Okay, it's on now. I love Jesus. Hi, honey. Do you edit this at all? No. There we go. Reconnecting. This is just cooler than sliced bread. No, I don't want to rate it now. What are you doing? Sorry. Oh, isn't that cool? I find that cool. Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. Well, we have started this morning with the supremacy of Christ in the community of the saints. And we've gone from chapter 1 to chapter 4 and now to chapter 10. But chapter 10 begins a transition in the book from the argument of 7, 8 and 9 mainly. But it continues to talk about the supremacy of the Lord Jesus. He is better than. He is better than. Whatever you can come up with, He is better than. And then in chapter 10 and in verse 19, he writes, therefore, brothers, include sisters, 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 and 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. Our Father, we would ask that by Your Spirit that He would do what He has promised, and that is grant illumination of what a writer who wrote 2,000 years ago, we know ultimately the author is here with us. And so we would ask, teach us, Lord, Your ways. Help us to walk in accordance with Your Word, Lord, so that You would be glorified in each of our lives. We pray in Christ's name. Amen. Actually, secret service stories are rather boring if you're young. My boys, when I tell them what I did in that part, they really don't care. It's the police stories that are more, you're chasing after someone tackling them. That's the fun stuff. But since it's adults here, I was standing with the prime minister of, wait, I forget the country, Netherlands. I was standing with him. It was a NATO summit. He's getting ready to go speak, but he's bored of sitting in these holding rooms. So he steps out in this back hallway, and I step out there with him. So the prime minister is standing there, and we're just talking for a moment. And then out steps, through the other door, Tony Blair. And I'm like, that's pretty cool. But he steps out. There's no one with Tony Blair. I'm like, Mr. Prime Minister? And as soon as he stepped out, then Gerhard Schroeder, the prime minister of Germany, came out into the hallway. And I'm like, this is really weird because there's three guys and I'm the only security. Now, granted, we're in a building in Washington that's pretty well tightened down. And then President Clinton walks out. So now it's me and these four guys. One of these things does not belong. And I'm not sure if you know what that is. But where I was standing there, I began feeling a little awkward. So I slowly start backing up, because they're talking. I mean, it's not like they're talking about dropping missiles on one another or anything. I mean, it's just, oh, how are you doing? Whatever, you're staying in D.C. So I'm slowly backing up. But I thought after that, and then the supervisor came out for Clinton's detail, and I said, oh, good, you know, you're here, fine. And then they did this whole press conference thing, and I just stayed because they didn't need me out there. But I thought, boy, what someone wouldn't give for this access. No, it was an access for me that was rather accidental, actually. It was unplanned and it was only for a moment. But to my boys, are they impressed with that? They don't know who any of those guys are, nor do they care who they are. But I thought access, we love access, don't we? You go to Disney World, you pay to get behind the scenes or you go to SeaWorld, they have special access for people. But even there, right, you don't get full access to everything. But we love getting access behind the scenes. And that is exactly what the writer is picking up on. In the Jewish mind, there were just things that you did not get access to. You could not get access to them. You were not allowed to have access unless you were of the right tribe or of the right family. Then you get access. But if you're not that, sorry, that's just the way life is. You don't get access to the special places. Well, here he comes at the end of his argument. telling the people, therefore, brothers, you see that right at the beginning. Therefore, in light of the access you now have, because you have special access to this amazing son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, because you have this access, because of everything he has done for you and he's accomplished it all. Therefore, brothers, this is how you are to live in light of that. unparalleled access that you would have never had any other way right into the Holy of Holies. You now have access because Christ has taken care of that. Christ is superior. Christ has given you access. Therefore, go take advantage of it. I could never call Tony Blair on the phone, said, hey, you remember we were hanging out back in the 90s in Washington? No. Do you remember that one time I opened the door for you at 10 Downing Street in London? No, see you. Right. I have no access to Tony Blair. He doesn't know who I am, but we have access to the one who everything has been made through him and for him and to everything belongs to him. And the writer says in light of