Hebrews - Talk 7 - 10:19-39

‘Let Us – Persevere’
Introduction
Kath and I, as you may be aware, have just got back from a 10 day trip to visit friends in New Zealand, and the great thing about travelling is noticing all the differences about another country, the weather, the food, the people, even the livestock. But also noticing all the things that are common to people wherever you go, like voting in a new centre-left government, and them having no idea what to do with the new economic crisis they inherited.

And one of the little cultural windows into the people you find in Western countries is of course the television, I love watching television in other countries, you learn all sorts of good stuff. Like who knew that Magnum PI was still prime-time television? Not me for sure!

But one of the things that is common both in their nation and ours is, that they also love television shows about relationships. In particular practical shows that help them to understand how to live out their relationships, like Dr Phil.
and on one particular night super nanny. I'm not entirely sure what possesses people to watch the show, but I suspect it is some sort of macabre vouyerism, that at least my children aren't that bad!

And this one night, we set down to watch it with our friends, (who also have small children), there was a couple who had six children. (Now I have one child, so quite clearly I am no expert on children), but these people had six children and quite clearly no idea!

And it's because between them, they didn't have an ounce of clue how to discipline their children -- for the want of a better description, there children were feral. Even the casual the Observer could see that this couple needed some real perseverance if they were going to make this parenting thing work. You need perseverance to constantly battle with little enquiring minds. Young minds make bad choices, and you need perseverance to train them to make good decisions.

But then you need perseverance to make any relationship work don't you?

And as we continue with the book of Hebrews, we see the preacher is persevering with his Immature hearers. He persevered with them, in order to encourage them, so that they may like their teacher - persevere to the end.

Today we are looking at Hebrews chapter 10 versus 19-39, which is a simple section of text, in that what it says is clear, but then in being clear what it says - it isn't easy to do. So it's a simple passage - but not easy!

In fact you could describe it as a salad passage.

"Why would you call it a salad passage, is it because it is good for you?"
"Well yes, it is because it is good for you, but more than that -- it's because it has three types of lettuce!"

"Three types of lettuce you say?"

‘Yes three types!’
The first of these using verse 22, where it says:
‘let us’ draw near to God

The second of these is inverse 23, where it says;
‘let us’ hold fast to Christ

The third of these is in verse 25, where it says;
‘let us’ encourage one another -- by not giving up meeting together

There are three types of lettuce in the salad passage, simple to understand, but not easy to do, so let's pray for God's help that we would hear and apply his word rightly.

Prayer


1. let us draw near to God -- verse 22
In verse 22 we read
‘let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.’

The preacher here called his hearers to draw near to God. He calls his hearers to have faith, to trust God, to have confidence in their God.
Now It's all well and good to say to ‘have confidence’, but how can anyone have the confidence to draw near to a holy God, a consuming fire?

Well it's because of what he is already told us, starting with what he said in verses 17 and 18, that our sins have been dealt with.

V17
‘..their sins and lawless is acts will remember no more. And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice the sin.’
So We have confidence to draw near, because Sin has been dealt with.

But how has Sin been dealt with?
Well, Sin has been dealt with by Jesus Supreme High-priest, as we have focused upon over the last couple of weeks in the book of Hebrews.
Jesus our supreme High-priest, offered the supreme sacrifice of himself, and offered it in the supreme temple, the true house of God.

Verse 19
‘Therefore Brothers, since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great High-priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith..’

We draw near to God with confidence, because Jesus is our great High-priest


But still how can we draw near, we are still sinful people aren't we?

Well verse 22 tell us the results, the benefits we receive in our person, because Jesus is our supreme High-priest.

Verse 22
‘let us drawn into God with the sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.’

Christ our supreme High-priest, has cleansed our hearts, and our minds, and our bodies.

Now Our sin was our doing, it was harmful against God, and harmful against our own bodies. But Christ bought it at the Cross and made it his. Our sin is our doing, but it is no longer our possession, it belongs to Christ he bought it.
And the forgiveness he purchased has become our possession by faith, and it has brought about an act of new creation by God the creator in our hearts, our minds and our bodies through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus and Supreme High-priest, has cleansed us, and we are now a new creation in Christ. We now part of the new creation - the kingdom of God.

We are able to draw near to God, because we have been cleansed by Jesus our supreme High-priest.

Which leads us on to our second let us;

2. let us hold fast to Christ
Verse 23
‘let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised his faithful.’

Now as you remember in the context of the letter to the Hebrews, the ones receiving the letter were under a real threat of persecution and violence, even death, for following Christ. To be a believer in Jesus in these first century times was a precarious exercise under the occupying Roman rule.

But instead if you were a Jew, you actually enjoyed protection under Roman rule, and no persecution from your own family and friends. To be Jewish was a lot more socially acceptable, and a whole lot safer.

The temptation to turn your back on Christ, was very real that these first hearers. Which is why the preacher implores them to not turn their backs on Christ, to hold fast to Christ, because Christ is faithful to his promise to deliver the hope he has promised. The preacher wants us to be faithful, as Christ is faithful. Let us hold fast to Christ, despite hardship, temptation, trial and suffering, and even persecution. Let us hold fast to Christ because he is faithful.


Verse 35
‘so do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.’

Let us hold fast to Christ

Now if you've been paying attention as the passage was read earlier, you may have some questions about verse 26 and 27. What is going on there?

Verse 26
‘If we deliberately keep on sending after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice is left for sins, but only the fearful expectation of judgement and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.’

What is going on there?
I mean there isn't a Christian here, who hasn't at some point deliberately sinned is there?

Well, as always, the Bible is pretty good at explaining Bible, and reading the context always helps to inform our understanding of the passage. In this section of the text, the temptation to sin for the believers who are hearing the sermon, is the temptation to turn away from Christ. The temptation to publicly deny any part with Christ, the temptation of apostasy. These believers under threat of persecution and even the edge of the sword, are being tempted to escape the hardship by denying that they know Christ, and to deny it publicly.

Apostasy, to deny Christ publicly and to mean it, is to sin with a ‘big S’

The deliberate sin spoken of here, is not your day to day, garden variety (if you can use such language) type of sin, but the profound and conscious denial of Christ's lordship, his sacrifice, and his priesthood on your behalf. To deny Christ is to deny his benefits for you, to deny those benefits is to be without hope before God.
Now before you get too comfortable, in thinking while I haven't done that! Remember that the path to the big ‘S’ Sin, is paved with a whole lot of little ‘s’ sin (garden variety) Sin. So knock it off!!

Faithful with little things, means faithful with big things when they come.

Let us hold fast to Christ

Let us hold fast to Christ, because trial and temptation and persecution is coming.

Versus 32-34 we read;
‘Remember those early days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insults and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.’

The preacher reminds his hearers, they have in the past been faithful with little things, and now it is time to be faithful with the big things that are coming their way, to be faithful under persecution and trial and even the edge of the sword. In the second let us, they are to hold fast to Christ no matter the cost.

So finally we can move on to our third ‘let us’ in this passage, where our preacher to calls us, and says;

3. let us encourage one another -- and in particular, by not giving up meeting together
Verse 25
‘let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another -- and all the more as you see the day approaching.’

The positive expression of his point here, is let us encourage one other.

Christians have always met together, the mutual testimony to encourage one another. This profound act of worship of speaking truly to each other about the living God in his presence. This act of worship to speak truly through song and speech, and to hear the living God speak from his word, and to call upon him as our father in prayer. All these things exist to strengthen the Christian, so that they may draw near to God, that they may hold fast to Christ, and that they may persevere in Christ until the end.

