As we continue our “Together” sermon series, today we are going to celebrating the blessings of worshiping together. We are, as I said, going to focus on our second reading from Hebrews, but before we do, there is peculiar sentence in first lesson from Genesis that is relevant to our discussion.
In Genesis chapter three Adam and Eve’s rebellion plunge all creation into sin. This sin caused a separation between Creator and creation. The fellowship that once existed between creator and creation was corrupted by sin; Adam and Eve who once walked and talked with God now ran and hid from Him. Now that they were tainted, infected, and corrupted by sin, Adam and Eve could not stand to be in the presence of the holy God who radiates purity and righteousness like the sun radiates light and heat. Indeed, a sinner standing in the presence of God is like man standing on the surface of the sun; without the distance of space and the filter of our atmosphere it simply cannot be done.
You get a sense of how this separation grieved our Creator as you hear Him call out to His creation, “Where are you?”[1] It is hard to read those words and not imagine pain and anguish in His voice. Like a father crying out for a lost child, the creator cries out, “Where are you, my children?” You who were created to walk with Me, talk with Me, and live in perfect harmony with Me… “where are you?” The Omniscient, all-knowing God knew behind what bush they hid. His question did not seek information, rather, it was an agonizing expression of separation. Adam and Eve were no longer where they were created to be, they were no longer where God wanted them to be. Sin had separated creation from their Creator.
Because of sin, mankind is now and for a time separated from God. No longer are we able to walk with Him and talk with Him like Adam and Eve once did. However, our God of grace was not and is not willing to allow sin to separate us completely. It is because of our God’s grace that we have that peculiar sentence I mentioned. In Genesis 4:26 we read, “At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD.” Since sin prevented men from walking with God in holiness, they began to worship God in humility.
Today it is my prayer that we gain or regain an appreciation for what a blessing it is for us to be able to worship our God. As we take a look at Hebrews 10:19-25 I am going to point out three blessing that are a result of us worshiping together; blessings that involve our God, our confession, and our community.
The first blessing of worshiping together that I want to highlight today is that our worship draws us near to our God. In the chapters that precede the one before us today, the author of Hebrews[2] discusses the separation that exists between us and God. He invites his readers to recall the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. On one side of the curtain, in the Holy Place priest were permitted to plead to God on behalf of the people. On the other side of the curtain, in The Most Holy Place, a display of God’s glory was concealed. The curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was a visual reminder that sin had separated us from our God. No sinner dared enter the Most Holy Place. Not even the high priest dared to come so close to God except once a year and then only drenched in the blood of a sacrifice and concealed in the smoke of incense.
Yet, In the text that we are looking at today, we are invited to do what no sinner dared to do. In verse 19 we are invited to, “19 enter the Most Holy Place” We are invited to stand closer to God than centuries of sinners have stood. How is this possible? The author tells us. It is possible “by the blood of Jesus”. You will recall what happened when Jesus gave up his last breath. Saint Matthew tells us, “the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”[3] Jesus removed that which separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place; Jesus removed that which separates us from our God. Because of Jesus we are invited to enter the Most Holy Place; we are invited to worship.
Because of Jesus sin no longer separates us from our God, in verse 22, the author of Hebrews invites us to “22 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.” In worship we draw near to our God. The author tells us in worship our hearts are cleansed, and our bodies are washed. When I read about a cleansed heart, I cannot help but think about the cleansing that we receive when we eat and drink of the sacrament of the Supper for the forgiveness of our sins. When I read about a washed body, I cannot help but think of the washing that we receive when the word and water of the sacrament of baptism purify us from all unrighteousness. Through the cleansing of our hearts and the washing of our bodies, we are once more where we were created to be; we are where our God wants us to be; we are standing before our God basking in the glow of His grace and the light of His love.
The first blessing of worship is that through it we draw near to our God. The second blessing of worshiping together that I want to highlight today is that our worship allows us to confess our confidence in our God. In verse 23 the author of Hebrews invites us to “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Worship is about holding on to hope while living in a world that is drowning in despair. This is possible because our hope is different than the world’s hope. The hope we hold on to is not a gambler’s hope, that is, we are not just looking for a better throw of the dice. Our hope rests on the promises of God: His promise to protect, His promise to provide, His promise to forgive, His promise to save. Our worship is an expression of the hope that we have; It expresses our confidence in our God to keep His promises.
Our confidence does not mealy float on the waters of optimism or wishful thinking, but a confidence that is anchored in the bedrock of God’s faithfulness. You see, the faithfulness of our God cannot be questioned. Our God has never lied to us. Our God has never betrayed us. Our God has never failed us. Our God is the one and only constant in all of existence. That is why when our God makes a promise to us, we hold unswervingly to that hope. Like the captain of a ship we hold the course no matter how hard the winds of worry blow, no matter how high the waves of skepticism swell. In the midst of a world drowning in despair, we hold unswervingly to hope and in so doing we confess our confidence in our God.
Worship draws us near to our God and allows us to confess our confidence in our God. The third blessing of worshiping together that I want to highlight today is that worship provides us the opportunity to be considerate of our community. In verses 24-25 the author of Hebrews invites us to “24 consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Worship provides us the opportunity to think about someone other than ourselves. Countless times you have heard me caution against the self-centered view of worship that considers only what I can get out of it. Here we are encouraged to have a healthier mindset when it comes to worship. Instead of thinking only of ourselves we are encouraged to think of others. We are encouraged to think about ways we can “spur on another on” and “encourage one another”.
To “spur someone on” is to stimulate a change in their motivation or attitude; it is a polite way to say, “give someone a kick in the pants”. We all could use a good kick in the pants now and then. Let’s be honest, it takes effort to love people, at least if you are going to love people the way that Christ loved you, that is, not with sentiment and intention but with word and action. It takes effort to speak kindly to people who speak rudely and crudely to you. It takes effort to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It takes effort to love people and it is easy for us to weary of this effort. It is easy for us to become simply sentimental and intentional with our love. It is at those times when we need to give each other a good kick in the pants, I mean spur one another on.
To “encourage one another” is far less painful than spurring each other. Instead of a foot in the pants, encouragement offers a shoulder to cry on. The word we translate as “encourage” is one of my favorite Greek words because the word describes how we are to encourage. When you break the word apart it means to “call to one’s side”. Encouragement involves action on our part. We are to call; we are to reach out to the other person. We are to go to them and stand beside them. We don’t stand in front of them to judge them. We don’t stand behind them to push them. We stand beside them to support them. We put our arm around their shoulder and let them know that they are not alone in their struggle; we put an arm around their shoulder to offer a safe place for them to shed a tear.
Worship provides us with an opportunity to think of someone besides ourselves and think about ways in which we can give each other both a kick in the pants and a shoulder to cry on.
As the sinful descendants of Adam and Eve we have inside us a desire to run and hide from our holy God. But our God of grace was not and is not willing to let our sin separate us from our God. By the blood of Jesus, we have been invited to enter the Most Holy Place. Here, we draw near to our God who has cleansed our hearts and washed our bodies. Here, we confess our confidence in the promises of our God. Here, we are given the opportunity to spur and encourage one another on. For a time are unable to walk beside Him in holiness, but in this Most Holy Place we are able to worship Him in humility. May God bless our worship. Amen
[1] Genesis 3:9
[2] The author of Hebrews is anonymous. Some thought the letter to the Hebrews to be the work of Paul, others guessed it to be the work of Barnabas, Luther felt strongly it was the work of Apollos. Whoever the author was they had both a sharp theological mind and a soft pastoral heart.
[3] Matthew 27:51