I'll be reading from Hebrews chapter 10 verses 19 to 31.
And we have just learnt that Jesus, his death for us, his sacrifice for sin has been effective.
So he could sit down next to the Father, job done.
And we have the promise of the Holy Spirit fulfilled where it says, where he says, I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.
And so then it is on every person who hears that message to choose what to do about it.
From verse 19.
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,
by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is through his flesh,
and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some,
but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth,
there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
but a fearful expectation of judgment
anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God
and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified
and has outraged the Spirit of grace?
For we know him who said,
Vengeance is mine, I will repay.
And again, the Lord will judge his people.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Well, good morning, everyone.
It would be wonderful if you could have Hebrews chapter 10 open.
We'll be looking at that passage closely,
especially the first half of what was read.
I'm just going through it verse by verse.
My name is Martin, and welcome to any who are new amongst us.
It's wonderful to have you with us this morning.
I hope you are encouraged by all the time we share together,
including the time in God's Word now.
I'm going to pray again and ask God to help us as we come to his Word.
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father, we thank you that you speak to us in the Scriptures
and that everything written here is for our encouragement and hope.
We pray, please, that you would be with each one of us
as we meditate on your Word this morning.
Please help us to receive what you're saying,
to be strengthened in faith by it,
and to be spurred on to strengthen and encourage one another.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
When you give someone a gift,
you hope that they will both accept it and enjoy it.
If they don't accept it or they don't enjoy it,
no matter how well-meaning your act of giving,
there's a sense in which the gift has failed.
It's incomplete.
Your act of giving has not reached its intended goal,
that is, to produce joy in the one you give the gift to.
Now, there are different reasons someone might not accept a gift.
Maybe they don't want the gift.
They're just not interested in it.
Maybe their pride gets in the way
and they don't want to accept it, an act of charity.
Maybe they think, rightly or wrongly,
that the gift you're offering comes with strings attached
and they don't want to be in your debt.
There are different reasons someone having received a gift
might not enjoy the gift.
Maybe it's something they didn't really like or need in the first place.
Maybe they don't enjoy it, though,
through their own neglect of the gift.
My mum and stepdad are here with us this morning
and I confess I've frustrated my mum many times
when she's given me money to buy something nice
like a jacket or a pair of shoes
and I just never got around to doing it.
Sometimes gifts miss the mark.
Sometimes the gift is perfect,
but the act of giving fails because of reluctance
or negligence on the part of the recipient.
Well, God has given us the most exquisite and precious gift.
He's given us his son.
The main theme of the book of Hebrews
is how precious and exquisite is the gift of God's son.
He is a better messenger than prophets or angels.
We saw that in chapter 1.
He's a better leader than Moses.
We saw that in chapter 3.
He's a better rest giver than Joshua in chapter 4.
He's a better high priest than Aaron.
He inaugurates a better covenant than the law.
He offers a better sacrifice once for all
than the endlessly repeated sacrifices
that were prescribed by the law.
He is better in every way.
And if Jesus is better than prophets and angels
and Moses and Joshua and Aaron and the law,
if Jesus is better than all these things,
then he is categorically and absolutely and unequivocally better
than Peter Dutton or Anthony Albanese or Elon Musk
or Joe Rogan or Jordan Peterson or the Dalai Lama
or Oprah Winfrey or Taylor Swift or anyone else
that people might look to
for hope and meaning and peace.
Jesus is the supreme and all-sufficient saviour.
He is everything we need.
And he's also a gift, a gift to be accepted
and a gift to be enjoyed.
So as Hebrews has shown us all these different aspects
of Jesus' perfection, like facets of a diamond,
there have also been repeated exhortations
not to refuse or neglect what God has given us.
I've seen these in chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 6.
In each case, each of those exhortations or warnings
has driven home the truths about Jesus
that have just been taught in the scriptures.
So in chapter 1, Jesus is a better messenger
than prophets or angels.
The exhortation in chapter 2 is,
well, pay close attention to what we've heard,
the message we've heard.
Chapter 3, Jesus is a better leader than Moses.
Well, the exhortation in chapter 3 is,
don't harden your hearts as the Israelites did
who were led by Moses in the wilderness.
In the same way, as we come to this exhortation,
this admonition in the second half of chapter 10,
it is driving home all the truths about Jesus
that have been taught in chapters 7 to 10.
