Reading Matthew chapter 27 verses 45 to 54 which is on page 999 of the Church Bibles.
Page 999 of the Church Bibles, Matthew 27.
Starting from verse 45.
From the sixth hour until the ninth hour, darkness came over all the land.
About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani, which means, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, he's calling Elijah.
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge.
He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick and offered it to Jesus to drink.
The rest said, now leave him alone.
Let's see if Elijah comes to save him.
And when Jesus has cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
The earth shook and the rocks split.
The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
They came out of the tombs.
And after Jesus' resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened,
they were terrified and exclaimed, surely he was the Son of God.
For the second reading, we'll be looking at Hebrews chapter 10.
I don't know if Johnny has the page in the church Bible.
On page 1208.
Hebrews chapter 10.
Starting in verse 19.
I'll read 19 to 25.
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way open for us through the curtain that is his body,
and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience
and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,
for he who promised is faithful.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,
but let us encourage one another, and all the more, as you see the day approaching.
Thanks very much.
Well, let's pray and ask for God's help.
Our Father God, we thank you for the church family.
Thank you that we can meet and gather together.
Thank you for the provision of this building.
Thank you for the gifts of all the people here
who serve in so many different ways to make this gathering possible.
Thank you for all.
Thank you for all that we've been able to do together so far,
for being able to sing,
to read, to pray,
to talk over tea and coffee.
Thank you, Father,
thank you, Father,
that we can meet in this way in freedom,
without fear of authorities,
without persecution.
And we ask that you would help us to better understand what it means for us
to meet together and to gather as your people.
Teach us then, through your word we pray.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
So, meeting with God's people or gathering as a family,
I want us to start with a question.
And it's simply this.
Why bother with church?
Why did any of us bother to get up this morning to come and meet?
Why did we do that?
Is it really worth all the effort?
Rushing around, trying to get the kids sorted,
in and out of the showers,
getting the lunch organised before you leave?
Or is that just our house?
Why bother?
Why don't we just stay at home?
After all, it is a lot warmer,
and so much more comfortable,
to be in our own living rooms.
We could just stay at home and listen to the sermon online,
in our own time,
or you could choose whoever you wanted to listen to,
online.
What's the point of gathering together like this?
Well, to be a Christian person,
is to be a church person.
Because the Bible's view is this.
If you are committed to Christ,
you are also committed to church.
You can't have one without the other.
It's two sides of the one coin.
You are committed to Christ,
and you are committed to church.
You can't separate them.
In fact, if we are to experience Christ in our life,
the Bible says we must participate in church life.
Because the way in which the Gospel,
the good news about Jesus,
gets worked into our hearts,
and the way it gets worked out through our lives,
is in our involvement and participation
with and in the church family.
The church family,
the gathering of God's people,
is God's means of enabling us
to experience the full effects of the Gospel.
So why bother with church?
Why bother getting up and coming together?
Well, without the church family,
we are never going to grow,
we are never going to change as people,
and we're never going to know Christ
in all his fullness
and all that he has to give us.
Because it is through the church family
that he works
so that we experience the full effects
of the Gospel.
So it's essential that we are gathering together.
But let's try and unpack this a little bit more
and get the connection between Christ on the one hand
and church on the other
and see how they are integral
and fit together.
First of all, our faith in Christ.
Look at verse 19 of our reading from Hebrews 10.
Therefore, brothers and sisters,
since we have confidence
to enter the most holy place
by the blood of Jesus.
Now, verse 19 is almost a summary
of all of chapters 1 to 9.
In chapters 1 to 9,
it goes into great detail,
looking back through the Old Testament,
to show us that without Christ,
without his sacrifice,
we can't come to God.
In the past,
people couldn't get close to God.
But now, again, look at verse 19.
Since we have confidence
to enter the most holy place
by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way
opened up for us through the curtain,
that is his body.
And we've got all this religious language
through here.
We've got this most holy place,
the blood of Jesus,
and the curtain.
Strange language.
But it's taking us back
to a miraculous event
of when Christ died on the cross.
we read about it
from Matthew's Gospel.
