Hebrews 10:19-39

Hebrews 10, we're on page 1007.

Our family used to holiday in a tumbledown cottage in a remote part of Ireland.

! And when we started going there, no one had been to the cottage for quite a long time.

And the path at the side that took you up there had become overgrown.

And what had once been a kind of driveway of sorts was covered in mud.

And really the whole thing was impassable. You couldn't get up.

So we couldn't get to where we wanted to go.

I cut back some of the overgrowth, spent some time hacking away at all the branches that had grown over.

And I got someone to come and lay a truckload of stones on the path.

Now I didn't do that just so that the path was functional again for its own sake.

I didn't do it just so that I could step back and say, well that was a good job of cutting back the overgrowth.

And well that path now looks really, really good.

I did it so that we could actually use it.

I did it so that we could benefit and that we could gain access to where we wanted to go.

Now there's a sense in which the same sort of thing is true with all of the theology that we've been given so far in the book of Hebrews.

Back as far as chapter 5 we've been given the sustained case for the supremacy of Jesus.

He is our high priest, the true and better high priest.

And his sacrifice, offered as it is in the reality of heaven, is superior to all that went before.

But all of that doctrine isn't just given to us as an end in itself.

Chapter 10 verse 19, therefore.

So he's saying, the author is saying, in light of all that I've just said to you, something must now be done.

All that has been rolled out for us in chapters 5 to 10, you could say is summarized in verse 19.

The blood of Jesus, which creates then verse 20, the new and living way that is opened for us through the curtain, that is through his flesh.

Verse 21, and since we have a great priest over the house of God.

He's saying Jesus shed his blood.

He gave up his life in order to atone for our sins.

He has opened a way back into the presence of God.

And he now mediates for us as a perfect priest in heaven.

We are reconciled to the Father.

We've been over this, haven't we, the last few weeks.

And we're told all of this in rich detail.

Not so that we can say, well isn't that nice?

Although it is.

Not so that we can pass a doctrine exam, although the theology is vital.

Not just so that we can meditate on the sheer grace and mercy of it all, although we must.

Not simply so that our hearts would be captivated with joy with all that this means for us,

although they very much should be.

But so that we might act on it.

So that we might do something with it.

So that it might shape our lives.

That the way that we live would look like an implication of all of that.

And that's where we start this evening.

Two points this evening.

The first is this.

Live like we really know Christ.

Therefore, live like we really know Christ.

That's verses 19 to 25.

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

Since we have confidence to do this, he tells us to act in three ways.

First of all, let us draw near, verse 22.

Let us hold fast, verse 23.

And let us consider verse 24.

And I want us to see that as we think about these things, that as he calls us to do them, he's calling us to do them together.

The language is corporate throughout.

Now what that means is, when he says, therefore, brothers, it's brothers and sisters.

It's the church family.

Then verse 24.

The us in view there.

The one another of the church community.

We'll get more practical on this later.

But recognize that what we're called to here, which is the ancient triad of faith, hope, and love, we're called to together.

This is a corporate exhortation.

This is a team talk, as it were.

What will that mean?

Verse 22.

Draw near in faith.

If you live like you really know Christ, you will draw near in faith.

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.

Now whatever your reasons might be for shrinking back, for keeping God at a distance,

whether because you're cross with Him, or because you feel that you've let Him down.

So whether it's something He's done or something you feel about yourself, if you're a Christian, if you're trusting the Lord Jesus, you can set all of them aside.

Indeed, the word translated confidence in verse 19 is literally boldness.

We can boldly approach the eternal throne of God.

How can we do that?

Through the finished work of Christ, our high priest.

Because He offered His blood in the true heavenly sanctuary.

You have been sprinkled clean.

You're clean this evening if you're in Christ.

And you know this because of the washing of our bodies, the very thing that is depicted in Christian baptism, what we've just seen this evening.

Christ's blood, we sing it, really does make the foulest clean.

And if you are trusting in the Lord Jesus, His blood avails for you.

So for the believer in the Lord Jesus, there is no reason to keep God at a distance.

