Hebrews 10:22-25

As they're making the way out, if you have a

copy of the scriptures with you, I invite you

to turn to Hebrews chapter 10, where we're going

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

to be looking primarily at verses 22 through

25. You see that I have up on the wall behind

me, beginning of verse 19, which was where we

began two weeks ago. Now, Lord willing, we will

return back to Matthew in our series, Matthew

Next Week. But I want to look at this section

of Hebrews. As I said two weeks ago, last week

we had a missionary, but two weeks ago I said

if I was on an island, I only had two books of

the New Testament that I could read for the rest

of my life, I would choose the book of Romans

and the book of Hebrews. And the two most doctrinal

books in the New Testament. We began two weeks

ago, verses 19, but we only got to verse 21.

So let's read it in its entirety, this little

scripture passage here. Therefore, brethren,

Having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood

of Jesus By new and living way which he consecrated

for us through the veil That is his flesh and

having a high priest over the house of God Let

us draw near with a true heart in full assurance

of faith Having our hearts sprinkled 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 one another in

order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking

the assembling of ourselves together as is the

Maynard Psalm, but exhorting one another. And

so much the more as you see the day approaching.

Would you join me in prayer? Father we bow before

your throne this morning Lord and we recognize

the authority of your word This is the word of

the living God and it has a binding authority

at all times over all people Lord today we desire

to submit to the authority of the word and father

Lord. I pray you'd help us understand Lord how

it is to be understood Lord Lord, we do not believe

in private interpretations of scripture. So father,

would you help us to understand this passage

and Lord God? to draw closer to you, Lord, to

hold fast our confession and to encourage one

another in this walk of faith. We pray this in

Jesus' name. Amen. As I said, it was just two

weeks ago. Lord willing, we'll look at Matthew

again next week. But the last time we were in

the book of Hebrews, we looked at the access

that you and I as new covenant believers, it's

access that we enjoy into the very presence of

God. Now the writer here says it's a new and

living way. That is through Jesus's flesh. Now

obviously that's a synonym for His sacrifice.

Because of Christ in His death and resurrection,

you and I, as the people of God, have an unparalleled

access to God. And today, verses 22 through 25,

we're going to look at how we should respond

to that truth. Now I'm going to give you a one

-minute synopsis of the book of Hebrews. The

dominant theme in the book of Hebrews by far

is the superiority of Christ. And the authors

then start to take apart everything in the Old

Covenant, and he begins to show how Christ is

superior. For example, the Lord Jesus we see

in Hebrews 2 is superior to angels. Then he goes

on, the Lord Jesus is superior to Moses. Now

that's a big deal, because this book is written

primarily to Jews. So he's superior to angels,

he's superior to Moses. And then he goes on and

he explains how Christ is superior to all the

Levitical priesthood. Aaron and his sons, he's

superior to all of them. In fact, he is superior

to anything and everything in the Old Covenant.

He mediates the superior New Covenant, which

is based on the superior sacrifice, which is

the once -for -all sacrifice of the Son of God.

Now having that knowledge, Having understood

what he just said, you and I are called to act

upon that truth. See, doctrine is not meant to

fill our heads. Doctrine is meant to motivate

us to action. It is meant to spur us on, if you

will. So now considering the death and resurrection

of Christ, you and I should approach God confidently,

keep our Christian profession. We guard that.

We hold fast to it. We don't let it go is the

idea. And then you and I are called as a church

to help one another. How do we do that? We meet

regularly for edification and encouragement in

the faith. And that's kind of going to be a basic

summary of what we'll talk about this morning.

So let's look at the very first point. In verse

22, we see that we draw near. Let's read the

text. Let us draw near with a true heart in full

assurance of faith. Draw near. It's to approach.