The most holy place
was a room in the temple
which marked or symbolised
the presence of God.
And blocking the way,
the entrance into that room,
was this large curtain.
It acted as a barrier,
an enormous signpost
that was telling everybody,
stop, no entry.
It's a little bit like
this room here.
If you could imagine
that we here are the people,
and in behind that screen
is the most holy place
which symbolised
where God's presence was,
where God dwelt.
And the screen here
is an enormous curtain
except for it would have gone
from top to bottom.
And it was this great big sign
that meant we couldn't enter,
we couldn't get to God.
God was making it clear
that our sin means
we can't enjoy God
as we are meant to.
We've been shut out.
We're here.
God is there.
Denied accent.
Barred from coming to God.
Just like Adam and Eve
were shut out of the garden
and it was barred from re-entry.
And it has been ever since.
But something has happened,
verse 20.
A new and living way
has opened up for us
through the curtain.
That is his body.
You see, the moment
that Jesus died on the cross,
and you'll remember that
from the reading in Matthew,
the moment Jesus died,
the curtain in the most holy place
was torn from top to bottom,
ripped open.
It was a divine intervention by God.
The barrier that stood in the way
was removed.
And access to God
was now possible.
Entrance into the family of God
was now open
to everybody
who had faith in Jesus.
Because Jesus,
through his death on the cross,
was taking the punishment
for our sin.
He was dealing with the wrath
that we deserve.
And we are forgiven.
His body
was the one that was torn open.
His body, if you like,
was ripped apart
on the cross
so that the way
is open for us now
to go through
to meet with God.
And now we can come,
verse 19,
with confidence,
without fear of rejection,
without God telling us,
no, you can't.
We can come
with confidence,
and that's why
we are gathered here today
because of what Jesus did
2,000 years ago
on the cross,
his people gathering
to God
because of what Jesus
has done.
So the way is open
for us to enter
by faith in Christ.
But not only
do we have access
to God
through our faith
in Christ,
we also become
part of the church
family.
Look at verse 21.
So we have access
to God
because of Christ,
but not only that,
we have access
to the church family.
Verse 21,
and since we have
a great priest
over
the house of God.
Now Jesus here
is our ultimate priest.
He's the one
who makes it possible
to come to God.
But he also makes it
possible to be part
of the house of God.
And the house of God
is simply another way
of saying
the family of God,
the church,
God's people.
Hold your finger there
in chapter 10
and go back
to chapter 3,
verse 6.
Where this is spelt out
clearly for us.
Chapter 3,
verse 6.
But Christ is faithful
as a son
over God's house.
And we are
his house
if we hold on
to our courage
and the hope
of which we boast.
Do you see that?
Christ is the faithful son.
He was the only
faithful one
who by his death
has not only
given us access
to God,
but he has welcomed us
into the house of God.
And it says here
that we,
the people,
are the house of God.
We are in his family.
Now it's crucial
for us to make
that connection.
There is faith in Christ.
That's one side
of the coin.
But through our faith
in Christ
we are also part
of the church family.
That is the other side
of the coin.
And look how
all of this works out
back in chapter 10,
verse 22.
Because of our faith
in Christ
we are now part
of the church family
so,
verse 22,
let us
together
draw near
to God.
It doesn't say
let me.
Our life
with Christ
is not an
individual exercise
that we sit at home
and do our own thing.
It says
let us
together.
Verse 23,
let us
together
hold unswervingly
to the hope.
The Christian life
is something
that we do
together.
Verse 24,
and let us
consider
how we spur
one another on.
We can't do
the Christian life
alone.
You need me
and I need you.
We need
each other.
Verse 25,
let us
not give up
meeting together.
together.
You see,
the church
family
is God's
means of
enabling us
to experience
the full
effects of
the gospel,
the good news
of Jesus
Christ.
And we're
never going
to know
all that
Christ
has to
give us
apart from
the church.
church.
That's why
we bother
with church.
That's why
we've gotten
up out of
our beds
this morning
and that's
why we've
gathered
together.
And of
course,
it's not
just a
couple of
hours here,
it's 24-7,
it's throughout
the week.