Because there is no sin too great that cannot be covered by His atoning blood.

Now for those of you who are given to self-doubt, for those of you who think that you've sinned your way beyond His reach,

Christ's sacrifice on your behalf commands you to draw near to God and to do so boldly.

Don't hold back.

And for those of you for whom life is hard, and because life is difficult, if you're honest with yourself,

there's a part of your heart that is angry with God,

or because life is difficult, you've pulled back and you've allowed your heart to go cold to Him,

Christ's sacrifice commands you to come back, to draw near, go to God in faith.

Draw near in faith.

Having done that then, verse 23, we are to hold fast with hope.

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

As Christians, we confess all that Christ has done for us as the basis of our hope.

What is your hope?

Your hope is all that Christ has done, His finished work.

We have a great high priest, one who has gone into heaven on our behalf.

When we sin, or when Satan brings his accusations against us,

the Lord Jesus steps in and pleads the merit of His blood.

Father, He says, He was purchased at the cost of my life.

She is free because I took her punishment in her place.

This is our hope.

That is the ground of all of our hope, the finished work of Christ and the fact that He mediates for us.

And the author reminds us that we must hold this hope with a tight fist.

We must hold it unshakably.

Don't doubt.

Don't fear.

Don't put your hope anywhere else.

Why?

Because God, He who promised, is faithful.

He's faithful.

What a relief.

Isn't that a relief?

If this depended on us, we would be lost.

We know how fickle our hearts can be.

I certainly know how fickle and cold mind can grow at times.

We know how easily tempted we are.

We can have the highest, most lofty thoughts of our God,

and within a moment, within a split second,

we can have our gaze drifting off after some glistening idol somewhere else.

We think to ourselves, maybe I'd be happier if that was my life.

We know, if we're honest with ourselves, if making it to glory depended on our faithfulness,

we would be in nothing but trouble.

But it doesn't.

It doesn't.

It depends on the faithfulness of God to His own promises,

and because He is faithful, we can hold on to our hope through even the most intense,

difficult, painful, nerve-shattering storms of life.

I don't know what you're going through this evening as you seek to live for Christ.

Temptations that feel overwhelming.

Pressure from outside in some way.

Difficulties at work.

Struggles in your family.

A sense of shame that you feel unable to let go of.

Anxiety about any number of things.

Go to God and hold fast your hope.

Because He's faithful.

He is faithful.

And He has put His Word on it.

He will see you through.

And He'll see you through step by step by step all the way to the end.

Sometimes when we're struggling and hope is thin on the ground,

we think to ourselves, I'm never going to make it to the end.

We don't need to think like that.

Just take the next step.

And the next.

And the next.

And all of a sudden, you realize you've come quite a distance,

and God has been faithful all the way.

Hold fast with hope.

And then next, thirdly,

if we're going to live like we really know Christ,

stir up to love.

Verse 24.

Stir up to love.

The corporate aspect comes through most clearly here.

Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.

The best sports teams,

whatever the sport,

if it's a team sport,

the best sports teams

are those where every player knows their job,

but doesn't play as an individual.

Whatever the sport,

and you can ask experts in any one of these sports,

any of the best coaches that there have ever been,

and you say,

what makes an absolutely top-notch player?

They'll say,

yeah, they're talented.

Yeah, they're this.

But in the end,

they put the team first.

They know that their role

is to contribute to something bigger than them.

It's the team as a whole.

And we need to think about our Christian life like that.

It is a team sport.

And the team isn't there just to help you succeed.

But we all see our role as contributing to the progress of the whole.

You're asking yourself the question,

how can I get the best out of my brothers and sisters?

The word for stir up here,

let us consider how to stir up one another.

That word could be translated provoke.

Provoking one another.

Provoking someone is usually doing something.

Normally, it's annoying, isn't it?

You feel provoked by somebody.

But it's doing something to bring out a response.

And here we are to provoke one another to love and good works.

And I take it that that means then, verse 25,

what does that look like?

What do the love and good works look like?

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.