The negative expression of his point is that to withdraw from the Fellowship that meets together, is a concrete expression of a person withdrawing themselves from Christ himself. To withdraw from the believers in the first century, was to not make the good confession of Christ in the sight of opposition.

It was to wear your Australian Rugby league jersey to work on the Friday, but then turn up to work on the Monday wearing the New Zealand Rugby league jersey after they won the World Cup on the Sunday night!

Under threat at the edge of the sword, people withdrew from the Fellowship, to avoid suspicion, persecution, and hardship. To be part of the group was prima face evidence that you belonged to Christ. Withdrawing from the fellowship, was a concrete expression of withdrawing from Christ. And you know what, despite 2000 years, I suspect not much has changed in this regard? To withdraw from the fellowship is really an expression of withdrawing from Christ.

The preacher has called to the believers, let us encourage one another. But in contrast, what better way would there be to discourage the brothers and sisters than to withdraw from the fellowship?

Well what do you reckon?? Can you think of a better way of discouraging other believers?

I reckon that there are at least 10 things you need to make sure you do if you want to discourage your brothers and sisters
(by which I am being slightly ironic, and am of course encouraging you to do the opposite, and I am in the same breath not necessarily saying people are doing things, I'm just saying these would be dumb things to do!)

So here we go, 10 ways to discourage your brothers and sisters;

10. make sure everyone knows that church is just not a priority for you

Make Church just like dinner at home on Saturday night, it's what you do when you don't have a better option. And a better option can be a small as kids sport, or school holidays, or just plain tired.

So make sure everyone knows that church is just not a priority for you.

9.make sure things you never miss a chance to complain about church

The services are too long, there are too many creeds, there is too few confessions, there is too much new music, there is not enough old music, we always do the same thing, we never do the same thing!

And especially make sure you never miss a chance to complain about church, to the leadership whether it is the Minister or the CLT, or just in the Bible study.

And especially make sure you never miss a chance to major on a minor and take your theological hobby horse and ride it home like it was entered in the Melbourne cup, because nothing produces unity and encouragement like proud theological elitism

so make sure you never miss a chance to complain about church

8. make sure you bear grudges against people, and if possible to publicly, or at least with a small faction of your friends from the congregation

whatever you do, do not forgive as you have been forgiven

7.make sure you never serve, but always be served!

Be a consumer Christian, from teaching the kids, to doing evangelism, make sure everyone knows - it's someone else's job -- certainly not yours!

6. make sure you compartmentalise your Christian faith

Make sure you are one thing with Christians, and another with non-Christians. And especially never let your Christian faith into your workplace or allow it to bear upon your significant relationships.

5. make sure you never encourage other Christians with the good things the Lord has done in your life

Make sure everyone thinks you have a dead Christianity. At morning tea, or any church gathering, never get past talking about the sport or the kids schoolling. Never (ever!) tell anyone how you became a Christian.

4. make sure you never commit to anything related to church

Always keep your options open, whether it's a dinner RSVP, or a midweek Bible study, whether it's going on the roster during school holidays, or actually financially committing to the Fellowship rather than just giving the bits that are left over after you pay for what you want.

Never put yourself in the position of being committed

3. make sure you never read your bible personally

Privately, in the family, with other Christians or even in Church, do not read your Bible. And especially never ever share anything you've learnt from your Bible reading with another Christian.


2. make sure you never pray personally

Never pray to God, especially for the spread of the gospel, for Christian leaders, missionaries or for your Christian Brothers and sisters at church

Never pay personally, and especially never pray publicly when you have a chance during the service

1. make sure you never let Jesus and the cross set the agenda of your life

Your goal is to be happy not Holy!

discipleship, mission, even persecution are just not your bag baby! Leave that to the keen ones, the ones who seem to think that perseverance is an issue.

Make sure you never let Jesus and the Cross set the agenda for your life!


The Instruction
Verse 23
‘let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised his faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not to give up meeting together, and some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching.’

The Comfort
Verse 39
‘but we are not of those who shrink back and have destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.’

Hebrews - Talk 6

The full Assurance of faith
Jesus is the supreme High-priest, he is eternal, perfect, an appointed by God. And because of this he is able to save completely.
Application: BE Assured; stop worrying about sin -- its penalty, or it is guilt -- look to Jesus our eternal and perfect High-priest who has saved us completely.

Introduction;
A few years ago when I was working in an engineering firm, we used to break each morning around 10 o'clock for morning tea. And usually I would spend a whole 10 minutes trying to find just one to one engineer at work that had something interesting to say. This was no mean feat some days let me tell you.

Now I'll never forget this particular day when we got on to the topic of overseas holidays, and there was one draughtsman, who was usually particularly quite, and so I thought I'd get him involved and asked if he’d been overseas. And as I asked this question, there was a slight chuckle of laughter around the room, and he shifted a little uneasily in his seat, and mumbled something bit inaudible.
So this was like a red rag to a bull from me, and I decided that this was a story that was probably worth getting to the end of. So after a little encouragement, and a little cajoling, he decided to let down his guard down a bit and reveal the story, that everyone else there seemed to know.

So it turned out this fella, had been overseas on holiday, to Thailand to be exact. And he'd been having a great time there in the summer weather, hanging out at the beach and enjoying the cultural delights that you find in Thailand.

But his trip decidedly took a turn for the worse one night, when he was walking home from the pub. You see to cross the street from the pub in the direction he was going, he had to get across an open drain, (or what he saw was an open drain anyway). So to get across this open drain all the locals walked across this small timber plank, which is fair enough. Now the average Thai person weighs about 60 kg dripping wet, you this guy wasn't a massive guy, but he was a good 95 kg. Now you can see where this story is going can't you?

So he wandered across this plank, just as confidently as all the locals had trying to not look conspicuous by hesitating, but when he got to the middle – the plank dutifully snapped - and he fell straight through. Now fortunately he didn't have a long way to fall, and this open drain was earthen not concrete. And he found himself, in the middle of this balmy Thai evening, sitting on his backside in 2 foot of water. Which would be unpleasant at the best of times, but even worse when you discover that this open drain, is not so much drain, as an open sewer. And you in fact are sitting on your backside in 2 foot of raw sewage, trying to not look conspicuous.

And all of a sudden I could understand what he didn't like overseas too much. The irony that he was a civil draughtsman who often spent his time designing new sewage systems wasn't lost on me either. Every day at work, his work was essentially a perpetual reminder of this moment on this holiday.

So when you think about it, (which you don't want to do to hard let me assure you), you can understand what a traumatic experience this must have been for him. And for at least three reasons;

Firstly, well, just a physical impact of the stuff would have been terrible. And in case you are wondering, he response was to get as quickly as possible back to his hotel, and then proceed to have about four consecutive bath's in dettol. But that could only deal with the external impact.

Secondly, he had to get himself a trip to a Thai hospital pretty quickly, in order to check the internal medical implications of his midnight swim. And for any of you who have been through this sort of experience, (well maybe not this experience, but an experience of needing to undergo medical tests), you know the result is invariably clear (with that great disclaimer) -- for now. They always seem to have a provisional nature, and you need a follow-up tests in months to come.

And thirdly, there is the emotional impact of this kind of event. And let me tell you it was significant, not only because he never wanted to go overseas again (and the fact that he copped so much stick at work wouldn't have helped either!), but because the event itself would call you to feel embarrassed, to feel shame, and in some senses to feel guilt from what had happened. You couldn't even have a hint of a reminder of that event and not feel a little bit sick in your stomach could you?

Just the slightest recollection, and you'd be heading towards the anti bacterial soap aisle at this local supermarket.

But for this particular guy, thankfully, the worst impact to him was the emotional impact of the shame of the event.