But the
emphasis here
I want us
to see is
this,
let us
come together.
Because to
cut yourself
off from
the church
is like a
deep sea
diver cutting
off his
oxygen supply.
we'll die
spiritually,
we'll drown,
we'll not
cope,
we won't
survive.
The church
family is
God's
means for
us to
experience the
workings out
of the
gospel in
our lives.
So we're
going to look
at four ways
this works
out in
practice.
You know
how we all
need our
greens to
survive,
don't we?
Our
vegetables.
We need
to have our
four vegetables
or whatever
to have
every day
if we're
to survive.
Well here
we've got
four
lettuces.
Okay?
The lettuce
of verse
22,
lettuce of
verse 23,
and lettuce
of verse
24,
and lettuce
of verse
25.
Four good
greens to
get into
us,
to help us
understand
what it
is to be
in church
family.
The first
one then,
the first
lettuce,
experience
grace
together.
Verse 22,
let us
draw near
to God
with a
sincere
heart,
in full
assurance
of faith,
having our
hearts sprinkled
to cleanse
us from a
guilty conscience,
and having
our bodies
washed
with pure
water.
Now because
of Jesus'
death,
we can
come
confidently
with
absolute
assurance.
The invitation
is open,
it's given,
by faith we
draw near
to God
to experience
his grace.
And coming
to God,
as the
picture here
in verse
22 is,
is like
stepping into
a hot
shower,
or into
a big
deep bath,
after a
muddy day
in the
garden,
or after
rolling about
in the
rugby pitch.
Look at
what it
says in
verse 22.
Our hearts
are sprinkled
clean,
our conscience
cleansed,
and the
sin that
ruins our
life is
washed away
with pure
water,
the pure
water of
Christ's
forgiveness.
It's an
invitation to
tell us that
there is no
sin that
is so
great that
God's grace
cannot
clean.
So together
by faith in
Christ,
it's an
invitation to
bathe and
wash in
God's grace.
But why
do we have
to do this
together?
Why can't
I just
come to
God on
my own
and experience
his grace
without involving
other people?
Why can't I
just do this
at home?
Why is there
a let us
draw near?
Well, it
doesn't rule us
out coming to
God on our
own.
It's important
we do that.
But the
reality is,
on our own,
we are not
always going to
be people who
are seeking
after God's
grace.
You see,
when we
fail and
fall,
and we
do it all
the time,
Satan is
quick to
remind us
of just
how bad
and useless
we are.
And the
last thing
that we
want to
do is
come to
God.
When we've
messed up
and things
have gone
wrong,
we don't
want to
get anywhere
near to
God.
We feel
too ashamed,
we feel
too dirty,
too messed
up,
and we
kind of
withdraw and
we hide
from God.
And if
that cycle
continues for
long enough,
we'll end
up completely
away.
But when
we come
together,
we are
reminded that
we are
meeting with
a whole bunch
of messed
up sinners
and failures
dependent on
God's grace.
And that's
why I love
coming here
on a Sunday,
because I'm
meeting a whole
load of other
messed up
sinners,
because that's
what we all
are, and
we're all
dependent on
God's grace.
And when I
come here
with everybody
else, everybody
together is
focusing us on
the need for
God's grace.
Because when
my sin is
so great, and
when I've
lost sight of
God's grace,
meeting with
other people who
are talking about
grace, when
people are
singing about
grace, when
they're preaching
about grace, it
encourages me to
seek God's
grace.
Just a
personal
experience.
There are
times, it
doesn't happen
all the time,
but there have
been times where
the last place I
want to be is
standing here and
speaking and
preaching.
There's things
weighing in my
life.
I'm conscious of
sin, and I
just don't feel
good enough, I
don't feel worthy
enough, and I
just don't want to
do it.
But as I am
here, as I
hear people
singing, as
we're focused
in on God's
grace, it
lifts me, it
encourages me, it
builds me up, and
it says, it's
all been cleaned.
My sin has been
washed away, my
heart has been
sprinkled, my
conscience
cleansed.
That's why we
need to come
together, to
experience grace
together, because
without each
other, we will
lose sight, and
we won't do
it.
