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The River ChurchSermons

Let Us Draw Near and Hold Fast!

John Carter · Sunday, 16 August 2026 · 42:45 · 5,583 words

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A new series on the book of Hebrews focuses on its repeated “let us” statements that call believers to draw near to God and hold fast to their hope together. It emphasizes Jesus Christ’s supremacy and his sacrifice, while warning against isolation and encouraging the community to support one another through struggles. Listeners are challenged to ask what God is calling them to do collectively and to respond in faith to his voice.

What this sermon is about

Ranked by keyness against every other sermon in the corpus. Each one is a word this sermon actually said — nothing here was written by a model.

hebrew 33 near 23 draw 21 spoken 13 confession 15 confidence 17 speak 29 accomplish 13 statement 17 rope 7 perfect 21 voice 13

Topics

Atonement & Sacrifice 3 Hope 2 Righteousness 1 Faith 1 Assurance 1 Prayer 1

Scripture referenced 17

Verified against the transcript. A reference the recording does not support is never listed here.

Hebrews 1 4:02 Hebrews 1 9:12 Hebrews 10 9:12 John 1 10:24 John 1 10:30 John 1 10:30 Hebrews 10 13:35 Hebrews 10 17:26 Hebrews 10 17:50 Hebrews 10:19 17:50 Hebrews 10:19 18:19 John 14 24:27 James 4 26:37 James 4:22 26:49 James 4:7 27:16 Hebrews 4 29:42 Hebrews 4:15 29:52

Transcript

Every word, as spoken, with the second it was said. Each word links to its own entry in the index.

Pre-service announcement — 7 lines, 0:35. Excluded from every count and search on this site, kept here so nothing is hidden.

Hey everyone, my name is Jules and thanks for checking out one of our sermons today.

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Thanks again for joining us and we hope that you are blessed by today's message.

Good morning, everyone.

If you have your Bibles, go ahead and open them to the book of Hebrews.

We are starting a new series and I want to encourage you at our guest services.

We have our series book that we have available for you.

I think you can get it for $10 or $5.

Sorry, I'm giving you the wrong number.

$5 a piece.

If you want to do a digital form, you can download it for free right from our app or our website.

Trying to communicate a lot at once because I have a lot to cover this morning.

I've got to slow myself down.

So make sure you get a copy of this if you want it to follow along.

It's got devotionals.

It also has a study guide and some questions as we walk through this new series.

This series is rooted in the book of Hebrews.

And in Hebrews, there are these two words.

Let us.

Repeated over and over and over again.

I think it's repeated.

I think the physical count is either 13 or 14 specific let us statements.

Throughout the book of Hebrews.

We're going to focus on seven of those.

Some of those are repeated.

And we're going to really just look at seven statements that the book of Hebrews gives us.

To really look at and examine what we as the body of Christ, as believers, are called to do.

Not just individually, but collectively.

And this is where the statement of let us is rooted.

It is in us doing.

What God has called us.

And so this is how we're going to look at this text.

Some of these statements laid out in the book of Hebrews is this.

Let us draw near.

Let us hold fast.

Let us consider one another.

Let us run with endurance.

Let us worship.

Let us enter into God's rest.

Let us go out to Jesus outside the camp.

And as we look at these statements, understand and please recognize that it's not saying you should or I will.

It says let us as a collective group.

You see, we understand that our faith is a decision we make individually.

Right?

We recognize that when we come to God and we confess that we need Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

We do that individually.

The church doesn't save us.

But God gave us the church.

Gave us each other.

Gave us one another.

To encourage us.

To support us.

To walk us through.

And be a support and a encouragement in this walk.

And this is where the let us statements come together.

Before we get into the specific statements, I want to give you.

Man, I could preach a whole sermon just in introducing Hebrews.

I'm not going to do that.

But I want to introduce you some of the very core concepts.

That Hebrew has walked through and is going to lay out in the first 10 chapters.