Now, to where or to whom do we draw near? What

is the author of Hebrews talking about? Well,

we don't have to guess because he told us earlier

in chapter 7, verse 19, for the law, that is

the law of Moses, made nothing perfect. On the

other hand, there is the bringing in of a better

hope. That's the new covenant. Through which

we now, what? Draw near to God. This word drawn

near, it's a priestly term. It's the idea of

approaching God. So if you go into the Old Covenant,

to approach God was the exclusive privilege of

the priestly class. But it really was the exclusive

privilege of the high priest, who could enter

into the Holy of Holies, also known here in Hebrews

as the holiest, behind the veil. But he could

only do so one day a year. And that's on the

day of atonement or Yom Kippur. If anyone other

than the high priest dared to go behind that

veil into the Holy of Holies, he would be immediately

struck dead. But now, this is what the author

is saying, the new covenant that has been inaugurated

by Christ, that priestly privilege, has been

extended to all believers, men and women alike,

at all times. All of us have been made priests

to God because of our union with Christ. And

I told you it's a very doctrinal book. Peter

writes about this priesthood of believers in

1 Peter 2 verse 9. But you, and he's writing

1 Peter 2:9

to basically a Gentile audience here, but you

are a chosen generation. You've been called out,

you've been chosen, a royal priesthood, a holy

nation. His own special people. But what's the

purpose of that? That you and I may now proclaim

the praises of Him who called us out of darkness

and called us into His marvelous light. So in

the new covenant, all worshipers, not just priestly,

not just the priestly class, I should say, we

are invited now to approach God in a priestly

way. We're invited to draw near to Him. But why?

Why can you and I draw near but they couldn't

in the Old Testament? Verse 21, and having a

high priest over the house of God, he says, let

us draw near. This is why. Because you and I,

yes, we've been made priests to God, but there

is a priest that stands over us. The great high

priest who goes before God the Father, we're

speaking of Jesus Christ here, He represents

us, His people. He intercedes for us, His people.

Therefore, you and I have confidence in going

behind the curtain into the very presence of

God. But we don't do so brazenly or arrogantly.

How do we draw near? We're told, first of all,

with a true heart. In other words, we come with

sincerity, not hypocrisy. God does not want an

undivided heart with divided loyalties. If you

go back to the Old Covenant and you look at Israel,

which the author makes reference to many, many

times, God was often displeased with Israel.

Why? Because they would go through the motions.

They paid lip service, but they had no heart

affection whatsoever. Isaiah rebuked the people

for this. God speaking through Isaiah says, inasmuch

as these people draw near with their mouths and

honor me with their lips, but they've removed

their hearts. Far from me. See, it wasn't that

Israel completely forgot God. It wasn't that

they completely abandoned God. They didn't become

atheists. They became apathetic. And God hates

apathy. If you want to look, you could look over

in Revelation chapter 3 and you see the rebuke

Revelation 3 · chapter mention

to the church at Laodicea. What was Laodicea's

problem? They were lukewarm. Jesus said, I would

rather you be hot or cold. Because you're lukewarm,

I'm going to vomit you out of my mouth. Apathy.

Just going through the motions. And that's what

Israel did. There was no true zeal for God. So

they still went to temple. They still went to

synagogue. Yet their hearts, Isaiah said, God

saying through him, their hearts were far from

him, miles away from him. And God hated it. So

under the new covenant, God says, you approach

me, but you come with a true heart. That means

in a heart of faith and quiet trust. Faith that

believes what God has said and acts upon it.

Notice the text, in full assurance of faith.

What does that mean? It is to be confident in

what Christ has done. Remember, some of these

believers, these were Jewish believers, They're

being tempted to turn their backs on Christ,

to fall into apostasy. They were to return to

Judaism, a protected religion at that time, to

avoid the persecution they were experiencing.

But the writer says here, the faith that pleases

God is fully assured. What does that mean? For

instance, it means all your eggs are in one basket.

And that's the basket labeled Jesus. Only trusting

in what He has done. Well, how can we be so fully

assured? We sing about it every day. This is

why we worship on this particular day. Because

of Christ's resurrection, you and I are fully

assured that the sacrifice of Jesus was sufficient

to remove our sins and to present us righteous

before God. Therefore, we draw near to Him. We

draw to Him because we're assured that what Christ

did was effective. But he says secondly, not

only being foolish or with a clean heart, he

says with a clean conscience. Having our hearts

sprinkled from an evil conscience. Having our

hearts sprinkled. Now he's using pre -sleep language

again. Now this actually is the fulfillment of

Ezekiel 36. Notice this text, and I will make

emphasis. Then I will sprinkle clean water on

you and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you

from all your filthiness and from all your idols.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit

within you. I will take the heart of stone out

of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

I will put my spirit within you and cause you

to walk in my statutes. Then you will keep my

judgments and do them. Five times God says, I

will, I will, I will, I will, I will. And because

of that, then and only then you will. Works always

are the fruit of salvation. What God is working

in is going to be worked out. Now, in the Old

Covenant, we go back and we read the priest,

when they're being consecrated for the priesthood,

they were sprinkled with blood. When the temple

was consecrated, it was sprinkled with blood.