Now As Christian people, I suspect this is how we often find ourselves relating to our own experiences, the filth of his world, called Sin. We feel guilt and shame when we recall them.
And this passage today in Hebrews, was to assure us, it's about the full assurance of faith, that God in Jesus Christ our great High-priest, has dealt with the external impact of sin -- which is the judgement of God, he has dealt with the internal impact of sin -- which is that we have been regenerated by the holy spirit to be part of the kingdom of God and not the kingdom of this world any more, but he has also purposefully and poignantly dealt with the emotional impact of sin -- our great high priest intercedes for us and has cleansed us of the guilt and shame that rightly should be ours, but became his at the Cross.

Our passage today it is about the Christian full assurance of faith;

But begins more like some sort of reality television programme, set in the combative arena of one-on-one competition what you see on Saturday night SBS, but rather than having a distinctly Asian feel, this has a distinctly Semitic feel, it's not so much iron Chef, as iron priest (which could also have been the name from an 80s metal band but I’m not positive on that!)

And in this first round of iron priest, we have the people's old Testament favourite of the Levitical priesthood -- descended from Aaron (Moses brother), up against a old Testament rank outsider, an almost unknown the challenger, Melchizedek.

The question our Preacher to the Hebrews answers for us is, who is the greater priest, Aaron's priesthood (aka the Levitical Priesthood) OR Melchizedek?

Excurses:
But in order to understand the writers point about priesthood, we need to understand some chronology about the old Testament, in order for his point to have its full effect.

Now when you think of the old Testament, you need to remember that the world was created back in Genesis chapters one and two and it was very good, it was very good for all of those two chapters, but then in chapter 3 things took a turn for the worse and sin entered into the world, and it has been impacting the world and mankind ever since.
Now in Ch4 and the following of Genesis, we have the stories of cane and able, followed by Noel and the Flood, then the Tower of Babel which is a decidedly downhill moment, and then God acts in chapter 12 of Genesis to put things right.

In chapter 12 God makes promises to Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel, through whom God would go on to blessed the entire world.

Now in chapter 14 of Genesis, Abraham rescues his nephew lot, and in recognition of his thankfulness to God he offers an offering to High-priest called Melchizedek.

Now this is about 2000 BC, so following on from this some 500 years later in 1500 BC, Abraham's descendants are many in number, down in Egypt and God rescues them from slavery in the events of the Exodus. God saves them and calls them his people and gives them the law, (including the 10 Commandments), to tell them how to live as his saved people.
And part of this big deal was the formation of a priesthood, Aaron Moses brother, became the father of this priesthood, and they were from the tribe of Levi.

Now going on about another 500 years to 1000 BC, King David and his son Solomon become a focal point of the promises to Abraham, and in particular they oversaw Israel inheriting their land, and building the temple of God. The place where God's name resided on earth, the place where you did business with God on earth in regard to sin. But in order to do business with God, you needed a priest to be your mediator, you couldn’t just march in yourself, you needed a priest to act on your behalf from the tribe of Levi, and more importantly from the family of Aaron.

And I’m sure a few of you are thinking so what, how is this a help?
Well since you asked, the rains of David and Solomon are something of a high point for all Israel, but especially for the Levitical priesthood. This was their moment in the sun, in the massive temple, in the centre the Israel, and with God’s anointed kings ruling, these priests live the life they were called to.

But this is the odd bit, in the midst of this, and this is central to the argument of Hebrews in this section we are looking at today, David penned these important words in Psalm 110:4

The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, you are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

Even in the height of their day, David new that a better priesthood, was needed and it had been promised to come. He foresaw the day when the Levitical priesthood would be superseded.

In this idea, in the greats of the old Testament, only being a shadow of things to come, is developed throughout the book of Hebrews. In chapter 8, our writer quotes from Jeremiah 31, and Jeremiah was around in 600 BC, and he wrote;


‘the time is coming declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant are made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt.’

Jeremiah knew, the old covenant, the covenant given to Moses, the covenant embodied and enacted by the Levitical priesthood, was always going to be superseded.

So cut a long story short:
- in 2000 BC it was clear through Abraham there was a better priesthood, than the one that would come from his son Levi.
- In 1500 BC, David told that there was a better priesthood to come, at the point when Levi's children were the unchallenged uber priests.
- In 600 BC, Jeremiah prophesied about a new covenant, and the passing away of the old covenant, and when you change covenants, you change priesthood's.

Now at the least, these three authors are a fairly formidable witness, for the Hebrew recipients of this letter.
But it is overwhelming! when you understand that the shorthand way of referring to the Hebrew Bible, is the threefold designation of the law, the prophets, and the writings. Abraham is representative of the law, David of the writings, and Jeremiah of the prophets. It is possible that the writers of the Hebrews is telling his readers that the whole of the old Testament, is preparing people, and pointing to, the coming of the new High-priest, the one who would enact the new covenant.

He is almost saying to them, why are you surprised about Jesus, it is clear when you read the scriptures, he is the fulfilment of everything else that is just a shadow.

Mainline;
So with our backdrop filled in, we are ready for our first round of iron priest.

And the result is an upset as Melchizedek trounces the people's favourite Aaron’s (aka Levitical) priesthood. And that's made pretty clear from chapter 7 versus 1-10 which will read now and then make a few brief comments;
READ FROM BIBLE
1 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and Priest of god most high. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him ……. Levi was still in the Body of his ancestor.



so the first main point why Melchizedek is a better priest than Aaron, is that in Abraham, Aaron who is also a Levi's descent, presents and offering to Melchizedek. The lesser man honours the great man, Abraham honours Melchizedek. And in this action, all of Abraham’s descendents including Aaron Honour the greater man, of the greater priesthood - Melchizedek.

Not only that, Melchizedek is greater than Aaron, because he remains a priest for ever. Aaron's title is hereditary, it is only for a lifetime, and then passed on, to his offspring. Melchizedek is without beginning or end, as is his priesthood, the passage tells us. He is an eternal priest and so better than Aaron who gave up his priesthood upon death.

Now what's intriguing about Melchizedek, is that he is not only a priest, but he is also a king, (now that is way better than Aaron!).
And it's quite intriguing really, that Melchizedek is a Hebrew name (which is a little odd!) But his name literally means, ‘King of righteousness’, and he is by title and office the King of Salem, which literally means ‘King of Shalom -- King of peace’. And not just the UN type of peace, but ‘Shalom -- God's peace, gods end time rest’. The time we all await, when everything has been put on back in order, the better rest than what Joshua offered, as we saw back in Ch4.

So our writer to the Hebrews, says our first round of playing Iron priest is a lay down misere, Melchizedek trumps Aaron in every single way.
But it seems that our hard of hearing Hebrew believers, are still not certain, they think it was a lucky win in the old Testament category, and they're willing to go double or nothing for the champion of the whole Bible in the contest of Aaron (aka Levitical) Priesthood versus Jesus Priesthood.

But how preacher goes on to point out four things they need to consider in regard to their contender;

Firstly, they are going up against God's promise. Because God promised that another priest would come and he would replace Levitical priesthood and we see that in verses 11 and 12.

And Jesus is the new priesthood, by the promise of God, and he will be a High-priest for ever in the order of Melchizedek, just as God spoke in promise through his servant King David some 1000 years before in Psalm 110.

Secondly, the law that they are championing through Aaron's priesthood was weak and useless we see in verse 18, because it did not have the power to make anything perfect. It could not achieve its goal, it was without power, and could only deal with the outward appearance of sin and its effects.

Jesus is the perfect high priest who is able to perfectly save we read in V25.

