Therefore… 4-12-26 PM

I.            Since (Heb. 10:19-21).

a.      The writer, by inspiration gives a very brief summary of what believers have in Jesus.

b.      We first says, since we have confidence because of the blood of Jesus.

           i.      The holiest mentioned is the idea of the most holy place in the temple or tabernacle.

           ii.      This was only entered once a year and only by the high priest.

           iii.      This was a guarded place.

           iv.      The ordinary worshiper could not enter boldly into the presence of God on the mercy seat of the temple.

           v.      Because of the blood of Jesus, each Christian can go into what the most holy place represented – the throne room of God in heaven.

           vi.      We do this by prayer – we don’t need a high priest to go for us because, in Christ, we can go there ourselves (Heb. 4:16).

           vii.      This confidence is not in ourselves.

           viii.      This confidence is because Jesus has shed His blood, opening up this avenue of coming before God for all mankind.

c.      He then writes, and since is not provided but implied, since we have a new and living way to go beyond the veil, or curtain.

          i.      The old way was repeated sacrifices.

          ii.      The old way was distance between yourself and temple and between yourself and God.

          iii.      The old way was a constant reminder of your sin.

          iv.      Jesus opened a new and living way.

          v.      It is new because it allows us to beyond the curtain of the temple to the very presence of God.

          vi.      It is new because it is tied to a new covenant.

          vii.      It is living because it is opened by a living Savior.

          viii.      It was all provided for by the giving of the flesh of this living, resurrected Savior.

d.     Lastly in this point, since we have a high priest over the house of God.

          i.      Our high priest is Jesus.

          ii.      He is not only the sacrifice but He is also the High Priest.

          iii.      The house of God is not just a building, it is the church (1 Tim. 3:15).

e.      The Christian life must be led through remembering what we have in Christ.

f.       We have access to God because of the blood of Christ.

g.     We have a new and living way because of Christ.

h.     We have a great High Priest who is the Christ.

i.       We cannot and must not leave the One who provides us these things.

II.            Let us (Heb. 10:22-25).

a.     Since we have all these things, there are some things we need to do.

b.     We need to draw near to God (vs. 22).

          i.      We need to come to God with complete sincerity.

          ii.      We need to fully give our lives to God.

          iii.      We need to do these things in complete faith.

          iv.      Just as a Jew would come to the temple to get close to God, bringing a sacrifice because his faith moved him to believe the promise of God.

          v.      We must bring ourselves as this living sacrifice as we are taught in Rom. 12:1-2.

          vi.      We are able to do this because we have been obedient to the gospel by having our hearts cleansed through baptism.

          vii.      We can’t live at a distance from God.

          viii.      We must draw near Him through worship, service, and steady fellowship with Him.

c.      Let us hold fast our confession (vs. 23).

          i.      Remember, these people are being tempted and compelled to deny Jesus as the Messiah.

          ii.      When they obeyed the gospel, they made the good confession, just like we have.

          iii.      Why did they need to hold fast?

          iv.      God is faithful that promised.

          v.      We are not being compelled to go to Judaism, but we are tempted all the time to deny Jesus.

          vi.      Circumstances will never be easy but we can’t give in.

          vii.      We can’t give in because God will never fail us.

          viii.      He has made us great promises.

          ix.      He is faithful to keep them and we must keep what we’ve committed to Him.

d.     Let us stir up one another to love and good works (vs. 24).

          i.      Things are difficult for all of us, just like they were difficult for 1st century Christians.

          ii.      The word translated provoke in the KJV is translated stimulate are stir up in newer translations.

          iii.      It cares the idea of a strong urging of others towards the end of producing more love for one another and good service to God and others.

          iv.      When the KJV was translated, the word provoke meant to stimulate to action, where it is now a negative word.

          v.      Instead of abandoning our brethren, we need to stimulate one another to do more for each other and more for God.

          vi.      When things are difficult, that is the time to lean in harder on doing what is right.

          vii.      We stimulate one another through various ways.

e.      Let us not forsake the worship of God.

          i.      This let us, like the since in verse 20, is implied.

          ii.      When we forsake the assembling of ourselves together, we let one another down.

          iii.      In a sense, the writer is stating, not encourage to assemble, but assemble to encourage.

          iv.      Our worship services are to build one another up and encourage one another.

          v.      When we fail to assemble, whether because of pressure not to come or mere neglect, we fail to encourage one another.

          vi.      We can’t let hardship push us away from the people we are supposed to be encouraging and who will encourage us.

          vii.      The gathered church is one of God’s avenues of keeping us from drifting.

          viii.      The truth is, we cannot hold fast to God alone.

f.       Since we have such a great Savior, let us do these things mentioned.

III.            Fearful (Heb. 10:26-30).

a.     This is a very negative section of scripture.

b.     It shows what happens to those who leave Jesus.

c.     It ought to be frightening to us.

d.     This is not about some moment of weakness followed by repentance.

          i.      This is looking at a willful turning from and leaving Jesus.

          ii.      This is apostasy.

e.      It needs to be understood that we don’t have to leave the church to apostatize.

          i.      We can live lives of rebellion against the Lord and be at services every time the doors are open.

          ii.      We can attend all services and still be without a Savior.

f.       If we willfully turn from Jesus, whether leaving Him physically and spiritually, or just spiritually, there is no more sacrifice for sins.

          i.      There is nothing else that will save us.

          ii.      No one or nothing else is coming to be our sacrifice for sins.

          iii.      Also, how does one believe in once saved, always saved interpret this passage?

          iv.      The writer is saying it is very possible to receive the truth and then leave it.

g.     The writer describes leaving Jesus in three shocking ways:

          i.      Trampling underfoot the Son of God.

          ii.      Profaning the blood of the covenant.

          iii.      Outraging, doing despite, to the Spirit of Grace.

h.     Can you imagine stomping on the face of Jesus and God being okay with that?

i.       Can you imagine treating as common the blood of the uncommon Savior and God being okay with that?

j.       Can you imagine angering the Holy Spirit, which we do when count His word as nothing, and God being okay with that?

k.     When someone treated the law of Moses this way, once two or three witnesses confirmed it, that person was put to death with no mercy.

l.       All we will have left is a definite fear of judgment and knowledge of fiery indignation from God.

m.    We are viewed as adversaries of God when we leave Him like this.

n.     The writer closes this out by quoting two Old Testament passages: Deut. 32:35 and Deut. 32:36.

         i.      These verses should strike fear in us.

         ii.      God is not going to miss.

‍ ‍iii. Even those who once belonged to Him.