Automated Transcript:
We’ll begin with a brief prayer as we normally do. And then we’ll have some concluding thoughts and just informational things at the end, let’s begin with a word of prayer, our gracious father in heaven, we bow before you grateful for the day you’ve given to us the life that we have, the honor that we have to serve you. We pray that you will be with us as we go through this period of this holiday season during this time where some of us are separated from one another,
but we might be close to those many others whom we love. We pray for those who were separated from their loved ones in their family because of health reasons. And we pray that they might have the strength to be courageous and, and comforted at this time, pray that you watch over them as they go throughout their daily lives. We pray for those who are struggling and with illnesses,
especially those who are dealing with COVID at this time or mindful of congregations that are mourning the loss of loved ones because of this disease. And we pray that they will have comfort in hard times as well. We pray for continued health among all those of our congregation. And we pray for all those whom they love all this. We pray in Jesus name,
amen. As Hebrews chapter 10 concludes Hebrews chapter 10 ends with these words. But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul, the Hebrews writer wants these Christians to know that he knows who they are. He knows what they’ve been through. He knows what they believe and what they were taught.
And he has confidence in them. The way God had confidence in the righteous people in Judah in the days of Habakkuk, when God told Habakkuk the just shall live by faith. Now that didn’t mean that the just didn’t undergo difficulty. Imagine you were Daniel, Hannah and I as riot Michelle. And you found yourself carted off as a young man to Babylon.
Now, did you experience difficulty? Yes. But did God provide for you? Yes. And so God tells Habakkuk the just shall live by faith. The Hebrew writer tells these Christians, the just shall live by faith. And if anyone draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. And the Hebrew writer says, but we know you. We know you and you’re not going to draw back.
You’re going to remain faithful. That brings us to chapter 11, verse one. Now the Hebrew writer says faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence as the new King, James puts it of things not seen beginning. At this point in the, in the passage, the Hebrew writer is going to begin from here and the entire chapter, all of chapter 11 and into chapter 12 is a discussion of people who by faith obeyed not having seen the promise.
Now go to the end of chapter 11 and let’s set this discussion. He says beginning in verse 36 of chapter 11, still others had trial of mockings and scourgings yes, and have chains and imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sawn into, they were tempted slain with the sword they wandered about in sheepskins. And goatskins being destitute afflicted, tormented of whom the world was not worthy.
They wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth and all these having obtained a good testimony through faith did not receive the promise. The entire chapter is about those who were faithful because of God’s word, their faith. Having heard, having believed what God said, having been promised some thing they were faithful and didn’t give up, even though he says all these never obtained the promise,
what he doesn’t mean is he doesn’t mean God promised them something and didn’t deliver yet. They were faithful in a way that no, no, no. That’s not what he’s talking about. He’s saying the promise, the promise that they were looking for all ultimately was a spiritual promise and any terminal promise in contrast to a physical promise, they received the physical things though.
They may not have received them in their day. The future generations might have, but they did all of it and obeyed by faith, looking for a promise that they never obtained in their lifetime on the earth, God, verse 40, having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. So he’s talked about the blood of Christ,
which flowed backwards for their forgiveness, flowed forwards for our forgiveness. And he said they didn’t receive those better things apart separate from us. But instead we were an integral part of their promise. So we begin in chapter 11, okay. With a discussion of faithful people in the old Testament, he says, verse two for by it, the elders obtained a good testimony.
He’s talking about faith. He’s talking about confidence in things that are not seen. Verse six. We’re just going to mention it here. We’ll cover it when we get there. But he says, without faith, it is impossible to please God, please him for he, that cometh to him or he who comes to God must believe that he is. And that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him two basic premises that he lays forward here for an obedient.
