Note: the following is the manuscript for the message and will not match exactly the recorded message above.
Up until this point in the Hebrews series, we have been setting the table. We have been building an understanding that will lead us to this moment in which the ultimate call is given.
It answers the question, “What is the meaning of life?” It is the most meaningful and complete vision for the good life. It is what humanity has been searching for all throughout history.
It is the call to draw near to God. This is what we are made for. It is what will satisfy us. And it is our eternal destiny if we want it.
Let’s begin with the first 18 verses of chapter 10, which provide a bit of a review and summary of where we have been over the last nine chapters.
Review [10:1-18]
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’ ” First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
This section brings together several strands of thought that are scattered all throughout the letter and meant to support the big picture, which is that all of God’s promises and requirements are fulfilled in Jesus. Through him and him alone, we can draw near to God.
I will not spend time today on this first section, as it has already been covered throughout the first nine messages in the series. If you want to understand this passage, you can review those messages on our website.
The message about Jesus in Hebrews is meant to be comforting for those facing difficulty in life. By dying as a sacrifice for us, Jesus has made available God’s forgiveness and brought into effect the inheritance of eternal life with God.
It is possible that, for some here today, this message does not bring comfort. It may seem completely irrelevant because you have experienced no need for forgiveness.
Those for whom this is the case, I invite you to listen with curiosity to the rest of this message and ask why this might bring comfort to some people.
For those here today who find the message of Jesus comforting, I hope you will be reminded to daily draw near to God through Jesus.
I hope you will be equipped to do this with confidence and perseverance. Let’s read the next section in chapter 10.
Draw Near [10:19-25]
Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened 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 and with the full assurance that faith brings, 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, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Much has been said in Hebrews to bring us to this point. For those of you who have been here through this series until now, I hope you have got the core ideas of what the author has been trying to communicate.
There has been some repetition. Some themes and ideas have been stated and restated in various ways.
This is intentional. I have been intentionally highlighting common themes throughout Hebrews and going back to the Pentateuch series to show the story’s cohesiveness.
If I were to combine the Pentateuch and Hebrews series and compile them in a book, it would tell a unified story of God’s plan to restore fellowship between himself and humanity.
We come now to our response. This section powerfully makes the altar call: “Therefore, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place… let us draw near to God.”
The story up to this point has been about a God who made the universe as a place in which he and his image-bearers would enjoy life together. But his image bearers rejected him, turning instead to creation as objects of our worship and devotion.
So, God made a plan to renew humanity. This plan is fulfilled in Jesus, the perfect human. And now, because of what Jesus did, we can be restored to the sort of humans we were originally created to be.
This process begins when you decide to draw near to God and is completed once this present life is over.
Those who want to draw near to God are able to do that. Those who do not wish to draw to God will not be renewed and will be unable to enjoy fellowship with God.
How do we draw near to God? Essentially, drawing near begins in the heart. The heart is the part of you that produces longings, cravings, and desires.
What do you desire? Drawing near to God involves the recognition that God will ultimately fulfil all of your desires.
This last week, in my weekly letter, I included a quote from C.S. Lewis that I would like to read here.
Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists… If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world… Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.
If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage.
I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same.1
Once you begin to see that your desires are meant to be fulfilled by God, you are at a point of being able to draw near to him. The process of drawing near to God will include a measure of faith because it is not like drawing near to someone who is physically in your presence.
The faith required for drawing near to God is actually given to you by God himself when you spend time contemplating who he is.
Time in reflective reading of Scripture or meditating on a word of truth about God that you have come to understand in a sermon, a Bible study, or from another person in conversation. This is why being in a community with other believers is so important.
This practice will lead us to be increasingly transformed not only in our hearts but also in our minds. We will identify unhelpful patterns of thought in our desires to draw near to God.
Patterns of thought or desire previously considered to be acceptable become unappealing, even disturbing. This is the process of your conscience being cleansed.
As your conscience is cleansed, your patterns of behaviour will begin to change. You will draw near to God not only in your inner being, but your very life will reflect the character of God.
Your life will be a testimony that encourages others and gives them a glimpse into the sort of life we are meant to live. A life that draws near to God.
What is the alternative? What if you do not draw near to God? This is addressed in the next section.
Repent [10:26-31]
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Some of you have not yet drawn near to God. Perhaps until today, you have never heard an invitation to do this. You’ve never understood Christianity in this way.
Or, you have been uninterested in adding religion to your life. Maybe you attended today or in the past because someone wants you to attend.
If you are uninterested in religion, consider the possibility that you are already religious.
In a book titled Circles and the Cross, Loren Wilkinson says that no one, whatever their belief, can avoid ‘religion.’ In the center of the word religion is the word lig, which is related to the word ligament. Ligaments hold us together, and just as we cannot live without ligaments, none of us can live without some sort of religion.
We all have a worldview or a story that holds everything together. There are essentially two stories. One is that everything is created and held together by purposeful creation. The other is that everything came together by accident.2
After the message today, you will have received the knowledge of the truth of the first story. It is the knowledge not about how God made everything but why he did.
