Standing on the Promises

Hebrews 6:9-20, “Standing on the Promises”
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Introduction:
Famous hymn by R. Kelso Carter, “Standing on the Promises of God.” Verse 2: “Standing on the promises that cannot fail, When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, By the living Word of God I shall prevail, Standing on the promises of God.” We don’t know the exact occasion for him writing the song – but it could have been easily applied to the last half of Hebrews Ch 6!

Hebrews 6 begins with a stern warning – telling the Jewish Christians of the dangers of walking away from the sufficiency of Christ Jesus in order to go back to the way they always used to do things in Judaism. The writer of Hebrews obviously loves the people to whom he’s writing, but he doesn’t pull any punches. Surely the 1st time this letter was read to the church in question, people started looking around the room to see if the warning applied directly to any one of them. Yet as we end Ch 6, the issue isn’t so much one of warning – but of comfort, with the author exhorting the Hebrew Christians to stand on the firm, sure promises of God, despite any wait that may have been involved.

Remember where we’ve been so far: the author is writing to a group of Hebrew Christians who had some people who were considering abandoning the faith to go back to Judaism. In response, the writer systematically shows how Jesus is superior to Judaism in every respect. He’s better than the angels – He’s better than Moses – He’s better than Joshua – He’s better than Aaron & the Levitical priesthood. It’s this last concept the writer is going to expand on the most, but he took a break before getting into the meat of things because the Church in question seemed to have a reputation for spiritual laziness…they had a tough time with deep doctrine (which led into the warning of apostasy).

He’s going to get back to this deep doctrine about the priesthood again in Ch 7 (and following), but 1st the writer is going to talk them down off the cliff of doubt, and reassure them of the promises of God.

Hebrews 6:9-20 (NKJV)
9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.

A. “But”: in direct contrast to what he just got done writing about… The natural response to the warning in the 1st half of Ch 6 is to say, “Is this me?!?” It’s as if the Holy Spirit is saying through the author – “Don’t panic…I haven’t finished speaking yet.” The warning is very real – BUT, there’s more to say…

B. What is it that he is confident of? That they have not yet actually crossed over into apostasy. Had he always been confident? Perhaps not – could easily be translated “persuaded” (KJV)… Whatever the case had been in the past, as he thought about his Hebrew audience now, he feels sure that they (in general) are abiding in Jesus…

C. Question: If the writer was so confident of the fact that the Hebrew Christians had not yet apostasized, why give the warning to begin with? … Because that was the direction in which they were heading! … Even though most of them would never get to that point, they needed to be warned of the danger. The warning sign is still necessary. (The time to learn of a bridge being out up ahead is not when you’re driving over it; but long before you get there in order to give you time to stop & turn around…)
__a. Also necessary for future generations who would read the letter…i.e., us! Always keep in mind that the author (or authorS – “we”) was writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Thus the Holy Spirit was only writing to the original church in question, but giving instruction to every believer who would follow…
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10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

A. One reason the writer had such confident assurance that this church had not yet apostasized? They showed much good fruit as believers…their lives matched their confession. They had “works & labor of love” towards the rest of the Church (believers around the empire). Not just a one-time expression of love; but ongoing – they have “ministered” & do “minister”… Because of their steadfast works for the Lord Jesus, the writer had little doubt that although the Hebrew Christian’s faith was under assault, they were truly following Christ.
__a. This is exactly what Jesus said would happen. People will know we are His disciples by our love for one another… (John 13:35)

B. God sees our works…He never forgets what we do in Christ. The acts of service we forget, He remembers for eternity. The tears of sorrow we’ve shared with brothers & sisters in grief or of ourselves in pain, He’s stored in His bottle (Ps 56:8). To say God is “not unjust to forget” is a gross understatement! He knows far better than we do the things we’ve done for His glory & kingdom.
__a. Not only will God remember what we did in the name of Christ, He’ll reward us for what we did. The Bema Seat…(2 Cor 5:10)
__b. It’s the opposite for our sin! Once we are covered with the blood of the Passover Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, God forgets our sin. That’s part & parcel with the new covenant we have in Christ Jesus! Through His Son, God forgives our iniquity, “and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jer 31:34) It’s a pretty amazing thing to consider that we remember our sin long after God does. To Him, we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:21), we are already seated in heavenly places with Him (Eph 2:6), our sins have already been completely atoned for through the perfect sin sacrifice of Jesus (Isa 53:10-11). From a spiritual perspective, for every person who is a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, your sins are past tense. PTL!!

C. Bottom line, there’s definitely a relationship between our faith & our works – as evidenced by the assurance that the writer had regarding the Hebrews’ walk with Christ. “But I thought we are saved by grace, apart from works!?” We are. But someone who has a true saving faith is naturally going to do good works as a result of that faith in Christ Jesus & what the Holy Spirit is doing in their lives. (James 2:17-18 – faith w/o works is dead…)
__a. Our problem is that we try to make too many theological subjects all-or-nothing. (All-gifts-all-the-time vs. no-gifts-at-all… All-predestination vs. all-freewill…) Regarding faith & works, it’s not an either/or – it’s a both/and, as long as we keep it in the right priority & order. We are completely saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ & His work – but with that, we do work & demonstrate our faith. If the 2nd half is missing, the 1st half may not have taken place at all…
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11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

A. IOW, Keep it up! Run the race & finish the course… Persevere in Christ (which he’ll get to in Ch 12)…

B. Where do we learn how to persevere in the faith? By looking to the good examples of those who have gone before us… Going to give one of these examples in Abraham (he’ll show many more in Ch 11). If anyone in the OT was a prime example of patience, Abraham was! See vs 13…
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13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”

A. “God made a promise to Abraham”: What was the promise? Generally, it’s a reference to the single covenant God made with Abraham that He repeated so many times – that God would give Abraham (1) a land, (2) a people, (3) a Savior… [] More specifically, this quote is after Abraham had laid Isaac on the altar… Genesis 22:15-18 (15) Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, (16) and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— (17) blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. (18) In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” [] …
__a. When was the promise made? It depends on which version of the covenant we’re referring to. When Abram was 1st called & told about the heir to come, he was 75 years old (Gen 12:4). Quite a bit of time passes until Abram (probably in his mid-80’s) offered Eliezer as his heir & God reconfirmed the covenant (Gen 15:2). Abram was 99 years old by the time God yet reaffirmed the covenant & told him of Isaac (Gen 17:1) & finally 100 when Isaac was born. Beyond that, a likely 12 more years passed before Abraham offered Isaac up to the Lord in obedience & God affirmed the covenant yet one more time… Beyond Isaac – the promise of nations coming from Abraham only begun its fulfillment when Esau & Jacob were born, 60 years later…and a minimum of 40 more years (Gen 26:34) (perhaps another 14 on top of that after Jacob’s service to Laban for both his daughters) prior to the beginning of the 12 son birth-sequence. In the end, there was 25 years of waiting just for Isaac from the 1st covenant, but all totaled, 139 years until the nations began to appear from Abraham’s lineage. That’s a lot of promising & a lot of waiting!
__b. Was the promise fulfilled? Absolutely. Abraham may have only seen the very firstfruits of the beginning (in Jacob) – but the fact that we’re sitting here today is proof of the fulfilled promise to Abraham. All the nations of the earth were blessed b/c God sent Jesus Christ though the seed of Abraham & provided salvation to all who repent & call upon His name…!

B. When God makes a promise, we can bank on it! Even if we have to wait a bit. See vs. 15…

15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

A. With the knowledge that it took a looong time for the promise of God to Abraham to be fulfilled, what did Abraham do in the meantime? He “patiently endured.” He continued to walk with God, trust Him by faith. Even when it seemed nothing was going on & all hope of the promise was lost to history, Abraham endured by walking by faith. (Which is pleasing to God! Heb 11:6…)

B. Are you willing to endure? This was the question the author was posing to the Hebrew Christians. Jesus had promised to come back, but they were waiting for the fulfillment. Persecution was rampant – time kept passing on – every day they would have been pressured by their Jewish neighbors to abandon Christianity. Were they willing to patiently endure, like Abraham?
__a. Are WE willing to endure? Many Christians were crestfallen in 1984 & 1988, expecting Jesus to rapture them at that moment. Today it’s becoming harder & harder to maintain fundamental Christian beliefs & theology without the charge of being backwards & ignorant & intolerant… … And in the meantime we wait. … We need to endure patiently in faith!

C. Are we waiting in vain? NO! That’s the whole point of bringing out Abraham. Abraham waited & waited – but he finally saw the fulfillment of God’s promise. It’s that way throughout the entire Bible. Waiting on God to fulfill His promise is the rule; not the exception. Joseph waited through slavery & prison – Moses waited in the Sinai desert & then in the wilderness – David waited for the crown long after he had been anointed king – Paul waited in Tarsus & Sinai before ever being released to the ministry Jesus had called him to – humanity waited thousands of years from Adam to Jesus’ 1st coming…the fulfillment of a promise made in Genesis 3! Many times we need to wait… But besides waiting, what do all of these promises have in common? Every single one of them was fulfilled…
__a. Are you trusting in a promise of God that you haven’t yet seen fulfilled? God is faithful! Wait upon Him. Trust in His already fulfilled promises through Jesus Christ. Every promise is yes & amen in Him – 2 Cor 1:20…Jesus ultimately fulfills them all! Even if the day your specific promise is fulfilled is the day you see Jesus face-to-face, you can trust that God will ALWAYS keep His word. Let God be true & every man a liar. (Rom 3:4)
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16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute.

A. At this time, people rarely had written contracts; they did business with each other with oaths. And to confirm the oath, the person had to swear their faithfulness to fulfill the promise based on someone else’s credibility (who was greater than them)… What happens if you have no one greater to swear by (such as God)? Thus God had to swear by Himself… (vs. 13)
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17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath,

A. IOW, if oaths confirm promises made by men, how much more would it confirm the promises of God? Question: did God need to make an oath? Of course not – His word is sufficient in & of itself… So why the oath? Not because God needed it; but because people’s faith is by & large weak, including Abraham. God didn’t need to reaffirm His word to anyone, but in His grace, He did so for Abraham out of His abundant grace to underscore how serious God took His own promise. Even after Abraham’s faith had been confirmed – God gave him a sure promise & oath.

B. Likewise, our salvation is based upon the promise of God through the work of Jesus Christ – and bound by God’s same oath to Abraham. We are now “the heirs of the promise” – we are the nations of the earth blessed through his Seed (Jesus), we are his descendants through faith greater than the sands of the seashore. Galatians 3:26-29 (26) For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (29) And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. []

C. Basically saying here, God’s not going to change His mind. His counsel is immutable… Lit, it can’t be transposed/changed. Men & women may be double-minded about their opinions & counsel, but never God. NEVER God. God’s promise & word is unchangeable. The promise He made to Abraham is an unconditional covenant that will never change nor expire…He WILL see it through.

18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

A. What are the 2 immutable things? God’s promise & God’s oath… His promise was the covenant given to Abraham; His oath was the “extra” swearing to demonstrate the validity of His word. These things will never change; God has given His word & God is going to keep His promises.

B. Interesting insight to the character of God here: God does not lie. Actually the Scripture is stronger – not only does God not lie; God CAN NOT lie. “it is impossible for God to lie…” “Impossible” is just that…impossible. It’s the negative form of the word for “power/capacity/ability.” Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? []
__a. ‘But I thought God could do anything?!’ God is indeed omnipotent, and there is nothing too hard for the Lord – all things are possible with the Lord. But there are some things that God cannot do. (Cannot be tempted by evil – Jas 1:13, cannot deny Himself – 2 Tim 2:13) Affirmed also in Titus 1:3, God cannot lie. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) – lying is completely antithetical to His character & nature, and thus He can’t do it.

C. Knowing that God cannot & does not lie, what does that tell you about the promises He’s given about your salvation in Christ? It means we have “strong consolation” in Whom we have “fled for refuge.” It’d be tough to get stronger – after all, who better to trust than Someone who cannot lie? God will never break His word.
__a. Possible reference to the cities of refuge (Num 35)… Like those ancient cities, we find safety in Christ & hope for the future…
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19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,

A. Not only is Jesus our hope; He’s our “anchor of the soul…” Very poetic, but very true. The purpose of an anchor is to keep a vessel from drifting. What is the only hope we have from drifting into eternal punishment & death? Jesus Christ. Through His work alone, we are anchored to God’s grace & we find our rest & hope in Him.

B. As an Anchor, Jesus is “sure & steadfast…” “Sure” = lit “not to make totter” “Steadfast” has the idea of a board not breaking when something steps on it. [Imagine an old rotted rope-bridge…] Jesus (our Anchor) is exactly the opposite! Infinitely stronger than the Golden Gate Bridge… [Ever seen battleship anchors? PIC] Like those anchors, Jesus is immovable.
__a. Do you understand how solid the promise & hope for your salvation is? If you’ve trusted in Christ Jesus as your Lord & Savior, forsaking your sin, knowing that He’s the Risen Son of God who was crucified for your sins – then you’ve got unfathomable assurance for your eternal salvation! You’ve got the word/promise of God – His oath – and Christ Jesus Himself anchoring you to the covenant of God! …

C. Where is our Anchor of hope located? Behind the veil in the Holy of Holies. Jesus is our Anchor, but He’s also our High Priest, who’s allowed to go behind the veil into the Holy of Holies in the Temple of God…and He’s brought us there with Him.
__a. One immediate result of Jesus’ crucifixion? The veil was ripped in two!
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20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

A. Jesus is our hope – our anchor – and our “forerunner.” Gk has several possibilities of context for the word: it was used of spies that ran ahead of the troops to survey the battle – runners that went ahead of the other athletic team – ships that sailed on ahead to ensure sea depths were sufficient for larger boats to dock. Some think the writer of Hebrews is continuing the “ship” theme – that Jesus is not only the anchor for our hope, but He’s the vessel by which we arrive at the destination for which we hope. Others think that Jesus is running on ahead of us, clearing the way for our salvation. Whatever the original intent behind the word, the concept is clear: Jesus goes before us. Jesus is the only one who could truly enter the Holy of Holies, and as our High Priest, King, Savior, and Friend, He brings us along with Him into His inheritance & relationship with the Father. Glorious!

