Sermon #47 Hebrews
Notes
Title: “LET US”
Text: Hebrews 10:19-25
Subject: Three Areas of Tremendous
Responsibility
Date: Tuesday Evening –
Tape #
Introduction:
When reading Holy Scripture, we sometimes pass over small, familiar words and phrases, or statements of fact, without much thought. After the message Sunday evening, I said to someone, “I must confess, I am far too often guilty of reading over things in the Scriptures, when it appears that the context is just moving from one thing to another.” We ought never do that with the Word of God. If we do, we are sure to miss precious, exquisite pearls hidden in what seem to be very common shells. Every word in this Book is written by divine inspiration for a divine purpose, for our comfort, instruction, and edification in the saving knowledge of Christ.
In reading the Book of
Hebrews, have you ever noticed how often we are admonished to do something,
with the words “Let us.” These two, very familiar words are used
powerfully in this epistle. Twelve times in these thirteen chapters the apostle
Paul calls us to action, inspires us to do something of tremendous importance
with these two words.
1. Hebrews 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise
being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short
of it.
2. Hebrews
3. Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest,
that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us
hold fast our profession.
4. Hebrews
5. Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of
the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying
again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.
6. Hebrews
7. Hebrews
8. Hebrews
9. Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are
compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay
aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run
with patience the race that is set before us.
10. Hebrews
11. Hebrews
12. Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer
the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips
giving thanks to his name.
I may bring a message to you
from these twelve rallying texts in the near future, but tonight I want us to
focus on that which is before us in Hebrews 10:19-25. Here God the Holy Spirit
uses these two words, “Let us,” to call us to three very important
responsibilities and privileges as God’s saints in this world.
Hebrews 10:19-25 -- “Having therefore, brethren,
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath
consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the
house of God; Let us draw near with a
true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our
faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke
unto love and to good works: Not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is;
but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day
approaching.”
In these
verses of Holy Scripture the apostle Paul is urging us, as believers, to
persevere in the faith. In the face of trials and temptations, difficulties and
dangers, heretics and hecklers, we must persevere in the faith. It is written,
“He that endureth unto the end shall be saved.” It is not the person who
begins the race, but the one who finishes it that wins the prize.
Proposition: If we would continue, steadfast
in the faith, there are some things we must do.
Divisions: Here God the Holy Spirit
calls us to do three things.
1. “Let us draw near” to our God
(vv. 19-22).
2. “Let us hold fast the
profession of our faith” (v. 23).
3. “Let us consider one
another” (vv. 24-25).
I.
“Let
Hebrews
This text does not stand alone. It is part of a sentence which begins in verse 19. So let’s read the whole sentence, beginning at verse 19 and we will work our way through verse 22.
A.
Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, believing sinners have free access
to God almighty upon his glorious throne, by Christ’s precious blood (v. 19).
Through the merit and
mediation of Christ, by faith in his sin-atoning blood, you and I can now approach
that God who is “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of Kings and Lord
of lords, Who only hath immortality dwelling in light which no man can approach
unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power
everlasting” (1 Tim. 6:15-16). Now, look at verse 19.
Hebrews
Did you catch that sweet word “brethren”? This is a
term of family oneness, spiritual unity, common blessedness, and tender
affection. As brethren, you and I have this common privilege. We are here
called to enter into the holy presence of God with boldness by the blood of
Jesus, our one Savior, our only Savior, our common Savior, our accepted Savior,
our enthroned Savior.
The place we may enter with boldness is heaven itself,
"the holiest," referring the holy of holies in the
tabernacle, which was the type of heavenly glory.
·
This is the most holy place.
·
This is the place of God’s manifest majesty, glory and
presence.
·
This is the place of mercy.
·
This is the place where our Father is, where our Savior is,
where our brethren are, where our Sacrifice is!
Heaven was symbolically shut by the sin of man, when he was
driven out of the garden of Eden. It was typically
opened by the entrance of the high priest into the holy of holies on the day of atonement. But now, it really is open. “Behold, a
Door open in heaven!” That Door is Christ . He has
in person entered into it by his blood. He has opened the way for us. In him
and by him we may "enter" now; and, bless God, we do!
Here we come and present our prayers and praises to God by
Christ. Here we pour out our hearts to the Lord. Here we find mercy, grace, and
peace. And soon, we shall enter, like our Lord himself, personally, all by his
blood!
The way of entrance is "by the blood of Jesus."
It is his blood which gives both entrance and boldness. By his blood sin is
removed both from the sight of God, and the conscience of the believer; peace
is made with God and spoken to our hearts, pardon is procured, law and justice
are satisfied and no more to be feared. And by his blood the everlasting
covenant ratified and confirmed.
Now, read on (vv. 20-21)…
Hebrews 10:20-21
"By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated
for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; ---[21]--- And having
an high priest over the house of God."
B. We may approach God himself
with boldness, drawing near to him by faith, because we have a great High
Priest sitting in his presence, sitting with him on his throne, accepted
forever!
