Podcasts about hebrew christians

Text: Proverbs 24:10 (ESV) 10 If you faint in the day of adversity,your strength is small. STRENGTH IN ADVERSITY There is a play of words here. The original word for "adversity" is sārāh', while the word for "small" is sar'. On the other hand, the word translated "faint" can also mean to "let go," "weaken," or "fail." Stating that someone who "fails" in times of trouble is weak is not meant as an insult. It is a serious warning. Difficulty is a given reality that we experience even during earthly life (Psa 20:1; 86:7; Ecc 8:6; John 16:33). Every person should prepare to face it with godly wisdom (Prov 1:7; 24:5). Everyone encounters adversity including God's children. It is part of our normal lives. For the Christian, adversity could be a good thing. Paul recognizes the sovereignty of God in every circumstance we have, good or bad. He said, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”[Rom 8:28] James writes, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds" (Jas 1:2). His words were addressed to Hebrew Christians who were experiencing intense persecution. But why should adversity cause Christians to rejoice? James also gives the answer: "for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness" (Jas 1:3). Further, steadfastness can make believers spiritually mature and "complete, lacking nothing" (Jas 1:4).  Even, the apostle Peter also wrote to persecuted Hebrew Christians about the value of adversity. He said trials prove the genuineness of one's faith (1 Pet 1:3–9). Believers under pressure of adversity are encouraged to brace themselves and trust in Christ's power. The writer of Hebrews exhorts; “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For,“Yet a little while,and the coming one will come and will not delay;but my righteous one shall live by faith,and if he shrinks back,my soul has no pleasure in him.”But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”{Heb 10:35-39}Listen and FOLLOW us on our podcast -------------------------Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

The American Messianic Jewish congregational movement as we know it today blossomed in the 1960s and ‘70s. These young congregations borrowed theological ideas from Judaism and from Christianity, but comparatively little work has been done to synthesize a truly original, authentic, relevant, and beautiful Messianic Jewish theology. Our guest today, Dr. Richard Harvey, is the only person in the world with a Ph.D. in Messianic Jewish theology, and in this conversation he discusses how far Messianic Jews have come and how far they have yet to go as they attempt to articulate their most deeply cherished beliefs in a rigorous and systematic way.

The old covenant was no more. Now the writer of Hebrews shows 1st century Hebrew Christians that not only is Jesus a better high priest than Aaron, but He is a better Mediator than Moses, and of a better covenant.

"Living By Faith" • Hebrews 11:1-3 - Elder Bryce Lowrance. In Chapter 11, the Apostle continues his encouragement to draw nigh unto God in fellowship rather than drawing back. The chapter begins with an amazing definition of faith. The Hebrew Christians, as well as all born again children of God, possess the Holy Spirit which gives them faith. This intrinsic trust looks for a hope outside of this fallen world. We see in these first few verses that faith allows us to see and believe that the universe was created in order by the Son of God, Jesus Christ. And, if this faith is in us, we can use it to live in hope of glory despite the present troubles of life.

"Living By Faith" • Hebrews 11:1-3 - Elder Bryce Lowrance. In Chapter 11, the Apostle continues his encouragement to draw nigh unto God in fellowship rather than drawing back. The chapter begins with an amazing definition of faith. The Hebrew Christians, as well as all born again children of God, possess the Holy Spirit which gives them faith. This intrinsic trust looks for a hope outside of this fallen world. We see in these first few verses that faith allows us to see and believe that the universe was created in order by the Son of God, Jesus Christ. And, if this faith is in us, we can use it to live in hope of glory despite the present troubles of life.

"Living By Faith" • Hebrews 11:1-3 - Elder Bryce Lowrance. In Chapter 11, the Apostle continues his encouragement to draw nigh unto God in fellowship rather than drawing back. The chapter begins with an amazing definition of faith. The Hebrew Christians, as well as all born again children of God, possess the Holy Spirit which gives them faith. This intrinsic trust looks for a hope outside of this fallen world. We see in these first few verses that faith allows us to see and believe that the universe was created in order by the Son of God, Jesus Christ. And, if this faith is in us, we can use it to live in hope of glory despite the present troubles of life.

6:20 - Did Jesus die for our past and future sins, and what does it mean to be somewhere for 'such a time as this'? / 16:11 - How do we pray for our enemies properly? / 34:11 - Are we saved by faith or baptism? / 43:29 - How do I witness to 'Hebrew Christians' better? They keep preaching to follow the law. / 51:51 - If Jesus' human sacrifice was more effective than bulls and goats, why didn't the Jews perform human sacrifice?

"Living By Faith" • Hebrews 11:1-3 - Elder Bryce Lowrance. In Chapter 11, the Apostle continues his encouragement to draw nigh unto God in fellowship rather than drawing back. The chapter begins with an amazing definition of faith. The Hebrew Christians, as well as all born again children of God, possess the Holy Spirit which gives them faith. This intrinsic trust looks for a hope outside of this fallen world. We see in these first few verses that faith allows us to see and believe that the universe was created in order by the Son of God, Jesus Christ. And, if this faith is in us, we can use it to live in hope of glory despite the present troubles of life.

"Living By Faith" • Hebrews 11:1-3 - Elder Bryce Lowrance. In Chapter 11, the Apostle continues his encouragement to draw nigh unto God in fellowship rather than drawing back. The chapter begins with an amazing definition of faith. The Hebrew Christians, as well as all born again children of God, possess the Holy Spirit which gives them faith. This intrinsic trust looks for a hope outside of this fallen world. We see in these first few verses that faith allows us to see and believe that the universe was created in order by the Son of God, Jesus Christ. And, if this faith is in us, we can use it to live in hope of glory despite the present troubles of life.

Send us a textFor an ad-free version of the podcast plus the opportunity to enjoy hours of exclusive content and two bonus episodes a month and also help keep the Bible Project Daily Podcast free  for listeners everywhere at;patreon.com/JeremyMcCandlessSubscribe here to receive my new church history podcast every few weeks at.https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.comWelcome:In this episode, we delve into "The First Church Dispute," exploring Acts 6:1-7. This passage provides timeless lessons on conflict resolution and church leadership, which are incredibly relevant to our lives today. Join us as we uncover the wisdom in handling disputes and maintaining unity within the church community.Episode Notes:Episode Title: The First Church DisputeScripture Reference: Acts 6:1-7Summary: In this episode, we examine the first recorded dispute in the early church as described in Acts 6:1-7. This conflict arose between the Hellenistic and Hebrew Christians over the neglect of their widows in the daily food distribution. The apostles' solution—appointing seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom—provides a valuable model for addressing and resolving disputes within the church.Key Points Discussed:Understanding the Conflict: The cultural and linguistic divide between the Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) and the Hebrews (Aramaic-speaking Jews) led to tensions and complaints.The Apostles' Response: The apostles prioritized prayer and ministry of the word, delegating the practical task of food distribution to qualified individuals.Community Involvement: The congregation played a crucial role in selecting the seven men, fostering unity and shared responsibility.Qualities of Leadership: The chosen men were required to have a good reputation, be full of the Holy Spirit, and possess wisdom—traits essential for effective church leadership.Outcome: By addressing the issue wisely, the early church continued to grow, and the word of God spread, with many new disciples joining the faith.Lessons for Today:Prioritize Spiritual Leadership: Pastors and church leaders should focus on teaching and prayer, ensuring they are not overburdened with practical tasks.Embrace Delegation: Involving capable members in various ministries can help address practical needs while maintaining the primary mission of the church.Foster Community Engagement: Encouraging congregation participation in decision-making can strengthen unity and collective responsibility.Seek Qualified Leaders: Effective church leadership requires individuals with integrity, spiritual maturity, and practical wisdom.Reflection Questions:How can we apply the priAsk Me Anything - EP. 6 "Therapy, Medication + Mental Health"The podcast where we answer IT ALL! Watch or Stream on Youtube and all streaming platformsListen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Unlock the teachings of Hebrews chapter two with the guidance of Pastor Bo. He discusses the challenges faced by early Hebrew Christians with insights into how their struggles mirror our own today. We reflect on the message of Hebrews, emphasizing the supremacy of Jesus Christ and the subtle dangers of "drifting away" from faith when spiritual practices are neglected. Through poignant personal stories and biblical references, we offer encouragement for maintaining steadfast faith, highlighting the ever-present opportunity to return to God. Just as the prodigal son was embraced, so too can we find our way back to an active, living faith that cherishes salvation daily. (00:00) Exploring God's Word With Pastor Bo(03:24) Warning Against Drifting Away(11:02) The Warning Against Drifting Away(26:04) The Mystery of Christianity(34:00) Jesus as Merciful High Priest(50:13) City Light Church Podcast Subscription www.citylightnyc.com 

November 12, 2024 Today's Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 25:1-18; Matthew 26:1-19For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf… But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:24, 26b)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Is there anything worse than standing at someone's face when you're in trouble? Maybe you had to tell your dad you broke the car window with a baseball or tell your mom that you dropped her pottery bowl on the ceramic tile floor.There's nothing worse than having to stand at someone's face in judgment. But then there's Holy God! To stand at his face, where's relief from that?Wait. Someone's standing at the face of God! It's Jesus. Holy and blameless. He stands with no sin of His own. Why is He standing there? The Letter to the Hebrew Christians tells of Jesus standing at the Father's face on our behalf (Hebrews 9:24). He's at His Father's face not for Himself, but for you, for me! Are we troubled? Is Satan able to twist your conscience with guilt? He keeps bringing up your malice and inadequacies. Are the demons covering you in shame for what you have done, but also for what has been done to you? You have someone standing in your place before the Father. The Apostle John says this: You have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous! (1 John 2:1-2) The Apostle Paul speaks of Jesus testifying to his Father on your behalf: Jesus is at the right hand of God interceding for you! (Romans 8:34) What is Jesus saying on your behalf? What is His intercession for you? It is the testimony of his own blood. Jesus testifies that His sacrifice on the cross has put away your sin (Hebrews 9:26). With your sin put away, you're guilty no more. You are no longer covered in shame. Jesus covers you in the honor of His own Name. We do, indeed, stand at the face of the Father, but there's relief. By the word of Jesus, you stand before His Father with no sin, no guilt, and no shame. You are now clothed in honor— you have Jesus' Name on you! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord of life, according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions. Declare me clean of all my sin. Against you only have I sinned. Purge me with the blood of the cross, cleanse me and my conscience will be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and give me your Spirit. Let me stand before your face in righteousness, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Amen. [paraphrase from Psalm 51]-Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NMAudio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Spend time reading and meditating on God's Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

