June 16, 2013
The Call to Service
Christians have largely withdrawn from acts of charity, service, and education. Talk of love abounds but love needs to take action.
Scripture: Hebrews 10:19-25
Sermon Notes:
- On the basis of the Lord Jesus and His Priesthood, we are to stand our ground and live for Him.
- Now that we have learned of Christ’s atonement, we need to apply the theological truths to our service in the world.
- Christians through history moved by Christ have been instrumental in great transformation.
- We have been given a new attitude and new access to God.
- In the OT, God executed those who did not honour the restrictions to God’s holy presence (i.e. Nadab and Abihu). “God is no buttercup.”
- Now God’s people can approach Him with confidence and joy. We have the immeasurable grace of continual access to the throne of God.
- We are no better than Nadab and Abihu; but in Christ we have new and living access to God with boldness and joy.
- Christ has opened up for us a new and living way. So we are to draw near and enjoy this great privilege of access to God Himself.
- We can fully trust and rely on the work that Christ has done for us.
- Our hearts are cleansed and we are consecrated for service. We are then able to draw near to God (cf. Exodus 29:21).
- We are to serve, to tend, to have dominion over the earth, to make the earth fully the tabernacle of God.
- We are living sacrifices. We offer ourselves (Romans 12:1), dedicated to serve God’s purposes in all creation.
- In every aspect of our lives we are to hold onto a true and faithful confession of our hope, because He who promised is faithful.
- God and His promises can be totally relied upon. He can infallibly bring His promises to fruition.
- Noah’s flood points to a future time of judgment which faces present rebels, who want to forget God’s judgment.
- Where faith is lacking there is no hope; the ungodly are without hope in the world.
- As faith has receded, depression increases in our time. But as Christians we have hope for the future. Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God (Romans 5:5).
- Our hope is based on the fact that Christ is the present reigning King (1 Timothy 6:15).
- We are called to cease striving and to know that God is God (Psalm 46:2, 10).
- Verse 25 literally says to “irritate and exasperate” one another into love and good deeds.
- Provoking one another to love and good deeds means externalizing our faith (James 2:18; John 14:15).
- By drawing near to God we have the resources to externalize our faith; we must not stop at internalizing the faith.
- Christians have largely withdrawn from acts of charity, service, and education. Talk of love abounds but love needs to take action.
- We’re to take action to stir one another to love and good deeds.
- Every Christian needs the body of Christ; we need to make a regular commitment to worship a priority.
Application Questions:
- What should be the fruit of learning theological truths?
- What does it mean for us to be living sacrifices?
- Outline the goals and purposes of our service to God.
- What is the result of living without hope? What is the basis of our hope as God’s people?
- In light of Christ’s priestly ministry how might we provoke one another toward love and good deeds this week?
- Is the gospel dull and old, or is it a new and living way?
- Why is regular fellowship in the body of Christ essential?
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