In some ways, though, it's kind of the culmination
of the book as a whole.
Chapters 11 to 13 are somewhat different.
We're going to see that in coming weeks.
But in a sense, this exhortation here
is the culmination of the entire Christological focus
of the book of Hebrews.
We're going to look at it over two talks today,
verses 19 to 31,
and in a couple of weeks after Easter,
Matt Hunt will take us through verses 32 to 39.
But really, those two passages belong together
as part of an exhortation.
But they're short sections,
so that'll give us time to slow down
and notice some details.
I've split up verse 19 to 31 into three sections,
although on your outlines,
if you have an outline, you're following it,
I got the verse numbers wrong.
So point one is actually verses 19 to 21,
and point two is verses 22 to 25.
I just made an error there in one of the verse numbers.
So three sections.
First, verses 19 to 21,
what we have received.
Then verses 22 to 25,
what we are to do,
what we are to do with what we've received.
And then verses 26 to 31,
the folly of doing otherwise.
First, let's think about what we've received from verse 19.
Look at verse 19 with me.
Therefore, brothers.
Now, or brothers and sisters,
the word Adelphoi, brothers,
is used inclusively of men and women here.
Therefore, brothers.
And it evokes that unity and mutual affection
which we share as believers.
We all share the same fundamental status and relationship.
We are brothers and sisters of one another,
whoever we are.
Teacher and those who are taught alike.
Everyone.
Therefore, brothers,
since we have,
verse 19 says,
since we have,
and we have two things.
First, in verses 19 and 20,
there's something we have because Jesus died.
And then in verse 21,
there's something we have because Jesus lives.
So first,
the thing we have because Jesus died,
verse 19 to 20,
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.
In other words,
what these verses are saying
is that we have complete,
uninhibited access
to the presence of God.
In the tabernacle and in the temple,
the holy place
stood behind the curtain.
The holy place behind the curtain
was the innermost room
and it was the throne room of God.
Symbolically,
the place where God dwelt
among his people.
But access was strictly limited.
Only the high priest
was permitted to enter.
And even the site
of the most holy place
was concealed behind a curtain.
The curtain guarding
the most holy place
made an emphatic statement.
Sinners that we are,
we may not enter the presence of God,
the holy God.
But now,
we are authorised to enter.
Jesus has opened the way,
a new and living way
that he opened for us
through the curtain,
verse 20 says.
And he's done this
by his blood
and through his flesh.
Those parallel phrases
at the end of verse 19 and 20
point to
Jesus' death.
By Jesus' death,
he has opened the way
that we may
have access
to God.
Now,
likely the writer
has in mind
that dramatic moment
which is recorded
for us in the Gospels
when Jesus
was on the cross,
when Jesus died.
We read in the Gospels
that the curtain
in the temple
tore in two
from top to bottom.
No more separation
between God
and humanity.
The way opened.
And so,
God's word says here
to us in verse 19,
we have confidence
to enter.
We have bold,
free,
uninhibited rights
of approach.
We have security clearance
not just to enter
a room or a building
but spiritually
to approach
the presence
of God himself,
the God
whom no temple
can contain.
It's a new
and living way
that has been
opened for us,
verse 20 says,
a new and living way,
living because
it's the way of life.
We approach God
and yet we live.
The presence
of God
and life,
two things
lost
when humanity
fell into sin
in Genesis 3,
are ours
now by right
through the blood
of Christ.
brothers and sisters,
do you realise
that?
There is no
barrier
between you
and God,
no barrier.
The curtain
has been torn
in two.
We're like,
you know,
like one of my children,
when one of my children
wakes up in the middle
of the night
or early in the morning,
they feel complete
confidence
to wander
into Jen's
and my bedroom
and climb
into our bed.
They know
they belong there,
they have free access
and they can stay there
as long as they don't
make too much noise.
But that's
we have
a backstage
pass
stamped
with the blood
of Christ.
We may
approach God
and that's
expressed in prayer,
of course.
We can approach
God in prayer
anywhere
and anytime.
But I don't
think these verses
are just talking
about prayer.
It's talking
about the
fundamental reality
of our relationship
with God
as we experience
it both now
and forevermore
because of
Jesus' death.
But there's more.
There's not only
something we have
because Jesus died,
there's also
something we have
because Jesus lives.
Verse 21,
and since we have
a great priest
over the house
of God.