And you can kind of get a brief, brief glimpse of that in the first three verses of Hebrews.

I want to read these verses to you.

It says this.

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.

But in these last days, he has spoken to us.

By his son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

He is, that is the son, is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.

He upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Or you could even reverse that and say by the very power of his word.

After making.

In purifications for sins, he, the son, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.

In these three verses, I'm not going to break it down specifically.

But you get to see the what, the when, the who, what, when, and why of the book of Hebrews laid out in these three simple verses.

Why do these statements?

Why does the statement, let us go and run with endurance, matter to us?

In these three verses, you see it laid out, the importance.

Why it's significant.

Why it demands us as believers to respond to what God's word says.

And he starts with, and I want to make this connection so very clear.

It starts with, because God has spoken.

The God who created this world.

The God who spoke to Adam in the garden.

The God who spoke to Abraham.

The God who spoke through Isaiah.

Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah.

That God has spoken.

Now we see this letter is written to a church, to a people who are going through pressure as they have confessed Jesus as their Lord, as their Savior, as their Messiah.

We recognize and we see God has now spoken through his son.

All of Hebrews establishes and works through the supremacy and the priority of who Jesus Christ is.

Everything, everything, from the Old Testament to the book of Hebrews, points to who Jesus is and what he has accomplished.

When we look at this text and we see very clearly what is laid out in these first very, very, very short verses, we see, in fact, that God has spoken.

And the same God that spoke in the Old Testament is the same God that speaks in the New Testament.

Jesus did not come.

To fix his daddy's mistakes.

We need to make sure we understand that.

Jesus did not come to contradict, to refute, or correct the Father.

As we walk through Hebrews, we're going to see what is laid out in these let us statements.

The command that is called for us to join in unity as God's people is the same command that has been laid out in the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament.

Listen and hear the voice of God.

And when you hear the voice of God,

Respond in faith and in obedience.

That's the call.

We recognize who this son is.

This text tells us why listening to the son and what he says and his voice is so important for us.

Look at this.

He is the creator and the sustainer of all things.

He's the exact imprint of God's nature.

I love that phrase, man.

Circle that.

That is just profound to even just, I could preach a whole message just on that one simple.

But more importantly, and this is the part where we have to understand who Jesus is, what he has accomplished.

He is the one who made purification for sins.

He is the one who accomplished what me or you could never do on our own.

He is what the priests in the Old Testament could not accomplish in and of themselves.

He is the one who is now seated at God's right hand.

He is in.

His ministry, his place of authority.

In all of Hebrews, we're not going to take the time today.

All of Hebrews from chapter 1 going on into chapter 10 lays out this supremacy, who Jesus is, why he is so significant, why he is better than Moses.

Jesus was not just another prophet.

He is the son.

The prophets, when they spoke of God, they would say, thus says the Lord.

Jesus coming as the son.

He says, truly.

truly I say to you he doesn't have to speak on behalf of someone else because he is the very

exact imprint of God's nature he has that authority he has that right to say this is what I'm saying

and you see this this phrase repeated in the chapter three and four I believe and many other

similar expressions you will hear them say today if you hear the voice of God do not harden your

heart the warning is laid out in Hebrews do not turn away do not harden your heart why because

the voice of God that spoke way back then is still speaking today through his son through his very

word this is where John 1 1 plays a huge part in understanding in the beginning was the word

the word was with God and the word was God just a few verses down from John 1 1 and John 1 14 and

it says and the word

was made flesh and dwelt among us God has in fact spoken why do these phrases these statements

matter to us because if God has spoken then we as his people ought to respond to what God

has spoken should we not we look at this text we see we see this in the very first three or first

verse actually that now in these last days

when the book of Hebrews was written it was written after the resurrection and the ascension

of Jesus we are still in the last days closer than they were so the urgency of what is being

spoken through the book of Hebrews probably applies greater we would even say to us today

than maybe it did to them in these last days you see what is being spoken of here we see this

clearly in Hebrew speaks all through it is this the Messiah from the Old Testament

the anointed one the Christ that the Old Testament speaks of over and over and over again has in fact

come his sacrifice at the cross it has been offered and it has been sufficient his ministry

