Hebrews 10:23–25

While preaching in Romania 11 years ago, I was approached by a man who told me about his grandfather whose desire it had been to see Jesus return in his lifetime, but he had died and Jesus still had not returned. The man then told me about his father who had also wanted to see Jesus come, but he died.  He also thought that he would live to see Jesus come but he was 70 years of age, and that was in 2001.  It seems that Jesus never comes back to take us home to that beautiful place He has prepared for the faithful ones. Please read Revelation 21 thoroughly to see what a beautiful place Jesus is offering us and to see such a beautiful place we gain it only through the merits of the Lamb of God.

There have been millions of people who, expecting to see Jesus come during their lifetime, have prepared themselves to meet Him.  They accepted the Three Angels’ Messages, the truths concerning the hour of God’s judgment, faithfully kept God’s commandments and expected to be ready to see Jesus when He comes, but they have died. We are told that these faithful ones who accepted the truth of the Three Angels’ Messages and have died before Jesus returns will see Him come. Before the general resurrection that happens when Jesus comes, there is to be a special resurrection for these people to see the final events and Jesus coming in the clouds. “All who have died in the faith of the third angel’s message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God’s covenant of peace with those who have kept His law.” –The Great Controversy, p. 637

Sister White wrote in 1913 that if we had done our work, Christ could have already come. “Had the church of Christ done her appointed work as the Lord ordained, the whole world would before this have been warned, and the Lord Jesus would have come to the earth in power and great glory.” –The Review and Herald, November 13, 1913. Jesus wants more than anything else to come back to this world that has been so corrupted and save His people. He is waiting “till His enemies be made His footstool.” Hebrews 10:13

For Him to stop waiting, something needs to happen! “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.” Hebrews 10:14–18

Once the new covenant has been received, sin is taken away, bringing an end to the plan of salvation. When Jesus comes to this world for the second time, He is going to announce that there is no more offering for sin. Those who retain sin at that time will be lost. Those who are saved will be without sin (Revelation 22:11–12). The plan of salvation is all over before Jesus returns the second time. We cannot look forward to that time with rejoicing unless the Holy Spirit is working in us a work of overcoming sin, because when Jesus leaves the Most Holy Place, there is no more forgiveness (Hebrews 9:28). Since this is the way it is going to be, Paul says that we need to hold fast our confession (Hebrews 10:23), and, to have “boldness to enter into the holiest.” Hebrews 10:19

In the plan of salvation, as illustrated in the sanctuary, there are three stages, and it is necessary to go through all three stages to be saved. The first is to enter the courtyard where the sacrifice is offered. The courtyard of the heavenly sanctuary is this world. It was in this world where Jesus, represented by the lamb without blemish, offered His life on the cross to save man from sin. That sacrifice must be accepted by faith in order to receive the benefits that are provided. Paul explains in Hebrews 13 how by His blood we are sanctified, made holy, and therefore able to enter into the Holy Place. This is the first apartment of the sanctuary, which involves learning holy living. Before entering into the Holy Place it is necessary to be washed clean. That cleansing, represented by the laver, is located just outside the entrance to the Holy Place. However, it is not enough to just reach there in order to be saved. Consider the following:

When playing the game of baseball, even if you have run to the third base, you are not really safe and can still be put out before you get home. There are many people who think that if you just get to the courtyard and accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, then that is all it takes to be saved. That is a deception, and it is just the first step in the Christian walk. In fact, Paul discusses that in detail in the book of Hebrews. He said that we need to not just lay down the foundation, but we need to go on to perfection (Hebrews 6:1), describing the experience of the Holy Place. The experience in the courtyard is the preparation to go into the Holy Place, and the experience in the Holy Place is preparation for entry into the Most Holy Place.

In the Israelite service under the Old Covenant, throughout the year the amount of sin that accumulated in the sanctuary increased in the Holy Place. When the people confessed their sins, though the real record is in the heavenly sanctuary, the earthly record, the blood of the offering, was in type taken into the Holy Place where it stayed until the Day of Atonement. On the Day of Atonement all the sins were removed in type from the sanctuary. That is what happens in reality in the heavenly sanctuary. When the sins are removed, the Lord will come.