So that's our
first letter that
we need to get
into our lives.
The second is
this, experience
support together,
verse 23.
Let us hold
unswervingly to
the hope we
profess, for he
who promised is
faithful.
You know, the
reality is, as you
and I go about
this week, and
it's probably been
the experience of
the past week, we
face pressure
after pressure,
challenge after
challenge, to
let go and to
give up of the
hope of the
gospel.
Because we live
in a world where
people live in
opposition to the
gospel, and they
think that Christ is
irrelevant.
Think about it, how
many times did
somebody in your
work or one of
your neighbours
come round and
say, go on, keep
going as a
Christian?
It doesn't
happen very
often.
And if that's
what we're
facing every
day, just the
sheer struggle of
being a Christian
in the world,
holding on to the
hope is going to
be very hard.
And of course, we
can try and play
the Lone Ranger
and do it my
way, but
experience shows
it doesn't
work.
That's why we
need to hold on
to the hope
together.
Look at what
it says.
Let us
hold unswervingly
to the hope.
we're to hold
on to it for
all that we
are, everything
that's inside of
us, and
everything that's
inside of you
together, we are
to hold and
grasp this hope.
Because on our
own, we're
weak.
We give in and
we give up.
But with the
support of other
people, we are
able to hold on
and we are able
to keep going.
people.
In fact, that's
what chapter 11
is all about, as
it goes through
all this great
big list of
people of the
past and how
they had held
to the faith.
It is
encouragement for
us.
So when we
gather together,
as we do like
this, when we
come early, and
that's one of the
good reasons to
come early, or
whether we stay
late, one of the
good questions to be
asking is this, of
each other, how
is your faith?
Nobody else is
going to ask you
that question.
The only person
who's going to ask
you that is
somebody within the
church family.
How is your
faith?
How are you
getting on?
And one of the
greatest supports
that we could give
to help each
other, look at
the rest of
verse 23.
He who promised
is faithful.
You know what?
We give up and
we fail.
We mess up and
we let go.
But here's
encouragement.
He who promised
is faithful.
God is faithful
to us.
He will never,
ever let go of
his people.
And sometimes it
takes one other
person to remind
us that he is
faithful to us.
So we experience
this support
together.
we hold on to
the hope
that we have.
So we experience
grace together.
We experience
support together.
And third, we
experience compassion
together.
Verse 24.
And let us
consider how we
may spur
one another
on towards
love and
good deeds.
I'm summarising
love and good
deeds there as
compassion.
Compassion is
responding to
the needs and
concerns of other
people in
active love.
Not just words,
but action,
in deeds.
So the church
family is to be a
place where we do
experience compassion.
compassion.
Now there's a
difficulty with that.
And that is because
we're all naturally
selfish people.
Looking out for
others, surprise,
surprise, is not
always the top of our
agenda.
We're looking out for
me, for number one.
In fact, the truth be
told, we don't even
know what the needs
of other people are.
We could maybe do a
mental check of that
right now for the
person sitting beside
you.
What are their needs?
Do you know what
they are?
Do I know what
they are?
And that's why we
gather together.
That's why we come
together as God's
people, not just on
a Sunday.
That's why we meet
in our home groups.
That's why we
encourage people to
meet throughout the
week.
Because by meeting
together, we get to
know each other.
We get to know what
the needs are.
Not just about the
weather or what did
you think of the
rugby and wasn't that
disappointing that they
did.
Yes, important
conversation, but it's
not as important as
knowing what are the
real needs and what are
the real concerns that
we have in our lives.
And when we know what
they are, then we're
able to respond with
compassion, love and
good deeds.
So again, before the
meeting starts, or even
over tea and coffee,
that's why we have tea
and coffee.
an opportunity to talk
to each other and to
ask each other, how
are you?
And don't give the all
too common phrase, fine,
I'm sure I'm grand.
Hmm?
Well, I'm sure we are
grand and I'm sure we
are fine, but how are
we?
Is there anything that I
can do to help in that
situation?
And one of the
responses to that might
be to pray for that
person.
Might be just praying
quietly for them in your
own time.
