priest

to explain the mass,

you would discover

that the mass

is essentially

a sacrifice.

The high point

is when the priest

calls down

the Holy Spirit

on the bread

and wine,

turning them

into the actual

body and blood

of Christ.

That's when

the bells ring.

The newly present

body and blood

of Christ

are lifted up

and worshipped

and adored

by the congregation

as Christ himself.

The priest

then offers

Christ

as the sacrificial

victim

or host

to God

on behalf

of the people.

In that

bloodless sacrifice,

God's anger

is turned away

and forgiveness

of sins

is obtained.

So what I read

in the Bible

about Christ's sacrifice

didn't seem

to sit too well

with what was going

on in the mass.

Without a priest,

there can be

no mass.

The bread

and wine

cannot change

into the body

and blood

of Christ

without a priest.

The sacrifice

of Christ

cannot be

offered

without a priest.

Sins

cannot

be forgiven

without a priest.

That's

end quote.

Hebrews

says,

Jesus

is our

priest.

We don't

need a

human

priest.

We shouldn't

have a

human

priest.

Jesus

is our

human

priest.

His

sacrifice

for sin

was once

and for

all.

Through

him alone,

not through

any other

person,

can you

receive

forgiveness

and peace

with God.

So here's

how we're

told to

respond in

verse 22.

Let us

draw near

with a

true

heart

in

full

assurance

of

faith.

So what

is a

true

heart?

In

chapter

three,

the

opposite

of a

true

heart

is a

sinful

unbelieving

heart.

A

true

heart

listens

to God's

words here

in Hebrews

and the

rest of

the Bible.

A

true

heart

believes

God's

promises

that

through

Christ

we are

completely

washed

inside

and out.

The

way to

God is

fully

open.

It

is done.

A

true

heart

believes

what God

says.

God

is done.

God

is done.

God

is done.

God

is done.

God

is done.

God

is done.

So I've

been asked

a few

times now

since Samuel

was born.

What's the

best thing

about being

a dad?

God

at first

I thought

it was

that Samuel

seems to

have some

of my

physical

features.

I reckon

he's got

a pointy

chin

like mine.

I'm

probably

just

vain and

seeing

things that

aren't

there.

But at

first I

thought that's

what it

was.

He's

kind of

in my

image.

But then

I thought

about it

some more.

That doesn't

even come

close to the

best thing

about being a

dad so far.

The best

thing about

being a

dad so

far is

those rare

moments when

I'm holding

Sam against

my chest

and his

entire body

weight is

being held

by me.

And yet

here he is

limp with

his head

against my

chest,

mouth over,

fast asleep.

They're the

best.

That's the

best thing

about being

a dad so

far.

Sam feels

safe in

my arm.

That's

safe.

His

whole body

weight is

held by

me.

We can

think God

wants us

to perform

to earn

his love.

He doesn't.

God wants

us to feel

so safe

in his

arms that

we totally

rest on

him,

mouth open.

having

faith in

what Christ

has already

done,

God wants

us to

live fully

assured as

his

children.

So where

is that in

the passage?

It's a

little word

in verse

19.

Don't

lightly

skip over

words.

Verse 19,

therefore

brothers.

This isn't

just a nice

way of

greeting

them.

This is a

theological

statement.

This is a

changed

identity.

Chapter 2

of Hebrews

goes into

great detail

that Christ

is not

ashamed to

call us

his

brothers,

his

sisters.

He's not

ashamed to.

This isn't

anyone calling

us brothers

and sisters.

This is the

Son of

God calling

us brothers,

sisters.

God wants

us to feel

safe in

his arms.

So what

does that

look like?

What does

it look like

to come

near him,

faith in

Christ?

What does

that look

like on

the outside?

I just

want to

spend the

rest of

our time

looking at

four ways

that faith

resting in

Christ,

what that

looks like.

The first

thing that

that assured

faith looks

like is

wanting to

live all

of life

in God's

presence.

So chapter

13 of

Hebrews has

practical

instructions for

those in

Christ from

brotherly

love to

caring for

those who

are mistreated

to sexual

expression to

trusting God

rather than

loving money

to having

good order

in the

church family.

A child

of God by

faith will

see all of

life as an

opportunity to

worship God.

Whether you're

peeling potatoes,

hanging out the

washing,

watching Netflix,

taking someone a

meal or praying

with a friend,

you are always

in the heavenly

presence of

God.

Always.

It's always an

opportunity to

worship.

Not that we are

sinless, we're

going to come to

that in a

moment, but we

see all of

life as in

God's presence.

things.

The second way

that drawing

near to God

through Christ

will be seen

is in times of

suffering and

hardship.

A child of God

by faith won't

interpret hardship

as God's

punishment for

sin, since

Christ has

already paid

for it.

For me, this

truth hit

home one

night when I

was doing the

washing up and

I cut my

finger on a

pair of

tongs.

I don't know

how tongs

cut me, but

I cut my

finger, a

little bit of

pain, but I

was bleeding

and for some

reason it just

hit home to

me that I

will never

experience pain

or bleeding

because God is

punishing me for

my sin.

Christ has

already paid.

It's his

blood, not

mine.

I don't know

why that hit

home to me, but

it was just

that moment.

Hebrews 12,

10 to 11

says this,

Our human

fathers disciplined

us for a short

time as it

seemed best to

them, but God

disciplines us

for our good

that we may

share his

holiness.

For the

moment, all

discipline seems

painful rather

than pleasant, but

later it yields

the peaceful

fruit of

righteousness to

those who have

been trained by

it.

