We're going to begin our worship tonight singing in Psalm 118.
Psalm 118, that's in the Sing Psalms version.
You'll find that on page 155.
We're singing verses 1 to 9.
O thank the Lord, for he is good.
His steadfast love endures always.
Now let the house of Israel say,
His love will last through endless days.
And let the house of Aaron say,
His love forever will endure.
And let those who fear the Lord declare,
His love will stand forever sure.
What a great privilege it is to follow in the line of these ancient people,
long ago in Old Testament times,
who were called by the psalmist here to give thanks to God,
those Jewish people, the house of Aaron,
all those who would gather from time to time to worship the Lord.
And we follow in that great line of worshipers, of God,
the same God they worshiped, that we worship this evening.
So verses 1 to 9 in Psalm 118.
O thank the Lord.
O thank the Lord, for he is good.
O thank the Lord, for his love and europe is proceed.
O bank of the person, our Lord, and king of . You were there.
It'sי when the Holy Spirit is granted.
uarialness, of God.
O've he is good.
God is belt-set teacher.
How must o'er and aurait before the Lord are long efforts God,
Now let the house of Israel say,
His love will last through endless days.
God is proud to serve as many people,
He has堪 Einsatz hace Oh, God is faithful to him or sheep.
And let the house of Edom sing,
His love forever will endure.
Let those who fear the Lord be clear,
His love will stand forever sure.
I cried in language to the Lord,
He answered me and said,
The Lord is with me and not here,
What harm can be the good to Thee?
The Lord is with me constantly,
He is the one who gives me,
I look in triumph on my foes,
I will not eat to Thee, I free.
It's better far to trust the Lord,
Than look for help in man's defense,
It's better far to trust the Lord,
Than in the grace of confidence.
Now we're going to engage in prayer,
let's join together in prayer to the Lord.
Almighty God, as we gather once again in Your presence,
We thank You for these words that have brought us such reassurance,
Words that assure us, Lord, of Your care for Your people,
And words that teach us so clearly,
How much better it is to trust in the Lord,
Than to trust in anyone else.
And we bless You for the way that that trust that You give us to place in Yourself,
Is a trust that is placed in one who is always faithful,
One who will never be diverted from His purpose,
One who is always true to His promises,
One who will bring all things to fruition in the experience of Your people.
And we thank You, Lord, tonight for the rule that You have over us,
And over the world in which we live,
Despite the fact that there are so many things that we cannot understand,
So many things that cause us to question,
Even at times to be bewildered,
So many things that we find taken up by those throughout the world,
Who would seek to constantly find fault with the idea of God.
We give thanks, Gracious One,
That You assure us through Your Word,
That You, in the way in which Your throne is set,
Are the Lord above all things.
And this gives us, Lord, confidence to draw near to You even tonight,
And to do so as a body of Your people,
Who come here to worship You.
And we give thanks, O Lord,
That Your worthiness to be worshipped is so perfect.
Everything that You do is worthy of our praise and our adoration.
And we ask, O Lord, as we come before You,
Even at this time to pray,
That You would enable us to come and give thanks, first of all.
Enable us to adore You, to love You,
Even before we ask anything for ourselves,
Or anything to be done for us by You.
Enable us, Lord, to dwell upon the great fact of Your beauty and Your constancy,
Your constancy, of Your worthiness to be praised.
And so we ask Your blessing,
As we come together once again in this way.
We ask Your blessing, Lord, upon Your Word for us.
As we give thanks for Your Word,
As we give thanks for the number of ways in which we use it,
Even throughout a service like this.
We pray, O Lord, that You would once again bless Your Word to us.
As we come before You,
Stretching out our hands to You, O Lord,
And acknowledgement that we of ourselves are empty,
Empty of resources and empty of ability to please You,
And to bring understanding to Your Word.
But we thank You that You have promised to give us that understanding.
And we read in Your Word, Lord,
Of those whose minds You opened,
As You opened the Scriptures to them.
And we pray that that will be our experience even tonight.
And we can never say, O Lord,
That our knowledge of You is as full as we would like it to be.
And we can never say that we've reached the point where we need to now cease to learn,
Cease to come to have more knowledge imparted to us from Your Spirit and from Your Word.
And so we pray that You would help us even tonight to make a further contribution by Your grace,
To make ourselves in Your presence to grow in grace and in the knowledge of You as our Lord.
Lord, we bring our personal concerns to You as well.
And although we have such a privilege of meeting together,
A privilege of belonging to You as the gathered church of God,
Nevertheless, Lord, we come with our individual concerns as well.
We thank You that in the midst of the gatherings of Your people,
You take note of individuals and individual circumstances.
Lord, we give thanks that You take note of all the detail of the lives of Your people,
That You are not beyond looking upon us in such a way as to draw near to us,
To assure us in a personal way that we can safely trust in You.
And we pray that You would speak to us personally, Lord, this evening.
And we pray that You would do so no matter what others may feel,
What others may experience,
And what others may be in regard to their own relationship with You.