that, because you receive full forgiveness, because you have entered into this new covenant, you have to respond. You've got to do something. You can't just sit around and do nothing. It's like growing up in Indiana. I could only make it halfway through an Indiana basketball game. Because what did I have to do? I had to get out and shovel the driveway and go shoot baskets. You want to go do it. Well, how can you study the Bible, study Hebrews and then come to it and go, boy, that's nice. Yeah, OK. Maybe I'll do something about that in a few years. It shows you didn't get it. It shows you don't love it because it should transform the way you live. Doctrine must be applied. If it's not applied, We don't get it. We do not understand it. Truth must be lived out. If it is not lived out, then we've never embraced the truth. What is the right response to the promise that has been given to us in Christ? Well, there must be a response as the writer has talked through the warnings and we didn't really look at the warnings. Go back to chapter two just real quick. Let me point out a couple of the warnings. Chapter two, beginning in verse one. Because the warnings are all sprinkled through here. And I take them as genuine warnings, not, oh, well, they're only hypothetical warnings. But if you look at chapter two and verse one, therefore, we must pay closer attention to what we have heard lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how should we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard. And of course, he goes on. In chapter 3 and verse 12, which I think is just one of the biggest in-your-face warnings. Chapter 3 and verse 12, Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another, once a year, as long as it is called a year, Is that what he says? Once a month, as long as it is called a month. All right. How about once a week, as long as it's called a week? What does the writer say? Every single day. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ if If we've come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. Remember in class, our professor, Dr. Carson, saying a genuine saving faith is by definition a persevering faith. A genuine saving faith is by definition a persevering faith. If a faith does not persevere, then it was never genuine to begin with. It was a counterfeit from the beginning. And I think the writer of the Hebrews would say amen to that. Or maybe D.A. Carson would say amen to the writer of Hebrews, since this is the word of God. And these are just a few. I mean, you know, the one in chapter six. And then if we went on to chapter 10, which we'll get to later after this section, there's another very severe warning. It's a warning. These are strategically placed to stir the readers to more of a commitment, to press on, to continue on. Yes, it'll be hard, but you have to keep going and anchor in Christ. You must have your anchor with Him. And so we've arrived at chapter 10, and I chose this purposefully because here is the therefore. Here it is. Here should be our response to all that Christ has done, all He has said, all the work He has done on our behalf. Remember, he's writing to people who are tempted to walk away, to say adios to this. Tempted to go back to the old, to the familiar, to the Judaism, to all the sacrifices and everything that was so familiar with them. And the writer gives them three commands so that they will persevere. You have three commands right here in the text. And these commands should talk about and teach us that the supremacy of Christ should result in a community who perseveres together. We are so individualistic as Americans, it should kill us. And that's what the church has become. You go to Central America, you go much to the Hispanic community or just in other communities. Boy, they're so family oriented and extended. But we as American Christians, except for one who's from America, but we as Christians are so individualistic. And the writer of the Hebrews, that's appalling to him. Because God never expected you to go through this life as an individual with all the fights of faith and struggles that we have. And so, yes, we need to keep persevering. And He gives us three commands for us to obey. Three commands for persevering. The first one is because of who Christ is and what He has done, draw near to God. Draw near to God. And you see that in verses 19 through 22. He has to remind them real quick exactly what he's just taught them. 