On October 22, 2023, we began the book of Hebrews. This Sunday, almost a year later, we come to the final passage in the book. Throughout the book, the author shows Jesus' superiority over all things. With exegesis of multiple Old Testament passages, he proved that Jesus fulfills God's purposes in the Old Covenant and His promises in the New Covenant. Then, the Hebrew Christians were urged to run with endurance and endure suffering as God's loving discipline because Jesus is better. Chapters 12 & 13 were filled with commands demonstrating what it means to live like Jesus is better. If Jesus is better, let brotherly love continue, aid those in prison, honor marriage, and obey your leaders. In 13:18-25, the final section, through the author's request for prayer and his prayerful benediction, he explains where the power comes to live like Jesus is better. Though we are to emulate godly examples and understand right doctrine, the power to follow Christ faithfully comes only from God. Before concluding his "word of exhortation," the author himself asks these readers to pray for him and his companions because they desire to act honorably in all things. Even the author, who has been exhorting these wavering Christians in truth, knows he cannot live faithfully without the power of Christ and the prayers of the saints. In the same way, he prays that God would "equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever" (v. 21). In this benediction, we see that the faithfully maturing Christian life (that endures hardships as discipline and acts honorably in all things) only grows strong as it grows more aware of its weakness and more dependent upon Christ in all things. "Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things" (v. 18). I. Pray For One Another (v. 18-21) II. Depend Upon God's Power In Christ (v. 20-21) III. Closing Remarks That Reveal His Heart (v. 22-25) Subscribe to the Sermon podcast on itunes or search for "jason velotta" in your podcasting app Visit http://www.jasonvelotta.com/for more audio, video, books, and teaching materials https://www.fbcmulvane.com https://www.facebook.com/jason.velotta.1 https://twitter.com/jrv773 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonvelotta

As we begin winding down the book of Hebrews, the final chapter is filled with exhortations and commands that show us how to live like Jesus is better. The last verse of chapter 12 told us to offer acceptable (pleasing) worship to God. In Hebrews 13:21, the author prays that God would equip the reader to do what is "pleasing" in His sight. Between these two ideas of living and worshiping in a way that pleases the Lord, the various commands show us what that looks like. In verses 13:7-16, we are instructed in what to do and shown where the strength to endure in these things comes from. The Hebrew Christians are told to remember those who taught the word to them and to consider the outcome of their way of life (v. 7) Many have endured faithfully to the end, and we can draw encouragement from their example because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (v. 8) The same Jesus that enabled past saints to end well is with us as we hold firm to our faith through trials. Moreover, the writer shows us how to be "strengthened by grace" (v. 9) by going to our "altar" (v. 10), which is the cross of Jesus Christ. We have an altar that the Old Covenant priests cannot eat from (v. 10). "Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured" (v. 13) By grace, we can endure to the end as we: I. Emulate The Faithfulness Of Godly Examples (v. 7-8) II. Be Strengthened By Grace From Our Altar (v. 9-14) III. Continually Worship With Spiritual Sacrifices (v. 15-16) Subscribe to the Sermon podcast on itunes or search for "jason velotta" in your podcasting app Visit http://www.jasonvelotta.com/for more audio, video, books, and teaching materials https://www.fbcmulvane.com https://www.facebook.com/jason.velotta.1 https://twitter.com/jrv773 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonvelotta

As we begin Hebrews 13, the final chapter in the book, we are confronted with many short, rapid-fire commands that seem contextually disconnected from each other. Hebrews 13:1- 17 sometimes feels like the author has run out of space, so he throws a bunch of commands in at the end. This is certainly not the case. At the end of chapter 12, the readers are exhorted to "offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe." The same word translated as "acceptable" is translated as "pleasing" in 13:16 and 13:21. These commands are interconnected by showing the readers what offering acceptable ("pleasing") worship/service to God. The commands of Chapter 13 may seem disconnected, but the author is actually showing the Hebrew Christians (and us) what running with endurance looks like practically as individuals and as a congregation. Sunday, we will study the first six verses as we see the author's application of the theological truths he presented throughout the book. If we truly believe that Jesus is better and seek to run with endurance as we offer pleasing service to God, this is what it looks like. We certainly aren't perfect in our running, but (after showing us the finish line toward which we strive (12:18-14), Hebrews concludes by showing us what should characterize our present running in a hostile world. I. Be Characterized By Love (v. 1-2) II. Care For The Oppressed (v. 3) III. Honor Marriage (v. 4) IV. Be Content In Faith (v. 5-6) Subscribe to the Sermon podcast on itunes or search for "jason velotta" in your podcasting app Visit http://www.jasonvelotta.com/for more audio, video, books, and teaching materials https://www.fbcmulvane.com https://www.facebook.com/jason.velotta.1 https://twitter.com/jrv773 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonvelotta

This Sunday, we come to the book of Hebrews' thematic climax. The author draws together all the book's theological truths and reminds the Hebrew Christians of the glorious reality Jesus has imparted to them. They are suffering and persecuted. They are wavering in faith and being tempted to go back to their old lives. So, the author shows them (and us) how to “lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet,” (v. 12-13). We must firmly believe in where we stand to run this race with endurance. To show this in verses 18-29, the author tells these Hebrews where they “have not come” and where they “have come.” To illustrate their position in Christ, the author shows two ways to come to God, pictured in two mountains. Mount Sinai was a mountain of fear and dread as God's terrifyingly holy presence thundered upon it. The other is Mount Zion, characterized by joy and peace, with a mediator whose blood speaks peace and atonement rather than justice. The author of Hebrews reminds the reader to which mountain they have come. In Christ, they have already come to Zion, the picture of God's perfect salvation throughout the Old Testament. By remembering where they stand, the readers are encouraged to offer God praise and thanksgiving, even amid their trials. Because they already occupy Mount Zion, their future glorification is sure. Quoting Haggai 2, he says, “At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” (v. 26). Since the world and all its tempting comforts are passing away, it is foolish to hold onto what is “shaken” and forsake the true kingdom that remains forever. Refusing to follow Christ to gain relief from our worldly suffering is not worth the cost. All the things of this life are temporary. Yet, like Esau (v. 16), the temptation to trade our birthright for temporary satisfaction is a continual snare for us. Therefore, we are warned, “25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.” I. Remember Where You Are Standing (v. 18-24) II. Remember Where You Are Heading (v. 25-27) III. Remember Where Your Treasure is (v. 28-29) Subscribe to the Sermon podcast on itunes or search for "jason velotta" in your podcasting app Visit http://www.jasonvelotta.com/for more audio, video, books, and teaching materials https://www.fbcmulvane.com https://www.facebook.com/jason.velotta.1 https://twitter.com/jrv773 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonvelotta

Hebrews 12:14 begins the final section of the book. Most of the remaining sections instruct the Hebrew congregation on living out the church's calling together in a hostile environment. The author gives many short commands regarding how these professing Hebrew Christians are to respond to the deep theological truths of Jesus' sufficiency and excellency. Because Jesus is better than all things, fulfilling all God's promises and sufficient to secure their inheritance, the last section of Hebrews shows them how to live out these truths as the body of Christ. After speaking extensively about their sufferings and trials being the discipline (training) of a loving Father and calling for them to see their difficulties as such, v. 12-13 told us - "Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed." We saw that the text says, "Lift THE drooping hands and strengthen THE weak knees," meaning we must lift our own drooping heads but also lift one another's as well. This is confirmed as the author shows us how we do that as a congregation. V. 14-17 gives explicit instruction about what our focus must be as we run this race with endurance. We are to strive (chase after) peace with everyone (specifically within the body of Christ) and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. In this section, the writer gives some difficult realities of the authority and responsibility of the local church congregation. We are indeed our brother's keeper. Sunday, we will look at that pursuit of peace and holiness and the three responsibilities necessary to faithfully pursue this peace and holiness in the body. I. The Pursuit: Peace & Holiness (v. 14) II. The Responsibility: Help One Another Endure (v. 15) III. The Responsibility: Guard Agaisnt Defiling Division (v. 15) IV. The Responsibility: Hold One Another Accountable (v. 16-17)