Help us, we pray, each one, and help us all together
To seek You in a way that would further our acquaintance with You,
And our experience of You as our Lord and as our God.
We bring before You too, O Lord, our needs as a congregation.
We thank You for the way that You continue to provide for us,
For the way in which we can say, O Lord, that You have helped us thus far on our journey through life.
You have helped us in our history as a congregation and as a church.
And we pray, gracious Lord, that You would grant Your blessing,
That we may further have that blessing imparted to us as each week goes by.
And we pray that You would grant Your blessing to extend into our homes,
Our families, our children, our grandchildren, our relatives, our neighbors.
O Lord, we pray for our communities.
We pray for our island.
We pray for all who no longer come to church.
We pray for those who have never come to church.
We pray for those, Lord, who are not concerned about being along with the worshiping people of God.
We pray for those whose hearts are closed to the message of the gospel.
We pray that You would bless them.
We pray that You would give to them what You have given to ourselves.
That desire after You, that desire to know You,
That desire, O Lord, that comes out of a knowledge of ourselves,
That we need You, a knowledge of ourselves that we cannot organize and create for ourselves in life.
Those things that will be a sure foundation for us.
Remember us, we pray, Lord, in all the different ways in which we seek to serve You,
And be pleased to accompany all that we do in Your name,
With Your blessing and with further evidence of Your delight in us.
We ask that You would forgive our sins.
Every time, Lord, we come together in this way,
Each of us is surely aware that we come with our own sins,
With our own confession,
With our own need to divulge to You,
Although You know already that we need Your pardon, Your cleansing, Your acceptance of us.
Lord, our God, we ask as we confess our sins,
That as You are faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,
That we may know in You that blessing this evening,
And that we may be assured that when our sin is forgiven,
It is truly forgiven permanently.
And even though we come on a regular basis to confess our sin,
Lord, we take delight in the fact that in and through the Lord Jesus Christ,
You come to blot out the transgressions of Your people,
You come to wipe clean the record of debt,
The record of guilt that is on our record,
And You replace it with Your righteousness,
With Your acceptance of Your people,
And with the fact that You see them as righteous in Your Son.
Oh, gracious Lord, help us to give all the more thanks to You
For the reality of these things.
We ask Your blessing to be tonight with those who are ill.
We know those of our number, Lord, as a congregation
Of whom we've heard in recent days of illness.
We pray that You draw near to each and every one,
And every home thereby affected.
Remember those in hospital, those in the hospice,
Those, Lord, who are in care homes throughout our island.
We pray that You bless them and bless to them the care that they receive.
Remember those who mourn the passing of loved ones.
Gracious One, be near to them to comfort them.
And be near to those throughout the world tonight
Where the pain and the sorrow of death is so evident.
And particularly tonight, we remember, oh Lord,
Those in Morocco and Marrakesh and the surrounding district
Whose lives have been devastated by an earthquake
With such great loss of property and of life.
Lord, we pray that You would provide for them
And that the agencies that seek to come to their aid
Will know of Your own provision and Your blessing for them.
And we ask especially, oh Lord, that You would grant to provide for them
An understanding and a peace that comes from knowing Yourself.
And we pray that You would help them, Lord, as they cry out in their agony.
That You would help them and hear their cry
And come to do for them more than we are able to ask or even think.
Bless us then now, we pray.
Here we come to You, Lord, to seek that we will hear Your voice speaking to us from the Scriptures.
And we pray for the grace to hear
And to hear in such a way that recognizes that the Lord is indeed addressing us.
Hear us, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.
Once again, let's praise the Lord.
We're singing this time in Psalm 91.
Psalm 91 in the Scottish Psalter.
That's page 351, verses 1 to 4.
Words that remind us of the refuge that God is for all who trust in Him.
How He provides for us security and safety in that refuge
Against all that would seek to take us away from the Lord Himself and cause us distress.
He that doth in the secret place of the Most High reside
Under the shade of him that is the Almighty shall abide
I of the Lord my God will say,
He is my refuge still.
He is my fortress and my God.
And in Him trust I will.
As somebody once said,
We can never run away from God to hide from Him.
He always sees us.
But we can run into Him and find our hiding place and our refuge in Himself.
And that's what faith actually does.
It draws us into the refuge that God Himself is.
So let's sing these verses 1 to 4.
He that doth in the secret place.
Of the Most High reside
He that doth in the secret place.
Of the Most High reside.
He that doth in the secret place.
And that of the Most High reside.
the shape of him that is
the almighty shall abide.
I hope the Lord my God will sing.
He is my refuge still.
He is my fortress, my God,
and in him trust I will.
Assuredly he shall be saved,
and give deliverance from subtle flowers,
make and grow the noise of his to ends.
His feathers shall be high, I trust,
under his wings shall be.
His faithfulness shall be a shield,
and offer unto thee.
Well, as you can see from the notes of the service,
we have two readings tonight from the Scriptures
from the New Testament.
First in Mark chapter 15, verses 33 to 41.
Now we are going to read a passage also from Hebrews chapter 10, verses 19 to 25.
First to the Gospel according to Mark, chapter 15,
and beginning reading at verse 33.
