FBCWest 476 | Confidently Draw Near to God
Recorded On: 11/07/2021
Bulletin
FBCWest
November 7, 2021
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him.
must worship Him in Spirit and truth.”
Praise and Worship
SCRIPTURE READING – Psalm 149
“Your Love Awakens Me”
“Battle Belongs”
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“Confidently Draw Near to God”
PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“Draw Me Close”
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
“I Love to Tell the Story”
OFFERTORY PRAYER
SPECIAL MUSIC – By Pru Hungate
Continued Praise and Worship
“One Step Away”
“Indescribable”
Benediction “Egypt”
Acknowledgements and Announcements
Sermon Notes
Hebrews 10:19 We have confidence to enter the holy place because of Jesus
Hebrews 10:20 Jesus’ blood inaugurated that new and better way through the veil of His flesh
Hebrews 10:21 We have a great high priest over the house of our God
Hebrews 10:22 Draw near with a sincere heart, in full assurance of faith, hearts sprinkled clean form an evil conscience, body washed with pure water
Hebrews 10:23 Hold fast the confession of our hope – He who promised is faithful
Hebrews 10:24 Consider how to stimulate each other to love and good deeds
Hebrews 10:25 Assemble together, encourage each other,
even the more when you see the end
coming
Why are we confident to draw near?
By His blood
Through the veil of His flesh
He is our high priest
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
Audio file
FBCWest476.mp3
Transcript
The writer of Hebrews
And let me make a little.
Per parenthetical statement there, I frequently say the writer of Hebrews because I don't know who wrote it down.
But when I say the writer of Hebrews, what I mean is the Holy Spirit could, as the Holy Spirit, is the one who gave us this revelation who penned it is of little importance.
It's not his or her opinion, it's what the word of God says.
And so the writer of Hebrews is attempting to give us.
Up until this point, if you will doctrine for understanding who Jesus is, that Jesus is better in so many different ways and then he throughout this letter he gives us warnings saying if you go the other way, you're in really big trouble.
But now he's going to say you need to go from hearing to doing.
So that's what he's going to be doing here.
So in Hebrews chapter 10, verse 19, it says this.
Therefore frequently, when you see that you mean he's going to talk about what happened.
But because of what I've said before, now I want to say this.
This therefore is slightly different 'cause he's going to give us again some summary of why.
We should be moving on, so he says therefore, brethren, since we have confidence who entered the holy place by the blood of Jesus.
By a new and living way which he inaugurated for us through the veil that is his flesh.
And since we have a great high priest over the House of God, so he says, we have all of these things.
Why do we have confidence?
We have confidence because of the blood of the sacrifice of Jesus.
We have confidence because it is his flesh that allows us to go through the veil.
It is his sacrifice.
While the writer has said that the.
High priests.
Under the order of the law would only go in once into the Holy of Holies once a year.
Jesus went there permanently because we have.
We can go through that veil of heaven.
And because Jesus is our high priest, so he recounts 3 things why we have confidence.
And again, he's saying.
You don't need to be timid.
You don't need to be sure.
It's like when you invite somebody over to your house.
And it's your house.
Then the person shouldn't feel any lack of confidence to going.
Because you've been invited and it's your place and therefore you have the authority to.
Grant them in.
Jesus is saying, my father, I this is our house.
We've invited you and only how we invited you.
We've made it possible for you to enter.
So in my analogy, in essence, not only did Jesus invite us, he brought a limo for us.
He brought us to the place.
He escorted us with honors and glory to the place.
So if that was happening then why would we be timid?
Jesus, because he is the high priest.
He belongs there it is.
His holy of holies.
And because he has presented his body broken for us in his blood as a sacrifice for an eternal salvation, we should have confidence to do what?
Let us draw near.
All too often in the Christian experience, whether it be gospel or moving on through maturity, that there always seems to be this hesitance and reservation.
We want to get near to God, but we're always content.
Hanging back.
And exodus.
When God invited the people to the mountain.
Bigger Moses it's OK.
You go for us.
There's always a sense of hanging back when it comes to God rather than when God has done what God has done, that he might have.
As you will hear, dozens of pastors and other people saying that God wants a relationship with you, but we always seem to want a relationship that is far away.
Jesus says no, no.
I want you to have a relationship that is close that is dear that you know my thoughts and my thoughts or your thoughts that we are together that we are close that we are near.
So let us draw near.
Not content to be hanging back from God.
With a sincere heart.
In full assurance of faith.
So our lives, our heart, not our emotions, that which we are should have that sincerity.
