So please turn to Hebrews 10, 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 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.
Well, good afternoon, everyone.
My name is Dave.
If I haven't met you before, I'm one of the pastors here.
Well, what can draw you away from God?
Let me start by asking, do you feel close to God?
Even framing the question like that, do you feel close to God,
I think makes us all look inside ourselves and see whether we feel it or not.
And what are we looking for?
I wonder if you're like me,
and you assume that feeling close to God must be something like just that excitement
of falling in love.
That kind of feeling, is it that white hot passion for God?
Is that what we should be looking for?
If we assume that, and then if you're like me,
you know that you don't desire to know God as much as you should desire it.
You don't desire to live for God as much as you should desire to live.
Then we can convince ourselves, I mustn't be close to God.
I don't feel that way.
I think another barrier to drawing close to God is a troubled conscience.
As we heard last week, if God is so pure, so holy,
the author of Hebrews describes God as a consuming fire,
no wonder we don't want to get too close.
If he is that holy, how can I pray to him if I know I've committed the same sin today
as I did yesterday?
When I'm so angry, so lustful, so impatient, so self-centered,
how can I with integrity then consider myself to be worthy to come near to God?
When we have a good week, we haven't committed that particular sin
and we read our Bible, we come to church, we might feel confident in approaching God,
but then when we have a bad week, we do commit that sin,
we neglect meeting with God's people, then we can just feel really discouraged,
unworthy to be in God's presence.
Our troubled conscience can drive us away from God.
So one last thing I'll mention that can draw us away from God is when we face suffering and hardship,
when it's so intensely painful, we can either conclude,
God is punishing me for my sin or God's not as good as he claims to be.
So there's just a few things that can keep us from drawing near to God.
But this afternoon, let's hear from Hebrews chapter 10,
how we can draw near to God no matter what our personal experience is.
We can draw near to him.
So have a look with me, Hebrews 10, starting at verse 19.
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places,
God's immediate presence, his heavenly presence,
we have confidence to enter, then let us draw near.
Now, our immediate gut reaction might be, well, I don't feel confident.
I don't have that confidence you're talking about.
But the author isn't talking about what's going on inside you.
He's talking about something outside of us, something objective.
Notice that the whole section hinges on that first word, therefore.
The author says, remember what I've just said in chapters 7 to 10.
And I know we've only looked at the first part of chapter 10.
But remember what I've said in chapters 7 to 10 about Christ being our great high priest,
who by his once for all sacrifice for sin has abolished the old religious way of coming to God
and has brought a new way, an open way to come to God.
Remember that.
Therefore, we have confidence to draw near.
We're not told to become confident.
We're told we have it.
The word confidence can mean something like authorization.
Since you are authorized to enter the holy places, then let us draw near.
So that begs the question, what is the basis of our authorization?
And it's clear that it's not our moral or religious efforts.
It's not our subjective sense of feeling close to God.
Nothing you do or feel today for the rest of the day can make you more or any less authorized.
The good news in God's word to us this afternoon is it's not about us and what we have or haven't done.
So sticking with the image of the Jewish temple that we looked at last week,
the author reminds us of the three critical aspects of what Christ has already accomplished on our behalf.
How can we draw near to God?
It's by his blood, through the curtain, his body and belonging to the forever priest.
The blood, the curtain, the priest.
So let's have a quick look at each of those things.
So by his blood, as we saw last week,
where a person sins against God,
for God to be just, there must be punishment.
But in God's mercy,
he provides a substitute.
He transfers my sin away from me
and puts it on the head of another.
It's no longer on me.
And the priest takes the blood behind the curtain into God's presence
and sprinkles it to atone for sin.
So in John's gospel,
when Jesus is hanging on the cross,
the Roman soldier pierces Jesus' side
and as the spear comes out,
John notices something.
And he tells us that he saw a sudden flow of blood,
which is to be expected,
blood and water.
Blood and water came out of Jesus when he died.
Now, more than just proving that he was actually dead,
John has, he's a Jew,
he understands the theological significance of that.
Instead of the priest washing in the basin with water
and the blood of animals to approach God,
true cleansing has now come through the death of Jesus,
his blood.
And this cleansing isn't just external,
it's internal cleansing.
Have a look at verse 21.
It is our hearts that are sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed with pure water.
It is by his blood,
verse 19,
that is the means,
by his blood,
that we are clean
and that we have confidence
to enter God's presence.
We are clean.
This doesn't mean that we are instantly perfect
or sinless,
but it does mean the basis of our guilt and shame
has actually been dealt with.
It's taken away.
We may not feel that way,
but it has happened.
It is an objective reality
that happened 2,000 years ago.
It is done.
The blood has been shed.