We read about the death of Jesus on the cross.
And when the sixth hour had come,
there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice,
Eloi, Eloi lama sabachthani,
which means,
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
And some of the bystanders hearing it said,
Behold, he is calling Elijah.
And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine,
and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink,
saying, Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.
And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.
And the curtain of the temple was torn in two from the top to bottom.
And when the centurion who stood facing him saw that in this way he breathed his last,
he said, Truly, this man was the Son of God.
And if you take with you especially that reference in verse 38 to what happened to the curtain in the temple to our second reading in Hebrews chapter 10.
We can read from verse 19.
Amen.
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 to good works,
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."
And you can see there the connection between the two passages
where the curtain that separated the holy place from the most holy place at the death of Jesus was torn in two,
and it was from the top to the bottom.
It wasn't done from below by someone.
It was a divine act.
And that symbolized and represented how access to God was now above that of the Old Testament,
as we read here in this passage in Hebrews that we'll come back to,
that we are able to enter in by a new and living way,
and that is, of course, Jesus himself, to draw near to God through him.
So may he bless to us his word to his own praise.
We're going to sing again Psalm 34 this time.
Psalm number 34, that's on page 40,
singing verses 1 to 9.
Psalm 34, that's on page 40.
At all times I will bless the Lord.
I'll praise him with my voice.
Because I glory in the Lord, let troubled souls rejoice.
Together let us praise the Lord, exalt his name with me.
I sought the Lord, his answer came.
From fears he set me free.
They look to him and shine with joy.
They are not put to shame.
This suffering man cried to the Lord.
From him deliverance came.
The angel of the Lord surrounds and guards continually
all those who fear and honor him.
He sets his people free.
Come, taste and see.
The Lord is good.
Who trusts in him is blessed.
Oh, fear the Lord, you saints.
With need you will not be oppressed.
These verses from the beginning.
At all times I will praise the Lord.
I will bless the Lord.
Amen.
At all times I will bless the Lord.
I'll praise him with my voice.
Because I glory in the Lord, let troubled souls rejoice.
Together let us praise the Lord, exalt his name with me.
I sought the Lord, his answer came.
From fears he set me free.
They look to him and shine with joy.
They are not good to shame.
This suffering man cried to the Lord.
From him deliverance came.
The angel of the Lord surrounds and guards continually.
He sets his people free.
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Now, please turn with me to Hebrews chapter 10.
Hebrews chapter 10, that passage we read from verse 19 to 25.
We're going to focus on that for a short time this evening.
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, and so on.
Three great exhortations there, beginning with let us, in these verses from verse 22 onwards.
Let us draw near, let us hold fast, let us consider.
Now, last week we began, last Sunday morning, we began a short study, or series of studies,
on the gathered church.
We took that from Matthew 18, and I did say at that time that I was going to do this,
whether it be in the morning or the evening, we're going to follow this theme for a few weeks.
As we look at the Bible's teaching on the gathered church, the church gathered together,
especially in a focus on the worshiping church of God.
And we saw last time that it was where two or three have been gathered together in his name,
that he is there in the midst.
And we focused on gathered in the name of Jesus,
and we focused also on the second point, that Jesus is actually in the midst of his people,
that he is in their hearts.
And so in that sense, they carry Jesus with them as they come together.
He is individually, he is in each individual life that he occupies, that lives by faith in him.
And when we come together, we also bring that presence of Jesus in our hearts with us.
Not to say that that's the only way in which Jesus is present in the gatherings of his people.
But tonight, as we look at this passage,
we can see that specific reference in verse 25 to being gathered together.
He says there,
Let's consider how to stood one another up to love and good works,
not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.
And you can see the balance in that verse.
That is, on the one hand, he's saying,
Let's not neglect to meet together.
And the opposite of that, the other side of it is,
Instead of neglecting to meet together, let's encourage one another.
So obviously that means meet together in order to encourage one another.
It's not just a matter of coming together to worship the Lord.
That is the primary exercise of our gathering together as worshiping people,
as a worshiping congregation.
But here is another dimension to it as well.
We gather together in such a way that seeks to encourage one another,
through gathering together under the Word of God,
and in fellowship, spiritual fellowship with one another.
So we have the opportunities there,
and the privilege of encouraging one another as well.
Now we need to keep this passage, these verses,
we need to keep them bound together as they are here in the passage before us.
Because the three exhortations, as we said there,
these three letters sentences, verses 22 to 25,
these are actually set on a foundation, if you like,
and the foundation is what goes before that.
The gathering, the exhortations that are addressed to us as we gather together,
they all stem from what we're told already in verses 19 to 21.
Having certain things already in place.
Having certain facts that we can rely upon.
The facts especially about Jesus himself,
and about the death of Jesus,
and about the way that he's opened up for us through his death,
into the presence of God.
These great facts, he says there,
are what leads them then to the exhortations.
Having these in place, he's saying,
let us now do this.
In other words, we're reminding ourselves,
and this is reminding us anyway,
that when we gather together to worship God,
we gather together in response to what God has already done.
