Hi, this is Pastor William. On behalf of the members of Providence Baptist Church, I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and thank you for joining us. It is our joy to share God's truth, and we trust that the preaching of God's Word will always bless His people. But we humbly remind you that no recording can ever replace biblical corporate worship or true Christian fellowship. So we encourage everyone everywhere to commit themselves to the service of God's kingdom in a local church. And we pray that the Lord keep and bless you as you continue to earnestly seek Him. Amen. Turn with me, if you will, to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. We'll be looking at verses 19 through 25 this morning. So, in this passage before us, the author begins a strong exhortation for us to hold fast to our confession of faith in Christ. In an attempt to fully engage the minds of the readers, the author revisits some of the meaning and implications of the gospel, and he presents these glorious realities achieved through Christ, and he calls us, based upon that truth, He calls us to action, excuse me, based upon these truths which are anchored in the priestly work of Jesus. So, beginning at verse 19 of Hebrews chapter 10. 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 high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as we see the day drawing near. I'm trying to see if this monitor is on for them. I think that's it there. And it has a nice little nightlight. So the word therefore at the beginning of verse 19 introduces a new section. that draws implications from the truths that were discussed up to this point, from verse one, even, of chapter one. And having discussed in the first part of chapter 10 that once for all aspect of the gospel in Hebrews 10, one through 18, I believe, We now shift to explore another implication, and that is, well, he summarizes the glorious realities accomplished by Jesus' work and encourages the readers to remember them and to be motivated by them. That's what I was trying to say. These exhortations are firmly rooted in the priestly work of Christ, and it underscores the remarkable nature of his actions, of what he has done for us. So let's take a closer look here at these verses. 19, therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus. So the author has made his case for Christ's superiority over the angels and over all the previous messengers before him. He's established his superiority over Moses, over the law, over the old covenant. He has established Jesus' superiority over Aaron and the Levitical priesthood, the high priesthood of the Old Covenant. And so now he begins, again, to exhort the readers to respond accordingly, to exhort us to respond accordingly. And we see that in verses, as we get to it, verses 22, 23, 24, and even in chapter 12, verse one, he uses this term, let us. Let us respond accordingly to this truth established concerning Christ. It has been firmly established that we can enter God's presence with confidence. And that confidence is based on the once for all finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. And it continues in verse 20, we have confidence into the holy places by blood of Christ, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is through his flesh. Now, don't read too much into this or don't overthink this idea of his flesh. This is referring to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. He opened the way for us through His flesh. Prior to this, worshipers had no possibility of entering into God's presence on good terms. Access to the sanctuary was unavailable. Access to that Holy of Holies, the sanctuary where God dwells, was unavailable. to until Christ tore the veil and opened it by the sacrifice of his own life. That's what this is referring to. Under the old covenant, the high priest could only enter God's presence by the blood of a dead animal. But today, under the new covenant, We, as believers in Christ, have access to God by the blood of a living Messiah. That's an important distinction, brothers and sisters, an important distinction. We do not approach God covered by the blood of a dead animal. We approach God covered by the blood of a living Messiah. By His own blood, Christ has established a completely new and continuous way. This is not once a year that we enter into God's presence. It's not once a week that we enter into God's presence. But we can live continually in God's presence, which in fact we are called to do. to recognize that we are always before Him, and to strive to walk circumspectly before Him. Let me encourage you, brothers and sisters, that is difficult. You will fall, you will stumble, and there are reasons for that. But point your nose to Christ and keep moving forward. Verse 21, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, think about this for a minute. Think about just what this verse, we have a great high priest over the house of God. Jesus Christ, as our high priest, has been given all authority in heaven and on earth, and he presently presides over the heavenly courts Your high priest presently presides over the heavenly courts for the purpose to make certain that we have complete access to God Himself. Think about that. How many of you know somebody that works in the OMV to get you through the Fast Lane? Or you know somebody that works anywhere that helps you have access to all the things that are possible at the hospital or the dentist's office or the OMV or wherever it is. You have an inside man that helps you. Christ is so much more than that, but he's there. for that purpose, so that we have complete access all the time to God Himself. This combination, brothers and sisters, this combination of Jesus Christ as our advocate, and then Jesus Christ as the way Himself established should give us confidence as the author is calling us to. Give us confidence. It frees us from the fear