When the Book of the Covenant was read, it was

sprinkled with blood. The people who were there

that day were sprinkled with blood. But in the

new covenant, when a person comes to faith in

Christ, the Holy Spirit, and he uses this language

here, sprinkles their hearts with blood, with

the blood of Christ, and cleanses us from all

our sin. That means there is no further need

of any lamb, any goat, any bull to ever be offered

again because Christ, the Lamb of God, has been

sacrificed and our sins are remembered no more.

This is why I totally reject the dispensational

view that the sacrifices will once again be reinstituted

in the Millennium. I cannot align that with the

book of Hebrews in any way at all. I just reject

it. Because Christ's sacrifice was sufficient.

There will never be another need for a lamb to

be offered. That's not going to honor Christ.

Under the Old Covenant, sins were never completely

removed. How do you know that? And no one ever

had completely a clean conscience. Why? Because

every day, there at the temple, morning and evening,

sacrifices would be offered. And they'd wake

up the next day and morning and evening, sacrifices

would be offered. But not only that, under the

Old Covenant, there wasn't just one priest. Priests

had to be completely reinstituted. Why? Because

you had priests who lived, served, died. Then

another priest would have to be consecrated and

take his place. So, continual sacrifices, continual

repetition of priests. But then we come to the

new covenant. There is only one high priest.

And he is the one who, yes, he died, but he rose

again to never die again. That's why Pastor Kyle,

when he read that, he ever lives to make intercession.

Therefore, he can save to the uttermost. So,

that means there is no other need for any priest

because Christ is never going to die again. Aaron

died, so his son reigned. Then he died. His son

reigned. Christ died. He rose again. There is

never again a need for a great high priest. There's

no other sacrifice Christ Jesus was given. His

blood was shed. Why? To cleanse our conscience

before God. If you look at chapter 9 verse 14,

how much more shall the blood of Christ, who

through the eternal spirit offered himself, he

gave himself without spot to God. Purge your

conscience. Cleanse your conscience from dead

works to serve the living God. Because Christ

was slain in our place, our conscience is now

clean. We're no longer burdened with that heavy

conscience of guilt. You've been internally cleansed.

That's what the Bible said. So the Spirit of

God has applied the sacrifice and merit of Christ

to your heart. By the way, that's what our baptism

represents. And we'll talk about that in just

a few moments. Friends, none of us are going

to draw near to God if you have a defiled conscience

because your guilt will keep you away. Guilt

does that. Guilt makes us run and hide from God.

Look at Genesis 3. Adam and Eve, when they fell

into sin, they hid from God. But once you come

to Christ and your guilt is removed and your

conscience is made clean, do you know what you

will want to do? You will want to draw near to

Him and worship Him out of gratitude for what

He has done. You're no longer going to hide and

stay away, but you're going to come to Him. And

that's what the author is saying, hey come, approach

God. What? With a sincere heart, a clean conscience,

but also a baptized body. Now that may not make

sense to you, but look what he says, and our

bodies washed with pure water. Again, there's

a comparison. Under the Old Covenant, there are

many rituals. There are many ritualistic baths,

many ceremonial washings. The washing of hands,

washing of feet, the washing of pots and pans.

But in the New Covenant, you don't find those

anymore. There is no longer a need for a laver.

There's no longer a need for a washing. Why?

Because the center has been made completely clean.

And he said, this is what is signified in our

identification with Christ in baptism. Our sins

are shown to be washed away. The inner spiritual

cleansing is outwardly, visibly signified in

baptism. And these Hebrew believers, now these

were Jews, they're Hebrews. They had been baptized,

it says, with pure water. That baptism is a sign.

and a seal of our cleansing, but also our union

with Christ. What is baptism? Baptism, we make

so little of it, and the Bible makes so much

of it. Baptism is a sign of our inclusion into

the covenant community. It is a seal of the righteousness

that comes by faith. So when you were baptized,

what happened? You were signified. You were one

with Christ. You're union with Christ. You died

with him, buried with him, rose again with him.

You have been cleansed from sin, so the water

shows that our sin has been taken away. It's

a sign of our regeneration, being made alive

with Christ, but it's also a sign of the indwelling

of the Holy Spirit of Christ. Titus 3 5. It's

not by works of righteousness which we have done.