B. Again, Jesus is our High Priest. Not of Levi, but of Melchizedek – the writer will spend most of Ch 7 on this point.

Conclusion:
The bottom line from the last half of Ch 6? God is faithful to His promises; so let us be faithful to God. Do we need to be warned about the dangers of apostasy? Absolutely. Do we need to take time to examine ourselves to see if we’re in the faith & abiding in Christ? No doubt. But once we’ve done that, we don’t need to live in doubt, constantly questioning the goodness and the promises of God. When God makes a promise, He’s going to see it through. He’s sworn an oath – He cannot lie – and our assurance of that is in the anchor of our souls, Jesus Christ.

So Christian: keep trusting – keep walking patiently with Christ – keep doing good works for your King’s glory. Every day Jesus has left you on earth is another opportunity for you to glorify God & witness of His salvation. Rest in His grace, and live for His kingdom! …

If you haven’t trusted Jesus as Lord – if you haven’t yet received Him as your Savior, then don’t waste this opportunity to be saved! For the person who’s been born of the Spirit of God, Jesus is the anchor for our soul, but without Christ you don’t have that hope. You’re left to be judged for every sin you ever committed – and make no doubt that every sin leaves us condemned before God. Even the “littlest” sin (in our opinion) is an act of rebellion & treason against the God who gave you life & breath…and every one of us has committed more than just one or two “little” sins. The good news is that God wants to save you & forgive you through Jesus Christ – but you must receive that forgiveness…

He’s a Judge?!

Judges 13-14, “He’s a Judge?!”
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Introduction:
Ever come across somebody that you’re absolutely amazed that they do what they do? 5’ basketball player – deaf musician (like Beethoven), etc… We seem to see something similar in Samson. Normally when we think of judges, we think of people who were certainly flawed like us, but overall they walk with the Lord & show great faith (like Gideon & Deborah). That’s certainly NOT the case with Samson! Samson was far more scoundrel than saint – but God in His wisdom & grace chose to use him. And unlike other judges whom God raised up as adults, God gave His call to Samson before he was even born…

We left off with Jepththah – another flawed judge in the rashness of his unnecessary vow. Three “minor” judges followed him, and Israel gets caught up in the cycle of sin & apostasy yet again…

Judges 13 (NKJV)
1 Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

A. It’s always striking to me that so much time elapses with Israel stuck in sin & submission to their enemies before things change & God gives them a deliverer. Happened again – this time for 40 years! The longest they had previously been sold into the hands of their enemies was 20 years under Jabin & Sisera of Canaan until God raised up Deborah (Judges 4:3). You’d think that after a certain amount of time, the Israelites would have looked up & realized what was going on around them…

B. How bad are they blinded by their own sin? They don’t cry out to the Lord in repentance this time! They’re so in love with the world & their sin that they didn’t even realize that God had so much more for them as His own special people.
__a. How far we go to justify our own sin! “It’s not so bad…it’s not like I’m doing _____” Or “Who’s it going to hurt, anyway? I’m only hurting myself.” Or “I can always ask for forgiveness later…whenever later is.” Or “It makes me feel good; and that can’t be too wrong, can it?” When you start hearing these things come out of your mouth, be careful! At that point, you love your sin more than God & you’ve forgotten what God has in store for you as His child & the grace that He’s already showered down upon you through Jesus!

C. God (in His grace) raises up a deliverer anyway. … Not unlike our salvation in Christ. Jesus died for us when we were yet sinners (Rom 5:8) – we were dead in our trespasses (Eph 2:1) – we were at enmity with God (Rom 8:7). Like Israel, we had no natural desire to repent… Yet God in His great grace sent Jesus to die on our behalf & call us to Himself for salvation…
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2 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. 3 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. 5 For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

A. Sound familiar? Hannah…Elizabeth…Mary… With the exception of Mary, the other ladies were considered barren – and Mary’s pregnancy certainly started a lot of rumors & gossip! To them, their problems (understandably) seemed to be tragedy. But God turns tragedy in the lives of those who love Him to His glory… Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. []

B. What’s the vow of a Nazirite? Numbers 6 has the complete details…basically they were to abstain from eating or drinking anything made from grapes, & let their hair grow uncut, refrain from touching any dead body…all in demonstration of their dedication to the Lord. If any part of this vow was broken, Numb 6 gives the details how to deal with it (which we have zero indication that Samson actually followed). One major difference from a typical Nazirite & Samson – usually the Nazirite vow was temporary. God was calling Samson to this all his life…
__a. We may not use Nazirite vows today, but we are still dedicated to the Lord. For how long? For the rest of our lives! … In gratefulness to Jesus Christ…

C. The idea was that the Nazirite was a dedication to God. Does this really fit the description on Samson? Not really… But God still used him. WHY?! Because of God’s grace & God’s glory!
__a. God was going to glorify himself through the actions of this very flawed judge. Not by raising up an army, but by God using this single man to personally destroy thousands of the enemies of God.
__b. God in His grace not only used Samson – but held him up as an example of faith! [Heb 11:32-34] Why? Faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains – and it seems that Samson (despite his flaws) had a “little” faith.
__c. Good news: If God can glorify Himself through Samson, then by the grace of God, He can also glorify Himself through us because of Jesus Christ. We have nothing offer God in the 1st place, with the exception of our flaws. But He receives them & gives us the righteousness of Christ in their stead.
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6 So the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name. 7 And He said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’ ” 8 Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, and said, “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.”

A. It’s interesting that she recognized the Angel as being like the Angel of the Lord, but didn’t recognize Him as the Angel of the Lord. Scripture doesn’t tell us why – but it may be because Israel had fallen so far away from the Lord that they couldn’t tell the difference.

B. Tells her husband everything the Angel said (except the razor…) Manoah’s response to the news? He prayed. [] Amen! Got a question? Pray! Want to learn what God wants you to do? Pray…
__a. Does that mean we need to wait for a vision from God? Of course not; though that wouldn’t be out of the question for God to provide. But God has already revealed His word & His will to us in the Scriptures. When you pray, prayerfully read through the Bible! The Holy Spirit is our teacher (John 14:26); ask Him to teach you all things…
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9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, “Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!” [God answered the prayer…]

11 So Manoah arose and followed his wife. When he came to the Man, he said to Him, “Are You the Man who spoke to this woman?” And He said, “I am.” 12 Manoah said, “Now let Your words come to pass! What will be the boy’s rule of life, and his work?” 13 So the Angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. 14 She may not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor may she drink wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean. All that I commanded her let her observe.”

A. Interesting that the Angel doesn’t tell Manoah any more than what He originally told his wife… Only adds one thing: his wife can’t eat grapes/grape product either during her pregnancy.
__a. Aside: This indicates that the baby growing inside her womb was a real person; not a “blob of tissue.” God’s instructions were for Samson to take the Nazirite vow; that wouldn’t apply to some blob that wasn’t human…

B. What the Angel of the Lord doesn’t answer Manoah is regarding what line of work Samson would have. God obviously knew it (re: omniscience); but He wasn’t willing to reveal it to Manoah.
__a. Some things God wants to remain unknown until the time to be revealed. (Including the date of the rapture/resurrection!) And that’s ok! God is God; we’re not…
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15 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, “Please let us detain You, and we will prepare a young goat for You.” 16 And the Angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “Though you detain Me, I will not eat your food. But if you offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the LORD.” (For Manoah did not know He was the Angel of the LORD.)

A. Demonstration of hospitality…

B. Was the Angel refusing worship? No (as we’ll see in a minute); He was affirming that all worship goes to God.
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17 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, “What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?” 18 And the Angel of the LORD said to him, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?”

A. Manoah’s idea was to name the child after the Angel of the Lord. Thought he’d be looking at something like “Michael” or “Gabriel”…he doesn’t quite know what he’s asking for, considering who he’s asking. If it sounds familiar, it’s because Jacob asked the same question when wrestling with God (Gen 32:29) & he received a similar response.

B. His name IS wonderful! Isaiah 9:6-7 (6) For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (7) Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. [] Isaiah saw the Lord Jesus in His millennial & eternal glory as Jesus reigns as the King of Kings. Yet it’s not that Jesus only becomes wonderful after His 2nd Coming; Jesus has always been wonderful! Hb = “incomprehensible; beyond our understanding.”
__i. It’s incomprehensible to us that Jesus would die for someone like me & you. It’s incomprehensible that the perfect Son of God would become sin for us. It’s incomprehensible that the eternal Word would humble Himself in His incarnation – to the point of going to the Cross. Yet though everything about Jesus boggles the mind, it is truly wonderful!
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19 So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to the LORD. And He did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on— 20 it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar—the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground.

A. Why did they fall to the ground? They recognized it was the Lord & the proper response when you come before God is worship & the right fear of God. Isaiah proclaimed his own woe when standing in God’s throne room (Isa 6:5) – Peter asked Jesus to get out of his fishing boat when Jesus called him as a disciple (Luke 5:8).
__a. Praise God that we can come boldly before the throne of grace to find grace in our time of need! But let us never forget that as we come before our Abba Father in prayer, we’re coming before the Almighty God, Creator of the Universe! He is worthy of worship, if for no other reason than purely because He is God…
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21 When the Angel of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the Angel of the LORD. 22 And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!” 23 But his wife said to him, “If the LORD had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have told us such things as these at this time.”

A. Manoah’s wife is wise…if God wanted them dead, it would have happened minutes ago, and she wouldn’t be carrying a baby by the command of the Lord.

B. But Manaoh still had good theology. Without the hand of God’s mercy & grace, they should have died. No one can see the face of God & live (Exo 33:20); but as they stood before the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ & offered a sacrifice, He looked over their sin in atonement & grace & in loving relationship with them.
__a. Praise God for the Lord Jesus! Without His intervention & sacrifice through His atoning blood, we would surely die. Outside of Christ, there is no hope at the judgment…

24 So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to move upon him at Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

A. “Samson” likely = “little servant/little sun” Pretty ironic considering how physically strong Samson was.

B. Most likely, there’s a time lapse between vs 24-25. Considering Samson’s type of service, he may have been a young man when he began to deliver Israel, but he would still have been an adult. And that’s when the “Spirit of the Lord began to move upon him.”
__a. To do the work of God, you must be empowered by the Spirit of God…
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Judges 14 (NKJV)
1 Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.” 3 Then his father and mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” And Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well.” 4 But his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD—that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

A. Were his parents right to object? Yes! He should have looked to Israel for a wife. But God had other things in mind… Was this then a sin of Samson? It seems to be. Not only was he seeking a wife from among the Philistines, but he dishonored his parents (5th Commandment) in the meantime.

B. Can God use our sinful actions for His glory? Yes – absolutely. [Joseph vs. his brothers] Genesis 50:20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. [] Does that give us license to sin? … Absolutely not. We still experience the temporary consequences from our sin – we reap what we sow (Gal 6:7-8). Eternally, Jesus has taken that punishment upon Himself.
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5 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. 6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

A. I’m not sure what’s more astounding here: that Samson through miraculous strength tore apart the lion, or that the author of Judges thinks that tearing apart goats with one’s bare hands is an ‘everyday’ occasion!

B. What gave Samson the strength to do it? “The Spirit of the Lord.” NOT his hair – not his Nazirite vow – not any work of man. His vow was simply a sign of his dedication to the Lord; it was the Lord who empowered Samson to do the work…

C. Why didn’t Samson tell his parents? He wasn’t supposed to be there in the 1st place. A man under a Nazirite vow had no business being around grapes in a vineyard.
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7 Then he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 8 After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. 9 He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

A. Found the woman he wants to marry… Keep the honey in mind for later…

B. Keep in mind that Nazirites were not supposed to touch dead bodies. By getting the honey out of the lion’s carcass, he was in violation of his Nazirite vow…

C. Would bees really set up a hive in the lion carcass naturally? Yes – keep in mind that at least some time elapsed between killing the lion & Samson’s return to marry the woman. It’s not like they had an animal control department cleaning up the highways of roadkill. When the corpse rotted, it would have provided a good home for the bees. Even so – there’s little doubt God miraculously directed it, considering how much Samson used the situation.
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10 So his father went down to the woman. And Samson gave a feast there, for young men used to do so. 11 And it happened, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. 12 Then Samson said to them, “Let me pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly solve and explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing. 13 But if you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.” And they said to him, “Pose your riddle, that we may hear it.”

A. Samson’s situation keeps getting worse & worse. At his wedding party to this Philistine woman, he doesn’t even have groomsmen to bring along with him – so the Philistines round up 30 guys to be his attendants. In addition, he’s at a “feast”, or “drinking party”…no doubt he was consuming wine. This is yet one more way Samson breaks his Nazirite vow.

B. Samson’s not exactly turning out to be the kind of man we’d expect God to use. He’s cocky, searching for wives among the Philistines, a trickster, a gambler, and a drinker. Yet God still uses him! All of this so far is a set-up for Samson’s 1st big exploit. God uses Samson’s sinful, carnal nature as a tool to exact God’s vengeance upon the Philistines.
__a. Does that give an excuse for us? “Oh God will make it all work out in the end. I’ll go ahead and indulge my sin now.” No – that’s hypocrisy! It goes against everything Jesus died for! Romans 6:1-4 (1) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? (2) Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (3) Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? (4) Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. [] God forbid that we abuse the grace of God in order to engage in our sin!
__b. Keep in mind that we don’t walk in newness of life & holiness out of some sort of legalistic obligation to Jesus. That’s the law; not grace. But we strive to grow in holiness out of love for our Savior! We’re no longer the same person we were before Jesus saved us – for a Christian to live that way would be like a person going to a carnival with a corpse tied to his back. We’ve died to those sins through Jesus Christ! We’re raised in newness of life & we are now new creations in Him. So walk in that newness of life in grace!
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14 So he said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, And out of the strong came something sweet.” Now for three days they could not explain the riddle.
A. Good riddle! …
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15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, or else we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us in order to take what is ours? Is that not so?” 16 Then Samson’s wife wept on him, and said, “You only hate me! You do not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not explained it to me.” And he said to her, “Look, I have not explained it to my father or my mother; so should I explain it to you?”