Hebrew speaks through this and this may be more Old Testament and not necessarily something you

grasp his ministry as our high priest in the heavenly throne in the heavenly kingdom has been

initiated and he he is sitting as a king enthroned next to his father and these people as they are

being given this book and these instructions they are in the waiting period for his return

Hebrew speaks I can't tell you the exact passage but it speaks of them eagerly waiting for his

return I think it's in chapter 9 eagerly waiting for his return this is the same place we find

ourselves we know the work has been accomplished we know what Jesus did on the cross and we as

believers and and ones that are hoping for this return are eagerly waiting for him to come same

people in this time period they they walked through pressures in life they had difficulties

in their life by the very confession of who God was who Jesus was in their life they experienced

suffering and difficult in fact

we're going to turn to chapter 10 here in a little bit I think it's in verses 32 through 36 you will

see written some of the pressures they experienced in Hebrews 10 I think it's 32 and 36 they speak of

having to endure persecution having their property removed and taken away but what they are holding

on to is the promises the hope of the gospel and the work of Jesus Christ and despite the difficulty

this is where Hebrews comes in there is a

there is a danger of us and them in the same way falling into lethargy falling into this idea that

man maybe I can do it on my own being isolated Hebrew speaks I know this is crazy we would never

ever walk into this but Hebrew speaks of forsaking the gathering of each other we would never do that

that's my sarcasm I hope you understand you can laugh it's okay right no this is what he said this

is a danger there's a warning like hey listen God gave us each other there's a danger of falling

away falling apart becoming becoming lethargic this is we'll get into this as we walk through

letting us run with endurance getting tired and being exhausted those are normal things this is

why the assembling the gathering together the us is so important because God he did all the work

but he also gave us you and me to be together to do things together to be a part of each other's

lives to not be isolated to not be out on our own so that as we walk through this series I'm going

to ask two main questions throughout the whole series every week I'll try to refer to these

questions the first is this as believers those who have confessed Christ as their Lord I want you to

ask this question in your mind what is God calling you and me to do together what is God calling you

and me to do together as his people and if you're here and you do not know the Lord every week I'm

going to be addressing this question I want you to hear this question where do you personally stand

and what is your response to the son who is speaking I want you to have that

assurance that conviction one way or another Hebrew speaks of the dangers right it says

today not tomorrow not some other day today if you hear the voice of God do not harden your heart

what that passage implies is this when you hear the voice of God when you hear that prick when you

hear his word speaking to you you have a choice you can receive it you can hear it you can walk

in faith and confidence and assurance and you can walk in faith and confidence and assurance and

assurance that the one who spoke is trustworthy or you can turn your heart away and harden it and

rebel against the very God who is speaking to you I don't want you to do that so we're going to start

this morning that's my introduction we still got time we're going to start this morning in Hebrews

chapter 10 so please turn your Bibles there we're going to be introduced to the very first let us

statement really chapters 1 through 10 I've already said this speaks of what God is talking about and

who Jesus is and what he's accomplished I've very briefly tried to cover that in the first three

verses but when we get to Hebrews chapter 10 particularly verse 19 the word there that

introduces what has been laid out foundationally in all the previous chapters who Jesus is why it's

important to hear what he has to say how his superiority is greater than anything ever given

he's better than the prophets he's better than the priest he's better than Moses he's superior

in every way

therefore he says in verse 19 let's read it together brothers since we have confidence to

enter the holy places by the very blood of Jesus by the new and living way that he opened for us

through the curtain that is in fact through his flesh and since we have a great priest over the

house of God 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 here's the second let us let us hold fast the confession

of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful for he who promised is faithful I love

