November 23 2008

Jesus: Our Maturity (Pt1)

Hebrews 5:11-6:3

 

Read: Hebrews 5:11-6:3

 

The writer is sorely concerned about his readers. Up to this point he has given strong warnings.

 

ü  Pay Careful Attention! (2:1)

ü  Fix Your Thoughts on Jesus! (3:1)

ü  Do Not Harden Your Hearts! (3:8)

ü  Be Careful Not to Fall Short (4:1)

ü  Make Every Effort to Enter (4:11)

ü  Hold Firmly to Faith (4:14)

 

Such warnings beg a reason as to what is going on.

 

·    Diagnosis: “Dull of Hearing”

·    Spiritual condition … not physical … hard of hearing

·    Dull of Hearing is a disease of the “heart” not the ears.

 

o  Heart (affections) is not “receptive” or “diligent” to embrace God’s Word

o  Heart lacks “attention” mainly b/c there is no interest in spiritual

 

1 Corinthians 2:14-15a ESV  The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ The spiritual person judges all things

 

·    It’s like hearing the noise of cars out on the highway … No Distinction

·    It’s like hearing background music @ the Doctor’s office … No Attention

·    It’s like hearing a flight attendant explain safety items … No Interest

 

Luke 8:18 ESV Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”

 

Dull of hearing is an illness of immaturity.

 

1.        The ILLS of IMMATURITY  (5:11-14a)

 

Symptoms to this illness are easy to spot … common to many.

 

#1 Kindergarten Babies … need someone to teach you again the ABC’s

·    Still a child … “Babe in Christ”

·    Nothing wrong with being a child … but there is to “staying” a child.

 

1 Corinthians 13:11 ESV When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

 

#2  Milk Drinkers … “You need milk”

 

·    Slogan: “Got Milk?”

·    Nothing wrong with “fortified” milk … but they were drinking “satisfied” & “pacified” (pacifier) milk

·    Unskilled in handling the Word … unskilled in the word of righteousness

·    “Regressing” not “progressing” in the Word

 

1 Corinthians 3:1-2 (ESV) But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. ² I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,

 

#3 Not Meat Eaters … “not solid food”

 

·    Milk & Solid Food … metaphors for “basic” (milk) and “advanced” (solid food) teaching.

·    Negligent of the Word

 

Hebrews 2:1 ESV we must pay much closer attention …

 

Hosea 4:6a ESV My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge,

 

·    Unable to “discern” … things of God & His righteousness [Mt 5:6 blessed are those who hunger righteousness … filled]

 

The writer speaks with passion for he understood the peril of being immature in their growth in Christ.  The urgent question is … “Do you have this illness?”

 

The writer encourages the moving on and leaving behind the things that are “elementary my dear Watson” and plow deep into some new ground of maturity.

 

2.        The THRILLS of MATURITY  (5:14b-6:3)

 

·    Time to give up the “Children’s Menu”

·    Time to grow up in the grace & knowledge of Christ (2 Pt 3:18)

 

The intent of moving on is …

 

·    Discerning the deeper (bathos) truths of God … the Christ-Life.

·    Discerning “righteousness” as to “Good & Evil”

 

He is not suggesting they abandon the “ABC’s” … these are not “throw away” doctrines … they are foundational.  He intends to build upon them.

 

·    Teachers by now … disciples make disciples

·    Milk Drinkers grow up

 

How to Drink Mild (John Piper)

 

o    First you Drink it … read the Word

o    Second you Swallow it (savor)  … be satisfied by it

 

Psalm 34:8 ESV Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!  Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

 

o    Third you Practice it … everyday decisions  (drink – digest – discern)

 

“Spiritual maturity would not develop primarily from a sudden burst of insight.  It would come from dogged usage of spiritual resources.”  - Thomas Lee (Holman NT Com Hebres /James)

 

Hebrews 5:14b … for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good and evil.  [moral: spot evil & avoid it; theological: spot falsehood & avoid it]

 

·    Learn to Eat Solid Food

 

o    Read the Word … practice the Word … Read the Word … Practice the Word.

o    Eating the Word of God is not merely “intellectual” … but a “moral” challenge.

o    Milk of the Word is to produce the muscles of faith, that produces acts of righteousness (good works).

 

The writer gives us a rare glimpse into the educational process …

 

·         Christian teaching vital (needful & useful)

·         Christian teaching systematic

 

The essentials … repentance/faith in God … washings/laying on hands … resurrection/eternal judgments … all held sway in the Old Testament and fulfillment in Christ.  Though we won’t discuss these essentials individually … it is suffice to say that the basics of discipleship are vital and needed in order to bring about maturity in the Christian’s life. 