A. Would Samson’s wife pressed upon him if she had not been threatened? We don’t know. Did Samson’s wife have a choice in the matter? Without question. She could have told Samson – undoubtedly he would have protected her.

B. How did she get Samson to tell her the answer to the riddle? Through sheer manipulation. Even granting that she was under duress, she approached Samson in a deceitful, sinful way… Is manipulation effective? Many times yes; but it’s always wrong. [VFL] Jesus showed us agape love when He saved us (and every day since!); we ought to act in agape love towards one another as well…and manipulation isn’t loving. It’s self-serving…
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17 Now she had wept on him the seven days while their feast lasted. And it happened on the seventh day that he told her, because she pressed him so much. Then she explained the riddle to the sons of her people. 18 So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down: “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them: “If you had not plowed with my heifer, You would not have solved my riddle!”

A. He finally told her & she told the Philistines. This is going to set a pattern with his relationships with women. He puts himself into a compromising situation, and then eventually gives into their demands. Two major problems here (among others):
__a. Samson had a lack of self-control: This is part of the fruit of the Spirit – but even though the Spirit came upon Samson, he was not filled in NT terms. For certain, he wasn’t growing in the Spirit.
__b. Samson had a lack of the fear of God: Especially evident when we think of his relationship with Delilah…but here as well. God had given him a gift, but Samson seems much more interested in his pride than in the glory of God.

B. “plowed with my heifer” – not an accusation of adultery, but an acknowledgment that the only possible way the 30 Philistines could have learned the answer to his riddle was from his wife.
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19 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father’s house. 20 And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.

A. Samson paid the debt of the wager; but not the way the Philistines expected…

B. In the end, he abandoned his wife & she was given to another…this comes into play in Ch 15 when Samson returns for her. In fairness to her father, since Samson left on the 7th day of the feast, he left before the marriage was consummated. The father probably figured Samson would never come back for her & so he gave her to another man.

Conclusion:
There’s almost more to learn about what NOT to do, than what TO do from Samson’s life. He was a scoundrel; but he was God’s scoundrel. And that’s what makes all the difference. Despite his flaws, God had a use for Samson – to carry out his wrath upon the Philistines, which Samson got started with in Ch 14 & will finish in Ch 16.

This is not an apologetic for “greasy grace”… … But it is a wonderful example of the grace of God. … We aren’t perfect (far from it!), but God takes us, imperfections & all, and uses us for His glory. He invites us as imperfect witnesses to be His witnesses in the Great Commission. He invites us to come before Him in prayer – He brings us into His very family – and grants us an inheritance we’ve neither earned nor deserved. Everything we have in Christ is due to the grace of God. How do we know for sure? Because we’re all Samsons. We may not have sinned in the same way he did – it may not be as obvious in our own lives as his – but without a doubt, we’ve all taken our relationship with God for granted, and despite all that, He still calls us His own people & children.

It’s because of this that we ought to strive to walk rightly before God! He’s forgiven us of so much & will continue to do so till the day we die. May we love our God more than our flesh & seek to let our flesh stay dead as we walk in life with Christ Jesus.

Immaturity and Apostasy

Hebrews 5:12-6:8, “Immaturity and Apostasy”
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Introduction:
Fasten your seatbelts: we’re about to look at one of the most heavily debated sections of Scripture in the entire Bible. This is one of those areas in Scripture where very good arguments exist on every side of the debate & are held by people who very learned, very mature, who love Jesus, and are filled with the Holy Spirit. Even where people differ in interpretation, there is wide agreement in its application (to hold fast to Christ). If we differ today, it’s ok. We can let the Lord Jesus settle the question when we see Him face-to-face (if we still care at that point!).

For these Hebrew Christians, the author of the letter had already warned them about drifting away from their Savior (Ch 2:1-4) – now he takes it to the next level. The problem was that his readers were flirting again with Judaism. For whatever reason they had come across, they were starting to doubt that Jesus really is the Son of God – doubt His work of intercession & priesthood – doubt His sacrifice – and started to go back to the way they always used to do things under Judaism. They had left themselves in spiritual immaturity, which allowed them to be blown about by every wind of doctrine – to the point where apparently some of them had considered leaving Christ altogether. Thus this warning. They have no idea what they’re leaving themselves open for & what the result will be.

Hebrews 5:12-6:8 (NKJV)
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

A. Ouch…that’s gotta leave a mark. The writer’s point is valid, though. He obviously knew his audience well – and he knew that however long they had been believers in Christ Jesus, it was long enough to move beyond the basics. They didn’t need to be continually drilled in the “4 Laws”; they ought to have been more than capable of teaching others about Christ by this point… “first principles” ~ “the ABC’s of Christianity”…the bare rudiments of the faith.
__a. Did the writer mean that everyone should have had the gift of teaching? Or that everyone should have been leading a Bible study somewhere? Of course not… But if someone has been born-again for any length of time & still doesn’t know the basics of the faith well enough to pass them on to someone else, there’s a problem…

B. One of the things that made this so sad was that these Hebrew Christians needed someone to continue instructing them in the ABC’s. They had become so dependent on the pure basics that they couldn’t ever be stretched to more mature doctrine. It’s as if they were constantly trying the basics out, never fully convinced – and thus they simply could not move on beyond the milk. [] It’s cute to bottle-feed a baby – or give them mushy food… But no parent wants to be in the position of having to do that when they’re a teenager (or older). That’s a sign of a medical or neurological problem… Likewise if someone calls themselves a long-time Christian, yet they cannot receive any mature doctrine (even further depths on the basics), that’s a sign of a spiritual problem…
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13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.

A. There’s nothing wrong with milk – but the only people for whom milk should be their entire diet are babies… Spiritually speaking, Christians like this are “unskilled in the word of righteousness,” i.e. they cannot understand their own justification in Christ. If you gave them the book of Romans, they’d gag on the meat…
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14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

A. Here’s the contrast. Babies take milk; those of “full age” (more fully grown) take solid food… That doesn’t mean there isn’t still room and much opportunity for people to grow (nor does it mean they never taste milk again) – but the food they consume is hearty & necessary to bring them to maturity.

B. Spiritually speaking, mature Christians (because of their diet of doctrine) are able to use what God has given them “to discern both good and evil…” Through time, practice, and growth given by the Holy Spirit, they have learned to tell the difference between true & false teaching. Not that every believer is a Bible encyclopedia – but mature believers will be Bereans. If they don’t know the answer, they know how to find it in the Scriptures & feed themselves.
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6:1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

A. Wherefore the therefore? In light of the analogy – the writer wants to be able to move on from milk. He’s got deep doctrine that God has given him to pass on to the Hebrews; but they’ve got to be willing to grow up…

B. Question: Since the NT speaks so much about repentance & faith & the other things he lists off – does this mean the Bible only lays foundational, elementary principles in the rest of the NT? For all the time we spend looking at repentance & faith, have we been wasting our time on milk instead of solid food? No! We’re told to desire the pure milk of the word (1 Pet 2:2). ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God & is valuable for the church (2 Tim 3:16-17). The idea isn’t so much one of topics the church should never discuss & learn about, but rather things that the church should be settled on; not continually questioning.

C. Foundational principle #1 – “repentance from dead works”: Notice the author does not say “repentance from sin,” but from “dead works.” Repentance from sin is undeniable in either Judaism or Christianity – and thus was a constant teaching throughout the OT as well as the NT. But to these Hebrew Christians that were starting to drift away from Christ to go back to the law, the foundational principle for them was repentance from dead works (i.e. sacrifices, vows, feasts, etc)…

D. Foundational principle #2 – “faith toward God”: It’d be tough to get too much more foundational that this. The most basic response to the gospel of Jesus Christ is that we’d repent & place our faith toward God in the Lord Jesus. IOW, our faith is not in ourselves (our own actions, abilities, or righteousness…because we have none); our faith for salvation is in God alone because God alone saves.
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- Continues the list of foundational principles…
2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. [He wants to go on; but doesn’t know if they are mature enough to receive it]

A. “doctrine of baptisms”: Baptism at the time wasn’t strictly a Christian concept. Someone could have been baptized by John & remained a “good” Jew. The priests often engaged in ritual cleansing. But baptism is definitely a 1st step within Christianity – it’s the public declaration of our identification with Christ…

B. “doctine…of laying on of hands”: Could refer to laying hands on someone in prayer – imparting the Holy Spirit – ordination… Another possibility is a reference to the Levitical practice of laying hands on an animal sacrifice to transfer your guilt to the animal – something a Hebrew Christian might have been prone to do in going back to sacrifices, away from the All-Sufficient sacrifice of Christ Jesus.

C. “doctrine…of resurrection”: Resurrection was a heavily debated topic among the Jews. The Pharisees held to it; the Sadducees did not. For a Christian, it’s beyond question. Without the resurrection, our faith is in vain – Christ is not risen (1 Cor 15). For the Hebrew Christians to continually question the doctrine of the resurrection was dangerous indeed!

D. “doctrine…of eternal judgment”: Again, this was another common Jewish teaching (which is one reason the Jewish Christians had a hard time moving beyond it). The NT affirms there is a day of final judgment where every single human who ever existed will stand before Jesus Christ to see if their name is written in the Book of Life (Rev 20:12-15). The only way our name is found there is by recognizing Jesus as the Son of God risen from the dead & trusting Him for forgiveness & grace.

E. These teachings are valid teachings! But God forbid that we would be in a place where we need to be continually convinced of the truth of them. I.e. ‘I don’t know about this repentance stuff – is it really necessary?’ That’s the ABC’s – of course it’s necessary! Yes, there’s much to learn about it (and we’ll do so for the rest of our lives through the teaching of the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures) – but we ought not to be continually laying that foundation. We ought to be continually building upon that foundation!
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4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,

A. We’ll tackle WHAT it is that’s impossible in vs. 6… What vs. 4-5 set up is WHO this is impossible for. For now, remember that “impossible” = “impossible.” Not “difficult” – not “unlikely.” The Grk is the negative of “possible/capable”…it simply means “impossible.” To suggest otherwise is to ignore the plain meaning of the text.

B. “those who were once enlightened”: Speaking of someone who once was darkened, but now is illuminated. Spiritually speaking, this is someone who’s had their eyes opened to the things of God.

C. “tasted the heavenly gift”: Some take “tasted” as “barely tasted” – as in, the person has gotten somewhat of an idea of salvation, but not fully been immersed in it. Though it sounds good, the author of Hebrews has a vastly different usage of the word. Ch 2:9, Jesus “by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” Jesus didn’t “barely taste” death; He fully partook of it & fully conquered it! Likewise, if someone has tasted of the heavenly gift, he/she has partaken of salvation.

D. “partakers of the Holy Spirit”: A similar argument exists here – that if someone has merely “partaken” of the Holy Spirit, they’ve just gotten a brief experience & haven’t necessarily been sealed for salvation. The Grk is plain that this person is a participant & shares in the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 3:1, 14 calls the Christians “partakers” of the heavenly calling & of Christ.

E. “tasted the good word of God”: This is the same word for “tasted” as in vs. 4. Considering that the wisdom of God is foolishness to the world (1 Cor 1:18), the word of God is “good” to those whom God has revealed it (1 Cor 2:10).

F. “the powers of the age to come”: Possibly a reference to miracles – maybe simply a reference to the spiritual blessings of being in the Kingdom of God.

G. Conclusion: The author has got to be referring to believers. It’s difficult to come to any other conclusion, unless there is a theological premise to uphold 1st. We need to be very careful to let the Scripture form our doctrine & not vice versa.
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6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

A. Subject of MUCH debate! What do we do with hard-to-interpret sections of Scripture? Look at it like every other section of Scripture:
__a. Observation: Look at the words on the page! Not what you think is there – not what you think would best fit your own systematic theology. What is actually written via inspiration of the Holy Spirit?
__b. Interpretation: Once you know what is written, ask what is being said? (About God – Jesus – the church – sin – salvation – grace, etc) What do the words mean? AND what do they mean in context of what has already been written? Context in paragraph – chapter – book – testament – Bible…
____i. What if you’re still stuck? Check out what has been said in the community of faith (commentaries, study Bibles, reference materials, etc). Beyond that – if there are still questions (which there may be!), then hold fast to what you DO understand of Scripture. Interpret what you don’t understand in light of what you do understand…
__c. Application: This is LAST! (People try to jump to this 1st…) What was the author trying to say to the original audience? What is the principle that God inspired & preserved for the church today?

B. Observation: Break it down…
__a. “if they…”: WHO is it that does all this? The people referred to vs 4-5… Which does not include the writer; nor necessarily the audience he’s writing to. “They” vs. “We”…
__b. “fall away”: This is a pretty literal translation…the idea is to fall or slip aside along the path or away from a person. Symbolically, it carries the idea of forsaking something, i.e. spiritual apostasy.
__c. “renew them again to repentance”: this is the object of “impossible” in vs. 4. “renew” could be translated “restore”. IOW, someone HAD repented in the past, but now is in need of being restored back to that repentance. And it is impossible, according to the word of God.
__d. “they crucify again for themselves the Son of God”: “Crucify again” is one word in Greek – the action of actually placing someone up on the crucifix (lit. “up-crucify”). The idea is of a fresh crucifixion – thus translations of “crucify again” or “re-crucify.” (Considering Jesus went to the cross ONCE & His one sacrifice is sufficient, we can begin to see the problem here.)
__e. “put Him to an open shame”: To leave Christ open to public disgrace. When the governing officials wanted to make a public example of a criminal, they’d often put them in the stocks (or “pillory”) to leave them open for mocking & disgrace. That’s the idea of what apostates would symbolically do to Christ.