Faith is number one, the belief that God is the belief in his existence and that he is what he said he Is. And number two, That he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Every single one of the people listed all the way throughout this chapter had faith that God would reward them for obedience. In other words, that when God promised something,
the reward he promised he would deliver, okay, this is not a pie in the sky. God’s going to do wonderful things in my life because I’m obedient to him. This isn’t every day’s going to be good because I’m faithful to God. This isn’t anything like that. This is God will reward those. According to his promises who are faithful, according to his promises,
okay? That’s the point of chapter 11. So he begins with Abel Verse four, Actually, let’s, let’s go back to verse two for a minute for, by at the elder. So he’s talking about those who came before the elders obtained a good testimony by faith. We understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God. So that the things which are seen were not made of things which are Visible.
He says, you look at the world around you and the things you see, don’t Clearly demonstrate where they originated because They originated by the word of God. And yet he says, we understand that the things which aren’t seen have an impact on the things which are seen. And so the faith is the substance. The Undergirding of own Understanding of things hoped for that is things confidently assured of the use of hope in the Hebrew writers.
Writing is again, not a leap in the dark, not faith without evidence. It is instead the confident assurance of testimony that is the confident assurance of God’s word. So he says that faith is the substance, the undergirding of the things that have been confidently promised by God and in which we have assurance the evidence of things we have not seen. And then he goes to creation to say,
Here you go, you see This, but you know, it didn’t originate itself. There are some people today who Still believe it originated itself. How foolish, where did the first thing come from? They have no, cause They have no origination point. They have no substance whereby they can get the very first thing, because back of the first thing,
there had to be something in that case that is first physical thing. The back of all that is God and his word. So by faith, we understand verse three, that the worlds were framed by the word of God. So that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. And then he’s going to begin with Abel talking about faith,
obedience, and confidence in what is not seen by faith. Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain through which he obtained witness, that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts. And through it, he being dead still speaks. The Hebrew writer says, Abel’s talking to you, he’s talking to you because by his actions, he obeyed having confidence that what he was told to do mattered,
that what he was told to do was exactly what he should do. You go back to Genesis and you read about Cain and Abel. And the, the obvious difference is one of them obeyed what they were told to do. And one of them did what they wanted to do. And the one who obeyed was the one who was, was righteous, verse five by faith,
Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death and was not found because God had taken him for four. He was taken, he had this testimony that he pleased God, not just God looked at emic and said, you know what? I like him I’ll hold so much better than everybody else. No, no, no, no. That he was obedient and pleasing to God.
But then also verse six, commenting on<inaudible>. But without faith, it is impossible to please him. Okay. So we’ve got clarity on what this, this action was that caused<inaudible> to be pleasing to God. It was his faithful obedience without faith. It is impossible to please him for he that comes to God must believe that he is. And that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him by faith,
Noah being divinely warned of things. Not yet seen, watch that all the way through this. Not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an art for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness, which is according to faith, by faith, Abraham obeyed, when he was called to go out to a place,
which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out not knowing where he was going. Where did he someplace he had not seen yet? He did it in faith confidence that what God promised he would deliver by faith verse nine. He dwelled in the land of promise as in a foreign country dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.
And yet did Isaac or Jacob received the promise? Did they receive the land promise? The land that had been promised to Abraham? No, they didn’t receive it either. They as well dwelled in a land with a promise. They never had fulfilled in their lifetime For he waited. Now this goes back to Abraham for he waited for the city, which has foundations,
whose builder And maker is God Abraham. Ultimately I wasn’t looking for God to build him a physical city to dwell in. He wasn’t looking for a home or habitation on this earth. He was looking For any terminal abode Builder or, or a city built with foundations and not made with hands verse 11 by faith, Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed.
And she bore a child when she was past the age because she judged him faithful who had promised talk about something, not yet saying here’s Abraham and Sarah, having confidence that God will give them a seed when they’ve never seen someone born out of season, that is out of the age where it’s past the point of, of childbearing. And yet they’ve never seen that.
And yet they have confidence that God is able to do what he says might make note not perfect confidence. They it’s not as though they always understood everything and always had complete confidence after all, both of them at different times laughed when God said he was going to do what he said he was Going to do. Perfection Is not the same as faith, faithful obedience over overcomes Perfect knowledge.