how as we walk through these statements the things that should

grab your attention right off the bat that both of these statements are built upon three realities

first and foremost we have a confidence we have confidence that's what it says to enter the holy

places you see under the system of the tabernacle or the temple the most holy place communicated

two things it's called the holy of holies it communicated two things first and foremost it

communicated God's presence but it also communicated humanity's separation from him and his holiness

see God dwelt among his people but there was very very specific requirement for people to have access

to God under the system of the tabernacle and the temple you see only the high priest was permitted

to enter into that place and in fact he was only permitted to enter into that place when he was

one time a year and he did not go in casually he required the sprinkling of the blood of the

sacrifice there were very very specific requirements you might even say that there

were some serious serious restrictions applied to entering and being into the very presence of

God himself in that in that system see the system the restrictions they declared that humanity

cannot casually just enter into the presence of a holy righteous God and so when we see this phrase

our confidence we have this confidence I want you to understand what it's saying

our confidence does not mean that God has somehow become less holy or less righteous or that somehow

sin has become less serious that is not the implication here when when it speaks of the

confidence we have we have to understand who and where we get that confidence from it tells us it

says by the very blood of Jesus why is that our confidence because his blood is sufficient Hebrew

speaks of this earlier the priests they had to go in and they had to repeatedly go through the process

over and over and over and over and over and over again but Jesus once and for all accomplished what

the system that was created in the Old Testament that they were walking through that pointed to

in fact the very Redeemer the appointed one the anointed one the Messiah all the Old Testament

pointed to the son doing the work that was needed and Jesus comes and once and for all when he hung

on that cross and his flesh was tortured and his blood was shed we recognize that that is the

sufficiency of the work of the son that is the hope we land on that is our confidence so we have

this confidence to enter into the holy place that means we can enter into the presence of the almighty

through the son and his shed blood it says we have a new and a living way that was opened to us

I want you to hear this please the way into God's presence

is not done by a certain technique a certain ritual it's not about praying in a certain way

or certain words that's not what it's about it's not about walking through some kind of religious

ritual or being or having some kind of human accomplishment that is not what this is saying

says this new and it's living way look at this it was opened for us through his flesh everything you

see listed here in these first few verses I hope you see the pattern has nothing to do with me or

you and it has everything to do with who Jesus is and what he has in fact accomplished when Jesus

speaks when he says in John 14 I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the father

except through me listen there's no other alternative it's not Jesus plus something else

it's not Jesus and maybe this might work it is Jesus and only Jesus and that is what is being

articulated here and he speaks of this great priest the great priest that we have over the

house of God I love that God Jesus when he accomplished what he accomplished he didn't

just leave us to approach God by ourselves amen Hebrews speaks of this often in fact in chapter

nine it speaks of him being the way he has been and he speaks of him being the way he has been

our mediator the one who makes intercessions on our behalf I love that Jesus doesn't just do the

work he's still doing the work see since we have this confidence through his blood because we have

this living way through his flesh and because he acts as our priest and he mediates over God's house

how then should we respond how then should we react to this information Hebrews is very clear

verse 22 let us draw near let us draw near if you're here today and you've never drawn near

to the Lord today today is the day if you hear his voice do not do not harden your hearts I love

that the first response that comes to mind when we understand what Jesus has accomplished is not

to cower is not to run away but the call is to

draw near James chapter 4 speaks of this walks us through and maybe clarifies a little bit what

is being spoken here in verse 22 it says let us draw near in 22 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 you might be saying pastor John I don't understand what any of that means this is really

tying and connecting old testament purification language and making it something

if you've not read it and you don't understand it that's okay let's look at what James says he

puts it in words that might make it a little clearer for us James chapter 4 verse 7 says it

like this submit yourselves therefore to God resist the devil and he will flee from you here's

the same word draw near to God look at this next phrase I love this next phrase and he will draw

near to you cleanse your hands this is the same purification language you sinners