Now you might
read that
and think that
the house of God
here refers
to the temple
or the tabernacle
after all
there's a lot
of sort of
temple tabernacle
imagery going on
in these chapters
of Hebrews.
But in Hebrews
house doesn't
ever refer
to God's temple.
It refers
to something else.
The house
refers to God's
people.
So just
if you've got
your Bibles
open,
keep your finger
there in
Hebrews chapter
10 and turn
back to
Hebrews chapter
3,
Hebrews chapter
3,
verse 5 and
6.
Hebrews 3
verse 5 and
6 says,
Now Moses
was faithful
in all God's
house as a
servant to
testify to the
things that were
to be spoken
later.
But Christ
is faithful
over God's
house as a
son.
And we are
his house
if indeed
we hold fast
our confidence
and our
boasting in
our hope.
Notice
there's
growing a
contrast between
Moses and
Christ.
Moses a
servant but
Christ a
son, a
son over
God's house,
the son.
But then in
the second half
of verse 6 it
says,
And we are
his house.
Who is the
house?
What is the
house?
It's the
people of
God.
In chapter
3, Christ
is the
son over
God's
house and
that idea
that he's
the son,
that points
to his
divinity,
his divine
nature.
He's the
heir of
all things.
He's the
radiance of
God's glory.
He upholds
the universe.
He's worshipped
by angels.
The master
who rules
over God's
people, over
the house
of God, is
the majestic
son who
has no
peer.
But here
in Hebrews
chapter 10,
we read
that we
have a
great priest
over the
house of
God.
And priest
points to
his humanity.
He's the
man, Jesus,
whose blood
was shed.
He was
made flesh
and blood
like us.
He suffered
like us,
weak like
us, sharing
our humanity,
identifying
with us so
that he can
represent us.
As our
high priest,
he offered
himself,
unblemished
to God,
and he
rose from
the dead
and he
lives.
And in
his resurrection
life, he
remains our
great high
priest.
Hebrews 7,
verse 24 and
25, he
holds his
priesthood
permanently
because he
continues
forever.
Consequently,
he is able
to save
to the
uttermost
those who
draw near
to God
through him
since he
always lives
to make
intercession
for them.
the one
who rules
over us
as the
son is
the same
as the
one who
represents
us as
our
priest.
We
have a
great
priest over
the house
of God.
And if
the one
who rules
us is
also the
one who
represents
us and
intercedes
for us,
what could
we possibly
have to
fear?
can you
sense how
secure our
position is?
How secure
is the
position of
those who
have come
to the
Lord Jesus?
Jesus
Christ is
our all
sufficient
saviour.
He has
done and
is doing
everything we
might possibly
need so
that we
belong.
We belong
in the
presence of
God.
We belong
among the
people of
God.
So how
do we
respond to
our
all
sufficient
saviour?
We've
seen what
we've
received,
confidence to
enter, a
great priest
over the
house of
God.
What are
we to
do with
what we've
received?
Well, verses
22 to
25 spell
out what
we are to
do.
Three
things.
Draw
near, hold
fast and
consider.
Notice
similar
expressions
there in
verse 22,
23 and
24.
Let us
draw
near, let
us hold
fast, let
us consider.
What did
Don call
them?
Was it
God's
lettuce
patch?
God's
lettuce
patch?
Well,
grammatically
these three
verbs function
as what are
called
cohortatives,
which is
just exhortations
to common
action.
The exhortations
to common
action.
It's where
the speaker
or the
writer includes
himself with
those he's
exhorting.
This is
for all
of us.
Let us.
These are
exhortations
to common
action.
So what
are we
to do?
First,
verse 22,
we 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.
Essentially,
this is just
saying,
let us
approach
God
because we're
free to
do so.
Let us
approach
God
because we
are free
to do
so.
The second
half of
the verse
is about
things that
have already
taken place
for the
believers
that he's
writing to.
The second
half of the
verse is
about existing
and enduring
realities.
Our hearts
have been
sprinkled
clean from
an evil
conscience
and our
bodies
have been
washed
with pure
water.
Chapter 9
talked about
how under
the old
covenant
people would
be sprinkled
with the
blood of
sacrifices
that would
make them
for the
cleansing of
their flesh
that would
make them
outwardly
or ceremonially
clean.
But the
blood of
Jesus
purifies us
inwardly.