Thirdly, the priesthood of Aaron had to offer sacrifices for their own sin before they could do anything about mediating for their brothers. In verse 26 we learned Jesus is a better high priest, because he is holy, blameless, pure, and set apart from sinners. And in verse 16 we learn Jesus is a better High-priest, not just because he is appointed by God, (as opposed to Aaron's son who just mechanically inherit their priesthood), Jesus high priesthood is better because it is eternal, based on an indestructible life. Jesus is a High-priest who has conquered death in his resurrection, and so can be an eternal advocate on behalf of his people.

Fourthly, Aaron's priesthood entered an earthly temple, built by human hands. Jesus priesthood entered the heavenly temple, and dealt with God face-to-face on his brother's behalf.

The Levitical priesthood could make nothing perfect, in V28 it tells us that God appointed his son as the perfect priest who makes others perfect, because his priesthood is permanent in the heavens.

Well if the first round of iron priesthood, was a resounding victory to Melchizedek over Aaron, the second-round of iron priesthood was an exhibition of a man kicking a dog, as Jesus mopped the floor with Aaron and his descendants.

If Melchizedek was the shadow of the eternal priest, and he smashed Aaron, how much more so, Jesus who is it’s the fulfilment which Melchizedek promised


The one promised by God on oath; He is the king of righteousness -- who shared his righteousness with his brothers. He is the king of peace -- who would bring God's rest to all creation, He is the great High-priest, who would enter into the true temple in heaven through the sacrifice of his own perfect life upon a cross, He is the one who proved himself worthy through his indestructible life -- of resurrection from the dead, He is the one who was holy and blameless, He is the one who has now sat down at the right hand of the throne of Majesty and He is the one who serves in the sanctuary the true tabernacle, set up by the Lord not men, He is the one who is able to save us completely, the eternal and permanent priest, He is the one who lives to intercede for us

He is God's perfect priest, who has reached his perfect goal, and perfectly intercedes for us now, so that we too, may perfectly reach the goal of God's promised rest and not fall short because of the persecution and hardship of this life.

If last week was a warning about apostasy, this week we have heard a word of great affirmation about the assurance of our faith.

In chapter 8:1 we read these words;
‘the point of what we are saying is this; we do have such a high priest.’

Brothers and sisters we have High-priest such as this, a perfect High-priest, who is able to perfectly save you. Jesus is the supreme High-priest, he is eternal, perfect, appointed by God, and because of this he is able to save us completely.

For his Hebrew hearers, our preacher is asking, ‘why would you go back to the shadow, which could never achieve the goal’. (like taking at dettol bath, when you’ve managed to get yourself hepatitis!), the old covenant and old priesthood were never going to be able to fix the problem, they were only God's down payment of his promised true solution. Only Jesus can fix the problem perfectly to ensure we reach the goal.

So what? - Well, what does it all mean?

Firstly, stop messing around in life like there are better options out there than Jesus!
If you haven't fully put your trust in Jesus as your saviour and your Lord, the Bible says clearly, you are without any hope or any assurance before God. Earlier in Hebrews it says ‘today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts’.
Well today is it, the day to take Jesus seriously -- because there are no better offers out there, and no one else who can fix your problem with Sin and God.

If that's you, then pray to God and ask him to forgive you because of Jesus and his death on the cross in your place, and then be assured that God forgives the those who truly turn to him with genuine heart, and if you do, well then you better come and speak to me, because we'd like to help you figure out what to do next in your new life with Jesus.

Secondly, what does it mean for us who have been Christians for a while?

It means, our sin has been fully deal with. If the blood of bulls and goats under the old covenant could not cleanse the conscience of men, nor deal properly with the wrath of God, we now know for certain that Jesus our great High-priest can. He offered the perfect sacrifice, of his own life, and he now lives and intercede for us.

If you're wondering about the penalty of your sin, you feel weighed down by your sin before God, look at Jesus. At the cross we see the sign paid in full. Jesus is not a medical practitioner who needs further tests in order to be conclusive in his pronouncement.

Carry the weight of your Sin no longer, but look at Jesus who took the penalty for us, as chapter 9 verse 27 tells us, ‘just as man is destined to die once and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people and he will appear a second time not to bear sin but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.’
Maybe the penalty doesn’t bother you, that’s not your issue, but you're worrying about the guilt of your sin, well, if you feel unclean because of your Sin before God, look at Jesus. His shed blood washes away our filth out dirt and our shame.

His one time penalty, is the sure grounds for us that he lives and intercedes for us now, so that we will be made perfect just as he is perfect, he is not ashamed to call us his brothers. Jesus is our great High-priest who has dealt with the penalty of sin, who has renewed us within so we are slaves to sin no more, and who has washed away guilt and our shame. Our sin was our doing, but it is no longer our possession, it was purchased from us at a great price.

Jesus our great High-priest, has taken away from us the penalty of sin, the power of sin (Christ is now our lord, not sin), and he has taken away the guilt and shame of sin.


Chapter 10:19 Therefore Brothers since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way that is opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great High-priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having a hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope which we profess for he who promised his faithful

Jesus high priesthood, compels us, even commands us, and draws us near to commune and converse with God our father in all our life but especially in the face of persecution much and hardship, and to do that through the access his priesthood opens up in prayer.

Hebrews 5 - Talk

Christ or Caesar?
Christ went to such great lengths as our supreme High-priest to faithfully confess us, how can we now slide back from faithfully confessing him?
Action; (PRAY and obey)

Introduction;
"They have burned the church and killed the pastor," was the anxious report given to Nigeria's national director. "My wife and children... We are hiding.". Over the year, most of the project Philip Bible study leaders in one region were killed. Many churches were destroyed. Widows of church plants wept as they told how their husbands were slaughtered. A son told how the hands of his fathers were chopped off while taunted who will feed you now old man?

Recently Kath and I have been working our way through the Bible league's prayer diary, and this was the entry under Nigeria. The persecution these believers face, is something that many of us have never known. For them the opposition to Christ is clearly confronting, and the cost of following Christ is exceedingly high.

Well our Hebrew brothers who received a sermon that bears their name, just like the Nigerian believers, also faced the very real prospect of physically having to pick up their cross to follow Jesus, and to die to follow their saviour. And understanding this fact, brings to life the passage before us today. It is an extremely challenging passage, it really wants us to ask the question, what would we do? What would we do if that day came to us?

Will we unashamedly profess Christ as our Lord?
Or will we bend the knee to Caesar?
Do we profess Christ or do we deny him, when we are faced by opposition?

This passage before us today, challenges us that Christ went to such great lengths as our supreme High-priest to faithfully confess us, how can we now slide back from faithfully confessing him?

Intro to the passage;

Now as a reminder that context of this letter is that it is written to Christian people, Christian people of the Hebrew background, who are suffering persecution -- real physical danger from the Roman Empire for professing Christ.

In the context, our smaller passage today, fits in the wider section of the letter to the Hebrews that goes from 4:14 through to 7:28, which is all about Jesus the supreme High-priest.

Our section of text today breaks into five parts;

1.Jesus is the supreme High-priest (5:7-10)

During the days of Jesus' life on earth,
he offered up prayers and petitions
with loud cries and tears
to the one who could save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverent submission.
8 Although he was a son,
he learned obedience from what
he suffered
9 and, once made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation
for all who obey him
10 and was designated by God to be high priest
in the order of Melchizedek.
Jesus is the supreme High-priest, the perfect High-priest, and this is really the fountainhead of everything else the preacher says in this section, everything else flows from the fact that Jesus is the supreme High-priest.