So there is one means
by which you and I can enter God's presence
and that is by Jesus' atoning blood,
his cleansing blood.
And the picture of the temple continues
with the author saying that the curtain
into the most holy place,
so in the temple,
in God's presence,
pictured in the temple,
you've got the holy place
and then the most holy place,
there was one way to enter.
That's the curtain.
But the curtain isn't a literal curtain anymore.
That was just a picture of the real thing.
The real thing is Jesus' flesh,
his body.
which he gave up
when he died on the cross.
Now don't try and picture this literally.
It's obviously a metaphor.
The curtain was the only way
to come in to God's presence.
The only way.
The old way of approaching God
under the old covenant law
with the animal sacrifices
and the human priests,
that is done.
That was just a picture.
The new way.
The real entrance into God's heavenly presence
is now here through Jesus' death.
There is one way.
Buddhist meditation,
Muslim submission and prayer,
Catholic tradition and ritual,
being considered by others as a good person.
You cannot have peace with God through these means.
There is one way.
Through the curtain,
which is his body given for us on the cross.
There is one way.
All people are invited
all over the world,
but there is one way in
to God's presence.
So it's by his blood shed for us
through the curtain,
his body,
and the final basis of our authorization
to enter God's presence
is belonging to our forever priest.
We're not represented by a sinful priest,
one whose service must end when they die.
We are represented by the only obedient son,
the only person who has the right
to enter the father's presence
whenever he wants.
That is who represents us.
And he has conquered death
and lives forever
seated at God's right hand.
And because he lives forever,
it means his priesthood is forever.
His sacrifice is constantly applied.
It will never fail.
Hebrews 7.25
tells us the significance of Jesus
being our forever priest.
The verse says this,
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.
Christ is our forever priest
sitting at God's right hand.
You can't get any closer to God.
He's applying the promise
of the new covenant
always.
That promise in verse 18
is always applied to you and me.
I will remember their sins
and their lawless deeds
no more.
If you look at your own worthiness
to enter God's presence,
then you should be afraid.
But if you look
at the worthiness
of what Christ has done
on your behalf,
then you have every right
to enter.
We are called
to have peace with God
through Christ's finished
priestly work
on our behalf.
So what's our role?
How do we enter
by what Christ has done
for us?
I think at this point
it's helpful
to consider
what we're not
meant to do.
And to do that,
let's consider
the Catholic idea
of mass.
I'm going to read
a section of a book
by a man
who grew up Catholic.
So I didn't grow up Catholic,
but this man named
Ray Gilear,
he's a pastor
in Sydney,
evangelical pastor now,
but he grew up Catholic
and he explains
the significance
of mass
and why it doesn't
add up
to what we're learning
about here in Hebrews.
So the book
is called
Nothing in My Hand
I Bring
to God.
So he says this,
Even as a young adult,
I couldn't have told you
exactly what was going
on during the mass.
I knew that the bread
was somehow
the body of Christ
and that eating it
was supposed to be
good for my soul,
but I couldn't have
explained very clearly
what it was all about.
It was just something
I did three times a week.
If you were to ask
a Catholic priest
to explain the mass,
you would discover
that the mass
is essentially
a sacrifice.
The high point
is when the priest
calls down
the Holy Spirit
on the bread
and wine,
turning them
into the actual
body and blood
of Christ.
That's when
the bells ring.
The newly present
body and blood
of Christ
are lifted up
and worshipped
and adored
by the congregation
as Christ himself.
The priest
then offers
Christ
as the sacrificial
victim
or host
to God
on behalf
of the people.
In that
bloodless sacrifice,
God's anger
is turned away
and forgiveness
of sins
is obtained.
So what I read
in the Bible
about Christ's sacrifice
didn't seem
to sit too well
with what was going
on in the mass.
Without a priest,
there can be
no mass.
The bread
and wine
cannot change
into the body
and blood
of Christ
without a priest.
The sacrifice
of Christ
cannot be
offered
without a priest.
Sins
cannot
be forgiven
without a priest.
That's
end quote.
Hebrews
says,
Jesus
is our
priest.
We don't
need a
human
priest.
We shouldn't
have a
human
priest.
Jesus
is our
human
priest.
His
sacrifice
for sin
was once
and for
all.
Through
him alone,
not through
any other
person,
can you
receive
forgiveness
and peace
with God.
So here's
how we're
told to
respond in
verse 22.
Let us
draw near
with a
true
heart
in
full
assurance
of
faith.
So what
is a
true
heart?
In
chapter
three,
the
opposite
of a
true
heart
is a
sinful
unbelieving
heart.
A
true
heart
listens
to God's
words here
in Hebrews
and the
rest of
the Bible.
A
true
heart
believes
God's
promises
that
through
Christ
we are
completely
washed
inside
and out.
