Christ Opened the Way: Gather, Draw Near, Encourage

Jul 05, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Curtain Torn, the Way Opened

When Jesus’ body was torn on the cross, the temple curtain ripped – not as a spectacle, but as a declaration. What kept sinners from a holy God was destroyed. Now every believer walks freely into God’s presence through Christ’s blood. This access reshapes why we gather: not for tradition or friendship alone, but because Jesus demolished every barrier. We come boldly where priests once trembled. [43:53]

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh… let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” (Hebrews 10:19-22, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you still act as if God’s presence is off-limits to you? How might walking through Christ’s opened way today change your prayers or worship?

Day 2: Draw Near With a True Heart

Christianity isn’t a spectator faith. The call isn’t to admire God’s accessibility but to actively approach Him – messy hearts and all. Weekly worship trains us in this sacred motion: singing, praying, and listening not as rituals, but as deliberate steps into the Holy of Holies. Our gathering is a corporate march through the torn curtain. [47:28]

“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.” (Hebrews 10:22, ESV)

Reflection: What practical step – a whispered prayer, a bold confession, a silent act of trust – would embody “drawing near” to God in your current struggles?

Day 3: Hold Fast to the God Who Holds You

Faithfulness isn’t self-help. When weariness comes – and it does – our grip on Christ matters less than His grip on us. The church gathers weekly not to scold drifters but to rehearse God’s track record: “He who promised is faithful.” Your presence here isn’t about proving devotion; it’s about receiving the promise again. [52:16]

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been trying to white-knuckle your faith alone? How might leaning on God’s faithfulness, not your fervor, change this season?

Day 4: Noticing the Saints Beside You

Christian love begins with eyes that see. Before we can stir others toward good works, we must notice their absence at the edges, their silent burdens, their unspoken doubts. Gathering isn’t about backslap camaraderie but intentional attention – the kind that spots the slowly withdrawing soul before they disappear. [55:39]

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works… encouraging one another.” (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your church family have you overlooked? What simple act of attention – a note, a question, a shared coffee – could God use to re-engage them?

Day 5: Your Presence Is a Proclamation

Every Sunday attendance is a sermon without words. Simply sitting among saints declares: “Christ keeps His people.” When you walk through those doors weary, you preach endurance. When you sing through grief, you model hope. The church needs your ordinary presence – not for numbers, but as living proof of the Faithful One. [01:01:38]

“Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25, ESV)

Reflection: How might seeing your presence as encouragement to others transform your view of “showing up” on hard days?

Sermon Summary

Hebrews ties the church’s weekly gathering to Jesus Christ. The text says that after chapters of proclaiming the glory of Christ’s priesthood and the sufficiency of his sacrifice, “therefore.” Because Christ has shed his blood, because he has opened a new and living way into the presence of God, because he is the great high priest, the church is summoned to draw near. The curtain that once said to sinners “do not enter” now announces “welcome,” because Christ passed through the curtain, “that is, through his flesh,” and removed the barrier that kept sinners at a distance. The torn veil at his death was not a dramatic accident but a declaration that the way to God is open in Jesus. The church does not gather from habit, nostalgia, or preference. The church gathers because Christ welcomes a people into the presence of God.

The passage then shifts from what Christ has done to how God’s people respond. The text moves from “since we have” to “let us draw near.” Access is privilege, but access is given for practice. Hebrews does not only say think about God or even only believe about God. Hebrews says draw near. This is the language of worship, prayer, and living fellowship with God. Lord’s Day worship is the weekly practice of access: praying because the living God hears, singing because those songs reach his ear, confessing sin because forgiveness is available, receiving the word because God speaks, coming to the Table because the way is open. Right alongside drawing near, the text adds, “let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.” The ground is not the firmness of human grip but the faithfulness of God. “He who promised is faithful.” Seasons of weakness come, but the promise-keeping God sustains hope.

