Hebrews 10:19-25

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Listening Guide:

1. Verse 19: Therefore 
   1. By the blood of Jesus 
   2. The Great High Priestly work 
   3. New and living way 
   4. Confidence to enter God’s Presence 
2. Verse 22: Let us draw near 
   1. With a true heart 
   2. In full assurance of faith 
   3. With our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience 
   4. With our bodies washed with pure water 
   5. “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” - James 4:8 
3. Verse 23: Let us hold fast the confession 
   1. For he who promised is faithful 
   2. Hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering 
4. Verse 24: Let us consider how to stir one another up... 
   1. To love and good works 
   2. Not neglecting to meet together 
   3. Encouraging one another 
   4. All the more as you see the day drawing near

I’ve been reflecting on the book "Why Bother with Church"... (Sam Allberry quotes from “Why Bother with Church”, a Gospel Coalition article by Matt Smethurst):

• “If you want to understand how committed Jesus is to the church, here’s your answer. He doesn’t just create it and let it be. He marries it. . . . Church is not his hobby; it is his marriage.” (22, 23)
• “The day of Jesus’s return will be a wedding feast—and Christians are invited to it not as guests, but as a bride. None of us will have to sneak into heaven through the back door—we’ll be walking up the aisle.” (21)
• “The membership of every local church is no accident; it is by divine design. There is no one there who is a spare part, a third foot, or second nose. There is no one there who is not necessary, or who doesn’t need the rest of their church.” (37)
• “The very things that make church hard work are often the things that make it great.” (72)
• “The only perfect church is the heavenly assembly, and this does not meet at 10:30 a.m. each Sunday a short drive from your house. So until you’re called to join the throng around God’s throne, you’re called to belong to a church in which others will get things wrong—and so will you.” (73)
• “Church is not for your entertainment, as a consumer, but for you and others to find encouragement, as a contributor.” (75)
• “It is almost impossible to overstate the positive impact we can have on others if we are coming [to church] looking for ways in which to be an encouragement.” (76)
• “Are we praying regularly for our church? The answer to that question is a good indication of whether we’re coming as Christians, or as consumers.” (76)
• “You need a church, and there’s a church out there that needs you.” (80)
• “In God’s church we find something worth being devoted to—an embassy of God’s kingdom, a family of God’s people, the bride of the Lord Jesus. It is remembering what the church is, and whose the church is, that makes hard work glad work, and keeps us joyfully devoted.” (92)
• “Once we grasp Christ’s deep affection for the church, we cannot help but begin to share it.” (92)