HEBREWS – Hebrews 5-6
Encouragement
- What was the job of the human high priest? For whom did he offer sacrifices? Hebrews 5:1-3 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- Who is the high priest forever? According to what order is Christ a high priest?
Hebrews 5:6, 10; 6:20 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ - (yes or no) Did Jesus obey the Father?
Whom should persons obey now? Hebrews 5:8-9 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ - Immature Christians are said to need _____________ for food.
Mature Christians are said to need _____________ for food. Hebrews 5:12-14
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ - Those persons to whom the writer of Hebrews addressed (a) had ministered in the past, (b) were ministering at the present time, or (c) had never ministered. Hebrews 6:10 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- Why did the Hebrew writer encourage the hearers to exert faith and patience? Hebrews 6:11-12 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- What is the “anchor of the soul”? Hebrews 6:19 ________________________________________________________________
HEBREWS – Hebrews 7-8
Jesus Is a Better High Priest; Jesus Is a Better Covenant
- How much did Abraham give Melchizedek? How much were the people to give the priests? Hebrews 7:1-5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- (yes or no) Was it necessary to change the Law of Moses when the priesthood was changed? Hebrews 7:12 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- What things did the Law of Moses make perfect? Hebrews 7:19
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ - Why were there great numbers of priests under the Law of Moses?
Why, under the new covenant, is there only one high priest?
How often did the high priest, under the Law of Moses, offer up sacrifices for sins?
How often did Jesus offer sacrifice for sins? Hebrews 7:23-24, 27 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ - Who pitched the earthly tabernacle? Where is the “true tabernacle”?
The Law of Moses was a _________ and ______ of the heavenly things.
Hebrews 8:2, 5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ - Jesus is the ______________ of the new covenant.
Discuss the first covenant and the need for a second. Hebrews 8:6-7 ________________________________________________________________
Automated Transcript:
<inaudible> good morning. We are in the book of Hebrews<inaudible>. We will go over the questions for chapters five and six, but we’re going to wait and do it after we finished chapter six, since we didn’t get there on, on Wednesday. So we’re gonna kinda move through the end of chapter six, then we’ll go look at the questions and then we’ll enter into seven and eight and we’ll see.
We’ll see. All right, let’s begin with a word of prayer. Our gracious, mindful father in heaven. We are so grateful for all of your many blessings for all of the things that we have in this life that we do not even fully understand and appreciate that you do for us on a daily basis. We’re mindful of this time of those who are dealing with illnesses,
those families that are dealing with the loss of loved ones or loved ones in critical condition, we pray that you will be with them in this difficult time. We pray that you be with those who at this time of the year have struggles and, and cares and concerns because of lost loved ones that come to mind. And we pray that you will give them comfort and strength as well.
We pray that you watch over us as we go through this period of study, may the things that we say and the things that we learn, be those things that you would have us to learn and be those things which are in accordance with your will. And may we always strive to live in a way that is in accordance with the scriptures that you have given to us all this,
we pray in Jesus name, amen.<inaudible> Chapter six. We made it really just down to verse six, where the Hebrew writer says, if we, if they fall away to renew them again to repentance, actually, let’s go back to verse four, just to make a full, full sentence for it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have become partakers of the Holy spirit and have tasted of the good word of God and of the powers of the age to come.
And if taste, if they fall away to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves, the son of God, and put him to an open shame for the earth, with drink, which drinks in the rain. I’m having a hard time reading this morning for the earth, which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated receives blessings from God.
But if it bears thorns and briers is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burdened. The analogy here at the end of this section is valuable to us to get the point, okay? Because the Hebrew writer is he is describing these people who he says it is impossible to renew to repentance. We’ll give you a clear picture in the analogy,
because what is it he describes. He describes either the plants that come forth, taking the soil, taking the blessings of God and out of that, they bring forth good fruit or the plans that come forth, taking the blessings from God and the blessings from the soil and bear for earth. What thorns and briers and this hearkens back to an analogy that Jesus made.
Jesus said, if you, as a, as a vine grow up and you bear forth, no fruit or evil fruit, what does he say is going to happen to you? You’re going to be burned up. You’re going to be uprooted and cast into the fire. Now this declaration of impossibility, as we talked about on Wednesday, goes back to the,
the, the commandment or the declaration from God. Then none of these Israelites that came out of Egypt that came to the edge of the promised land. He said, none of them are going to go into my promised land. And he said, it’s going to happen bringing together what the Hebrew writer says because of their rebellion and unbelief. It didn’t matter if they repented.
It didn’t matter if they turned back. It didn’t matter if they said, I’m sorry. God said, you’re not entering my rest. It was impossible. They were not getting another opportunity. But the discussion of would they repent, did they repent really hinges on the fact of what happened to that generation? Because though they would get in a fix, they would repent.
They would turn around. They would say, I’m sorry, but then what will they do? They turn right back to rebelling again. And the Hebrew writer declares them to have an evil heart of on belief. He said, the problem was not their unwillingness to change. It was that ultimately their heart was unwilling to submit to God. And so here,
that analogy really gives us a clear picture of what he’s saying. He said, if your heart is the problem, if you take the blessings of God and produce evil fruit, the problem is not the fruit. The problem is what’s inside you. Okay? So the same analogy that Jesus makes that the one who bears evil fruit, though, he’s given all the blessings of God though.
He’s tended by the vineyard keeper though. He’s the one that you know, is inside the vineyard of, of, of God. He said, if he bears evil fruit, he’s going to be ripped up, pulled out. And because his heart is the problem. So the Hebrew writer is telling us, as long as you have a heart that will not obey God.
It doesn’t matter what you change by way of your actions. You cannot be renewed to repentance because the renewal begins in the heart. You can change the outward person. You can change the activities. You can change the actions, but heart is still the problem until the heart changes. That person can’t be renewed to repentance. That person cannot be restored Lord,
because their heart is the problem. Okay? So ultimately in, in all of this discussion, the disc discussion revolves around someone who has is so as the, as the scripture uses the term hard hearted, that God’s actions will not penetrate there. Hardheartedness as the example would be, they see the sea parted before they see the plagues in Egypt, they see all the things,
God, it does. And yet they still won’t believe him. Okay? Now verse nine. But beloved having said all of this, having said, you’re too dull of hearing. Having said that you may be so hard-hearted that you’ll be like those in Israel, who are those Israelites who couldn’t enter God’s rest. Having said all of those things he says,
but beloved, we are confident a better things concerning you. Yes. Things that accompany salvation, though, we speak in this manner, having chastised them, having rebuked them for their inability to hold on, to and, and obtain the meat of the word. Having rebuke them for constantly, always having to be taught. Instead of being teachers, he then brings them back to this and says,
but I know you can do better. I know you will do better. I know you’re not like those people in the old Testament for God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love, which you have shown toward his name in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister. And we believe that each of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope under the end that you do not become sluggish,
but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. So he says, you’ve got examples in front of you. You’ve got, yeah, those who are leading you down the road path now followed them, do what they do. And he said, you’ve ministered. You’ve served in the past. And I know you’ll serve. Now. I know you have a heart willing to do for others.