It cleanses
our
consciences.
It cleanses
us from
the guilt
of sin.
so that
our
consciences
are no
longer
stricken
with the
sin that
stands
against
us.
The
blood of
Jesus
cleanses
our
hearts.
It
cleanses
our
consciences.
And our
bodies washed
with pure
water, that
likely alludes
to Christian
baptism as a
sign of the
purification
that God
works in
our hearts.
the
writer wants
his
hearers to
recall what
their baptism
signified.
That our
hearts have
been sprinkled
clean from an
evil conscience,
forgiven,
cleansed,
purified.
We no longer
carry around
the guilt and
conviction of
sin in our
hearts.
Jesus has
atoned for
it.
God has
forgiven
it.
Chapter 10
verse 10
says,
we have been
sanctified
through the
offering of
the body of
Jesus Christ
once for
all.
It is
done, it
is finished.
Have you
ever experienced
imposter
syndrome?
I'm sure you
have in some
context.
You know
imposter
syndrome where
you kind of
feel like you
don't really
belong somewhere?
Like you're a
bit of a fake
or a fraud?
Let me tell
you, one of
the times I
experienced
imposter
syndrome was
quite a few
years ago when
I played in
the Newcastle
representative
ultimate
frisbee team.
Because I
was, let me
tell you, I
was one of
the lower
order players.
I mean I
kind of just
only scraped
my way into
the team and
so I often
felt like I
didn't fully
belong.
I knew that
as soon as a
better player
came along,
I'd lose
my spot, as
indeed
happened.
And then I
found it much
more relaxing
and enjoyable
playing in the
B team because
you know, the
standards weren't
so high.
Do you ever
feel that way
about being a
Christian though?
Do you ever
feel like you
don't really
belong?
That you know
everyone else
seems to have
it all together
but if they
knew what you
were really
like they'd
show you the
door?
maybe you
even find it
more relaxing
hanging out
with non-believers
than hanging
out with
Christians because
the expectations
are lower.
I think most
of us feel
that way
at least
sometimes
but when we
do feel
that way
what I
want us
to recognise
is that
when we
feel that
way
we are
failing
to enjoy
fully
what God
has already
given us
I'm not
saying this
to make you
feel even
worse if
you feel
that way
so you
don't only
feel you
know
you feel
bad about
not fitting
in and then
you feel
bad about
feeling bad
and I'm
not saying
that
I'm just
saying
like
when we
feel like
we're
for those
anyone who
believes in
Jesus
if we
feel like
we're an
imposter
among the
people of
God
we are
failing to
enjoy
what God
has already
given us
confidence
to enter
by the
blood of
Jesus
a great
priest over
the house
of God
verse 22
is simply
saying
enjoy
what we've
received
let's
draw near
with a
true heart
in full
assurance
of faith
we are
free
to bask
in God's
goodness
to us
to live
our lives
close to
him
to know
we belong
for he
has
cleansed
us
through
Christ
the
second
thing
we're
to do
there's
the first
thing
let us
draw
near
the
second
thing
we're
to do
is
to hold
fast
verse 23
let us
hold fast
the confession
of our
hope
without
wavering
for he
who
promised
is
faithful
Christians
have always
been people
who say
we
believe
we
believe
in what
God
has
done
in the
past
we
believe
God
created
all
things
we
believe
God
came
amongst
us
in the
person
of
his
son
we
believe
Jesus
died
for
our
sins
we
believe
Jesus
rose
from
the
dead
we
believe
we
also
believe
what
God
has
promised
for
the
future
and
here's
where
the
emphasis
of
verse
23
lies
we
believe
what
God
has
promised
for
the
future
we
believe
Jesus
will
return
we
believe
we
will
see
him
we
believe
God's
kingdom
will be
established
over
all
we
believe
in
the
resurrection
that
we
will
be
raised
as
Jesus
was
raised
we
believe
in
life
everlasting
we
believe
here
in
verse
23
the
emphasis
is
on
that
future
because
you
see
there
it
says
let
us
hold
fast
the
confession
of
our
hope
the
things
we
are
waiting
for
I
won't
say
too
much
more
on
this
because
this
is
a
major
theme
in
the
chapters
of
Hebrews
to
come
in
fact
even
in
verse
32
to
39
so
I'm
sure
we'll
come
to
it
in
future
talks
