Cornerstone Baptist Church

(1) Keep the danger of letting go of Jesus in mind (2) Pursue Holiness (3) Always recognize your need for the Lord

Introduction: Two Ways of Seeing I. The Lens of Election Rightly Estimates the Holiness of God and the Depravity of Man II. The Lens of Election Draws Broken People to a Perfect God by the Force of His Bountiful Grace III. The Lens of Election Centers on the Necessity of Atonement IV. The Lens of Election Preserves, Protects, and Provides a Glad People unto God Conclusion: Perception and Position

Suffering will tempt you to sin (v. 4), Keep suffering in perspective (v. 11), Suffering shows you God is your Father (vv. 5-10), God gives you suffering for your spiritual good (vv. 10-11)

Keep running the race by (1) laying aside sun [v. 1] (2) seeking out examples of faithful Christians [v. 1] (3) and by looking to Jesus [vv. 2-3]

In Hebrews 11:32-40 we are given examples of God given faith in the suffering and salvation of the Old Testament believers.

As we consider the lives of Moses, his parents, the Israelites and Rahab, we see examples of faith leading God-followers to choose the treasures of God over the treasures of the world. As such we can hold on to Jesus.

In Romans 6:1-14 we see that the resurrection gives the gift of being able to resist sin.

The Danger and Necessity of a Holy God

Followers of Christ are encouraged to trust God by offering Him everything in our lives and by speaking confidently about God's promises in His Word.

Faith obeys when it's difficult and believes when it seems impossible because it knows the rewards are worth it. Faith leads us to regularly evaluate this life and estimate it for what is actually it is and consistently look forward to the next life. 

Faith is the the key to pleasing God

As David's kingdom brought war and battles with the enemy, so also Jesus' kingdom brought war to sin and battle with it for believers.

Keep your confidence in Jesus knowing that if you ultimately reject Jesus then you're headed for judgement.

Draw near to our Lord, hold fast to our confession of Jesus and stir up one another to follow Jesus.

The law covenant can't take away sins (v. 1-4). This is why Jesus brought his body (v. 5-9). And now nothing else needs to happen (v. 10-18)

God will suddenly, certainly, forcefully, and completely establish His Kingdom

The death of Jesus brings about all the promises and gifts of the New Covenant.

Jesus entered once for all as a perfect sacrifice to fulfill all the Old Covenant pictures of how broken sinners can be brought near a Holy God; thus forever making our conscience pure.

Jesus' priesthood is better because He is in heaven and His new covenant has better promises.

2 Samuel chapters 3-4 show us the brokenness of the kingdom awaiting the rule of David. Abner turns to the kingdom of David, while Joab seeks to make justice by his own hand. Let us turn to King Jesus.

Jesus is a new priest of a new and better covenant; better because Jesus remains our Priest forever and He never sins.

Jesus is a far better priest than any human priest, even better than Melchizedek. Jesus has blessed us, like Melchizedek blessed Abraham. As such we should give our lives to Jesus as Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek.

As the Davidic Kingdom begins we see glimpses of the amazing patience and obedience of God's faithful king, the mess of a fallen world, and the beauty of a king's heart focused on the kingdom of God.

We can hold on to Jesus because God, who cannot lie, has promised that our High Priest, Jesus, is a sure and steady anchor already ministering on our behalf before God.

The warning in Hebrews serves to keep believers diligent in pressing forward in their Christian walk.

We should be growing in our ability to digest the Word. We can work hard to understand and apply the Bible, praying for God's help in doing so.

Saul's life is a tragic example of failing to trust and obey God. Followers of God pray for help to see and trust God's ways and purposes.

We have a perfect High Priest who was anointed by God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. He is able to bring us to God.

Furthering the imperative, the author of Hebrews invites us to strive to enter the rest of God by continuing to believe in the Gospel and drawing near to Christ in our time of need (temptation).

We are created for eternal rest with God and warned that our lives should be characterized by striving to enter that rest.

(1) Your sin can harden your heart; (2) Hard hearts are an attack on God that he won't ignore; (3) Your only hope is to keep holding onto Jesus; (4) You need other Christians to help you do this

Since Jesus is better than Moses we should maintain our regular trust in Him.

God gives us pictures of the startling nature of His Kingdom and His promised King. We see pictures of major kingdom deliverance along with a rescuing, gracious King.

Jesus was and is our help to restore us to peace with God.

Rejected by God, Saul desperately turns towards evil and darkness in a desperate attempt to find help.

We must make an active practice of giving attention to the gospel, lest we drift from it. We need not drift as it is reliable and apparent.

Jesus deserves our worship as He is better than even the faithful, glorious, holy angels.

Hold on to the Jesus who is God's final word, the heir and creator of all things, our God and Savior.

David points us to the Son of David who is a King truly one of a Kind.

Believers may live, by the grace of God, with souls at peace as they trust in God's character.

Learning to love God's character, discipline and mercy towards others.

God's message of judgement can lead to saving faith which is attended by an appropriate response.

In Abigail we find a beautiful picture of mercy and trusting in the promised one of God. We have a picture of what it looks like for us to trust in Christ and intercede for those who will be judged by God's wrath.

The story of Jonah points us to the resurrection of Christ, the greater of Jonah. We can worship God completely as we consider all that He has done in joining us with Christ who rose to defeat sin and death.

God is angry with sin. God's wrath can be appeased through a sacrifice. Jesus Christ is the innocent man who was thrown into the sea of God's wrath in order to save the us, the guilty ones.

God pursues His enemies and His children.

In the encounter between David and Saul, we see kingdom hallmarks in the life of David and sadly see the antithesis in the life of Saul.

Be assured that Jesus is the Anointed King, be ready to lay down our kingdom and submit to Jesus, be present to strengthen the church.

God alone, through faith in Christ, can save us from our total corruption.

Jesus is willing to lose His own life. He is now willing to lose any who are among His bride. He is a willing and able savior.

James wraps up his letter by commending prayer to us and warning against sin.