There is coming a time, if you are a Christian, when there will be no more temptations. No more will you be tempted to be discouraged or to break God’s law in any way. At present, the devil has access to God’s people 24 hours a day every day of the week, so it is hard to even imagine not being tempted, but that time is coming. It is exciting to know that soon life will be experienced the way God intended.

Ellen White wrote, “He [God] created man for happiness.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 290. Today, that is not very obvious because of sin and all the trouble caused by the devil’s temptations. David wrote, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:11.

Paul says we have this hope, so we are waiting for this to happen. Jesus also is waiting for this to happen, so do not let loose, hold on, do not turn away, do not turn back and do not give up your faith. When a prophet or apostle, inspired by the Holy Spirit, gives us a warning, it is because there is danger looming. The danger is that by becoming impatient we will give up, as many others have given up waiting. Paul cautions and counsels and exhorts us not to give up. He says, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).” Hebrews 10:19–23. Paul is here writing about entering by faith into the Holy Places of the heavenly sanctuary, but in that same context, he says, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24–25

When I was a student in the mission school I was in an institution that held regular religious services. There was prayer meeting, morning and evening worship, regular study during the day, canvassing work and so on.  But sometimes I thought was is good for me to stay and study the Bible or a subject from the Spirit of Prophecy by myself and not participate in the classes. I was a bookish sort of person and thought that I did not need to go to all of those religious services or classes because I could read. I had a Bible and Spirit of Prophecy books, and I probably read more than any other student in the school at that time. I was content to just stay in my room and read on my own. I have met lots of other people like me.

At that same time, I became acquainted with an older sister who was at the institution. On one occasion, this sister approached me and said, “I want to talk to you. What were you doing last Friday night? You were in your room studying your Bible, were you not?” I was in my room reading. I knew she could not get me in trouble, because I was not doing anything wrong. But then she continued, “You know, it is good that you are studying your Bible, and it is good that you are praying, but God’s will for His people is not only to study and pray, but for them to assemble together to study and to worship Him.” I thought about what she said. I actually checked things out in the Bible and found that the Bible supported what she had told me.

Br. Siegmund Gutknecht, a minister and Bible teacher, also taught us in his lectures about secret prayer and success in missionary work. He said, “I have always told ministerial students that if you do not pray at least 30 minutes a day, your ministry will not amount to much.” We all need to have a prayer life. We all need to study. But he was talking to me: “Study is good, prayer is good but do not forget to assemble together with others to study and worship Him.” Paul emphasizes this same thing.

There are many churches where someone is assigned to note who is present and who is not present so that those who are missing can be visited; there is nothing wrong with doing that. God also keeps a record of which people assemble to worship Him and which people are not there.

“Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name.” Malachi 3:16. These were God’s people, the ones who feared Him, those who assembled to speak to one another. God heard it, and He wrote a book of remembrance. “And they shall be Mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.” Malachi 3:17–18

The Lord looked down and saw the people who were assembled and talking about Him. The Lord said, “Get the book. Put it in the book.” The Lord keeps a record.

Right after the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit had filled the church, “they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Acts 2:42. One of the things that made the early church so powerful was that the people had fellowship. They were just like a family. It is going to be that way again among His people just before Jesus comes. It is exciting to think that we could be part of that group. I did not understand the importance of fellowship until after that sister talked to me. I could never develop a close relationship with the other members of the church if I stayed in my room and never talked to them.

I am still bookish, but I try to fellowship with God’s people and not spend all my time just reading and praying on my own. Part of God’s plan is for His people to worship and fellowship together. I meet people who have told me they believe the Three Angels’ Messages, but for one reason or another, they cannot go to church. Some people have legitimate reasons, and others have all sorts of reasons for not going to church.

“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7. If we are really walking in the light, we are going to have fellowship with one another. As I travel about, I see too many people like me, staying in their rooms, studying and praying. They are often on their own with not much fellowship; everybody doing their own thing.