but
in
brief
living
as
people
who
believe
what
God
has
promised
about
the
future
and
God's
word
assures
us
that
God
is
faithful
he
will
keep
his
promises
the
promises
of
God
will
never
fail
because
they're
the
promises
of
God
he
doesn't
forget
them
he
won't
neglect
them
he
can't
be
thwarted
nothing
can
obstruct
him
from
keeping
what
he's
promised
from
doing
what
he
said
now
life is
very
different
when
we
believe
God's
promises
for
the
future
it
changes
how
we
think
about
what
matters
now
so
for
example
it
means
it
enables
us
to
say
with
Paul
that
physical
training
matters
less
than
training
in
godliness
so
if
you
believe
that
this
present
life
is
all
there
is
then
physical
training
has
supreme
value
your
health
fitness
physical
condition
they
will
potentially
enable
you
to
live
longer
and
live
better
maybe
but
if
you
believe
God
will
raise
us
from
the
dead
physical
training
has
only
limited
and
temporary
value
now
I
say
this
as
someone
who
values
I
enjoy
physical
training
but
no
matter
how
hard
I
train
or
how
well
I
eat
my
present
body
in
a few
short
decades
will
waste
away
and
die
but
God
has
promised
me
a
better
and
imperishable
body
he
has
that
covered
I
don't
need
to
worry
about
that
so
as
Paul
says
godliness
unlike
physical
training
godliness
is a
value
in
every
way
it
holds
promise
for
the
present
life
and
also
for
the
life
to
come
there
are
all
kinds
of
forces
in
our
world
that
will
tempt
us
to
live
only
for
the
present
and
not
for
the
future
to
live
only
by
what
we
can
get
or
achieve
now
and
not
by
faith
in
what
God
has
promised
us
even
something
as
simple
as
envy
can
tempt
us
to
live
only
for
the
present
and
not
for
the
future
we
look
around
and
we
see
people
who
live
only
for
the
present
we
see
what
they're
enjoying
and
we
want
to
enjoy
what
they're
enjoying
and
we
want
to
have
everything
they
have
and
we
want
that
they
have
all
their
good
things
in
this
life
and
we
want
all
our
good
things
in
this
life
or
maybe
we
just
even
want
to
fit
in
and
be
!
everyone
else
but
when
we
live
only
for
this
world
as
Jesus
said
we
are
trying
to
save
our
lives
but
we
don't
need
to
save
our
lives
we
already
have
a
saviour
and
we
have
promises
of
God
which
will
not
fail
so
brothers
sisters
let's
hold
fast
the
confession
of
our
hope
without
wavering
for
he
who
promised
is
faithful
there's
a
third
thing
we
have
to
do
with
what
we
have
been
given
that
is
consider
verse
24
let us
consider
how
to
stir
up
one
another
to
love
and
good
works
a
more
literal
translation
of the
Greek
would
be
something
like
this
let
us
consider
one
another
the
object
of the
verb
there
is
one
another
let
us
consider
one
another
for
the
stirring
up
of
love
and
good
works
that
is
we're
encouraged
to think
about
each
other
to
keep
each
other
in
mind
to
consider
one
another
Christianity
is a
team
sport
we're not
solitary
nomads
we're
brothers and
sisters
we're
fellow
members of
the people
of God
we share
in the same
salvation
we've received
the same
promises
we're fighting
the same
battle
it's
God's
plan
and
design
that
we
reach
our
goal
together
so
we're
to
consider
each
other
to
think
about
each
other
to
keep
one
another
in
mind
in
particular
to
consider
how
to
stir
one
another
up
the
word
that's
translated
as
stir
up
it's
a
strong
one
it's
used
elsewhere
in the
New
Testament
of
a
disagreement
between
Paul
and
Barnabas
in
a
verb
form
it's
used
with
a
sense
of
provoking
it's
kind
of
stirring
up
or
provoking
this
is
what
my
kids
do
to
each
other
when
they're
annoying
each
other
it's
that
kind
of
word
here
it's
a
strong
word
it's
an
uncomfortable
word
and
using
that
word
rather
than
like
a
more
gentle
word
here
I
think
it
points
to
the
fact
that
we're
all
of
us
are
a
bit
slow
to
change
too
much
of
the
old
still
clings
to
us
we
don't
naturally
slide
into
good
patterns
and
good
habits
but
that
strong
and
uncomfortable
word
is
paired
with
words
that
make
a
surprising
contrast
where
to
provoke
one
another
to
love
and
good
works
or
possibly
where
to
provoke
one
another
by
love
and
good
works
!