 

The writer wanted these Christian’s to grasp the basics and move on into deeper waters of faith.

 

“Go on to maturity” … is not only the writer’s goal for his life, but also for the lives of his readers. “And this we will do if God permits.”  Oh let us pray our sovereign God moves in our hearts today so as to make us like Jesus.

 

Jesus our maturity!  Let us move on into Him and with Him!

 

Amen!

November 16 2008

Jesus: Our Salvation

Hebrews 5:1-10

 

While driving in a big city one is usually “map” driven so as not to make a wrong turn and all the more make the right turn to arrive at a given destination.  In doing so the “scenery” is usually missed, overlooked. 

 

Preaching from a big book such as Hebrews one wants to make sure they take all the right turns in “interpretation” in order to make good “proclamation” and “application”.  However let’s not be so map driven that we miss the scenery of “appreciation.”

 

Today as we give examination to Hebrews 5:1-10 let’s take in the scenery of Jesus: Our Salvation and so value and appreciate Him.

 

Hebrews 5:1-10  (4:14-16)

 

The author speaks in term of “earthly” existence to help us appreciate the “eternal” existence and work of Jesus our High Priest.

 

The term “priest” conjures up images of robes, collars and caps of all sorts steeped in religious regale ceremony, but not so when it comes to Jesus, He is described in scriptures as our “Prophet – Priest – King”.

 

·    Prophet … spoke words to the God’s people … Jesus is the final Word to man. (Heb 1:2)

·    Priest … offered sacrifices on behalf of the God’s people … Jesus is the once for all sacrifice for man. (Heb 7:27)

·    King … ruled over the God’s people … Jesus is Lord over all men. (Phil 2:10-11)

 

Now these offices and work Jesus has done for us in our place should encourage and strength to hold onto our faith.

 

This morning it is the work of Jesus as “PRIEST” that draws our attention and appreciation.  Six times in 4:14-5:10 the author uses the term priest.  This is what we need to understand … “Man needs someone to represent him to God.”   And why do we need someone to represent us to God?

 

The diagnosis of our condition is not good.  We are ignorant of sin, guilty of sin and full of the corruption of sin.   Kim Riddlebarger is correct when saying … “Our hearts are darkened (Rom 1:21) our thoughts are continually evil (Genesis 6:5), and our minds are clouded my sin and ignorant of the things of God (Eph 4:17-18).

 

In the Old Testament God set up the priesthood through Aaron the brother of Moses.  The writer speaks of these men who served as priests being those who are … (1) selected by from men, (2) represent man to God, (3) deal gently with man (after all they too were sinners and needed sacrifices) and (4) called of God.

 

However the intent of the author is not to leave us with a man to represent us, but to make it known that Jesus the Son of God is our REPRSENTATIVE (High Priest). 

 

As our H.P. He was …

 

(1) Selected by God for us [5:5-6],

(2) Submitted and suffered for us [5:7-8]

(3) Salvation was gained for us [5:9]

 

Jesus is our salvation!

 

·    Hebrews 2:17-18 … merciful high priest & atonement for sin

·    Hebrews 4::15 … tempted in all ways but without sin (16) “approachable”

·    Hebrews 7:26 … meets our need (fitting for us)

·    Hebrews 8:1 … sat down @ right hand of God (completed work)

·    Hebrews 9:7 … entered the holy of holies to offer Himself

 

Jesus Christ throughout the Scriptures is …

 

·    Our Advocate (defense) … 1 John 2:1

·    Our Intercessor … Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25

·    Our Author … Hebrews 2:10

·    Our Savior … Hebrews 7:25

 

Hebrews 7:25  Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 26  Such a high priest meets our need–one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.

 

Jesus as man was everything we’re not … but He became like us to make us like Himself in salvation.

 

Don’t miss the scenery of appreciation by making all the right turns.  For it is the keeping our eyes on the scenery of Christ as our High Priest the One who represents us and thus saves us that allows to make the right turns.

 

The author speaks freely about such matters …  We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.  [Heb 5:11]  And so we’ll come again next week to see and learn more of Christ, and His eternal order of priesthood (Melchizedek in chapter 7), but for now we will just appreciate what God in Christ has done for us in this meal called the Lord’s Supper.

 

** Lord Supper Observance

November 02 2008

Jesus: Our Rest

Hebrews 4

 

In the movie “Shawshank Redemption” (I am not necessarily endorsing the movie) that is set in time frame of the late 40’s through the mid 60’s one of the inmates named Brooks has spent his life incarcerated.  Now released and as old man he finds the world outside the prison walls has changed.  Writing to his friend in prison he says …

 

“Dear Fellows … I can’t believe how fast things move on the outside.  I saw an automobile once when I was a kid, but now they’re everywhere.  The world went and got itself in a big (d) hurry.”

