In Hebrew 10:19-25, the writer of Hebrews tells us that we have certain privileges as followers of Jesus that lead to responsibilities as followers of Christ. He uses two, two-word phrases to make his point: we have & let us.   

WE HAVE…

• Access to God. Through the person and work of Jesus. By shedding His blood on the cross, Jesus offered a once and for all sacrifice for sin. Therefore, we have confidence that we can approach God anytime and anywhere.
• Advocate before God. Jesus is our High Priest, He represents us before God. Jesus satisfied God’s demand for justice and secures for us His righteousness. For those of us who are in Christ, we have confidence that our sin debt has been paid. Not because of anything we’ve done but because of what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross.

LET US…

• Draw near to God. This is a personal call to live a life of worship. We draw near to God through pure, wholehearted devotion to Christ! It involves doing things that stir our affection for Jesus.
• Hold fast to the confession of our hope. The confession of our hope is that JESUS PAID IT ALL and through Him we have access to God!
• Consider how to stir one another to love & good works, not neglecting to meet together. We are not created to live the Christian life alone. We need each other, both for support & growth. To “stir up” literally means to provoke. The way we live, talk, and act is to provoke one another to take the Bible more seriously, trust God more earnestly, and follow Jesus more intimately. 

When God saved us, He said…“Look, I’ve done some work on your soul. But when you’re born, you’re born into a family, and when you’re born again, you’re born into your second family – the church”. Something happens when we do life together that creates the opportunities to support one another, love one another, & grow together. We spur one another on toward love & good deeds. We hold one another accountable and allow others to help carry our burdens. But the reality is that these things don’t happen in isolation. They only happen in the context of close intimate relationships. 

This is why plugging into small group is so important. We grow through relationships where there is trust & vulnerability. We grow through relationships where there’s a willingness to admit need & to explore change. We grow through relationships where there can be the support and follow-through that’s needed to sustain growth. And that doesn’t happen simply by attending church.