Heritage Baptist Church of Frankfort IL

This letter of friendship and challenge to the Philippians has given much encouragement to believers throughout the years. However, this book is not just about joy. It emphasis Christ and the gospel as well as the way that we think. In the end this letter emphasizes that right thinking about Christ brings real joy.

This section is one of transition. For chapters Hebrews has spoken of the better high priest and the better sacrifice. Because believers have these two thing, they should do certain things in response to this knowledge.

The Corinthian church was spiritually gifted. However, they weren't using their gifts to help others but to shine glory on themselves. Paul reminds the congregation that their gifting is not important, but the focus. Love is needed to effectively impact and help the lives of others.

The Old Covenant required the giving of sacrifices again and again. The priests did the same work day in and day out. However, their work did nothing to change the heart. The work of Christ was a one-time sacrifice that could change the heart. This is the delight of the New Covenant. No more was there a need for continual sacrifices that did nothing.

David's enemies come into focus. They are plotting for a slanderous strike against David. However, they ignore the truth that God is well aware of their plans. David asks God for clear help. In the end David's cry changes from prayer to praise.

The New Covenant is the replacement for the Old Covenant under Moses. Both covenants required blood sacrifice to seal. However, the New Covenant only required one sacrifice. The death of Christ on the cross was the only sacrifice needed to open the way into the inheritance for believers. Many people today in "churches" try to re-sacrifice Christ. They misunderstand that there is no need for priests or more sacrifices. Jesus offered one sufficient sacrifice.

David is away from home and away from the tabernacle of God. He is escaping his enemies including some family members. Even though he is one of the driest climates in the world, David still pursues a personal knowledge of God. To David God is more than life itself. He wants others to have the same kind of passion for God.

The Old Covenant under Moses had a tabernacle that God instructed to be built. However, access was limited the further one got into the tabernacle. The tabernacle was a shadow or patterned after heaven. The priests were even limited in their access. However, Jesus Christ, the priest of the New Covenant has eternal access in the true tabernacle of Heaven. He has allowed access for anyone under the New Covenant of His blood. This access come with a change of heart due to the sacrifice of Christ, something the Old Covenant could never do.

The old covenant of Moses had proven ineffective. God was able to keep His side of the covenant, but the people failed again and again. A new covenant was needed that transformed the hearts of the people so that they could keep the covenant. This is why a new covenant was needed.

David once again finds himself in a situation where he needs help. He looks to God only for help. "Surely" and "only" are seen six times in this Psalm. It reminds us that men always fail, but God is a solid rock. This message should be proclaimed for all to know that God is worthy of waiting upon.

This sermon covers the theme for the year at Heritage. It goes along with our mission statement but places more emphasis on our responsibilities in the church.

This psalm was written while David was away from Jerusalem. He may have been at battle and surrounded by enemies. His desire is to find refuge in His God.

As a new year starts, it is good for us to remind ourselves that there are only two paths for our life. One is the wicked or ungodly way that tries to function without God. The other is the godly way. This way starts with a heart that listens and meditates on what God says. This leads to stability in this life and safety in eternity.

Our Bibles can be tools for us to retain some of the things that we have learned. Using the right kind of equipment will allow notes, thoughts, quotes, and applications to last for years to come.

Paul gave directions to the church on how to observe the Lord's Table. The Corinthians, however, had a bad view about the Lord's Table. They were angry about other church members or failing to see the significance of Christ and His body. This passage gives directions on a more effective observance of this memorial.

Habakkuk lived in perplexing times. God's people were wicked and unpunished. He was confused that a holy God was not judging sin. In a series of two questions Habakkuk gets answers from God that calm his fears. In the last chapter Habakkuk gives a psalm of praise to God even though the whole world collapses.

John provides the theological story of Christmas. Jesus came into this world as God in human flesh to be a light to the world. The world was not thrilled with His coming. The story of Nicodemus and the explanation afterwards is an illustration of Jesus as the light entering into the world. The world responds the way that it does because it is walking in darkness and loves its evil deeds.

The Christmas story is told with many different variations and details. However, many of those details are not found in the Scripture or are misinterpreted. The believer needs to make sure that they know the facts of the Christmas story and be careful of some of the made up details that are taken as Scriptural fact. The Christian should be one who searches the Scripture to see if these things are true.

This passage is one of controversy for multiple reasons. It sounds like the Lord is expecting Christians to be pushovers. However, the Lord is working on a mindset that demands rights and vengeance. The Christian is willing to give up certain rights for the opportunity to share Christ. It at times requires a great deal of grace and forgiveness.

David penned this psalm after a battle with Edom. However, the psalm has the perspective before the battle took place. Edom had invaded Israel will David was away and brought destruction to the region. David had been winning victories far away, but now there was an obvious lose at home. David recognized the failure as God's displeasure with the nation and with himself. David called upon God to go with the nation again. God made clear that He was in control of the nations. His nation just needed to respond in repentance for Him to help.

This section ends the writer of Hebrews exposition of Psalm 110:4 that started back in Hebrews 4:14. Jesus is the best high priest in comparison to the all of the priests in the Old Testament. He has character that is unmatched and His ministry is forever. The sacrifice He made is able to save to uttermost.