Christ is the supreme mediator between God and man. The high priest who is really able to deal with God, because he is God. But he can do it on mankind's behalf, because he is really man. The perfectly obedient man, the son of God.

Christ is the supreme High-priest our preacher tells us, because he is the one source of all people salvation. He is the one who was both, able and willing to offer the sacrifice, the perfect sacrifice, of himself. Our passage from last week's sermon reminded us that Christ is both faithful and merciful, to intercede for his people as the supreme High-priest.

And the summary of this idea comes in 4:14-16 which begins this whole section in the letter on the priesthood of Christ, in which we read;

14 therefore, since we have a great High-priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

So the main point of this section is clear, Jesus is the supreme High-priest on our behalf, Christ is for us, in our weakness.

But as we read those verses from 7-10, I'm sure you (like me) had a bunch of questions, maybe thinking, "what is going on here?".
For instance whose is Melchizedek?
And Jesus prayed to the one who could save him from death, how was he heard? (Because last time I checked in the end of each GOSPEL he dies doesn't he?)
And In what way did Christ learn obedience?
And How was Jesus made perfect? (Wasn't the son of God already perfect?)

Well what is going on here?

Well good questions, (thanks for asking) let’s try and offer a few suggestions to these conundrums as we briefly as we move through!

Firstly, who is Melchizedek?
Well that one can hang around to next week, because Melchizedek gets a big run then and we don't need to go over that ground now.

Secondly, what about Jesus prayer?
I mean it says that Jesus prayed to the one who could save him from death and then it goes on to say, that he was heard because of his reverent submission. How was he heard it he died?
Jesus the man of God, the son of God, the God man, offered up prayers and petitions, with loud cries and tears, in the darkness, hardness and the cruelty of this world. V7 tells us, With loud cries and tears he prayed to his father, the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

It couldn't be clearer in what it says; but how was he heard when he died?
And he didn’t just die in his sleep either, but a terrible and cruel death (a thief's death) upon a Roman cross. How was his prayer answered?

Well it seems in the context Jesus did pray to him who could save him from his death, but it seems more likely that what he prayed, was not to escape the death – (which is what he rebuked Peter for as you may remember in the Gospels). But it seems in the context he prayed for the strength to be obedient to even death.

To be obedient, and to reach his goal which was to be the source of salvation for all, and this would mean his death. He prayed for the strength to make the faithful confession in the face of a certain execution.
And Jesus prayer was heard and answered.


Thirdly, how did Christ learn Obedience?
Well in particular, Christ as the obedient son expressed his obedience to his father. Christ did it, within the context of hardship that is being humanity in this fallen world. Christ learnt the hardship of obedience, through being tempted like no man before or since has been tempted, and yet resisting and was without sin. He resisted even the shortcut to avoid his faithful death altogether, and that is what the writer to the Hebrews is challenging us to do also.

Christ learnt Obedience in a personal way. Christ learned Obedience in a deep and profound personal way, by taking on humanity to himself and living a sinless life in a fallen world, filled to the brim with temptation.

And finally, how was Jesus made perfect, wasn't he already perfect?
Well the word perfect here means achieved his goal. Christ came into the world and achieved his goal of being the obedient Son who died on the cross to win a salvation, an eternal salvation, to all who would have faith in him.
Christ had to reach his goal in this world, he couldn't win Salvation for his people from the sidelines. Mankind had to pay it’s debt to God for sin, and in the God Man Jesus Christ that debt was paid.

Jesus is the supreme High-priest! that is what this passage is all about, this passage sees him praying and petitioning with tears and loud cries, and so what does that mean for us? I mean what is the cash value here?
Well it encourages us to have confidence and to pray when we face hardship, trial, and persecution in this life.

But when you face persecution and hardship in this life, how do you respond?
When you get tempted in life, what do you do?
Are you a binger?
Someone who turns to food, drink, or even sex, from comfort?
Or do you withdraw? Do Separate yourself off from people, or more importantly separate yourself from God?

This passage about Jesus our supreme High-priest, is an example and the grounds for us to pray confidently in the face of hardship. And we see in this Trinitarian nature of Christian prayer, because we pray to the father, because of and through Jesus who intercede for us, and we do it in the power of his spirit.

Christ's piety or his reverent submission, is the grounds for us to be confident that the father will here our prayers also. Prayer is the essential response for Christians as it was for Christ, That we would live the obedient life in this world even in the face of temptation, trial, suffering, and even persecution that ends in death.

Our response to hardship is to be like the supreme High-priest and to pray to our father, because we have a supreme High-priest.

2.stop acting like infants! (V:11-14)

11 We have much to say about this,
but it is hard to explain
because you are slow to learn. [sluggish/lazy]
12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers,
you need someone to teach you
the elementary truths of God's word all over again.
You need milk,
not solid food!
13 Anyone who lives on milk,
being still an infant,
is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.
14 But solid food
is for the mature,
who by constant use have trained themselves
to distinguish [perceive] good from evil.

This section the letter is quite a stinging rebuke for the Hebrew recipients. It seems to be quite heavy on the sarcasm in quite a negative assessment of their current spiritual development.

He tells them in this first exhortation in no uncertain terms to stop acting like Infants!

Twice he says to them, ‘you apparently need breast milk not solid food’, it is quite a barbed piece of rhetoric. Because let's face Infants are cute, but adults who act like infants are not.

Like if you come to my place on a hot day and see my little one-year-old daughter walking around in her nappy with a little belly hanging over the top, that is cute. If you come around to my place on a hot day and see me doing the same thing, that is quite clearly not cute. In fact it is very undignified!!
Very, very undignified!!

Our preacher to the Hebrew's wants his hearers, to be embarrassed by their current state of spiritual undress.

And the particular issue, is their unwillingness to hear. They are people who are hard to teach, because they have made themselves hard of hearing. They are unwilling to hear the teacher speak to them, like some smart Alec teenage schoolboy, who replies, "what was that teacher, what was that?".
When both the teacher and him, knows that he has heard the instruction perfectly clearly, but chooses not to obey.

Like one of my mates, of immigrant parents, who used to pretend that he couldn't speak English, when he didn't like the English he had just heard!

The Hebrew recipients of this preaching, are showing too much of a family resemblance to do them any good. Because their ancestors were always slow to hear. Even though the great creed of the old Testament, was to, ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord is God, the Lord is one’.

These Hebrews ought to be teachers by now, but they are not because they have not put their learning into action, into Obedience. And in v14 we see the results, they are not mature in their behaviour, because they are not listening and applying what they know.

It seems that the constant use of the Gospel, ‘the teaching of righteousness’, for a Believers life, is like exercise of their spiritual muscles, it builds up strength and more purposeful usage. The Gospel applied to life builds strength in the believer and through constant use enables them to distinguish good from evil, in their actions and in their life.

The challenge to those who hear this sermon is, that if they won't stand for Christ and obey Christ in the small things of this life, how will they cope when the big troubles come?
When suffering comes, when persecution comes, when even martyrdom comes -- who can say it won't happen?

Don't be hard of hearing!
But here the word, believe the word, and obey the word.
Don't be like the pagans, who say I'll get to it later. But today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, like they did in the wilderness.
Stop acting like infants!

3.Be mature! (6:1-3)

6:1 Therefore let us leave
the elementary teachings about Christ and
go on to maturity [completion],
not laying again the foundation of repentance
from acts that lead to death,
and of faith in God,
2 instruction about baptisms,
the laying on of hands,
the resurrection of the dead,
and eternal judgment.
3 And God permitting,
we will do so.

The second exhortation our preacher gives today, is to be mature!