One of the things that is an attribute of the Israelites in the rebellion and in that first-generation was, it was always about themselves. One of the things that they failed in was a willingness to do to suffer for others, benefit everyone, every single complaint, every single murmuring, every single grumbling, every single uproar against Moses always was rooted in selfishness. And so the Hebrew runner identifies in these Christians,
the exact opposite attribute. He said, you may not be everything you need to be in your knowledge. You may not be everything you need to be in your understanding and in your learning, your service indicates something about your heart. And so that, that is where he tacks on his, his confidence in them that if they will continue to serve, if they will continue to act in the way they have acted in the past,
they have still a hope and assurance of the promises of God. So then he says, verse 13, when God made a promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no one greater. He swore by himself saying, surely blessing. I will bless you. And multiplying, I will multiply you as he’s just described the impossibility of God, declaring a person who will not enter his rest to ever be restored to that.
Rest. God said there is no way you, as an Israelite in that first-generation are going to enter the promised land. And there was no, there was nothing they could do that would overact or countermand God’s decision to the same extent that they had assurance that they would never enter. God’s rest in that. First-generation now he turns around to say, but just as great,
the assurance is that God says you’re judged that first-generation his judgment would be so the same greatness of God’s assurance. He is in his promise of a reward. If you could look at that first-generation and there was no chance, there was nothing they were going to do to counteract what God said. You can look at the promises of God and know there’s just as much as surety to the one who’s found faithful that they will enter God’s rest.
So, you know, example could be, if we kind of pulled this forward back to the, to the first generation that left Egypt, Joshua and Caleb, their faithfulness. So mandated that just as much as the, the rest of the population would not enter God’s rest, they would because of their faithfulness, they had as much as surety as the other people did just for the opposite,
the opposite result. Okay? So he describes here Abraham. He says for when God made a promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no one greater. He swore by himself saying, surely blessing. I will bless you. And multiplying, I will. This comes from Genesis 22. And so after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise for men indeed swear by the greater and an oath for confirmation is for them.
And end of all, dispute thus God determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise. The immutability of his counsel can by an oath that by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay, hold on the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul,
both sure. And steadfast, and which enters the presence behind the veil, where the 4runner has entered for us. Even Jesus, having become high priest forever, according to the order of milk. So first of all, what is the word immutability mean? Common, everyday word for all of us, right? Changeable. He says by these two unchangeable things,
God’s word and God’s oath by these two unchangeable things. God swore that his rest, his promise would be available, but it uses Abraham. As the example, he says, surely blessing. I will bless you and multiplying. I will multiply you skills back to the promise of God, to Abraham, to give him a son. Now, what age was Abraham?
When God made them Promise initially 75, 75, What age was he? When he fulfilled the promise? 125 years later, as one, one, preacher put it. He said, if you make a promise to a 75 year old, most of us would say, you better hurry up and actually fulfill that promise. There is going to be too late,
but with God, he didn’t, he didn’t hurry up, let alone, he waited another 25 years. The point being the assurance was because God said it, it was going to happen. And here we have the Hebrew writer saying just as much as Abraham could be assured that God was going to give him a son. So also we have an assurance and our assurance is tied to what<inaudible> All right.
But the assurance is tied to the anchor of the soul. Jesus having entered in ahead of us. Okay. Notice what he says here in verse 16 there, sorry. Verse, verse 19. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure. Instead fast. And which enters the presence beyond behind the veil where the 4runner has entered for us.
Even Jesus, remember back over in<inaudible> I’m going to forget where this was.<inaudible> Yes. Chapter four, chapter four, verse 14. Seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens Jesus, the son of God, let us hold fast. Our confession for we do not have a high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses,
but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin, let us therefore come boldly before the throne of grace that we may find mercy or may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. He said, here’s why we can have boldness to enter the throne of God. Here’s why we can have boldness to seek God’s help because we have a high priest,
Jesus Christ. Who’s passed through the heavens. He’s gone ahead of us. So also we have an anchor over in eternity for our hope. Our assurance is because Christ went ahead of us. We can go where he is. You remember what Jesus told the apostles in John chapter 14. He said, where I go? You can’t go yet. But if I go,
I’m going to prepare a place for you. And when I come back, I’m going to receive you to myself. His going was our confidence, our hope, our anchor, as it were we using the analogy of the ship. If you want to ship, to stay where it needs to be. If you want a ship to stay in one place,
the only way to do it is to drop an anchor. Well, once that anchor’s dropped, as long as that ship stays attached to that anchor, that ship is staying in that place. It’s a sherd. It steadfast. It won’t move well. If our anchor was, as it were carried into eternity by Christ, then what do we have to worry about?
When the storms of life, the difficulties of life, the treachery of life comes and beats on our whole. We don’t have anything to worry about why our anchor is already in heaven. Okay? So our hope, our assurance is steadfast to the end. All right, there is much, much, much more that we can say about that, but we’re going to go through the questions and move on to chapter seven.
What was the job of the human high priest?<inaudible> All right. Offer gifts and sacrifices for sin for whom did he offer sacrifices Himself and all the people who is the high priest forever. All right. Jesus Christ. According to what order is Christ a high priest? No kids. A deck. Yes or no. Did Jesus obey the father? Yes.
Whom should persons obey now?<inaudible> Yeah. Christ or the father either, either one of those, just depending on how you’re reading the, the, the, him there. Immature Christians are said to need blank for food milk, mature. Christians are said to need blank for food, strong meat, those persons to whom the writer of Hebrews addressed a had ministered in the past be were ministering at the present time.
Or C had never ministered. Say that again. A and B, why did the Hebrew writer encourage the hearers to exert faith and patience?<inaudible> To inherit the problem promises and what is the anchor of the soul? All right. Jesus having entered heaven. So the Hebrew writers told them, I can’t tell you about middle kids, a deck yet, because you’re too dull of hearing.
Then he puts before them, the ultimate outcome of if they have a heart of rebellion, then he says, but we have confidence in you that you won’t be that way. Then he says, Abraham was assured of his promises and God fulfilled them. Then he says, Jesus Christ has entered into heaven. And he’s our anchor of the soul. He’s our hope.
Our assurance from God. Now he’s going to return back to McGee is the deck again, okay? Because he’s not going to give up on this. He wants them to change their heart. So they’re able to hear what he has to say about Christ. He stood for this milk is a deck King know Salem priest of the most high who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings and blessed him to whom also Abraham gave a 10th part of all first being translated,
King of righteousness, and then also King of Salem, meaning King of priest without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, but may length. The son of God remains a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a 10th of the spoils. This is going to be one of those where we can go much deeper if we had time,
but we don’t. So we’re going to kind of summarize what’s here. Milk is a deck enters in to the biblical record with no parentage, no description of where he came from. No description of who his father was. No description of who is his children were no description of his lineage. He shows up in the life of Abraham, and then we never read about him again,
other than in the Psalms, looking forward to the Messiah. And so the Hebrew writer says here, we have this man who have no, no parents, no descendants by way of the record. He’s he’s not like Abraham who you, you begin with Abraham and you can work your way backwards to Adam. You can begin with Abraham and work your way forward,
all the way to Christ. You have a lineage with Aaron. You could go back to Levi and then go all the way back to Abraham. Then go all the way back to Adam with Levi and Erin, you could go with the high priesthood all the way forward to that present day, you have this lineage, but not with milk is a deck with no kids.
Yeah. That you have one who stands alone as a priest of the most high God. And his point is who made him a priest? It wasn’t who his father was. It wasn’t who his grandfather was. It wasn’t who his ancestor was or who his descendants would be. Who made him a high priest. God did. Okay. The Hebrew writer is struggling with these people,
these readers to make sure they understand that they don’t need to go back to the law of Moses. So they can have a high priest who stands physically in front of them. They need a high priest. Who’s appointed by God. And so he goes to milk his deck and he says, here’s your example. And it’s not just the Hebrew writer going.