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, here's the command. So all that was just therefore because of all this, which I've already explained to you, by the way. Verse 22, let us, let us together draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. So after speaking of this amazing, perfect sacrifice, the blood of the covenant, I mean, so much in the middle part of Hebrews that we don't have time to go over. We should do a week retreat. And morning, Ted, you and I will divide the teach and we'll cover all of Hebrews in one week. That would be fun. That would be fun. So after inaugurating and saying everything he had said, now he arrives to the first of these three exhortations. In verse, you see it in verse 22, let us draw near. Verse 23, let us go fast. Verse 24, and let us. It's the salad verses. Let us, let us, let us. That's what it is. Sorry, that's cheap. But the contemplation is that because of all that Christ has done, it's not sit back, us four, no more, shut the door. I don't need to do anything. But it's not inactivity, but it's proactivity. Get to doing something because he's taking care of all the salvation. This should stir you to action, not the complacency. And so often that's what we see amongst Christians is complacency. But if you contemplate the gospel in its fullness, it should get you all riled up to say, yes, I got to go do something. I got to not hit someone, but you know what I mean? Hit them in a good and right way. That's what guys think. I got to go hit something and something happens. But it should stir us up because we have this understanding, this truth that you are free in Christ. You are free to love. You are free to serve. There is no condemnation for you. Your great high priest is interceding. Faith has been granted to you. You have hope and joy. You have eternity to live. I mean, that's it all. Man, that's exciting. In fact, how should we approach the throne? Well, he tells us, let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith. with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Because of all this, we go with confidence in a new and living way, not like the Old Testament, but in a new and living way, understanding the gospel. And Christ has entered through the holies and has now given us full access because I don't go based upon what I've done. I go based upon what another has done and what he has done is perfect and holy and eternal and has been accepted by his father. I offended an infinite holy God. Christ came and was the infinite perfect sacrifice. Therefore, He is now completely satisfied." In fact, we were talking about the song. One of the songs I thought, man, that would be a good song for this weekend. Before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfect please. The great high priest whose name is love, whoever lives to plead for me. My name is graven on his hands. What a wonderful song. And that's a reminder that we can approach boldly. You can have confidence because you're coming based on what He has done, not based upon what you have done. And that's the fullness of faith. Not having faith is me trusting in me. Fullness of faith is trusting in Christ, trusting in, as he says there, the blood of Jesus. We trust in the sacrifice of Christ, His life being poured out in death, as verse 19 says. See, under the old covenant, you could never approach God confidently. You couldn't do it. You always had to come with a sacrifice. But how striking the contrast is between how they did it under the old and now how we do it under the new covenant. But it's coming, not any way you want, right? You can never approach God any way you want. But how does he say to come in verse 22? With a true heart and full assurance of faith. that our heart must be true. It must be sincere, meaning with a genuine singleness of purpose and dedication. It has unwavering trust in Jesus Christ and in Him alone, and the heart stands for the whole of the inner life. Draw near with a true heart that my whole inward part of my life has full assurance, trusting in Christ's sacrifice, but also in His high priestly work. We've got to understand the priesthood of Christ. And he's always interceding for me, always. And he never stops that intercessional ministry on my behalf. And that is our confidence that we all come. And if we have the pure heart and the full assurance, then we have been cleansed from an evil conscience. Boy, so many people sit in counseling for years because of their conscience, don't they? They feel so condemned by stuff they have done. But it's an amazing gospel that a guy... I had heard or read somewhere that Jeffrey Dahmer had come to Christ while in prison at some point. But whether that be true or not, whatever evil has ever been committed, that person, if they fully trust in Christ, it's completely forgiven. Isn't that amazing? That a murderer... In fact, we had a guy at seminary who was a murderer. I was working in admissions at that point. And we get that he had done time. He wasn't directly, but he was indirectly involved. And we get this application. In fact, they made a TV miniseries about this guy and his friends back in the late. And I was in the 90s. And so we asked Dr. MacArthur, we better run this up to you, John, in case the press gets a hold of this. And and he said, wow, well, he said the Apostle Paul was a murderer. And he became an apostle. So I would say a guy who's come to know Christ in prison, though he was involved in a murder, then hasn't God forgiven him? I'll never forget how confidently he said, let him in. Let him come. And he's now pastoring a church today out in California. But he's been fully forgiven of all of that transgression, that he has the direct access as someone who's been the best person ever. because it's all through Christ. And