The
way to
God is
fully
open.
It
is done.
A
true
heart
believes
what God
says.
God
is done.
God
is done.
God
is done.
God
is done.
God
is done.
God
is done.
So I've
been asked
a few
times now
since Samuel
was born.
What's the
best thing
about being
a dad?
God
at first
I thought
it was
that Samuel
seems to
have some
of my
physical
features.
I reckon
he's got
a pointy
chin
like mine.
I'm
probably
just
vain and
seeing
things that
aren't
there.
But at
first I
thought that's
what it
was.
He's
kind of
in my
image.
But then
I thought
about it
some more.
That doesn't
even come
close to the
best thing
about being a
dad so far.
The best
thing about
being a
dad so
far is
those rare
moments when
I'm holding
Sam against
my chest
and his
entire body
weight is
being held
by me.
And yet
here he is
limp with
his head
against my
chest,
mouth over,
fast asleep.
They're the
best.
That's the
best thing
about being
a dad so
far.
Sam feels
safe in
my arm.
That's
safe.
His
whole body
weight is
held by
me.
We can
think God
wants us
to perform
to earn
his love.
He doesn't.
God wants
us to feel
so safe
in his
arms that
we totally
rest on
him,
mouth open.
having
faith in
what Christ
has already
done,
God wants
us to
live fully
assured as
his
children.
So where
is that in
the passage?
It's a
little word
in verse
19.
Don't
lightly
skip over
words.
Verse 19,
therefore
brothers.
This isn't
just a nice
way of
greeting
them.
This is a
theological
statement.
This is a
changed
identity.
Chapter 2
of Hebrews
goes into
great detail
that Christ
is not
ashamed to
call us
his
brothers,
his
sisters.
He's not
ashamed to.
This isn't
anyone calling
us brothers
and sisters.
This is the
Son of
God calling
us brothers,
sisters.
God wants
us to feel
safe in
his arms.
So what
does that
look like?
What does
it look like
to come
near him,
faith in
Christ?
What does
that look
like on
the outside?
I just
want to
spend the
rest of
our time
looking at
four ways
that faith
resting in
Christ,
what that
looks like.
The first
thing that
that assured
faith looks
like is
wanting to
live all
of life
in God's
presence.
So chapter
13 of
Hebrews has
practical
instructions for
those in
Christ from
brotherly
love to
caring for
those who
are mistreated
to sexual
expression to
trusting God
rather than
loving money
to having
good order
in the
church family.
A child
of God by
faith will
see all of
life as an
opportunity to
worship God.
Whether you're
peeling potatoes,
hanging out the
washing,
watching Netflix,
taking someone a
meal or praying
with a friend,
you are always
in the heavenly
presence of
God.
Always.
It's always an
opportunity to
worship.
Not that we are
sinless, we're
going to come to
that in a
moment, but we
see all of
life as in
God's presence.
things.
The second way
that drawing
near to God
through Christ
will be seen
is in times of
suffering and
hardship.
A child of God
by faith won't
interpret hardship
as God's
punishment for
sin, since
Christ has
already paid
for it.
For me, this
truth hit
home one
night when I
was doing the
washing up and
I cut my
finger on a
pair of
tongs.
I don't know
how tongs
cut me, but
I cut my
finger, a
little bit of
pain, but I
was bleeding
and for some
reason it just
hit home to
me that I
will never
experience pain
or bleeding
because God is
punishing me for
my sin.
Christ has
already paid.
It's his
blood, not
mine.
I don't know
why that hit
home to me, but
it was just
that moment.
Hebrews 12,
10 to 11
says this,
Our human
fathers disciplined
us for a short
time as it
seemed best to
them, but God
disciplines us
for our good
that we may
share his
holiness.
For the
moment, all
discipline seems
painful rather
than pleasant, but
later it yields
the peaceful
fruit of
righteousness to
those who have
been trained by
it.
Resting in
Christ changes
the way you
look at
hardship.
It's not
punishment for
sins, it's
discipline.
God's got a
good goal in
mind.
God's
love.
God's got a
good goal in
life.
So another
time that this
hit home for
me was when I
bought a car,
which is a
Subaru Forester,
and I'd taken it
home, and one
afternoon I was
sitting on the
lounge and I
heard a crash,
a smash, and I
jumped out of my
seat worried that
the car was
damaged.
This hadn't
happened yet.
And I was
like, why
don't I care
so much?
Why did I
react like
that?
And I
prayed to
God, God, I
love this car way
too much.
Please help me
not love this
car.
Help me love
you.
Now that
very night I
heard another
smash.
And I went
outside and
found this,
like someone
had intentionally
smashed it.
Now $400
later, replacing
it, a friend
who I was
living with
asked me,
aren't you
annoyed?
