Our scripture reading for today, to which I invite you to turn with me at this time, is found in the book of Hebrews, in the New Testament, near the end of the Bible, in fact, just before the book of James. The book of Hebrews, the 10th chapter, beginning in verse 1. We begin reading in Hebrews 10, verse 1. We read through verse 25 of that chapter. But I draw your special attention, brothers and sisters, to verse 22, as verse 22 will constitute our text for today. Hebrews 10, beginning in verse 1, hear then the word of the Lord. The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming, not the realities themselves. For this reason, it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they have not stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said, sacrifice an offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me. With burnt offerings and sin offerings, you were not pleased. Then I said, here I am. It is written about me in the scroll. I have come to do your will, O God. First, he said, sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them, although the law required them to be made. Then he said, here I am. I have come to do your will. He sets aside the first to establish the second. By that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day, every priest stands and performs his religious duties. Again and again, he offers the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time, he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice, he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says, this is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds. Then he adds, their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more. And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain that is his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching. Thus far the reading of God's Holy Word. And as always dear friends, I ask and urge you to keep your Bibles open and handy as we look to God's Word together today. Dear congregation of Jesus Christ, the cover of the March 2016 issue, the very excellent table talk devotional published by Ligonier Ministries, really caught my eye. If you are close enough to see the cover picture, you notice that there are a group of people pictured here, sort of semi-hugging, smiling and laughing, with just a glimpse of a very majestic mountain in the background. Now when I first glanced at this picture several weeks ago, I thought that perhaps it was a family reunion. And then I thought, well, perhaps it's a group of Taurus together out in the beautiful creation which God has graciously given to us. But then I noticed the theme of this particular issue of Table Talk, namely, one another, one another. And then I read, as perhaps many of you have already read as well, The inside opening article of this issue of Table Talk by the editor, Burke Parsons, entitled, The Orthodoxy of Community. This article, again, some of you may recall, reads in part as follows, and I quote, The love language of all marriages is self-denial. When both husband and wife are consumed, not with their own immediate happiness, but with the happiness of one another, they will enjoy a happy marriage. The same is true for enduring friendships and for authentic community. With the disintegration of marriage has come the dissolution of community. As such, community has fallen on hard times. What every generation and every society in all of history has enjoyed, the rising generation will have to fight for. The rise of online communities, online church, and online everything Face-to-face, eye-to-eye, shoulder-to-shoulder community has become increasingly difficult to find. Moreover, many don't know what real community is and thus don't know what to look for. Real community doesn't happen on its own. It takes time, patience, repentance, forgiveness, and love that covers a multitude of sins. The church community is not just a crowd of people on a Sunday morning, it is the gathered worshiping people of God in a congregation where masks aren't needed, and where real friends help bear the real burdens of one another. Community is not just getting together, it is living together, suffering together, rejoicing together, and dying together. Although many Christians claim to want genuine community, many want it only on their own terms, when it's convenient, and when it demands nothing from them. What they want isn't the church community, but a country club where they pay their dues for services rendered. They want to be served without having to serve anyone else. Real community forces us to die to ourselves and get over ourselves so that we might love one another as ourselves, end of quote. Friends, after I read that opening article again several weeks ago, I flipped a couple of pages and noticed that in this particular issue of Table Talk, the editor gives to us, he submits to us several different articles on the character of Christian community. And here we find articles dealing with such issues as welcoming one another and serving one another and forgiving one another and bearing one another's burdens and praying for one another and encouraging one another and on and on it goes. And brothers and sisters, as I was reading through those several articles dealing with the characteristics of orthodox and authentic Christian community, the Lord sort of laid on my heart the desire to preach a series of sermons on the theme of lettuce, of lettuce. Now, I do not mean lettuce in the sense of the vegetable lettuce, but I am referring to lettuce in the sense of the biblical exhortations God gives us concerning things which He says we must do together, we must do corporately, we must do in community, we must do together as brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Then as my thinking and praying and reflecting upon God's word continued, the Lord and His Holy Spirit led me to Hebrews chapter 10, especially verses 22 through 25, where we find several letos, letos exhortations. And now as we begin this series of sermons together on the theme of let us, we're going to begin focusing, as I mentioned a moment ago, specifically on verse 22. And friends, in verse 22, we find ourselves being