The Heartbeat of Christian Assembling
What a brain is to a body or a CPU processor to a computer so is the revolutionary truth of Hebrews 10:19-23 to the Christian church. All worship and service flows from this.
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) … Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together … . Hebrews 10:19-23, 25
How does one come into God’s presence? Is there legal protocol? (Could one just show up in the president’s oval office without any authority, clearance or protocol)? The living God is in the throne-room of heaven with all His holy angels. There are mighty thunderings and lightnings sounding out, burning lamps, winged creatures covered with eyes proclaiming His holiness 24 hours a day, and elders clothed in clean white falling down low before Him. Let’s consider 7 truths of the gospel way of coming to this God.
1. CONTEMPORARY (progressive) “By a new and living way”
Remember the old way. Only the consecrated holy priesthood could represent God’s people in the service of God at His house. So no Gentile man or any woman (even if she were a Levite Jew) could ever eat from the table of bread in the holy sanctuary. And further, after Moses died, only one man on one day in one way was ever permitted to enter the holiest where God’s glory and presence was. That man was the high priest, the day was Yom Kippur, and the way was with perfect sacrificial blood. A solid veil curtain with guardian cherubim woven on it acted as a closed door to keep even priests out of the holiest. Where the awesome, mighty and holy Lord lived over the ark between the guardian golden cherubim was a forbidden city: the most exclusive area on planet earth.
Now as we will see things have changed; it’s new, progressive and now contemporary!
2. DIVERSITY “Having therefore brethren”
Not the professional or the ordained hierarchy or the trained or even the elders are told to enter but “brethren”: the “common” believer. Now regardless of diversity in nationality, religious upbringing, social class, culture or gender, the door is open for all believers to equally draw near to God Himself – without man’s representation or mediation.
3. LIBERTY (for accessibility) “boldness to enter into”
In the Bible, liberty is not my right to choose what I want, but being free of restraints so I can do what God desires. Now the restraint of not being permitted to be in God’s presence and house has been eliminated. So now we have personal access to God Himself to hear His voice from His Word like Moses did. We all also have access to be actively involved His way in His spiritual holy temple today, the church, in worship and service.
4. HEAVENLY “the holiest”
The holiest in this context is not some holy city or cathedral on earth. The true sanctuary where the Lord Jesus is now serving as High Priest is God-built in heaven, not man-made on earth. The old temple was just a model of the heavenly reality we operate in now. We come to the heavenly Jerusalem and we are the church of the firstborn with our names written in the membership of heaven. Whether a church of believers meets in a home or a cave, they are connected to this golden heavenly glory where Jesus is enthroned.
5. AUTHORITY “by the blood of Jesus – and having an high priest”
By what authority do we as God’s holy priesthood dare directly approach Him in communion? By what authority do all believers now fellowship in partaking of the bread and cup at the Lord’s supper and being actively involved in offering Him praise in congregational singing in the church? By what authority do we offer Him the worship of our heart (the women offering silently in the church and all the men having the calling to do so orally, as well as teaching according to their gifts)?
The authority has nothing to do with education or ordination but consecration (dedicated). The Lord Jesus has “by a new and living way, … consecrated for us”. Our authority in Christ that equally qualifies every believer is the blood of Christ (it has completely cleansed us). We come through the veil now. It is open and it opened in two the second the Lord Jesus died for our sins. If a shut door says ‘stay out’ an open door says ‘come in’. And we have a high priest in heaven (the risen Lord) now representing every believer before God Himself. Our authority is nothing less than the gospel! Don’t let any manmade rule sew the veil back up and steal your liberty in Christ’s gospel.
6. UNITY “Let us draw near”
Notice the words “us” and “our” in our text. While we are made from diversity, we function as a unity. The Lord desires not some special group of Christians enjoying this but all together. Consider the Old Testament tabernacle tent curtain where God first lived on earth. It was a plurality of pieces (10) and diversity of colors (4). But each piece was to be cut in an equal measure so they would be exactly the same. Then the 10 equal pieces were first joined together into 2 separate equal sections. Then the 2 large sections were joined together by 50 golden clasps through 50 blue loops to form 1,“and it shall be one tabernacle”. God lived and lives in a unity from a plurality and diversity.
Now the church, His spiritual temple, is from a diversity of four: “every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation”. Also a plurality of 10 groupings of people: Greek, Jew, circumcision, uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, male and female – all comprising the two great sections of Jew and Gentiles (nations) now made equally one in Christ by His Spirit which was sent from heaven on the Jewish feast of weeks (50 days – Pentecost).
7. STABILITY “hold fast … without wavering.
This gospel is built on the promises of God in Jesus Christ, for “He is faithful that promised”. While governments change and people fall out of favor with power, our High Priest lives forever for us and is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever”. So we have access and nearness to God forever through the living Lord Jesus Christ: stability!
This is what Christian assembling is about and should freely express with reverence and joy. May we progress with God and not be old fashioned going backwards to legalism.
{Some Scriptures for the seven truths. CONTEMPORARY – (old way) Heb. 9:1-9 / Exo. 25:21, 22, Lev. 6:18, 24:9 / Num. 18: 1-10. DIVERSITY – 1Cor. 12:13 / Col. 3:11, Matt. 23:8 / 1Tim. 2:5. LIBERTY – Exo. 8:1 / Rom. 6:18 / Heb. 4:16, 9:8 / Eph. 2:17 / Rom. 5:2 / 1Cor. 11:26, chapter 14. HEAVENLY – Acts 7:48 / Heb. 8:1-5, 9:11, 24, 12:22, 23 / Rev. 4, 15:5. AUTHORITY – 1Pet. 2:5, 9 / Rev. 1:5, 6, 5:9 / Eph. 5:18,19 / 1Cor 11:23-26, 14:23-37 / Matt. 27:50, 51. UNITY – Eph. 4:13 / Exo. 26: 1-6 / Rev. 5:9 / Col. 3:11, Gal. 3:28 / Eph. 2:13-16 / Lev. 23: 15-17 /Acts 2:1, 33. STABILITY – Heb. 4:14, 7:25, 13:8}