and purify your hearts you double-minded what is being articulated what is being spoken here

this is this is the individual response to the work that Christ has happened or has done will you

if you are an unbeliever will you draw near when you hear God's voice will you follow it will you

hear it will you respond to it in faith and draw near to him when you say yes to that the promise

that James lays out for us is this that God will in fact draw near to you being repentant look at

back to Hebrews chapter 22 let us draw near with a true heart a true heart I want you to understand

this a true heart doesn't mean it's a flawless heart a true heart speaks of honesty a true heart

speaks of authenticity genuineness doesn't mean we're perfect in fact most of us would acknowledge

without a doubt that we're perfect we're perfect we're perfect we're perfect we're perfect we're

perfect we're perfect we're perfect we're perfect we're perfect we're perfect we're perfect we're perfect

man I ain't perfect I'm in trouble if you put me and stack me up to a holy righteous God

man I fall desperately short is what we would acknowledge I hope we would acknowledge that

so a true heart doesn't mean a perfect heart or a flawless heart it means an honest heart

that genuinely desires God and Jesus to be their Lord I love this when we draw near to God God

draws near to us doesn't mean we all of a sudden become perfect we're perfect we're perfect we're

perfect it doesn't mean we all of a sudden are are holy and righteous and never fall short or

never stumble in fact Hebrews speaks of this in chapter 4 speaking of how great Christ is and his

role and his ministry as our mediator as our high priest it says this in verse 15 we do not have a

high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness but one in every respect has been tempted

as we are

here's the clencher Christ did it without sin Christ this is what makes his sacrifice so

significant his shedding of his blood he was an innocent perfect sinless man yet humanity chose

to crucify him to torture him to bludgeon him because he claimed to be the very son of God

speaks as we walk through this this aspect of a true heart I want you to know this

God does not want you to wear some kind of religious

mask he wants you to be truthful and honest genuine and authentic and you can do that in

your own words before an almighty God you can profess to him God I know I fall short I know

that I am nothing like what I should be I have broken your laws I have broken your commandments

I am unholy and here's the thing when you call out to God with a true heart he hears you because

he's living and then he draws near to you and then he draws near to you and then he draws near to you

this is what gives us our assurance our confidence it doesn't rest on our performance it rests on

Christ's completed work what he has accomplished when you get to the next statement verse 23

passage continues and he says let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering in

the first few verses from 19 we saw it pointing all to Christ confidence

the new and living way the role of his high priestly ministry none of it depends on us

when we recognize that and understand that we draw near because we know what God has done

through the son how he has spoken to humanity through his son so we draw near to him and here

here and I want you to understand this this is for the believer to hear we understand and we

recognize that pressures in life come that difficulties in life confront us

is a challenge over and over and over again. And oftentimes when we're walking through this life,

we hit moments in our life where we struggle. Maybe we call it doubts. People in this time,

they also struggle. So this call to let us hold fast the very confession of our hope without

wavering is critical. I don't know what experience you're having. Maybe you're working through

marital problems. Maybe you're working through financial problems. Maybe you're working through

career problems. Maybe you're working through health problems and you have this struggle,

this doubt. God, I know who you are, but man, I'm starting to waver just a little bit. This is why

please don't take offense to this. If you're watching online and that's the only route you have

to hear the word of God, you're missing out. If your only source is being connected to God's

people is digitally,

whether that's through an app or through a YouTube channel or through an online message,

listen, none of those things in and of themselves are wrong or evil. But if that is the only place

you are connecting with God's people, you're missing out because here's the reality. An app

isn't going to tell you when you're struggling. A YouTube channel is not going to sit with you

when you are heavy in grief and sorrow. An online message isn't going to hug you and wrap their arms

around you when you need to be encouraged necessarily. This is where the problem is.

The let us statement weighs so heavy for God's people. When you are drifting, when you are

struggling, when you are doubting. And I love this. Look at this phrase. I want you to grasp

this. This is not about us holding on so tight we're bare knuckling it. This is not about that.