Okay? Because it relies on the testimony of God. Instead of Our own knowledge. When we Out of our own senses, our own observation, think we have discovered everything and we no longer need God. That’s when we will lose Our faith. When we stop believing The word of God and substitute our own understanding, therefore from one man, verse 12 and him as good as dead.
In other words, past the point of a bearing children were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude, in numerable as the sand, which is by the seashore. These died in faith. They’re all in the point of still being faithful to God’s still trusting that God would fulfill the promise. And yet had not seen the promise fulfilled. God said that your seed would be,
is innumerable as the stars of heaven, the sand of the seashore yet. Did Abraham see all of those people be born? No, he didn’t. Yet. He saw Isaac who was born. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off we’re assured of them embrace them and confess that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For those who say such things, declare plainly that they seek a Homeland. And, and truly If they had called to mine, the country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity rich to return. But now they desire a better. That is an enduring country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for. He has prepared a city for them.
Abraham, it is described, looked for a city whose builder and maker was God. And now we read and God’s going to deliver exactly what he said. God’s going to deliver exactly what he was looking for. These patriarchs died in faith, and God will be faithful To his promise by faith. Abraham. He’s not done yet By faith. Abraham, when he was tested,
offered up Isaac and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. Here’s Abraham as another example, all right. Things not yet seen. Did Abraham ever witnessed God raise someone from the dead? No, but Abraham’s going to have confidence that God promised him Isaac, and that if he fulfills this requirement of offering Isaac, then he will receive Isaac back from the dead.
This of whom it was said in Isaac, your seed shall be called concluding that God was able to raise him up. Even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense by faith. Isaac blessed Jacob. And he saw concerning things to come. Isaac told Esau and Jacob, this is what God’s going to do for you. And yet it would not happen for years to come after Isaac was dead.
Yet he had faith and confidence that what God said he would do, he would do by faith. Jacob, when he was dying blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped leaning on this top of his staff by faith, Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel and gave instruction concerning his bones. How much more confidence do you need than what Joseph had?
How much more confidence could you possibly have them, what he had and that he not only said, Hey, I want you to be sure to leave Egypt and to Israel where God promised you were supposed to go to the promised land. But he said, and take my bones with you. He made preparations for hundreds of years later for them to carry his bones out of Egypt.
And he was dead and gone, but he had such confidence that God would do what he said, that he made preparations for his bones Verse 23 By faith. Moses, when he was born was hidden three months by his parents because they saw he was a beautiful child and they were not afraid of the King’s command by faith. Moses, when he had become of age,
refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, steaming, Sorry, just, I was afraid there for a minute that it wasn’t recording a steaming. Let me start back. Verse 24 by faith. Moses, when he became of age refused to be called the sons of Pharaoh’s daughter,
choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. Esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for he looked to the reward by faith. He versus Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who is invisible by faith. He kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood last.
He who destroyed the first born should touch them by faith. They well let’s, let’s talk about Moses here for a minute. Before we get into Israel, he’s uses all of these illustrations, actually beginning with Amram and Jochebed bed. The parents of Moses, he says they had faith that God would protect their son. So they disobeyed the command of the King.
You know, there’s a time and a place to disobeyed the commands of the King. The King said, you kill every male child of Israel and they didn’t do it. They protected their son and they trusted God could deliver him. And Moses then in turn, grew of age and refused to be called. The son of Pharaoh’s daughter refused to be identified it as an,
as an Egyptian refuse to take part in the riches of Pharaoh’s house. Instead being willing to suffer reproach, suffer affliction, to suffer for the eternal goal, the term reward, and the Hebrew writer describes it as esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than treasures in Egypt. How is it that Moses saw Christ? He saw Christ by seeing What God had promised you remember Deuteronomy chapter 18.