His words compel his hearers, to move past the entry gate of faith and to go on and reach their goal of maturity, of obedience even to death, just like Christ their supreme High-priest did. He wants them to move on from then dipping a toe in the water like infants, of questioning the basics of the faith again, rather than going on into Obedience and maturity through putting their knowledge into action, like mature adults striding into the surf.

Christians are not to be armchair experts talking about the events of life from the safety of the stands, or the commentary box like a retired competitor, but we are to live out our knowledge of the gospel in the combative arena of the life that the Lord has given to us.

Now if you decided to go bungee jumping, there gets to a point where you just can't talk about it any longer, things have been checked and double checked, and to start time to put the talk into action. It's time to go after the goal, it's time to jump, because that's what you came here to do in the first place. Maturity is about commitment, it's about putting knowledge into action.

The mature, are not anxious or introspective about the foundations of our faith in Christ, they go on to maturity -- to reach our goal -- of obedience to God in the face of opposition, in the face of temptation, in the face of persecution, and even who can say, in the face of martyrdom.

In V3 reminds us that this is a profoundly spiritual exercise, we should pray that God's spirit would work on us, and God willing we would be mature.

Hear the word, believe the word, obey the word and Pray that we may;
Be mature!

4. Hear the warning, it is impossible to be restored from apostasy! (6:4-8)

V:4-6 only
4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened,
who have tasted the heavenly gift,
who have shared [partake] in the Holy Spirit,
5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God
and the powers of the coming age,
6 if they fall away, [apostate]
to be brought back to repentance,
because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again
and subjecting him to public disgrace.

Hear the warning, it is impossible to be restored from apostasy!

Now there are two really important words in these verses we have just read. The first in v4 is the word ‘impossible’, the second in v6 comes from the phrase ‘fall away’, and the root word means ‘apostasy’.

Now all of us being good legalists, want to know does ‘impossible’, really mean impossible?
Well yes it does, because it uses the exact same word in 6:18, 10:4, and 11:6.
In 6:18 he says, ‘it is impossible for God to lie’
in 10:4 He says, ‘because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin’.
And in 11:6, he says, ‘And without faith it is impossible to please God’

So yes when he says ‘impossible’ he really does mean ‘impossible’.

And secondly, what does ‘apostasy’ mean?
Well apostasy is to deny the faith, and to do that publicly. It is where a person who has previously professed Christ, now publicly renounces any part with him.

Now while this passage is not the sum total of all Bibles teaching on this issue, we do need to hear the preacher clearly, this passage is a real warning telling real Christians, to not turn their backs on Christ.

If they turned their backs on Christ, all then they lose all the benefits that Christ brings -- and this includes most importantly Salvation. And in turning their backs on Christ it is worse than just losing their salvation, they become like the pagans who exposed the son of God to shame in public disgrace all over again.

Brothers and sisters, when hardship and trial and suffering and temptation, and even persecution -- the very threat of physical violence or even death -- come our way, do not the ashamed to confess Christ. Do not be ashamed to call him your Lord. Christ is the supreme High-priest, he is supreme in all things, better than Angels, better than Moses, better than Obama (would you believe it!)

Because he is the supreme son of God, but the supreme High-priest was not ashamed to make a faithful confession of you in the face of persecution, how can you now be ashamed to confess him?

The challenge of the book of Hebrews, is this; is Christ your Lord, or Caesar?

In this warning is consistent with the message Jesus brought in the Gospels, we read in Luke 12:8-9;
‘and I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the son of man will also acknowledge him before the Angels of God. But he whoever disowns me before men, will be disowned before the Angels of God.’

The Christian person, should hear this warning to them and not presume of a second chance to profess Christ. The apostasy that the Hebrews were in real danger of, was to fall under persecution, to renounce Christ.

To deny God is God, and Christ as your Saviour, is to sin with a big S. And the road to that big S, is paved with a whole lot of Little s sin, little denials of the lordship of Christ in respect to our lives along the way.

People who are faithful with little things, will be faithful with big things when they come.

The other question you may have is, ‘well what about my family or friends who once professed to be a Christian but have now turned away?’.

Well this passage isn't actually written to them, it's written to you; it’s a warning to not be like them!

But does ‘impossible’ mean no chance, well I'm not going to answer that today because that is not the question that texts sets out to answer, and really we don’t have time.

But when you get a chance to think about it, maybe later on today, maybe have a think about the apostle Peter and how his life sheds light on the God who delights in saving people, we maybe ardent legalists, but God is gracious.

The real application of this section is:
are you mature or immature?
Are you ashamed or unashamed?
who is the Lord you serve, Caesar or Christ?

And our preacher goes on to remind us that Obedience to Christ results in fruit, and disobedience results in judgment.
V7&8
7 Land that drinks in the rain
often falling on it and that
produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed
receives the blessing of God.
8 But land that produces thorns and thistles
is worthless and is in danger of being cursed.
In the end it will be burned.

Hear the word, believe the word, obey the word and you will produce fruit.
But hear the warning, it is impossible to be restored from apostasy.

5. We are confident of better things in your case, but do not be lazy! (6:9-12)

9 Even though we speak like this,
dear friends,
we are confident of better things in your case—
things that accompany salvation.
10 [for] God is not unjust;
he will not forget your work and the love
you have shown him as you have helped [served]his people [in his name]
and continue to help them.
11 We want each of you to show this same diligence
to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.
12 We do not want you to become lazy,
but to imitate those who through faith and patience [long suffering]
inherit what has been promised

Jesus said in Matthew 7 that a good trees produced good fruit,
and it seems our preacher is confident for his hearers because of these sure things;
They have shown fruit from the work of God's salvation within them, that has expressed itself in their work and their love and the service of the saints of God in God's name. And God has seen their works and he is just.

But the preacher wants them to press on to the very end, to run all away to the finish line and not get lazy, not get lazy or walk the last few miles, or just give up altogether.

As he says in 12:1 ‘let us throw off everything that hinders and the end Sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the Joy set out before him endured the cross, scorning it’s shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.’

We are to imitate those who exhibited patience in suffering and went on to inherit what has been promised.

Brothers and sisters the preacher is saying, we are confident for better things in your case, but don't be lazy!

Hear the word, believe the word, obey the word, and in the face of hardship and persecution be both; faithful in prayer, and be faithful in our profession of Christ.

Do not be ashamed to confess our faithful High-priest because he was not ashamed to confess you. Persevere in the face of difficulty and hardship, that we would learn obedience like the Son did, that we would produce fruit like the Son did, and that we would reach our goal like the Son did.

Let's pray.

Christian Martyrs

Hebrews 3 - Talk

Do not put the Lord your God to the test like the wilderness generation did, but continue by faith his Son, and act in obedience with His word so you will enter his true rest.

Introduction
I'm sure it I'm not alone in this, but I get a macabre sense of enjoyment, when I hear stories about people who managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Stories about people who seem to have it all laid out in front of them, and yet still stuff it up.

It could have something to do with being a Parramatta supporter, they have an uncanny ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. In fact I am still in need of some sort of therapy after the 2001 grand final, where they put 50 points on every single team that year, and then choked in one game that counts.

In fact an unexpected one I read about recently I happen to be thumbing through a copy of Schindler's list, a famous book by Thomas Keneally.
The book is about Oscar Schindler who managed to save a number of Jewish people from the gas chambers through his manufacturing plant. But it seems that things could have turned out very differently for a number of those people, because when Oscar was a young man, he entered a famous motorcycle race in Europe from which the winner would go on to be a factory sponsored motorcycle rider on the Eurpoean tour. Oscar entered his own motorcycle which is father had paid for and managed to lead the race from the start.