But according to His mercy, He saved us, amen,

through the washing of regeneration and the renewal,

the renewing of the Holy Spirit. Circumcision

was a sign of the Old Covenant. Baptism is a

sign of the New Covenant. This is what identifies

you with the people of God. Baptism marks you

out as belonging to Christ. Now, it is true that

you can have the sign without the inner reality.

That means you can be baptized and not saved,

if you will. You can be baptized and not regenerate.

But all of those who have been regenerated by

God need to have the sign. It's not optional.

Mark 16, and now we can talk about this, and

baptism does it save you? No, but what does Mark

16, he that believeth and is baptized shall be

saved. He that believeth not shall be damned.

It's not that baptism is the what? It's not the

method that saves you. Christ saves you by His

grace, completely. Baptism works you out. So

that's like someone in the Old Covenant who then

comes to faith in Christ but says, I'm not going

to be circumcised. They were cut off from the

people. You don't get approached. No, you're

not a member of the Covenant community. So now

we come, so we see that yes, you can have the

sign, but just a circumcision showed you to belong

to Israel. Baptism identifies you with the church,

the new covenant people of God. So as a pastor,

there is no reason for me to believe that one

is saved who refuses to identify with Christ

in baptism. Which is why only the people who

are baptized can come to the table of the Lord.

We say that every week. Why? That meal that we

will take up in a few moments is a covenantal

meal. Who belongs to the covenant? Those who

have the covenantal sign now you can have the

sign again I'm not saying because you can be

baptized and not regenerate of course that you

can But the sign that marks you out as belonging

to Christ and so therefore one who refuses to

be baptized Is to be refused from the table of

the Lord By the way Passover you didn't get eat

the Passover meal uncircumcised Couldn't do it.

It's covenantal meal So the scriptures point

us here in this verse, in verse 23, to baptism,

which marks us out as followers of Christ. So

these Hebrew people had been raised under the

Old Covenant. They were used to ceremonial washings,

but they had been baptized and made a profession.

And now he's going to talk about that in just

a few moments. But he's telling you to draw near.

You need to draw near a sincere heart, clean

conscience, and a baptized body. So draw near

in genuine worship, draw near in prayer. Why?

Because of Christ, we understand that we are

an accepted, beloved child of God, and we desire

to fellowship with him, draw near to him, both

in private and public worship. Because he's going

to, I will do this, I will do this, I will do

this, and you will walk in my judgments. So the

author says he's wanting these Hebrew believers

who are being tempted to leave Christ. Get it

in your mind. Christ, the once for all sacrifice,

he is the one who is the great high priest. He's

praying for you in heaven right now. Draw near

and hold fast that profession you made. Look

at verse 23. Let us hold fast the profession

of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful

that promised. Hold fast. What's that mean? Keep

it. Guard it. Here's the utmost serious. Whatever

you do, don't let it go. Hold it fast. Put yourselves

in these people's places. They're being persecuted.

Some are losing homes. Some are losing lands.

We're told that in the book. Some perhaps even

losing life. Life is really, really hard for

them. But life wasn't hard before they came to

Christ because under Jewish, under Roman law,

Judaism was a protected religion. Christianity

wasn't. The author says, but remember your profession

that you made at your baptism. That's what you

identified with Christ publicly, and he's encouraged

them. Hold fast. Don't let that go what you professed

that day. By the way, we know through early church

at their baptism, they would also make a profession

of faith. A lot of times they would recite the

creed. That was one of the reasons I wanted my

son Ezra to recite the creed. So remember, Ezra,

this is what you professed at your baptism. I

believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of

heaven and earth, and Jesus Christ, his only

son, our Lord, conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius

Pilate, died, was crucified, was buried, descended

into hell, and on the third day he rose again

from the grave. That's what I want him to hold

fast to. Don't lose it. You held fast to that,

Ezra, no matter what happens. Life may get really,

really hard and very, very intense, but hold

fast to that profession you make. Don't just

hold fast. He says do so without wavering. Don't

falter in it. Don't think for a second. Don't

you dare turn your back on Christ. Yes, you're

experiencing persecution, but here's how you

don't turn back. Why? Why not go save your life?

Look at the text. For he is faithful to the promised.