Hebrews finally turns the open way into a way of life together. The text says “consider one another.” Attention precedes action. Noticing gives traction to encouragement. Without knowing another’s life, there is no meaningful way to bear burdens or to “stir up” love and good works. That stirring is a strong word, the sharpening of iron with iron, not to anger or division but toward holy activity. God uses the obedience of one to make obedience contagious in another. The concern is deeper than attendance metrics. The danger is withdrawal from the people of God, even when bodies still sit in a room. God has appointed the gathering as a means of grace to help his people persevere. The church’s presence says to one another, hold fast. And as the Day draws near, the need for one another grows, not lessens. Christ has opened the way, so the church gathers, draws near, holds fast, and helps one another keep going.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus opens access to God Christ’s blood removes the barrier the curtain symbolized and turns distance into welcome. The torn veil declares that God is not approached by human merit but by a crucified and risen high priest. Access is a gift, not a human achievement, and it is as real today as the moment the veil split. [43:53]
2. Access must become practiced nearness Hebrews presses beyond belief into approach. Prayer, song, confession, Scripture, and the Table are not rituals to perform but doors to walk through because Christ is the door. Each act of worship is a concrete step toward the God who first stepped toward sinners. [47:28]
3. Hold fast because God is faithful Perseverance rests on promise, not on the steadiness of a wavering heart. Seasons of strength and seasons of stumbling both sit under the same faithful covenant Lord. The confession holds because the Promiser holds his people. [51:22]
4. Consider one another with intention Christian love begins with attention. Noticing is the on-ramp to encouragement, burden-bearing, and wisely applied truth. Without deliberate interest, exhortation stays generic and good works remain abstract. [55:16]
5. Gathered life fuels perseverance The assembly is God’s appointed means to keep saints from drifting. Shared prayer, shared song, and shared hearing of the word braid weak strands into a stronger cord. Presence itself becomes a sermon to the weary, saying, do not give up. [61:38]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[27:32] - Reading Hebrews 10:19-25
[37:08] - Why do Christians gather?
[38:16] - The answer is Jesus
[41:02] - The curtain and distance
[43:53] - The veil torn, way opened
[45:57] - Let us draw near
[49:51] - Hold fast the confession
[51:22] - He who promised is faithful
[54:06] - Consider one another
[56:28] - Provoke to love and good works
[59:54] - Withdrawal versus mere attendance
[61:38] - Presence that keeps others going
[65:01] - Closing prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Hebrews 10:19-25 (ESV)
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places 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 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. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 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 drawing near.

Observation Questions

The sermon emphasizes that the church gathers because "Christ has opened the way into the presence of God." What specific actions in worship (prayer, singing, etc.) does Hebrews 10:19-25 connect to this access?
How does the language shift in Hebrews 10:19-25 from "since we have" to "let us"? What does this reveal about the relationship between Christ’s work and our response? [46:24]
The phrase "stir up one another to love and good works" uses strong language. What analogy from Proverbs does the sermon use to explain this idea? [56:28]

Interpretation Questions

The torn temple curtain symbolized a barrier between God and humanity. Why is it significant that Jesus’ flesh is described as the "new and living way" through that curtain? How does this redefine how we approach God?
The sermon states, "Our hope doesn’t rest upon the strength of our grip but the faithfulness of God." How does this truth address seasons of doubt or spiritual weariness? [51:22]
What does it mean to "consider one another" in practical terms? How might failing to notice others’ lives hinder encouragement and burden-bearing? [55:16]

Application Questions

The sermon describes worship practices (prayer, singing, confession) as "doors to walk through" rather than rituals. Which of these practices feels most meaningful to you right now, and which feels like a routine? How could you approach the latter with fresh intentionality? [47:28]
When have you experienced a season where holding fast to hope felt difficult? What specific promise of God (from Scripture) could you cling to in those moments?
The phrase "consider one another" starts with noticing others’ lives. Who in your church community have you not intentionally noticed or engaged with recently? What step could you take to learn about their joys or burdens this week? [55:16]
The sermon warns against "withdrawal" even while physically present. How can you actively resist disconnecting during gatherings? What practical habit (e.g., arriving early, asking a question, serving) might help you engage more fully? [59:54]
The assembly is called a "means of grace" to help believers persevere. How has someone’s presence or encouragement in church helped you keep going? Who could you intentionally encourage this Sunday? [01:01:38]

Sermon Clips

65s

#GatherForJesus

“``Why have believers throughout time gathered in homes, gathered in fields, gathered in the woods, in secret, under persecution across the centuries. Why has this been happening? What is it that brings God's people together? Well, the answer is not that gathering is a habit. The answer is not that gathering is tradition. I mean, the answer really isn't even that gathering is all about friendship. Our text informs us today, and I hope to make the case to you, that the answer for the question, why do Christians gather? The answer is Jesus Christ.”

