Approaching God with Confidence
Hebrews (Pulpit Swap 2023) • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach 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.
I had a friend tell me once that they weren’t sure they would be able to survive crossing the threshold into a church.
Now, that sounds like a bit of an overdramatic perspective, but it gave me pause and I continue to reflect upon it.
What do we have to do in order to be welcomed in God’s house? Or, put another way, what messages do we send, as the church, that make outsiders question whether they can belong?
Even more pointedly, what is it that you and I do that sends these signals, either spoken or unspoken? Do we even know we are doing this?
Now, certainly, there are matters of personal and communal piety that compel us to prepare ourselves for worship, imperatives in the Scriptures about coming ready to the table or to the gathering. There are instructions for rightly ordering our worship and our life together. Presbyterians place high value on doing what we do decently and in order.
I’ve had times in my life that I’ve followed certain practices that help me align my heart for worship and to serve God. I’ve been known to wear a shirt that matches the liturgical colors of our sanctuary — not because I feel compelled to be color coordinated (though that’s always a nice aside), but rather because it roots me in the time of the year and the seasons of the church and reminds me that I participate in a rhythm of time that is overarches and guides the rest of my life.
Both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures are very clear on a number of behaviors and attitudes that are expected when we gather. Head coverings or no head coverings, certain times to speak and times to be silent (remember Jan Smith’s teaching from Ecclesiastes last week). But these directives are intended to focus us on God’s word and the Spirit’s speaking. They are not intended to be strict standards that we make everyone adhere to. Rather, they are collectively ways we can help each other as we approach God and work out our faith with fear and trembling (said another, with deep reverence and purpose).
Back to my friend (and perhaps back to a time when you’ve felt this way too): They feared crossing the threshold of a church, walking into our doors. And this breaks my heart, because somewhere along the line, they have been told that something about them is unworthy, unclean, and unacceptable for participation in the life of God’s family. Like there are some unseen wards on our doors that protect us from sinners and broken people.
Wait…then how did I get in? How are you here? Did we somehow rig the system?
The book of Hebrews lays out an elaborate and beautiful argument for how Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection paves that way for all of us, all of us…one more time, all of us, to enter the presence of God with confidence that we are welcomed and loved.
Hear that, because it’s the center of this morning’s texts: Because of Jesus’ work on the cross and sanctification of us, we are welcome to enter with confidence into the presence of God.
I intentionally chose our Psalm 119 reading this morning because it speaks of the blameless, the ones who follow the law, the ones who walk in the ways of God, as those who are blessed. So much of the Hebrew scriptures’ story is about the pursuit of ritual and personal purity — that we would somehow be cleansed of our faults and transgressions and be welcomed into God’s presence.
You see, this sense of concern about whether we are welcome or not is not a new idea. It’s not a new worry. But it is a concern that is ever-present with us. As humans, we are quick to want to create categories of In and Out. What are the boundaries of our life together, we wonder? Are we holy enough to come to the table?
Even in our Presbyterian tradition, we have disagreements and discussions over what it means to be welcomed into the sacraments of the church. We believe that all people are invited, but we differ and discuss on what qualifies us for certain practices. I often find these disagreements and discussions to be very profound and helpful, as, for me, they call me to open up my mind to how deep and wide God’s family is.
But if we have any doubt on whether God’s family is big enough for us, we can return to this Hebrews text. To the friends of God, the people spread out around the known world who call on Jesus’ name, we affirm that it is not by our own doing whatsoever, but by the love and grace of God that we are welcomed into this family. Nothing you have done, are doing, or will do, can separate you from the love of God. Amen.
And this is all available to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Our text tells us, we enter this act of worship by Jesus’ blood — confidently. Not wavering, not wondering, not concerned that we will not be accepted. No, boldly, we enter to presence of God because of Jesus.
Ok, you’re maybe saying, sure, we can come into a church and worship by the grace of God. But does that mean that we are only invited into God’s presence here, in a building? NO! By the grace of God, it is this presence that is available and offered to us wherever we are. We are welcomed into relationship with the Divine One, God Almighty, in so many places where we witness God’s hand at work.