Ah, I think this will be a good example. He’s going to use Psalm. I think it’s one Oh four as the, the connection, the prophecy Connect smoke is a deck to Christ. Okay. So he’s going to write to these people and he’s going to tell them about this King, because the reality is, as he draws forward here in chapter seven Moses’s law would never allow a priest to be a King and a Moses’s law would never allow it King to be a priest.
And yet they have a King and priest reigning right now. So if they go back to the law, they have to give up their King and their priests. If they stay with their King and their priest, they have to give up the law. He’s putting them in a, in a choice where they have to give up one or the other, if they can’t have both and they need to see that.
Okay. So he talks about who’s greater for the Hebrew mindset. Moses was great, but Abraham was greater because without Abraham, you have no Moses. Moses was not the one that God said, I will make you a blessing to all nations that wasn’t said to Moses that was said to Abraham. Moses was not the one who was told in your seed nations of the earth will be blessed.
Abraham was so for the Jew. Moses is great, but Abraham is greater. Yeah. The argument is you see Moses, and then you see Abraham is greater. And yet Abraham had someone who was greater than him, even in his this day. And it was bell Kizza deck. Okay? So this path of greatness in the Jewish mindset is what the Hebrew writer’s going to tie onto to say,
Mel Kislyak deck was greater than Abraham and Jesus is after the order of no kids, a deck and not Abraham. Okay. So watch what he says. First of all, he describes my kid’s dead. Cause we just read then verse five, actually, let’s go with verse four. Now, consider how great. Now notice here, we’re in a discussion of greatness,
how great this man was.<inaudible> deck to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a 10th of spoils. You do not take of your possessions and give TRIBE the mute to someone who’s lesser than you. You don’t do that. You don’t say I see this. We ban over here. He has no power. He has no authority. He has no substance.
And yet I’m going to give a 10th of all that I have to him in honor of him. No, no, no. That’s not what you do. Instead, you see someone who as Abraham did, who’s a priest of the most high God. Who’s a King. And you say, because of your greatness, I will give you this tribute.
Okay? So notice Abraham is recognizing no kids at X greatness by his actions. And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi who received the priesthood, have a commandment to receive ties from the people. According to the law. That is from their brethren though, they have, from the loins of Abraham, he says, you look at the rust of the gifts and the blessings that the Levi’s receive.
They receive a 10th of everything. They received the time from all the people, but their brethren. They’re not really receiving that because they’re greater. They’re all descendants of Abraham. And yet here, Abraham gives it to my kids, a deck as one who is greater. Okay. Now notice what he says, but he, whose genealogy is not derived from them.
Received ties from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. Now beyond all contradiction, the lesser is blessed by the better here mortal men receive ties, but there he receives them of whom it is witnessed that he lives even Levi who receives ties, paid times through Abraham. So to speak for. He was still in the loins of his father when my kids met him.
All right. So the point of the analogy, art, Mel kids deck is greater than Abraham because Abraham paid ties to Mel kids. A deck and point, Mel Kizza deck is greater than Abraham because Mel Kizza deck blessed Abraham, and you don’t have the one who’s lesser blessing. The one who’s greater, you don’t have the peasant comes to the King and says,
let me give you a blessing. You have the peasant who comes to the King and says, give me a blessing because the King is greater than the peasant. Okay? Here’s the analogy. You have Abraham receiving a blessing from his neck. That means mocha has X greater than Abraham. You have Abraham giving a time to<inaudible>. That means my kids deck is greater than Abraham.
You have a Levi. Who’s a descendant of Abraham who hasn’t even been born yet. And the third analogy is you. The, the Hebrew writer says in essence, because Levi descends from Abraham, you have Levi giving a time to Mel kids, a deck because he’s not even born yet, yet. The one who’s greater than him, his ancestor Abraham gives a time to make his day.
So the three points are those three ideas. The time, the blessing and the imposter clarity. Since the time of Levi all given the milk kids, a deck indicating kids, a deck was greater than Abraham. And the analogy drawing forward then is Jesus Christ is a high priest, not after the low, the line of Levi, but of the great line of milk is a deck.
Okay? So that’s about as quick as I can summarize that. Therefore he says verse 11, if perfection we’re through the Levitical priesthood for under it, the people receive the law. What further need was there for another than another priest should arise? According to the order of<inaudible>. Now this Hawk hearkens back to Psalms. Psalms says, there’s going to be another priest he’s coming.
He’s coming after the order of<inaudible>. Now wait a minute. If the live local political priesthood descendants true, Aaron is perfect. Is all that we need then why is it there is here in the Psalms, a prophecy of a greater priesthood. There, there has to be a greater priesthood or there wouldn’t be a replacement of the current priesthood. You don’t replace something that’s greater with something that’s inferior.
Nobody takes their bright, shiny, new, very expensive car and says, you know what? I’m ready to trade it in for a dump that doesn’t work. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You don’t do that. You don’t trade in the perfect for the worse. But if you’ve traded in one for something that you see as better,
it indicates there was something wrong with the first one, the Levitical priesthood. So then notice, he says for the priesthood being changed of necessity, there is also a change of the law for he, of whom these things are spoken, belongs to another tribe from which no man has officiated at altar for. It is evident that our Lord arose from Judah of which TRIBE Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.
And it is yet far more evident. If in the likeliness of many kids, a deck there arises another priest who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life for he testifies, you are a priest forever. According to the order of Melchizedek for on the one hand, there is a knowing of the former commandment because of its weakness and it’s unprofitable illness for the law made nothing perfect.
On the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to God, okay? Again, one of these passages where we could spend an entire class period, but let’s summarize it to point these things out. First of all, he says, if you change the priesthood of Aaron, you must change the law. You must must remove the law with the priesthood goes,
the law with the law goes to the priesthood. You cannot separate them. You cannot. If we were going to bring it forward to a current analogy and court case in our day in time before the Supreme court, they had the court case to see whether or not they could cut out the mandate from the affordable care act. Okay? The whole discussion is can this be removed and leave the rest intact?
Can we remove that piece and keep the rest of the law? Well, under the law, Moses, you couldn’t, you couldn’t cut out the priesthood and keep the law. You couldn’t do it because there’s no other substitute. The law made no opportunity for a different priest from a different tribe. And so he says, evident, it’s clear. We,
we can see that Jesus Christ came from Judah and the law made no provision for a priest out of Judah. So we can’t get rid of the Levitical priesthood and keep the law. Can’t have Jesus Christ as priest under the law. Therefore for him to be priest, we have to remove the law. We have to take all of it and put it aside.
And yet he says, don’t, don’t look at this as though this is a bad thing because in taking away the law in its deficiencies, in its failures, he’s in some thing. And there’s our word better. Okay. All the way through here. The whole point is Jesus Christ. His law, his priesthood, his salvation is better than what came Moses.