But I
wasn't annoyed.
It was too
much of a
coincidence.
I saw it as
an answer to
prayer.
This is how
God helped
me let go of
the car so
that I could
love him
more.
He loved me
by breaking
it.
And I
have this
sitting in
my office
to remind
me of it.
Emma won't
let me put
it in the
living room
anymore.
It was so
ugly.
Resting
assured in
Christ
just changes
the way we
look at
hardship.
Now I
know that's
a very
minor thing.
Secure in
the love
of God.
Instead of
suffering pushing
us away,
from God,
we can
receive it as
the loving
discipline from
our Father in
Heaven who
has a good
goal to
make us
holy,
ready for
Heaven.
So a
third way
that drawing
near to God
through Christ
will be seen
is when we
sin, when
we feel
ashamed.
Instead of
hiding in
fear from
God, we
can pray to
him for
mercy and
help.
Listen to
Hebrews 4,
14 to
16.
Since
then we
have a
great high
priest who
has passed
through the
heavens,
Jesus, the
Son of
God.
Let us
hold fast
our confession.
But we do
not have a
high priest who
is unable to
sympathize with
our weaknesses,
but one who
in every respect
has been
tempted as
we are,
yet without
sin.
Let us
then with
confidence draw
near to the
throne of
grace, that
we may receive
mercy and
find grace to
help in
time of need.
God.
Your
constant struggle
with sin
isn't proof
that you're
not near to
God.
But knowing
our temptation
firsthand, our
priest Christ
calls us to
make use of
that permanent
access that we
have.
Come to him
when we're
struggling, when
we are just so
low in our
guilt and shame.
Come to him.
his throne of
grace to
find mercy and
to receive
help.
So one last
way that we
can express our
nearness to God
through Christ
is not counting
Newcastle as our
home, but we're
longing for our
true home with
God.
In chapter 11,
there is a
mirage of
people characterized
by faith in the
Old Testament
from Abel to
Abraham to
Moses.
Have a
listen of
verses 13 to
16.
These all died
in faith, not
having received
the things
promised, but
having seen
them and
greeted them
from afar, and
having acknowledged
that they were
strangers and
exiles on the
earth.
For people who
speak thus make
it clear that
they are seeking
a homeland.
If they had
been thinking of
that land from
which they had
gone out, they
would have had
opportunity to
return, but as
it is, they
desire a better
country that is
a heavenly one.
Therefore God is
not ashamed to
be called their
God, for he
has prepared for
them a city.
And Newcastle is a
really lovely place,
Lonely Planet in
2011 rated it in
the top ten places
to live and
visit.
It's not bad.
But it's
nothing on the
heavenly city God
has prepared for
us.
So are you
willing to not
fit in here and
now to endure
hardship for the
sake of waiting
for that
promised heavenly
city?
That city
where we are
with God, with
one another
permanently in
peace.
The grounds of
our confidence to
draw near to God
has nothing to do
with us.
It's all of
Christ.
It's all by
grace.
We come by his
blood through his
body given for
us, belonging to
our forever
priest.
Our God wants us
to feel safe in
his arms, to
come to him with
nothing in our
hands, only faith
in Christ's
finished work.
And if we do,
then Christ is not
ashamed to call us
brothers, sisters.
We are God's
children.
Now this isn't
easy to come to
God in faith.
To persevere in
faith is not
easy.
We need to hold
fast to the hope
we have and we
desperately need
each other to
spur one another
on in the faith.
And we're going to
look at those two
aspects the next
two Sundays.
But for now, let
me finish by asking
you to consider,
have you fully
rested in what
Christ has done
for you?
In the
Father's arms,
mouth open,
rest in God.
And as we rest
in him more and
more and we learn
to rest in him
more and more,
let's see all of
life as belonging
to him, lived in
his presence.
Let's receive
hardship as the
loving discipline
of our Father
who treats us
as his children.
Let's come to
the throne of
grace to keep
fighting sin.
And let's not
settle down here
and now.
Let's keep
looking forward
ahead to that
promised city.
for he who
promised is
faithful.
Will you pray
with me?
Let's pray.
Father, we praise you
for your amazing grace
in sending your son,
that he would die
in our place
is
incredible.
Thank you that we
have access to you,
full access,
permanent access
through Christ's
finished work.
Please help us to
know that.
Help us to feel so
safe in your arms
because of what
Christ has done.
help us to live
out that
safeness in you
by living in
your presence,
enduring hardship
as your discipline,
longing for a
better city,
and coming to you
for help when we
really struggle with
sin.
Thank you for all
this grace.
Help us as a
church to live
boasting in this
grace and living
in the hope that
is ours through
Christ.
In Jesus' name
I pray.
Amen.