God is faithful. Yeah, you may lose homes. Yes,

you may. You may lose lands. You may even lose

your own life for the sake of the gospel. You

may. But God, the one who promised eternal life,

He's faithful. God doesn't renege. He keeps His

promises. He promised eternal life in Christ,

and He sealed that at your baptism, and He will

deliver it regardless of the cost. 2 Corinthians

5 .1. For we know that if our earthly house,

this tent, is destroyed—that's death—we have

a building from God, a house not made with hands.

eternal in the heavens. That's true, friends.

I believe that. So, how do you hold fast? You

keep going. You keep on keeping on. You persevere.

The writer writes about this all throughout the

book. Hebrews 3, that Christ as a son over his

own house, whose house are we, if we hold fast,

the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope,

firm unto the end. He said, you turn back. That's

a bleak outlook for you. Don't turn back. Remember

when Paul's co -worker, his name just slipped

and he says, having loved this present world,

if someone can remember it? Thank you, Demas.

He has forsaken me having loved this present

world. He turned back. Hebrews 3 .14, for we

are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning

over confidence steadfast into the end. 6 .11,

we desire that every one of you do show the same

diligence to the full assurance of hope and to

the end. Be unmoved by the threats. Keep on holding

on. Because you know why? There's something better

than life. There's something better than this

life, and it's Jesus. And you best be prepared

to die for that belief. I think of our brothers

today in some Middle Eastern countries. When

one identifies with Christ, it's not until they're

baptized. There's all kinds of Muslim contexts

where people are okay if you make a private confession

of faith in Christ. But when you publicly identify

with Him baptism, a lot of times a bounty is

placed on your head. You risk your life. But

what they're saying, there is something better

than life, and that is Jesus, and He is faithful,

and His promises are true. These believers, they

had been baptized. It was a seal that what God

had promised, He will deliver on. Therefore,

there shouldn't be any hesitation or unbelief.

God is faithful. Everything is sure on His side.

Think about the testimony. When you can willingly

suffer the loss of everything, homes, lands,

family, life, because of the testimony of Christ,

that is a real testimony to the world of the

power and sufficiency of the gospel. Look at

verse 24. We provoke each other to love and good

works. Let us consider one another to provoke

unto love and to good works. To stir up is another

translation. How are you going to keep your profession?

You meet together for encouragement. The Christian

life, it is never ever meant to be lived in isolation,

but always in community. This is something we

in the Western world have a much harder time

grasping because in our culture, we are by nature

rugged individualists. Americans pull themselves

up by the bootstraps. So there's a hyper individual

focus in American culture. But that's not the

way the biblical culture is. You will be more

tempted to quit and to fall into despair or turn

your back on Christ if you go through extreme

trials and persecution alone. This is why we

need each other, which is why God has placed

us in a body, if you will. Think of war and those

who have been captured as prisoners of war. If

they have the support of a fellow prisoner or

fellow soldier, they are much more likely to

survive both mentally and physically. There's

something about being isolated, which is why

one of the tortures is what to put you in isolation.

But as we look at the welfare, you and I, as

we come back to the church, we're to look out

for the welfare of our fellow brothers and sisters.

So we need to be actively doing something and

the author says provoke them. Now we normally

think of provoking them as something that's negative,

but the word here actually means to incite, stir

up. You and I are to actively incite each other

to love and to good works. Richard Phillips in

his commentary writes this. The result of our

example and conversation should be love and good

works in the lives of other believers. Let me

ask you, if the way you handle yourself provokes

others to take seriously what the Bible teaches,

does your counsel cut against the grain of worldly

logic and press home the claims and promises

of God? Does your behavior set a helpful model

for weak or new believers? If not, you are not

making the impact you should for Christ's work

in the church. You and I are to provoke to love.

It's a supreme Christian virtue. It's the one

that Jesus said, by love shall all men know that

we are his disciples. But what does it mean to

love? Love is not the emotion that we're taught

to believe it is. Love doesn't mean you have

warm thoughts about someone. Love is willingly

seeking out the welfare of another person, period,

biblically speaking. 1 Timothy 1, 5. The purpose

of the commandment. That's an interesting statement.

This is the purpose. is love from a pure heart,

from a good conscience, and from a sincere faith.

Paul wrote that to Timothy. That's the same words

that's used over in Hebrews. Galatians 5 -6.

For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor

uncircumcision basically amounts to anything.

What does matter? Faith working through love.

This is an important point. This is what the

Holy Spirit is doing in the life of the church.