This Sunday, we will finish the section of Hebrews 12 we began last week. As chapter 12 began, the author exhorted us to run the race set before us with endurance, looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. As we learned last week, v. 4-13 shows us what fixing our eyes on Jesus looks like. We studied v. 4-8 in depth and saw that the suffering Hebrew Christians had forgotten God's promise of discipline to every one of His children. The author quoted Proverbs 3:11-12 to demonstrate this. Amazingly, the author is saying that their suffering and trials are the disciplining hand of God. We also saw that this discipline is more like what we refer to as training. For the believer, God's discipline doesn't come from His wrath or justice for sin. Sin was fully atoned at the cross. Yet, like every good father, the Lord disciplines His children for their growth and benefit. As those united to Christ, adopted by the Father, the author commands us to endure all our trials and hardships for discipline's sake (v. 7). Even in the hardest and most painful circumstances, we are told "God is treating you as sons." Understanding this, however, doesn't make enduring God's discipline any easier. Hebrews also tells us that all discipline is unpleasant as we go through it, but it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who are trained by it (v. 11). With our eyes fixed on Jesus, knowing that God is working all things for our good, we need not turn from Christ, disobey His word, or descend into despair when faced with suffering. That is easier said than done, but in this text we are given four principles to apply and to help one another in times of trial. We looked at the first two last week. I. Remember God's Promise of Discipline (v. 4-6) II. Recognize The Necessity of God's Discipline (v. 7-8) This Sunday, we will concentrate our study on the remaining two: III. Remember The Benefit of God's Discipline (v. 9-11) IV. Respond To God's Discipline Together (v. 12 -13)

Hebrews 12:4-13 is one of those passages we must read over and over. The more we do so, the more profound and life-altering it becomes. Initially, I intended to preach through the entire section in one sermon, but I just can't. There is so much here that we must allow to saturate our souls. This Sunday, we will read the whole text but only examine v. 4-8 in depth. Technically, the whole text will be a single sermon, but we will look at two points this Sunday and two next Sunday. Having just exhorted us to run the race set before us with endurance, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author shows us that our perspective about trials and suffering in this life needs to change. The author tells his readers they have forgotten what God said about those whom He calls His children. Quoting Proverbs 3:11-12, he shows that all the believer's sufferings in this life are the discipline of God. Even the persecutions the Hebrew Christians were enduring are to be seen as God's discipline. When we think of discipline, our minds often jump to "punishment" or "justice." But discipline in this context is not punitive. God's discipline of His children is redemptive and corrective for our good, to conform us to the image of Jesus and grow us into maturity. Discipline (which is used repeatedly in this section) is what we would call training. It includes instruction and correction as God forces His children to use the muscles of faith in order to grow them. His discipline of His children is never done in wrath, but a loving care for His children's growth in holiness and faith. Of course, discipline is often painful and difficult, but this kind of discipline doesn't show God's abandonment, but rather His love for us. Although every phrase in this text is earth-shakingly profound, verse 7 is the thematic point being driven home. "It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?" The NIV actually captures the first sentence more accurately. It is a command. The NIV says, "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children." Last week (as we examined v. 1-3), we talked about "training, not trying." But I purposefully didn't go into any depth about what this training entails, because the author highlights this training in v. 4-13 and it isn't the training that we do (there is a place for that), but here, it is how God trains (disciplines) us through the trials of this life. The overall exhortation in this section is not for us to do better or train harder - it is for us to change our perspective about the hardships and sufferings of this life. For the Christian, all of them - ALL OF THEM - should be seen as God growing us, conforming us to the image of His Son. "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11. I. Remember God's Promise of Discipline (v. 4-6) II. Recognize The Necessity of God's Discipline (v. 7-8) (Points 3 & 4 - will be Sunday Aug. 11) III. Respond Rightly To God's Discipline (v. 9-10) IV. Remember The Benefit of God's Discipline (v. 11-13)

The righteous will live by faith. That quote from Habakkuk chapter 2 is quoted three times in the New Testament. (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). As fallen people following Jesus in a fallen world, there is no end to temptation, trial, and suffering in this life. The Hebrew Christians were indeed experiencing this as they suffered persecution for following Christ. At the end of Hebrews 10, we were told how we endure, "the righteous will live by faith." Then chapter 11 begins a description of "living by faith" by reminding the readers of how the Old Testament saints endured by faith. This Sunday, our study focuses on Moses, the mediator of God's law. To the Hebrews, Abraham and Moses were the most important figures in history. As the Hebrew Christians weighed the possibility of returning to the law and sacrifices, they may have thought they were returning to Moses' faith. Hebrews 11:23-28 demonstrates that to be untrue. Moses endured temptation and, by faith, chose to follow God despite the hardship. The writer says, "By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin" (11:24-25). Then in a statement that would grab the attention of these Hebrews, he says, "He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward" (11:26). Yes, you read that right! Moses bore the reproach of Christ and he himself, knew that Jesus is better. Moses looked to the reward of following God as more valuable than all the wealth, power, and glory of the Egyptian royal family. In this example, the author shows his readers that faith (without which it is impossible to please God - v.6) trusts that Jesus is better than a life without persecution and suffering. Jesus is better than all the wealth and comfort of this world.

By now, you should be very familiar with the structure of Hebrews 11. "By Faith" begins each example showing the Hebrew Christians that God's people have always lived by faith through trials, uncertainty, testing, and even death. The Hebrew Christians enduring persecution are no different. As we continue with verses 17-22, I feel a bit like we are beating a dead horse with the repetition. Repeating, by faith...by faith...by faith, God shows us the righteous who lived by faith, just as He called the Hebrew Christians (and us) to live. I don't feel bad about beating this dead horse because the author of Hebrews beats it, over and over again. He bangs this drum until he reaches his conclusion in 12:1-2, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith..." Hebrews 11 shows us the examples of those who ran with endurance and have testified ("witnesses') to God's saving grace through faith. In Hebrews 11:17-22, we are shown how the patriarchs' faith at the end of their lives. Right before Abraham died, he was tested as God called him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice (v. 17-19). Isaac blessed his sons (Jacob and Esau) at the end of his life (v. 20). Jacob and Joseph died away from the promised land, but looked forward to the promise with expectation (v. 21-22). We will continue the outline we began a few weeks ago. Sunday we will see that: IX. Faith Obeys When it Doesn't Make Sense (v. 17-19) X. Faith Submits Our Will To God's (v. 20) XI. Faith Endures To The Very End (v. 21-22)

"King Saul Is Troubled" • 1st Samuel 16:14-15 - Brother Jonah Lowrance Brother Jonah opens the preaching service with a short but powerful message that, when we are not following the will of God, our own spirit convicts us. The only way to have peace in our walk with God is to continually seek God's will and not assume because He has blessed us in the past that He will bless us all the time. "The ABC's of Jesus Christ” • Hebrews 6:1-3 – Elder Bryce Lowrance. The Apostle Paul reminds the Hebrew Christians and us that there are basic principles that we must remember and apply in our discipleship or we will not be properly growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Paul lists six things that roughly group into three categories – 1. The First Steps of a Child of God, 2. The Basics of Church, 3. The Doctrine of Grace.

Hebrews 11:8-16 continues describing faith by showing the example of Abraham and Sarah. Last week, as we began walking down this list, we saw Abel, Enoch, and Noah. From their lives, Hebrews taught us: I. Faith Commends Us As Righteous (v. 4) II. Faith Is Necessary To Please God (v. 5-6) III. Faith Acts On God's Word (v. 7) As we continue the thread of this outline, Abraham's call and life shows us: IV. Faith Obeys Without Explanation (v. 8) V. Faith Endures Seasons Of Waiting (v. 9-10) VI. Faith Expects God's Faithfulness (v. 11-12) VII. Faith Looks Toward Future Reward (v. 13-16) By emphasizing Abraham's life of obedient, expectant, forward-looking faith, the author shows the suffering Hebrew Christians what living by faith looks like when trials and temptations abound. The life of faith is an expectant trust in the Lord, looking forward to a "better country."

This is the final of 16 shows on the amazing letter to the Hebrews. The author of Hebrews is writing this very sophisticated homily to Hebrew Christians sometime in the late 50s to mid 60's CE. It is still an infant church, maybe a decade or two old, and had just survived disruptive expulsion and injustices due to their virulent faith. But make no mistake—persecution is coming and far worse than before. Nero may have already risen to be the Emperor of the Empire and it is only a matter of time until Christians will be horribly persecuted like never before in its short history. The Author is passionate for the well-being and clarity of their faith and the rescuing redemptive work of the Kingdom through them. But he is obviously worried, referring to their faith as drifting and dull, their understanding of their faith and their calling being just infantile Christian. So what's the cure? You may not like it. God's Plan A is not what we might think, and there is no Plan B. Welcome to Hebrews: The Bible's Warning Label.    Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"Don't Be a Baby” • Hebrews 5:11-14 – Elder Bryce Lowrance. The Apostle Paul gives another warning to the Hebrew Christians encouraging them to keep focused on Jesus Christ and their profession of Him. Part of that diligence includes studying the word of God and applying it to the way we think and live our lives. God intends for us to grow in grace and in our knowledge about Jesus Christ. Therefore, we ought not to be lethargic in our study of His word. Rather, we should be eager and devoted to learning more about Jesus so that we can shine as bright lights in this world so darkened by sin. This message was preached on Sunday, June 16, 2024.

Sunday, we begin walking down the list of faith-filled Old Testament saints in Hebrews 11. Having encouraged the professing Hebrew Christians to “live by faith” at the end of chapter 10, chapter 11:1-3 opened with a description of faith, saying, “1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.” In v. 4, the writer begins showing example after example of those who lived in the assurance of things hoped for and by the conviction of things not seen. This Sunday, we will examine the first three examples, Abel, Enoch, and Noah (v. 4-7). I originally planned on preaching through v. 13, but it quickly became apparent that there wouldn't be time to deal with the text adequately. It is easy to get lost in the details of these Old Testament saint's lives and miss the point Hebrews is making, so as we work through this chapter, we will emphasize the purpose of this list repeatedly. The writer shows the suffering Hebrews what “living by faith” looks like by giving examples of the righteous who have done so. In each example, we see godly individuals who endured hardship or trials as they lived “being assured of what they hoped for and convinced of what they could not see.” The writer calls the Hebrews to do the same as they face the pressures of persecution and temptation for Christ's name. Just as they, we are called to hold fast to our profession that Jesus is better and trust that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him, even when doing so in this world means denying our desires and facing a hostile world. The righteous are those who live by faith. I. Faith Commends Us As Righteous (v. 4) II. Faith Is Necessary To Please God (v. 5-6) III. Faith Acts On God's Word (v. 7)

Having just exhorted the professing Hebrew Christians to “Live by faith” as they are suffering persecution, the author will give a varied list of Old Covenant saints who lived by faith, trusting the word of God even when trial resulted. The Hebrew Christians were tempted to return to the religious ways of Abraham, Moses, and David, but the author of Hebrews shows that it was by faith that these Old Covenant saints looked forward to the fulfillment of the promises. They looked forward to the fulfillment that the Hebrew Christians are being tempted to turn from! However, before launching into the list, the author of Hebrews explains what faith is and what faith does. Hebrews 11:1-3 is very short, but its depth is massive and relevant today.