of condemnation. It frees us from hesitation. It should free us from hesitation. It should free us from doubt. And it makes it possible for us to come as we are. As the old hymn says, just as I am. We have the confidence to come into the presence of God, not because of what I am or who I am, but because of who Christ is and because of what he has done. In verse 22, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. There it is, let us. Let us draw near. This is a call to action. In light of these truths of who Christ is and what He has done, let us boldly approach God. This exhortation to believers is not merely a logical application of objective facts. It is a passionate plea, a passionate call to action on our behalf. For us, look at what Christ has done for you. Let that motivate you to action. Remember that while the letter of Hebrews has some deep theology, it serves primarily for this purpose, to encourage believers. It is a word of encouragement to believers. We should come with genuine hearts, knowing that we are being sanctified, knowing that we are justified. There's no need for pretense here. God remembers our sins no more. Our hearts are purified by faith. And we are cleansed just as God promised in Ezekiel 36, 25. God promised to cleanse us. That's what Christ has done. He's established that promise. It has been fulfilled. It is a reality now. And so we can approach God with confidence, knowing that. Verse 23, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Again, another call to action, let us, let us hold fast. This is a call to perseverance in our hope, in our hope for what lies ahead, in our hope for Christ's return. The original readers now, remember they were tempted As many of us are today, they were tempted to doubt. They were tempted to struggle. The author is stressing the hope that we have in Christ. Life is going to be a struggle, and sometimes we doubt and we struggle. But this is what Hebrews is written for, to encourage us, to press on. Remember Hebrews 3.6, Christ is faithful over God's house as a son, and we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Hold fast to the confidence and that hope that we have. Our faith in Christ gives us a clear goal to pursue. Remember, he exhorts us in chapter four, verse 11, when he says, let us therefore strive to enter the rest. That's the goal, we strive to enter that rest, we hope It's not as if we're trying to save ourselves. It's not as if we're trying to earn our salvation. But we recognize what Christ has done. We recognize what He has done for us, and then we act on that. He calls us to action. Let us, let us draw near to God. Let us hold to that hope. I know many people struggle with assurance. They fall into sin again and again. They struggle with the same things, the same temptations over and over, and they struggle with assurance. And I simply tell them, look at what Scripture says, draw near, hold fast, and hold on to that hope. If you're not struggling with it, that's something to be concerned about. But if you are struggling with it, then hold on to the hope that Christ is doing a work in you. And that's the struggle, that's the battle that Paul is talking about. Regardless of your current circumstances, regardless of the strength of your faith, you can move forward with confidence because the one who promised is faithful. The one who promised is faithful. That's why I tell you, yes, if you sin, confess it, strive to repent of it, but recognize that don't dwell on yourself, don't dwell on your sins. God doesn't dwell on them, He's forgotten them. The work that's saving you is not your own, it is the work of Christ. In 24, verse 24, Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works. Again, this call, let us, let us draw near, let us hold fast, let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works. When believers support one another, Christian faith and Christian witness thrive. Rather than becoming a platform for mutual discouragement and problem sharing, Christian fellowship should serve as a catalyst for stimulating love and good works. Those things will naturally manifest themselves as a result of regeneration. It's like It's like your own plants that you care for, your flower garden, your vegetable garden. You create an environment where it can thrive, and if you create that environment where it can thrive, it will. Christians are the same way. If you create the environment where they can thrive, where you can thrive, then you will. That's the nature of life, both physical and spiritual. Ephesians 2.10 says, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. We are his workmanship. And we should be stirring each other up to love and good works in Christ. 1 Peter 1.22, having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart. Again, a call to action. A call to action. And then finally, verse 25 here, 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. The gathering of committed Christians publicly identifies you with Jesus Christ and with his community, with his followers. However, there are those who neglected to meet together. That's who the author's addressing. Some, Some neglected due to persecution. They feared the persecution they faced. Others, for reasons of just neglect and laziness. And that all leads to spiritual consequences, negative spiritual consequences. They do not thrive, they do not grow as they should. There are those today. who do the same. They neglect gathering with the saints. Now, brothers and sisters, we don't face the kind of political or religious persecution that the first century Hebrew Christians faced. We don't face that kind of persecution. So there are other motivations for not gathering to worship as we are called to. God's timing is according to His purposes, not ours. So some, I'm sure, at the time that this was written, and even now, they may feel discouraged at what they see is a delay in