These past couple of weeks, I’ve been on vacation. And when I go on vacation, I like to get outdoors, stretch my legs, and explore. This past week, we were in Bend, OR. We didn’t go to church, but I still witnessed God’s presence along the Deschutes River, in the staggering beauty of the desert plateaus of Oregon and Washington, and in the smiling face of my dear 8-year-old son. Because of Jesus’ love, I have been sprinkled with a purifying water that opens my eyes to God’s presence in these places, helping me acknowledge and savor the goodness of God in this world.
AND, when we come together like this, we get to share about this glimpsing of God in the world, collectively. Jesus, the high priest over our house, offers us assurance, a strong reminder and decisive standing, that we certainly do, in fact belong.
Do you ever question this?
Do you have stories playing in your head right now of when you’ve felt pushed away by your fellow humans, whether it be in church or a workplace or school or family?
These last few years, it has been very easy for many of us to feel discouraged and want to give up on this whole gathered life together that we call the church. Our cultural divisions have put us on guard, wondering if who we are will truly be loved where we show up.
We can study passages like these two, and as we hear Hebrews, also attend to echoes of the Psalms that makes us wonder if we are pure enough, good enough, put together enough.
As a member of the millenial generation, I sadly grew up in an era of church that was saturated with purity culture. If you don’t know what purity culture is, I pray that you have been somehow spared from it. Purity culture told (and still tells) young people that they need to make sure they dress appropriately, not engage in the desires of the flesh. It tells young women, especially, that their bodies are distractions and temptations to be shut up and stamped down. And it tells young men that they should not entertain impure thoughts or even feel desire and connection. It is so backwards in all that we know about how are bodies work and how God has designed us for relationship. Lord, have mercy.
And this culture then makes us question, all the more, whether we truly belong and whether who we are is ok.
Do you hear that: there are stories in the church that make people question their goodness, their innate belovedness, their God-given beauty.
Is that the message of Jesus?
Is that what we hear in these texts — that only by obeying an unachievable, stunted standard, we become part of the family of God?
To fall into these stories and let them override our understanding of God’s love is to deny that humanity, each and every one of us, bear the mark, the image, of our creator.
This is false.
At the core of our story, the good story we’re hearing about in this text today, is the affirmation that because of Jesus Christ, the image of God in us is restored, made clear, opened up, affirmed and loved.
Friends, do you hear this: you bear the image of your Creator who affirms and loves you. Believe it and come to God in confidence.
Now, a couple of things as we close.
First, we have to ask the hard questions of ourselves: have I done something in how I approach others that makes them question this love of God that they we a part of? Have my attitudes turned people away? Literally, are there things we do here, have done here even this morning, that have sent the message that somehow another person is not welcome, or good enough, or loved for who God made them to be? Are we able to be self-reflective enough to acknowledge these things?
You know that Fred Rogers, Mr. Rogers, is my hero. Stacy bought me a new t-shirt recently, for our 18th anniversary, which has a picture of Mr. Rogers and his puppet, Daniel Tiger, with the words “It’s You I Like” written across the bottom. This phrase, “It’s YOU I like” was a cornerstone idea for Fred Rogers. His Christian faith (Presbyterian, might I add) compelled him to teach children and adults alike that who they are was not only acceptable, but likable. They were welcome for who they are.
Friends, today, let’s imagine as we come to the table with confidence, that as we receive the bread and the cup and hear the words, “The body and blood of Christ, given for you,” let’s listen for that still small whisper from the Spirit that says, “It’s YOU I like.” You are beloved.
As well, this Hebrews passage leads us into our preaching texts for the next couple of weeks, as we have our 3-Presbyterian church pulpit exchange. Remember, we are welcomed to enter confidently into God’s presence. Therefore, we must not give up this work of gathering, provoking each other on in love and good deeds, and holding fast to the faith that Christ has offered us.
Hear our text for the next few weeks, as it continues on from this morning’s reading:
23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
May this be so with us and with our entire family of Christians, here in Bellingham and throughout the world. May we approach God with confidence, together, hands together, arms wrapped around each other, knowing that the storms of the world will always seek to tell us we are not enough but that in the grace and love of Jesus, those stories are no longer true.
Come to this table, knowing you are beloved, you bear the image of your Creator, and that it is our work to affirm this and share this good news with all creation, now and evermore.
Amen.