1 John 2:1-2
"My little children, these things write I unto you,
that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous: ---[2]--- And he is the
propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the
whole world."
C. Therefore, let us ever draw
near!
Hebrews
1. “With a true heart"
– That is to say, not with the body only, but with the heart, with a new heart,
one that is right with God, and is single, sincere, is hearty in its desires,
and upright in its ends.
2. “In full assurance
of faith” – Faith in and toward the triune God! We cannot
draw near to God in any other way. God is seen by faith, known by faith,
honored by faith, and worshipped by faith in Christ.
3. “Having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience” -- Our consciences are by nature evil,
blind, perverse, corrupt, and pronounce us guilty before God. Once the blood of
Christ, is sprinkled on the conscience by the Spirit of God, it is thereby
purged it from dead works, cleansed it from all sin, and granted the blessed
peace of full pardon and forgiveness, upon the ground of justice satisfied. It
is this that gives the believing sinner boldness to draw near to God.
4. “And our bodies
washed with pure water” – This is not talking about the water of
baptism, but about the grace of God the Holy Spirit, often compared to
water in Scripture. The body as well as
soul needs washing and renewing. Grace in the heart cleanses the life and
sanctifies the whole man. “The allusion,” Gill tells us, “is to a custom of the
Jews, who were obliged to wash their bodies, and make them clean, when they
prayed” worshipped and offered sacrifice to God.
II.
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith”
(v.
23).
Hebrews
·
The Doctrine of Our Profession
·
The Object of Our Profession
·
Because God is Faithful and He has promised us eternal life and
salvation in Christ.
Lamentations 3:21-26
"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. ---[22]--- It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not
consumed, because his compassions fail not. ---[23]---
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. ---[24]--- The LORD is my portion, saith my soul;
therefore will I hope in him. ---[25]--- The
LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh
him. ---[26]--- It is good that a man should
both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD."
III.
“Let us consider one another” – (vv. 24-25).
Hebrews
Now,
let’s look at these two verses together. May God give us grace to hear and heed
his Word, for Christ’s sake.
A. “And
let us consider one another” -- Brethren, let us always be thoughtful
and considerate of one another.
B. As men – We are all
but men, men and women of like passions and infirmities. We should consider one
another’s weaknesses and make allowance for them. We should consider one
another’s outward state and condition in the world, and try to understand one
another’s needs, and help each other.
C. As saints, as
believers, as in Christ --
We are all partakers of the same grace, loved with the same love,
conceived and brought forth in the womb of God’s eternal electing grace,
interested in the same covenant, redeemed by the same blood, and have the same
graces and privileges. -- We all have the same and an equal right to heaven and
eternal glory in Christ. – We all have one Spirit and the same Spirit, the same
grace of faith, the same righteousness, the same fountain to wash in, the same
fullness to partake of, the same throne of grace to go to, and the same
inheritance to enjoy.
D. As church
members, members of the same family and the same body –
God grant us grace always to consider one another in this light.
E. To provoke unto
love – Let us ever provoke one another to brotherly love, to stir it
up because it is always apt to wax cold. This is our Lord’s new commandment,
the bond of perfection, the evidence of regeneration, that which makes the saints’ communion
comfortable and delightful. Without this brotherly love a profession of faith
is in empty, meaningless and vain.
F. And to good
works – Works of grace, kindness, forgiveness, patience, forbearance,
and faithfulness.
Now, look at
verse 25, and learn how we can, must, and should fulfill this admonition.
Hebrews
Turn to Psalm 5:7.
“As for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy:
and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple” (Ps. 5:7).
David, the man after God's own heart, found great pleasure and
satisfaction in daily prayer and meditation. Daily, private, personal worship was
a characteristic of his life. With the rising of the morning sun his heart was
lifted up to God. Every morning he directed his prayer to the throne of grace
and looked to his Lord with a heart of faith. Every evening he gave thanks to
God and laid his head upon his pillow in the sweet rest of faith. That is the
way to begin and end every day! Blessed is the man or woman who worships God in
private. Let all who know and trust the living God worship him daily. Let all
who follow Christ in the path of faith and obedience follow him also to the
solitary place of private prayer. I would do everything within my power to
promote and encourage private worship among the saints of God. Let every priest
of God offer the daily sacrifices of prayer and praise to the Lord. But them is
something even more important than private worship.
Does that last statement surprise you? I know that most people who are
genuinely concerned for the glory of God and the worship of God rank personal,
private worship above all things in the life of faith. But I am convinced that
public worship, if it is true worship, is even more important than private
worship.
David, the sweet singer of
'I will come into thy house.' The house of God is the congregation of the saints,
wherever they gather in public assembly to worship God.
'I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy.' It
is not enough merely to 'go to church'. We must come into the house of God in
faith, trusting the Lord's mercy. And there are a multitude of mercies with God
in Christ. Sinners need mercy. We must come to the place of public worship as
sinners trusting God's abundant mercy in Christ. If we do not come as sinners
seeking mercy, we will not worship. But sinners looking to Christ for mercy
always find a multitude of mercy in him (Luke
·
Everlasting, covenant mercy (Jer. 31:31-34)
·
Sin-atoning, redeeming mercy (Rom.