God's intention for His church and His people is to triumph. Many believers fail to recognize what God has planned for their lives.

The Pharisees attempted to come up with ways to make oaths that they could break. They would not swear by the name of the Lord, because failure to keep the oath would bring judgment. They decided that they could swear by everything else and be okay if they broke the oath. Jesus desires His followers to be so trustworthy that their speech would always be honest.

David was boxed in on all sides by his enemies. His prayer in this passage was for God to deliver him so that his enemies might know who God is. God does an excellent job in making Himself known, but David promised to be a part of the praise that makes God known.

The Levitical priests had a shelf-life. They passed away and had to be replaced. Some of the priests were openly sinful and every year they had to offer sacrifices for themselves. Jesus is a priest unlike the Levitical priests. He is better and brings in a new covenant to replace the old.

This psalm looks at the injustices of political leaders. The psalmist prayers to God for the stopping of the violence of leadership. His major illustration of these leaders is that they are snakes that kill while being deaf to to pleas of the innocents.

Melchizedek is a relatively unknown individual in the Old Testament. The details about him are found in Genesis 14. The details of that story are significant in pointing out that Melchizedek was greater than Abraham and the priests of Levi, thus he is a better priest. This is why it is important that Jesus is a priest of the order of Melchizedek. He is a better priest.

Jesus clarified the seventh commandment and made clear that the battle against immorality starts in the heart. His solutions for protection seemed radical. However, He was not promoting self-mutilation, but mortification of the flesh. The main solution in the battle is not to feed the flesh. This requires the believer to either flee when temptation comes, or remove the source of temptation.

David experienced the overshadowing wings of God as he fled his deadly enemies. The obvious working of God's steadfast love caused David to exalt God, especially through the means of song. He serves as an example for believers today.

Many believers struggle with assurance of their salvation. However, salvation does not rest on us. God has made both a promise and an oath that Jesus is our high priest. We can hold in faith to God's promise and oath that Jesus allows us to enter into the presence of God. This is an anchor, sure and steadfast.

Jesus begins to clarify what righteousness greater than the Pharisees looks like. The first issue he deals with is "Thou Shalt Not Kill." The Pharisees had a narrow understanding of the command that it it forbade physical murder. Jesus gives the intent of the law. The believer is to stop murder from coming out of the heart and being found in our speech. In fact, the Lord challenges believers as peacemakers to proactively meet warring situations and try to get them to cease before more harm occurs.

David's time in Gath caused him a great deal of fear about what men might do to him. However, in this psalm he rehearses and declares his faith in God to himself. This psalm is one that finds echoes in other parts of the Scripture due to the comfort it provides for believers.

This passage is one of warning. However, the difficult question is "Who is it warning?" Much discussion has been given to this passage with a variety of interpretations. In the end it seems to be warning those who have been surrounded by Christians and the church yet at some point fall away because they are not saved. It is impossible from a human standpoint to bring someone back who has left the faith. Can a person like this be saved? With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

In the book of Acts a commission is given to reach all of the world. In reading the book that commission is not accomplished as quickly due to wrong thinking and attitudes in the church. These attitudes can show up in churches and hinder the growth of the gospel in the world.

Jesus did not come to get rid of the Old Testament but came to give it fullness. Teaching of the OT and prophecies find fullness in Christ. The citizen of the kingdom takes great care to declare and live out what is found in the whole of Scripture. Their righteousness ought to be greater than the Pharisees.

The believer often finds themselves in turmoil both physically and spiritually. This turmoil is caused by multiple sources. However, the believer cannot stay in this depressed state. He/she must communicate to the soul truths about God and place trust in Him.

These section is warning for people who check out when a topic of Scripture seems unnecessary or boring. The topic of Jesus as High Priest was started earlier in the chapter. The discussion will go on two more chapters. Some in the congregation were lazy. The danger of not hearing the word and doing something with it is stunted growth. Some Christians are still like spiritual babies because they do not consume the word of God and use it. They are not ready for stronger doctrines because they have not bothered with the easier ones.

The reason that the citizens of the kingdom of heaven will be persecuted in this world. This is because they are salt and light in the world. They are to stall and reprove evil while pointing the world to Christ.

David had enemies on every side that he had to deal with. They caused him fear. However, the enemy that caused him to be furious was the one that had been his closest friend. This friend was out to hurt David. In the end David gives an example to believers of having a faith that casts burdens upon God.

The priests of the Old Testament had to meet certain requirements. No got to chose to be a priest. The writer of Hebrews discusses 3 requirements for the priests and how Jesus meets and exceeds those requirements.

This beatitude is shocking because initially it seems like no one would want persecution. However, persecution is something that citizens of the kingdom of heaven should expect in this world. The believer can rejoice in persecution knowing that God has prepared greater things for believers in eternity.

David was betrayed from people in his tribe that he described as strangers, people who were foreign to him. They joined with Saul and others who were out for his destruction. The question is "Why would they do such a thing?" The answer is that they do not set God before their eyes. David turns to God and focuses on His name. He looks for God to respond in correspondence to His name.