They were drawing near to God, because it it is our desire to draw near to God, and then we have the assurance of faith because it is God who has said come to me.
All you hear weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
It is him who is always making the invitation, but it always seems that we hang back and the writer here is saying you need to draw near.
It is no longer time to hang back.
It is time to get.
Close to God.
Not just.
Long distance relationship.
And let's be honest.
A long distance relationship is probably better than no relationship.
But it doesn't work, usually very well.
You see, most human long distance relationships.
Either somebody becomes unfaithful.
Because it's hard to be on this side of the country and the one that you care about on the other side of the country, so it's easier to.
Be unfaithful.
And it's certainly not the same as being.
Next to one another and it's the same way with God.
There is this sense that when we are near to God, there is that greater sense of.
Deleti of faithfulness.
But when we hang back it is much easier to become unfaithful.
And the whole history of the Jewish nation shows that.
And if you're honest, the history of your life and mine is the same when we hang back from God.
We tend not to be nearly as faithful as when we are in his.
Nearness, that's why when we go on retreat a religious retreat everybody is always on about the mountaintop experience, because what you've done is you blocked out the world.
And concentrated on God.
But when you come down off the world, you no longer concentrate on God.
You hang out with the world.
The writer, saying God has made a way for you.
To be near to him, and he wants that he does not want a long distance relationship.
He wants a nearness.
Having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience.
So there is more to this.
Sacrifice the juice.
Jesus says you can come to me and be near because I've cleaned your conscience.
Now Satan tries to interrupt that by reminding you of all the sins that you've committed.
But as I've.
Showing through the scriptures.
Your sins are forgiven.
They are, as far as the east is from.
The West I will remember them no more.
So God is saying there is nothing to prevent us be having a relationship because you are now justified.
You are now forgiven.
You are now sanctified.
So our conscience?
Should not keep us away and then it says and our bodies wash with pure water.
Now our bodies are washed with pure water or by two ways.
The Holy Spirit comes and cleanses us, and though our sins be as scarlet, we are as white as snow.
But the word of God also says that the word of God cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
So as we read the Scriptures.
It cleanses us.
The priests, when they would offer sacrifices, would go and they would get bloodied.
And then there was a labor where they were to wash so that they could enter into the presence of God clean.
The Holy Spirit and the word of God does that for.
So we washed with pure water.
Notice it's pure water.
There are those in the old days when water was a little more scarce.
Their families would take.
A bath.
In one set of water.
Now I'm a little finicky that way.
If I dig in first.
OK, if I ain't first, I'll wait till next week.
'cause I don't want to get into dirty water that you just.
Got out of.
But in this God says I'm not washing you with dirty water, I'm washing you with pure water so that you might be clean.
Let us hold fast the confession.
Of our hope.
Without wavering.
Or he who promised is faithful.
There's a statement here.
We are to hold fast where to hold tight just as tightly as God holds on to us.
We are to hold on to that confession of hope.
Well, what is that confession of hope that I am saved?
Because the blood of Christ.
That I am going to enter heaven that I am going to not die but live eternally.
That is my hope.
Why is it my hope 'cause I ain't dead yet?
I haven't.
I haven't acquired it so it is my hope because God said so.
So I'm going to do so without wavering.
It's not a matter of, well, maybe it's right.
Maybe it's wrong.
Well, why can I be so confident?
Because he is faithful who promised.
I don't have to worry about my.
Sincerity when God promises something as the scripture says, it is impossible.
For God to lie.
And so therefore I can be confident that he has made promises.
And again, God is so.
Awesome that it should be sufficient for him to say X.
And we believe it.
But not only does set say X, he says XI promise and not only does he say XI promise.
He says I will guarantee it.
Here's how.
Here's the Holy Spirit.
Here are all these things that he demonstrates a guarantee of his promise.
The God who cannot lie.
Guarantees so we can rely on it.
We can hold fast and not waver.
Not because we're awesome, but because he said it.
And now he's going to move on for us to do so.
He's told us we need to draw near to God.
We need to hold fast that confession.
And then he's going to have us to do something else.
It is not sufficient for us to go to Sunday school and learn a bunch of lessons or hear the preacher preach on the sermons and say, wasn't that a wonderful sermon?
It's a wonderful sermon if it causes you to do what the sermon has you to do.
If you simply said it's a wonderful sermon and then go life unchanged, then it wasn't a wonderful sermon.
It was a bunch of words.
So he says.
So let us.
How to, and my translation says, stimulate the King James says, provoke.
One another to love and good Nate Deeds.
So notice it doesn't even say, let us think about it.
Says let us consider.
Let us figure how is it the most effective way to do this?
