Why do we gather together each Sunday morning? Is it because we all agree about our theology, politics, or music styles? Probably not. Sometimes being together isn’t easy, and it never has been. Just read Paul’s letters to the Corinthians and the Galatians and you’ll discover that the church has always struggled to fully embody Jesus’ vision for the church. So, if sameness isn’t the reason we gather, what is the glue that holds us together? According to Hebrews 10, that glue is our common confession that Jesus is the high priest who offered himself once for all as the perfect sacrifice on our behalf.
The Book of Hebrews speaks to a community trying to navigate a hostile cultural context. Discouragement led some folks in the congregation to wonder if being church, was worth the time and energy put into it? The author of Hebrews responds to these concerns by telling the readers to hold fast to their confession of faith in Jesus and not neglect to gather together, which was the habit of some members of the community. So, while their discouragement was understandable, they needed to remember that God is faithful. If we are to faithfully navigate the world we live in and give a witness to the love and grace of God we receive through the work of Jesus we need to be in community. It’s not the institution that makes the church. It’s the people gathered in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
The way forward begins in worship. If we step back to a point earlier in the letter, we encounter God’s promise that through the blood of Jesus Christ, our high priest, we can “approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:14-16). That’s what we do in worship and prayer. We approach the throne of grace so we can receive that promise.
Now, the Book of Hebrews can seem a bit strange. That’s because the author uses typology to connect what Jesus has done with the Temple and priestly imagery found in the Old Testament. The Levitical priestly acts provide a foundation for understanding what Jesus does on our behalf.
Our reading from Hebrews 10 divides into two parts. The first part describes what Jesus has already done for us as our high priest by offering himself as the final sacrifice, after which he sat down at the right hand of God. Now Jesus waits, as Psalm 110 declares, for his enemies to be made a footstool for his feet. Because of this perfect offering, those who embrace Jesus share in God’s perfecting grace. This is the foundation for life in the household of God.
Part two begins in verse 19 with the word “therefore.” That word signals that we’re about to hear what God expects of us as a result of what Jesus has done on our behalf. Therefore, because Jesus offered himself once and for all as the perfect sacrifice making God’s grace and mercy available to us, despite our human failings, sins, and rebellions, we can now enter God’s sanctuary with confidence by joining together in the worship of God.
This word comes to us just two weeks before Advent begins. While we often use Advent to prepare for Christmas, the Advent season has a broader purpose. That is because it calls our attention to things that have yet to occur. In other words, we live between two Advents. The first advent revealed the fullness of God’s grace and mercy through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. While God’s realm has broken into our world, it has yet to come in its fulness. So we wait for that moment when Jesus’ enemies will become his footstool. That victory comes not through the force of arms, but through God’s love revealed in Jesus who offered himself as a sacrifice on our behalf.
Living in this middle zone between the two advents can be, at times, difficult and discouraging. We wonder why churches don’t grow and the world seems to be increasingly dysfunctional. We wonder if things would be different if people came to church. Of course, we assume that not just any church will do. It should be our church! The author of Hebrews understands our predicament. In response, Hebrews tells us that there is a “new and living way that he has opened for us through the curtain.” That is, because Jesus has made us holy through his priestly offering on our behalf, we can stand before God with confidence. This holiness comes to us as we place our hope in Christ each moment of our lives.
Our hope begins in baptism, for as the letter states: “our hearts [are] sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Whatever the timing and the form of our baptism that act of faith draws us into the communion of saints. Our status as saints is true, whether we look the part or not!
This leads us back to that word “therefore.” Because we’re washed clean by Jesus, “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise” (Heb. 10:23 NLT). In the words of that old gospel song: “Standing on the promises of Christ my king, through eternal ages, let his praises ring; glory in the highest, I will shout and sing, standing on the promises of God.” [R. Kelso Carter, Glory to God, 838].
As we gather together as God’s people, standing on the promises of God, which do not fail, Hebrews calls for us to “provoke one another to love and good deeds.” The Greek word translated here as provoke also can be translated as incite or irritate. So, when we’re standing on the promises of God revealed in Jesus, it’s possible that we can even irritate each other to love.
How does that feel to you? Do you ever feel irritated when you come to church? Could that irritation lead to love and good deeds? In other words, are there people in the church who annoy you? If that’s true, might even that annoyance lead to love and good deeds?
All of this is rooted in what Christ has already done for us. He paved the way for us to enter God’s sanctuary. When we gather for worship, we’re doing just that. That is, when we gather for worship in the earthly sanctuary, we are participating in the parallel worship service going on in the heavenly sanctuary. This worship, as the body of Christ, empowers us through the presence of the Holy Spirit who has written the covenant onto our hearts and minds so we might stand fast in our faith.
Our ability to stay on this path of faith is rooted, according to Hebrews, in being part of a faith community. It doesn’t matter whether we’re on the same page in our politics or even our leanings toward certain sports teams. It doesn’t require that we agree on every point of theology, though I believe that theology is important. In fact, it doesn’t even matter if we don’t always get along. Remember provoking to love might involve irritating each other to love. After all, isn’t that the way it is with families! We are, after all, human beings who can annoy and irritate each other on occasion, but that doesn’t mean we cannot love one another.
It is in this spirit of love that we can gather as God’s children to encourage one another as the day of judgment approaches. Yes, “standing on the promises I cannot fall, list’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call, resting in my Savior as my all in all, standing on the promises of God.” [R. Kelso Carter, Glory to God, 838].
Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Acting Supply Pastor
First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)
Troy, Michigan
Pentecost 25B
November 14, 2021
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