C. Interpretation: There are several major views…
__a. The apostates in question are not true Christians, and thus they die in their sins. Problems: (1) the plain reading of vs. 4 is that the author most definitely IS referring to believers… (2) the person who has been falsely converted has never repented in the 1st place & thus cannot be “renewed” to repentance… (3) The point of Jesus dying on the cross that He died for sinners to take their wrath & shame upon Himself; He could not be further shamed by a sinner coming to repentance.
__b. They apostates in question are true Christians, yet they’ve sinned in such a way that they’ve left the grace of God & it’s impossible for them to renew themselves to repentance, but yet God can do it for them. Problems: (1) impossible means impossible… (2) They didn’t gin up repentance in themselves to begin with! Repentance & trust is a work of God in a person (a gift – Eph 2:8-9) in which they respond to the cross of Christ…
__c. This whole section of Scripture is just a hypothetical situation. It could never really happen; but if it could, this would be the result. Problem: then why put it in the Scripture to begin with? It’d be like saying, “If someone could transform into a lollipop, then they couldn’t be saved.” It’d be pointless…the plain reading of the text is that the author intended this warning to be a warning – even as he gives assurance to his audience that they haven’t yet crossed this point (seen in the last part of Ch 6).
__d. A 4th possibility? The warning is real & applicable to Christians who later deny the gospel & are hardened to the faith. Yet the person’s outward state cannot be determined solely by observation, but ultimately by God & personal examination. As Spurgeon notes – it’s the difference between having fainted & being dead. From all outward appearances, they look almost identical, but there is a major internal difference between the two!

D. Application: What was the writer saying to the original audience? This does not seem to be a mere hypothetical warning to the Hebrew Christians receiving this letter. It’s real & the author is trying to drive home the point. The author is not convinced that his audience actually fits the description of the warning, but he wants to ensure that they don’t go there! [Fenced off electric box – warning sign] Keep in mind that this IS what they were leaving themselves open to. They were openly courting apostasy away from Christ to go back to Judaism. The author is warning them: “Stop where you are & don’t proceed to further fall away. You don’t yet realize the danger you’re in!”
__a. What does God want to say to us through this inspired Scripture? Simply this: “Hold fast to Christ!” Never take your salvation for granted. There are temptations galore from the world to entice the Christian to abandon Christ & every time we turn around there’s some news story characterizing Christians as “backward”, etc. But outside of Christ, there is no other option! Salvation is found in Him alone – and there nothing that can be done to improve upon Him…anything we add only serves to take away from His grace.

E. “What if this is ME?!” Note that this is a warning from the Bible; not an accusation. If you truly fear for your salvation, then examine your faith (2 Cor 13:5). Is Jesus in you? Are you abiding in Him as your Savior & Lord? Do you have the assurance of the seal of the Holy Spirit? Are you growing in holiness (even though you sometimes fail)? Then praise God. [] The problem is that many people have turned this passage into something it is not. Keep in mind that to “fall away” is NOT mere sin (though a lifestyle characterized by sin many times indicates a false conversion). God always calls sinners to repentance; this was the whole point of the parable of the vineyard workers (Matt 20:1-16)… Jesus’ 1st message was to repent! (Mark 1:15) [] Falling away isn’t even necessarily denying Christ (for however long a temporary lapse of faith). Ask Peter about the grace of God after denying Christ… [] Falling away = true final apostasy. What would this look like? I can think of a few famous atheists who once seemed to believe, to whom this might apply – yet at the same time, who knows what’s in the heart of a man except God? Obviously if they die in their state of rejection, it proves it was impossible for them to be renewed again. But yet if they repent & show forth fruits worthy of repentance through the power of the Holy Spirit, it’d just go to show that despite outward appearances, they were not at that state of full apostasy. So what would true apostasy & falling away from Christ look like specifically? I don’t know – but I’m very sure I don’t want to find out.
__a. The warning here isn’t given so that we could walk up to the electric box & see how many volts we could take before we fry our brains; it’s to keep us from walking up to it in the 1st place!
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7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; 8 but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

A. Agricultural analogy. The plants received the same rain & blessing from God (i.e. the same gospel – the same word – the same nourishment & grace from God), yet one is to be burned & the other kept. If the rain & nourishment from God wasn’t enough to help the plant, nothing would be.

B. Very similar to Jesus’ words about abiding in the Vine – [READ John 15:1-6] The only difference between the active believer & the apostate is abiding in Jesus Christ. They’ve both partaken of Him in some way; the believer simply remains in Jesus. Christian: you want to always remain in Christ. Abide in Him & hold fast to your Savior.

Conclusion:
Be careful! Ongoing, continued, willful spiritual immaturity could be a sign that you’re open for apostasy. Perhaps even to the point of no return… Was the author of Hebrews accusing the Jewish Christians of this? Not yet. They were definitely immature, but they hadn’t fallen away yet – but that gave even more reason for the warning. The time to be warned you’re in a minefield isn’t after you’ve stepped on the trigger; but before you even get close to it.

“Thanks for the word, but that just doesn’t apply to me.” Then don’t get cocky about it; praise God for it! If you’re growing in your faith, abiding in the grace of Christ, and you’re continuing to mature (you know more about Him today than you did a year ago) – then praise God for the work He’s done in you by drawing you to Himself. Understand that you can take credit for NONE of that; it’s solely been by the grace of God.

So what does a born-again Christian do with this warning? Simple: take it as the warning it is intended to be & hold tightly to your Savior! (Spurgeon), “So God says, “My child, if you fall over this precipice you will be dashed to pieces.” What does the child do? He says, “Father, keep me; hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.” It leads the believer to greater dependence on God, to a holy fear and caution, because he knows that if he were to fall away he could not be renewed, and he stands far away from that great gulf, because he know that if he were to fall into it there would be no salvation for him.” … Hold fast to your Savior – walk in His grace – mature in the Word – and be ever grateful for your salvation in Him…

What if you’re sitting here & thinking to yourself: “I’m the one who tasted & yet turned away!”? Your heart is vexed & you believe there’s no coming back to Christ any longer… What do you do? I would suggest to you that if you truly have been cut to the heart, it is a sign that you have not completely fallen away… God is giving you one more opportunity to repent from your sins & trust upon Jesus Christ for salvation, grace, and forgiveness… Don’t throw it away & allow your heart to become further hardened… Repent & trust Christ. Whether you call it a “rededication” or just a “dedication” makes no difference; just repent & trust the Savior!

Finally – if you’d more properly call yourself a non-believer than a backslider; don’t be unbelieving any longer. Jesus already went to the Cross for your sins – He took the punishment you deserved for all your selfish rebellion against God Almighty – and He offers you forgiveness & new life in return. Without His grace, you face the eternal judgment of God on your own; and none will be found righteous. Respond to His offer of forgiveness today.

Our High Priest

Hebrews 5:1-11, “Our High Priest”
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Introduction:
So what’s with all this talk about priests? If you have a Protestant background, it’s most likely very foreign to you – and even if not, the people who are called “priests” today have a very different role than what’s described here in the Scripture. Obviously there is no more Temple – no more sacrifices – no more of anything left of what priests originally took part in.

Yet throughout the book of Hebrews, we’ve had several introductions to Jesus as our High Priest. Ch 2:17, Jesus makes propitiation for us as our High Priest – Ch 3:1, He’s the Apostle & High Priest of our confession – Ch 4:14-15, He’s the High Priest who’s passed through the heavenlies & tempted alongside us, though without sin.

Keep in mind that the book of “Hebrews” wasn’t exactly written with “Protestants” directly in mind. It was written for…Hebrews.  These Christians from a Jewish background knew exactly why they needed a high priest, what role the priest served among the people, and who qualified the person to be a priest to begin with.

Why do we need a high priest? That’s basically what the author has been writing about in the last 2 chapters. We need to enter the rest of God (there is a rest He wants to give) – the Scripture helps us determine if we’ve indeed entered that rest – but the only way in is through the work of a High Priest, who mediates between us & God…

So what are the qualifications for a high priest? And does Jesus meet those qualifications? Those are the questions Hebrews 5 delves into.

Hebrews 5:1-11 (NKJV)
Part 1: the qualifications & duties of the high priest…
1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

A. Speaking of earthly Hebrew priest at this point (to go back to Christ). The priest is “taken from among men” (he’s one of us); the priest is “appointed for men” (he serves in regards to us).

B. What does the priest do? He offers “gifts and sacrifices for sins.” Whether the offering was a grain offering in thankfulness to God, or an animal offering seeking atonement for sin, the priest offered it to God on behalf of the people. This was not merely a job for the local butcher; this was holy service that needed to be done in precisely the right way according to God’s command. Sacrifices were offered on the altar throughout the year, but to go into the most holy place in the Tabernacle or Temple could only be done by the high priest on the Day of Atonement & only with blood from the sacrifice for the sins of the priest & of the people (see Ch 9).
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2 He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness.

A. Perfect people don’t need priests; imperfect people do (which includes all of us!). Speaking of those “who are ignorant and going astray”. There were definitely sacrifices that needed to be made for known, intentional sin (trespasses), but God also made provision for unknown sin – sin committed in ignorance. (And praise God for it! His standard is perfection & on our BEST days, we’re nowhere close to perfect. He even provides atonement for the sins we have no idea we’ve committed.)

B. Define “compassion” – Gk is a compound word (measured/moderate + suffering/pathos/passion), some translations read “deal gently.” (Wuest) “Metripatheo (Μετριπαθεο) means to be moderate or tender in judgment toward another’s errors. It speaks of a state of feeling toward the ignorant and the erring which is neither too severe nor too tolerant. The high priest must be careful lest he become irritated at sin and ignorance. He must also take care that he does not become weakly indulgent.” IOW, the high priest had to certainly represent God to the people & teach & chastise when necessary; but the high priest also represented the people to God & indeed was a part of the people being represented in need of atonement for sin. So he needed to act compassionately & gently with the people he represented.
__a. God had always designed the priesthood to demonstrate His compassion for His people. The onyx stones & the breastplate… (Exo 28)

C. Is this “weakness” the same as the word used of Jesus in Ch 4:15? Yes, but 2 completely different situations. Jesus as our High Priest can “sympathize with our weaknesses” because He was tempted just like we are. The early high priest was surrounded by weakness (“subject” lit = “to lie all around”). The difference? Jesus understood what our weakness is like because of His temptation, but He never was weak in His temptation. Jesus never sinned.
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3 Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins.

A. Priest offers sacrifice for others – that’s obvious. The people had sinned (either intentionally or out of ignorance) & sacrifices needed to be made. Why? Because the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23)…always, every time. Even Adam & Eve experienced this – they spiritually died in the Garden with their sin, but a physical death took place immediately as well. Where else did God get the animal skins with which to clothe their nakedness (Gen 3:21)? Our sin requires the death of a sufficient sacrifice. (Ch 10 deals with the question of which sacrifice is sufficient…) But make no mistake, a sacrifice MUST be made. (Which was made by Jesus Christ!)

B. Priest offers sacrifice for himself. Because the priest is encompassed by the same weakness as anyone else, he sins just like anyone else & requires a sacrifice. In fact, the priest was required to offer the sacrifice for his own sin first (Lev 16:6,11), and THEN for the sins of the people (Lev 16:15). Why? The priest’s own sin needed to be dealt with before he could deal with the sins of others…otherwise his service would have been unclean & not accepted.
__a. This is one place where Jesus differs from the normal high priests. Jesus never had to offer a sacrifice for Himself; He Himself WAS the sacrifice…
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4 And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.

A. The call of the priest… ONLY by God. God had specifically given the priesthood to the tribe of Levi, specifically to the descendants of Aaron, and the descendants of Phinehas (Num 25:12).

B. Was it possible for some to claim the priesthood for himself? Not without dire consequences. [Korah – Num 16]
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- Part 2: Jesus is qualified as High Priest…
5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.”

A. Jesus was called by God to be High Priest… Quote – Ps 2. Psalm 2:7-8 (7) “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. (8) Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. [] Definitely a Messianic psalm – usually read at the coronation of a new Davidic king…
__a. What makes this quote interesting in Hebrews is that usually this Psalm is thought of referring to the Messiah as King, but the author of Hebrews is using it to refer to Jesus as High Priest. But that seems to be his point – Messiah Jesus is both King AND High Priest! Some Jewish sects believed there might be two Messiahs: one to suffer & one to reign; one to be priest & one to be king. There aren’t 2 Messiahs; there’s one Messiah who comes twice!

B. The point of the context? Jesus is chosen. He’s always been the Son of God – and with that came the choice & call of Jesus as God’s Messiah & Priest. Jesus did not lift Himself up to that position; He was given it by God the Father.
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6 As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek”;

A. Jesus’ call, part 2… Quote – Ps 110. Psalm 110:2-4 (2) The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! (3) Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. (4) The Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” [] Again, we see the tie between the kingdom & the priesthood – two functions of one Messiah chosen & named by God Himself.