so we draw near to the Lord in confidence. I think this is a place to say that on the one side of the sheet or down at the bottom, how's your prayer life? Because we can sit and go, yes, I have confidence to boldness because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I can now approach God anytime I want. But yet, do we? If our faith, if we have confidence in the gospel, is not the God who would cover all of your sins, give you eternal life? Is he not the same God who would hear you now? If you were going to say one to ten, how is your prayer life? What would you put down for one to ten? I want you to take a moment and write down a number. Because after you write down a number, I want whatever it is, if it's a two, what do you need to do that will get you to a four? If you're a six, what will get you to an eight? What if you say, Lord, I know this to be true and I've been lazy. I've been whatever you want to whatever you want to put on there. I think one of the problems is we're always trying to do the prayer life alone. Most of us are trying to do it alone. I would encourage you to find a partner in prayer. Not that every day you have to do it with someone, but find someone you're praying with regularly to encourage one another, to hear the language of someone else as they're crying out before the Lord. Sometimes I hear someone pray something. In fact, just hearing Ted pray, he prayed something. I'm like, oh, didn't think of that. I would have never thought of that. But it was really good. So I think finding someone to pray with, even if it's once a week, over the phone, Skype, whatever it is, But if we have this kind of unhindered access, why don't we take advantage of it? And again, it's not, well, you need to go to 15 minutes. It's not, let's put numbers to it. But it's wherever you are, what would it take to grow some and to challenge yourself to grow in faith before this great God? And underneath that, there's a great book by Paul Miller, A Prayer in Life. I would commend to you Paul Miller's book. It's a praying life. Pray more specifically. That you can really see if God answers. I think our prayers are a lot like just generic. Lord, bless. Bless. Bless. And it's like, what does that mean? But instead, specifically praying for yourself, your family, others in your life. Lord, we want to see Your hand at work here. And then watch. God wants to build your faith. But if we're always praying, Lord, just bless Rob, Lord, bless him and bless him and bless him. And then he breaks his leg. What did God bless him? Well, maybe the greatest blessing is going to happen, right? Demille comes out. But again, to pray specifically before the throne of grace, to draw near to God, the writer says, come exercise your faith. If you're doing that regularly, the chances of you falling away are nil to none. if you are seeking Him at His throne. But it's not just draw near to God. Secondly, I'm not checking my messages. My phone keeps shutting off. Secondly, it's because of who Christ is and what He has done. Hold fast to hope. Hold fast to hope. Look at verse 23. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. So we hold fast our hope without wavering Not just all by ourselves, gritting our teeth, I'm going to hope, hope, hope. But it's because he who promised is faithful. He's already said something very similar. If you go back to chapter three and verse six, if you would hang a left and go back there. In chapter three, verse five, he says, Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a serpent. to testify to the things that were to be spoken later. But Christ, verse 6, is faithful over God's house as a son. There's that son language. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. So he's already mentioned hope in 4.14. Since then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. Let us hold fast our confidence or hold fast our confession. To hold it fast. That's what the writer's calling us to do, to hang on. And so now here we are at chapter 10 and in verse 23, and he brings this up again. Hold fast. Hang on with hope, with confidence. Don't let go. Keep gripping and hanging on. Hope is so important in the Christian life. Hope is what keeps you going. And if you've read the book Unbroken, have you read that by Laura Hildenbrand about Louie Zamperini, the military guy? I guess they're making a movie about it. Do you know that book, Unbroken? Incredible book. World War II pilot crashes in the ocean. He and two other guys, one dies, but they float on a raft in the Pacific Ocean for 46 days. sharks circling underneath, eventually captured by the Japanese, taken to a concentration camp. Just incredible. When he was in the boat, he said, the one guy did not survive. And Louis is convinced. He just died this summer. He was 90, whatever, 94, 5, 6, whatever. But he said the reason that guy died, he was convinced because he didn't have hope. He didn't think they would make it. And he and the other guy kept hoping and hoping and hoping. And eventually, Louis came to know Christ at a Billy Graham crusade in 1949 in L.A. His wife drugged him to this Billy Graham