This Sunday, we will finishe Hebrews 10 as we examine verses 32-39. Beginning in 10:19, the author shows the suffering Hebrew Christians how they are to live in light of the profound theological truths of the first ten chapters. “Jesus is Better” is the central theme of this book, but what does that mean for those suffering because they follow Jesus? Hebrews 10:19-25 showed us what to do in the face of hardship and temptation. We are to draw near to God, hold fast to our confession, and consider how we can help one another as we do not neglect to assemble together as the church. This is how believers endure in faith to the end, despite the circumstances. Then, in verses 26-31, we are given another severe warning for those who “go on sinning deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth.” After that warning, the author returns to encouragement and instruction on how believers endure in faith, with three more exhortations. These are vital for living faithfully in the face of hardship, suffering, and persecution. The author admonishes us to: I. Recall Your Former Faith & Endurance (32-34) II. Remember Your Coming Reward (35-36) III. Resolve To Live By Faith (37-39) Endurance will be the major theme all the way through chapter 12's beginning. After showing that we must live by faith (v. 37-39), chapter 11 defines and describes this faith through the examples of Old Testament saints. As chapter 12 begins, the author writes, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (12:1). Endurance by faith is the key theme throughout the next several sections, showing that the born again believer, eternally secure, will endure to the end in faith.

Sunday, we will begin the final movement of the book of Hebrews. From 10:19 through the book's end, the author shows us how we must live in light of the truths he has taught. Through ten chapters, the author has demonstrated from the Old Testament Scriptures that Jesus fulfills God's covenant promises. He is the perfect High Priest and the perfect sacrifice. Jesus is the priest-king, enthroned at the Father's right hand. Yet, this rich theological truth is not just for the Hebrew Christians to understand. Jesus' sufficiency should inform the way we live. The writer repeatedly calls the Hebrew Christians not to turn from Christ, even in tribulation and suffering. Trusting that Jesus truly is better than all other things should draw the Hebrews closer to Christ when the world seems to be crumbling around them. To that end, the writer not only gives the reader exhortations and commands to live faithfully, but his appeals also show how we avail ourselves of the blessings God has provided to help His people persevere. Before giving these commands, Hebrews grounds our response in what Jesus has already given. We are bound to live by the writer's commands because of the perfect salvation we have already received. I. Our Responsibility Flows From Our Possession (v. 19-21) II. Our Responsibility To Draw Near (v. 22) III. Our Responsibility To Hold Fast Our Confession (v. 23) IV. Our Responsibility To One Another (v. 24-25)

Hebrews 10:1-18 is the final section of the author's doctrinal argument. Here, we are given the conclusion of all the arguments in the last few chapters. Beginning in Hebrews 10:19, the author will begin showing his readers how to live in light of Jesus' sufficiency and superiority to the Old Covenant. Given all that we have examined in the book of Hebrews, the author's conclusions in 10:1-18 won't be new truths we haven't heard before. Yet, the conclusions drawn in this section are vital for the Hebrew Christians (and us) to anchor themselves in the face of suffering and persecution. The same is true for us. Though we may feel that we are already familiar with these truths, they are the bedrock and foundation upon which we must stand to walk out this Christian life. The author concludes the doctrinal section of Hebrews with four vital truths. I. Our Sacrifices & Offerings Can Never Take Away Sins (1-4) II. Christ's Sacrifice Has Sanctified Us Forever (5-10) III. Christ's Sacrifice Perfects Those Being Sanctified (11-14) IV. Christ's Sacrifice Is The Only Offering For Sin (15-18) This Sunday, we will work through the first two points (v. 1-10) and the final two next week. Let these four concluding statements (found in v. 4, v. 10, v. 14, v. 18) be the compass that continually points us to the truth when our hearts and the world draw us toward other things.

Knowing that the Hebrew Christians to whom this book was addressed were starting to turn back to the sacrificial system of the past, the author of the book of Hebrews called them back to simple faith in Jesus. Jesus is awesome! He is better than any angel – better than any prophet – better than […]

As we spring into daylight savings time this Sunday, we will work our way through Hebrews 8:7-13. In the last few sections, we have spent significant time understanding and glorying in Jesus as our perfect High Priest, mediator, and intercessor. Now, the writer discusses the covenant our Priest mediates to us. We ended in verse 6 last week, which said Christ is superior to the old priests because the covenant He mediates is based on better promises. Hebrews 8:7- 13 contrasts the old and new covenants to explain those “better promises” that Jesus mediates. Most of Hebrews 8:7-13 is a direct quote from Jeremiah 31:33-34 as the prophet foretold God's intention to establish a new and better covenant with His people. Hebrews 8 uses Jeremiah's text to show that God Himself declared the old covenant insufficient because of the people's sinful hearts, and He promised to remedy mankind's “heart problem” with a new covenant. Rather than a covenant based on the efforts of God and humans, as the Mosaic covenant stipulated, God Himself would change the hearts of His people, dwell with them, and accomplish complete and perfect forgiveness. The “fault” in the old covenant (man's sinful inability to keep the law) is overcome by the “better promises” of the new. Jesus satisfies the justice of the law and, as our High Priest and sacrifice, accomplishes what the law could not do. In Christ, God's new covenant promises are poured out fully through Him, and the sinner's heart is transformed as God Himself writes His law upon it by the Spirit. As the writer continues to make his case to the Hebrew Christians, it becomes increasingly clear that attempting to worship and serve God through the old covenant law is futile and foolish when better promises have been given. I. The "fault" In The Old Covenant (v. 7-9) II. The Better Promises Of The New Covenant (v. 10-12) III. The Exclusive Nature Of The New Covenant (v. 13)

Hebrews 8:1-13 describes Jesus' “more excellent” ministry as our perfect High Priest and the better covenant of which He is our mediator. This Sunday, we will examine the first six verses as the writer demonstrates that, though the Hebrew Christians no longer take part in the sacrifices and priests of the earthly temple, they still have a perfect priest, a true tabernacle, and an eternally sufficient sacrifice. As I studied the text and prayed this week in preparation, I found myself thinking, “How much more do we really need to know about Jesus as our High Priest?” Honestly, we have considered the writer's arguments pretty deeply through chapters 5 & 7. Yet, the deeper I investigated Hebrews 8:1-6, the more convicted I became of that mindset. Jesus representing us as our High Priest and sacrifice is the gospel! I had forgotten the basic context of the book's intent. The writer of Hebrews isn't calling his readers to learn about Jesus' High Priesthood. He is calling them to trust in it and stake their lives and eternity on it! The truths of Jesus' priestly ministry in the true heavenly tabernacle are not just theological reflection to be studied, they are the heart and soul of our salvation. By intricately explaining Jesus' superior intercession and sacrifice in the real holy of holies, the Book of Hebrews intends to spur our hearts to depend upon Jesus more, to repent of our sin more, and to worship Christ as the all-sufficient Lord of Glory. For the author, this is not a mere instructional lecture on Christ's nature and ministry, he places Jesus' priesthood before that we might turn more deeply to Him and hold fast to our confession without wavering. The Hebrew Christians have a Priest who reigns over all things (8:1), a true tabernacle which all the earthly temples point to (8:4-5), and an offering that saves to the uttermost presented by our perfect Priest (8:3). Though we may be coving ground we have trod before, we should not think of these truths as repetitive mundane doctrine to be learned. This is an exploration of our identity in Christ that should draw our hearts deeper into worship and dependence. Don't just learn it – depend on it. This text doesn't just show us that such a Priest exists. He says, "We have such a priest" (8:1).

For the next several chapters, Hebrews will continue to show us the purpose and result of Jesus as our perfect High Priest. Through the first 22 verses of chapter 7, the writer proved to the Hebrew Christians that Jesus' priesthood is superior to the Levitical priests. Jesus' priesthood is shown using the picture of Melchizedek, a mysterious priest-king from Genesis 14. Last week, we worked through Hebrews 7:1-22, which was a very complex argument proving Jesus is our perfect priest. If you haven't listened to the sermon walking through this dense section, I encourage you to do so before Sunday because this week, we will finish chapter 7, examining the conclusion of the writer's argument. Hebrews 7:23-28 will be much more straightforward. Because Jesus is the perfect priest who lives forever representing us eternally, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him (v. 25). Verse 25 is one of the most profound and beautiful truths in the Scripture. Jesus is able to save because He lives forever interceding for His people. Today, our priest is interceding for us by His perfect life and sacrifice. As the Hebrew Christians suffered persecution, they needed to know that their advocate still stands at the throne on their behalf. Their trial is not without purpose or hope. And because Jesus is our priest by God's own sworn oath (v. 28) our mediator perfectly satisfies every aspect of our justification, our ongoing sanctification, and our future glorification. Jesus is superior and sufficient because only He is able to save to the uttermost.