we
have
an
all
sufficient
saviour
salvation
doesn't
stop
with
the
forgiveness
of
sins
and
with
the
cleansing
of
our
consciences
but
salvation
goes
on
to
produce
transformation
of
life
to
change
us
our
lives
our
actions
one
way
we
enjoy
the
salvation
we've
received
!
is
to
live
out
the
transformation
that
God
is
working
in
us
and
so
one
feature
of
our
life
together
as
the
people
of
God
is
growing
together
in
love
and
good
deeds
considering
one
another
for
the
provoking
of
love
and
good
deeds
and
we
get
opportunities
to do
this
don't
we
this
is
part
of
life
together
as
the
people
of
God
there
are
always
opportunities
in
our
local
congregation
there
are
people
who
are
isolated
whom
we
could
visit
there
are
people
who
are
sick
and
frail
and
who
need
support
there
are
people
who
are
facing
difficulties
who
need
prayer
unemployment
troubled
relationships
or other
difficulties
in
life
there
are
people
who
are
grieving
and
we
mourn
with
them
there
are
people
who
have
something
to
celebrate
a
new
job
a
new
baby
and
we
rejoice
with
them
not
to
mention
all
the
opportunities
we
have
for
spontaneous
acts
of
love
generosity
kindness
there
are
opportunities
in our
local
congregation
there
are
opportunities
in our
immediate
community
I mean
God
has placed
this
church
here
in
Glendale
I
know
many
of us
the
members
of the
church
come
from
all
over
Newcastle
and
beyond
which
is
wonderful
but
as a
church
we
gather
here
in
Glendale
are
there
things
we
could
do
to
bless
this
suburb
and
those
immediately
around
us
there
are
opportunities
in the
wider
body
of
Christ
the
worldwide
church
in
the
bulletins
for
the
last
couple
of
weeks
there's
been
a
notice
about
fundraising
for
Lincoln
and
Leah
following
the
earthquake
in
Myanmar
Lincoln
and Leah
who
run
a
Bible
college
in
Myanmar
we
can
support
them
as
they
show
love
and care
to
their
neighbours
and their
fellow
countrymen
who
have
suffered
under
the
earthquake
their
need
the
need
of
Myanmar
provokes
us
to
generosity
and
whatever
we
give
our
generosity
will
provoke
Lincoln
and Leah
to use
what we've
given
to use
what
they've
received
to love
and care
for those
around
them
we're
sharing
together
in
love
and
good
works
but
there's
a
baseline
we need
in
place
if
we're
to
do
all
of
this
if
we're
to
consider
how
to
provoke
one
another
to
love
and
good
works
the
baseline
is
that
we
actually
meet
together
we
actually
gather
as
the
people
of
God
verse
25
24
and
25
why
might
we
neglect
meeting
together
we
might
neglect
meeting
together
because
other
things
compete
for
our
time
and
attention
we
might
neglect
meeting
together
because
life
is
complicated
if
you're
anything
like
me
there
are
times
when
I
just
find
myself
feeling
overwhelmed
and
I
just
kind
of
want
to
retreat
and
turn
away
from
everyone
else
and
just
retreat
inside
myself
we
might
neglect
meeting
together
because
relationships
are
difficult
maybe
you
have
some
strange
relationships
maybe
you
just
find
relationships
not
as
deep
as
you'd
like
them
to
be
in
the
church
we
might
neglect
meeting
together
because
of
social
pressure
and
persecution
that
was
maybe
less
our
situation
but
it
was
certainly
the
situation
of
those
to
whom
this
was
first
written
!
to
church
is
not
!