Love is the very root of the Christian life,

and the good works that flow from it are the

fruit. Love and good works. So they're at a hold

faster confession, and now he's saying, hey listen,

be involved in each other's lives. Encourage

each other to persevere. Hold fast to Christ.

Because these believers were all facing the same

thing. And when you're weak, you need the strength

of the body. No one is strong all the time. Friends,

no one is strong all the time. That's why we

need each other. That's why we need to be praying

for each other. I have personally benefited so

many times by some of you in here reaching out

and saying, Pastor, I'm praying for you. And

I usually try to write back and say, that means

more than you'll know. When we're weak, the prayers

of God's people avail. But then lastly, how do

we then really provoke to each other and incite

one another? Look at verse 25. Not forsaking

the assembling of ourselves together as a manner

of some, but exhorting one another so much the

more as you see that day approaching. How do

you do this? You don't neglect to gather to work

corporately to worship the Lord. That means this

is the priority. This right here, what we're

doing today, is the priority. Nothing else, not

sports, nothing else. Public worship is central

to the Christian life, and it is here that one

finds the means of grace. Because in the corporate

worship of God, the word is preached, the sacraments

or ordinances are administered, prayers are offered,

hymns are sung, and to neglect that means is

spiritually dangerous. continue to worship God,

continue to gather, but you're doing so as an

encouragement to your brothers and sisters. Now,

people today neglect corporate worship all the

time, but that's nothing new. In the first century,

they were tempted to not meet together because

it was very dangerous. The Roman army might come

in and attack them. They were being persecuted

for that. But in the 21st century, in America,

It's not because we're being persecuted, we've

allowed other things to become the priority.

And this is what I see as very dangerous. If

you look at the book of Revelation, there are

two enemies, and I'm jumping ahead of myself,

but I want to mention this here. We often think

about Satan being the great dragon, and he is.

And the great dragon seeks to just pummel the

people of God, persecute them ruthlessly, take

their lives if he can. But that often served

to purify the church. But there is an enemy that

is more insidious And perhaps more effective.

There's the great whore of Babylon, right? And

what does she do? So as a great whore, she seduces

God's people. She lures them away, not by persecuting

them, but by offering them other things that

they find more desirable. And this is just as

effective. So maybe the reason we neglect it

is different, but the result is the same, and

that's the neglect of corporate worship. And

Paul said, or excuse me, the author said here,

you assemble together, you exhort one another.

Do you see the communal aspect? It's not primarily

on what you may receive, but rather on how you

may contribute. So you're to look out for, we

are our brother's keeper in the church. We're

to look out for one another. But some here had

failed to meet together. As a result, sadly,

some turned their backs on Christ and they went

back to Judaism. And the writer saying, please

don't do that. Please don't do that. That is

to turn your back on Christ. That is to give

up salvation. That is to turn your back on salvation.

Don't neglect the public assembly. It is of utmost

importance in scripture. How often do I as a

pastor, I hear this, not so much from church

members, but you hear it in our culture all the

time. I don't need to go to church to worship

God. I can worship God by myself at home. In

a sense, okay, yeah, you can worship God anywhere.

That's the access we have. But I will say this,

you cannot be right with God if you do not come

together to worship God corporately. Yeah, you

can have private worship. But if you only have

private worship, never corporate worship, you're

not right with God. Our Christianity, and this

is one thing we have to understand, we have to

reclaim it. We've lost it. Our Christianity is

not to be lived out in isolation, but in community.

There's a well -known Scottish preacher of yesteryear

whose name is Robert Murray McShane, and he wrote

this. He preached this in 1838. When two travelers

are going through the wilderness, you may know

which of them is thirsty by his always looking

out for wells. So it is with thirsty believers.

They love the word, both read and preached. They

thirst for it more and more. Is it so with you,

dear believing brethren? In Scotland, long ago,

it used to be so. Often, after the blessing was

pronounced, the people would not go away till

they heard more. The blessing's talking about

the benediction, like I do at the very end. He

said, after the preacher had given the benediction,

people wanted more. They stayed around. Ah, children

of God, it is a fearful sign to see little thirst

in you. I do not wonder much when the world stays

away from our meetings for the word and prayer,

but ah, when you do, I am dumb. My soul will

weep in secret places for your pride. We have

to regain a vision of what God is doing in his

church, the priority of it. We come together

to worship our God and to exhort one another.