We don't come to gather together in worship
as if God would then do something in return,
or repay us for the fact.
There may be some aspects of truth to that, of course, as well.
But this is the great fact.
This is the great fact.
God has already done this for us.
God has been active in Jesus Christ,
providing us with this access into his own presence.
It's a new and it's a living way.
And we have boldness, confidence to enter the holy places
by the blood of Jesus,
by this new and living way that he's opened through his flesh,
through his death on the cross,
and his own person.
When we come,
as we're gathered tonight in worship,
what we're doing is gathering together
in response to something that's already taken place.
We're not doing something that will give cause to God to bless us.
He is freely able to bless us in any case or not.
But we're coming together in response to,
in believing response,
in worshiping response to what he has already done
and what he has done conclusively
by the death of Jesus on the cross.
And that's such an important aspect
of thinking of the church gathered together,
the gatherings of the church,
especially for worship,
public worship,
as we're doing this evening
and every other time we come.
We come because this has already happened.
And this is actually something that requires of us
that we respond to that
by coming together
and coming to God through this new and living way
that Jesus himself is.
We could say a lot more than that,
but you will notice the plurals that he's using.
We saw this last time,
the importance of noticing the plurals in the Bible
the plurals by which God addresses his people,
whether it's here on the Old Testament,
these New Testament epistles,
Hebrews,
those of Paul,
those of John,
all of these have the same feature,
that they address the people of God as a people.
Of course,
as we said last time,
that means addressing us as individuals as well.
Everything here is addressed to you
and to me in an individual sense.
We have to make individual use of it.
But nevertheless,
primarily,
it's an address to us as a gathered people.
Let us draw near.
Let us hold fast
the confidence of our,
the confession of our hope.
Let us consider
how to stir one another up to love
and to good works.
They're plurals.
They're addressed to a people.
They're addressed to a gathered church of God.
And that's important for us also
as you go through the various aspects
of what we are privileged to have
as Christians and as believing people.
We're privileged to have,
yes,
individually,
but especially together.
Together in such a way as worships him
in response to what he has done.
So let's look at these three exhortations briefly.
The first of these,
you'll find is,
let us draw near.
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.
Now this passage has a lot in it
that we're not going to go into
in any detail
because as I said,
it's important
that we keep it all together
and get the main parameters of it
worked out
in our understanding
and then put that to ourselves.
And what he's doing here is saying,
here is what we're doing
in response to what God has done in Christ.
We're coming together
to draw near to God.
That's what you're doing this evening
if you've come here
with a mindset
upon worshiping him
with everybody else
who's come here tonight
to worship the Lord.
You are drawing near to God
and of course you can do that
and you do that
in an individual sense as well.
When you go on your knees
or when you pray to God,
however it is,
your posture is to pray to God.
You're drawing near to God.
When you sing in praise to God
on your own,
you're drawing near to God.
You're conscious
that you're drawing near
to this God you're worshiping.
And it's a wonderful privilege,
more so than in an individual sense,
to come together
to worship the Lord
means together we're coming
to draw near to him.
We're coming into his presence.
We're coming through this new
and living way
into the very presence of God.
We don't need any other warrant
to come than what's already
been done for us
and his own invitation
and exhortation based upon that.
Let us draw near to him.
Are we conscious tonight
that this is what we're doing?
Is that not our mindset
as we come through these doors
to gather together
in this place of worship
that we are actually intending
and seeking to draw near to God?
That we look at what worship is
in all the various aspects of it,
but it's primarily
a drawing near to God
through Christ,
through this new and living way.
And he says here,
we're drawing near
with a true heart
and a true heart
in full assurance of faith.
Well, a true heart really there
is something that means
just opposite to hypocrisy.
We're coming with a genuine sincerity
in our hearts to worship God.
Our worship is never perfect
as it leaves ourselves.
Our minds at worship
are not perfectly attuned
to listening to God
or to speaking from the pulpit
about God.
We're still sinners.
We're failing in so many aspects
of what we do,
even in our worship.
But here he's saying
we're coming with a sincere heart.
Your being here tonight
at this service of worship
is something that you can say
of yourself,
I want to be there.
I'm sincere about my desire
to worship God.
I'm not drawing near to him
just as a matter of form,
just in terms of a formality,
just doing something outwardly.
I'm coming before him
with a sincere heart.
I'm not coming to him
in pretense.
I'm not pretending
to be something
that I'm not.
I'm coming
with a sincere heart.
And you see,
he's putting it in the plural,
let us draw near
with a sincere,
with a true heart.
Let us draw near
with a true heart.
And then he says
in full assurance of faith.
Another aspect of
the drawing near,
of the coming together,
that we come
in full assurance of faith.
Now that sometimes
troubles people.
And it used to trouble myself
until I came across
a meaning given to it
that really helped me out
because every time
I thought of this
in full assurance of faith
coming near to God,
I thought,
well, I'm failing there
because my faith
is sometimes so poor.
My faith is sometimes
so weak.
I wish I had
a stronger faith.
