Heritage Baptist Church of Frankfort IL

Many things need to be considered at the end of sermon series on Hebrews. How the book is arranged, some of the highlights and warnings. Ultimately, this book presents that Christ is better than anything and anyone. You must not turn away from Him!

Paul was in prison dependent on the gifts of others. In that state he penned one of the greatest statements on contentment. He had learned both from good and bad times that he could be content. The reason he could be content: Christ.

The author of Hebrews closes his book with a few seemingly disconnected details. However, each of the details is vitally important for the life of the church.

In this section Paul gives a list of things that we should consider. This list was similar to the morality lists of Paul's day. However, the standard for believers is much higher since the standard is Christ. Every activity needs to be considered and evaluated to see if it is the best thing we can be doing. After proper consideration in light of Christ a believer should be practicing these items in their life.

This passage starts and ends with the charge to listen to preachers and remember their words and works. Sandwiched in between this challenge is the message that they preach. It is the message of New Covenant in Christ that gives confidence beyond this life. This message is the most important message to consider.

Paul gives a series of exhortations for Christ-minded believers. The character and actions of these believers are a contrast to the world. They rejoice and are free from worry because they focus on Christ. God gives peace to these kinds of individuals.

At this point in Hebrews, the writer gives out a series of seemingly disconnected commands. However, in the connecting factor is love. The love of believers should extend to all saints, strangers, suffering believers, spouses, and their status. Being selfless and looking to Christ makes all of these things possible.

This is the concluding section that started back in Philippians 1:27. The believers are to contend for the gospel. They are to stand together in one mind. Unity is key in holding forth the gospel. Paul desired unity between the believers, because disunity was a discredit the gospel. He was willing to address two woman at Philippi. They had been important in the gospel going forth. However, they were disunified with one another. It was important for the woman to take care of their differences and if they could not, the church was to step in to bring unity. When people are focused on Christ and unified around Him, they can have real joy.

This is the last major appeal in the this letter of Hebrews. The contrast is between the Old Covenant pictured by Sinai and the New Covenant pictured by the heavenly Jerusalem. God has spoken through Christ to the world. To reject Christ is to be under God's eternal judgment. The God who can shake heaven and earth will judge those that reject Christ.

This section of Hebrews reminds us that life is like a marathon. God brings discipline into our life to punish or educate us. Some people might give up Christ when things get hard. However, those that live by faith look to Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith. Other believers bear responsibility to help those who are faltering and look like they might not make it to the finish line. They are to point them to the grace in Christ, and the disaster of missing Christ because there is no future opportunity for repentance.

This section is an application for the church at Philippi. Paul had used himself as an illustration of focus on Christ. Now, the believers are to be focused together on Christ. This unified focus strengthens the church and prepares believers for eternity with Christ.

The believer undergoes difficulty. This is part of God's discipline for our life. Sometimes it is designed to teach us and shape us and other times it is designed to punish us for sin. This discipline is an indicator to a believer that they are part of the family of God. It is not sign of His displeasure, but of His love for us.

The whole of the Christian life can be described as knowing and being like Christ. Ultimately, in the end that knowledge and practice will be complete reality in glory. However, in this life that process requires an athletic type of endurance to do well in this life.

In a season where our country celebrates its 250th anniversary, it is a good time to look to the Lord. He is the starter, the sovereign, and savior of all nations. However, the nation that puts their trust in Him is blessed. Our nation is not a Christian nation but has been graced by individuals who were followers of Christ and were impactful in their time. One man, Roger Sherman, was a man who was unashamed of his faith. He was solid in his beliefs. He also impacted our Declaration and our Constitution.

In warning the Philippians about false teachers, Paul gives himself as an example of salvation. He realized that all of his achievements and righteousness was nothing greater than garbage. However, in Christ he had gain. He had a righteousness in Christ that pleased God. He had the opportunity to grow in his fellowship and knowledge of God. He looked forward to final salvation when his body would experience resurrection from the dead.

After seeing all sorts of "witnesses" to living by faith, now Hebrews highlights the better example for us. Jesus lived life and He did so with faith in His Father's will. He suffered even till death without wavering. The believer needs to look to Christ while laying aside weights and sin. The believer will finish the race with endurance.

Paul starts to close his letter, but then goes on to warn the believers of false teachers who promote works and achievements for salvation. If anyone could make a claim on achievements, it was Paul. He cast these things aside, when he saw Christ.

Though in the previous verses, faith delivers in the face of great opposition. However, in this section, faith does not deliver individuals from difficult situations; it takes them through difficulties. From a human perspective, these people failed. However, from God's perspective, these people are worthy of honor. They continued to look ahead to the greater promises that God offers after this life.

This lesson on salvation deals with what Christ has done for salvation. It also addresses the need for repentance and faith.

The writer of Hebrews in this section has us running through the exhibits of individuals in the Hall of Faith. He lists all sorts of people who lived by faith. The list is somewhat shocking because many of the individuals have obvious flaws. Yet the writer of Hebrews reminds us that God is able to do great things through flawed individuals. Believers are not perfect, yet if they live in faith towards God, He can do some incredible things through them.