Moses said, there’s coming a day where God’s going to raise up another prophet, like under me. And who’s he talking about? He’s talking about the Messiah. He is talking about Christ. So then He did all of these things, including things not seen. God said, you put blood on the doorpost, you observed the Passover, you observed the sprinkling of blood or your firstborn.
I have every family that doesn’t do that. It’s going to be Die. Now they ever seen that happen before? No. Did they trust it was going to happen? Yeah. How do we know they did they put blood on the doorposts? They by faith obeyed concerning things. Not yet seen. So then verse 29 by faith, they passed through the red sea as by dry land.
Whereas the Egyptians attempting to do so were drowned. Had they ever seen the waters parted? Had they ever seen dry ground created at the bottom of the sea so that they could walk? No. But did they walk across anyway? Yes. And did that dry ground then get overflowed by the waters once again and destroy their enemies? Yes. By bye.
Faith, verse 30, the walls of Jericho fell down after they were in re encircled for seven days. Had they ever seen that happen? You ever decided that the best plan of action for defeating the city was to walk around it for seven days in a row? No. By faith, the harlot Rayhab did not perish with those who did not believe when she received the spies with peace.
And what more shall I say for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Bay rack of Samson. And Jephthah also of David and Samuel and the prophets who through faith, subdued, kingdoms worked, righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouths of lions quenched. The violence of fire escaped. The edge of the sword out of the weakness were made strong, became value,
and embattled turned to flight. The armies of the aliens women received their dead raised to life. Again, others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trials mockings and scourgings yes. And of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sawn in two, they were tempted. They were slaying with a sword.
They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute afflicted Had these Christians given up their home, had these Christians walked about destitute, had these Christians who were Considering going back to Moses, who were abandoning their faith and their obedience of God, because they hadn’t yet received. The promise. Were these Christians, those who had walked about destitute, afflicted and tormented,
he says those who did those, who did that? The world wasn’t worthy of them. They Wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth and all these having obtained a good testimony through faith did not receive the promise. Now he says His point, Are you so much better than they are? Or do you need to be living up to their example?
Notice he says, God, having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great, a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance. The race that is set before us looking unto Jesus,
the author, the originator and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. He says, you look at all those people who came before you, you look at all those people who in the old Testament who did these things, and then you look at Jesus and you look at what he did for you and what he did so that those in the past could have part in the promise with you.
Not apart from you. And you’re considering going back. Yeah. Consider him. He says, verse three, who endured such hostility from sinners. This is talking about Jesus against himself. Lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You, he says, have not yet resisted the blood shed, striving against sin. He said, nobody’s killing you.
Nobody’s torturing. You may mean you killing you, removing your head yet. Now there would Be a time that would come for the Christians, but he says, you’re not there yet. Now you look At your master. You look at your savior. What did he do for you? Did he go to the cross? So why are you giving up Now?
You Haven’t even gone to this point. All right, let’s go through the questions from chapter 11 real quick. And then we’ll move through chapter 12. I’m not sure how far we’re going to get into 13, but we’ll, we’ll see what happens. Chapter 11, questions. Number one, hopefully you’ve been able to download these from the website. They are going to available on the website.
If not, we’ll get a copy to you. They’ll also be at the church building printed off Hebrews chapter 11, verse one, question one. What is faith? Chapter 11 verse one says faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things. Not, not seen question two verse three of chapter, 11 of what did God create? The worlds verse Three says by faith,
we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God. Okay? So what the God created the worlds, his word. Yes or no. I guess the other, the other possible answer is they were made of things. Not seen the End there. Verse three, Question three. Yes or no. Can gut can an individual, please. God,
without faith. This is from verse six. Answer of course is no, yes or no. Again from verse six, does God reward those who seek him? Yes. The Question for this coming through all of chapter 11, the faith of Abel Enoch, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, his parents and Ram and Jacobin Moses Ray Hab Gideon.