church
is
not
a
concert
it's
not
like
the
theatre
when
we
gather
it's
not
gathering
as
performers
and
spectators
we
all
gather
as
participants
and
the
conversations
we
have
together
over
morning
tea
or
over
lunch
are
just
as
much
part
of
church
and
just
as
much
an
opportunity
for
encouragement
and love
as
anything
that
takes
place
in the
formal
part
of the
church
service
we
are
building
a
community
where
we
encourage
one
another
in
love
perseverance
and
good
works
so
let's
value
and
persevere
in
gathering
and
meeting
together
on
Sundays
and in
smaller
groups
as
we
are
able
brothers
sisters
this
is
enjoying
the
salvation
we
have
received
this
is
what
we
are
to
do
with
what
we
have
been
given
we
draw
near
to
God
we
hold
fast
to
our
hope
we
consider
one
another
in
the
final
part
of
the
passage
before
us
today
we
see
the
folly
of
doing
otherwise
verses
26
to
31
give
us
a
stern
warning
it's
one
of
those
parts
of
God's
word
that
I
think
we
might
find
a
bit
unsettling
and
so
I
want
us
to
read
the
whole
thing
and
then
I
think
when
we
understand
it
in
context
we'll
recognize
it's
not
given
to
terrify
us
but
we
are
to
take
it
seriously
so
look
at
verse
26
to
31
I'll
read
the
whole
thing
for
if
we
go
on
sinning
deliberately
after
receiving
the
knowledge
of
the
truth
there
no
longer
remains
a
sacrifice
for
sins
but
a
fearful
expectation
of
judgment
and
a
fury
of
fire
that
will
consume
the
adversaries
anyone
who
set
aside
the
law
of
Moses
dies
without
mercy
on
the
evidence
of
two
or
three
witnesses
how
much
worse
punishment
do you
think
will be
deserved
by the
one
who
has
spurned
the
son
of
God
and
has
profaned
the
blood
of
the
covenant
by
which
he
was
sanctified
and
has
outraged
the
spirit
of
grace
for
we
know
him
who
said
vengeance
is
mine
I
will
repay
and
again
the
Lord
will
judge
his
people
it
is
a
fearful
of
the
living
God
now
the
reason
we
find
this
passage
unsettling
is
because
we
read
verse
26
and
we
think
what
if
that's
talking
about
me
you
know
if
we
deliberately
if we
go on
sinning
deliberately
after
receiving
the
knowledge
of
truth
what
if
that's
talking
about
me
I
mean
after
all
you
know
I
sin
and
there
are
times
when
I
sin
deliberately
that
is
it's
not
as
if
I
only
ever
sin
by
accident
you
know
I'm
completely
unaware
I'm
sinning
and
I
just
somehow
stumble
into
sinning
and
oh
whoops
I've
sinned
that's
not
how
it
works
there
are
plenty
of
times
I've
consciously
chosen
to
do
things
that
are
sinful
now
I
don't
want
to
downplay
the
seriousness
of
sin
but
I
don't
think
these
verses
are
talking
about
individual
sins
the
warning
here
is
not
about
individual
sins
it's
talking
about
apostasy
it's
talking
about
deliberately
and
willfully
and
finally
repudiating
our
all
sufficient
saviour
so you
look at
how
verse
26
go on
sinning
deliberately
is
expanded
in
verse
29
how
much
worse
punishment
do you
think
will be
deserved
by the
one
who
has
spurned
the
son
of
God
and
has
profaned
the
blood
of
the
covenant
by
which
he
was
sanctified
and
has
outraged
the
spirit
of
grace
spurned
or
trampled
underfoot
the
son
of
God
profaned
the
blood
of
the
covenant
outraged
the
spirit
of
grace
you
know
!