This lesson gives the introductory details of salvation. God is the start of the Scriptures. He created us for fellowship with Him. We, like Adam and Eve, choose to sin. Sin separates us from God both now and forever.

Paul commanded the believer to have the mind of Christ. But what did Christ-mindedness look like? Paul gave his future plans in regards to the Philippians and in his plans he gave two Christ-minded examples for the believers to examine, Timothy and Epaphroditus. In looking at their lives they lived out what Paul had been teaching starting in 1:27 through chapter 2.

The illustrations found in this section of the Hall of Faith are from the Exodus and conquest. In each one of those stories the faith of some had impact that moved others to faith in God. Your faith can move others to faith in God.

This message sets up the reasons for having Bible Studies with individuals. It is our opportunity to point people to salvation and help them be sanctified. The tool that we have been given to help make disciples of Christ is the Word of God.

Moses is included in the hall of faith. The three stories included from his life display a faith that is unmoved by the fear of man. His parents displayed faith that impacted Moses' faith in future years.

Since a believer is focused on Christ and empowered by God, they need to do certain things as a testimony to the gospel. One area to work on is to put aside grumbling and arguing in everything. The believer is to be living a blameless life so that the gospel light can be seen.

Much could be said about Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, yet Hebrews 11 only gives us one verse per man. Out of all the stories about them that might have illustrated faith, the only ones told here are when these men thought they were dying. Combined together these stories remind us of the importance in having faith that can be seen in death.

The crowd listening to Jesus' sermon responded with stunned amazement. They had heard something they had not heard before: someone who taught as if He had authority. He was not like the Pharisees who looked to other's comments and precedents for their teaching. Jesus claimed that He was an authority. The message of Jesus caused amazement that lead to salvation, but at other times it lead to rebellion. This is how people have responded to God's authority throughout history.

The Bible is an important gift from God for us. It has the ability to direct us to salvation, strength our person, and prepare us to serve.

The Lord commands His followers to pray for laborers to go into the field to harvest. The harvest is great but there is a need for witnesses.

Many will hear Christ but fail to do what He declares. They will attempt to build their hope for the life to come on the basis of their own effort and works. They are fools. However, the one who hears the teaching of Christ will recognize their need for a righteousness that they do not have. They will place their faith in Christ and as a result will do works that reflect faith.

After coming out of the heights of the glories of Christ and His work, Paul challenges the believers into action. Believers who have their focus and faith in Christ will perform the salvation that they have been given. It is not a solo endeavor on their part. God is the one who energizes the will and powers the actions of believers as they reflect Christ to each other and the world.

Abraham serves as the grand example of faith in this chapter. He showed faith in two things in which we have faith: faith in a heavenly city and faith in a bodily resurrection. He acknowledged that he was a stranger and pilgrim in this world. He trusted that God could raise His son from the dead.

Jesus warns people that have right words and deeds that they may not make it into heaven. Only the ones that do the will of the Father make it into heaven. What is the will of the Father? For one to believe on Jesus alone. Many people are religious and sing right doctrine and talk about God, but they will miss out on heaven because they never entered into a relationship with God through Jesus. This is why in the end He will say, "I never knew you."

The believers at Philippi were having some difficulty getting along with one another. The solution was to get their focus back on Christ. They were to live and think like him. This passage contains one of the most concise passages on the whole character and life of Christ. He serves as a pattern for all who follow Him.

Abraham had several promises from God. One was a land that would be his. The other was a promise of children that would lead to a great nation. The land promise did not happen during Abraham's lifetime. However, he was looking forward to a greater promise of a city that was eternal in the heavens. The child promise took a miracle of God, but Abraham and Sarah had faith in the promise of God.

The previous passage reminded us that many are on the broad path to destruction. Why is that? One of the reasons is that many people have false prophets that are calming their fears and directing them to destruction. False teacher can be identified by their words and their works. It is the responsibility of the disciple to be aware of those false teachers and reprove their teaching.

Paul wanted the believers to stand together and bring him joy as they displayed the gospel. It was possible for them to do this because they had received blessings from God and other believers. However, they had a responsibility to maintain unity with one another while serving with humility to one another.

Noah is the first example in the Scripture who moves to action because he believes God's Word. The things he was told by God were incredible to comprehend. He still responded in obedience. He serves as an example for modern believers who have God's Word. It says things that cannot be confirmed by human observation, yet we must believe what God says and then live in a way that displays that faith.

What does it require of a ministry to do what they have been called to do? It starts looking at life with the eternal why. Why do exist? It is to follow Christ and call others to follow Christ.

A person who is looking to make disciples that follow Christ will do several things. In this passage of Colossians it makes clear that prayer for others and opportunities is vitally important.

Though a young church the church at Thessalonica was a disciple-making church. They had the ultimate end in view while they ministered to others in their daily activities of life. They serve as an example of what believers should be like.