The Lord specifically said what His ancient people were to do on the Sabbath: “Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations.” Leviticus 23:3–4.The Sabbath is a holy convocation, a place where people assemble to worship the Lord.

Paul said, “How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, everyone of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.” 1 Corinthians 14:26. The word edification means to build something up. Edification takes a lot longer than destruction. A house can be destroyed in one day.

Building something up takes time. Building a house can take months and lots of work. It is the same way in a church, in a marriage, in a family, in an institution; if you want to build something up, it takes time and much work. It takes time, often many months or even years to build relationships, and church is one of the places where God wants to build a fellowship, bringing many different people together to build a relationship among those who are getting ready to go to heaven. It takes work. Many people know that and use it as a reason and often an excuse for not going to church, because they are too tired and they know that it takes work. It takes even more work if you are among the members of a small church rather than if you are in a large church. That is also one of the reasons why many people gravitate toward large churches where they can sit in the pew without any responsibilities.

There is a special group of people, however, who have a legitimate reason not to go to church.

Ellen White says, “There will always be duties which have to be performed on the Sabbath for the relief of suffering humanity. This is right, and in accordance with the law of Him who says, ‘I will have mercy, and not sacrifice’ [Matthew 12:7]. But there is danger of falling into carelessness on this point, and of doing that which it is not positively essential to do on the Sabbath.” –Medical Ministry, p. 50

Much care is needed in these cases not to be doing things on the Sabbath that could be done at other times. She also says, “Often physicians are called upon on the Sabbath to minister to the sick, and it is impossible for them to take time for rest and devotion. The Saviour has shown us by His example that it is right to relieve suffering on this day; but physicians and nurses should do no unnecessary work. Ordinary treatment, and operations that can wait, should be deferred till the next day. Let the patients know that physicians must have one day for rest.” –Medical Ministry, p. 214

“Your neglect to attend the public worship of God is a serious error. The privileges of divine service will be as beneficial to you as to others and are fully as essential. You may be unable to avail yourself of these privileges as often as do many others. You will frequently be called, upon the Sabbath, to visit the sick, and may be obliged to make it a day of exhausting labour. Such labour to relieve the suffering was pronounced by our Saviour a work of mercy and no violation of the Sabbath. But when you regularly devote your Sabbaths to writing or labour, making no special change, you harm your own soul, give to others an example that is not worthy of imitation, and do not honour God.

“You have failed to see the real importance, not only of attending religious meetings, but also of bearing testimony for Christ and the truth. If you do not obtain spiritual strength by the faithful performance of every Christian duty, thus coming into a closer and more sacred relation to your Redeemer, you will become weak in moral power.” –Counsels on Health, p. 368 (emphasis mine).This counsel was not just to attend meetings, but to take an active part in them.

I have friends who have not been to church for years and when we do not listen to Divine counsel, we become weak in moral power.

I know that temptation. Fortunately, God spoke to me through His servants who, without criticism or jumping on me with a tongue-lashing, simply explained to me the need of fellowship with like believers for the edification of the church.

The apostle Paul says we must exhort one another, “and so much the more as you see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25. “The Day,” the day that Jesus will come again, that is fast approaching. Someday, if you are in prison for your faith, it will be impossible to attend church because you will be behind iron bars. So take advantage of the spiritual opportunities that God places within your reach while they are available.

Someone may say, “But you do not know how tired I am.” Still, meet with God’s people on Sabbath, or you will miss the special blessing that He has for His people on His holy day. You cannot afford to continually miss it without eventually becoming weak in moral power and running the risk of losing your soul.

How wonderful is the peace is that God gives us when we gather together in His place of appointment, the Church. We have the assurance of His presence, brothers and sisters, let us come closer to Jesus and His followers, our brethren.

“For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Psalm 84:10

If we don’t like to have fellowship with each other here on earth then how could we have fellowship in heaven? So, let us try to come to the appointment with Jesus and be glad for the privilege of worship.

May God bless every reader of this message and give him the joy of fellowship. This is my wish and prayer.

AMEN!

Nicholas Anca