Bayrock Samson, Jeff, the David Samuel, and the prophets was seen by there. So the faith of all these people was seen by their Blank. Obviously that’s obedience, their actions, These people of faith listed in Hebrews 11 were seeking a, an earthly country or be a heavenly country verses 13 through 16, says it. They were seeking a heavenly country.
Now these two pertain to previous lessons, not from chapter 11, name the Bible book, which says there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. I’ll leave you to find that I know what the answer is. And I’m sure you do too. Name the Bible book, which States I can do everything through True Christ. Okay. So that’s chapter 11 questions.
Now Let’s head into chapters 12 and 13. Chapter 12 is going to focus on a couple of primary points. Number one, God, correcting or chastening his children as sons. That’s going to be verses five through 11. Then verse 12 through verse 17 is the Hebrew writers admonitions. It’s his exhortations, his commandments to strengthen their presence, their, their faith and their resolve.
And then verses 18 through 29. A reminder that they’ve received a better covenant and a better kingdom than those in the days of Israel. Okay? Some of this we’re just going to read through for the sake of time. So we can say a few things about chapter 13, chapter 12, verse three begins with the discussion of Christ for consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself.
Lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted the bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation, which speaks to you as to sons. He says, my son do not despise the chastening of the Lord nor be discouraged. When you are rebuked by him, for whom the Lord loves he chastens and scourges.
Every son whom he receives. This comes from Proverbs, chapter three, verses 11 and 12. God says as the Solomon points out to his son, that when you receive chastening from the Lord, you don’t think that’s because he doesn’t love you. You remember that’s because he does love you, everyone, whom the Lord loves he chastens. He corrects, he instructs.
He sets on a right path. The obstacles, the trials, the difficulties in life, the things set before us and set before these people in the old Testament weren’t set before them because God hated them. They were set before them because God loved them. And he was teaching them. Verse seven, you endure chastening. God deals with you as with sons,
for what son is there, who may father does not chasing. If you have a good father, your father corrects you. He has from your youth corrected you. So you don’t do things that are harmful to you. But if you are without chastening of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. He describes them as those.
He says, if you want a life without chastening, then you want the life of a child whose illegitimate, whose father will have nothing to do with him. He doesn’t correct him. He doesn’t instruct him. He doesn’t set him on the right path because he is an illegitimate child and not cared for by his father. Furthermore, verse nine, we have had human fathers who corrected us and we paid them respect.
Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the father, spirits and live. There’s just a little side note here. If you have children who completely disrespect their parents, it’s not always the case, but it is often the case that that’s because their parents never corrected them. Even a child who doesn’t like the correction of eventually sees the value in it.
If they’re not a fool, they may not have liked it. And matter of fact, he brought, he was going to say, when we didn’t like it, and yet we respected them because they corrected us. Verse 10 for they indeed for a few days, chastened us as seen best to them that his parents on this earth, physical parents, but he God,
the father for our profit, he knows exactly what we need. That we may be partakers of his holiness. Now, no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful, no point when we were corrected by our earthly fathers, were we happy about being corrected? Did we find joy in being corrected, but it was useful afterward. It yields peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
As opposed to those who said, because of this hardship, I’m departing those foods Who wouldn’t be taught, who wouldn’t Here. God, therefore, verse 12. Now he’s going to move into his admonitions. His Eggert exhortations. He’s saying you need to learn this. Therefore strengthen the hands, which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet.
So that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed, pursue peace with all people and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord looking carefully. Lest anyone falls short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up, but cause trouble. And by this many become defiled, lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau,
who for one morsel of food sold his birthright for, you know, that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected for. He found no place for repentance though. He sought it diligently with tears. Okay? As he describes this, he says, here’s what you need to do. You need to strengthen. What’s weak. You need to set straight paths before your fee.
You need to pursue not just peace, but peace and holiness. And you need to look carefully. And the idea of looking carefully here is an inspection for you need to examine yourselves less there be sin in your life, and then use as Esau. As the example, Esau gave up his birthright, something he had not yet seen. He gave up his birthright.
