THE WINDOW
Bible Teaching Ministry of
CEDAR LODGE BAPTIST CHURCH
Thomasville, NC
a fellowship of faith, family and friendships
Dr. Russell Brownworth, D.Min., Pastor
June 6, 2004
We have been looking at the seven pillars of building a kingdom family – ways we can help our families draw closer to God in devotion and service.
To be a Kingdom Family requires dedication. On Mother’s Day one church held a dedication for children. Little Johnny had seen his Mom and Dad stand up with the preacher holding his little sister. He sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally Johnny replied, "That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home; but I want to stay with you guys!"[1]
Today is #4 in the Building Kingdom Families series – Serving My Church; first the scripture, then the pillar:
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:19-25 (NASB)
Pillar #4. Serving My Church
The church is the bride of Christ, comprised of all the redeemed who will, one day, be taken to heaven by Him. By exalting Christ, resting on the sufficiency of His word and giving place to the ministry of the Spirit, the local church becomes the means by which spiritual growth is promoted and the ministry of Christ is brought to my family, my community, and to the world. I will support and will encourage my family to support our local church with faithful attendance, diligent service, generous and God honoring giving, and loving cooperation.
There is a phrase in our text that evokes a picture. That phrase is “through the veil”. The sky was clear the morning they led Jesus through the streets of Jerusalem to Golgotha. The sky didn’t stay clear! Near mid-day the sky went dark; three hours later it was still dark when Jesus breathed his last agonizing words: “it is finished”.
At that moment the earth began to shake like a bad California day. Matthew[2] tells us the earthquake was so violent huge rocks were split in two. Tombs were opened when this happened; corpses were raised and they were seen walking in the cities nearby.
Notice what else happened:
And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; Matthew 27:51a
This is the veil Paul mentioned when he wrote to the Hebrews of how Jesus made a way for us to enter God’s presence. The veil was a separation in the Old Testament temple. It separated everyone from the holy presence of God. The reason for the veil was sin. When that veil was torn in two it was because the sacrifice of blood on the cross was final; it was a victory over sin and death.
Our text tells us to do three things in light of that veil torn down: we are to draw near, hold fast and design an impact. Now, those are the “what” in “what to do”. Paul also gives us the “how” and “why” in each instance.
Draw Near to God’s House
Drawing near to God’s house is a matter of coming close to the One who gave it all for you. When Jesus died for our sins, he proved the truth of what he said in His teachings: for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son…[3]
I don’t have to be encouraged to draw near to the ones I love. Sometimes I need a reminder, because I get distracted doing things. But the normal thing to do when you love someone is to hang-out with him.
The “how” of hanging-out with Jesus is found in the word “assured”. We have been cleansed by His blood, so we can draw near to God’s house in full assurance that our faith has brought us into God’s Forever Family!
Why should we do that? His sacrifice makes our salvation certain. To be saved is the most important reality in life. We live on this planet for less than 100 years in most cases…150 would be astounding. Eternity is a lot longer than that! Draw near to God…join with His household…be adopted into the family. After all, you cannot be a Kingdom Family if you’re not in the Kingdom.
Hold Fast to God’s Faith
The second command is to hold fast to the faith. One of the reasons true Kingdom Families hold together better is that we were designed to be people of faith. The “how” of holding fast to our “confession of hope” is without wavering.
It is certainly easy to get sidetracked these days. I see it every year when we attempt to enlist people to serve. Holding fast to God’s faith has more to do than just being convinced inside that Jesus saves. It has to do with serving consistently.
Comedian Alan King talked about his poor attendance record in church. His rabbi confronted him about the frequent absences and challenged King to make more concerted efforts to be in worship. King gave him a long list of excuses that contained little merit. He then became very defensive and stated, "Every time I come, people make a big deal about me being there. That makes me feel very uncomfortable." The wise rabbi replied, "If you came more often they wouldn’t be that excited to see you!"[4]
Every believer who draws near to God’s house should hold fast to the faith with his service. The “why” of this is found in what Paul said about the promises of Jesus – they’re faithful; they always come true. Jesus promised rewards to His followers who serve Him faithfully – it is a true promise! He also promised chastening for those who are less than faithful servants; that is no less a true promise.
Plan to Make an Impact on God’s World
Paul said we should “…consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds…” That’s making a plan for impacting each other and the world. In addition he gave us the “how” to do that in two simple ways that you will recognize – Paul said we should continue with God’s plans by meeting together and by encouraging each other. This is “walking it and talking it”!
I am only vaguely aware of how God fits everything together. But, often looking back we see more clearly. I was searching through some old papers recently and came across a note from Sarah Hollis. Sarah was Carrie’s age (10) when we went to Jacksonville, Florida. She rode our van to church each week – her parents never came. I had the privilege of baptizing Sarah. One Sunday she came to me with a two-fold request. She wanted me to pray for her uncle and his wife, and also go see them to “baptize their baby”.
When I met Sarah’s uncle and his wife it was clear they had very little church background. What they had was worried hearts over a very sick, premature baby in an incubator. They wanted me to baptize their baby; the doctors said he was going to die within a day or so. My heart went out to them. I explained I couldn’t baptize this infant, but I would pray for him with everything I had. I was fearful of the trust that couple placed in me as they asked me to talk to God for their son. I told them the little kitten-sized child was in God’s hand. I held their hands and we prayed. That was in 1990. Five years later Sarah wrote me this note:
…I still remember the day you prayed for Scott (my cousin) and gave his parents faith and helped them believe. On the 28th of this month he turns 5 year[s] old. Today is his party. Thank you for giving me the faith and hope. Thank you, Sarah Hollis
Sarah remembered that day as a time when her pastor gave her faith. At the time my main thought was frustration over Sarah putting me in an awkward situation about baptizing a baby. I’d never even laid eyes on his parents. I went, because I was her pastor. But I went, mostly because I couldn’t deny Sarah’s pleading eyes.
Looking back, I know, and she also probably knows, it was God who gave her faith. In the end, God used a pastor doing his job to build faith in a little girl. And God used a 10 year-old kid’s faith to spur a forty-something, Christian pastor into good works. Sarah impacted my life with her faith, and my faith was strengthened because of her impact.
Building Kingdom Families is all about drawing near to God’s House, holding fast the faith, and making plans to impact each other for good.
Now we have seen that we are to draw near with assurance, because His sacrifice is enough for our sins.
We have also seen that we are to hold fast to the faith without wavering – because His promises are always true.
And we have seen that we must make plans to impact our families and communities, stimulating each other to good works and love – because He is coming back.
I believe God has given us a few questions through this text, and He wants us to wrestle with them until there is an answer formed in each of our minds about what it means to truly go through the veil…to truly come right up alongside the throne of God.
Those questions:
Have I truly drawn near?
Have I fully trusted in His sacrifice over my sins?
Am I saved?
Am I truly holding fast?
Is serving through my church a priority in my life?
Is that priority appropriate with eternity in mind?
Am I investing myself to build a Kingdom Family that will impact my world?
Do I do what I do because it pleases me?
Am I impacting the lives of others for Jesus Christ?
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[1] Romona Carver
[2] Matthew 27:50-55
[3] John 3:16
[4] Damian Phillips, Why Attend Church, SermonCentral.com