If you know them well
enough and you're
comfortable enough with
it, it might be to pray
with that person right
there.
It might be to arrange
to meet up for coffee or
for lunch during the
week.
We've all got to eat,
haven't we?
Why don't we meet at
lunchtime or at a coffee
time and meet up with
that person?
Read with them, pray
with them, encourage
them.
We try to develop what
we call one-to-one,
which is simply meeting
with another believer,
another Christian within
the church family, just
to read 15 minutes,
whatever time you have,
to pray together.
In some cases, there
might be practical help
that's required for
people.
There might even be
financial assistance.
Who knows?
We don't know what the
needs are, the concerns
are, until we talk.
And let's be full of
grace in all of this.
We are sinful, aren't
we?
We are failures.
We don't always look out
for people as we ought
to.
So look what it says in
verse 24.
Consider, think about,
apply, work it out, how
we can spur one another
on towards love and good
deeds.
I've got to be thinking,
how can I motivate each
other to be compassionate?
How can I help us to do
that more and more?
Well, you know what?
The best way that we can
spur each other to be
compassionate is to be
compassionate to one
another.
If you come and you're
thinking, nobody shows me
compassion around here.
Well, demonstrate that
compassion and maybe
others will follow you.
We're in it together.
We're a church family.
And this isn't a kind of
beat us on the head.
Because there is
compassion, there is
support, there is
grace, there is
encouragement.
It's just simply
reminding us of why we
are gathering together.
So, grace, support,
compassion.
The fourth lettuce that
we need is verse 25.
Let us not give up
meeting together as some
are in the habit of
doing, but let us
encourage one another
and all the more as you
see the day approaching.
You know what?
None of what we've
looked at so far.
Grace, support,
compassion can happen.
None of these things
can be experienced
unless we are actually
meeting together.
Sounds obvious,
but that's the truth.
So we've got to be
encouraged to make
our gathering together
formally on a Sunday
morning, through the
week at home group,
and at other informal
times through the week,
to make it a priority.
Now, I understand
that it's not always
possible.
I am married,
and I've got children,
and family,
there can be family
concerns.
Some people might even
have to be working.
I understand all of
that.
There can be genuine
reasons, but as verse
25 is saying,
let's be in the habit.
Let's set good
habits.
Let's plan our
diaries.
Let's think about what
we're going to be doing
as a family, where
we're going to be,
who's going to be
going out on Wednesday
to home group.
Let's make that
effort.
Why do we need to
make the effort?
Well, life is tough,
isn't it?
We're going to face
pressures at work.
There's difficulties
in relationships.
We have the demands
of family life.
We might even be
struggling with health.
And all of these
things can weigh us
down, but in God's
grace is given to us,
the family, one
another, a source of
constant encouragement.
Let us encourage
one another all the
more as you see the
day approaching.
The day, capital D,
is the day of Christ's
return.
And it says it's
happening soon.
He's coming soon.
As Christ is coming,
be encouraging each
other.
Because the only
things, or the only,
all that's going to
survive are people.
So we give our
efforts and our
attention to people.
How do we encourage
each other then when
we do meet?
Well, by bringing
each other back to
grace.
To have our hearts
sprinkled, to remind
each other of the
depth of God's
amazing grace.
By getting
alongside each
other, giving that
vital support to
hold on to the
hope that we have.
By responding to
the needs and
concerns of each
other with
compassion.
And by making it a
priority to gather
with God's people.
The church family
is God's means of
enabling us to
experience the
full effects of
the gospel, the
good news of
Jesus Christ.
And we're never
going to know all
that Christ has to
give us.
We'll never explore
the depths of the
riches of Christ
apart from the
church.
He's given us the
church so we can
go deeper with
all that he has
to give us.
That's why we
bother with
church.
That's why we
meet together.
Let's pray.
This is a prayer
that comes from
2 Thessalonians
chapter 2
verse 16.
Just listen to
this prayer.
May our Lord
Jesus Christ
himself and God
our Father who
loved us,
and by his
grace gave us
eternal
encouragement and
good hope.
Encourage our
hearts and
strengthen us in
every good deed
and word.
And all God's
people said,
Amen.