In Hebrews 5:1-10, the writer began teaching that Jesus is the true and perfect High Priest. He quoted Psalm 110:4, showing that God swore His Messiah would be a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. However, before explaining what he meant, he stopped this line of teaching because the Hebrews were “dull of hearing” and needed to go on to maturity (5:11-6:20). Sunday, as we come to chapter 7, the author will pick up where he left off, teaching what it means that Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek. Chapter 7 is very dense and often confusing in our context because we are not steeped in the culture of Judaism. If someone says, “Jesus is a perfect priest, greater than all the Levitical priests in the Old Covenant,” we would say, “We agree! Let's move on to something else.” Yet, the author of Hebrews spends considerable time and energy proving that Jesus is better than the Levitical priests. He does this because these Hebrew Christians facing persecution and suffering were tempted by the arguments of their fellow Jews. They were tempted by questions like, “How can Jesus be a priest at all since God's law commands all priests be Levites?” “Why did God give a law for the priesthood if He always planned on changing the priesthood?” Although we will only preach through verse 22 Sunday, the main point of chapter 7 is found in v. 25. “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Though the depth of argument may not be necessary to convince us Jesus is our perfect High Priest, it was for the Hebrews. Likewise, we also learn how the Scriptures had always foretold and pointed to the true priesthood of Jesus Christ. We need a priest to perfectly represent us eternally before the Father – and we have one! Jesus is the “guarantor of a better covenant” (v.22).

Today is National Big Word Sermon Day.  We're going to talk about some big words, so you may need access to Dictionary.com. We are going through a sermon series on a book in the NT called “Hebrews.”   The name “Hebrews” likely comes from the recipients of the book, who were probably Christians from Jewish ancestry.  So they were “Hebrew” Christians. And we typically call Hebrews a “letter” or “epistle,” but it actually reads more like a sermon.  A sermon of […]

Today is National Big Word Sermon Day.  We're going to talk about some big words, so you may need access to Dictionary.com. We are going through a sermon series on a book in the NT called “Hebrews.”   The name “Hebrews” likely comes from the recipients of the book, who were probably Christians from Jewish ancestry.  So they were “Hebrew” Christians. And we typically call Hebrews a “letter” or “epistle,” but it actually reads more like a sermon.  A sermon of […]

I hope you have read and re-read Hebrews 5:11-6:12 over the past week. If not, I would encourage you to do so before Sunday. This Sunday, we finish the second part (6:4-12), perhaps the most controversial, debated, and difficult text in Scripture. Throughout Christian history, there have been a myriad of interpretations and applications of this text. The language of this text is shocking and terrifying, making the reader sit up and notice. That reaction is exactly what the author of Hebrews intends. This is a warning – a real warning - for the professing Hebrew Christians tempted to turn back to Judaism. However, saying, “It is impossible…to renew them again to repentance” (v. 4-6) is incredibly severe. In preparing to present this passage, I don't have the luxury of simply telling you what the text “can't” mean. To be faithful to God's word, I must tell you clearly and correctly (as best I am able by God's grace) what the text does mean, and how it applies to us today. Therefore, as we dissect the text, we will probably answer many of the questions most ask concerning this passage, but we cannot divert from the author's intent in the context. This passage is a warning for the professing Christians. This warning echoes the previous warnings in Hebrews. (3:6-7; 14). The content of this warning teaches the same truth with differing emphasis. I don't know if we will answer every question you may have about this passage, but we will seek to be faithful to the author's meaning, tone, and application. Again, I would suggest reading and re-reading 5:11-6:12 so that you will have a working knowledge of the passage as we dive into it on Sunday.

Sunday, we begin a very captivating and complex section in the book of Hebrews. For five chapters, the writer has exalted the glories of Jesus and repeatedly shown how He is better than all else. As Hebrews continues to call the readers to hold fast to Christ, chapter 5 began explaining the depths of Jesus as our perfect High Priest. As the author mentions Jesus as a priest in the order of Melchizedek, he stops this line of teaching and gives one of the strongest warnings in all of Scripture. Hebrews 5:11-6:12 is a single unit, but we will examine this section in two sermons. Here, the writer admonishes the Hebrew Christians for being “dull of hearing” and needing milk instead of solid food. Hebrews 5:11-6:3 will be our text Sunday, as we see the danger of spiritual immaturity and learn why and how we “go on to maturity” (Heb. 6:1). The following Sunday, we will examine what is perhaps the most debated text in the Bible, Heb. 6:4-12, which is a warning about apostasy. However, please read the whole section (5:11-6:12) for this Sunday. The writer does not separate these two concepts but shows that regressing into spiritual immaturity is the first step toward apostasy. I will readily confess that this has been the most challenging section of Scripture I have ever had to explain. There is no end to the different interpretations of the writer's words. Therefore, I hope to show you what the text means and how I came to my conclusions. You may be surprised Sunday as we challenge the common definitions of milk, solid food, spiritual maturity, and progress in the Christian life.

Hebrews 4:14-16 begins a new section in the book of Hebrews. In fact, from this passage through chapter 10, the book's focus will be on Jesus as our perfect High Priest. That theme is introduced here, showing the readers why they must hold fast to their confession and how to do so. Those two truths will be the points of Sunday's sermon. 1. Why we must hold fast, and 2. How we hold fast to our confession. Hebrews 3:7-4:13 was a sermon exegeting Psalm 95:7-11. That long passage's point called the suffering Hebrew Christians not to turn from the Lord as the wilderness generation did. The refrain repeated in that section is, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart.” Last week, we saw the end of that “mini-sermon” in 4:11-13. We were told that the word of God lays us all bare before the Lord, revealing our true intents and motivations, and everyone will give an account before God based on His word, not our feelings, circumstances, or sufferings. That is a frightening truth, but the writer continues by showing us why we hold fast to our confession – because we have a high priest, the Son of God, who has passed through the heavens. Jesus has done what the Old Testament priests could never do – brought His people unfettered continual access to the Holy God. However, anyone mired in the fires of suffering knows that “holding fast” is easier said than done. How could we possibly find the strength to hold on and follow Christ despite the trials. We have a High Priest who not only passed through the heavens for us but stands ready to help us in our time of need, sympathizing with our weakness. We hold fast by His grace and receive it as we continually draw near to the throne. Sunday, we will learn why we must continue following Christ when everything without and within tells us to turn back, and we will see how we accomplish this by drawing near to the throne of grace with boldness, “that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (v.16)

Hebrews 4:12-13 is the conclusion of the mini-sermon we have been studying. Hebrews 3:7-4:13 is a comprehensive sermon applying Psalm 95:7-11 to the Hebrew readers. Throughout this text, the author compares the suffering Hebrew Christians, tempted to turn back to Judaism, to Israel in the wilderness, who refused to enter the promised land. The repeated cry of this text is, "Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart." As the writer ends this “sermon,” he exhorts us to strive to enter God's rest, 12“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:12-13). The word of God is the standard by which judgment will be leveled. We often think that our circumstances, situations, and issues are too complex for the word of God to discern accurately, but that is not the case. The word is living and active, speaking to our precise situation and needs. The living God speaks to our immediate issues through His living word. The word exposes our hearts, showing our motivations and the intent of our hearts. The word of God lays our hearts bare before the God to whom we must give account. He knows our deepest motivations and the intent of our hearts. Regardless of how we may justify or explain away our disobedience, the word of God will be the standard by which we are judged. No claims of mitigating circumstances lessen our guilt before the one who knows the depths of our hearts and sees all. Therefore, we must strive to enter His rest according to the word of God. There is no other standard by which me must give account. The word of God is living, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. We may convince those around us and ourselves, but the word of God stands as the judge of all, exposing the intent of the heart before Him to whom we must give account. Our New Year resolution should be to submit ourselves to God's word in repentance when our sin is exposed rather than stubborn disobedience. We have a high priest who has made sacrifice for our sin, yet we must not stand against the word of God. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart.

CORRECTION: In the audio, Numbers 15:42-43 is referenced - it is actually Numbers 14:42-43 Salvation is Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God's rest. Having received the covenant promise by grace through faith in Jesus, there is no more work to be done. However, walking in faith as we trust in Jesus through the wilderness of this fallen world is a battle. The world, the flesh, and the devil consistently pull at our hearts and minds to draw us away from following Christ. That was happening to the Hebrew Christians to which Hebrews was written. They were suffering persecution and hardship, and the temptation to go back to the worldly safety of Judaism was strong. Hebrews 3 began with a very concise command. In Jesus, we are holy brothers with a heavenly calling; therefore, “consider Jesus.” Last week, we discussed what it means to fix our hearts and minds upon Him. As the writer continues, Hebrews 3:7-19 will bring one of the hardest warnings in the book. The readers are warned through these verses to beware of a hardening heart. The pattern of a hardening heart is given in verses (7-11) as the writer quotes Psalm 95:7-11. The Israelites who came out of Egypt show this pattern in the wilderness. Then, the readers are warned to protect themselves from a hardening heart (12-15). Finally, the reader must not presume this warning doesn't apply to us (16-19), as the author demonstrates the same people who came out of Egypt in praise, joy, and glory were the ones who rebelled and died in the wilderness. Verse 19 shows us the real problem – unbelief. Using the wilderness wanderings as an example, the author of Hebrews exhorts the Christians, saying, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God” (3:12). These Hebrew Christians were also traveling through the wilderness of persecution and suffering. When trial comes, will they do what the Exodus generation did and grumble, complain, and rebel? Would they wish to return to Egypt when they can't find water, as that generation did? Or would they trust the God who has spoken in His Son? The seeds of unbelief can fester in any heart, which is why we are called to “exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (3:13). Subscribe to the Sermon podcast on itunes or search for "jason velotta" in your podcasting app Visit http://www.jasonvelotta.com/for more audio, video, books, and teaching materials https://www.fbcmulvane.com https://www.facebook.com/jason.velotta.1 https://twitter.com/jrv773 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonvelotta

Why was there a second High Priest? Welcome to Right Start, with Jim Custer, teaching pastor of Grace Polaris Church in Columbus, Ohio. No doubt the Hebrew Christians took the priesthood of Aaron's descendants for granted. The fathers of the priests they knew had served before them, their sons would serve after them - that's the way it was. But why? The author of Hebrews is going to question the fundamental assumption behind the need for a hereditary priesthood. It has a fundamental problem. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS12072023_0.mp3Scripture References: Hebews 7:11-28

Salvation is Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God's rest. Having received the covenant promise by grace through faith in Jesus, there is no more work to be done. However, walking in faith as we trust in Jesus through the wilderness of this fallen world is a battle. The world, the flesh, and the devil consistently pull at our hearts and minds to draw us away from following Christ. That was happening to the Hebrew Christians to which Hebrews was written. They were suffering persecution and hardship, and the temptation to go back to the worldly safety of Judaism was strong. Hebrews 3 began with a very concise command. In Jesus, we are holy brothers with a heavenly calling; therefore, “consider Jesus.” Last week, we discussed what it means to fix our hearts and minds upon Him. As the writer continues, Hebrews 3:7-19 will bring one of the hardest warnings in the book. The readers are warned through these verses to beware of a hardening heart. The pattern of a hardening heart is given in verses (7-11) as the writer quotes Psalm 95:7-11. The Israelites who came out of Egypt show this pattern in the wilderness. Then, the readers are warned to protect themselves from a hardening heart (12-15). Finally, the reader must not presume this warning doesn't apply to us (16-19), as the author demonstrates the same people who came out of Egypt in praise, joy, and glory were the ones who rebelled and died in the wilderness. Verse 19 shows us the real problem – unbelief. Using the wilderness wanderings as an example, the author of Hebrews exhorts the Christians, saying, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God” (3:12). These Hebrew Christians were also traveling through the wilderness of persecution and suffering. When trial comes, will they do what the Exodus generation did and grumble, complain, and rebel? Would they wish to return to Egypt when they can't find water, as that generation did? Or would they trust the God who has spoken in His Son? The seeds of unbelief can fester in any heart, which is why we are called to “exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (3:13).

Sunday, we continue in Hebrews 2 by examining verses 5-9. Though Hebrews 2:5-18 is a single unit, there is so much here that we will break it into two sermons. The overall point 5-18 demonstrates why it was fitting for the Son of God to become fully human and to suffer. The writer begins by showing God's intent for mankind. He says it is not to angels that God has subjected the world to come. Then he quotes Psalm 8:4-5 to illustrate this. In Psalm 8, David wonders at the grandeur of God's creation and marvels that God is mindful and cares for man. Even more incredible, God made mankind in his image (crowned with glory and honor) and gave humanity dominion over creation. Using this quote from Psalm 8, the writer of Hebrews anticipates an objection. Commenting on the Psalm, the writer says, "At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him" (Heb. 2:8). The Hebrew Christians were suffering for their faith. They were outcasts from their Jewish kinsmen and persecuted by fellow Jews and Rome. Dominion, glory, honor, and a crown seemed like the last thing they were experiencing. However, verse 9 is a pivot point in the chapter. Verse 8 says we don't see everything subjected to him (man), but then verse 9 tells us what we do see. "9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." The ESV obscures the writers point a little bit. The text of v. 9 says "him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, We See Jesus crowned with glory and honor. Jesus is man as he ought to be. Jesus has been crowned with glory and honor. Jesus has been given perfect dominion as He sits at the Father's right hand until all His enemies are put under His feet. Jesus has accomplished what Adam failed to do. That is glorious news for suffering believers being warned not to drift from Christ. There is a world to come, a new heaven and a new earth, and by grace through faith, we are united with Jesus, who reigns over all. We are co-heirs with Christ. Holding to Jesus, even in the face of suffering, is better than any peace, rest, or comfort in this world. We don't yet see all the glory and splendor of God's intention for our lives and this creation, but we see Jesus...

The earliest references to the story of Jesus Feeding the Five Thousand do not include any mentions of fish, only bread. The early church father Irenaeus, writing between 180 and 188 AD, does not say anything at all about the fish, only bread in connection with this Miraculous Feeding of the Multitude as if the gospels he was reading at the time didn't include anything about fishes with the loaves. The historian Eusebius, Arnobius, and several other early Christian writings also never include anything about "fishes" with the loaves, only the loaves, only the bread. It was originally an account about people being given bread. This has lead to some, including Keith Akers, author of the book, The Lost Religion of Jesus: Simple Living and Nonviolence in Early Christianity (also see his wonderful scholarly book, Disciples), to conclude that the making of this popular miracle story into a fish tale must have taken place sometime after Irenaeus and 188 AD. After that date must be when the final edit took place, when fish got added to the story about the Feeding of the Five Thousand, transforming it into the more familiar version people are acquainted with. Today, we examine the case of the missing fish, as well as textual variations between different manuscripts of the New Testament, including the spectacular example of a vegetarian saying of Jesus present in the Old Syriac-Aramaic Evangelion Da-Mepharreshe manuscripts of the Gospel of Luke but not present in the Greek manuscripts. This is another installment in a series of podcasts documenting the vegetarianism of the original Jesus Movement, also known as the Ebionites, Nasoraeans, grandchildren of the Essenes, Hebrew Christians, The Apostles, the Disciples, Christianity-Before-Paul: the folks in the early church Paul was arguing with about diet, including James the Just (of Jerusalem.)   In Divine Love (Bhakti), Light, and Sound, At the Feet of the Masters, Radhasoami James Bean Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcasts Sant Mat Satsang Podcasts Sant Mat Radhasoami A Satsang Without Walls https://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com    

This Sunday's text is going to be difficult. The writer of Hebrews quotes seven Old Testament passages to prove that Jesus is better than the angels. But the overarching question is why is this argument necessary? Any reader of the New Testament understands that Jesus is God the Son. Of course He is superior to the angels. And how does this argument help urge the Hebrew Christians not to return to Judaism and the Old Covenant law of Moses? Over the past week, I have reworded, reorganized, and restructured the sermon at least five times in order to make it easy to understand and not 50 minutes long. But this will be a complex presentation of why the writer of Hebrews presents this, and what all these Old Testament references show us in context. In a nutshell, the premise upon which the writer begins is that angels accompanied and ordained the giving of the law to Moses (See Acts 7:37 and Gal. 3:19). So by saying Jesus is superior to the angels, the writer is showing that the message given to us by the Son, is the consummation and fulfillment of all God's previous revelation, whether through the prophets or angels. This is verified by the context in Hebrews 1 & 2. Hebrews 1:5-14 (our text for Sunday) is a dense list of seven Old Testament quotations proving Jesus is better than angels. Then the application of this argument comes to us in Hebrews 2:1-4 - He says THEREFORE (because Jesus is better than angels) we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, (gospel) lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? Please read Hebrews 1:5 - 2:4 a few times before Sunday. It is a very dense argument and easy to get lost in the details. Ultimately, the writer is still urging the Hebrew Christians not to return to Judaism and the Old Covenant, even though doing so would free them from the suffering they were experiencing. The point is Jesus is better than the law of Moses even though the law was ordained by angels. I pray that I am able to lay this case out contextually and faithfully, and also simply enough to be easily understood. I ask that you would pray for that as well. - And you may also want to drink some extra coffee before service.