You see,

if you are struggling

to kind of hold fast to your hope,

what do you need?

You need someone to come along in love

and to encourage you to take the next step.

You come along and you say,

we know that gathering as the church,

week on week,

is absolutely vital.

Being here for worship

is the beating heart of Christian life.

And so you come,

not just to consume yourself,

what is provided for your worship

or your encouragement,

but you encourage others to do the same.

I'm struggling to hold fast my hope.

And you say,

make sure you're there on Sunday.

I'll come and pick you up.

You say,

oh, you're cold in your faith at the minute.

Well, confess your sin

and draw near to God in faith

as He calls you to.

Go boldly to Him.

You're discouraged for X reason,

whatever it might be.

Hold fast to Christ,

my brother, my sister,

and do it with hope.

He's praying for you in heaven right now.

In the midst of this struggle,

the Son of God is praying for you.

Keep going.

Work is killing me at the minute.

I'm just so busy.

I just can't,

I can't keep going.

There's so much opposition.

I'll pray for you.

Can I help in some way?

I'll come and meet with you

and pray with you.

Let's read the Bible together for a bit

just to get through this next phase.

Now, often when we're discouraged,

when discouragement hits,

what's the first thing

that goes by the wayside?

We withdraw from the people of God.

We withdraw from church.

I don't really feel up to it this Sunday.

Well, the author is saying

that when we don't feel up to it,

it is when we need to go.

And not just for ourselves,

but so that other people

who know that we're struggling,

who know that we're going through it,

see us recognizing that this is a priority

and we gather together

and they are encouraged.

I think this verse gives us an insight

into the original context.

People, what was going on?

So people were discouraged

because of opposition,

so they distanced themselves

from the church community.

They distanced themselves

from the church community

and so they felt the draw

back to old covenant religion

was more attractive.

In the meantime,

the people that they left behind

were then discouraged

because there were fewer of them at church.

And church life was harder

and it felt more fragile.

Here's the thing.

I think we can all sign up

to this idea in theory.

Yeah, I'm a team player.

I know that we all got to pull together

in the life of the church.

But ask yourself this question.

When it comes to being provoked,

when it comes to being stirred up

towards greater obedience,

deeper faithfulness,

more consistent, evident

Christian discipleship,

would you let someone

speak into your life?

Would you allow someone else

to challenge you?

Would you respond

to their encouragement?

Or should they just keep

their nose out of your business?

There are so many demands

on your time.

So many demands

that are pressing on your time

and the brightest minds

in the world

are paid millions of pounds

to lure your heart away

after their products

rather than being captivated

by the Lord Jesus Christ.

We all feel the pressure

in different ways

in our culture

to step back

from faithfully following Jesus.

And we also all have blind spots.

Blind spots by definition.

We can't see them.

So we need other people

to point them out.

None of us can stand

on our own.

We weren't designed

to do that.

None of us

can do it

because we weren't designed

to do it.

We cannot live

the Christian life

in isolation

and we weren't designed

to do that.

And by the way,

what we might call

the Christian industrial complex,

they haven't helped us

actually

because we can access

all kinds of Christian resources

online

that give us the impression

that we can live

the Christian life

on our own.

If you have an internet connection,

we're told that you can live

a rich Christian life.

You can't.

The Christian life

is inescapably corporate.

The New Testament

has no vision

of the Christian life

apart from the local church.

This is reflected

in the vows we take here

as church members.

Vow number four,

do you recognize

the authority of the elders

and assent to the governance

and oversight

of the International

Presbyterian Church?

And do you agree

to accept their discipline

if that should ever be necessary?

We need elders

who will teach,

encourage,

and correct us.

Vow number five,

do you promise

to support the church

by prayer,

giving money and time,

and caring practically

for individuals?

We need the practical care

of one another.

Vow number six,

do you commit yourself

to building and maintaining

healthy relationships

within this church,

treating your fellow believers

as your brothers and sisters

in Christ?

What is that vow

if it is not Hebrews 10,

19 to 25?

We need others

to help us live

the Christian life.

