Hebrews 10:19-23
Generally, when hosting someone in your home, you give them some sort of tour, especially if it’s their first visit. You want them to know where they can relax, where the restroom is and if they need to hang up their coat or take off their shoes. Simply put, you let them in. But how far do you let them in? The kitchen? What about the office, or the bedrooms? Letting someone in the front door doesn’t mean we truly let them in. We tend to close the doors to our messy, unorganized, or working rooms so that they only see the things about us that we want them to see. Social media has turned life curation (the idea that we only show people the glossy, pre-meditated version of ourselves) into an art form, but humans have been hiding and protecting ourselves since day one. I’d like for us to change that with each other, as that’s what Christ did for us.
During this series, we are going to let you in and invite you behind the curtain as we plan out our next year of ministry and strategize how we’ll engage with the harvest field around us. Jesus let us all the way in; we here are letting you in, and our hope is that you return the favor. We’ll do this by reviewing our church values (refer to posters) and challenging each other to take steps into a deeper life with God, our church family, and our mission.
Jesus Let Us In
The Temple from the Old Testament wasn’t exactly designed to let people in. In fact, it did the opposite, which was necessary for protecting humanity. God went to great lengths to design the temple so that it kept people out, specifically from the Holy of Holies, the most inner room of the temple, the room that housed the ark of the covenant and was the place where the presence of God would physically dwell on earth. The curtain that surrounded the Holy of Holies was about 60ft high and around 4in thick of finely twisted linen. Imagine trying to rip that curtain! This purposefully kept people out and safe from encountering the direct presence of God. God can’t be in the presence of sin and if it gets too close, will be burned up in the holiness of God. We would never survive an encounter like that. That is, until Jesus ripped the curtain. “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split” (Matt 27:51). Jesus’ mission on earth was simply to die as our replacement, making us right with God and covering us so that we are not destroyed in the presence of God. Because of Jesus, the Holy of Holies is now open and we are safe in the direct presence of God. Through faith in Him, we are able to be in God’s presence, so much so that His Spirit dwells in us as believers! Jesus brought us from the outside to the inside, which is exactly His role as the great high priest—connecting us to God—in v21. In v22, we see it become our turn to do something.
Our Reply is Required
It’s not just a one-way street. There is a castle in Versailles, KY that was built and given as an engagement present, but the guy was rejected – the woman left him. A relationship requires two people; even if one takes a much bigger step, the other must also step in. Jesus gave us the big gift at the cross but we have to take a step too. God did this to be close with us, so as the author of Hebrews wrote – we need to draw near to Him! We do that in full assurance because He has already provided His, as that is the gift necessary for us to be clean and able to stand in His presence. It is our turn to draw near. You must ultimately decide for yourself if the gift Jesus gave us on the cross – if His display of love is worth your reply.
If you are willing to draw near to God and if you continue to willingly go deeper and deeper in relationship with Him, it is a truly wonderful experience, but not always easy. There is a reason one of the main Biblical illustrations of the Christian life is an endurance race; it’s hard and takes real commitment. This is why we have v23, to hold fast to our belief without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. The more we draw near to Him, the more He continues to draw near and affirm us.
Next Steps
Jesus let you in. Will you return the favor?
- Give your life to Christ.
- Ask God to speak to you this week, with a promise that you will confirm what He says and then obey. Scripture says to test the spirits, so make sure that what you hear matches with scripture and holds up to sound advice from trusted mentors.
- Pray with someone else too over the word commitment. Allow God to show you His definition of that word and how to live that out in our consumer culture.
- Draw near to Christ by committing to partner with your church family. Give God your time (coming to gatherings), your treasures (tithing), and your talents (serve with the church family).
We are here to live as transparent examples of what this deeper life looks like. I hope that you will join us that endeavor to live the deeper life in Christ and also allow us in deeper with each other. After all, no one here is a guest. We are all family. Let’s engage in life with each other this next year.
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