“Talk is cheap.” “Actions speak louder than words.” “Easier said than done.” We've all heard these phrases before — and nobody questions their point. We all tend to agree that in most cases, according to conventional wisdom, it is easier to say stuff than to do stuff.And I think the writer of Hebrews would also agree with that, which is why in Hebrews 11, when he wants to show us what real faith looks like, in the example of Old Testament saints he does not give us a list of quotes they said, but he describes things they did. He tells us about actions they carried out. And beginning in verse 4, he is just working his way through the Old Testament storyline. If you remember, he starts with Abel, then Enoch, then Noah, and then he gives extended attention to Abraham, which we saw last week — and the writer doesn't mention everybody he could, and he doesn't say everything about those he does mention — but he hits the highlights and his main message is the same. He's saying: This is how faith looks. Faith has consequences.And we understand this. We get this. I think it's intuitive. A couple weeks ago after our service, I was talking with someone about Hebrews 11 and he said: “The examples of faith in Hebrews 11 make me wanna do something.” I think that's the bull's-eye sentiment we should have. The writer of Hebrews would hear that and say “Exactly!” And I think that's especially the case when it comes to our passage today, Chapter 11, verses 23–31, which focuses in on Moses.Structure + OutlineNow in terms of the structure of this text, in today's passage there are seven total examples from the ‘Moses generation' — just like there were seven total examples from the ‘Abraham generation' in the previous passage: there were four examples connected to Abraham directly, and three examples from people who came after him – Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph (see vv. 20, 21 22). In today's passages the writer is running that same 4:3 — there are four examples connected to Moses directly, and then three from those who came after: the people who crossed the Red Sea (v. 29), the people who march around Jericho (v. 30), and Rahab hiding the Hebrews spies (v. 31).There is a lot here that we could talk about, but what I'd like to do for today is to take this focus on Moses and focus in even more on one example from his life, in verses 24–26. Let me read these verses to you again. Look at these verses with me if you can. Hebrews 11, verse 24: “24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” Now within this focus on Moses, I want to tell you three observations of his faith that I think are especially relevant for our church right now. Moses displays his faith by:A deliberate decisionA costly associationA peculiar valuationThat's our outline. And now before we dig in, let's pray again and ask God to help us.Father in heaven, by your grace alone, in your providence, we are here in this moment with your Holy Scriptures opened before us. We ask, by the power of your Spirit, open our hearts to hear from you. In Jesus's name, amen. Moses displays his faith, #1, by …1) A Deliberate DecisionWe see this right at the start verse 24: “By faith Moses, when he was grown up…” Now that might seem like an odd thing to say, but it makes more sense when you contrast it with verse 23 which starts, “By faith Moses, when he was born…”So these are different times in Moses's life. There's Baby Moses in verse 23 and Grown-up Moses in verse 24. And the writer of Hebrews points out examples of faith in both times, but it's important to notice in verse 23 that it's not really the faith of Moses on display, but it's the faith of his parents. “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents…” See, Moses was entirely passive there. The being hidden was not his idea.Some of you have seen the animated movie, The Boss Baby. It's a funny movie, has some meaningful moments, and central to the whole plot is that this family has a newborn baby that acts like a normal baby around adults, but then acts like an adult when the adults are not around. The baby was sent by a higher unknown organization, and as a newborn he knows right away that he has a certain mission to accomplish.It's a funny movie, and what makes it funny is that the idea of a baby thinking like an adult is silly. It's all pretend. In real life, babies are cute, but they're not that smart — which is why you have to ‘baby proof' your house and tell them to not eat dirt (and things like that). Babies can only do baby things … including Baby Moses. Baby Moses did not hide himself. Baby Moses did not have the faith to not fear Pharaoh. That was his parents. But when Moses was grown up — that's different. Grown-up Moses has agency. He's able to do things on his own, including to have his own faith that he himself displays. That's what we see in verse 24. Verse 24 is the faith of Moses himself, not his parents.Now why is this relevant for our church?For the KidsWell it's because we have a lot of kids in our church — like hundreds — and there's a range of ages, from newborns all the way up through high school. And in this service there's a lot of the younger kids in childcare, but there's a lot of kids in here too — and I want to speak for a minute to you kids. Kids in the room, listen up. This is for you. One thing that I'm pretty sure you all have in common is that your parents have faith. In fact, the faith of your parents is a big reason you're here right now. Now that doesn't mean that you don't have faith yourself. Many of you do. Many of you have been baptized based upon the profession of your faith. But still as kids, as tweens and teens, you live at home under the authority of your parents, a lot of your faith is rightly influenced by them. But see here's what happens: As you get older, and as you become more independent, eventually you're gonna come to a time when you make all your own decisions about life and all this. You will no longer be passive in faith, but by your faith you will make deliberate decisions … like Moses did. Grown-up Moses in verse 24 is refusing one thing and choosing another — and you're gonna have to do the same. So kids, I wanna tell you something and I hope you never forget this: The two most powerful words you have are Yes and No. And your life, in large part, is going to be the outcome of how you use those words. What you say Yes to and what you say No to will form you into the person you become — and as Christians we say Yes and No by faith. As grown ups, starting where you are now, as you get into adulthood, by faith make deliberate decisions that display your faith in Jesus. Remember Jesus loves you, and make deliberate decisions by faith.We see the faith of Moses do that here, which meant for him, #2 …2) A Costly Association Verse 24: “By faith, when Moses was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin.” Now in order for this to make sense to us we need to know a little more about the story of Moses. It's been a while since we've been in the Book of Exodus together, so this is a refresher: When the Book of Exodus opens, the people of Israel were enslaved in Egypt, but their number continued to multiply and spread. There were so many Hebrews that the Pharaoh felt threatened, so he put a death warrant on all the Hebrew male children. He commanded all his people to throw the Hebrew sons into the Nile River. Well, Moses's parents defied Pharaoh. They hid him for three months, and then they built him a raft, and so rather than he be thrown into the river, they floated him down the river in the raft and he was found by Pharaoh's daughter, and she took pity on him and drew him out of the water. Now this was an amazing story in Exodus but to keep it short, Pharaoh's daughter ended up adopting Moses as her son. And we could imagine that being the son of Pharaoh's daughter — being the grandson of Pharaoh — had some perks. Notice the parallel in verse 24 between being “called the son of Pharaoh's daughter” and “enjoying the feeling pleasures of sin.” Those go together.Moses would have grown up in a palace. He most likely, literally, had a silver spoon in his mouth. He had the best education possible, and became mighty in his words and deeds, the Bible says (see Acts 7:22). And we can imagine that the older he got, grown up Moses, he would have been afforded pretty much whatever he wanted. He would have had easy access to the “fleeting pleasures of sin.”But look what the writer of Hebrews says: instead of all that, Moses “chos[e] rather to be mistreated with the people of God.”Moses's Fork in the Road And if you have the Book of Exodus in mind, you might be thinking: When exactly did that happen?Well, I am 99% sure it happened in Exodus Chapter 2 when Moses defended one of the Hebrew slaves who was being beaten by an Egyptian. Y'all remember this? Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating up the Hebrew guy. This is a big part of Moses's story. It's why he had to flee Egypt. Well, if we go back to Exodus Chapter 2 to read this story, it comes right after the birth story of Moses, and the story starts, Chapter 2, verse 11: “One day when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens…” And in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the word there for “grown up” in Exodus 2:11 is the same word used here in Hebrews 11:24. And what's going on in Exodus 2 is that when Moses “went out to his people” he presumably went out from the palace. He left the Egyptian palace and went down to the streets where his people were burdened. So see, there's already an association happening in Exodus 2. But when he saw the Egyptian beating the Hebrew, that was a fork in the road for Moses. Who is he? Is he an Egyptian — Pharaoh's grandson? Or, is he one of the Hebrews?Is he with the powerful, the opulent, the movers and shakers of the day, or is he with the slaves, the-carry-your-lunch-pale-to-work, mistreated Hebrews?Is Moses with the Egyptians and all their drip or is he with the insulted people of God?Moses chose the people of God. He avenged his fellow Hebrew, and in fact, in Acts Chapter 7, in the famous speech of Deacon Stephen, he says that when Moses avenged the Hebrew he thought that the Hebrews would know that he was there to save them (see Acts 7:25). That was a watershed moment for Moses. He associated himself with the people of God, not with the Egyptians, and it cost him. He had to flee the palace and live in exile for forty years until he saw the burning bush.Moses chose to associate with the people of God, and he paid a high price. What kind of price do you think you'd be willing to pay?Let's just think about this for minute. Do you think you would still associate with Christians — or to get more practical — do you think you'd still associate with this local church if it cost you more than it does right now? How much of a cost is too much?Mr. By-Ends and the Negative WorldThere's an incredible character in the book Pilgrim's Progress I need to tell you about. His name is Mr. By-ends. Christian and Hopeful meet him as soon as they become friends and right away they're put off by some of the things he says, so they ask him more questions to try to get to know him. And he admits that he's not as “strict” as other pilgrims, and he says that he basically operates by two principles. He says he's speaking for himself and his relatives — Mr. Smooth-man, Mr. Facing-both-ways, Mr. Any-thing, and Mr. Two-Tongues — and he says our two principles are: First, we never strive against wind and tide; secondly, we are always most zealous when Religion goes in his Silver Slippers; we love much to walk with him in the street, if the sun shines, and the people applaud him.In other words, Mr. By-Ends is the epitome of a “fair-weather Christian.” He only acts like a Christian when it's easy. He wants to be a Christian when it's very low cost, very high direct benefit.And I think his character is super relevant for us today because we live in a unique time of our nation's history. We live in what's been called a “negative world.” It's the idea that since around 2014, American society, at large, has come to have a negative view of Christianity. In other words, especially in the higher ranks of society, among the educated, in a lot of the places where y'all work, associating with Christians is a social negative. Christian morality is despised and mocked and called bigotry (no matter how nicely we try to explain it). Now there are certainly other places in the world where it's harder to be a Christian, but within our own nation's history, for the first time, claiming to be a Christian is not a social benefit — but it comes with a cost (source).And there's a correlation here to what's been called “The Great De-churching.” There's been a study, recently published, that reports that fewer Americans go to church today than at any other point in our nation's history. The study claims that about 40 million American adults used to be part of a church, but they stopped involvement (source). And there are several different theories why, and one of them is that it cost more. Active faith, regular Christian rhythms and life, being involved with a local church, cost more than it used to … and for Mr. By-ends and those like him, the cost is too much. Well, Moses knew it was going to cost him, and still, by faith, he chose to associate with God's people. Talk is cheap, the cost is in the action. He chose the cost of that association.And the writer of Hebrews understands what these early Christians are dealing with. A few weeks ago, back in Chapter 10, we saw that the writer encourages these early Christians in their faith by telling them to recall what they've already endured. Already, Chapter 10, verse 33, they've been “publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, sometimes being partners with those so treated.” And now in Chapter 11 he wants them to make the connection: They have shown the same kind of faith that Moses did. Can you imagine anything more encouraging for these early Hebrew Christians? The writer wants them to know that they have faith like Moses. They would have heard verse 24 about Moses and thought: “That's us.”And I want y'all to know the same applies to us today. What we read here about Moses, and what our Christian ancestors understood and displayed, is in the ‘spiritual genetics' of our faith. Church, I want you to know that true faith will endure whatever the cost. Turn up the heat, come what may, true faith will be displayed.Moses displayed his faith by (1) a deliberate decision that meant (2) a costly association because of, #3 …3) A Peculiar ValuationThis is verse 26: “He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” Now the first question here is: How is verse 26 connected to verse 25? We know there's some kind of connection — this the same train of thought. Verse 25 says that Moses chose rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin — and now the first verb in verse 26 is going to tell us the reason he made that choice. Verse 26 says that Moses chose to be mistreated with God's people because he considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt. Moses considered the reproach of Christ more valuable. That's why he made the choice he did.We can see this in the text, but What is the reproach of Christ? Is the writer of Hebrews saying that in Exodus 2 Moses actually knew about the future suffering of the Messiah and he made a conscious decision to align himself with that suffering?The answer is Yeah, sorta. Hang with me here. …Same Package of SufferingThe first thing I want you to see is the connection between the mistreatment of the people of God (in verse 25) and the reproach of Christ (in verse 26). Do you see how they're parallel? If we look at these verses together, it seems like the mistreatment of God's people and the reproach of Christ are talking about the same thing. They're the same package. Y'all see that? Now where's that come from?Well, a lot of times in the Bible, God's people and God's Messiah are described as having solidarity. God's Messiah takes on the identity of God's people. Now we know Jesus did that ultimately on the cross as our substitute, and he also did that at clear points throughout his earthly ministry. We actually see this hinted at in the Old Testament. For example, let's go to Psalm 89, verse 50. Turn there if you can. Psalm 89. I want you to see this. Read with me or listen closely to Psalm 89:50–51, “Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked,and how I bear in my heart the insults of all the many nations,51 with which your enemies mock, O Lord,with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed.” There's a parallel between the servants of God and God's anointed. God's people and God's Messiah. What is said of God's people is said of God's Messiah. They're both mocked.Now listen to these verses in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament that the writer of Hebrews would have read). In Psalm 89 he would have read: Remember, O Lord, the reproach (oneidismou) of your servants, which I have borne in my bosom, [even the reproach] of many nations; with which your enemies have reproached (ōneidisan), O Lord, with which they have reproached (ōneidisan) your Christ … Again, there's the same parallel between God's people and God's Messiah, and the Hebrew word for “mock” is translated into Greek as “reproach.” God's people and God's Messiah are both reproached. And that Greek word for “reproach” in Psalm 89 is the same word the writer of Hebrews uses in Hebrews 11:26, “the reproach of Christ.” The writer of Hebrews has Psalm 89 in mind in Hebrews 11, so, is he saying that Moses was thinking about the reproach of God's people or the reproach of Christ himself? The answer is Yes. When Moses chose solidarity with God's people in their reproach, he also chose solidarity with Christ in his reproach — because it's the same reproach. The reproach and insults and ridicule of Christ on behalf of his people is reproach, insults, and ridicule that we choose when we bear his name. And this reproach still exists today. Joe Rogan is one of the most influential men in the world — because millions of men listen to his podcast — and he routinely insults Christianity. He says Christianity is the easiest of all religions to mock. He says it's reproachable. The reproach of Christ is still a thing. Now does that make us move toward Jesus or shy away from him?The Greater WealthWell see, Moses didn't just move toward this reproach, but he said that this reproach of Christ is better than the treasures of Egypt. The reproach of Christ is more valuable than the treasures of Egypt. And that's the peculiar valuation — it's odd. Reproach, insults, suffering, culminating in a shameful execution on a Roman cross — how is that better than anything? That sounds horrible. Get me outta that! I'd rather do anything than to go through that! And yet Moses looked at it: that reproach and the treasures of Egypt … and he said, I'll take the reproach. Far be it from me to boast unless in the reproach of Christ, by which the world and all its treasure has been crucified to me and I to the world. The reproach of Christ is a stumbling block for Jews and folly to Gentiles, but for me — for Moses and those who have faith like Moses — the reproach of Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God (see 1 Corinthians 1:22–25; Galatians 2:20). I'd rather have Jesus than silver or goldI'd rather be His than have riches untoldI'd rather have Jesus than houses or landI'd rather be led by His nail-pierced handThan to be the king of a vast domainAnd be held in sin's dread swayI'd rather have Jesus than anythingThis world affords today And that only makes sense when we, like Moses, by faith, look to the reward (end of verse 26). This reward is future and eternal, not immediate and temporal. This is when we have the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Unlike the fleeting pleasures of Egypt, we must see him who for now is invisible to us but who one day we will see face to face. One day, church, we will be looking at Jesus and everything will have been worth it.That's what brings us to this Table.The TableWe display our faith in Jesus not only with words, but with action — and the same could be said for how God displays his love for us.The Bible says that God shows/demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. When we were most unloveable, God acted to show us his love. And that's what we remember at this Table.The bread here represents the body of Jesus; the cup represents the blood of Jesus — together this reminds us of the death of Jesus, the ultimate action of God's love. This morning if you've received that love, if you have put your faith in Jesus, you can display that faith by sharing in this meal. Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us eat and drink together, and give him thanks.

