Faithful People – 7

Faithful People – 7

Subject – Being Faithful to God’s House

by Rick Welborne

Hebrews 10:19‑27 (NLT) 

19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 

20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life‑giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 

21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 

22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. 

23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 

24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 

25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. 

26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 

27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. 

–We have been talking about faithfulness to the Lord and the Spirit of God has been leading us to deal with certain areas of our Christian walk.

–Last week we talked about the importance of being filled with Holy Spirit so we can witness to our friends.

–We need to be filled with God’s Spirit because of the reality of Hell and because of the reality of Heaven.  Even our text today reiterates that to us!

Hebrews 10:26‑27 (NLT) 

26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 

27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. 

–Today we will examine why we should be very faithful to God’s house.

Hebrews 10:25 (NLT) 

25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. 

–Let us not neglect our meeting together...NKJV - Not forsaking...NIV - Not give up.

–Let us look into God’s Word and see why it is so important to meet together.

1. It is important for us to meet together in God’s House because Jesus shed His blood for us.

–The reason we can enter God’s House is because of what Jesus has done.  By His death He has opened a new and life giving way for us.

–How many of you believe we should be thankful for the blood of Jesus and for the sacrifice He made for us.  We gather together to give thanks for all He has done.

–Since we have a great High Priest (Jesus) Who rules over God’s House (21-22)  let us go right into the presence of God (His house) with sincere hearts fully trusting him. 

Hebrews 10:21-22 (NIV)
²¹  and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
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.

–If Jesus is ruling over God’s House wouldn’t you think the context of this whole passage has to with extraordinary faithfulness to His House. His presence is here!

–We come together in His house to remember and celebrate our Lord Who gave Himself and His blood for us.

–I can do that by myself, Pastor Rick! You should! But do not neglect the meeting together.

Matthew 18:19‑20 (NLT) 

19 “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 

20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” 

–I wonder if this is where we got the saying, The more the merrier!  When we meet together...He promises to meet with us. Husband & wife - He is here...two friends - He is here!

2. It is important for us to meet together in God’s House because we can encourage each other.

Hebrews 10:23-25 (NLT) 

23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 

24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 

25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. 

–How many of you have ever found it to be true that there are times it is hard to hold on? We must think of ways to motivate one another. Do that at His house or connect groups.

–Absolutely God can be trusted but there are times that someone else’s prayers or words of encouragement can help me to hang on before I get hung!

–How many of you can remember a friend or family member saying just the right thing at the right time to get you thru?

–If we don’t meet together it will be very difficult to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. Meeting together in His house is a means of accountability. 

–The writer of Hebrews says that we should encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. 

–Pastor, I am hurting...be in God’s house...I am lonely...be in God’s house...I need direction...be in God’s house. Faith comes by hearing!

–You will find more encouragement in God’s house than you will find in front of your TV, with compromising friends, or by yourself.

–We all believe or we say we believe Jesus is coming soon...run to your faithful High Priest over God’s House (Jesus)...His presence is here with us.

–Could it be that it is going to get so tough in the last days that we will desperately need each other for strength and encouragement...make it a habit now.

3. It is important for us to meet together in God’s House so we can worship Jesus!  

Psalm 27:4‑8 (NIV) 

4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. 

5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. 

6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD. 

7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me. 

8 My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek. 

–Look at the words house, temple, dwelling, tabernacle..

–David said...One thing I ask of the Lord...His was to dwell in God’s House and to seek the Lord...what would your one thing be?  We make so many excuses not to be here.

–I am tired...I can’t come:

Matthew 11:28‑30 (NLT) 

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 

29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” 

–Wilma Haught - 96 years old - Said Wednesday night - I am here because I need a touch from the Lord...96.

D. L. Moody:  Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man.

Isaiah 40:29‑31 (NKJV) 

29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 

31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. 

–I have no Father or model for my life:

Psalm 68:5 (NKJV) 

5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. 

–I am so discouraged and have lost my hope:

Psalm 42:1‑6 (NLT) 

1 As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. 

2 I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? 

3 Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, “Where is this God of yours?” 

4 My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration! 

5 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and 

6 my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you— even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar. 

–David was remembering that it was in the House of God that He worshiped and was encouraged.

4. It is important to be in God’s House so we can be motivated to fulfill God’s great commission!

–Let me remind us that they were in the upper room (in church) when the power of God came for them to be witnesses!

Andrew Murray:  There is need of a great revival of spiritual life, of truly fervent devotion to our Lord Jesus, of entire consecration to His service. It is only in a church in which this spirit of revival has at least begun, that there is any hope of radical change in the relation of the majority of our Christian people to mission work.

Our first distinctive: We should be passionate about the lost.

--We should agree with Paul when he says he believes Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day.

--Jesus came to seek and to save the lost...we should do the same...Amen!

Our second distinctive: Home and world missions.

Matt 28:18‑20 (NKJV)

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 

19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.   

Our third distinctive: Being filled with the Holy Spirit...welcoming the Holy Spirit into our lives, into our services, into our witnessing, into our lost loved ones, into our community.

Fourth Distinctive - Generous giving.

--Pastor Rick, why is your church so blessed? What is the secret? No secret! God loves cheerful giving and opens the windows of Heaven & pours out...

Fifth distinctive: Worship...we want this to truly be a house of worship!

John 4:23‑24 (NKJV)

23 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 

24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."