Okay. So he says For on the one hand verse 18, there isn’t a knowing of the former commandment because of its weaknesses and unprofitable illness. So there’s the inferiority of the law for the law made nothing perfect. On the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to God. And in as much as he was not made priest without an oath for,
they have become priests without an oath. Excuse me, let me read that again. And in as much as he was not made a priest without an oath for, they have become priest without an oath, but he, with an oath by him who said to him, the Lord has sworn and will not relent. You are a priest forever. According to the order of Melchizedek,
by so much more, Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. Okay? So he’s hearkening back to this reality that he’s described of Aaron’s priesthood. They became a priest by being born by being born. A descendant of Aaron, Jesus became a priest by an oath from God. God’s oath is what’s being described here. And so, because he’s become a priest by an oath of God,
he has a greater covenant than Aaron does. So the Lord has sworn and will not relent. You are priest forever. According to the order of Melchizedek, verse 23. Also, there were many priests because they were prevented by death from continuing as he talks about the priesthood. One of the deficiencies that it says you had to keep replacing Them. You,
you you’d Have one priest and then he died and you needed another priest and he died and you needed another priest. Not Jesus. He’s a priest For forever On ending without death. But he verse 24 because he continues forever has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost, those who come to God, through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Imagine you were the person who was reliant on a priest to go before God reliant on the high priest for the forgiveness of your sins, for the, for the intercessory act that he makes on behalf of you for the offering of sacrifice. And just as you’re preparing to enter into eternity to stand before God, your high priest, No. What are you going to do?
Your intercessors gone. He’s dead. But the Hebrew writer says not with Christ. He’s always there to make intercession for you. Surely we’re going to get that with chapter eight, right? All right. Therefore, he is also able to save to the uttermost. Those who come to God through him since he always lives to make intercession for them, for such a high priest was fitting for us,
who is Holy harmless, undefiled separate from sinners and has become higher than the heavens who does not need daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifices first for his own sins. And then for the peoples, for this, he did once for all, when he offered up himself for the law appoints as high priest, men who have weaknesses, but the word of the oath,
which came after the law, appoints the son who has been perfected for forever. So again, he goes back to the Psalms and he says, here’s, here’s the law of Moses in time. Here’s the law of Moses. Here’s the priesthood. All of these things are in existence, but then sometime later here, God makes this oath and the oath identifies the problems,
but it also sets forth a better solution. Now this is the main point of the things we are saying. We have such a high priest who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens. If he’s a high priest and yet he seated at the right hand of the throne, He’s a priest and King, Okay. That’s the identification here,
a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord erected and not man for every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this one also have something to offer. This is the priest. Wasn’t just an honorary position. He had a service, he had a ministering or a ministry to fulfill for.
If he verse four we’re on earth, he would not be a hype or would not be a priest. Since there are priests who offer the gifts, according to the law who serve the copy and the shadow of the heavenly things as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle for, he said, see that you make all things, according to the pattern shown you on the mountain,
but now he has obtained a more excellent ministry in as much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which is established on better promises. So he said, if Jesus was alive on this earth, he couldn’t be a priest. He’s up the wrong TRIBE. And there’s already a priesthood during the time of the writing, the Hebrew or the Jewish priesthood still existed.
The temple was still there. They could have walked in and Jesus could have walked in as it were and said, all right, I’m here to serve as a priest. And they would’ve said, no, you’re not you’re of the wrong lineage. You have no in this. And yet they’re in the lesser tabernacle. They’re in the earthly one that just has a representation of the heavenly one.
There they’re serving in the, the picture of the real thing. He’s in heaven, serving in the real tabernacle. He’s in heaven, serving in the very throne of God. So he has obtained a better covenant because he’s a better mediator, which is established on better promises for if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.
Again, going back to the analogy, you don’t take the perfect car or that you already own, that has no flaws has no issues. Absolutely perfect. And trade it in for a lesser model. You don’t do that here. He said, you already have a priesthood. If you replace it with a new one, it’s not because the first one was perfect.
It’s because it wasn’t verse eight because finding fault with them, he says, behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I, when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt,
because they did not continue in my covenant. And I disregarded them, says the Lord for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days says the Lord, I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. And I will be their God. And they shall be my people. None of them teach his neighbor.
And none his brother saying know the Lord for all shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their lawless deeds. I will remember no more. This is quoted from Jeremiah in that he says, all right, so he’s quoted Jeremiah to draw this point out in that he says a new covenant.
He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. Okay. So again, more could be said about everything here in Jeremiah. And there’s, there’s a wealth between Jeremiah 31 and Hebrews eight. But his point is, Jeremiah said in his day, I’m going to make a new covenant with my people.
Not like the one that I made with them when they came out of Egypt. And here’s the defining attribute. Here’s, what’s different. The one that I made with them when they came out of Egypt, they received part in the covenant because they were born into it. They by birth have no Decision-making of their own became part of the covenant, but not the new covenant.
The new covenant begins with their decision. It begins with their heart. It begins with them choosing to be part of the new covenant, which covenant, the Hebrew writer says to the Christians and to you and I today, we are part of a better covenant than the one in the past. Okay. That’s chapter eight. I knew I could do it.
And yet there’s a little part of me dying inside because there’s so much in chapter<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible>, But it’s about time to begin our worship service this morning. We do want to welcome all of you here today. And I’m just looking over the audience. And I don’t believe we have any visitors today, which is kind of unusual, but I know with the COVID increasing in its strength,
seems like over the country, that’s causing people a little bit more concerns and perhaps some are, might not be feeling well and, and decided not to try to make it today. So this remember all of these. We do want to remind you, if you did not pick up your communion to do that, if you haven’t already, we want to remember those that are ill,
continue to pray for Joan Springer. She has her good days and bad days. And I think I didn’t get a chance to talk to Marie about her when he came in, but she has been having, I think, more, better day or better days than she has had bad days, unless that’s changed. And I I’ve checked with him. I have to services on that.
Remember Robin woods and Jessica Dale and Tori Heisley, all of these continue to pray for them that they might improve their health. Janie Marlin is recovering from her knee replacement surgery. Now she’s going to therapy three times a week, and we want to continue to pray that everything will go well with that. And she’ll be able to have full use of her knee.
Again, Dortha Wilson is waiting Results on her stress test. So we want to continue to pray for her. And then dental Wilson that’s Rue, Dale Wilson, sister in law is in ICU with COVID and don’t forget that he lost his brother ODALE Eve to that. And they’re, they’re hoping that dimple will survive, but they’re not sure is it last word?
We got it. Wasn’t looking very good. It was good to see Pam with us today. She’s back, but she’s still not quite up to par. She said, and we want to continue to pray for her. That things will continue to make some improvement for, I know she’s been dealing with this for quite some time. So encourage her and keep her in your prayers.
Gladys Lyles is having some back problems and that is hurt. You’re supposed to go to see a doctor tomorrow and along that same line. I want to mention that Janney Sanderson’s dad had another stroke. He’s in the, what the doctors are doing. They’re just, they’re trying to get him strong enough so that he can go back home and then he will be under hospice care.
So I know that Terry and Jenny left yesterday to go down there to be with her dad. So, so they’re not with us today and we won’t, we won’t remember them. So I’m not sure if Gladys has a way down there. I don’t know if she’s set up anybody else. I probably check with her after services and, and see if she needs a ride to the hospital or to the doctor’s office.
Cause I don’t know if they had time to make those arrangements. Leah van clave that’s Becky’s niece, Becky Posner’s niece has COVID and we want to remember her. And also her sister Vicki Wadsworth is, seems to have a persistent cough and is not able to get over that. So keep her in your prayers. I guess when people get sick, they’re always more susceptible to the virus and we hope and pray.
