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The Call to Service

By Joe Boot/ June 16, 2013

Series  Hebrews and the High Priesthood

Context  Westminster Chapel Toronto

Topic  Discipleship

Scripture  Hebrews 10:19-25

Christians have largely withdrawn from acts of charity, service, and education. Talk of love abounds but love needs to take action.

Scripture: Hebrews 10:19-25

Sermon Notes:

  1. On the basis of the Lord Jesus and His Priesthood, we are to stand our ground and live for Him.
  2. Now that we have learned of Christ’s atonement, we need to apply the theological truths to our service in the world.
  3. Christians through history moved by Christ have been instrumental in great transformation.
  4. We have been given a new attitude and new access to God.
  5. In the OT, God executed those who did not honour the restrictions to God’s holy presence (i.e. Nadab and Abihu).  “God is no buttercup.”
  6. Now God’s people can approach Him with confidence and joy.  We have the immeasurable grace of continual access to the throne of God.
  7. We are no better than Nadab and Abihu; but in Christ we have new and living access to God with boldness and joy.
  8. Christ has opened up for us a new and living way.  So we are to draw near and enjoy this great privilege of access to God Himself.
  9. We can fully trust and rely on the work that Christ has done for us.
  10. Our hearts are cleansed and we are consecrated for service.  We are then able to draw near to God (cf. Exodus 29:21).
  11. We are to serve, to tend, to have dominion over the earth, to make the earth fully the tabernacle of God. 
  12. We are living sacrifices.  We offer ourselves (Romans 12:1), dedicated to serve God’s purposes in all creation.
  13. In every aspect of our lives we are to hold onto a true and faithful confession of our hope, because He who promised is faithful.
  14. God and His promises can be totally relied upon.  He can infallibly bring His promises to fruition.
  15. Noah’s flood points to a future time of judgment which faces present rebels, who want to forget God’s judgment.
  16. Where faith is lacking there is no hope; the ungodly are without hope in the world.
  17. As faith has receded, depression increases in our time.  But as Christians we have hope for the future.  Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God (Romans 5:5).
  18. Our hope is based on the fact that Christ is the present reigning King (1 Timothy 6:15).
  19. We are called to cease striving and to know that God is God (Psalm 46:2, 10).
  20. Verse 25 literally says to “irritate and exasperate” one another into love and good deeds.
  21. Provoking one another to love and good deeds means externalizing our faith (James 2:18; John 14:15).       
  22. By drawing near to God we have the resources to externalize our faith; we must not stop at internalizing the faith.
  23. Christians have largely withdrawn from acts of charity, service, and education.  Talk of love abounds but love needs to take action.
  24. We’re to take action to stir one another to love and good deeds.
  25. Every Christian needs the body of Christ; we need to make a regular commitment to worship a priority.

Application Questions:

  1. What should be the fruit of learning theological truths?
  2. What does it mean for us to be living sacrifices?
  3. Outline the goals and purposes of our service to God.
  4. What is the result of living without hope?  What is the basis of our hope as God’s people?
  5. In light of Christ’s priestly ministry how might we provoke one another toward love and good deeds this week?
  6. Is the gospel dull and old, or is it a new and living way?
  7. Why is regular fellowship in the body of Christ essential?

Sermon Notes