So when we gather like this,

when you gather with the church,

you don't just gather

for your own benefit

or for your own personal growth,

but for the benefit

and growth of others.

And just turning up,

just being here,

or just turning up

to the prayer meeting,

that is an encouragement

to your brothers and sisters.

They look around

and they say,

they're still holding fast.

They cared enough

about the Lord

and about me

to be here.

Their voice

made the singing

more encouraging.

They want to provoke me

to godliness

and encourage our church

to keep going.

I'm going to do the same.

If they can do it,

so can I.

But again,

for this to be a reality,

we need to be willing

to be provoked.

To receive a brother

or sister in church life

telling us

that we need

to change certain behavior.

We need to repent

of an obvious sin.

We need to change

our priorities.

If someone in church life,

if one of the elders

challenged you

about your parenting,

how would you take it?

Ooh.

You can talk to me

about anything else,

but don't touch

the idol

right at the heart

of everything.

How dare you?

We should welcome

their willingness,

actually,

to care enough

to get involved,

to provoke us

to love and good works

and to keep going

in obedience.

Live like you really

know Christ.

Draw near to God

in faith.

Hold on to the gospel

in hope

and lovingly encourage

others to do the same

in all areas

of discipleship.

live like you really

know Christ.

Point number one.

The author then

follows this

with a warning,

if you don't,

and an encouragement.

Point number two,

live with a wise

perspective.

Live with a wise

perspective.

That will mean

two things,

26 to 31.

First of all,

remember what's coming.

Remember

what's coming.

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

and a fury of fire

that will consume

the adversaries.

Here the author

raises the reality

of judgment.

Now what's interesting

is,

if you've been with us

over these weeks,

he has just spent

several chapters

talking about

the complete

sufficiency

of Christ's sacrifice

for every sin.

All confessed sin

is forgiven sin.

So there does remain

a sacrifice for sins,

even today,

even this evening,

for anyone who

hears Christ's voice

and doesn't harden

their heart,

but turns their lives

over to him.

So what does he mean here?

Well, this is where

the context

really matters.

The problem here,

as we've said all along,

is that some Christian Jews

are attempting to go back

to the blood

of bulls and goats.

And to do that,

they would need to travel

to Jerusalem

to offer their sacrifices.

But this letter

was written around

the late 60s AD,

just before the war

broke out

that destroyed Jerusalem,

the destruction

that Jesus said

in the Gospels

would happen

within the lifetime

of those that he

was speaking to,

and it climaxed

in AD 70.

So he's referring

to those who would

go back to the old

covenant ways

and go back

to Jerusalem

to do that

and incur

that judgment

that was going

to come.

So if I can paraphrase,

it's this.

He's saying,

for if we sin deliberately

by returning

to the Levitical sacrifices

which must be offered

in Jerusalem,

after we've received

the knowledge

of the truth

that Christ died

once for all

and did away

with the repetitive

sacrifices

in doomed Jerusalem,

well, there no longer

remains a sacrifice

for sins back there,

but a fearful expectation

of judgment.

Roman armies,

massacred Jews,

fury of fire

which will consume

the adversaries.

The author is concerned

about a specific

historical judgment

and so he warns

his hearers

about going back

to Jerusalem

to worship

when the city

is on the verge

of destruction.

And that destruction

came to pass

just as Jesus promised.

The city fell

and many who,

verse 26,

had spurned Christ

were lost.

And what that does

for us all these years

later is remind us

that God keeps his word.

He has promised

that he will take vengeance

on those who oppose him

and on that day

whenever it comes

it will be a fearful thing

to be in that situation.

Verse 31.

Christ has done

all that is required

to reconcile you to God

regardless of your background,

regardless of your status

or your ability,

regardless of what you've done

with your life,

however good

and however bad,

the blood of Jesus

has opened the way

to God

if you will take it.

But if you won't,

if you would rather

navigate this life

on your own terms,

the only alternative

is to fall into the hands

of the living God,

not as your father

but as your judge.

It is real warning

to real people.