None of these that are in that condition, that, that, that happens to them. Man’s business meeting will be tomorrow evening at 7:00 PM here at the church building. So we want to remind you of that. And we want to thank Sandy McCall for the decorations that she puts in the four year and out in front of the building. She always makes it look so nice.
And we appreciate her doing that. She does such a great job of that. And I, I just happened to be up here that this last time she went through that and I saw all the work. She went through getting that arranged and it takes her quite some time to do that. So she works real hard at it, but she just really makes the building and everything we’re inviting.
And we appreciate it so much. I have a note here from the Richardson. Family says, greetings. We want to take a moment to wish you all a happy holiday season. We miss you out. We miss you all and pray that you’re all. Well, we wanted to say thank you again for all the support, love, and care for us while we were in school.
We love you all. And think of you often, please keep us and the work at Eagleville and your prayers as we continue our labors here in Christ, the Richardson’s on that same note. We want to make the congregation aware that we are supporting of the Richardsons. The diplomas actually have are retiring at the end of this year and will no longer need our support.
So we’re going to start supporting Eric and his family in that work up there. So keep that in mind, keep praying for them that everything will continue to go well for that, that word this morning, Noah Olsen will be directing our song service. Jay Shafir has our opening prayer. Tommy O’Neil has the communion and Aaron Wood air, and we’ll be bringing the sermon.
And then Eric Richardson there, Eric, Eric, Eric Halvorson, w we have a joke about that. Cause I do this so often. Eric Halverson will have our closing prayer. Noah, good morning, number 716, 700 1616 seven one six. We will sing the all three versus seven one six. Sing to me. The then singing that song up.
He sprung the tiles behind me. It will bring green. The burdens well being lifted that are pressing. So showers, green blasting or my heart. Well flown sing to me, man. I’m only dream of it’s go then Laurie, this really glean saying to me, when shadows of the evening, seeing turn me and saying no sweetness song of all saying to me have,
and as I walk up dreaming of the comrades that so long have gone and a fairer region, Mong the angels wrong. They are happy as they sing that all sweet song sing to me. Then let me find the dream of its golden glory of its burly. Gleam. Sing to me when shadows of the name fall, sing to me, heaven, seeing the sweet song of all I’m saying to me,
a haven’t tender the<inaudible> till the shadows army rise and swiftly. When my heart is wary, when the day is long, sing to me, heaven sing that old sweet song. Sing to me. Oven led me fun. The dream of its golden glory of its Burnie. The same saying to me, when shadows of the evening fall seeing to me heaven,
seeing this weed is song of all Next song will be number 537 five three seven. Here we are bit string Toblerones five, three, seven. We’ll sing all three verses. Hmm, Here we are. But strain pilgrims. You a path is often them, but to cheer a song, our journey still, we sing this way, side him yonder over the rolling river where the shining mansions rise soon and will be our home for ever,
and the smile of the blessing and gave her. And gladdens all our longing a rise here. Our feet are often very the Hills that throng our way here, the 10th star clean gathers, but our hearts within us say,<inaudible> the rolling river where the shining mansions rise soon and will be our home for ever. And the smile of the blessing gave her gladdens all our longing a rise here.
Our souls are often fearful of the pilgrims lurking full, but the Lord is RD fender and he tells us may know Yon neral over the rolling river where the shining mansions rise soon on be our home far as ever. And the smile of the blessing given gladdens all our longing Song to help us prepare our minds for Lord’s supper. Or we actually do have a career,
sorry, Almighty God, our father, Holy and revered is your name and father. As we approach your throne this hour, we acknowledge you as a creator of this universe, our creator, we are so very grateful that you saw fit to create us in your image with a soul. And we’re also so very grateful that you gave us your word through your son,
that we may have a pathway for our lives and a route to heaven. We give you all our honor and praise father. We’re mindful of the church that meets here. Many of our number are unable to be with us due to fear or the COVID. And also there are many of them, many of us that are suffering from illnesses. We pray your healing hands will be upon all those that were mentioned today that they may be once again,
returned to their rightful place with us. We’re also mindful father of the turmoil that’s going on in this country. We pray for unity that we know that you are in control and whatever is best for us. You will see to it that it happens as we go through the further exercise. So this worship service, we are mindful that we often fail the,
and we do pray for forgiveness of our sins. As we repent and turn from them that we may stand whole and pure in your sight. And that our worship to you this hour will be a sweet savor senior Jesus in Jesus name that we pray amen. Now to prepare our minds for Lord’s supper, we’re going to sing to set the feast. Divine.
It is not in the book, but it will be on the slide to set the face. Divine we’ll sing the first and last verse.<inaudible> the bread and fresh food.<inaudible><inaudible> B<inaudible> the shrine. And<inaudible> the<inaudible> may we<inaudible> his dad are Holy<inaudible>. We see Stan Fe<inaudible> meaning your turn. And<inaudible> the<inaudible> H first day of the week,
as we gather to worship our God, our father we’re commanded to eat this bread, drink of this cup, to remember the death, burial, and resurrection of our savior. As we partake of this bread and this fruit of the vine with pride, that we would all reflect upon the death of Christ and that through his death, we have the hope of eternal life with our God.
Would you bow with me, our heavenly father. We truly thank you for Christ our savior. We thank you for this bread, which does your children represents the body of our savior. That was crucified Parsons. As we protect this bread, help each one of us to do it with a truth, truly thankful heart. For this sacrifice, these things we ask in Christ’s name,
amen. Would you bow with me again? Our heavenly, we continue our thanks for this fruit of the fine, which to us represents the blood of our savior. As we partake of it, help each one of us to do so in a manner that is pleasing and acceptable in these things we ask in Christ’s name, amen. It’s a separate part of our worship.
We have this opportunity to return onto her, our God, a part of that, that he blesses us with. And we know that every blessing we enjoy in this life comes from our God. Would you bow with me, our heavenly father. We thank you for every blessing that we have in this life. And we do know that each one of these come from the,
we know as a country, how we’re blessed. We pray us raver. We return under the, a part of that, that we have been blessed with, that we would do. So with a willing and cheerful heart, we pray that these fonts might be used to further the kingdom of your, these things we ask in Christ’s name. Amen. All right.
As long before, the last one will be number 470 417. And if you want to go ahead and Mark number 904, that will be the song of invitation, but we will sing number 470 before the lesson victory and Jesus will sing the first and last versus a 470. All right, let us sing. I heard an old, old story. How his savior came from glory,
how he gave his life on Calvary to save a wretch like me. I heard about his groaning of his precious blood toning, then Irie and my sins on one a Victori Oh, victory. Angie’s my se for Avar. He saw me and bought me with his reading blog. He loved me. I knew him and my love is due and he plunged me to victory beneath a cleansing.
FLA. I heard about a man Shan. He is built for me in glory. And I heard about the street of go beyond the crystal sea about the Joe’s saying Pam, the old redone John’s story and some sweet day. I’ll sing up there. The song, Victor green. Oh, victory. Jeez, my save your for Avar. He saw me and bought me with his reading blog.
He learned me air. I knew him and my love is do him. He plunged me to victory being Neetha cleansing flaw. Good morning. Imagine most of us, some point in our lives have walked through a building and have seen on the wall. Something that says in case of emergency break glass, the reality is that the point behind the sign, is there something behind the glass?
There’s something behind object That needs to be broken. That might Wait, save your life. And yet, in all of our lives, as Christians, we face adversity At times and whether constantly, or, or sporadically, we will find ourselves in the situation of being in adversity. And that situation is one that can be hard to deal with. It can be a struggle.