B. Who is Melchizedek & why is he important? He’s the king/priest of Salem Abraham encounters & tithes to in Gen 14 before he’s tempted by the king of Sodom. Stay tuned till Ch 7.
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7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear,

A. Not only was Jesus called by God (one qualification as High Priest); He demonstrated compassion with the people (another qualification). Jesus ministered in the same way as the earthly priests did. He interceded on behalf of the people to God…

B. Jesus prayed passionately – “with vehement cries and tears…” Is this a reference specifically to Gethsemene? Yes, but not entirely – the “days of His flesh” imply His entire earthly life…but specifically at the Mount of Olives in Gethsemene we know Jesus prayed with much passion. Cries & tears aren’t necessarily recorded for us in the gospels, but His sweating of great drops of blood is.
__1. We never want to be ‘showy’ in our prayers; but there’s nothing wrong with showing emotion during prayer in innocence & pure motives. We shouldn’t pray like the hypocritical men who fast to draw attention to themselves (Matt 6:16); but neither should we feel obligated to pray in solemn “Thee’s & Thou’s.” Prayer is simply coming before God in reverence, petition, worship, and fellowship. If that includes tears, so be it.

C. Was God the Father unable to answer Jesus’ prayer? After all, God “heard” Jesus’ prayer, but Jesus still died on the cross… Perish the thought! The crucifixion did NOT take God by surprise. God “was able to save Him from death.” That God chose not to save Jesus from death is not a denial of Jesus’ prayer…keep in mind that His prayer in the garden was primarily one of submission; not escape. Matthew 26:39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” [] God heard & answered that prayer perfectly! …
__1. Another possibility regarding Jesus’ passionate prayer is that it was not just a reference to Gethsemene, but continues to the Cross itself (as reflected in Ps 22). There, without a doubt God saved Him from death – literally in the Greek, God saved Him “out of death”…at the Resurrection!
__2. As an aside – be careful of the thought that Jesus prayed that He wouldn’t have to die a physical death. Obviously, Jesus did not relish the idea of the physical suffering He was about to endure (He warned James & John about the same cup of suffering & persecution they’d be partaking of in Matt 20:22-23) – but Jesus whole purpose in His incarnation was to die for the sins of mankind… ! He referenced His coming sacrifice over & over through His ministry – it’s a constant theme throughout the Scriptures… Physical death was never the issue for Jesus. This was a cup of immense suffering (on many levels!) He was about to endure – and if there had been another way, then Jesus’ prayed that God would take it, but that God’s will be done.
__3. Know this for a fact: IF there was any other way for salvation to be accomplished & for the wrath of God over our sin to be satisfied other than the cross of Jesus Christ, God would have taken it. As much as God loves the world, I can guarantee He loves His Son…Jesus’ death was not poured out capriciously or randomly. So what? So if it were possible for you to be saved any other way outside of Jesus Christ, the world would never have seen Jesus Christ on the cross in the 1st place. Jesus is the only way to have your sins forgiven – no other name given among men by which we must be saved…

D. Don’t miss the fact that Jesus prayed. It was a habit of His. Jesus prayed at His baptism (Luke 3:21) – He prayed before choosing the 12 disciples (Luke 6:12) – He prayed in solitary places in the morning (Mark 1:35) – He prayed in public before raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:41-42)… Jesus is a man of prayer! Demonstrates a couple of things:
__1. The relationship within the Trinity. Jesus is God, but Jesus is not God the Father… Jesus wasn’t talking to Himself in prayer…He was praying with purpose TO God the Father.
__2. Sets an example for us. If the Son of God thinks it’s important to pray – so much so that He made it an obvious habit, how ought we?
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8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

A. How does Christ Jesus (the Son of God) learn anything? Doesn’t He already know everything? … Here, to “learn” is not speaking of a lapse of knowledge, but a gaining of experience.

B. What did Jesus learn? “Obedience” Not that Christ was disobedient before (He was without sin – Ch 4:15); but Jesus learned obedience in obeying. We move from disobedience to obedience; Jesus was always obedient – thus He learned obedience perfectly.

C. How did Jesus learn it? Through suffering. Again, the point of Jesus’ incarnation was so that He could be the sacrifice for sin, seek & save the lost, and thus glorify God. The sacrifice ONLY happens through the suffering & death of the cross, to which Jesus was fully obedient to go (Phil 2:8). Being the Son of God didn’t exempt Jesus from suffering…
__a. Neither does being a “King’s kid.” Those who preach that true Christians never suffer don’t read their Bibles very thoroughly. Be it persecution, physical suffering, or emotional anguish, Christians are well acquainted with suffering because our Master is as well. We’re not exempted from experiencing suffering; but we do have power to endure it!
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9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,

A. Wasn’t Jesus already perfect? Yes. “Perfected” is in the context of Jesus’ incarnation & experience in learning obedience. Being made perfect is simply a reference to that time of incarnation being complete. Jesus did what His Father sent Him to do, accomplished what needed to be accomplished, and fulfilled every requirement necessary as our ultimate High Priest. (This is the final qualification: He offers the only acceptable sacrifice to God…)

B. What took place as a result of the fullness of Jesus’ incarnation (His life, death, resurrection, and ascension)? … Jesus “became the author of eternal salvation…”
__a. Salvation originates with Jesus. He’s the “author.” Gk could be defined as “cause.” Scientists & philosophers alike agree upon the law of cause & effect – “causality” (reflected in theology as sowing & reaping). For every effect, there must be an originating cause. The effect is salvation – forgiveness from sin, a new spiritual birth, adoption into the family of God, a new inheritance with Christ & more. The cause? Christ. Jesus is the author & source of everything we have in God!
__b. Salvation never ends. It’s “eternal” & praise God for it! The ancient Hebrew version of atonement meant dealing with sin over & over & over again. Sacrifices took place daily & an individual could easily bring hundreds of animals for sacrifice. Their atonement was a temporary rolling back of God’s wrath & restoration to fellowship. Our atonement in Christ is done once & once is enough! It’s sufficient for all sin for all time…
__c. Salvation is good. It’s “salvation.” We need to be saved from the result of sin, and through Jesus we truly are saved! All those who place their faith & trust in Christ are given new life forever…

C. To whom does Jesus give His salvation? “To all who obey Him.” Is this works-righteousness?! Do we go to heaven by doing good things?! Of course not…that’s antithetical to the rest of the teaching of the entire New Testament (and Old Testament, when properly interpreted). Obedience to God is not the condition of salvation (because Jesus is the author; brought about by the Cross & Resurrection) – obedience to God is the description of those who are saved.
__a. That doesn’t mean any Christian is perfect (outside of the righteousness of Christ), but it does mean that true Christians are changed & continually changing. We’re not sinless; we “sin less”…
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10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” 11 of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

A. Sums it up & transitions to the next thought. We’ll pick up here next week.

B. Jesus IS “called by God as High Priest”… there is no doubt – God called Him according to Melchizedek. The author wants to get more into detail on this point, but he’s concerned that his intended readers aren’t paying attention.

C. Is this deep theology? Yes. Can it be tough to understand? Sure – but we need to know it! Why wouldn’t we want to understand more & more about our Savior? The more we know of Him, the more we grow to love Him, the more we walk with Him, the more we rely upon Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. … Beware of taking Jesus for granted! … When we do, we become “dull of hearing…”

Conclusion:
Because of our sin, we need a high priest… To whom can we turn? Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Is Jesus qualified? Yes! He’s MORE than qualified…He was chosen by God Himself – compassionate towards those He’s mediating for – effective in His work & all-sufficient sacrifice. … As a Christian, your fate is in the hands of the most qualified High Priest in all the universe! Your salvation has not been entrusted to just any old man like one of us (who needs as much saving from his own sins as your own!) – it’s in the hands of the author of salvation: our High Priest, Jesus Christ the Lord!

There’s no one & nothing better that our hope could be in. Our good deeds aren’t enough – not only can they not intercede for us (being deeds & not a Person), but our deeds are why we need salvation to begin with! Our “religiousity” isn’t good enough; there’s only one High Priest appointed by God – and we can’t substitute Him for anything. Our favorite preachers & Bible teaching isn’t enough; the most eloquent preacher in the world can only help you see the Savior – but he needs as much saving as we do. Only Jesus is our High Priest…

What does this tell us as believers?
A. We can rest in Him…
B. We can rejoice in Him…

What if you’re not a “believer”? I.e., you haven’t turned away from your sins & selfishness to place your faith & trust in the Savior, Christ Jesus. … You NEED a High Priest! … Even in OT times, the average Joe couldn’t walk into the holy place in the Tabernacle or Temple to offer sacrifices to God – they were excluded. The only ones who could were those appointed by God. Ultimately, Jesus is the ONLY one appointed by God. … Turn away (repent) from your sins today & receive Jesus by faith as your Savior, King, and Priest.

Pride goeth before…

Judges 10-12, “Pride goeth before…”
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Judges 10 (NKJV)
1 After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in the mountains of Ephraim. 2 He judged Israel twenty-three years; and he died and was buried in Shamir. 3 After him arose Jair, a Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty-two years. 4 Now he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys; they also had thirty towns, which are called “Havoth Jair” to this day, which are in the land of Gilead. 5 And Jair died and was buried in Camon.

A. Two “minor” judges… We don’t know much about either of them. It does seem significant that Tola “arose to save Israel”, but the text never says which enemy Tola was saving Israel from. It seems that Abimelech’s pretended-monarchy hurt Israel so bad, God raised up a deliverer to deliver Israel from itself!

B. Jair was very prodigious – had 30 sons (obviously through polygamy). It seems that he was very wealthy & placed his sons in positions of authority… Nepotism? Yes – but effective & not uncommon for the day.

C. It was a peaceful time, relatively speaking. 45 years go by without being sold into the hands of their enemies – but it also went by without Israel worshipping the Lord & they fell into sin yet again.
__a. It’s often during the tough times we seek the Lord the most. That’s just human nature. But God is God in both our darkest days & most joyful. Don’t forget to both passionate pray AND praise Him. We often give Him one but rarely the other…
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6 Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him. 7 So the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the people of Ammon.

A. It’s no wonder that God likened Israel to a prostitute (Hosea & Gomer)… They didn’t just serve one false god; they served any god they came across. Whatever seemed good at the moment…

B. What happened when they served other gods? They “forsook the LORD and did not serve Him.” When it comes to worship, God doesn’t share…they could either worship the Lord fully, or not worship Him at all in their pursuit of idols.
__a. Keep in mind that idols aren’t necessarily made of wood & stone. Today they can be made of plastic, plasma screens, or portfolio papers – it’s anything that either (1) takes the place of God in our lives, or (2) becomes a false representation of the God of the Bible… Make no mistake, when people fall into idolatry, it’s not like they’re a little Christian & a little idolatrous…it’s ALL idolatrous. No one can serve 2 masters… (Matt 6:24)

C. The result? God gave them over to their enemies. (Only Ammon is listed in the next few chapters – the Philistines are going to be dealt with via Samson.) A bit extreme? Not really – God is going to do what it takes to get their attention.
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8 From that year they harassed and oppressed the children of Israel for eighteen years—all the children of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, in Gilead. 9 Moreover the people of Ammon crossed over the Jordan to fight against Judah also, against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.

A. What makes Israel’s idolatry worse is that they didn’t seem to notice that God had removed His hand from them for 18 years! … How much discipline does it take for people to fall to their knees in repentance? It’s understandable for unbelievers (they don’t know the difference) – but for those calling themselves Christian, it’s unfathomable! Those people ought to know what it’s like to serve the Lord & realize it immediately when His hand of fellowship is taken away.

B. That’s not to say Christians don’t suffer. We do (and God sustains us through those times of suffering). But the discipline of God isn’t defined by prosperity/suffering in a physical sense – it has to do with fellowship & walking with the God who saved us through Jesus Christ. If you feel like your prayers are hitting a brick wall – if you feel as if your worship is in vain, check out your life & your heart. Perhaps there’s something that needs to be repented of. Confess, repent, & be restored!
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10 And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against You, because we have both forsaken our God and served the Baals!” 11 So the LORD said to the children of Israel, “Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the people of Ammon and from the Philistines? 12 Also the Sidonians and Amalekites and Maonites oppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand. 13 Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more. 14 Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.”

A. Israel cried out to God; God basically said, “Keep crying – but cry out to the false gods you’ve been serving for 18 years…” … Is it possible to exhaust the mercies of God? Keep in mind that just by virtue of the fact that God responded to Israel (even in rebuke) is a display of His mercy. God had every right to wipe out Israel time & time again each time they sinned (esp. during the Exodus!)…

B. I suggest that the point of God’s rebuke isn’t due to a lack of His mercy (which are new every morning for the believer!), but rather a display of His righteousness. Israel literally belonged to the Lord God; He was their King. Their continued idolatry was an act of ongoing rebellion & treason… God IS a God of love; but He’s also a God of holiness…one demands the other.
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15 And the children of Israel said to the LORD, “We have sinned! Do to us whatever seems best to You; only deliver us this day, we pray.” 16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD. And His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel.

A. Why did God respond differently this time than the 1st? The 1st time, Israel spoke the truth (“We have sinned”) – they confessed their sin before God. But even though they acknowledged it, they didn’t seem to do anything about it. This time, they went beyond merely speaking words with their mouth to actually responding to God by putting away (destroying) the false gods & returning to the Lord. IOW, they actually repented. … 2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. []
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17 Then the people of Ammon gathered together and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled together and encamped in Mizpah. 18 And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said to one another, “Who is the man who will begin the fight against the people of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

A. There’s no mention that God led the elders of Gilead to go search out a new leader (usually God was the one Who raised up judges); but considering their repentance & God’s show of grace, there’s no reason to doubt that God indeed put it on their heart.
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Judges 11 (NKJV)
1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah. 2 Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him.

A. Son of a prostitute – warrior – family reject – raider…
B. Like Gideon, Jephthah wasn’t exactly the 1st pedigree a nation would look to for a leader…but he was the person God blessed for the job…
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4 It came to pass after a time that the people of Ammon made war against Israel. 5 And so it was, when the people of Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 Then they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon.”

A. Why did the elders go to Jepthah? He was a mighty man of valor (vs 1) & his experience in raiding gave him the military background necessary to lead the army. They needed someone tough to go up against the Ammonites & the toughest guy around was Jephthah. They just needed to eat a bit of crow in the process.
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7 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?” 8 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have turned again to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the people of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” 9 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you take me back home to fight against the people of Ammon, and the LORD delivers them to me, shall I be your head?” 10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD will be a witness between us, if we do not do according to your words.” 11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.