crusade. And he repented and believed. Greg Laurie, I guess, doesn't like the movie. I guess he got a sneak peek. It was directed by Angelina Jolie, and she didn't really put his faith in the movie. But an incredible story. Just incredible. But he said the reason he and the other guy survived was because they maintained hope. They had hope continually, even though they were 46 days in the ocean on a two man raft with sharks swimming underneath. I mean, it is you got to read the book. OK, no more book recommendations. So it brings up hope again, because if you think of Antonius, the guy I read about earlier, the fictitious guy, that's what he needed, right? People are looking today for hope. They can't find it. They're not finding it in the government, are they? Are they finding it in their careers? And what does the Lord do with people's careers? So quickly pulls the rug out from under it. In family, in relationships. But here the writer says hope is in Christ. And hang on, because Christ provides hope. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope. Look at how the writer describes hope back in chapter six. Go back real quick. Just a few pages. The chapter six and in verse 18. This is really good. Oh, let's go to 17. Why just go to 18? We can do verse 17. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise, the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath. so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Faith and hope. Hope and faith. John Calvin said that hope is the child of faith. It is fed and sustained by faith to the end. But hope is the child of faith. If you have faith, you will, by definition, have hope. And that is how hope is fed. And we must hold fast because Christ is faithful. He's doing His part. He is faithful. And He will not let us go. This is like the flotation device. My little daughter goes swimming and puts those little things on her arm. They don't hold her up. I don't have hope for those things. But I put a big honking pink You know, life vest. I could toss her out in that lake. She's not sinking because she it's definitely buoyant. That's what hope is. Hope will not let you sink. You lose hope. You've lost confidence. You lose confidence. You will begin to sink. Now, what has happened in the church and we need to do away with it. There are way too many Christian Eeyores in the church and You know, because they're in every church. There are Christian Eeyores. How's your day? Oh, fine, I guess. But they're always you want to go, where's your hope? And people say, well, hope, it's a personality thing. It is not a personality thing. It's fed by faith, not by your personality. And there's way too many Christian Eeyores. And you know what they do? They suck hope out of other people. Because I walk away after running into Christian Eeyores and I'm like, Man, I'm depressed already. So then I come walk up to Rah. He says, well, I was fine until I ran into Eeyore over there. Now I'm Eeyore. I remember working with a guy one time. I'd go, hey, how's your day? Oh, I guess it's not bad. Well, blessings to you, brother, as well. This isn't what we need. This doesn't adorn that Christ is supreme. And if we're going to say Christ is supreme, then there's no place for someone who says, I love Jesus, to live life like that. Now, will we have hard times? Certainly we will. But do we always have to have... And you know, there are some people who are the hope suckers. They suck hope out of people. And they need to be confronted in a loving, gentle, kind way. And said, do you have hope? Well then, put it on your face. I don't mean paste a Joel Osteen smile. Everything is always fine. I don't mean that. But it comes out of a heart that says, I love Christ and I want to seek Him. Edit that part out there. Ted, it's not a personality. Hope is something given by the Holy Spirit. And if we love Jesus, we should all be those who have hope. Again, we all respond differently, right? We don't all. But still, we don't all have to be this either. Alright, we'll move on for Eeyore. Thirdly and finally, and this is where I want to really focus, because of who Christ is and what He has done, encourage one another. Encourage one another. Look at verses 24 and 25. You should have these stenciled in churches. 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." This third one, I believe, is the one that is the most neglected or downplayed in our day in many churches. In fact, I met a lady who described her church. She said, our church is like a mall. You go in, you sing for 20 minutes, they preach for 20 minutes, and you get out as fast as you can because the next group is waiting to come in and they need the parking and the seats. And I said, get out of that church. But that's how she viewed her church. It's like a cattle call. You usher them in and get out and then next group in. In fact, some churches, and I'm sure they're around this area, they exalt anonymity, right? Come, we'll never ask who you are. Just come in and out as you please. We'll keep you at arm's length. If you want to get those, that's fine. But we'll... Where is that? In the New