So for instance.
There are those.
And I've got to call them to do it.
Wonderful, but you'll see those who are out on the street corner and to have assigned basics saying you're going to hell and all that, and my view is, yeah, they're probably right, but I don't think it's necessarily an effective way to communicate the gospel.
But then again, I'm not on a street corner.
Preaching either so.
That's there, you know.
But he said, consider how is it that you can be most effective in doing this?
Consider how to stimulate how to broke one another.
So that's us.
To love and good deeds.
Now, some of us decided how we're going to stimulate and provoke one another to love and good deeds to.
Be a jerk.
And by being a jerk they have.
To love you and so.
Now you're loving me and.
I provoked you to do that.
That's not what he's talking about.
He's talking about for us to consider.
How is it that I might set an example of love and good deeds that you might want to emulate, that you might want to do that we might be considered a Church of love and good deeds now.
Most of us would think when he says love and good deeds, he's talking about two things.
I think he's talking about the same.
Thing it's a.
One in a 2.
Because you can't have love and not have good deeds.
To say to.
You if you're hungry, be warmed and filled.
It's a nice sentiment, but I've not done anything.
Scriptural love is to see a person in need and doing something to remedy that need.
The writer John, in his letters says.
If you have the world goods.
And see your brother in need.
You hate him.
You say you love God, but if you don't love your brother, you're a liar.
So there is this thing of we love one another, but that love is a matter of demonstration now.
Having been married for 49 years, I appreciate it when my wife says she loves me.
It's good to hear it's reassuring.
It's comforting.
But if she says every time I love you and stops me or every time I love you, she goes out and dates another guy.
Or does a bunch of other things.
I begin to wonder whether she actually loved me.
The words did not show forth the deeds.
So when she says she loves me, she has done things to convince me that the words are true.
We likewise are to consider how is it that we might tell people and stimulate, so that you love.
In action.
That you love in such a way that the words aren't cheap.
And you've been around those people.
Who say they love you and they enjoy being with you?
And then nine months later, you don't know where they are.
So much for love and and appreciation.
That's not what we're talking, we're talking.
About genuine love and good deeds.
So homework assignment.
That never goes away.
We're always to think about.
We're always to consider.
How to get each of each other of us?
To do love and good deeds.
Not forsaking our own assembling together.
As a habit of some.
During this difficult time of pandemic, there's a lot of people who don't like to go out and do things, and.
All right?
But long before that.
People tendency to have a habit of not going to church.
It was always they would think.
On a Sunday morning.
Should I go to church?
And 99.99 percent of the time when you ask that question Sunday morning, the answer will be no.
'cause you're tired?
We had a time change Sunday this week.
We got an hour longer.
But people are still tired.
It's the fact of life in the 21st century, but here's the secret.
It has always been tiring.
Life has never been easy.
People have had to get up before the crack of dawn and plow the fields or do whatever they needed to do to just survive.
Life is the 21st century we think of how difficult to struggle is.
That's life.
He said there is a habit that some people have of just not.
Assembling together
The scriptures tell us that we are.
To gather together.
We are to gather together to worship God.
Well I can worship God my best self, yes, but there is a sense.
And Jesus even said where two or three are gathered in my name.
He didn't say well where you are all by yourself.
Good Charlie.
He says where two or three are gathered in my name.
There I will be.
There is that sense that we are to worship corporately.
You cannot demonstrate love and good deeds when you're out on a mountaintop, saying, where should we go and how wonderful God is?
And yes, God is wonderful.
And yes, you could worship him.
But how do you demonstrate love and good deeds when you're out on the mountain top?
As the scripture says, how do you show that you love God who doesn't need anything unless you love your brother?
Which means after the mountain top experience, you need to go down and assemble so that you might stimulate others and yourself to do love and good deeds.
Now I'm gonna get in trouble here.
'cause there's a there is a common word use.
In in today's society and and I'll give you.
An example of a different word first.
Half the commercials you'll see today will talk about sustainability.
You buy clothes.
There are sustainable.
Here to buy.
Energy that's sustainable, and so that's that's the current catch phrase everybody wants to leave the planet better off, and whatever.
And so sustainability is is one of those neat words that we do. You never heard it in 1990? You know it's in the dictionary, but in everybody. Nobody ever used it.
The word you hear.
A lot today is community.
So I'm going to get in trouble.
We are not a community.
Let me say it again, we are not a community.
We are the body of Jesus.
We his he is the head, we are his body.
We are individually members of it.
And as a result we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
We are the called out ones.
We are the ones who have been sanctified.
We are the ones who are Saints.