And if I had
a stronger faith,
I would fit into
the category
of what this writer
is saying,
drawing near to God
with a full assurance
of faith.
But then you see,
that's not what
this phrase means.
It doesn't mean
drawing near to God
fully persuaded
that you are saved
or having that
full assurance
that yes,
you are saved,
you are a believer,
you are indeed
trusting in Christ.
Let me read to you
what that great
Puritan theologian
John Owen says
in his commentary
on Hebrews
about this phrase.
Obviously,
he met in his own day
with people
who thought that
this full assurance
of faith meant
reaching a very height
of assurance
that you are a believer.
This is what he says.
The full assurance
of faith here
represents
not the assurance
that any have
of their own salvation,
nor any degree
of such an assurance.
It is only
the full satisfaction
of our souls
in the reality
and efficacy
of the priesthood
of Christ
to give us
acceptance with God
in contrast
to all other ways
and means thereof.
And that really
is saying to it
full assurance
of faith,
Owen is saying,
means you are
fully persuaded
that Jesus
is everything
you need
in order to have
that full acceptance
of God.
That everything
you require
in order to
have a life
that God
himself receives
and takes delight
in and accepts
as righteous
in his sight,
that's all
in Jesus.
And the full assurance
of faith,
as Owen said,
is the full satisfaction
of our souls
in the reality
and efficacy
of the priesthood
of Christ
to give us
that acceptance
with God.
So if you're
coming tonight
and saying,
I know that
I don't have anything
in myself
and my own ability
that I can create
in order to give me
acceptance with God.
I know I can't
come to God
and draw near to God
with his people
to worship him
thinking that somehow
my sincerity,
although I'm sincere,
that my sincerity
is something
that will guarantee
me acceptance
before God.
I can't come
before him
and say,
Lord,
I prayed today
and I prayed
a number of times
today
and I'm pleased
that I was able
to pray
and on the basis
of that
I'm persuaded
that you'll accept me.
You can't come
with that.
Great and wonderful
though prayer is.
No,
you come
to draw near
to God.
We come to draw near
together
as we come
to draw near
to God
and we're saying
this,
Lord,
I have everything
I need
for your acceptance
and I accept
this as being
perfectly sufficient
for me
that Jesus
in his death
is everything
and all I need.
You're saying
that tonight.
Then you have
that full assurance
of faith.
You're saying
that you discount
every other possibility
of something
of every other
means that you
may think of
would give you
acceptance with God
and you're saying
no,
Lord,
I don't want
to trust
in any of these.
I know I mustn't
do that.
It's not going
to bring me
acceptance with you
at all
but here is
my acceptance.
Here is my
ground of confidence.
Here is Jesus.
I believe in him.
I trust in him.
I trust myself
to him.
I put myself
in his hands
and at his disposal.
I receive him
as my righteous
savior.
I receive him
as Lord
your provision
for a poor
sinner like me.
I receive him
gladly.
I receive him
with relief
for my soul
because I am
persuaded
by your word
that that gives me
acceptance
in your sight.
let us draw
near
let us draw
near
with a true
heart
and in the full
assurance of faith
with our hearts
sprinkled clean
from an evil
conscience
and our bodies
washed with pure
water.
well in a word
that really just
indicates the
totality
with which God
saves us
and brings us
into acceptance
with himself.
We need
a clean
conscience.
We need a conscience
that's sprinkled
clean from an evil
conscience.
We need outwardly
as well in our
behavior
to have our bodies
washed with pure
water.
A spiritual way
of stating that
our entire
person
needs to be made
acceptable with God
and that's what Jesus
does.
That's what faith
in Jesus brings.
Not that faith
is meritorious.
It's Jesus himself
who has
the merit
and through that
we receive
this acceptance
with God
this
sprinkling
of our conscience
from
our hearts
sprinkled clean
from an evil
conscience.
A conscience
that you want
to always pronounce
that you are
right with God.
Of course
your conscience
even as a believer
convicts you
when you know
you've done wrong
or when you know
you haven't done
something you ought
to have done.
That's perfectly
alright
in the sense
that I mean
it's perfectly
alright in the
sense that
it shows you
and indicates
there's something
there in you
that really is
keeping you
in the right
direction
and that you're
relying upon
Christ himself
for your acceptance
with God
and not anything
in yourself.
Let us draw near
let us draw near
he says
with a true heart
and in full
assurance of faith
with our hearts
sprinkled clean
from an evil
conscience
and our bodies
washed
with pure water.
But then he goes
on
with another
exhortation
let us hold
fast
the confession
of our hope
without wavering
for he who promised
is faithful.
Now notice he's saying
it's the confession
of our hope
rather than confession
of faith
which we very often
come across
this is the confession
of our hope.
What does Jesus do?
What does God do
when he brings us
and saves us
and puts us
in Christ
and brings to us
that salvation
that becomes ours
then through faith
in Christ
what is he doing?
He's giving us hope.
