Friday March 28, 2014

Read: Hebrews 10:19-25, 10:32-36
The Christians to whom the Letter to the Hebrews was written suffered much for their faith. Early on, they were actively persecuted and stood firm through the storm. At various times they were publicly insulted and attacked. At other times they stood side by side with others as they endured the same treatment. These believers were imprisoned for their faith and several lost property and assets simply because they refused to deny the name of Jesus. They looked upwards to Christ and forward to His return when they would receive their heavenly reward.

But over time some in the church began to fall away. It was easier to stay home, to avoid church meetings and to hide than to shine the light of Jesus. Though many Christians are actively persecuted in the same way today, we in the west are rarely persecuted physically. However, we do face persecution! We do face persecution but it’s very subtle and sinister. We face the persecution of wealth and abundance. To see how this acts as a persecutor you need only remember Jesus’ words, ‘How hard it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven’ (Luke 18:23-25). Having wealth and abundance creates an insatiable lust for more and causes us to want to enjoy or use the things we’ve blessed ourselves with. Inevitably, because we are all time poor, something has to give. Church is often the first option when something has to be dropped. The persecution of wealth and abundance draws our heart further from the Lord and causes us to think that we don’t need God, or that we don’t need to sit in church because God has obviously blessed us enough. Even worse, abundance can lead to greed which could cause us to work longer hours or to get a job that demands Sonday work.

In the letter to the Hebrews we are encouraged, in the face of persecution, to recall that we can approach God’s throne with confidence and that we have a great High Priest standing for us before God. This constant recollection will encourage us in several ways. Notice the repetition of the phrase ’let us’.

• We can draw near to God in full assurance because all of our sins have been dealt with at the cross. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
• We can hold tightly and consistently to the faith we profess because the God we draw near to, is faithful. He will not let us go. He will not forsake us. He will not break His promise to us.
• We can spur each other onto love and good deeds because we are all in the same boat and we are all brothers and sisters standing before our Heavenly Father, with our big brother Jesus as the High Priest over the House of God.
• We can continue meeting together without flinching or making up excuses.
• We can encourage one another daily because the day of Jesus’ return is near.

The point regarding church attendance is clear. Since we have a great High Priest over the House of God and because we can draw near to God we should be spurred on to consistent and regular fellowship. We can encourage one another to be at church. We can spur each other on to be engaged and switched on at church. We can follow each other up in times of absence and we can care for each other and support each other in times of illness or difficulty. It all stems from what Jesus has done for us at Calvary.