And a matter of fact, it is often a struggle because it is not a comfortable place. It is not a place where we find safety. It is a place where we Find struggle and yeah, Yet the scriptures speak of adversity and they speak of what we should do when we encounter it. So this morning, I want to look at adversity. Now,
before I get into what it is that we should do in times of adversity, I want to qualify a few things and I want to qualify what it is that I’m talking about. I’m not talking about adversity that comes when we bring adversity upon ourselves in the sense of when we sin and when God, because of our sin brings about judgment and adversity in our lives.
That’s not the kind of adversity we’re talking about this morning. The Israelites were told when they were there before the Mount, when they were being given the law, when Moses declared to them, if you will do these things, Leviticus, chapter 26, then God will bless you. And God will look favorably upon you and God will do all these things for you.
You will have blessings and not adversity. And yet, if you turn away from God, if you turn away from his covenant, then you will have all of these curses. And he describes to them in clear pictures, the adversity they will go through. If they would not obey There, God, that is not the adversity under discussion this morning. We’re also not specifically looking at adversity in the situation where someone comes against us because of something we’ve done to them.
If we have a situation, as Jesus describes where someone says, I have ought against you, you have done something wrong to me. And as a result of that, we’re now in a situation of adversity. We’re now in a situation where someone can drag us as Jesus illustrates it before the judge, But it’s our fault. He, you settle with The person right there.
You make it right right now because you are At fault. And if you don’t do it before you reach the judge, you’re going to find yourself in a worse situation. So solve the problem Between you and your brother immediately. That’s also not the adversity we’re speaking of this morning. Instead, we’re speaking of the adversity that we read about in James chapter one in James chapter one,
we read James of bond, servant of God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ and To the 12 tribes, which are scattered abroad. My brethren count it all. Joy. When you fall into various trials, the adversity we are speaking of is the adversity that comes as a result, a natural result of being Obedient to God, Being obedient as a Christian and living the Christian life.
The writer James writes to these Christians and he says, first and foremost, when you encounter adversity, Count it a joy. Now this is something In opposition to our normal disposition, to our normal nature. Our natural response to adversity is to think, why am I going through this? Why am I going through this difficulty? Why are these people confronting me?
Why is this such a struggle? Why am I facing this TRIBE? And while adverse, He is a time of reflection. Ecclesiastes. Chapter seven speaks concerning that. The idea as when times are good, being able to be joyful, but when times are difficult, when adversity comes being able to reflect upon ourselves and see why it is that we’re going through it.
But if we examine ourselves as Joe did, when he looked at his own life and he looked at everything that he had done, and he saw the adversity he was going through, and he couldn’t find a reason in him, His life for his adversity, He couldn’t find a sin in his life. That was the cause. He couldn’t find the thing that he had done in opposition to God.
That would cause God to do this to him. When we find ourselves in that situation that he or sorry, James writes to these brethren and he says It all joy As we go through each step of these instructions that James provides us. One of the things I want to do is I want to look at An example In this case, turn just back a few pages in your Bibles to Jay,
to Hebrews chapter 12. And you’ll Find there an example in all the way through our lesson, we’re going to Use Christ as the, of Dealing with adversity. But in Hebrews chapter 12, Verse two, We find the Hebrew writer describing to these Christians, why they ought to be faithful, why they ought to do what’s right, why they ought to lay aside sin and get busy looking at the goal of eternity.
And he says in verse two, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the Now watch this phrase, the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. The Hebrew writer declares to us that Jesus Christ looked at the adversity of the cross. He looked at everything that he was going to have to go through.
And in looking at it, he determined to do it Because of the joy set before him. He looked at it adversity. He looked at a struggle. He looked at a difficult situation and in it he Found joy. One 19 speaks concerning This idea as the Psalmus writer Here in somewhat a different vein. But looking at This from the perspective of the word of God says this Psalm one 19 beginning in verse 66,
he says, teach me Good judgment and knowledge for, I believe your commandments. Before I was afflicted, I went astray, Right? Notice here, the, the, the Psalmist as he is pending this, he says I had a problem and I was ignoring it until you afflicted me until this affliction came, I was going astray. But now I’m aware of what I was doing wrong.
He says, before I was afflicted, I went astray. But now I Keep your word. You are good and do good. Teach me your statutes. The proud have forged a lie against me, but I will keep your precepts with all my whole heart. Their heart is as fat, as fat as grease, But I delight in your law. It is good for me.
Notice this. It is good for Me that I have been afflicted that I may learn your statutes. The Psalmus writer looks at the trials, the afflictions that he’s going through. And he says, I became aware of what I needed. I became aware of what I was missing. I became aware of what I was still lacking in my knowledge of you.
When affliction was brought on me, when I had to deal with this situation, when I was struggling in the midst of this affliction, I went to your word. I went to your word and I found What was missing in my Life. Turned to Hebrews chapter 13, the Hebrew writer again makes this declaration and Hebrews chapter 13, beginning in verse 13,
He says, 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. When James says you encounter trials, Count it all joy.
The Hebrew writer says, as we examine our situation, let us proceed outside the Gates to Christ. Let us go out to the place of reproach, where he was reproached and in his reproach, The cross, let us give thanks. So notice this path, Jesus went to the cross because he counted it joy to do that yet. Despite The shame we approach the cross and see what he did and we give praise to God.
And so we look at our adversity, we look at our trials and James says, You count it all joy, but then Consider the second thing that James identifies. And that is that when we come to adversity, in the case of adversity, we need to Let it work. As the Salmas writer was pointing out his adversity, his affliction brought to his realization,
What was still lacking, What it was in his life that he still needed to work on. And James writes in James chapter one beginning of verse three, knowing that the testing of your faith produces Patience. He says, as You examine this trial that you’re going in to, as you’re going through and enduring this, let it work because it’s going to produce something.
God is presenting this trial to you. He is presenting this affliction before you, he is presenting this obstacle so you can learn how To overcome it so That you can learn how to have patience. In hard times, Jesus would identify the need for those who were his disciples to be faithful in little things So that they might be faithful in great things. We need to learn in the difficulties and in the trials to allow those adversities,
those trials to work. But then he says, verse four, but let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete Lacking nothing. James identifies that the working the production of adversity is to produce perfection. It is to identify within our lives. The things that still need to be worked on God allows us to go through this adversity, this affliction,
this difficulty and endure those situations so that we might find the things where we are still lacking in turn over to Hebrews chapter five. Now, one thing I want to point out is this does not mean that God is afflicting us because of sin. You know, we pointed out the kind of affliction we’re not talking about. This is not an affliction that comes to cause us to repent.
It’s an affliction that comes to cause us to, To grow. I can’t express to you that there is pain in growth. Arm has been doing a process of growth as my bones knit themselves back together. And there is a painful process involved in growth. And yet the Hebrew writer Points out and Hebrews chapter five verses eight through nine, that this isn’t unique to us because again,
in the life of Christ, we see this very idea though. He was a son verse eight, yet he learned obedience by the things Which he suffered and having been perfected Hebrew. It came the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him. James says, when we fall into trials, when we fall into adversity, we need to allow it to work in us,
to produce perfection, to cause us, to see the areas where we must grow to become like Christ. And that Is one of the things that we should do in the midst of adversity. But Romans chapter 12, Romans chapter 12 identifies this singular idea that though James has referenced it, we’ll bring it forward Here as well. Romans chapter 12. And in verse 12,
he says, rejoicing in hope. As he writes to these Christians, he’s giving them a list of things they need to be fervent in and they need to be doing, they need to be focusing on. He says, be re those who are rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. He identifies their patients. This idea here in the original language is one who stands up under a burden as God,
places before you a trial, he will not place before you one, you cannot endure and he expects you to stand up under it. He expects you to grow from it to become stronger by the trial that he places before you. So when adversity comes, we need to first count it a joy Second need to let it work. But we thirdly need to get understanding.