It is also the knowledge that things are not how he intended but that he has been working all throughout history on a restoration project.
I try to include, in a small way, the knowledge of God’s restoration plan in all the messages I preach.
Partly because I think we who believe need to be reminded of it every week and learn how to communicate it to others. But also because there may be someone among us who has never heard it before.
If, after hearing this message, you reject it, the sacrifice of Christ for your sins is also rejected. I’m not a big fan of hellfire and brimstone messages. But this is about as close as it gets.
The author of Hebrews says that the only thing remaining for those who reject God’s offer of forgiveness is a fearful expectation of judgment and raging fire.
I don’t like to highlight this in my messages because I don’t think it should be how we convince people to trust God, and it definitely isn’t a great way to represent a God whose core nature is love, compassion, and humility.
Saying that those who reject God will face judgment is only to say that there is no other way to experience forgiveness of sins. Jesus is the only way. There is no need to try to get it another way.
Remember, the author is writing to people who are being tempted to turn back to their old ways, to Tabernacle worship and daily sacrifices. The author is saying that Jesus is the way to forgiveness, not the earthly Tabernacle or the Law of Moses.
For us today, we might be tempted to depend on our own efforts of doing good and being nice.
Or, we may depend on our own understanding and the search for truth. Or, we may search for meaning and purpose in our work or wealth or the power structures of this world.
You are hearing today that there is only one thing you need. Jesus is the way to that one thing. It is fellowship with your Creator. And the outflow of that fellowship produces a life meant to mimic our Creator’s love, compassion, humility, and creativity.
God is patient with those who are slow to accept his invitation. If you have loved ones who have not acknowledged their need for the salvation that Jesus offers, there are two things you can do.
First, you can pray for them. Pray that God will soften their heart so they will see the truth. Secondly, you can be the very presence of Jesus to them. You can actually help them draw near to God by being near to God yourself.
This brings us to the final section of chapter 10, and then I want to circle back to verse 22 in preparation for baptism.
Persevere [10:32-39]
Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
At the time of the writing of Hebrews, it is believed to have been during an increase of persecution against Christians.
Those who rejected Jesus and held on to their Jewish faith were increasingly hostile toward followers of Jesus.
The Romans saw Christians as disruptive because they ignored or rejected the structures of society that gave the Roman Empire its strength, most notably, devotion to Caesar and the harsh treatment of slaves.
Christians were faced with the certainty that if they stayed devoted to Jesus, they would be persecuted and may even be killed.
The author encourages them by saying that those who have faith in Christ are saved. Perhaps not from persecution, but from eternity without God.
For those who draw near to God, there is no promise of an easy life. And staying devoted to God will not happen automatically.
It will not mean you go through your days light on your feet with a positive outlook at every moment.
There will be times when you don’t understand why God feels distant. You will question his existence. You will face trials and temptations that you might give in to. You might even turn your back on God.
God knows this. He is not surprised by our failures. He is prepared to handle them. Our response to difficulty is to go back to God. To draw near to him once again.
In the Old Testament, there is a book called Habakkuk. It is a short book made up entirely of a conversation between Habakkuk and God. He is angry at God for using the enemies of his people to punish his people.
It begins with these words:
How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.
The book tells a familiar story of oppression and rescue. It is not just full of complaining but includes a message of hope. It points the reader to the promised deliverance through God’s coming Messiah.
It ends with these words:
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.
I encourage you to read through Habakkuk in moments of failure or anger toward God. Our perseverance, our turning back to God time and time again will be rewarded.
As we prepare for communion and then baptisms, let’s briefly go back to Hebrews 10:22.
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
The reference to bodies being washed with pure water is presumably a reference to baptism. But, it is a statement about God’s work in us as we draw near to him.
Having our hearts and minds cleansed is an ongoing process. It comes when we seek God each day. It doesn’t happen suddenly and completely at the moment of baptism or the participation of communion.
But those practices are part of the process. Baptism is a symbol of what God has done and is doing. Communion is a reminder and proclamation of Christ’s sacrifice and God’s promise of eternal life.
You will be invited to come up to take the bread and cup in a moment. Please participate if you believe that Jesus has forgiven your sins, and is the way to draw near to God.
We will eat and drink together once everyone has received the elements and is seated.
The worship team will then lead a congregational song while we get ourselves changed for the baptisms.
1 C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York, NY, 2001), 134-136.
2 Loren Wilkinson, Circles and the Cross (Eugene, OR, 2023), xv.
Hebrews Series Bibliography
Allen, David L. Hebrews. The New American Commentary. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2010.
Bruce, F. F. The Epistle to the Hebrews. Rev. ed. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990.
Guthrie, George. Hebrews. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998.
Lane, William L. Hebrews 1-8, vol. 47A, Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, Inc., 1991.
New International Version Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016.
Wright, Tom. Hebrews for Everyone. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004.