Remember how Paul
when he wrote
to the Ephesians
in chapter 2
he described
what the Ephesians
once were
when they were
unsaved
heathen
pagans
in all their idolatry
before the Lord
sent the gospel
to them
and they came
to be saved
through the gospel
through the preaching
of the gospel
you were
he says
at that time
cut off
from the commonwealth
of Israel
without God
and without hope
in the world.
One thing
that characterizes
the unsaved sinner
is the absence
of hope
because hope
in the biblical
sense of it
is not somehow
hoping that things
will improve.
That's a worldly hope.
That's a hope
really without any
foundation
even though it might
be good to some extent
to have a hope
that something
will happen
to improve
one's life
but when you're
thinking of this hope
the hope
that you have
through Christ
and through faith
in Christ
the confession
of hope
that's mentioned
here is the hope
that's founded
upon Christ's
own resurrection
from the dead
especially
when you come
to receive Christ
you come to receive
not just
the Christ
who died
but the Christ
who is now alive
who is risen
from the dead
and is alive
forevermore
and it's there
that you find hope.
You know
we're so used
to being
at funeral services
here in this
congregation
in our community
we have
so many times
gathered with
families
who have lost
loved ones
and that's part
of life
in this world
as long as
this world
continues
and one of the
things that's
really so sad
to see
so desperately
sad to see
is that
people come to die
who've not
expressed any
confession of hope
while they lived
who didn't have
that trust in Christ
who couldn't
confess
I have a hope
that's now
firmly based
upon the
resurrection
of Jesus
from the dead
and therefore
God assures me
that that hope
will be fulfilled
and that I will
share in the
triumph of Jesus
over death.
That's what you
want tonight
to have
as a characteristic
of your life
to have that hope
that the Bible
speaks of
the hope of the gospel
the hope that comes
through Jesus Christ
put away every kind
of hope
other than that
because hoping
for the best
is just
vain hope
it's not
necessarily worth
anything at all
when you come to hope
and have hope
in Jesus
that hope
is based
on Christ's
resurrection
it's a hope
that looks to
the promises
of God
that they will
fulfill
they will be
fulfilled
because notice
what he's saying
let's hold fast
the confession
of our hope
without wavering
for he who promised
is faithful
why am I sure
tonight
that the hope
I have
of resurrection
life
of life
in heaven
through faith
in Christ
through my coming
to give myself
in response
to his love
to be ruled
by him
to be saved
by him
why am I
persuaded
that that is
actually sure
and certain
for me
because he is
faithful
who has
promised it
God is not
going to be
other than
true to his word
and when God
gives you
that hope
in your heart
that looks
forward to heaven
despite all
the imperfections
that you and I
have in our
lives tonight
one thing
you can be sure
of is this
having this
hope in Jesus
is certain
to be realized
in glory
with him
what a great
privilege that is
and doesn't
it show you
how empty
a life is
crammed
with all the
things that
this world
can actually
give you
and without
this hope
what does it
profit
as Jesus
himself said
what shall
it profit
a man
though he
gains
the whole
world
and lose
his soul
let us
hold fast
the confession
about hope
without wavering
and you see
that's where
the gathered
church again
the whole
concept
the whole
truth
the fact
of a
gathered
church
the fact
of gathering
together
that's where
it really
comes into
its own
as far
as this
is concerned
because we
all have
that hope
individually
when we're
Christians
when we're
in the
Lord
when we've
come to
put our
trust
and our
faith
in him
and when
that hope
then is
realized
in your
heart
but you
see in
order to
encourage
one another
to strengthen
that hope
that's in
you individually
you think
well I need
to be with
the Lord's
people
I need
to be
a part
of and a
member of
that gather
church
and if I
want my
hope to
be something
that grows
if I want
to have
if I want
to have
a holding
fast of
that confession
of my
hope
if I want
that holding
of my
hope to
become
stronger
I can't
do it
without the
Lord's
people
not at
least not
very successfully
but here we
are together
and here we
are addressed
in a way
that God
sees us
gathered together
as worshipping
people
and here
is what
God is
saying
to us
together
let us
hold fast
the confession
of our
hope
without
wavering
so there's
let us
draw near
let us
hold fast
and then thirdly
there's let us
consider
let us
consider
how to stir
up one another
to love and to
good works
now I think
I've referred to
this verse
previously
and we have
preached on
some aspects
of this
previously
and it's
better I think
that the way
it's worded
in the
authorized
version on
this occasion
at least
because literally
what the text
is saying
is let us
consider
one another
let us
consider
one another
so as
to stir
one another
up to love
and to good
works
and that makes
a big difference
he's saying
more than
let's consider
how to
stir one
another up
what he's
really saying
is let's
give attention
to one
another
let's
actually
be thoughtful
and prayerful
in regard
to one
another
let's
consider
in that
sense
of it
it's a
very strong
word actually
it's used
back in
chapter 3
at the beginning
of chapter 3
you find it
used there
at the very
start of it
you who
shared
in heavenly
calling
consider
Jesus
consider
Jesus
now obviously
that means
a serious
consideration
giving