This is about us as a body recognizing that some days we have a weak grip. Our hands are slipping.

I used to run Spartan races. I know it's hard to believe.

Part of that race required you to climb a rope. Now it's really easy to climb that rope or it used

to be really easy for me to climb that rope when that rope was dry. But they usually put the rope

right after everyone would dump through the mud and their hands would get covered in mud and wet.

And then the rope gets slippery. And so as it progresses, it gets harder and harder to hang on

to. What a beautiful picture of the Christian walk. Sometimes as Christians, we walk through the mud.

We go through the muck and we deal.

With the nastiness of life, if you want to call it that. And as you're trying to hang on,

it just gets slipperier and slipperier. Here, this passage tells us such a powerful thing.

I hope you don't miss this. Our confession, we hold fast, not to our grip, but to our confession.

Our confession is Jesus is the son of God. Our confession is he died for our sins.

Our confession is this. God raised him from the dead. Our confession is he is,

in fact, our eternal high priest. He is the reigning king, supreme and righteous. And he

will, in fact, return and save his people. That is our confession. And I want you to see this.

It has nothing to do with how hard you can hang on to that rope because our confession

is rooted in, look at this last phrase, for he who promised is faithful. Everything

in the letter statements points to who Jesus is.

And maybe you need to hear that today. Maybe I'm so glad you're here because maybe you just need

to hear, yes, I can be confident in the promises of God in my life because he who promised is

faithful. It ain't about me. It ain't about you. And it's all about who Jesus is. If you hear his

voice today, don't harden your heart. Do not turn away from what he is calling you to love that we

can hold on to. And I want you to listen to this. I want you to listen to this. I want you to listen

to this. I want you to listen to this. I want you to listen to this. I want you to listen to this.

The same confidence that the people of Israel had as they were walking through the wilderness,

hoping for their food, their clothing not to wear, and God was faithful to them is the same God who

says, I see you, I know you, and I'm with you. Amen? So as we walk through this series, I hope

you grasp the importance and I hope the weight of these two simple words, let us, as the body of

us, hope it becomes a reminder for you how important one another is to this walk we have

on this earth. Until the return of our Lord and our Savior, we eagerly wait for his promise to

be fulfilled. And while we are waiting, we are called to engage with one another, to draw near

to him, to hold fast to this confession to him. So I want to challenge you, church, as we walk

through this series. Maybe it's been easy for you to come in, sit down, just sit for a while, and then

run out the door. I'm going to challenge you, if you're a believer and you're a follower of Christ

and you've made that confession, please don't do that. Find somebody you've never talked to before.

Engage in conversation. Find out who they are, where they come from, why they're here. You might

be surprised. You might have a lot in common. You might have nothing in common, and you might learn

some things. One of the things we can do is encourage each of you to do the same thing.

If they start to share, man, I'm struggling, you can remind them very clearly, hey, draw near to

God. Or you can encourage them, hey, hey, hold fast to your confession because he who promises

is faithful. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you, thank you, thank you for your Son. Thank you

for Jesus, who he is, what he has accomplished. Lord, I am so grateful. I am undeserving of

it all. But yet, you are so gracious and you are so merciful that you pour out your love for me and

for everyone here. Lord, as we walk through this series, it's going to be challenging in some ways.

There's going to be, quite frankly, some punches. But we know that your discipline is for our good.

Lord, I pray that we would receive your word and we would hear your voice and we would not harden

our heart. That our heart, as we open this and as we examine it in our own lives, that our

heart would be one that hears your voice, responds with faith, and walks in obedience. Lord, I pray

this for myself. I pray this for this church, this body. I pray this for the person that may be in

this room and has never, ever drawn near to you. I pray they will see the wonderful, splendor,

character, and behavior, the very nature of your Son, Jesus. And that would compel them to call

out to you when they hear your voice. We love you.

And thank you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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