He could see the soup. What he saw was an immediate value to him. He For suc what had greater value. So the exact opposite of the examples before here’s one who disrespected, disregarded the promise Of his birthright and sold it for a meal. Now, then we have verses 18 Through 29 through the end of the chapter, discussing their better covenant and their better kingdom.
There’s a lot that could be said here. We don’t have time to really say it. Now we’ll say this kind of summarize What’s here. This Goes back to Exodus 19. This goes back to God’s presence at Mount Sinai, where initially God said to all Israel, if you touch the mountain, while my presence is here, you’ll die. If an animal touches the mountain he’ll die.
If you climb on the mountain, you’ll die. As a matter of fact, they even had commandment to stone or to shoot with arrows. Those who did it, God, didn’t say I’m immediately gonna strike you dead. God said, you all are going to protect my mountain. As I speak to you. And he describes Moses as fear, he describes the fear of the people and all of this.
He says, they came to this earthly mountain that was burning with fire and they heard the voice of God. And they were so afraid And they couldn’t approach him. There’s the key in this text, the key is they had a kingdom and they had a covenant sealed With blood sealed with promises, but they could not Approach God. And yet you have a Better covenant because you can approach God.
That’s verses 18 through 24, verse 25, 1329. He then says, see that you do not refuse him. Who speaks for if they did not raise, did not escape. Who refused him, who spoke on the earth? How much more shall we not escape? If we turn away from him who speaks from heaven, they didn’t escape. When they turned against Moses,
how do you think we’re going to end up? If we turn away from God whose voice then shook the earth. But now he has promised saying yet, once more, I shall shake, not only the earth, but also heaven. Now this once more indicates the removal of those things, which had been, which are being shaken, the rest of Judaism,
as of things that are made and the things which cannot be shaken, that the things which cannot be shaken may return. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom, which cannot be shaken, let us have grace that by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire. And that comes from Exodus chapter 24.
When, as they’re instituting the covenant between Israel and God, that statement is made. And there’s much that could be talked about there in Exodus 24, verses 12 through 18. Again, don’t have time. One of these days, we’re going to come back here and talk about all this stuff we’ve said. We don’t have time to discuss chapter 13 in very Quick summary form.
He says, as he begins with a number of additional exhortations, kind of drawing these ideas to a conclusion, he says, let brotherly love continue. Just like Peter would say to those Christians in second, Peter chapter one, brotherly love or brotherly kindness as talked about in by Peter has a lot to do with our continuing faith, our thoughtfulness and care for one another.
He says, do not forget to entertain strangers for by doing so. Some of us are unwittingly entertained angels. It’s not talking about having a fancy party at your house. I was talking about hospitality, serving others. Remember the prisoners is if chained with them, those who are mistreated since you yourselves are in the body. Also, don’t just think about your own situation.
Think about those who are suffering as Christians. He says, marriage is honorable among all and the bed undefiled, but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. He had just spoken about Esau as being a fornicator. And that was part of his problem. His willingness to serve his fleshly desires instead of God. And here he says, marriage is to be kept he to let your conduct be without covetousness,
be content with such things as you have for he himself has said, I will never neither leave you nor forsake you so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me? Remember those who rule over. You have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.
Jesus Christ is the same. Yesterday, today and forever. He says, you be, you be content with what you have. If what you have is Relationship with an unchanging. God, If you have that, then you have everything. If you don’t have that, then you have nothing and you can have all the possessions in the world. But if you don’t have that relationship with God,
the one who doesn’t change, you have no hope. So he says, you watch those who have the rule over you. This, I believe firmly resides in a discussion of elders. He says, you watch the elders And you live like them. If they Are what they should be. If they’re elders who are worthy of being elders, he says,
you watch their faith and you do what they do very much the same as what Paul said to the church at Corinth. When he said, you follow after me As I follow after Christ verse nine. And he says, do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited.