your mind
to thinking
of
giving your
mind to
your relationship
with Jesus
to consider
himself
all the time
focus upon
him
keep your
focus upon
him
and that's
the same
word
that's now
used here
in considering
one another
let us
consider
one another
and you see
how that fits
into not
neglecting
to meet
together
because to
consider one
another means
that we
gather together
that we
interact with
each other
that we
are not
being
nosy
and busy
bodies
looking into
other people's
lives and
aspects of
the lives
that we
have no
business
prying into
that's not
what he's
on about
here
he's on
here about
actually
improving
our own
progress
spiritually
and he's
saying
let us
consider
one another
let's give
due
thoughtful
prayerful
attention
to one
another
because that's
the opposite
really isn't
it of
I think I
mentioned
last time
the world
and the
worldliness
that you
see around
us sadly
is very
much
I can
just look
after my
own life
and I
want to
look
after my
own
life
this
kind
of
inward
selfish
individualistic
view of
life
well the
gathered
people of
God
are the
opposite
to that
because you
don't gather
here with
other people
thinking well
it's all
about me
and it's
all about
what I
can get
out of
the service
of worship
that I'm
attending
that's really
all I'm
concerned with
how I can
improve my
own spiritual
standing
and understanding
and progress
yes there's
that individual
aspect but
you're coming
and you're
considering others
you're considering
one another
we're considering
together
each other's
lives so as to
help one
another along
the path of
life
let us
consider
one another
and you know
we can do
that before
we ever come
to church
and we should
be doing that
before we ever
come to church
let me just
put it to
myself
and put it
to yourselves
as well
because we
here together
did I
think before
I left
home
before I
left my
house to
come to
this service
did I
think even
briefly of
what it would
be like to
meet with
others and
those who
are going
to be
meeting with
me
did I
come into
this building
tonight and
take my
place wherever
I'm seated
and was one
of the first
things I did
look around
me and see
who else is
here how can
I pray for
them what's
my responsibility
for them to
ask that they
too will be
blessed or did
I just think
of myself or
did I just to
come in and
just start talking
about the things
of the day
and here he is
saying let us
consider one
another let's
make it a
practice when
we come through
these doors to
worship the
Lord together
that we give
due prayerful
attention to
each other
as you look
around you and
you see people
and you know
that they have
different needs
maybe somebody
is recently
bereaved
maybe somebody
is going
through some
very difficult
challenges in
life that you
know are
already made
public
maybe somebody
you know has
a difficulty in
their family that
they are wrestling
with and that has
become known
it is not
something to be
ashamed of
but as you
sit there and
as you see
such people
around you
and me too
let's consider
one another
so as to
stir up you
see he's
saying to
love and
to good
works
and that's
tied up with
what he said
here encouraging
one another
not neglecting
to meet
together as
is the habit
of some
but encouraging
one another
and all the
more as you
see the day
approaching
as we said
at the beginning
here the two
sides are the
same issue
the same
coin if you
like
instead of
neglecting to
meet together
we are actually
meeting together
so as to
encourage one
another
so as to
give consideration
to one another
in order that
we will have
our own lives
as we pray
for one another
and consider
one another
so that we
will actually
be stirred up
by that
to love
and to good
works
a wonderful
thing isn't
it when
when you think
of how
love for God
and love
for God's
people
and love
for God's
church
brings us
and persuades
us and
constrains us
to come
together
and worship
then you
find the
cycle going
around the
other direction
if you like
that gathering
together
actually adds
to your love
for one another
and for God
it's a complete
cycle
love brings you
to be with
others who are
worshipping
and being with
others who are
worshipping
increases your
own love
and your appetite
for them
let's consider
one another
not neglecting
to do this
as he says
is the habit
of some
even in his
day
during this
early time
in the church
at the time
even of the
apostles
he was already
aware that
some people
were making
a habit
of not
gathering
with the
others who
came to
worship
not neglecting
to meet
together
as is
the habit
of some
I'm sure
it was
in some ways
understandable
because these
Hebrews were
obviously
suffering for
their faith
and they were
going through
some very
testing times
and you'll
find here
in the likes
of this
chapter itself
at verses
32 there
to 39
where he says
recall the
former days
when after
you were
enlightened
you endured
a hard
struggle
with sufferings
sometimes
being publicly
exposed to
reproach
and affliction
and so on
and he's
saying
recall these
things
go back
in your
mind
and think
well this
is really
the life
that I
entered
on willingly
so why
should I
think
differently
now
he's
saying
don't
neglect
don't let
us neglect
gathering
together
but it
may very
well be
that it
wasn't
it certainly
isn't the
case in
our day
and in
our context
that you
have
persecution
in the way
you have
it in
other parts
of the
world
and in
the way
you find
it described
in some
of these
New Testament
letters
it's not
however
difficult it
may be
for us
whatever
opposition
you meet
with
you can't
really say
that it