This is an integral ingredient to everything else that we’re discussing here until our perspective is right until we understand the situation, we will not handle it properly. James chapter one verse five says, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him, Oh God for hoops. Let me, let me reread that. Let me look at the right part of the page.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God Who gives to all liberally and without reproach. And it will Be given to him In the midst of this trial. As James presents, the difficulty that they may be enduring, that they may go through. He says, first of all, Canada joy. Secondly, realize that it’s working in you to produce perfection.
Thirdly, get wisdom, seek for wisdom. He says, if you’re lacking it, this should be apparent by how you’re dealing with the adversity. This should be identified by your adversity in your trial. He said, if you lack wisdom, ask God, Proverbs chapter four, Proverbs chapter four, the Proverbs writer says this verse seven. He says, wisdom is the principal thing.
Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting Get understanding Sets before his son, the one who’s the recipient of his Wisdom here in the book of Proverbs, The need to obtain wisdom, but not just wisdom for wisdom sake, not just wisdom to say I’m a wise man, but wisdom to obtain Understanding. And so as James points out these trials, as he points out these adversities,
this difficulty, he identifies the need For the product of wisdom, the need for understanding in Luke chapter 24, Jesus Is he is looking backward and explaining to his apostles why these things have occurred. We’ll identify this idea, Luke chapter 24, beginning in verse 44. Then he said to them, these are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you.
That all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses and of the prophets and of the Psalms concerning me. So here he is, he’s gone through this crucifixion. He’s gone through a burial. He’s resurrected again. He’s now together with the apostles and he’s explaining to them, reminding them of the things he’s already taught them before he went through all of it,
but they didn’t get the point. They didn’t understand these things. And so he brings them to mind to tell them everything that Moses and the prophets and the Psalms spoke concerning me had to be fulfilled in those what he said. And he opened their understanding that they might comprehend the scriptures. Then he said to them, thus, it is written and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day.
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. He identifies the goal and connects it to the adversity. So they might understand They end the necessity. So many times we look at adversity and struggle and difficulty in our life and we can’t figure out why we would ever need to go through this. Why we would ever need to endure such a difficult thing.
It is In that moment that we are to realize Our lack of understanding our lack of wisdom, right? And is that moment where we are to become like the Psalmus described himself in Psalm one 19 and go to the word of God, to seek out the answer, to find out what we’re missing. Because our lack of understanding brings forward. Our need for growth.
James says, when you endure these trials, you need to understand their value. You need to understand what they can do for you. But the only way you can gain that understanding Is to get wisdom from God turned to Jay. Second, Timothy, sorry. Second Timothy chapter three, verse 12. As Paul writes to this young preacher instead, Megan,
Timothy chapter three. And in verse 12, he writes to him and encourages him by saying this. He says, yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ. Jesus will suffer persecution. If you skip back to verse 10, he says, but you have carefully followed my Doctrine. Manner of life, Purpose, faith, long suffering, love perseverance,
persecutions afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch at<inaudible> what persecutions I endured and out of them, all The Lord delivered me. He said, Timothy, you’ve been with me. You’ve watched me. You Ben, a careful observer of everything I’ve gone through. And now you need to know to expect it in your life. Yes, You need to know that all who desire to live godly in Christ,
Jesus will in Dewar persecution. He says, buddy evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of knowing from whom you have learned them as he presents Timothy, with this reality of persecution, this reality of adversity, this reality of struggle. He presents to him the reminder of the source of College.
He says, you go back to the things you’ve learned. You go Back to the things you’ve been taught. You go back to what you have been told because in it, you will find the underst Meaning you need to endure. But then James also identifies a fourth thing. As he says that we are to count it all joy. He also says that we are to let it work.
He also shows that we are to get understanding. He fourthly shows that we To pray in faith. Now, in this context, he specifically stating this in view of the wisdom he says we were to ask for from God. So let’s go back to verse five. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach.
And it will be given to him, but let him ask in faith with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed By the wind for let, Not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man unstable in all his, His ways. James identifies the necessity of prayer in faith.
As this individual, as he describes, it goes through adversity. As he seeks for understanding, as he seeks for wisdom to endure that adversity, he needs to ask from the Lord, but in everything that he asks for from the Lord, he needs to pray. He needs to Ask in confidence in faith, In assurance that God is able to do the thing that he asked and Hebrews chapter five,
we see Christ again, as an example of this, as we returned back to Hebrews chapter five, we read verses eight and nine previously, but I want to go back to verse seven. In verse seven, we read who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with the HemOnc cries and tears to him, God,
the father who was able to save him from death And Was heard because of his godly fear. No, this is what we read concerning Christ. In this passage, we read that in the midst of this adversity that he was facing in the midst of the necessity of going to the cross in the midst of knowing that this was necessary to fulfill all righteousness,
to fulfill what Moses had written and what the prophets had written and what the Psalm was had written to bring forth salvation. Yet he still desired to have that cup pass from him. And so he prayed and asked that God do that very thing. But notice this statement about God who was a bull, you might say, well, wait, No, no,
that’s not that can’t possibly be true. God could not have chosen To not have Jesus die. Oh yes. He could have, If Jesus Christ prayed three times for an hour, each time let this cup pass from me. He prayed it because it was possible, But the possibility required something else you see, because if it was possible that it happened,
the result would have been that we would not be saved. Oh, what was possible? And God could have done it. And Jesus knew he could have. But the difference is Jesus prayed in faith knowing God was able, but also knowing God and his will, would ultimately be what would happen. And so he prayed not my will, but yours be done in Daniel chapter three,
Hannah and I as Ryan, Michelle stand before Nebuchadnezzar and they are confronted with a choice either you will down when the music plays and you will worship this image that I have created, or you will be Passed into this fiery furnace that I have set up And Daniel or sorry, Hannah and I, as Ryan Michelle in the book of Daniel will reply to Navigant answer that their God was able to save Them.
But they point out, even if he doesn’t, you see, they have this assurance of their God, that their God is more than capable. They’re God good deliver them from this fiery furnace. And he would, but they had no guarantee that he would, they knew he was capable of doing it. They had hopes and plans that he would certainly do it,
But they knew all of them, Ultimately that no matter what, whether God did it or not, they would not bow down to Napa cancer’s image. You see, they had confidence. They had confidence that God was able and that God’s will, would be done the same way. Jesus did turn over to Hebrews chapter four in Hebrews chapter four, after speaking concerning Christ,
as our high priest, the Hebrew writer says, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of, I need in the midst of adversity, we are told to pray. And we are told to pray, not with doubting, not with a lack of faith, but with confidence that God can do what we ask turn over to Hebrews chapter 10,
Hebrews chapter 10 beginning in verse 21. We read this and having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near draw near to what near to God, Let us draw near to God with a true heart in full Assurance of faith. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. The Hebrew writer says Your salvation in this new and living leg created by God in this salvation that he offers you through Christ.