Right now we are reminding ourselves of who we are at First Baptist Church. We exist to make disciples of Jesus and grow as disciples of Jesus. We have seen that discipleship is not a destination. It is the lifelong process by which believers are always deepening in their relationship with Christ and moving closer to Christlikedness in their walk. We saw from Acts chapter 2 that the early church in Jerusalem discipled thousands of new believers by worshiping, connecting in discipling relationships, and serving one another as they served Jesus in evangelism and disciple-making. Worship, Connect, Serve is much more than a pithy slogan. It is the means by which believers grow in Christ. Over the last two weeks, Dave and Cameron preached on corporate worship and personal worship. They showed us from the Scripture how important worship is for the growing disciple. Ultimately, we become like what we worship. This Sunday, we will examine the importance of connecting in discipling relationships. Growing in Christ cannot be done in isolation. Jesus' model of disciplemaking involved an intentionally small group of disciples who were relationally bound together under His teaching. They followed and learned as they daily walked with Him through His earthly ministry. In this same pattern, the early church continued the practice of smaller groups (Acts 2:46-49.) To illustrate the urgent and essential nature of being in accountable discipling relationships with one another, we will examine Hebrews 3:7-15. The Hebrew Christians were being tempted to leave from following Jesus and go back to the old ways of Judaism. They were suffering persecution, being treated as outcasts by their own family and friends, and enduring hardship because they had professed faith in Christ. The temptation was great to just go back to the old religion they had always known. The book of Hebrews is written to encourage them to remain faithful to Christ. Again and again, Hebrews shows us that Jesus is better than the old sacrifices, temple, priests, and even Moses. Jesus is the fulfillment of all these things. As the writer exhorts them not to turn away from Christ, he shows us the importance of being in discipling relationships with one another. Hebrews 3:13 says, “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” We were never intended to fight alone. We were never intended to battle the world, the flesh, and the devil in isolation.

She is dead now and so is he.He was a friend of mine; lean, rangy, and muscular.She was his mother. “You're getting fat,” is what she told him, right up until the day he died.Criticism will often cause you to see yourself worse than you are.Did it ever occur to you that criticism – sometimes disguised as unsolicited advice – always springs from an assumption of superior intelligence?When a person begins by saying, “With all due respect,” they are making it clear they do not respect you.“Constructive criticism” is how they make you feel small while they tell themselves they are helping you. Ignore those people. Even the ones you love. They are having a bad day. Or maybe a bad life. Either way, don't swallow what they are feeding you.Criticism is destructive. Encouragement is instructive.I am reasonably self-aware, I think. I believe I know the panoply of Roys that live inside me. The most widely known are Outraged Roy. Generous Roy. Foghorn Leghorn Roy. Introvert Roy.Pennie and I have a friend who stays with us when he is in Austin. A few years ago he started a church in a weird part of the weird town he lives in. Last week, he sent me a text:“Of all the Roys I know, my favorite version of you is Robe Roy. Robe Roy don't give a shit. And if you lucky, you catch Robe Roy in a hat. Or them bluelight sunglasses. Eating a vitamin cookie. Drinking Shrooms. Feeding Squirrels. On a porch swing.”I replied, “I like that Roy, too.”My friend is an encourager. He will always find something inside you, no matter how ordinary you consider yourself to be, and then he will tell you a delightful new truth about who you are.Does it surprise you that my friend's very large congregation is teeming with beaten-down homeless people, cast-off prostitutes, struggling drug users, and a handful of regular folks like me and you who care about the broken and the broken-hearted?They flock to that church because he makes them feel the love of God as they belly-laugh with glee when he tells wonderful stories from the Bible and gives them back their dignity.And then they walk out the door with a smile of renewed hope.A simple Welsh monk named Geoffrey – hoping to instill in his countrymen a sense of pride – assembled a history of England that gave his people a glorious pedigree. Published in 1136, Geoffrey's “History of the Kings of Britain” was a detailed, written account of the deeds of the English people for each of the 17 centuries prior to 689 AD.And not a single word of it was true.Yet in creating Merlyn, Guinevere, Arthur, and the Knights of the Round Table, Geoffrey of Monmouth convinced a dreary little island full of ordinary villagers to see themselves as a wise and powerful, magnificent nation.And not long after they began to see themselves that way in their minds, they began seeing the reality of it in the mirror.When I said Geoffrey told his countrymen a story, “and not one word of it was true,” I should have said, “not one word of it was true YET.” Geoffrey of Monmouth spoke a future truth about his countrymen because he saw something they did not see. He saw the greatness that was within them. So he called it out.Geoffrey was not a flatterer. He was an encourager.Encouragement causes you to see yourself differently. Embrace it, and you can become in reality that different person you saw in your mind.“Encourage one another daily, while it is called ‘today'…”That line from “The Letter to the Hebrew Christians” has always intrigued me. The writer emphasized our need of encouragement by adding these further instructions to the word “daily”… “while it is called ‘today.'”One last little tidbit about that church: when they built an activities center with basketball courts and other fun things to do, they encouraged all the ragamuffin, latchkey, unparented kids to...