equates to
persecution
such as you
found in
those days
or still
find in
places
throughout
the world
here is
what one
commentator
said
William Lane
in his
commentary
on Hebrews
it is
natural to
think
that the
neglect
of the
meetings
was
motivated
by fear
of
recognition
by outsiders
in a
time of
persecution
or by
some other
acute
concern
it is
sobering
to discover
that in
the early
second
century
in Rome
it was
simply
preoccupation
with business
affairs
that accounted
for the
neglect
of the
meetings
of a
church
that is
sobering
but then
you see
you go back
to the
Lord's
own
teaching
in the
parable
of the
sower
what do
you find
in the
parable
of the
sower
well you
find him
saying
that there
were all
these
different
types
of soil
four
different
types
of soil
into
which the
seed
fell
the seed
of the
gospel
represented
in its
reception
or lack
of it
by these
four soils
what were
they like
well the
one that
was
by the
roadside
the devil
came and
picked away
what was
sown in
the heart
and then he
says what
was sown on
the rocky
ground
is one who
hears the
word and
immediately
receives it
with joy
yet he has
no root in
himself but
endures for a
while and
when tribulation
or persecution
arises on
account of
the word
immediately he
falls away
well we've
said already
that's not a
category that
we can easily
fit into
because the
level of
persecution
we face
in whatever
opposition we
have it
doesn't really
amount much
to opposition
though it
might be very
difficult and
I don't want
to minimize
it but then
the next one
as for what
was sown
among thorns
this is the
one who
hears the
word but
the cares
of the world
and the
deceitfulness
of riches
choke the
word and
it becomes
it proves
unfruitful
you see
there it
is the
cares of
this life
the cares
of this
world and
the deceitfulness
of riches
the materialistic
bent of our
hearts will
draw us very
quickly away
from profiting
from the word
of the gospel
planted in our
hearts
that's why we
need each other
that's why we
need to gather
together in a
way that doesn't
neglect the meeting
together to
encourage one
another
encouraging one
another instead
of neglecting
of one another
and he's
saying it's to
love and to
good works
because that's
really outwardly
what a Christian
life is known
as in the
world
not people
who keep
themselves entirely
apart from
contact with
the world
but people
hopefully of
which the
world could
say these
are people
who are
dedicated to
love
and to
good works
to helping
people
and he says
all the more
as you see
the day
drawing near
just finally
with these
words
all the more
as you see
the day
drawing near
what is the
day
that's drawing
near
it's the day
of Christ's
return
the day of
his judgment
of the world
what he's saying
to us here
is the more
we realize
as we surely
do every day
that we're
another day
nearer to
the coming
of Christ
that we're
another day
nearer to
the judgment
of the world
and of us
all by Jesus
what should
that be doing
for us
what should
our response
be to that
well it's this
that we do
this
that we do
this meeting
together
and encouraging
one another
all the more
as you see
the day
drawing near
in other words
he's saying
the more
you think
about the
return of
Jesus
and the
day of
judgment
the more
we should
be concerned
never to
neglect the
meeting of
ourselves
together
but rather
encouraging
one another
as the
gathered
church
of God
now all
of that
fits in
with what
we're beginning
to do
monthly
at our
Wednesday
first Wednesday
of the month
where we
began looking
at six
studies
of what
are called
six steps
to loving
your church
very practical
way of looking
at things
but it's
designed so
that we
will think
of a
relationship
with each
other
that we
will actually
think of
as this
passage
tonight
says
not neglecting
to meet
together
but encouraging
one another
and thinking
of what it
is we're
doing
when we're
part of
the church
of God
and our
privilege
to love
the church
to love
the people
of God
to love
the gathered
worshipping
people of
God
let us
not he
says
neglect
the gathering
of ourselves
together
let us
draw near
let us
hold fast
let us
consider
one another
may God
bless
these thoughts
on his
word to us
we're going
to conclude
this evening
singing in
Psalm 65
that's on
page 82
and verses
1 to
5
so on
page 82
Psalm 65
and Zion
praise awaits
you Lord
to you our
vows will
pay
to you all
people will
come near
you hear us
when we
pray
when we
were overwhelmed
by sins
and guilt
upon us
lay
you pardoned
all our
trespasses
and washed
our guilt
away
how blessed
are those
you choose
and bring
within your
courts of
grace
we're filled
with blessings
in your house
and your most
holy place
with awesome
deeds of
righteousness
you answer
us oh
God
our savior
hope of
further seas
and all
the earth
abroad
so let's
sing these
verses to
God's
praise
amen
to you
in Zion
praise
I
wait
to
Lord
to
you
our
vows
we'll
pray
to
you
all
people
will
come
near
you
hear
us
when
we
pray
when
we
will
overwhelm
our
sins
and
guilt
upon
us
lay
you
pardon
all
our
trespasses
and
washed
our
guilt
away
how
blessed
are
those
you
choose
and
bring
within
your
courts
all
and
all
our
and
the
Lord
of
grace
we're
filled
with
blessings
in
your
eyes
in
your
hope's
holy
place
with
awesome
peace
of
righteousness
the
needs
of
righteousness
you
answered
us
O
God
our
Savior
hope
of
far
the
seas
and
all
the
earth
have
the
love
the
Lord
after
the
benediction
I'll go to the main door if you allow me to get to the door please
now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you now and evermore
amen