both inspired and instructed by the fact that because our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, so selflessly and sacrificially shed his blood for us on Calvary's cross some 2,000 years ago, Thereby opening up for us direct access into the very presence of god. Think of this You and I brothers and sisters in sincere and heartfelt and faith-filled response Are then called and commanded and indeed invited by the sacred scriptures To draw near to god. The bible says let us draw near to god. Think about that Now before we look specifically at verse 22 of Hebrews chapter 10, I would like to set just a bit of the context of our text because as someone once so wisely said, a text without a context is a pretext. And so look at verse 19 with me of Hebrews chapter 10, where the author under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says, therefore brothers, that is in view of everything that he has just said concerning the person and work of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Biblical teaching that is well summarized in the following verses. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence, King James says, or boldness to enter the most holy place. Now boys and girls, young people, you may recall that the most holy place, also known as the Holy of Holies, is a reference to the Old Testament tabernacle and temple. The Holy of Holies, or the Most Holy Place, was divided by a curtain which separated the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place. And in that Most Holy Place dwelt the Ark of the Covenant with the Mercy Seat, or the Atonement Cover, representing the very presence of Almighty God. Think of that. And the Bible says that the High Priest could only enter into that Most Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies, once a year, and that was on the Day of Atonement. In fact, in Leviticus chapter 16, we read that the high priest Aaron had to enter the most holy place by means of the blood of bulls and goats in order to make atonement for his own sin, and the sin of his household, and the sin of God's people. In fact, in Leviticus 16, verse 2, the Lord said to Moses, Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the most holy place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die. Think about that. Aaron could not enter the Holy of Holies whenever he wanted to, or he would die. And yet, what we're about to learn, brothers and sisters, is that the Lord invites us to come regularly, all the time, any time, through the blood and name of Jesus into His holy presence. But that's getting ahead of ourselves. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus, why did Jesus have to die? If you'll go back to Hebrews 9, a page or two with me, to verse 22, Hebrews 9, 22, the answer is given. It says, in fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. And so we read in Hebrews 10.19, Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, that is the way which gives us life because of the death and resurrection of the giver of life, the one who said, I am the way and the truth and the life, by a new and living way, open for us through the curtain that is His body. A few weeks ago we studied in Matthew 27, verse 51, that at the very moment Jesus died, the Bible says that curtain in the temple was torn into from top to bottom, powerfully portraying the access we now have to our Heavenly Father. By a new and living way opened for us through the curtain that is His body. And since we have a great priest over the house of God, If you're taking notes, you may wish to jot down Hebrews 3, verses 5 and 6, which tells us, Moses was a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house, and we are His house if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. We have a great priest over the house of God. And now we get to verse 22. Having set that context, we now get to our text in verse 22. And friends, let us first of all consider the fact that we are to draw near to God corporately. We are first of all to draw near to God corporately. For example, look at verse 22 now with me, if you would please. Here we read, let us that is corporately in community together as brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, let us draw near to God. Now, friends, notice two things, if you would, concerning this verb, to draw near. First of all, it's interesting to note that in the original language, that particular verb, especially as it is used in the book of Hebrews, for example, in Hebrews 10, verse 1, It always refers to, especially in the book of Hebrews, to coming before or drawing near in worship. Coming before or drawing near in worship. That same sense is conveyed in the Old Testament in the book of Psalms. If you would care to turn with me, turn to Psalm 95, verses 6 and 7. Psalm 95, verses 6 and 7, where the sacred psalmist writes, Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. But that verb drawing near or letting us come near in the original does not only convey a sense of drawing near in worship or coming near in humble worship and kneeling and bowing down before this holy righteous God. But it also conveys a sense of coming near or drawing near to God through prayer. In fact, turn to Hebrews 4 with me, if you would please. Just go back a couple of pages. And in Hebrews 4, verses 14 through 16, notice what we read. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin. Let us then approach, that is together corporately in community, let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. And so we come to God together in prayer and worship. You know, many churches today barely give any time to coming to God in prayer and worship. There's all kinds of other stuff going on. But there's very little, if any, prayer, corporate prayer, when the Bible says, let us come before the throne of grace together in prayer. In our Bible studies, in our household groups, in our Sunday school classes, we need to take time to come before God together in prayer. Our monthly congregational prayer meeting, critically important in the life of a church, let us come corporately before the Lord together in prayer. And brothers and sisters, where the rubber meets the road on this, I was just reflecting on the words of this great gospel hymn the other day as I was preparing this. You know, we sing these songs and sometimes we don't realize the blessedness of the words we're singing. You know this hymn. Don't worry, I'm not going to sing it. I'm just going to read it. But listen carefully, please. What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. Oh, what peace we often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. Have we trials and temptations? Yeah. Is there trouble anywhere? Oh, yeah. We should never be discouraged. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? No. Jesus knows our every weakness. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Oh, yeah. Precious Savior, still our refuge. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Yeah, that happens at times. Take it to the Lord in prayer. In his arms he'll take and shield thee that will find a solace there. Think about that, think about that. Brothers and sisters, all of this is incorporated here by way of exhortation in the words of our text, saying that through worship and through prayer, Let us draw near to God corporately. Let us draw near to God corporately. Well, let's go back to our text in Hebrews 10, 22, because secondly, our text teaches us that we are to draw near to God confidently. We are to draw near to God confidently. Verse 22, once again, look with me, please. Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart. Cardia in the Greek, that's where we get our English word cardiac from, that's the word heart. of faith. Now friends, what do you suppose it means to draw near to God with a sincere heart? A sincere heart. Well, interestingly enough, the King James translates that as, that word sincere, as true. Let us draw near to God with a true heart. That is, a heart that is real, genuine, not false, hypocritical, doubtful, or deceitful in any way. In a word, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart. And brothers and sisters, let us remember that God is the searcher of hearts, the Bible says. He sees our hearts. He knows our hearts. He cannot be fooled concerning anything regarding our hearts. In fact, that is why in Psalm 139, if you want to go back to the Psalms with me once again, Job's Psalms Proverbs, in Psalm 139, verses 23 and 24, the psalmist David prays a prayer that you and I need to be continually praying. Namely, search me, O God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. And then similarly in the New Testament, if you're taking notes, in Luke 16 verse 15, our Lord Jesus said to the Pharisees who were sneering at Him, You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. Also in the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5 verse 8, our Lord Jesus again declared, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. And so friends, think about this. Think about critically important it is for you and for me and for us to prepare our hearts for worship, to prepare our hearts for worship, to prepare our hearts for worship. You see, let us draw near to God with sincere hearts. And not only so, look back with me again, if you would, at Hebrews 10, 22. Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in Full assurance of faith. And full assurance of faith. Now, faith of course is the primary subject, if you'll flip over a page or two to Hebrews chapter 11, that whole chapter deals with what is called the heroes of the faith, or the heroes hall of faith, whatever you want to say. But faith is the main theme, the main subject of all of Hebrews chapter 11. And here we read, for example, in Hebrews 11.1, now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. If you'll drop down, please, to Hebrews 11.6, and without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Faith. You know, just several days ago, I was listening to Redeemer broadcasting. I think I've mentioned that, Margaret and I leave that on in the kitchen. We kind of leave it on almost 24 hours a day, just as you're passing through your day, you hear hymns and Bible teaching and all sorts of things. Ravi Zacharias, Dr. Ravi Zacharias was teaching. He's on at nine in the morning. And he was teaching, and he was talking about faith in the sense of taking God at his word. Faith is simply taking God at his word. And Dr. Zacharias quoted something he had heard Dr. Billy Graham say many years ago. And according to Ravi Zacharias, the great evangelist Billy Graham once said, and I'm quoting now as best as I can recall, Billy Graham said, you know, the Bible says that a great fish swallowed Jonah. And I believe that. And then Billy Graham said, in fact, I would believe it if the Bible said that Jonah swallowed a great fish, because that's what faith is. Faith is simply taking God at His word. So yes, brothers and sisters, we must draw near to God, not simply with a sincere heart, but also in full assurance of faith. with the result that according to Ephesians 3 verse 12 if you're taking notes Ephesians 3 verse 12 in him that is in Christ because of the person and work of Christ in him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence think of the blessing of that Ephesians 3 12 in him that is in Christ and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence all glory be to God Well, let's go back to our text one last time together in Hebrews 10.22. Thirdly and finally, our text teaches us that we are to draw near to God cleanly. We are to draw near to God cleanly. What does that mean? Well, look at Hebrews 10.22 with me if you would once again. Here we read. Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and full assurance of faith, now notice, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience or an evil conscience, I think the King James says, and having our bodies washed with pure water. Now, brothers and sisters, does that biblical imagery concerning sprinkling and cleansing ring any biblical bells with you? Well, it really should because such terminology is replete throughout the Old Testament ceremonial law. For example, concerning sprinkling with water, if you're taking notes, you can read about that in Numbers chapter 19, Numbers 19. Concerning the sprinkling of blood, that's in many places, Leviticus 3, Leviticus 4, Leviticus 8, Leviticus 16, and so on. but specifically concerning this washing with water. Turn with me, if you would care to turn, to the book of Exodus, again, Exodus, second book of the Bible. Exodus chapter 30, and drop down with me, if you would please, to verses 17 through 21. Exodus 30, 17 through 21. Part of this ceremonial law, what did the priests have to do to enter into the presence of God? Exodus 30, beginning in verse 17. Then the Lord said to Moses, make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it. Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made to the Lord by fire, they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come. And so you see how seriously we must take entering into the presence of God. If the priests were not washed, if they were not cleansed and entered into the presence of God, they were struck dead. They were literally struck dead. In fact, I think it's Leviticus 10 where it says that the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, offered to God strange fire, unauthorized fire, and they were struck dead on the spot. That shows how seriously God takes the worship of His name. We must come cleansed and pure and washed, if you will, before Him. Now, very interesting. Flip over to Ezekiel, after Job's psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel 36 verses 24 through 27. Ezekiel 36, verses 24 through 27, because it's so beautiful here, these imageries of sprinkling and washing are united together. In Ezekiel 36, beginning in verse 24, where God says to His exiled people, For I will take you out of the nations. I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. Notice. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Friends, think about this sprinkling, think about this water, think about this washing, think about this cleansing, and then come to the glorious realization that in the New Testament, all of this is incorporated into the blood of Christ. In fact, let's go back to the book of Hebrews together, only this time to the ninth chapter. Hebrews chapter nine, and drop down with me, if you would please, to verses 13 and 14. Hebrews nine, verses 13 and 14. The Bible says, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean, sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more then will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself from blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death so that we may serve the living God? Glory be to God. And similarly, Peter picks up on that same theme. If you'll flip over several pages to the right, go to 1 Peter 1, verses 1 and 2. 1 Peter 1, verses 1 and 2. We read Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ's notice, and sprinkling by His blood. Grace and peace be yours in abundance." Grace and peace be yours in abundance. Brothers and sisters, think about what we have just read. God says, this holy, righteous God, before whom all the nations of the earth will one day stand and be judged for all eternity, that God, says to all those who have had their hearts sprinkled with the blood of Christ, all those who have had their sins washed away through the blood of Christ, all of those who have had the Holy Spirit of the living God apply the blood of Christ to our guilty consciences and souls, God says, grace and peace to you, grace and peace to you. A washing, a cleansing by the way, which is typified, which is symbolized in the sacrament of baptism, but it is not accomplished by that. It is only by the person and presence and power of the Holy Spirit of the living God, who applies what the sacrament of baptism signifies to us, that we are truly cleansed, our sins are forgiven, we are washed as white as snow. And to all such as these, God says grace and peace. To you. Think of it. Grace and peace to you. Grace and peace to you. All glory be to God. All glory be to God. You know, many years ago, when I was a student at the King's College, when the campus was up in Briarcliff Manor, New York, one of my psychology professors one day said that studies indicate Listen carefully, he said studies indicate that of all of the people in the mental health hospitals of this country, if they could be convinced that their sins were forgiven and their guilt was removed, half of them could be discharged today. Think about that. He said, of all of the people in the mental health hospitals of our country, if they could be convinced that their sins were forgiven and their guilt was removed, half of them could be discharged today. Now, obviously, I don't know for sure if that particular statistic is correct. But friends, I do know this. that there are many, many professing Christians today who continue to be tormented by the devil himself, who takes great delight in reminding us, throwing in our face, accusing us of our past many sins and shortcomings. I know that for a fact. And so if you are a true child of God here in worship today, my dear brother, my dear sister in the Lord, and Satan continues to torment you with your sins and your shortcomings to such an extent that you cannot even sleep at night, I ask you, I urge you, I pray, I plead with you, to continue to meditate on such precious passages of scripture as these. And in the words of Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, which I heard him say several years ago, then lay your head on the pillow of God's grace and go to sleep. Lay your head on the pillow of God's grace and go to sleep. Or, as the words of our text for today have so well taught us and exhorted us in uncompromising fashion, corporately, confidently, and cleanly, let us draw near to God. Amen, let's bow our heads and our hearts together in prayer. Draw near to God. Penned the Apostle James. And he will draw near to you. Oh, our gracious. Merciful. And ever faithful heavenly father. Hell-deserving sinners, though we be. Enable and empower us, we pray, today and every day, to claim the many precious promises of Your Word, which are ours through faith. Because of Christ's blood shed on Calvary's cross, let us draw near to Thee. In Jesus' name, alone do we pray, Amen.