Full Assurance | May 17, 2026 | Chance Hall

Hebrews 10 opens the door wide. The text announces confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus and then names three commands that ride on that confidence: draw near, hold fast, and stir one another up. Jesus stands at the center as the great priest over God’s house. His flesh is the curtain torn, his blood is the new and living way. Full assurance is the tone. Not maybe, not hopefully, but confidence rooted in what Christ already finished.

The Day of Atonement sets the backdrop. Leviticus 16 draws a picture with strict garments, careful washings, two goats, and one priest who tiptoes into one room on one day with fear. That system erects distance. The curtain says keep out. The scapegoat says sin must be carried away. Jesus answers both. The cross takes the sin and tears the curtain from top to bottom. The veil does not get folded for later use. It gets ruined. Access is now.

Drawing near takes shape in three simple paths. Prayer comes first because Jesus prayed first. Before decisions, miracles, suffering, and even after victories, Jesus met the Father. Scripture becomes the language of the Shepherd’s voice, so discernment grows as immersion grows. Obedience seals love. John 14 says keeping his word marks those who truly love him. That rhythm is not legalism. Positional holiness declares saints forgiven and set apart the moment they trust Christ. Behavioral holiness then grows daily, bit by bit, as loves change and habits bend toward him.

Holding fast sounds like a soldier’s order. The hope must be confessed without wobbling because the One who promised is faithful. Spiritual priorities keep the ground: security that guards the heart, weapons maintenance that keeps the word sharp in hand, communication that keeps prayer clear, improvement that builds depth through community and accountability, mission prep that rehearses gospel living, sustainment that rests in fellowship, and recovery that repents quickly. Drift starts small. Discipline keeps it small.

Stirring one another up refuses isolation. Hebrews calls the church to meet, encourage, and even provoke. Provocation is not cruelty. It is a holy shake when apathy sets in, a loving “stop it” that restores identity and direction. Truth and grace need each other, so the body supplies what a lone believer lacks. Proverbs 13 says walk with the wise to become wise. The torn curtain means nobody has to stand at a distance anymore. Full assurance belongs to sinners embraced by a faithful Christ, and the invitation is live like the access is real.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Full assurance flows from Jesus’ supremacy Full assurance does not ride on spiritual mood swings. It rests on the One who is greater, better, higher, fuller, final, and supreme. Confidence grows as the heart stares longer at Christ’s finished work than at its own performance. The soul steadies because his merit does not wobble. [13:09]
• 2. Draw near through prayer, word, obedience Access without approach wastes a gift. Prayer tunes the heart to the Father’s voice, Scripture teaches that voice’s grammar, and obedience keeps that voice central in everyday choices. Those three strands twist into a rope strong enough to pull a believer through both joy and pain. [14:16]
• 3. Prayer is preparation before everything Jesus prayed first, not as a last-ditch rescue but as normal oxygen. Decisions, miracles, teaching, and suffering all ran through the Father’s presence before they ran to the crowd. Preparation in secret shapes power in public, and gratitude after victory guards against quiet pride. [20:56]
• 4. Hold fast with spiritual priorities of work Hope must be guarded like ground in a fight. Security of the heart, maintenance in the word, clear communication in prayer, depth through community, mission rehearsal, shared rest, and quick repentance keep a believer ready. Neglect any one of these and drift becomes the default. [29:50]
• 5. Do not walk alone. Provoke to love Community is not optional seasoning. Meeting together lets saints study one another well enough to encourage, correct, and pull each other out of numbness. Holy provocation says what flattery never will and gives what isolation never can. [34:01]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [07:39] - Saving seats and eternal urgency
• [10:15] - Why not be urgent for heaven
• [12:12] - Full assurance and Hebrews’ superlatives
• [13:25] - Three commands: draw near, hold fast, stir up
• [14:16] - Reading Hebrews 10:19-22
• [14:56] - Day of Atonement backdrop
• [17:08] - The scapegoat and sin carried away
• [18:12] - Barriers under the old covenant
• [19:03] - How to draw near: prayer, word, obedience
• [20:56] - Jesus prayed first
• [25:57] - Positional and behavioral holiness
• [29:07] - Hold fast without wavering
• [29:50] - Priorities of work for spiritual warfare
• [34:01] - Do not walk alone
• [37:30] - Provoke against apathy
• [39:13] - The torn veil and true access
• [39:53] - Full assurance, not partial
• [40:59] - Invitation to draw near

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.

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Observation Questions

1. What three commands does Hebrews 10:19-25 give believers, and what imagery does the passage use to explain our access to God?
2. According to the sermon, how did the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16) create distance between people and God, and how did Jesus’ sacrifice change this? [14:56]
3. What practical examples from Jesus’ life were given in the sermon to show the importance of prayer? [20:56]
4. How does the sermon contrast “positional holiness” and “behavioral holiness”? [25:57]

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Interpretation Questions

1. Why is the tearing of the temple curtain (Matthew 27:51) described as being “ruined” and not just “opened”? What does this symbolize about our relationship with God?
2. The sermon compares “holding fast” to a soldier’s discipline in holding ground. How do the “priorities of work” (security, communication, etc.) apply to resisting spiritual drift? [29:50]
3. Hebrews 10:24 says believers should “stir up one another to love and good works.” How does isolation or apathy make this command harder to obey? [37:30]
4. Why might the author of Hebrews emphasize “full assurance of faith” (v. 22) instead of partial confidence? How does this assurance combat fear or doubt?

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Application Questions

1. The sermon mentions prayer as “normal oxygen” for Jesus. What is one area of your life (decisions, relationships, struggles) where you need to prioritize prayer first instead of as a last resort? [20:56]
2. “Behavioral holiness” involves daily, incremental changes. What is one habit or attitude you feel God nudging you to adjust this week? How could accountability with others help?
3. The “priorities of work” include guarding your heart and staying sharp in Scripture. Which of these areas (security, prayer, community, etc.) feels most vulnerable in your life right now? What step could you take to strengthen it? [29:50]
4. How can you intentionally “provoke” someone in your community this week—not with criticism, but with encouragement or a challenge to grow in love or faithfulness?
5. The torn curtain means we no longer need to stand at a distance from God. Are there areas where you still act like there’s a barrier between you and Him (shame, busyness, self-reliance)? How might you “draw near” practically in those areas?