And when the pit board was held out it told him one lap to go, and so he crossed the line the next time, and it seemed a life of wealth and fame was his for the taking. And as he started to take his helmet off, the other bikes sailed by at full speed, and he had the stark realisation, that the pit board was wrong and he literally got on his bike and still wound up finishing fourth. Which was bad for him, because he missed out on the salubrious life of being a factory sponsored motorcycle racer, and instead wound up a manufacturing. A total shocker for him, But it wound up being good for all those Jewish people he would end up saving.

Another personal favourite is the guy called Mick Taylor, who wound up leaving the Rolling Stones in the late 1960s because he thought the band was going nowhere. He was for all intents and purposes never heard from again, and last time I checked the Rolling Stones are still touring 30 years later.

But then there are the more spectacular examples aren't there, like when we see personalities unravel in public. From Marilyn Monroe, to Britney Spears, to Amy Whitehouse, we see people who appear to have it all and then throw it away. People who just seemed to lose control.

But then again there are the more insidious examples, where people have it good, and then get greedy and blow the lot, now historically if you did that they call you a gambler, but in more recent times they call you CEO of the company.

Well, Today's section of Hebrews, is about people who got greedy and arrogant and ungrateful and blew the lot. So it is a good read, but an important warning as well.

Today's section of Hebrews is a warning, about sin, about judgement, and a warning to turn to Christ.

The first section of text we're going to look at today goes from chapter 3 v7 through to the end of chapter 3.

First Point - Do not harden your hearts and turn away from Christ, by putting the Lord your God to the test.

The focus of this section that we are going to look at today is in versus 12-14. In which we read;
12 See to it**, brothers,
that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart
that turns away from the living God.
13 But encourage** one another daily,
as long as it is called Today,
so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
14 We have come to share in Christ
if we hold firmly till the end the confidence
we had at first.

This whole section of text today forms one of the great warning passaged that we find in the book of Hebrews. The writer (or the preacher) of the book of Hebrews is warning us, in fact he is exhorting us, he is compelling us, he is almost begging us, ‘Do not turn away from Christ!’.

The writer has spent the last couple of chapters telling us how Christ is the supreme son of God, he is the supreme revelation of God, he is the supreme High-priest, he is greater than the angels, and he is greater than Moses. He is the living God's one and only true son. So Do not turn away from Christ!

Now as you may remember about the recipients to the letter to the Hebrews, they were Christian believers who were being tempted to turn back to the old ways of Judaism, and to turn their back on Christ. Judaism was more acceptable to their peers and to their families, and an important way it was more acceptable to the Roman Empire, which tended to lead to a whole lot less persecution and hardship. Christianity, to follow Christ, was a great way to become a social outcast in the first century. Still is today really!

So our preacher to the Hebrews tells us here, if you want to stuff this up, let me tell you two sure-fire ways of doing it;

First, play with Sin.

And secondly, give up on other Christians.

So in the first of these, our preacher warns us about the nature of sin. About how it clouds our hearts and minds, and turns us away from the living God. Sin is deceitful in nature, and it clouds our minds, and our judgements, and makes us hard in our hearts, so that we would not believe or obey the living God.

Sin is deceitful, which is unsurprising considering it comes from the Devil, the father of lies. The Devil's goal is to distract us from following Jesus, to cloud our judgement, obscure our view, with the goal of hardening our hearts.

The deceit of sin is subtle, which is unsurprising given that the devil was described as a snake, the craftiest of all the beasts of the field.

The nature of deceit if that you are not supposed to see it coming!
It works by stealth, and if we entertain sin, if we play with it, well it is better at the game than we are and the only way we discern we have lost is in hindsight.

Sin convinces us that off white is the same as white, then grey is the same as off-white, then black is the same as grey, and before you know it we have gone from seeing white, to not being able to tell the difference anymore between black and white.

Humans are not able to deal was in on their own, the devil is smarter than us. He is craftier than us, and he even knows that the Bible better than us. When Jesus answered the devil's temptations he used the book quotes from the book of Deuteronomy, which is ok because Jesus is obviously smarter than the devil.
Most of us are flat out finding the book of Deuteronomy, much less using it to defeat the deception of the devil.

It seems to me, Sin is a lot like smoking (no really stay with me here!). People start because they choose to, they like the look of it, they like what it does for them, it looks good to the touch and taste, just like the Apple in the Garden of Eden. But like the ad says about smoking, ‘every breath is doing you damage’. It damages the lungs, it hardens the heart and ensures that death has a greater grip on you than it did previously.

And most people when they stop to think about it will own up to that. But that is the thing about smoking, knowing it's a problem and fixing the problem are two different things altogether. Smoking guarantees death, and it takes a profound act of the human will to stop. And even if you are able stop, there is no guarantees that the damage has not already been done.

Sin is worse than smoking. The human will cannot fix the spiritual problems of sin. It's like a carcinogen that seeps through our skin, and into our system and no matter how hard we wash, we cannot even rid of the external marks much less the internal systemic damage. If you want a stuff-up your inheritance in Christ, just keep playing with sin, keep believing sin doesn’t really matter.

Sin has been deceptive since the beginning, with the words "did God really say?". Sins deceptiveness hardens people's hearts, and the impact is that it turns them away from Christ. Sin at its heart, is challenging us to put the Lord our God to the test. Just test the boundaries a little bit, did God really mean what he said.

God feels very distant, does he really care?
Will he really care if you do this?

Sin is deceitful, what is white turns to off-white, turns to grey, and before you know it we are convinced white is the new black.

Do not play with sin, because in this you are putting the Lord your God to test.

And so secondly, how to stuff up what Christ has won for us, give up on meeting with other Christians. This is a theme that will be developed more fully particularly in chapter 10, but our preacher to the Hebrews is telling us that our brothers and sisters are important in our lives, because they encourage us as to the truth of the gospel that we have received in Christ, and they remind us, and warn us, about the damaging effect of sin in our own life.

Other Christian people often see sin in our own lives far more clearly than we do. (Jesus reminds us however, that this is not to be a reason for pride against a brother). But the nature of the deceitfulness of sin, means we often need our brothers and sisters to speak to us reminders of the truth of the gospel, as it should apply to our lives.


Christian people need to meet together to encourage one another to not give in to Sins deceit, and the best context to do this is within real relationship with the Christian Brothers and sisters. And that is why Bible studies during the week are an essential part of the Christian life, and why we don't just meet on Sundays.

We need to be opened with each other, and willing to hear the loving encouragement to follow Christ, and not giving to the deceitfulness of sin, even if that comes for our good in the form of a godly rebuke.

"But maybe I'll get away with it?". I mean how does the preacher to the Hebrews knows that these are the two sure-fire ways of stuffing up?

Well he goes to the back of the cupboard and pulls out one example that God prepared earlier. Like all things, there is nothing new under the sun, and other people have been here before. Like every other generation before or since the recipients of the letter, feel like they're the only ones who truly understand life.
And the writer encourages them, there's nothing new about what you're undergoing, so learn from the example of past generations.

Throughout this section of the text, the writer to the Hebrews grounds his claim is in the old Testament witness from Scripture. And in particular he repeatedly quotes Psalm 95 and reapplies it to his hearers, with the injunction to not harden their hearts also.

Psalm 95 retells the story of the wilderness generation, the generation that God brought out a slavery to Egypt in the spectacular events of the exodus.

God saved his people in spectacular style!
And as a response what did they do, they grumbled against the God.
And God judged them in response, they did not enter his rest of the promised land that would become the nation of Israel.

Now people often look at these incidents in the Bible and the teaching that comes from it, and ask the question,
"does that mean we can fall way from God's promise?".
But when you look at the teaching in this context of Psalm 95, the people do not fall away from God because of some temptation, as much as they are judged by God because they dared to put God to the test.