Those who have occupied, who have been occupied by them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat for the bodies of those animals. Whose blood is brought is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned outside the camp. Therefore God or Jesus also verse well, therefore Jesus also that he might sanctify the people with his own blood Suffered outside the gate for here.
We have no continuing city. Sorry. I missed a verse. Let’s go back to verse 12. Therefore Jesus also, He might sanctify the people with his own blood Suffered outside the gate led Or therefore let us go forth to him Outside the camp, bearing his reproach For here. We have no continuing city, but we seek the One to come. Therefore By him,
let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God. That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name, but do not forget to do good and to share for, with such sacrifices. God is well pleased and I’ll go all the way back chapter 11. And what did he say? God was pleased With faithful obedience. He says now do good to others and show your faith as James would put it by your work Works and not your faith without your works,
obey those who ha who rule over you again, looking at elders And be submissive for they watch out for your souls as those who must give account, let them do so with joy and not with grief for that would be unprofitable for You. Pray for us. For, we are confident that we have a conscience in all things declare desire. Yes, desiring to live honorably.
But I especially urge you to do this. That I may be restored to you. You the sooner now God of peace, who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you complete in every good work to do his will working in you. What is pleasing Well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ,
To whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. The writer says, I want God to work In you. Is There any indication he thinks that’s going to happen without the Hebrew brethren working, Working on themselves, that would kind of fight Single. Let us, let us, let us, let us, let us statement all throughout the book. He doesn’t expect them to receive from God a change in their lives until they enact a change in their lives Drives by faith and obedience.
He says, I appeal to you brethren bear with the word of exhortation Four, I have written to you in few words, much more could have been said much longer could have been the letter, but know that our brother Timothy has been set free with whom I shall see you. If he comes shortly, greed, all those who rule over you And all the saints,
those from Italy, greet you, grace, be with you all. Amen. The Hebrew writer says a great deal to these brethren. And he says, ultimately, it’s up to them. It’s up to them to choose you. And I, it’s also up to us, it’s up to us to choose whether or not we’ll be faithful, whether or not we’ll hold fast,
our confidence, whether or not We will hold on to grace, whether or not we will by faith. Oh, bang. Whether or not we will do all of them. These things is up to us. And I can’t yeah. An answer for you. And you can answer for me, but we As Christians and as a congregation must decide independently and together that we will be faithful to him.
If you’re outside the body of Christ, you’re not faithful to him. You’re not even a child of his. If you Need to become a member of the body of Christ, you can do that. You can do that. Even during this holiday season, you can be immersed In water, permission of your sins. You Can hear the word of God and believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.
Jesus said, except you believe I am. He, you will Die in your sins. You can confess his name, having repented of your sins, committing to changing your life, to match his word. And you can be immersed in water, dying to sin, dying to your old self and rising up to walk in newness of life. Part of that new and living way he writes about in Hebrews chapter 10,
you can do that. You too can live as seeing the promises that are yet unseen, knowing that God is faithful. And knowing also that our God is a consuming fire and you don’t want to be judged by him. If you’re a member of the body of Christ and you’ve turned your back on God, understand this, our God is a consuming fire and you don’t want to be judged by him.
But also we need to remember for those struggling, that there is opportunity to remain faithful, strengthen what’s weak, make straight paths before your feet to obey. God, make a plan to obey God and then fulfill that plan by removing sin and following obedience to God. I hope you have enjoyed the class. I hope it has been beneficial. I know there’s much more that could be said about Hebrews,
but I appreciate your time and your attention this evening hope everything is well with you. It is with our family and we pray that everything will go well with you throughout this week. And next week, as we’re apart from you, let’s conclude with a prayer, our gracious father in heaven, we bow before you grateful for this day for its blessings or all that you do for us every day,
we ask that you forgive us when we sin, give us your grace and your mercy each and every day. And may we do what is right in your sight. All this we pray in Jesus name. Amen.