You have confidence to come near to him and You can hold fast without wavering to that hope and that salvation until the end, but then consider number five. He says, remember your reward. Now we need to skip to the end of the book of James to get this over in James chapter five beginning in verse nine, we read do not grumble again,
or sorry against one another brethren lest you Be condemned. Behold, judge is standing at the door. My brethren take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example, and notice and example of suffering and patience. Well, what’s he talking about in James chapter one, suffering and patience, adversity trials, and enduring them. He says,
take the profits. As an example, who spoke in the name of the Lord and suffered as an example for you in what they did. He said, indeed, we count them. Blessed who endure? You have heard of the perseverance of job and have seen the end intended by the Lord that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. As James writes to these brethren and he presents to them having gone through all of the practical things that he’s instructed them about concerning in this book,
he points them back to the prophets and says, now you look, you look at those profits and you look at how we view them and those who in Those hard times, and what did they do? They looked for the reward. They looked for what came After the adversity and after Their endurance turned back to Hebrews chapter 12. And again, we see Christ.
And yet We see the example of Christ as exemplified for us in our instruction. Go back to verse one. He says, therefore, we also see he’s writing to these Christians. He says, here’s your, here’s what you are to do. Here’s what you’re to learn from these people in Hebrews 11. This is what you’re to do. Hebrews chapter 12,
verse one. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great, a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin, which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance. The race that is set before us. How, how do we lay aside the things that are wrong? How do we set aside the things that are slowing us down?
How do we do this? Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. He says, you run the race. You lay aside the way you set aside the sin, because you’re looking To the roll ward.
Remember in the midst of adversity, the reward set before you, but then six Lee. And finally, we need to remember others in their adversity. See, because as we go through life, as we grow, as we allow adversity to produce perfection in us, we need to remember that we are not the only ones who ever go through adversity. So often we will be so focused on enduring adversity,
our struggles, all our, our difficulties that we’ll miss someone else who’s going through there Own adversity. And So James tells these brethren beginning in James chapter five, and in verse 13, to remember The others who Are going through adversity, he says, verse 13 is any among you suffering. Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing. Psalms is anyone among you?
Sick. Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him. Anointing him with oil in the S in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another. Pray for one another,
that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain. And it did not rain on the land for three and a half or three years in six months. And he prayed again and the heaven gave rain and the earth produced its fruit brethren.
If any, among you wanders from the truth. And someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his ways will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins all throughout this passage. As he encourages those who are sick, those who are struggling, those who are sending those who are in the midst of difficulty,
the encourages them to do these things. There’s a focus on what Christians can Do for Christians. Peter Brings forward to this idea as well. In second, Peter chapter three, I’m sorry. First Peter chapter four, first Peter chapter four, Peter, Or as he is writing to these Christians says beginning in verse 12, beloved, do not think it’s strange concerning the fiery trial,
which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you, but rejoice, to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when his glory is revealed, you may also be glad With exceeding joy. He says, as you look at what’s happening, as you look at what you’re going to go through, you don’t seem no don’t allow it to make you think this is strange that this is an anomaly,
that this is only happening to you. But instead understand that Christ went through this before you, and that you can endure it with Joy. We need to remember those Who are going through adversity, Hebrews chapter 13, Hebrews Chapter 13, once again, this time. And in verse three, He says, remember, remember the prisoners as if change With what’s he talking about,
He’s talking about Christians, who for the cause of Christ have been faithful to God. And as a result have been imprisoned. Those who are suffering in a real way. And he tells these brethren who were free, who were walking around, who were struggling with their own little struggles, but who had not suffered until the point of blood. He says,
you remember Those who Are in chains and you don’t remember them as if they’re some strange thing of far off. You remember them as if you were chained right next to them in saying this, he exemplifies for us that in the midst of someone else’s adversity, we are to put ourself in their position and say, if it was Me, what would I want them to do for me?
He says, Remember the prisoners as if chained with them, those who are mistreated since you yourselves are in the body. Also, why are we to do this? Because we are Brethren and Hebrews Chapter 10 beginning in verse 24. Again, the Hebrew writer reminds us of how we are to act towards our brother. And he says, let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
not forsaking. The assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of somebody exhorting one another and so much. The more as you see the day approaching, he says, you look at one another, you consider one another. You pay attention To the needs of the Each other. But then one more time over in Romans chapter 12, Romans chapter 12, as Paul writes to the church at Rome,
he says this in verse 15, he says rejoice With those who do rejoice and weep with those who weep in the midst of adversity, we need to remember others who are going through their own adversity as you and I look at our lives. As we live our lives as Christians, we can be assured of one thing. Paul identifies it, that as Those who live godly in Christ Jesus,
we will Have adversity. And yet it’s how we go through it. That is important. And It’s what we allow it to do to Us. That helps us to become what God would have us to be. If you’re outside the body of Christ this morning, you’re outside of the place of redemption and hope. You’re outside of the church that Christ died for.
He died for the church that you might have salvation in his body. You enter into his body by hearing the word of God and believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God. By repenting of your sins, confessing the name of Christ and being immersed in water for the remission of your sins. But if you’re a Christian and you’re going through adversity, here’s one thing you need to know.
You don’t have to go through it alone. The church is here for you in your difficulties, in your trials and in your adversities. And one of the things I love about this congregation is no one goes through difficult times by themselves. If anyone else knows they’re going through it, if you have need of help of prayers for the same, or from the SANEs or of repentance,
why not come now as we stand and as we sing, Are you fully trusting in his grace this hour? Are you a wash? And the blood of the lamb? Are you in, in the so cleansing, but<inaudible> are your garments bond lists? Are they ass? No. Are you all washed and blah, blah. Lay a side. The garments that are stained with sand<inaudible> are you fountain flowing for the us clean?
Oh, be washed in the blood of the lamb.<inaudible> and so<inaudible> are your garments spotless? Are they wide ass? No. Are you a washed and blah, thank you, Aaron. For that great lesson closing song this morning is going to be number 711. We’ll sing the first verse only number 711, and then we’ll have our closing. Prayer will speak the Tyler that binds.
Let us bless be<inaudible> John, the family. Hello shit.<inaudible> that? God, our father in heaven, we come to you at this time, thanking you for the opportunity to this morning, to assemble here in this house of worship and sing songs, appraised your great name and study a portion of your word. God, we know there are many amongst us that are struggling with various things,
health reasons, especially. And we ask if it’d be your will, that you help them recover to a measure health that they so desire. And we ask also that you wrap your loving arms around them. And those that have lost loved ones in the recent past, you wrap your comforting, loving arms around them and provide comfort to them that only you can.
And God we know that each and every one of us as we go about our daily lives come across struggles and turmoil and various events that we occasionally don’t know how to deal with. And we ask that you help us to remember this lesson, that brother Aaron brought us this morning, and that is to come to you and seek you, seek your wisdom,
your guidance, and pray to you. Faithfully that you, as we do know, will help us to resolve our conflicts with those that we encounter out there in the world. And with our struggles asked that we take the wisdom that you provide to us and figure out what it is that you want us to do and go on with our lives, serving you here on earth.
We know that there are times that we fall short of your glory. And when we come to you asking for forgiveness of sins, we ask that you please forgive us to them. And as we prepare to depart here this morning, we ask that you guys garden direct each and every one of us and safeguard us until we return at the next appointed time.
We pray this through your son, Jesus name. Amen.