the return of Christ. Especially if they suffer under any sort of persecution. So encouraging one another is vital, as believers must see themselves as ministers to each other. Especially, as he says, especially as you see the day of the Lord, as you see the day of Christ's return approaching. And brothers and sisters, it is approaching. It is approaching. Consider the study of Revelation and all the things that were happening there. It's not that we look to the headlines to see what chapter and verse we're in in the book of Revelation. That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is you look at the nature of what is happening in our world. Consider the nature of the beast, the nature of the false prophet, the nature of the whore Babylon. Consider what their work is and what is happening in our world today. And so, as we see that day approaching, we should be encouraging one another. Now, a careful reader will notice that the author here addresses different aspects of time, the past, the present, and the future. And, that's what I would like to spend the next few minutes talking about. How the author addresses these things. The past. The author emphasizes God's faithfulness to His past promises. God's faithfulness to past promises is undeniable. The author of Hebrew urges readers to confidently hold on to the confession of their hope in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, because that's what's promised in the Old Testament. That's what's promised in the New Testament. And the New Testament is written in our past. And we can look at the history of Israel in the Old Testament, and we can see God's promises. God promises he's going to punish them for their idolatry, and he punishes them. He promises that he's gonna punish Israel, the northern 10 tribes, for their idolatry, and he punishes them. And he warns Judah, the southern two tribes, he warns them that the same fate is coming. And he fulfills that promise, but he also promises them a return to the land. And then all the while he's promising, he's reminding them of the promised Messiah. You can read those things in scripture. That's what it's given for, to build our confidence that we can approach God because of what Christ has done, because of what God has done. This confession signifies faithful and repentant hearts, emphasizing that Jesus saves sinners. It signifies to us, our faithful and repentant hearts, that Christ saves sinners. So Christians must steadfastly maintain this as their central confession, that Christ saves sinners. I am a sinner. Christ came to save me. Christ came to save you. He comes to save sinners. He comes to save sinners. That's active. That's active. Christians must steadfastly maintain this as the central part of their confession, knowing that your perseverance is not dependent upon your own strength, but upon the strength of Christ, upon what Christ has done, upon God's unwavering, unfailing faithfulness. And we see that throughout Scripture, all throughout Scripture, God has proven that He is faithful. Show me the faithful man in Scripture. There was Christ. And there was Christ. God has proven that He is faithful. That's where our assurance lies. It assures believers that those who come to Christ, those who come to Christ will never be cast out. And His power guards and protects them. It provides a secure foundation for their faith. See, our faith is not simply a bunch of things that we believe about Christ. The things that we believe inform us. It strengthens our faith. We hold to Christ because of who he is and what he's done. So let us respond accordingly. Let us hold firm to the confession of hope in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. and let us express that faith in our repentance and our believing of what his word says. Remember, let us remember that our perseverance rests on God's faithfulness and not just our own strength. As he has proven himself faithful throughout history, man has proven himself weak and faithless. Paul confesses as much. He boasts in his weakness because in his weakness, Christ is his strength. Let us respond accordingly to trust in God's protection and provision, knowing that he will never abandon his children, giving us security in our Christian walk, regardless of how difficult it may be. Those are the things he's proven to us in the past. In the present, the author encourages us to seek out Christian fellowship. Believers find present assurance through Christ's fellowship, through Christian fellowship. And it plays a vital role in helping us to persevere. The Christian walk is not a sprint, brothers and sisters. It is a marathon. And any of you who've ever run a marathon knows that at some point, at some point, the motivation isn't so much there. It's just that you're just keeping the motion going. You're keeping the motion going. You're trusting that your legs won't give out, that your heart's not gonna give out, that your lungs aren't gonna give out. You're trusting that those things are just gonna keep moving. And our faith is in Christ. and he is faithful, he doesn't give out. So we seek Christian fellowship. It plays a vital role in helping us to grow and to thrive. Isolation cannot provide that kind of confidence. Isolation from the body of Christ cannot give full assurance that is biblical. A full biblical assurance that comes from being part of the community. So encouragement, that kind of encouragement is essential. So Christians must actively support and stir one another to love and good works. That takes effort, that takes thought, that takes premeditation. This fosters a healthy and uplifting church environment. Neglecting to gather for worship, neglecting prayer and encouragement goes against Christ's commands. It deprives believers of the means through which He feeds us and assures us and protects us. So when you feel that, that umption, that instinct, whatever it is, that