Resting in

Christ changes

the way you

look at

hardship.

It's not

punishment for

sins, it's

discipline.

God's got a

good goal in

mind.

God's

love.

God's got a

good goal in

life.

So another

time that this

hit home for

me was when I

bought a car,

which is a

Subaru Forester,

and I'd taken it

home, and one

afternoon I was

sitting on the

lounge and I

heard a crash,

a smash, and I

jumped out of my

seat worried that

the car was

damaged.

This hadn't

happened yet.

And I was

like, why

don't I care

so much?

Why did I

react like

that?

And I

prayed to

God, God, I

love this car way

too much.

Please help me

not love this

car.

Help me love

you.

Now that

very night I

heard another

smash.

And I went

outside and

found this,

like someone

had intentionally

smashed it.

Now $400

later, replacing

it, a friend

who I was

living with

asked me,

aren't you

annoyed?

But I

wasn't annoyed.

It was too

much of a

coincidence.

I saw it as

an answer to

prayer.

This is how

God helped

me let go of

the car so

that I could

love him

more.

He loved me

by breaking

it.

And I

have this

sitting in

my office

to remind

me of it.

Emma won't

let me put

it in the

living room

anymore.

It was so

ugly.

Resting

assured in

Christ

just changes

the way we

look at

hardship.

Now I

know that's

a very

minor thing.

Secure in

the love

of God.

Instead of

suffering pushing

us away,

from God,

we can

receive it as

the loving

discipline from

our Father in

Heaven who

has a good

goal to

make us

holy,

ready for

Heaven.

So a

third way

that drawing

near to God

through Christ

will be seen

is when we

sin, when

we feel

ashamed.

Instead of

hiding in

fear from

God, we

can pray to

him for

mercy and

help.

Listen to

Hebrews 4,

14 to

16.

Since

then we

have a

great high

priest who

has passed

through the

heavens,

Jesus, the

Son of

God.

Let us

hold fast

our confession.

But we do

not have a

high priest who

is unable to

sympathize with

our weaknesses,

but one who

in every respect

has been

tempted as

we are,

yet without

sin.

Let us

then with

confidence draw

near to the

throne of

grace, that

we may receive

mercy and

find grace to

help in

time of need.

God.

Your

constant struggle

with sin

isn't proof

that you're

not near to

God.

But knowing

our temptation

firsthand, our

priest Christ

calls us to

make use of

that permanent

access that we

have.

Come to him

when we're

struggling, when

we are just so

low in our

guilt and shame.

Come to him.

his throne of

grace to

find mercy and

to receive

help.

So one last

way that we

can express our

nearness to God

through Christ

is not counting

Newcastle as our

home, but we're

longing for our

true home with

God.

In chapter 11,

there is a

mirage of

people characterized

by faith in the

Old Testament

from Abel to

Abraham to

Moses.

Have a

listen of

verses 13 to

16.

These all died

in faith, not

having received

the things

promised, but

having seen

them and

greeted them

from afar, and

having acknowledged

that they were

strangers and

exiles on the

earth.

For people who

speak thus make

it clear that

they are seeking

a homeland.

If they had

been thinking of

that land from

which they had

gone out, they

would have had

opportunity to

return, but as

it is, they

desire a better

country that is

a heavenly one.

Therefore God is

not ashamed to

be called their

God, for he

has prepared for

them a city.

And Newcastle is a

really lovely place,

Lonely Planet in

2011 rated it in

the top ten places

to live and

visit.

It's not bad.

But it's

nothing on the

heavenly city God

has prepared for

us.

So are you

willing to not

fit in here and

now to endure

hardship for the

sake of waiting

for that

promised heavenly

city?

That city

where we are

with God, with

one another

permanently in

peace.

The grounds of

our confidence to

draw near to God

has nothing to do

with us.

It's all of

Christ.

It's all by

grace.

grace.

We come by his

blood through his

body given for

us, belonging to

our forever

priest.

Our God wants us

to feel safe in

his arms, to

come to him with

nothing in our

hands, only faith

in Christ's

finished work.

And if we do,

then Christ is not

ashamed to call us

brothers, sisters.

We are God's

children.

Now this isn't

easy to come to

God in faith.

To persevere in

faith is not

easy.

We need to hold

fast to the hope

we have and we

desperately need

each other to

spur one another

on in the faith.

And we're going to

look at those two

aspects the next

two Sundays.

But for now, let

me finish by asking

you to consider,

have you fully

rested in what

Christ has done

for you?

In the

Father's arms,

mouth open,

rest in God.

And as we rest

in him more and

more and we learn

to rest in him

more and more,

let's see all of

life as belonging

to him, lived in

his presence.

Let's receive

hardship as the

loving discipline

of our Father

who treats us

as his children.

Let's come to

the throne of

grace to keep

fighting sin.

And let's not

settle down here

and now.

Let's keep

looking forward

ahead to that

promised city.

for he who

promised is

faithful.

Will you pray

with me?

Let's pray.

Father, we praise you

for your amazing grace

in sending your son,

that he would die

in our place

is

incredible.

Thank you that we

have access to you,

full access,

permanent access

through Christ's

finished work.

Please help us to

know that.

Help us to feel so

safe in your arms

because of what

Christ has done.

help us to live

out that

safeness in you

by living in

your presence,

enduring hardship

as your discipline,

longing for a

better city,

and coming to you

for help when we

really struggle with

sin.

Thank you for all

this grace.

Help us as a

church to live

boasting in this

grace and living

in the hope that

is ours through

Christ.

In Jesus' name

I pray.

Amen.