Testament, the right of the Hebrews wouldn't have been saying, oh, that's a good way to do church. He's saying just the opposite. They exalt anonymity, but the true local church cannot be a group of anonymous people just rubbing shoulders as they're in and out. We are not called to avoid one another, but to go after one another. The right of the Hebrews would have been appalled at anonymity and avoidance. Because we have a responsibility to hold fast ourselves, but we are also to encourage fellow believers to do the same. In fact, look at the triad that is in these three points. The first is faith. The second, right? Faith. Verse 22. Verse 23, hope. What's verses 24 and 25? Faith, hope and love. Verses 24 and 25 are love. That's the triad, the great triad from 1 Corinthians 13. Faith, hope and love. Verse 24 is simply saying that. Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good deeds. Let us consider. Let us give thoughtful consideration and pondering and loving concern for those in the Christian community. We're to pay special attention. He's saying do all diligence. Pay attention to this task of stirring up one another to love and to good deeds. And this word for stirring up, you see the word there stirring up? I am not a cook. I'm not a chef. Thank the Lord. I'm glad there's people who enjoy that. But what do you do when you stir something in the pot? I have done that as I eat some cookie dough periodically. What's happening is you're stirring that up. You're blending. What's happening inside that thing? Friction, right? Crushing. That's how this word is used. This word is not a positive term in the New Testament. It means that stir up. There's friction happening. You are irritating one another. That's what it means. It's the command is striking. It's causing friction. We are to irritate one another to love and good deeds. That's what it says. Because generally, if I'm calling you to love and to good deeds, why would I be calling you to do that if you're actually doing it? You're generally calling someone to do it when they're what? When they're not doing it, which can lead to friction. But Jesus isn't asking and saying, well, if you want to do this, go ahead. You know, if you got the Christianity, like the graduate level, then do this. But if you just want the high school Christianity, don't bother. He's not saying that. We are to stir one another up. Because you know why it is so critically important? Because to not do it may be to the demise of a brother or sister on their way out of your church. In order to do this, all of us need to make The gathering of the church of Jesus Christ, the highest priority in our lives. The writer is saying, do not neglect to gather together because you know what? You can't stir one another up if you're not there. Right. Rob can stir no one up. I'm just picking on you tonight, Rob. OK. If Rob isn't around, he can't stir anyone up to love of good deeds, nor can anyone in here stir him up to love of good deeds because he's not here. Profound, isn't it? I'm so thankful I went to seminary to learn that the gathering needs to be a priority. But see, the problem, verse twenty five, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some. That's what's happening. In fact, I wondered who when they were reading this scroll to the people, if those who had not been doing it were actually there or not there when it was read. So often I preach, I think, a great message that's supposed to be convicting to some people who aren't there. And I'm like, well, they need to be here. I should have called him before and say, hey, you need to be here and say, man, I don't want to let the cat out of the bag. Now, let's not be too quick to go, well, I go to church. Checked. I'm good here. Just being there isn't enough, right? Just going and sitting in attendance. Oh, glad to see you. Glad to see you. Can't wait to get out of here. Lunch is calling. That is not accomplishing what the writer expects either. What makes it a Christian gathering is that we are all holding fast our confession. We have hope and we're going after one another in a good way to stir one another up to love and a good deed and to encourage one another. And whenever we're talking to someone, because there's people in your church that you find more difficult to talk to than others. Amen. Right. Let's just be honest. Now, of course, it's no one in here, right? It's everybody out there. But there are some people, even as a pastor, I'll confess for myself, you can't fire me. I'm not employed by you. There's some people in our church back in Nebraska. They are so they don't hit the tennis ball back to me when I talk to them. Hey, how are you doing today? Fine. Hey, how did farming go this week? Fine. My brain, I'm like, how do I make a connection? Every conversation would be, how can I encourage this person? Even if it's, you know, you're not saying much, but I'm glad you're here. Welcome. It's hard, isn't it? Some people are easier. But yet the Lord Jesus came after me and I wasn't easy. So rather than always going to our friends and those who are the easy, you know, we need to do? We