thing inside of you that says, maybe I should say something nice here. Maybe I should say something encouraging. Don't second guess it. Trust. Trust in the faithfulness that the Spirit is working in you and just speak it. Just say it. This is how Christ feeds and nurtures His flock. Instead of making excuses, Christians should prioritize meeting together to be nourished by God's word and to inspire one another to faith and good deeds. We are called to a community, to a family that is eternal. Let us respond accordingly to this. by prioritizing our corporate worship, our prayer and encouragement, by recognizing the vital role that it plays in our own spiritual growth and assurance, and in the spiritual growth and assurance of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us respond accordingly and engage actively in Christian fellowship, seeking encouragement, seeking to encourage others, Seeking support, seeking to support others. Helping others to persevere and to grow in their faith helps us to persevere and grow in our faith. Let us respond accordingly and be intentional in stirring up love and good works in others, promoting a healthy environment for Christian growth. So that's the past, and trusting in the work, in the promises, in the faithfulness of Christ, in the present. In the present, now, working actively in the Christian environment to create the kind of soil where Christians thrive. And in the future, the future aspect of this, looking forward to Christ's return, remember All through Scripture, there's two things that always jump out in my mind in this analogy between Christian life, or the analogies of Christian life. There's two of them that really jump out to me in Scripture, and that is one of combat. It is a war that we live in. It is a war that we live in. But there's coming a day when that war is over. It is a war that we live in. And if you take a day off, it could wreck you. But there's coming a day when that battle will be over. Remember, Christ has defeated the enemies. Christ has gained victory. He now waits until all of His enemies are made a footstool under His feet. Until all of His enemies are conquered, He has victory. And so every time we win a battle in temptation or persecution. Every time we stay faithful, His enemies are defeated. There's coming a day when all of that battle is over. That's the future we look forward to. And right now, the other analogy that comes to mind is this, the picture of Christ and His bride. He has come and purchased us, and now He has gone to prepare a place for us. There's a day when He's coming back to get us. This is the period that we are in, that we await the return of the bridegroom in this betrothed state that we're in, that we await the return of our Messiah King while we endure this battle. Christians should eagerly anticipate Christ's return. And that's why the author emphasizes it here in verse 25. Emphasizes that the day of Christ's return and judgment, his judgment of the world and the gathering together of his church. Faithful anticipation must define the church's daily life. making encouragement and gathering together all the more urgent and significant as the day of the Lord approaches. Remember, I know some of you are not old enough to remember, but remember September 11th in 2001, how everything just seemed so chaotic and how people were encouraged to return to church because they thought something significant was happening. Yes, something significant did happen, but something far more significant is still approaching. And so we should have that same sort of enthusiasm, that same sort of urge and desire to be with God's people as we see that approaching. The author here expects the church to grow in faithful commitment as time draws nearer to this imminent day. It reinforces the need to remain ready for Christ's return. Even though we don't know the exact timing, That's for God to know. He hasn't promised that to us. So let us respond accordingly to that. Let us respond accordingly by living with faithful anticipation of Christ's return. recognizing it as the significant and imminent event in history. It is approaching. So let us respond accordingly. Let the expectation of Christ's return motivate us in our Christian walk. Motivate us to encourage others in their Christian walk. that motivate us to prioritize our life as a church. Because Christ is coming back not to redeem UPS. He's not coming back to redeem Christus Cabrini or the US Air Force. He's coming back to redeem the church. All these other things are gonna pass away. Let us respond accordingly and personally be prepared and committed to the faith, even though we do not know the exact timing of Christ's return. We can look at what He's doing presently and what He's done in the past and see His faithfulness, and then we can rest assured, rest upon that hope of His return. We can trust God's Word and His promises. He's been faithful. He will be faithful to this promise. It's one of the main themes throughout Scripture. It's God's faithfulness. He has promised to save sinners. We can trust that promise. Finally, in this passage this morning, the author of Hebrews has brought to mind God's faithfulness to his past promises, urging us to hold steadfast to our hope in Christ. He has argued for the fact that Christian fellowship is crucial in this present time for assurance and growth, and so we should be motivated by the past to engage in the present as we look forward to the future. encourage one another, gather together, looking to the future. The author encourages believers to eagerly anticipate that return of Christ. So this passage in Hebrews calls for our steadfast commitment to the hope found only in Christ. and to our ongoing support of one another in our Christian walk. This is what the author of Hebrews is focused on here, this exhortation. And we will see more of that as we move forward. Let us pray.