A. Negotiation back & forth… Jephthah would lead the army, but he wasn’t going to be satisfied being a temporary commander to be cast out again; he wanted to be leader of the people. Some scholars see this as self-serving, but his motivation is pure speculation. Jephthah obviously knew their character well & didn’t have a reason to trust them – this served as basically a contract.

B. From outcast to judge. Quite a rise! … God does amazing things!
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12 Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, saying, “What do you have against me, that you have come to fight against me in my land?” 13 And the king of the people of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore, restore those lands peaceably.”

A. Ammon’s complaint. Sounds a lot like MidEast negotiations today! …
B. Jephthah is going to systematically eliminate Ammon’s argument by recounting the history of how God brought Israel into the Promised Land…
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14 So Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, 15 and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: ‘Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the people of Ammon; 16 for when Israel came up from Egypt, they walked through the wilderness as far as the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. 17 Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please let me pass through your land.” But the king of Edom would not heed. And in like manner they sent to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained in Kadesh. 18 And they went along through the wilderness and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab, came to the east side of the land of Moab, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab. 19 Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, “Please let us pass through your land into our place.” 20 But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together, encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 21 And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them. Thus Israel gained possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country. 22 They took possession of all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.

A. Ammon didn’t have a legitimate claim on the land. The land in question had already been conquered by the Amorites. When Israel conquered the Amorites, they got the land already given up by Ammon.

B. Keep in mind this history was recorded in Numbers & Deuteronomy. Jephthah had a written record to rely upon…the word of God!
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23 ‘And now the LORD God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel; should you then possess it? 24 Will you not possess whatever Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever the LORD our God takes possession of before us, we will possess.

A. I.e., God had given them the land. If the Amorites wanted more, they should go to their god (which would have been a lesson in futility)… Question: is the Bible acknowledging the existence of other gods? No. It’s merely acknowledging the fact that other cultures worshiped pagan false gods.

B. The point is that the land belonged to the Lord God – and HE’s the One who gave it to Israel. If they had a problem with it, they needed to take it up with Him.
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25 And now, are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel? Did he ever fight against them? 26 While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its villages, in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities along the banks of the Arnon, for three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time? 27 Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you wronged me by fighting against me. May the LORD, the Judge, render judgment this day between the children of Israel and the people of Ammon.’ ”

A. Ammon had a chance to voice its objections early on – but they didn’t say anything for approx 300 years. … Ends with an appeal to God for judgment…
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28 However, the king of the people of Ammon did not heed the words which Jephthah sent him. 29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon.

A. What does it mean in the OT when the Spirit of the Lord came upon someone? This was a temporary empowerment to strengthen them for whatever service was at hand. The Holy Spirit came upon the 70 elders (Num 11), other judges (Othniel, Gideon, Samson), Saul & David as kings & many other prophets & more. Part of the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to still empower the people of God – but today, His empowerment is available for the asking. (Luke 11:13, Acts 1:8)
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30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, 31 then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”

A. He’s going to regret these words…

B. Was the vow even necessary? No! This is what makes it so tragic. God had already been a witness for Jephthah with the Gileadite elders & the king of Ammon. The Spirit of God had already come upon Jephthah as he raised an army. To make a vow at this point was to move from faith to manipulation… Beware of making foolish & rash vows. … Matthew 5:37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. []
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32 So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hands. 33 And he defeated them from Aroer as far as Minnith—twenty cities—and to Abel Keramim, with a very great slaughter. Thus the people of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

A. Victory! This victory’s going to be followed by tragedy… Why? Jepthah’s flesh got in the way…
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34 When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot go back on it.”

A. Jephthah even goes so far as to blame his daughter for his grief…customary…

B. Question: did Jephthah really have no choice in the matter? Vows made to the Lord were definitely meant to be fulfilled (Num 30)… But it’s clear in Scripture that human sacrifice is an abomination to the Lord (re: Molech) – and there’s virtually no way he’d find a priest willing to carry it out at the Tabernacle.
__a. Could he have recanted from his vow? Yes. Would he have been guilty? Sure. But there could have been a sin offering & trespass offering to deal with it. He could have redeemed her vow according to the regulations in the law. Leviticus 27:11-13 (11) If it is an unclean animal which they do not offer as a sacrifice to the Lord, then he shall present the animal before the priest; (12) and the priest shall set a value for it, whether it is good or bad; as you, the priest, value it, so it shall be. (13) But if he wants at all to redeem it, then he must add one-fifth to your valuation. [] Surely his daughter is worth more than an unclean animal! The only reason to carry out this vow would be due to his pride…

C. There’s actually quite a bit of debate as to whether or not the human sacrifice really took place – with some very good Scriptural arguments on either side. One side shows that Jephthah’s original vow in Hebrew could be translated “then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’s, OR I will offer it up as a burnt offering.” Thus Jephthah could have offered up his daughter’s virginity as a dedication to the Lord OR given an animal as a burnt sacrifice. … On the other side, Jephthah’s grief does not seem congruent with merely a vow of dedication – and considering he was ½ Canaanite who spent many years living among pagans, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he took his daughter outside of Israel for the sacrifice.
__a. Either way, it was a rash promise made out of fleshly motivations with severe consequences. Be careful what you promise! And don’t let pride get in the way of righteousness… Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. []
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36 So she said to him, “My father, if you have given your word to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, because the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the people of Ammon.”

A. His daughter was more righteous than he…
B. She paid the price for her father’s indulgence of pride. Never let someone tell you that there’s any such thing as a “victimless sin”…
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37 Then she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: let me alone for two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains and bewail my virginity, my friends and I.” 38 So he said, “Go.” And he sent her away for two months; and she went with her friends, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains. 39 And it was so at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he carried out his vow with her which he had vowed. She knew no man. And it became a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel went four days each year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.

A. The custom of bewailing Jephtah’s daughter…
B. It is worth noting that her death is never mentioned.
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Judges 12 (NKJV)
1 Then the men of Ephraim gathered together, crossed over toward Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the people of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you with fire!”

A. Sound familiar? They had the same complaint with Gideon (Ch 8)…the difference here is that this time, Ephraim got violent. Is this pride or greed? Probably both. They were greedy to participate in the spoils of war, but they also saw themselves as better than the tribes on the other side of the Jordan river (1/2 Manasseh, Reuben, Gad). Instead of maintaining unity (like they said they would do with the big altar in Joshua 22), Ephraim was looking down their noses at people they thought didn’t belong to the promises given to Israel.
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2 And Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands. 3 So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?”

A. When did this happen? We don’t know. Scripture doesn’t have a record of Ephraim refusing to come & fight…

B. This isn’t going to go over quite as well as Gideon’s answer. They end up going to war against each other (see vs. 4…) Did Jephthah give a godly response? It’s certainly a true response, even if it doesn’t placate Ephraim’s unjustified anger. Perhaps Jephthah thought it was time to teach Ephraim a lesson.
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4 Now Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, “You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites.” 5 The Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites arrived. And when any Ephraimite who escaped said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” 6 then they would say to him, “Then say, ‘Shibboleth’!” And he would say, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they would take him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. There fell at that time forty-two thousand Ephraimites.

A. Basically, they set up checkpoints along the river & anyone who couldn’t say “flowing stream” with the right accent got killed. It’d be like listening to a native Texan say “y’all” vs. a person who moved recently. (Or Bois D’arc) There’s no way of faking it…

B. 42,000 people died as a result. Casualties of the 1st civil war in Israel…it won’t be the last (see Ch 20).
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7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried among the cities of Gilead.

A. 6 years isn’t very long at all for a judge! Some think that between the grief over his daughter & the stress of the civil war, Jephthah died an early death – which would be understandable…
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8 After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. 9 He had thirty sons. And he gave away thirty daughters in marriage, and brought in thirty daughters from elsewhere for his sons. He judged Israel seven years. 10 Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.

A. There’s quite a contrast between the judges that preceded Jephthah & the judges that followed. Jephthah only had 1 daughter – to lose her meant losing the world (which goes to underscore his sin). Ibzan had 60 children! (Jair had 30.)
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11 After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel. He judged Israel ten years. 12 And Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.

A. Nothing more said…
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13 After him, Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. 14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy young donkeys. He judged Israel eight years. 15 Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mountains of the Amalekites.

A. Abdon also had many children who had positions of leadership throughout Israel. But nothing more is known about him.

Conclusion:
Beware of pride! Between Jephthah’s rashly made vow & Ephraim’s hurt feelings, pride got a lot of people killed in these chapters.

Aside from Israel’s one show of godly sorrow & repentance & Jephthah’s quoting of the Scripture & being filled with the Spirit, there seems to be a remarkable lack of dependence on God in these chapters (which isn’t going to improve much with Samson & the rest of Judges). Is there anything we learn about God through all this? Yes! God is merciful! Not only did He receive Israel back into fellowship upon their repentance – not only did He bless their choice of a judge – not only did He defeat the Ammonites… He even goes as far as to put Jephthah in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11!

Here’s a guy full of pride, who rashly made promises in his carnal flesh & perhaps even sacrificed his own daughter as a result. And yet he’s included in the hall of faith along with people like Moses & Abraham. This goes to show the goodness & grace of God through Jesus Christ. Jephthah wasn’t a saint; he was a scoundrel…yet God used him for the glory of God & as an example of the coming deliverance through Jesus Christ.

As a born-again Christian, you have a FAR better covenant with God & relationship with Him than Jephthah had; you’ve been clothed in the righteousness of Christ Jesus. Will we mess things up from time to time? Sure. Will our pride & our flesh get in our way? No doubt. But unlike Jephthah, we don’t need to stay bound by our pride. … We can experience freedom in the grace that Jesus has already shown us through His forgiveness.

Where is your pride & your flesh getting in the way of things in your life? Take it to the foot of the cross & be done with it.

Pictures from the new building

Thank you so much to those who prayed, worked, and otherwise labored over our new building! If you haven’t yet been able to come, here are some pictures of how it turned out.

As you drive up…

The main sanctuary…

Our fellowship hall…

The nursery…

The preschool class…

Our other classroom for older kids & youth…

Praise God! Please continue to pray that the gospel would go forth – that the church would be built up – and most of all, that God would be glorified through this facility.

The Piercing & the Priest

Hebrews 4:11-16, “The Piercing & the Priest”
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Introduction:
What does a doctor do if he/she needs to look inside your body? Maybe an X-ray…maybe MRI. These can be very useful in diagnosing problems or other health issues. But what can we go to if we need to look inside our soul? Impossible for any medical machine – but not for the word of God! God (as the Ultimate Physician) can use His word as a scalpel to deal with areas of our life & then once they’re exposed, He also can deal with them through Jesus, our High Priest.

This is somewhat of a transitional section in the letter to the Hebrews. The author (unknown) has been showing that Jesus is far superior to any aspect that Jewish Christians had experienced under Judaism. Apparently, there had been a tendency for some to go into apostasy… … The author is calling them back to Christ. Jesus is better than the angels… Jesus is better than Moses… Jesus is better than Joshua & the Promised Land…

It’s this last idea that the author has been writing of in Ch 3-4, showing how the ancient Hebrews were unbelieving & disobedient & did not enter into the rest that God offered – and even when the future generation did enter it, God had another “rest” in mind. As Ch 4 comes to a close, the author is going to bridge from Joshua to Aaron. Not only does Jesus help us discover our disposition towards belief/unbelief, He helps us deal with it in a way that the high priest Aaron never could.

Hebrews 4:11-16 (NKJV)
11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.

A. “Therefore” – referring back to the contrast of the disobedient Hebrews & the promise of Ps 95, that God had a “rest” yet to be given, now fulfilled in Christ. (Get the CD for the detail…) Remember “rest” here isn’t sitting on the easy chair watching life go by; it’s ceasing from the activity of trying to earn God’s favor through good works & the commands of the law. We are not saved because of anything we do (what can we possibly offer a holy God?…); our only hope for salvation is found in Christ Jesus alone – and we must rest in Him.

B. What’s the danger? That we would fall because of disobedience. That the same thing that happened to the ancient Hebrews would happen to the Christian Hebrews in their relationship with Christ. The ancient Hebrews saw the land & saw that it was good; but they were too focused on their fear (and on themselves) and made a conscious decision not to trust God for His provision. … The writer’s fear for the Hebrew Christians is that they would do the same thing – that they would see the salvation offered to them in Christ & although they’d understand the promise of resting in Him & trusting the grace of God, that they’d turn back. That they would make a conscious decision to trust themselves rather than the promises of God.
__a. Is this danger limited to Christians from a Jewish background? No! We do the same thing when we try to ‘add’ to the sufficiency of Jesus. It’s a dangerous place to be when we start thinking, “Oh – sure, I know that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. But He doesn’t really save me until I start doing ____.” Changing our lives & habits can be a good thing; but those things don’t save us. You can’t tithe enough to purchase your salvation. You can’t talk your way into heaven through many repeated prayers. We must simply rely on Jesus Christ alone!
__b. That doesn’t mean our life doesn’t change after repenting from sin & trusting Christ – it obviously does. (When it doesn’t, it’s a problem!) But our trust isn’t in our changed life; it’s in Christ.

C. The exhortation? Enter the rest! Do so diligently. It seems a bit ironic to strive diligently to enter rest – but it serves to emphasize the point. Anything less than surrendering our lives to Jesus & completely relying upon His grace is to miss out on the real spiritual rest He offers. So be diligent in ensuring your trust is in Him.
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12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

A. Want to know if you’re diligently entering the rest of God, or falling into the disobedience of unbelief? Go to the “word of God” to find out…i.e. the Scripture.