those
three
terms
in
one
sense
each
highlight
the
full
and
complete
salvation
which
God
offers
us
in
Jesus
the
blood
of
the
covenant
the
spirit
of
grace
these
verses
are
talking
about
the
one
who
knows
the
truth
who
knows
that
the
son
is
our
all
sufficient
saviour
the
person
who
knows
that
Jesus
blood
sanctifies
so that
we
can
freely
enter
the
presence
of
God
the
person
who
knows
that
God's
spirit
is
a
spirit
of
grace
and
his
words
are
words
of
grace
if
someone
knows
all
that
and
goes
on
to
deny
and
repudiate
and
neglect
and
ignore
it
what's
left
for
them
as
verse
26
says
there
no
longer
remains
a
sacrifice
for
sins
but
a
fearful
expectation
of
judgment
and
a
fury
of
fire
that
will
consume
the
adversaries
for
the
one
who
rejects
knowingly
rejects
the
one
full
and
sufficient
sacrifice
for
sins
there
is
no
other
sacrifice
there's
nothing
else
there's
no
other
way
to
be
cleansed
of
sin
apart
from
the
blood
of
Christ
there's
no
other
way
to
escape
the
fire
of
judgment
apart
from
our
all
sufficient
saviour
our
great
high
priest
is
enough
and
there
is
no
other
so
if
we
know
this
why
on
earth
would
we
refuse
it
why
on
earth
would
we
neglect
it
now
the
writer
of
Hebrews
doesn't
think
those
he's
addressing
were
in
that
category
he's
confident
they
weren't
and
I'm
confident
God's
word
to
us
is
the
same
verse
39
we
are
not
of
those
who
shrink
back
and
are
destroyed
but
of
those
who
have
faith
and
preserve
their
souls
but
the
original
hearers
of
this
message
you
know
if
apostasy
came
for
them
it
would
creep
up
on
them
gradually
through
gradual
neglect
through
the
slow
fading
of
their
original
confidence
through
the
incremental
erosion
of
their
resolve
and
I
think
we're
the
same
you
know
rejecting
the
truth
for
us
is
more
likely
to
creep
us
on
us
gradually
than
come
in
an
instant
we're
more
likely
to
slide
into
apostasy
than
to
fall
in
a
moment
but
that
won't
be
the
case
if
rather
than
neglecting
what
we've
received
we
enjoy
it
we
enjoy
it
for
Christmas
we
it was
his
birthday
I can't
remember
we gave
Connor
a
keyboard
he's
learning
to play
the
keyboard
and
he
enjoys
playing
it
and
he
enjoys
practicing
and
making
music
and
sometimes
making
too
much
music
and
music
gets
a bit
too
loud
he
enjoys
coming up
with
his own
tunes
tinkering
away
it's
a gift
he's
enjoying
now
if
the
gift
of
that
keyboard
to
Connor
would
become
worthless
it's
not
going
to
become
worthless
!
overnight
it will
only
become
worthless
through
gradual
neglect
if he
just
sort
of stops
being
interested
and
then
at
some
point
he's
not
making
music
and
there's
no
joy
in
playing
piano
for
him
on
the
flip
side
it's
a
gift
that
the
more
he
enjoys
it
the
more
he
uses
it
the
more
he
will
recognise
how
precious
music
is
he'll
grow
in
his
appreciation
how
do
we
enjoy
what
we've
received
we
draw
near
to
God
we
draw
near
to
God
we
live
our
lives
closely
to
the
Lord
confident
that
we
belong
in
his
presence
we
enjoy
intimate
access
to
the
creator
of
the
universe
intimate
access
to
our
father
we
draw
near
to
God
and
we
hold
fast
the
confession
of
our
hope
we
believe
the
promises
of
God
we
believe
what
he's
promised
us
and
we
live
in
light
of
that
and
we
consider
each
other
we
keep
in
mind
the
people
of
God
and
particularly
how
we
can
encourage
one
another
in
perseverance
in
love
and
in
good
deeds
as
we
do
these
things
we
will
never
stumble
and
we
will
never
fall
but
God
will
draw
us
into
the
glorious
future
which
he
has
promised
us
will you
pray
with
me
heavenly
father
we
thank
you
that
in
Jesus
Christ
we
have
you
have
given
us
an
all
sufficient
savior
thank
you
that
his
blood
cleanses
our
consciences
of
all
sin
thank
you
that
he's
opened
the
way
that
we
might
come
to
you
even
now
at
this
very
moment
as
we
pray
to
you
father
we
do
it
boldly
and
confidently
because
we
belong
in
your
presence
we
thank
you
father
that
you
have
appointed
for
us
your
son
as
our
high
priest
forever
who
always
represents
us
who
always
intercedes
for
us
father
you
have
given
us
every
reason
for
confidence
and
every
reason
for
hope
and
so
fill
our
hearts
with
the
full
assurance
of
faith
and
we
pray
that
you
would
enable
us
to
encourage
one
another
in
this
thank
you
for
bringing
us
together
in
this
church
this
local
gathering
and
thank
you
for
uniting
us
with
the
worldwide
church
your
people
in
every
place
and
so
help
each
one
of
us
to
remember
the
people
of
God
to
encourage
others
and
to
receive
the
encouragement
that
you
give
us
through
being
part
of
a
!
in
this
way
keep
us
always
in
your
son
enjoying
the
salvation
we've
received
in
Jesus
name
we
pray
Amen