What does First B Jackson teach about drawing near to god?
Drawn from the messages where it was actually addressed: the words said from the front, the passages taught, and where to hear the whole thing.
At First B Jackson, the teaching on drawing near to God starts with the argument that runs through the book of Hebrews: Jesus is the great high priest who opened the way into the holy place through his own body, and because of that, ordinary people can now approach God with real confidence. That confidence was never available under the old covenant, where the high priest alone entered once a year and still had to make atonement for his own sins first. The blood of animals could not remove sin, but the blood of Jesus can and does. The passage in Hebrews 10:19-25 is where that whole argument lands.
Both Ray and Pastor Jason have worked through the three "let us" calls that follow from that foundation. The first is to draw near with a sincere heart and full assurance of faith, not out of habit or family obligation, but because the gospel is actually true. Ray was careful to point out that these calls are invitations rather than commands, a move together rather than one person telling another what to do. The second is to hold fast to the confession of hope in Christ without wavering, staying fixed on Jesus himself. The third turns outward: to consider how to stir one another up toward love and good deeds, a word the text uses that carries more edge than a gentle nudge.
Pastor Jason tied all of this to the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector from Luke 18. The tax collector would not even lift his eyes, only asking God to be merciful to him, the sinner, and Jesus said it was that man who went home justified. The point that kept pressing on Pastor Jason was straightforward: none of us deserve what God has given, and it would not be grace if it were deserved. Drawing near to God, then, is not something earned by a clean record. It is the very thing the sacrifice of Jesus made possible for the person who knows he has no standing on his own.
Taught from Hebrews 10:19-25 · Hebrews 4:14-16 · Luke 18:10-14 · Acts 15:36-39 · Hebrews 6:1
The passage taught · Acts 15:36-39
36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”
37 Barnabas planned to take John, who was called Mark, with them also.
38 But Paul didn’t think that it was a good idea to take with them someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and didn’t go with them to do the work.
39 Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus,
World English Bible
The messages that teach on it
- September 10, 2023 Draw Near With Confidence A Moroccan taxi driver, a prayer hip-to-hip, and Hebrews 10: The preacher's message on humility, grace, and what it means to draw near to God together.
- November 10, 2019 Let Us Draw Near Hebrews 10:19-25 calls believers to draw near to God, hold fast to Jesus, and stir one another toward love and good works as the day of His return approaches.
Mentioned along the way
- November 17, 2019 It Is a Terrifying Thing A verse-by-verse walk through Hebrews 10 on the weight of willful sin, the faithfulness of God's promises, and what it means to say yes to Christ as Lord.