We are not a community, we are his.
We are his possession.
We are to be a holy people who is a royal priesthood.
Who is God?
Possession he owns us were his.
Or a body?
Of Christ
And so.
When we assemble, we don't assemble because I like you and you like me and we.
We have things in common.
And some of us you know, we like the wrong football team.
But you know, we tolerate that.
'cause you know I'm going to show love and good deeds.
That's not community.
We are a body.
Of believers and we are to assemble ourselves together.
So that we might worship him, that we might draw near to him that we might encourage one another for love and good deeds, and to draw nearer to him.
And when we are convinced that we are just worthless, that there are others in the body, it says I've been there.
He loves you.
With an everlasting love, he died for those very sins.
Take another step.
And another step.
And when I'm tired and weak and and wondering then you come to me and say, take another step, take another step, not because we're community, but because we're the body.
It's when the the head tells us move then we move.
And if you're the leg and you're sore, then the the arms help you move.
You do what the body needs to do to get moving.
I'm sure I'll be taken out of context.
'cause the wonderful word today is community.
But we ain't.
Not forsaking our own assembly together.
As is the habit.
Of some, but encouraging one another.
One of the ways I try to do this.
Is I explained to people?
When they miss a worship, especially when they're new.
Because sometimes there's a.
Sense of.
Why weren't you at church?
You're a reprobate.
You're a Sinner, how?
Terrible you, you, you you.
Need to be.
Baptized again or something.
You're just a terrible person.
I tell people this.
When you have a family meal.
And the family comes.
And one of the.
Children or brothers.
Or sisters don't come.
Doesn't mean that the meal wasn't good.
Doesn't mean that the fellowship that the rest of the family had wasn't good.
It was enjoyable.
There's a good meal.
It just wasn't the same without them.
It would have been better with them.
But it didn't mean that the meal and the fellowship wasn't good.
And so when we meet one together, it's not that the worship isn't good.
It's not that the sermons.
However, they are, and it's not that the gathering the fellowship was good, it's just that it wasn't the same without them.
There isn't judgment that you're not here, it just would have been better if you were.
That's the type of church we need to be.
Encouraging and loving to say we want you and we need you because it makes us better with you.
So there's movement that we are told we are draw near to.
God, we're to hold fast that confession we are to consider how to stimulate one another, which notice it didn't say to consider, to stimulate you to do that, but for us to do it.
It's for something that all of us are doing, not just the pastor, not just the Deacons, not just those who are spiritual.
The whole congregation is to consider how to stimulate one another to love and good.
Deeds and to.
Assemble together.
To be together.
To worship together.
To fellowship together.
And yes, there are times when it is very difficult to do that.
But a pandemic has made it difficult for many churches and other organizations to do things.
And as the world seems to be going more and more crazy.
And it seems possibly that maybe Jesus is.
Nearer now than ever before.
And sometimes I say Jesus if you don't come soon, there'll be nothing to come back to.
But notice what it says here that we're.
To do these things?
And all the more as you see the day drawing near.
You see, you don't stop going to church because the world is going crazy.
You need to go to church more because the church the world is going crazy.
You don't need not to consider how to stimulate people to love and good deeds because the world is going crazy.
You need to do so all the more because the world is going crazy and it'll be even more.
Obvious that we are his because we love and do good deeds when the world is saying it's about me.
Me and it's about me and it's about me.
And that we say.
You can tell us not to assemble.
But we're still going to.
Because we answer to God.
So all the more that you see the day.
All too often.
We just want to look at the scriptures to say.
For God so loved the world.
That he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him might not perish but have eternal life, and we like that.
Because almost all the action is on God's part.
Just requires us to believe.
But this part says.
But after having.
Learned that.
It's time to draw near to him.
It's time to be in a relationship with him that it's close and personal.
So close and personal that you are simply not the same without him.
That it's so close and personal.
You want others to experience that.
When a person is in love.
They usually don't care who sees it.
They do it, you know.
When you're old, like us, you don't like me, you'll see.
People on the street and they're hugging and kissing and you go, you know, get a room or whatever.
But they're excited about the love.
We kind of Christian the kind of same way person.
Who comes to Christ?
Is all excited yelling and screaming.
You know they'll they'll calm down.
Eventually they'll get over it rather than saying, yeah, isn't it great to be so in love with the Lord?
To know more about him today than he did yesterday.
And wouldn't it be great?
If we were apart.
Of causing people.
To draw nearer.
To love him more, to confess, greater to not be wavering.
And to assemble together.
Because we've drawn nearer to him.
And I've seen how wonderful that is.
And all God's people said.