78s

#GatherAroundChrist

“That's why the church gathers That's why your alarm clock was set this morning. We enjoy being together, but we're not here primarily because we enjoy being together. We're certainly not here because we all share the same preferences. This church has existed for one hundred years. It has built community and and beyond this room. Other churches have been planted from from this place. A Christian school has been started from this place. The Artesia Christian home has been started from these churches. But we're not here just because we are the builders of a community. No. We are here because we gather through Jesus Christ because we have been welcomed into the presence of God through the once for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And so we gather around Christ.”

61s

#CurtainTornForAccess

“That's why when you read the gospels and you hear about the tearing of the temple curtain at the death of Christ, that's why that matters so much. It wasn't just a dramatic event like, oh, no, the curtain tore. No. He removed the barrier that separated you from god. It was not just a dramatic event. It was a declaration that the way to god is open through Jesus Christ. That the sacrifice has been offered once for all, and that the great high priest Jesus has entered not just the earthly sanctuary, but that he has entered the heavenly sanctuary. And the good news is that because he entered, may enter also.”

56s

#HopeInGodsFaithfulness

“Our hope doesn't rest upon the strength of our grip. Our hope rests on the faithfulness of God. And look at it. There are times and seasons. Right? There are times and seasons when your faith, my faith, feels weak. There are moments in your Christian life when you walk very confidently, and there are moments in the Christian life where we stumble. But our confidence has never rested on on like, in ourselves, whether it's going well or whether it's not going well. Our confidence rests in the God who keeps his promises. For he who promised is faithful.”

86s

#PresenceProclaimsHope

“Every Lord's Day, whether you realize it or not, we are saying to one another, fast. Your presence says to another that Christ is faithful. Your presence says to another, don't give up. Your attendance says to another, keep following Jesus. And when we do that, the author says, we do it all the more as we see the day approaching. This is a reference to the return of Christ, which I am not in that camp that likes to set dates and make all kinds of predictions and and all that. And we don't need to do that to understand this point because we do understand that every day lived is a day that is closer to Christ returning. We can all kind of get that on the same page with that, then we're in a good place. The closer that we get to Christ's return, the more we need each other, not less.”

112s

#DrawNearInWorship

“God's people no longer stand at a distance. We come now we come near with a true heart, a heart sprinkled clean, it says, with a full assurance that that Jesus has done everything necessary to make us acceptable before God. And that's what the church does every Lord's day. We gather in order to draw near. Why do we pray? We pray because we have access. We sing because our songs have access to the ear of a holy god. Right? I mean, it's a when you show up on a Sunday morning and the songs are good, you know, in your heart, you're like, yes. They they picked my songs. Well, that's good, and that's a blessing. But the greater blessing is to sing with God's people because we have access to a holy God, because Jesus has opened the way for us to draw near with our voices. We confess our sins to God in worship because we have access to do so. We listen to the word of God because we have access. We come to the Lord's table next week because we have what's my word? Access. What we do in worship is built on the confidence in access,”

54s

#GatherToPersevere

“He's talking about people who are trying to follow Christ but to do it all by themselves. You see, the gathering of the church is one of god's appointed means of grace for helping his people to stick it out, for helping his people to persevere. When we gather, what do we do? We pray together. We sing together. You make music. I make music. We do it together. We hear each other. We see each other doing it. We hear God's word together. We we encourage one another given the opportunity. Hopefully, in our encouragement, we remind one another here and there about the promises of God. And that is what helps us to keep going.”

93s

#WeeklyRemindsOfChrist

“That's why the church gathers week to week. Every Lord's Day, the idea is that God's people would be reminded again of who Jesus Christ is. What Jesus Christ has done is proclaimed every Sunday. What Jesus Christ has promised is proclaimed every Sunday. And we are called back from distraction and fear and doubt and unbelief, and we are encouraged every week to draw near and to hold fast. To draw near and to hold fast. Resist the temptation to think that life or the Christian life is just a random wandering through the the wilderness sleepwalking Sunday to Sunday or from Christian obligation to Christian obligation. No. We are understood as pilgrims that are moving towards and God is faithful to bring his people safely home.”

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Christ Opened the Way: Gather, Draw Near, Encourage

Devotional

Day 1: The Curtain Torn, the Way Opened

Day 2: Draw Near With a True Heart

Day 3: Hold Fast to the God Who Holds You

Day 4: Noticing the Saints Beside You

Day 5: Your Presence Is a Proclamation

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Christ Opened the Way: Gather, Draw Near, Encourage

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