Exhort, it's a Greek word, parakaleo, and it

simply means to implore, to beg, to comfort,

to beseech, to call to action. It's all those

things. The Holy Spirit is called our paraclete,

the one who comes alongside us and helps us.

So that means you and I are to be vessels used

by the Holy Spirit to encourage one another in

our walk with the Lord. As the song says, there

are many pitfalls, dangers, toils, and snares.

We can't overcome them on our own. We need each

other. But no, it says, and so much, and we'll

close here, and so much the more as you see the

day approaching. The author said, hey, man, keep

encouraging another. Keep meeting. And especially

as you see that day approaching, what day is

he talking about? The day of the Lord. The return

of Christ. He is coming back, friends. Christ

Jesus is coming back. And all your effort, all

the blood, the sweat, the tears will never be

in vain. Keep on following the Lord. Which is

why at the end of 1st Corinthians 15, when he's

talking about the resurrection, he says, Therefore

be unmovable, always abounding in the work of

the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor

is not in vain in the Lord. Because Christ is

alive. Now think about it, if you're being persecuted

for your faith, this is a lifeline. Christ is

coming back. Christ is going to return. It gives

them hope and it gives them courage to continue

on, knowing all these wrongs that I'm experiencing

will one day be made right. William McDonald

in his commentary said, there was need to exhort

one another, especially in view of the nearness

of Christ's returns. When he comes, the persecuted,

the ostracized, despised believers, they will

be seen to be on the winning side. But until

then, there's need for steadfastness. Many dangers,

even in America here. It's not physical persecution,

like I said earlier. We're seduced by the great

poor of Babylon. You see it in the book of Revelation.

It seduces the people of God away from our faith,

offering the best this world has to offer. It's

what we're most tempted by. What shall profit

a man if he gains the whole world and loses his

own soul? So many people have made a risky gamble

and they've lost. It's not worth it. Look beyond

this world. Look beyond what you can presently

see. Look to the eternal. Gathering as believers

will help you do that. It is a safeguard so that

you're not seduced by the enemy because every

week we come and we're reoriented toward true

north. Okay, Lord, I am being deceived because

every day, all day long, I'm being tempted and

there's seduction out there and we're being drawn

away from the faith. And every Lord's Day we

gather and say, nope, my allegiance is to King

Jesus, to his kingdom, and he's returning, so

I'm not being moved. So my exhortation to you

today as a pastor is to see that the day is approaching.

It is drawing near. Don't be fooled. Don't be

caught off guard. Believer, you have a great

high priest in the heaven. He's praying for you.

He's interceding for you. So draw near to God.

Approach Him. Draw near to Him. Keep though your

profession. And while you're here on this earth

and as long as you have breath, stir up your

brothers and sisters in Christ unto love and

good works until the day that Christ returns.

This is what it means to have this great high

priest over the house of God. Let's pray. Father,

thank you. Lord, it is an encouragement to me

to know that, Lord, I am not alone. It's an encouragement

to me to know that Jesus is praying for me even

now in heaven. It is an encouragement, Lord,

to know that, Lord, you have given us all that

we need for life and godliness. Father, would

you protect us? Lord, all of us are weak. All

of us are just frail and easily to be seduced

and led away from the faith or to be led away

from our steadfastness in Christ. Lord, Father,

would you keep us from that? Lord, you must hold

us fast. But Father, as we're doing so, Lord,

we pray that, Lord God, we will not be moved.

But Father, Lord, we would encourage one another.

Lord, may your Holy Spirit work in me, in the

lives of your saints here this morning, that

we would encourage each other in our most holy

faith. that we would grow and mature and see

what life is really all about, that we will glorify

you, whether it be by life or by death. Lord,

I don't say that lightly or flippantly because,

Lord, I also realize some people truly are hurting.

Lord, in their hurt, may they find their source

of comfort in you. Lord, now as we come and we

not only do we remember by holding the elements

in our hands that represent the body and blood

of Christ, but we commune with the risen Lord.

I don't understand how it happens, but there's

a true communion with Christ this morning as

your Holy Spirit makes this meal effective in

the lives of your people. Father, I thank you

for that Lord. What an encouragement your church

is and we pray that God we would continue to

do so even more as we see the day approaching

and we ask this in Christ's name. Amen. Mice

and Deacons if you'll come. Distribute the elements,

please.