need to target people, which sounds bad coming from the Secret Service and in the environment that we live in with NSA, but we need to target people prior to Sunday morning that we're going to go after. Who is the person at your church who goes in and sits by themselves before the service and no one talks to them? Because there are some. There has to be. Be the person who goes and greets them and sits next to them. And if that's all you accomplished that morning is loving that person, boy, you planned, you were there to do ministry. That's why I tell people, the best ministry of the church is the ministry that's unorganized. Meaning leadership isn't even involved. It's the people in the body of Christ moving amongst the room going, Rob, good morning, man. Good to see you, man. Mike, how are you doing? Hey, I've been praying for you this week, brother. I'm so thankful for you and your ministry. You really minister. And I'm thankful for your wife as well. But, you know, I encourage that you're here. If that's happening all over that church, people want to be there. People want to come. But but to manufacture it. The greeters at the door. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Thankful for him. But that can't be the ministry that the writers here talking about. Because. Our greeters need better training. Can you strike that part from the audio as well in our church? I get depressed after seeing some greeters in some churches because they're not too exciting. Really train your greeters. Are there any greeters here? Any greeters here? Really do it well. Rob, you have a great smile. You're good, brother. You're good. But boy, that's a special calling to greet people and welcome them in the name of Christ. But this should be why we gather, is to encourage one another. Ted does it from the front or whoever's preaching, right? They're encouraging with the Word of God, but there has to be so much ministry going on amongst the people encouraging one another. In fact, if all your conversations on Sunday morning, if all of your conversations Could happen at your workplace with unbelievers? Are you really the church of Jesus Christ? What's the point of that? If tomorrow morning all the conversation, obviously I won't be there, but if all the conversations are about OU and Baylor, when we have the confidence to enter the throne room of grace and that we have a great high priest, let's talk about that. But it's hard. It's easy to default to the others. I'm not saying someone's brand new at your church that you go and bombard them with a bunch of Christian talk and they're like, whoa, man, back off. I'm just want to see what this is all about. You have to gauge. But boy, that some of you who know each other talk about Christ, they owe you for nothing. I question anyway, what are you going to talk about tomorrow anyway? But if I'm so convicted, our church, so often our conversations are, I could be having with the devil himself because I wouldn't be offending him rather than truly talking about what Christ has done. And are we pursuing him? So this is clearly more what the writers say, and this is clearly more than merely fellowship and playing games together. As fun as that is, there's also deep conversations about loving Christ and following him. I like what Ken Hughes says. Ken Hughes is so good. Unconcerned for the well-being of the body of which they are members is symptomatic of self-concern and egocentricity. Unconcerned for the well-being of the body, that this church body is such a concern for you, and it flows over in your prayer life, and it flows over on the Sunday morning that you want to make sure, see who's there, and follow up with people, unconcern for fellow believers reveals that you have unconcern even for Christ Himself. Because when we can neglect the gathering of God's people with ease and without a second thought, it reveals we don't have the love for Christ that we should. Calvin's words still, apply if I... Oh, come on. Is it on here? Because I really would like for you to see it. Can you hit... There it is! John Calvin. There is so much peevishness. Isn't that good? There's so much peevishness in almost everyone that individuals, if they could, would gladly make their own churches for themselves. Calvin probably didn't say it like that. This warning is therefore more than needed by all of us, that we should be encouraged to love rather than hate, and that we should not separate ourselves from those who are joined to us by a common faith. But we are such nitpickers. Oh, it's amazing to me how nitpicky people become in the church and they miss the big picture. Guilty. I'm guilty. That it needs to be a constant reminder. It's not about decorative stuff. It's not about the flooring. It's about Christ. It's about people coming to him. It's about fellowship with one another. And it's not about separating from those who are joined with a common faith. Christ died for this local body of believers. Acts 20. He purchased this church with his own blood. It is precious to him. People need to be careful how they deal with the church of Jesus Christ, because it's