B. The word is “living”: Does this mean that the printed words on the pages of your Bible are like magic & just by uttering them, wonderful things will happen? No – absolutely not. We don’t use the Bible like a book of incantations (that would be witchcraft & an abomination)… Instead, just like the word of God brings life, God’s word is itself alive because it’s been given by God Himself. When a person receives the word of God, it does things that God intends for it to do. Isaiah 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. []

C. The word is “powerful”: Though the Scripture is indeed powerful in the sense that it contains the words of life, the Greek really implies something more along the lines that it’s powerful because it’s effective. Other translations say “active.” Gk ἐνεργής (energy) = “able to make things happen.” What is it capable of?
__a. It can cleanse our way (Ps 119:9)
__b. It can keep us from sin (Ps 119:11)
__c. It can be a lamp unto our feet (Ps 119:105)
__d. It can teach us the truth (John 17:17)
__e. It can bring us to faith (Rom 10:17)
__f. And it can cut to the heart…which leads us to the next thought…

D. The word is “sharper than any two-edged sword”: Although not a priestly sacrificial knife, the most famous two-edged sword at the time was the Roman gladius. [PIC] “The sword that conquered the world…” No doubt that a sword like this could easily slice through flesh & bone & do a ton of damage… But the word of God is far sharper! Imagine the gladius sharpened finer than a razor blade…anything made contact with its edge would be cut. That’s exactly how the Holy Spirit uses the word of God with us! In His hands, it’s a surgeon’s scalpel – our sin is exposed; our flesh is cut off; our hearts are pierced… [Pentecost – Acts 2:37]
__a. The idea of “division” here is not one of the soul being separated from the spirit, or the joints being separated from the marrow (not possible biologically) – but rather the Word plunges deep into us & goes through the soul to the spirit, just as a blade could go through joints into bone & marrow.
__b. Has the gospel of Christ plunged into your spirit? Do you know what it means for the Spirit to convict you of sin, righteousness, & judgment? Then respond to His offer of grace & forgiveness! …

E. The word is “a discerner” of our thoughts & motives: A surgeon’s scalpel might be inserted into someone’s flesh on the operating table, but it’s never inserted casually or randomly. (That would be assault & malpractice!) It’s always used with the purpose to open up a distinct area for attention. It’s the same with the word of God. When the Scripture convicts us of sin or God uses it to speak directly to our heart about something, it’s never done randomly – God has a purpose for it. One of the purposes is to discern our “thoughts & intents.”
__a. Do intentions matter to God? You bet. Two people could be praying the exact same words (i.e. the Lord’s prayer) & one person could be praying with sincerity & the other just by rote… Or one person could be worshipping with lifted hands to call attention to themselves while another person could be giving themselves to God in worship… [Parable of Pharisee & tax collector – Luke 18]
__b. Want to know if your motives are pure? Take it to the Scripture to find out. Ask God to reveal to you if there’s any wicked way in you (Ps 139:24), confess, repent, and be done with it.
__c. Even if our motives aren’t revealed now, we can be assured that they will be. For the unbeliever, it’ll happen at the Great White Throne – but for the Christian, it’ll happen at the Bema Seat. Our deeds will be tested to see of what sort they were: either of gold or straw & it’ll be revealed by fire (1 Cor 3:12-15). The good news? The Christian will never have to worry about those things again – they’ll be forever dealt with & we’ll still be forever in the presence of Jesus.

F. This is one reason studying the Bible is so important. There has been a de-emphasizing of the Scripture in recent years…to the detriment of the Church! The Scripture isn’t something to “dumb down” or to explain away…God has given it to the church as a gift! 2 Tim 3:16-17…
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13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

A. Ever think you could hide from God? There’s no way. God is both omnipresent & omniscient. Meaning that God is beyond time/space – He’s ever-present in all places at all times & there is nothing that can be known that God does not know. Psalm 139:7-8 (7) Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? (8) If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. [] And note the context of Heb 4:13 shows this to be more than just believing Christians; this is all humanity! “No creature hidden from His sight”

B. More than knowing where we are & what we’re doing, God even knows our thoughts & motives. We are exposed & “open” to Him. (JFB) “literally, ‘thrown on the back as to have the neck laid bare,’ as a victim with neck exposed for sacrifice.” It’s not possible to be more open than that! Every single person who’s ever lived (whether we want to recognize it or not) are all ultimately at the mercy of the Holy Perfect & Righteous God, “to whom we must give account.”
__a. For someone who has rejected Jesus Christ, this can (and probably should be) a terrifying thought! It’s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb 10:31). What to do? How can anyone possibly endure that day? We’ve got to have someone intercede & mediate for us…we’ve got to have a High Priest. And we do! See vs. 14…
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14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

A. We don’t have just any old priest – we’ve got the great High Priest, Jesus! Every born-again Christian is placed under the care of Priest Jesus, and He’s the only hope we have for enduring the judgment of God. Keep in mind that “great” doesn’t mean “really really good” (although Jesus is!); but rather “superior.” If Aaron was the pre-eminent high priest among the Hebrews, then Jesus is of a far higher rank than Aaron – Jesus is the greatest High Priest imaginable.

B. How so? Because Jesus isn’t just the High Priest; He’s the “Son of God.” This is going to come into view more in Ch 5 & 7, but Jesus isn’t of the lineage of Aaron. As the son of David, Jesus physically came through a different tribe entirely (Judah). But far better than being a son of Aaron is being the Son of God. God Himself sent Jesus to be our mediator & our High Priest.
__i. Take this back to the idea of vs. 12-13. The Scripture lays us open & exposed to God – our motives & heart is shown for what it really is – we are awaiting the righteous judgment of God. Who intercedes to God the Father for us? None other than God the Son. Jesus does the priestly work of intercession and mediation truly – He does the real work only pictured through Aaron.
__ii. Don’t miss this truth: every born-again Christian has Jesus as their High Priest. You never need to feel as if you’re left alone; Jesus is always interceding for you in prayer (Rom 8:27), He’s always ministering on your behalf before God as your one mediator (1 Tim 2:5).

C. What does it mean to say Jesus “passed through the heavens”? This is a reference to Jesus’ ascension. We don’t often talk about the ascension – but it’s an important thing to remember about Christ. He was crucified (really dead) – He was resurrected (really alive) – He ascended to God’s right hand (really still alive)… The idea here is that Jewish High Priests had a far inferior place of service. As grand as the Temple was, they could only enter the Holy of holies one time per year – and it was still only an approximation of the real throne room of God. The point that the author of Hebrews is making is that Jesus is really there in the ACTUAL throne room of God! Jesus has “passed through the heavens” and sits at the right hand of God Almighty.
__i. Jesus is victorious – He’s alive – and He’s ministering today…

D. What ought to be our response to having Jesus as our High Priest? We need to “hold fast our confession” – Greek implies continual action, (Robertson) “Let us keep on holding fast.” IOW, we want to cling to Christ & never let go (which was the danger of the Hebrew Christians).
__i. We’ve got nowhere else to go! Like Peter, we can only respond to Jesus, that He alone has the words of eternal life… (John 6:68)
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15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

A. Not only is the High Priest Jesus the Son of God who is beyond our comprehension; He’s also the Son of Man who understands every weakness we have and every temptation we endure… Was Jesus really tempted in every way that we were? Yes! 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. [] … Jesus endured all these things in His wilderness temptation alone: (Matt 4)
__a. “command that these stones become bread” = lust of the flesh. Jesus had been fasting 40 days…without doubt He was starving for food.
__b. “throw yourself down” = lust of the eyes. It would have been a pretty awesome sight to have a legion of angels appear to carry Jesus…but it wasn’t God’s plan at that time.
__c. “All these things I will give you” = pride of life. Keep in mind that Jesus deserved every bit of worship & adoration that Satan promised; but it would have come at the cost of idolatry.
__d. And that says nothing about the temptation He endured at other times (which we know the devil tempted Him later – Luke 4:13) ‘Aw, come on – was this really a temptation? After all, we’re talking about Jesus!’ Yes – it really was. Jesus is not just the Son of God; He’s the Son of Man. 100% God/100% Man. He experienced on earth the same things you & I experience… Not only that, Jesus actually experienced the full weight of temptation because He never gave in! (We rarely experience the same thing – we give in too soon…)

B. What’s the difference between us & Jesus? Jesus never sinned. He was tempted, to be sure (probably to a far greater extent than we can ever imagine) – but Jesus handled temptation perfectly by countering it with the Scripture & trusting the promises of God.
__a. How ought we address temptation? Spiritual warfare…
____i. Don’t place yourself in positions of temptation to begin with…
____ii. Put on the armor of God, spiritually speaking (Eph 6:10-18).
____iii. Take every thought captive (2 Cor 10:5) & replace it with what it holy (Phil 4:8).
____iv. Look for the way of escape & take it (1 Cor 10:13)…
b. Keep in mind, it’s not a sin to be tempted; the sin occurs when we give into that temptation. But even that sin can be forgiven. (1 John 1:9)

C. What does it mean for us that Jesus never sinned? It means that He is fully qualified to be our High Priest. Jesus never had to offer a sin sacrifice for Himself… Thus His sacrifice could be fully appropriated to us…
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16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

A. Since Jesus’ grace is available as the perfect High Priest, we ought to partake of it! Again, this implies continual action: (Robertson) “ ‘Let us keep on coming to’ our high priest, this sympathizing and great high priest. Instead of deserting him, let us make daily use of him.” Several things here:

B. We’re invited to the throne of grace… [Esther] Unlike Esther, we’ve got an open invitation from our Abba Father to come before Him. Not only can we come; we can come “boldly” – with courage & confidence. We always come in reverence & respect, but we need never fear going to the Lord for grace. To Christians, it’s not a throne of judgment; it’s a “throne of grace”…
__a. Do we understand the privilege this is? We get to go before GOD…

C. What do we find at the throne of grace? “Mercy & grace”: It seems obvious, but it’s worth emphasizing. How often does a Christian need grace? Just at their salvation? No – always! There is never a day that goes by that we are not in the need of the grace of God. Whether it be for forgiveness of sin – or to endure times of hardship (like Paul with his thorn in the flesh), God’s grace is sufficient for our every need & we can come boldly before His throne to receive it.

D. When can we receive it? Anytime & especially in our time of need. For the Christian, there is never an hour in which we don’t have access to the presence of God. Should temptation come upon you at 3am, God isn’t asleep. Should fear & doubt grip your hearts in the ER waiting room, God isn’t taking a break.
__a. Quite often, our problem is simply that we don’t go to God in those times of need. Prayer is usually our last resort; when it should be our 1st response…

E. Who can come? “Us…” The Church – born-again believers in Jesus Christ. Note the personal nature of this. I can intercede for you in prayer, but I can’t obtain mercy & grace for you. To obtain mercy & grace, YOU have to go boldly to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ… Especially in the context of holding on to Christ alone for salvation. The Church can come alongside you & pray for you, but it cannot hold fast your confession. You personally need to come before Jesus in repentance & faith & place your trust in His salvation.

F. What about with other “needs”? Does this mean God acts as some cosmic genie? That we can approach Him boldly in the name of Jesus for a new toaster because our toaster broke & we’re in need of toast that morning? There’s certainly nothing we cannot bring before God in prayer – but the context here is a bit higher than that… … We need to keep a couple of things in mind:
__a. God is God & we’re not. To come “boldly” does not mean that we come ordering God around…
__b. It’s a throne of “grace” – not a candy store. What we need most of all in dealing with sin & temptation is the grace of God….

Conclusion:
So what are you waiting for? What is stopping you from going before the throne of grace with Jesus Christ as your High Priest? There’s no doubt that we need His grace on a daily basis – if you’re a born-again Christian, stop trying to meet your own need for grace through methods – stop trying to meet your own need for grace through people – Go directly to the throne of grace to find grace in your hour of need.

When it comes to the disease of sin – when it comes to the problems of temptations & troublesome fleshly motives – we need to be diagnosed. Like a cancer, these things left alone can grow worse & worse until it consumes our lives & we’ve all but completely turned away from Jesus. But better than any X-ray or MRI scan is the word of God (the Scriptures) which completely expose us before the Word of God (Jesus). As our High Priest, He diagnoses our problems, intercedes to God on our behalf, and provides us salve for our wounds & grace for the asking.

Christian – don’t wait… Don’t try to fix yourself using your own methods – that’s usually what gets us into trouble to begin with. Instead, go to the feet of the Savior… Boldly humble yourself to go to the throne of God – and seek Jesus, Who will give you mercy & grace abundantly…

Partaking of Promised Rest

Hebrews 4:1-10, “Partaking of Promised Rest”
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Introduction:
A common prayer request for humanitarian aid ministry is for our shipments of humanitarian aid to pass through customs. … Container loads of aid, equipment, and supplies might be sitting in a warehouse ready to go – but they don’t do anyone any good if they can’t be distributed. … The Hebrew Christians were being warned of a similar scenario. God’s rest had been offered to them through the work of Jesus Christ – but some were stopping short of receiving it. Even worse, some were turning away from it to go back to Judaism…

We begin with a “therefore,” so we need to look at the context thus far. The prelude to the book shows Jesus to be Supreme: He’s the glory & revelation of God… Ch 1-2 show Jesus to be better than the angels… Declared Him to be the captain of our salvation… Ch 3-4 show Jesus to be better than Moses. Moses is certainly worthy of respect – but he’s just another part of the house of God (like us), whereas Jesus is the builder of the house. And although Moses presented the promise of God’s rest to the people, he could not take them into the Promised Land due to their hardened hearts & disobedience.

In Ch 3, the author of Hebrews started a discussion of Psalm 95:7-11. [READ HEBREWS 3:7-11] He starts by looking at the warning – what the Israelites did wrong in hardening their hearts toward God… In Ch 4, he’s going to take it to the application. I.e., if we don’t want to have our hearts hardened toward God, what should our response be towards Him? Hardened hearts prevent us from the promise of God’s rest; but God invites us to partake of the promise through Jesus Christ!