God had just spectacularly save them from slavery, and they have the arrogance to ask, ‘did you bring us out into the wilderness just to die here instead, were there not enough graves in Egypt!’. Psalm 95 tells us that the wilderness generation did not fall away from God, but they were judged for their spectacularly arrogant sin towards God.

The writer to the Hebrews warns us through the example of this wilderness generation, to not dabble with sin. So can we push God, and put him to the test, and through our sinful disobedience bring his judgement upon us. Absolutely.

But even more importantly, the writer to the Hebrews urges us, well then can we be sure that we will be saved? Absolutely.

We have come to share in Christ v14 reminds us, so we are to hold onto the confidence we had at first - until the end. Which is another way of saying the natural progression for a saved person - is to remain in Christ. God is faithful, he has brought us safe this far, he will see us through to the end. But hear the warning, and to not turn your back on Christ, by entertaining sin and returning to your old way of life.

In the new Testament, faith (or trust) in Christ, must be accompanied by Obedience to Christ. A willingness to live like you have been made, not like used to be. Faith and obedience are matching pair, Obedience is the demonstration of true faith.
In contrast the wilderness generation were judged because of their unbelief, which was demonstrated in their disobedience. In we learned verse 19.

12 See to it**, brothers,
that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart
that turns away from the living God.
13 But encourage** one another daily,
as long as it is called Today,
so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
14 We have come to share in Christ
if we hold firmly till the end the confidence
we had at first.

So as we move on to the second section of the text today, which goes from 4:1, to 4:11, the writer to the Hebrews continues his warning that we would hear the call to Obedience from God through scripture.

This section is best summarised, by verse 11, where we read;
let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

So our writer reinforces with urgency and passion, the need for us to combine our faith with Obedience. And he gives us two good reasons as to why he can make these claims;

Firstly, we have a clearer word from God.

Secondly, we have a better hope of a true rest.

You can see the writer trying to encourage these Jewish Christians, ‘why would you want to turn your back on Christ, and be like this generation?’. ‘To start with, this generation didn't have the sure promises you do, and because of their attitude they wound up being judged anyway, so why would you turn your back on Christ and the like them?’.

So firstly, we have a clearer word from God

The warning is that if we have received an even surer and clearer word of the gospel the promises of God that are found in Christ, how will we escape judgement if we do not combine our faith with obedience.
If God judged that generation against a lesser revelation, how will he not also judge our generation if we are disobedient when we have received such a great revelation from him in Christ.

The responsibility is greater, but then the word of assurance is so much greater as well. So the author of imports us to make every effort that none of us would fall by following that generations example of disobedience.

In choosing to put the Lord your God to the test, it seems with great irony, this wilderness generation failed the test.

Do not put the Lord your God to the test, the by testing the boundaries of his patience, through wilful sin.

And secondly we have a better hope of a true rest.


So what’s the big deal about rest all about?
Well in the Bible, rest starts in the very beginning as the book of Genesis, God created the world in six days and on the seventh day he rested. And the rest in this sense seems to be an enjoyment of the fulfilment of things, God made the world very good, and it is all working as it should be.

But then of course Sin enters into the world and disturbs this rest. It seems the world became a place of unrest, where sin and evil abound, and the fear of judgement hung like a cloud over humanity. In Genesis the work of God the creator may have finished in six days, but the work of God the saviour, has only just begun.

Christ the Saviour of the world, God’s son, would usher in the true rest through his death and resurrection, of the new heavens and the new earth.

In the old Testament the downpayment of this new heavens and earth rest that was to be filled in Christ, was seen in the promises Abraham the father of the Jewish nation, that was made by God in Genesis 12.
God promised to make Abraham into a great nation, a nation who would be a blessing to the whole world, but a nation that would have their own promised land. A land of milk and honey.

The shadow, all the downpayment, of the great heavenly rest to come, was the land of Israel being full of Abraham's descendants, who would be a blessing to every nation on earth. To use the words of Graeme Goldsworthy, the down-payment of the kingdom of heaven, was to see God's people in God's place, under God's rule.

So the wilderness generation, though they had experienced the great salvation of their Lord in the events of the exodus, failed to reach the promised land because they put God to the test, through their arrogance, their unbelief, and their disobedience.


The preacher to the Hebrews it is exhorting his hearers, (which is to say he is exhorting us also), make every effort to enter the rest, the true heavenly rest, and learn from the example of the wilderness generation;
Do not follow their ways of disobedience, so that you will not fall.

We have a sure word in Christ, we have a sure hope of our heavenly land;
Do not fall short of our rest through disobedience.

Let us therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.
Now, Hopefully you were sitting there thinking to yourself okay okay I get it. Don't play with sin, because it hardens hearts to the word of Grace in the Gospel, and ultimately leads to people turning their back on Christ and into the inevitable judgement of God that follows from turning your back on Christ.
But how can I avoid sin hardening my heart?

Good question thanks glad you asked it!

And this question leads us on well into the final section of the text for today, where we read in versus 12 and 13;

12 For the word of God is living and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword,
it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit,
joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.
Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him
to whom we must give account.

God is living an active word to us the Bible, is better than any MRI scan at detecting sin in us, and when combined with the agency of the holy spirit, it is sharper than any surgeon's scalpel in cutting sin out of us.

God has spoken into his world through his word, his word brings a word of judgement to a sinful and stubborn humanity. No sin is hidden from God's site v13 tells us and everything is laid bare before his eyes, and we will need to give an account to God for a life.

But this living and active word of God brings forward this word of judgement to us now! God's kingdom is brought into his creation through his word, in particular his work of the Gospel. The word of God, exposes Sin in our lives.
In a profound and deep way for each of us in judging the thoughts of attitudes of our hearts.

To choose to seek God in his word, is a profound act of obedience and worship, where we open ourselves up to our creator, to hear him speak to us to deal with Sin and bring about forgiveness and obedience.

This word of judgement continually reminds us to turn to Jesus the author and perfect of faith, to receive the comfort and word of grace that only he can bring, and to turn from our old ways of life that are only sinful, and can only result in judgement.

This word of Grace in the Gospel is what teaches us to say ‘no to sin’ in our lives and to live the life of obedience, that true faith demands and compels from us.
To sit under the authority of the Bible is to sit under the authority of God himself, it is the antidote that stops drift, unbelief and disobedience, and it is why the Bible is so central in the Christian life.

This is why God's word the Bible is so central when God's people meet. Whether it is on Sunday or during the week, God continues to speak through the living active word he has spoken.

And to give an example of this from our passage today, did you notice that David used the word of God to Moses generation to address his own generation. Moses was some 500 years before David in 1500 BC. So David in his Psalm 95 in 1000 BC, preached the same living an active word to his own generation knowing it was a word to them also. Then the writer to the Hebrews shows his confidence in God's word being living an active by picking up the same Psalm 95 of David and applying it as a real and living word to the Christian believers some 1000 years later in the first century AD.

And now this living an active word has come to us, to be held up against our life, and to warn us; this living and active word has spoken to us through the holy spirit, as we read in v7 of chapter 3;
so is the holy spirit says;
7 So, as the Holy Spirit says:

"Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden** your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
during the time of testing in the desert,
9 where your fathers tested and tried me

Brothers and sisters, do not give up on Christ, but expose your heart to his living and active word the Bible, and pray that the holy spirit would work in you that you may live a life of obedience in response, so that all of us would stand until the end and enter his true rest.

A practical idea; http://orders.koorong.com/search/details.jhtml?code=0842324518


Prayer.