His bride. And those who damage it, Jesus will have words with. And be very careful about how they treat a community of believers. And we need mutual support and exhortation. Your presence in church on Sundays is so important and should be the highest priority for you every week. It's not optional. And hopefully you don't see it as a legalistic command, but one of a great opportunity to gather to corporately worship, right? You worship all week, right? But this is a unique corporate setting of worship that you can't accomplish on your own. And it's an opportunity for ministry there. And I think it's time. I am my frustration coming across Hey, you don't really know me, so that's okay. I'm just shocked how people can be so faithful to work on time. But yet it comes Sunday mornings and no church service I don't think ever starts unless there's a particularly early service. But most ministries start at like nine o'clock and still people come dragging in like, oh, it's nine fifty. Man, I'm tired. Man, what a rough... You wouldn't go to work like that. So why are you coming to corporate worship of the living God like that? You would never do that to your boss, but you would do it to Jesus? I just don't get it. I don't understand it. Dan Dumas, he's the one who started it at Grace Community, I think. Sunday morning begins Saturday night. I remember when I was in college ministry, what are you doing out at 1 a.m. anyway on Sunday morning when you have to be at a church? Really, is that giving the Lord your best? Because this is so important, the writer of Hebrews, if you're going to maintain and continue and persevere, then do not neglect the gathering of the saints. You need to encourage one another. All right, I want you all to stand up. And we're going to get a circle, because I want to show you this. You can leave all that stuff right there. Don't worry, we're not going to do anything funky or weird. at this point. So let's just do, where can we do a circle? Yeah, let's do it over here. All right, come over here. Come on, you can't wait a long time. Come on. Okay. Okay. So I promise you nothing weird or anything like that. So just stand next to each other. No, you can't hold hands. Stop that, you people. Okay, stand together. You can get a little closer. We're Americans. We do like our personal space, don't we? Okay, Rob, walk away. See, that was easy to do, wasn't it? There's no one hanging on to him. He can walk away. Any of you can just walk away. This is how most churches are. In fact, it's awkward. Someone leaves. No one expects anyone to follow up. Where's Ted? Except maybe the pastor. You know, that's on his list of things to do. Okay, now take hands. Rob, walk away. Some churches are like this. Okay, there's a grip. But I can break it if I want. Right? Any of you can just pull your... That didn't hurt, did it? Oh, okay. I didn't mean to be... But right, you can get out of a grip pretty easily. Right? You can break that grip pretty easily. You want to walk away? But there's a little resistance. Grab arms. Right. This is what they teach Navy SEALs when they're training together. If you're riding it out like this, this is what the writer of Hebrews has in mind. Hands are good. Not holding hands. Just get out of there if you're in that church. This is what He wants. No one can get out of this. Go ahead. Pull away. I'm not letting anybody go. It's going to take a whole group of you, but even then, you have people on either end. This is what He has in mind. This has to be your church. We're not going to let you go. We're going to hang on to you because we love you too much. And if you're missing a Sunday, you know what? It's not just Ted's job to call. It's your job to call. Where are you, brother, sister? Missed you. What? Can I get a Sunday off? No! I was tired too. You be there. This is what he has in mind. To be the Christian Navy SEALs to say, we're not going to let go. Obviously, there's people who would have liked to have been here this weekend who couldn't make it for whatever reason. I know Terry's gone. and his wife isn't feeling well, and there's others. So you widen the circle. But this is how you have to view your church. Sunday mornings, we are together. We are anchored in Christ. But we're not going to let you go because we love you too much. Let's pray together. Our Father, I pray for this church. May they draw together. May they not let one another go. for the sake of the Lord Jesus. Now, obviously, Lord, people move away. There are circumstances in life. We understand that. But there are people who simply wander away and they fade into the night. Lord, may that not happen at the Bible Church of Owasso. May they be proactive and love one another and stir up one another, irritate one another to love and to good deeds. so that Christ would be supremely exalted in their church. And they would all grow in the grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Thank You for this group. And Lord, we pray You would continue to build Your church knowing that the gates of hell will not prevail against Her. Lord, do Your work. And we pray in Christ's name, Amen.