·
Effectual, saving mercy (Micah
·
Immutable, preserving mercy (Mal. 3:6)
·
Daily, providential mercy (Rom.
Truly, 'It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because
his compassions fail not' (Lam.
'And in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.' We must come to the house
of God with reverence and godly fear to worship him, that is, to see him, to
hear him, to adore him, to praise him and to obey him. This was David's
resolve. May it ever be yours and mine. May God give
us grace to make public worship our delight and truly to worship him in the
assembly of his saints.
Public worship is
the single most important aspect of the believer's life.
When David was banished from
The fact is, all who are born of God love the assembly
of God's saints in public worship and love the ministry of the gospel. There
are no exceptions. God's people will not willingly absent themselves from the
worship of God. It is true, there are many who very strictly attend, and even
love, the outward service of public worship, who do
not know the Lord. Their outward worship is nothing but a show of hypocrisy,
for they never worship God in private. But anyone who wilfully neglects and
despises the public assembly of the saints for worship,
also neglects and despises private worship. And those who do not worship God do
not know God.
Many people are very busy with all kinds of things. The cares and
pleasures of life in this world consume almost all their time and attention.
When it is convenient they attend church, give God a little tip and sing, 'Oh,
how I love Jesus!' But any time something more important comes up (a good
football match, a special television show, a visiting relative, or a sick
dog!), they absent themselves from the house of God with little regret. They
say to themselves, 'I can always go to church next
week. The Lord knows my heart.' Of that much you can be sure: the Lord does
know our hearts, and he will judge us accordingly!
Those who are truly God's people love the house of God and the worship
of God. They arrange their lives around the worship of God. Nothing ever comes
up, over which they have control, to keep them from the house of God. They see
to it that when the saints of God gather for worship, they are among them,
unless their absence is genuinely unavoidable. Their faithfulness in the matter
of public worship is much more than a matter of duty. It is their delightful
choice. Public worship is the single most important aspect of their lives in
this world. Nothing is more important to the children of God in this world than
the public assembly of the saints for worship; and that public assembly of the
saints for worship is the local church, the congregation of the Lord, the house
of God.
Why do God's people place such importance upon the public worship of
the local church? Here are five reasons.
1. This is the place where God meets sinners in saving mercy. It
is true that God uses personal witnessing, tracts, tapes, books and other
instruments of gospel instruction to call his elect to life and faith in
Christ, but generally God saves his sheep in the congregations of his saints
when they are gathered for worship (Acts 2:1,37-41). Sinners in need of mercy
should seek mercy where mercy is always found in great, overflowing abundance;
and mercy is always found in the house of God.
God's saints know themselves to be sinners in need of mercy; so they
come, with all their needs, to the house of mercy, seeking the Lord.
2. This is the place where our family gathers. Every true local
church is a family of believers. When the church gathers for worship, it is the
gathering of our family for sweet and blessed fellowship in the gospel. Family members need each other, comfort each other and help each
other, because they love each other.
3. This is the place where the Lord Jesus Christ meets with his
people. Our Saviour promised that, wherever his people gather in his name,
he would be with them (Matt.
4. This is the place where God deals with men. Each local
congregation of believers is the house and temple of the living God (1 Cor.
In all ages the people of God have been known and identified by their
public gatherings for worship. Wherever God has had a people in this world, he
has had a congregation to worship him. Sheep are always found in flocks. The
only sheep who are alone are either lost or sick. And
God's elect are sheep. No matter how few, they have always gathered together in
public worship. In the public assembly they bear public, united testimony to
the world of their Saviour's grace and glory. As an assembled body of believers
they strengthen, cheer, comfort, encourage, edify and help one another by
prayer, praise and the preaching of the gospel.
From the beginning of the Bible to the end there is a clear line of
succession in this matter of public worship. Cain and Abel came to worship God
in a public assembly. Noah's first act after the flood was an act of public
worship to celebrate God's saving grace. Wherever the patriarchs pitched their
tents in days of old, they erected an altar for worship. Throughout the Mosaic
economy, the Jew who did not worship God in the tabernacle or temple was cut
off from the congregation. Throughout the book of Acts, wherever God's children
were scattered by persecution, they soon gathered in public assemblies for the
worship of God.
Public worship is one identifying mark of true believers. With David,
every saved sinner is resolved to worship God, saying, 'As
for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy
fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.' By this let everyone examine
himself or herself. Those who willingly and habitually absent themselves from
the worship of God do not know God. A person may be outwardly faithful to the
4. The neglect of public
worship is the first step towards total apostasy (Heb.
Application:
1. “Let us
draw near” to our God (vv. 19-22).
2. “Let us hold fast the
profession of our faith” (v. 23).
3. “Let us consider one
another” (vv. 24-25).