Hebrews 4:1-10 (NKJV)
- God’s rest has been promised…
1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.

A. Define “rest.” Especially from a 1st century mindset when Christians were a persecuted minority, the idea of “rest” may have been somewhat contradictory with their circumstances. Combine that with the common OT (mis)understanding that people who followed God were blessed materially & physically (rather than spiritually), and it’s easy to understand why the Hebrew Christians across the Middle East were getting confused. In their mind, they thought “rest” meant ease & prosperity – but that’s not what they were experiencing. Instead, they got the tribulations & trials that Jesus told them would come (John 16:33). Gk “rest” = “being set in a state of rest” – taken from a word meaning “to cease/retrain/prevent”. The question then, is: what is being caused to cease? Tribulation doesn’t fit the description, since Jesus told us to expect it – especially as time gets nearer to the end. With the context of Psalm 95, the idea of rest is associated with the Promised Land – i.e. their walk with God. The disobedient Hebrews did not enter the rest of God because they did not believe the promises of God – they fell short. We who believe the promises of God in faith walk with God by faith – thus our striving for a right relationship with God has ceased. Jesus has done all the work on our behalf.

B. So far, the author of Hebrews has been assuming that his audience are believers in Christ. (Ch 3:1, 12, “brethren”) Why should he warn them that some might have “come short”? Because his assumption is just that: an assumption. Anyone who might have claimed the name of Christ with his/her lips but not actually trusting Him as Lord would have fallen short of actually entering the rest of God. … Note the writer doesn’t include himself in the description: “let US fear lest any of YOU…” The author could examine his own heart to see if he was in the faith (2 Cor 13:5) – but he couldn’t do that for anyone else…and thus he feared that there might be some who were missing out.
__a. There will be people who “come short.” You could play the part of a Christian all your life in public – but if you don’t have the witness of the Holy Spirit in you, then it doesn’t matter what you think you’ve done to earn God’s favor – it’s never going to be sufficient. The rest of God is only found in salvation given us by believing the gospel & trusting Jesus as our Lord, Savior, and God crucified for our sins & risen from the dead.
__b. Don’t miss the fact that God’s rest is promised to us! Once you’ve examined yourself to see if you’re in the faith, don’t live in doubt. … God has promised His rest – and if God promises it, you can trust His word. Let God be true & every man a liar!
__c. Grab hold of that promise today…
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2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

A. Did OT saints get the gospel preached to them? Yes! Was it fully revealed? Obviously not – Jesus had not yet come incarnate in the flesh. But the message of salvation by God’s grace through faith in Christ is evident throughout the OT – starting in Genesis 3! (And continuing through the Abrahamic covenants, etc…) For the Israelites in question, they had seen a picture of the atonement through Passover… They had seen God’s work in redeeming them from slavery through the Red Sea… They had been given the promise of rest & a Messiah… The message didn’t profit them because they obviously did not believe it.
__a. How were people saved in the OT? The same way they’re saved in the NT: by grace through faith. We look back on the finished work of Christ; they looked forward in faith to God’s promise of a Messiah & God’s sacrificial work…

B. The problem with so many is that although they heard the word, they didn’t combine it with faith in response. That’s true of both the OT & NT! … Especially here in the Bible Belt – people hear the basics of the gospel over & over, but since they think everyone around them is a Christian, that must mean they’re a Christian too. Not true! Your grandmother’s faith cannot save you… []
__a. Faith is what takes the gospel from your ear to your heart… There were many who saw Jesus with their eyes, witnessed the miracles, and heard His teaching that never believed Him. There were others who actually counted themselves as Jesus’ disciples who turned back when Jesus’ teaching became too tough…they didn’t have the faith to simply trust Christ for Who He is. John 6:66-69 (66) From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. (67) Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” (68) But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (69) Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” [] God has promised His rest through the gospel – but we must mix it up with faith! …
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3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

A. What’s the result for those who mix faith with the gospel? Through their belief they enter the rest of God… [] Did you notice the possessive pronoun here? “WE who have believed…” That’s for US! If you have believed the gospel, trusted Christ for salvation & been born again of the Holy Spirit, you have entered the rest of God!
__a. No longer do you need try to impress God (if that were even possible)! Now as a new creation, you trust Christ your Savior – you pray to be filled with the Spirit – you walk in newness of life in the relationship God has for you. You can rest in Jesus & His work on the cross! …

B. Which works are “the works”? God’s works. The “works were finished from the foundation of the world…” Normally when we read about the “foundations of the world” in the NT, it’s speaking of the eternal past atoning work of Christ (which is an amazing thought!) – but that’s not the idea here. The theme is obviously the rest offered by God & when it’s placed in the context of creation, it’s pointing to God’s rest: the Sabbath. God set the example for rest & He offers that same rest of ceasing from work to His people…
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4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”

A. Quoting from Genesis 2:2. [Review creation…] God has a rest to give – but the Hebrews under Moses/Joshua did not enter it, even though they actively & religiously practiced the Sabbath every week… If God’s rest isn’t truly found in a particular day (it’s modeled there, but not found there), then where is it found? In a Person. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. Not only is He the One to offer it to mankind through Creation, but He’s the only place where true rest is found.
__i. Remember that the Sabbath to the Jew was one of the signs of the covenant they had with God through Moses (Exo 31:13). They were to work 6 days and then trust God for His provision on the 7th. The key being that God was providing for them, so there was no work they could do that day. The rest God gave was founded in the provision God made.
__ii. Likewise in Christ. When it comes to our salvation, Jesus does 100% of the work, and we do 0%. Our rest is founded on His provision – and there’s no work we can do to add to it.

B. Does this mean that Christians ought to be keeping the weekly Sabbath? [] The idea of a Christian being commanded to keep the Sabbath is directly at odds with this concept of rest (ceasing from work). Salvation only comes through trusting in the finished work of Christ & resting from our efforts. Attempting to “add” on a rest in order to please God is simply another work…
__i. How should we treat the Sabbath? With liberty… Romans 14:5-6 (5) One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. (6) He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. []
__ii. Writing against legalism… Colossians 2:16-17 (16) So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, (17) which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. []
__iii. Bottom line, if you want to keep the Sabbath (which is a wonderful gift of God & healthy for His creation), then do so with the blessings of the New Testament. But to command all Christians to obey the rule of the Hebrew Sabbath is antithetical to the gospel message & confuses the shadow for the substance. The rest of the Sabbath is found in Jesus; not our ability to try to keep it on a weekly basis.
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- God’s rest is available for partaking…
6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.”

A. Do people not enter God’s rest because of unbelief (vs 2) or because of disobedience (vs 6)? Both! They go along hand-in-hand…we saw the same thing in Ch 3:18-19. Their disobedience was based in their unbelief. They saw giants in the land & thought themselves to be grasshoppers in comparison – and in doing so, showed their lack of faith in the God who’s infinitely bigger than the giants…

B. The point? There’s a rest to be given – and the rest is available today! The writer anticipates the likely argument against him: “If the ‘rest’ mentioned spoke of entering the Promised Land, then God already meted out His discipline on those who rebelled. One generation fell dead in the wilderness, but another generation entered…so they must have entered God’s rest.” But that’s the whole point of quoting Psalm 95. If Joshua truly gave the people rest, then how could David write hundreds of years later through the Holy Spirit, “Today, if you will hear His voice…”? IOW, there was still a promise of rest by the time of David – thus the ‘rest’ spoken of by God was something spiritually different than the Promised Land. See vs. 8…
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8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.

A. Joshua is an interesting character in the OT. Where Moses was forbidden to go (due to his sin), Joshua completed the work God gave by taking the people into the Promised Land. The book is bathed in spiritual application & is filled with pictures of what God does for us & how we walk with Christ. Moses couldn’t take the people into the land because he represents the law (which cannot save), but grace & truth come through Jesus Christ (John 1:17) & thus Joshua can take the people in. Joshua pictures walking in the power of the Holy Spirit (rivers of living water) by crossing the Jordan – the attitude Christians should take toward our ongoing battle against sin (to be conquered; not compromised with), and more…
__a. Gk for “Joshua” is the same word as “Jesus” (Ἰησοῦς). Obviously the OT Joshua is in mind here (considering the context of going from the wilderness to the Promised Land), but the readers would have been readily reminded of the typology between Joshua & Jesus.

B. If Joshua was just a type, did he really do anything? Sure! Joshua really did take the people of God into the Promised Land – He really did lead the conquest God had given him to do through the power of the Holy Spirit – the people really did take hold of their possession. … But the writer’s point is that although the Israelites historically possessed the land that God promised them, they did not enter the rest of God – even after God had finished disciplining them in the 40 years of wandering…

C. When is the “another day?” Right now! God’s rest is available for us to partake of right now…it’s today! Over & over again throughout Ch 3-4, the writer has been pointing out “today” – he’s proclaiming an urgency. Today is the day the rest of God is being offered to us…now is the time… 2 Corinthians 6:2 For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. [] This is the time the OT saints were looking forward to! Salvation has been offered to the world – and it’s available to you today!
__a. The danger for the Hebrew Christians that this letter was written to was that they’d abandon the rest offered to them through Christ in order to go back to the system that never truly delivered the promised rest of God. The rest that the ancient Hebrews missed out on is available to the world today.
__b. Don’t miss out on the promises for today! Beware of going back to a legalistic mindset of trying to “do” certain things to make yourself right with God. Does God call us to walk holy? Sure. Are we commanded to abstain from sin? Absolutely. But we do so in Christ; not in man-centered ritual.
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9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

A. Rest comes from God. Rest is for God’s people. The perpetual Sabbath rest of Jesus Christ is Jesus’ to give; and He desires to give it to His people. (Word for “rest” in vs 9 is actually specific to the Sabbath here = σαββατισμός) Follow the analogy here. God rested on His work on the 7th Day (thus establishing the Sabbath as a picture of His rest). God offers a rest for His people (pictured through Joshua’s victorious conquest of Canaan). Thus it follows if we enter the rest of Jesus, then we rest from our works just as God rested from His. We enter the “Sabbath-rest” of Christ (who’s the Lord of the Sabbath)…
__a. Is His rest for now or for the future? Yes. It’s for now in the sense that we do not work towards our salvation or to attempt to please our Father. Jesus’ work is sufficient for that & we enjoy a spiritual rest right now. But we also look forward to a future rest when we see Christ Jesus face-to-face forever apart from the presence of sin…

B. Does God still rest? He’s working & active today, drawing people to Jesus, convicting them of sin, righteousness, & judgment, interceding for the church & more. But the work of sacrifice is complete. God has ceased from that work (John 19:30, Tetellestai!). It’s paid in full! …

Conclusion:
There’s an obvious question looming in all of this: are you resting in Christ? What a tragedy it would be to have heard the gospel message, played the part of the Christian, but never actually partaken of the rest offered through Jesus Christ! No wonder the writer of Hebrews began in vs. 1 by fearing for his readers… Don’t let the rest of God pass you by – as vs. 11 says, “let us be diligent to enter that rest! ”

A. God’s rest has been promised to us: It’s promised through the gospel, but needs to be combined with faith to be effective… It’s modeled by God Himself as the Sabbath – and available to us via the Lord of the Sabbath…
B. God’s rest is to be partaken of: It’s available to us today! We don’t have to wait for another time – we need not fear that it’s already been taken by people who have come before us. It’s available right now, and we (as the people of God) are invited to rest in Christ through the grace of God.

Are you relying on His promise & partaking of His rest? Have you believed the gospel message & put your faith/trust in Jesus Christ as Lord? Salvation is not a 5-step program of things we need to do; it’s a 1-step stop to Jesus. Our works/deeds cannot save us – not only is relying upon our works not resting in Christ; it’s futility. We think “Good people go to heaven,” but define “good”… None of us are good enough, except God alone. Repent & trust the Savior…

What about for a Christian? The same application applies to you too! We don’t want to taste of the rest Jesus has for us & then go back to our old man-centered system of trying to be right with God. That’s putting ourselves under legalism – going back to spiritual slavery. Jesus has given you freedom – and with that freedom comes His rest. We can not earn God’s favor as Christians any more than we could earn God’s favor as pagans. Everything about our relationship with God is wrapped up in the work of Christ on our behalf. Any change that takes place in our life takes place because of the fruit of the Holy Spirit within us. Jesus has given us His rest. Are you resting?

Big changes for Calvary Chapel Tyler!

It’s an exciting time at Calvary Chapel Tyler! I’m already working from the new church building – the carpet is starting to be laid out – the vinyl will be completed tonight – the padding is down in the children’s area & more. If everything goes well, we’ll be able to begin moving next week into our new church home. Praise God!

We’ll also be going on the radio. Tune in Sunday mornings at 8AM on 92.1 KTBB-FM to listen to “Trusting by Grace” as we continue to teach through the Bible verse-by-verse…now with the opportunity to reach much of East Texas over the airwaves. To God be the glory!

There will be streaming audio available from the website (once the radio website is up) – but I’ll also try to get a sneak preview online here at the blog.

UPDATE:
An audio preview is online. MP3 Streaming or Download.

Does every comment get posted?

Yes – every comment (outside of spam) gets posted. I have noticed however, that some folks come by, blast away at whatever particular doctrine they disagree with (or Christianity in general), and then never return. I generally respond to those comments quickly in hopes of either generating an opportunity to talk about the gospel, start a theological dialogue, or at least an agree to disagree in Christian love.

I’ve got to assume that those who never return for a comment after my response never wanted a discussion in the 1st place, but rather use this forum to advance their own pet cause(s). I’ve decided to adopt a policy by which I delete these comments after a bit of time has elapsed with no response. I want to provide an opportunity for dialogue, but I don’t want people to be stumbled by false accusations either.

So feel free to comment…that’s the entire reason the “comment” function is enabled. But if you just want to blast & run, you might want to save your time at the outset & take it elsewhere.