So remember what's coming.

We always have to calibrate

our behavior in the present

in light of what we know

about the future.

Remember what is coming.

Apart from the Lord Jesus Christ

who has done everything

to reconcile us to God,

to take us all the way

to glory.

Apart from that,

all that there is

is judgment.

It is very sobering.

Real warning.

The author follows this

with a reminder

of his hearer's past experience

as well.

Remember what's coming,

he says,

but also remember

what's past.

Verse 32.

Remember what's past,

but recall the former days

when after you were enlightened,

you endured a hard struggle

with sufferings,

sometimes being publicly exposed

to reproach and affliction

and sometimes being partners

with those so treated.

For you had compassion

on those in prison

and you joyfully accepted

the plundering of your property.

When you started out

on this Christian life,

you took a lot of grief.

You were mocked

and humiliated

and rejected

and abused

and robbed,

but you kept going.

It's almost like

the author is saying,

remember the conversation

we had

that time

after your flat

was ransacked

and they spray painted

all that stuff

over your front door.

You had your valuables stolen.

It was an awful time.

And do you remember

that I was saying

I was sorry

that you'd experienced this

and you rebuked me?

You said that this was reproach

for the sake of Christ

and that you were glad

to be counted worthy

to suffer for his name's sake.

Do you remember that?

The author is reminding

these weary believers

what they went through

in order to get to this point.

And he's saying,

well,

first of all,

they had the right perspective

back then.

They happily accepted

the loss of what they had.

Verse 34.

Since you knew

that you yourselves

had a better possession

and an abiding one.

That's what Christ

holds out to us.

Something that is way better

than anything

we could ever have here.

Something that is way better

that if we were to give up

now because it's too hard.

We think it's too hard.

We would be forfeiting

just something

unimaginably wonderful.

and one that is not

going to be fleeting

but one that is going

to abide.

You had the right perspective

back then,

Hebrews.

You know

and you knew then

that Christ

was your real treasure.

But also,

secondly,

in order to encourage them

to persevere

and not give up.

He's saying,

do you remember

you went through all that?

Why would you give up now?

Verse 35.

Do not throw away

your confidence

which has a great reward.

You've come through so much.

You know like the person

who takes on

the massive challenge?

Those kind of big challenges

that are cool these days.

I'm going to swim around Europe.

I'm going to row across the world

on my own in my pants.

And they set off

with great confidence.

And there's a great fanfare

in all of that.

And despite all the challenges,

at the start,

they keep going.

And at some point,

in this great challenge,

there'll be some people

who say,

I can't do it anymore.

And they stop.

But there'll be others

who think,

you know,

I've come through so much.

I can't stop now.

That's the person

that he wants

these people to be.

He's calling these hearers

to be that person

and to endure.

Not to believe

in themselves,

but verse 37,

can you see,

to trust Christ's promises

and to have faith

that God,

who has promised

to be faithful,

will see them through.

That's the only way

anyone will endure

to the end.

Now, some of you

need this reminder.

As we come to a close,

some of you need

this reminder.

You made a courageous start.

You made a costly start

in the Christian life.

It cost you friends.

It cost you relationships.

Your family

are annoyed with you.

They're disappointed

that their dreams for you

haven't been fulfilled.

because you've given yourself

to being Christian.

You were warned

by HR

because the views

you expressed on X

weren't in line

with the company's

position on inclusion.

At the beginning,

you lost your job

because you liked

the social media,

posted, quoted,

the Bible,

and so on.

Remember those days.

And if you're tempted

to walk away

from Christ now,

remember those days

and don't throw away

your confidence.

Don't lose your nerve.

When following Christ

is particularly tough,

we need this twin perspective

in order to be confident

and keep going.

Remember,

judgment lies ahead

and there is nothing else

for those who walk away

from Christ.

It's very sobering.

And at the same time,

remember what you went through

to get this far

and don't waste

that struggle.

Instead,

live like you really know Jesus.

Live by faith

in our good God

who will keep us

for glory.

And let's do it together.

Let's pray.