 

It’s a classic line you might say … “The world went and got itself in a big hurry.”  Hurried lives often (too often) run right past what is important.  In fact some of you here this morning are in such a big hurry to get on with the day, you are going to miss what is important … that is … what God wants to say to you today.

 

Chapter 3 ended with a warning and it picks it up in chapter 4 of Hebrews.  It’s a warning to NOT MISS the “REST” … of the story.

 

READ: Hebrews 3:18-19 & 4:1-11 

 

The author gives us a triple dip … first, a word of “ADMONITION” (warning) … second, a word of “ENCOURAGEMENT” (confidence) and third, a word of “EXHORTATION” (urgent appeal) … all directed toward God’s REST.

 

1.        The Admonition of Rest … They Missed It! (3:18-19)

 

Chapter three ends on an “admonition” as the author warns his readers of a previous group of God’s people who did not “hear and do” God’s Word.  The ending result was … they missed the rest (of the story) that God had planned for them.  The writer says in simplicity … “They missed it!”

 

It’s like a road sign with an arrow showing the direction of the curve with a big number designating a safe speed to drive the curve. 

 

Some seeing the warning sign think … “I wonder how fast I can drive this curve?” ( Just how much can I sin?)  

 

For others they read the sign, check their speed, adjust their speed (slow down) and obey.

 

The writer of Hebrews is holding up a big warning sign … DO NOT EXCEED THE SPEED of God’s Word.  Check your speed!

 

2 Corinthians 3:5  Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless, of course, you fail the test?

 

When the road sign says …. “Curve up ahead, slow down to 35 MPH” that is PREVENTION.  It is trying to prevent an accident.

 

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” —Benjamin Franklin

 

The writer of Hebrews is using what is known as … PREVENTIVE theology (Romans 6 … do not sin!  There is CORRECTIVE theology such as 1 Jn 1:9) so as to get his readers to regard his admonishment.

 

1 Corinthians 10:11-12  These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

 

So with our “admonishment” let’s move on to the REST of the story.

 

2.        The Encouragement of Rest … Don’t Miss It!  (4:1-10)

 

The invitation has been sent and received with the message … “Don’t Miss It!”  With prevention in mind the author gives a word of ENCOURAGEMENT to his readers to not miss God’s REST.

 

There is a great importance laid on this matter of “rest” so as not to miss it.

 

§ entering his rest …

§ be careful to have fallen short of it (let us fear … 2 Tim 1:7 not a spirit of fear, but power, love, sound mind) …

§ enter that rest …

§ some will enter that rest …

§ there remains a (Sabbath) rest …

§ anyone who enters God’s rest …

§ make every effort to enter that rest …

 

What is meant by this REST the author speaks of?  Is it physical?  No, if it was Joshua & the Promise Land would have sufficed … and or the Sabbath (emotions) day rest would have been enough … but it was more than such as it carries a spiritual dimension.

 

§ Future DESTINATION … Heaven … Christ entered heaven (9:24) … the end of the Christian journey … sojourners … this is not our home! … But our citizenship is in heaven. (Phil 3:20)

 

§ Present DECLARTION (reality) … “Today” (4:7) … present time of opportunity … the “rest” in our hearts concerning the ultimate future rules in our hearts today … keeping us focused on Him.

 

Rest then is a grace attainment … a work of God that we as a believer enters (and experiences) today, but also holds a future promise that assures us of whose we are and where we are going.

 

The issue at hand is not REST (that is an established truth) but “faith” that believes to obedience.

 

Hebrews 4:2b but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. [Gospel here is not necessarily the “good news of salvation” … i.e. Luke 1:19 Gabriel announcement of good news … or Paul use of the word where Timothy brought good news of the Thessalonicans to Paul; 1 Thess 3:6]

 

Hebrews warns us against the sin of UNBELIEF … that is a “FAITH-VACANT” response to God’s Word … thus His rest.

 

“Unbelief is such a constant and dangerous temptation that we must help each other fight it off.” – John Piper

 

ASSUMPTION … the taking something (God’s rest) for granted is dangerous.  We often “assume” … well I think I’m going to heaven.  Jesus says, when speaking to Laodicea … “I wish you were either hot or cold” … but they had an ASSUMING LUKEWARM FAITH (Rev 3:15)

 

The author says of those who died in the wilderness … they heard but they did not believe and act by faith, thus because they doubted and did believe God would give them a better future and take care of them now and forever … they did not enter God’s rest … more than a physical destination, but a spiritual provision that goes beyond understand of merely the present day circumstances.

 

The encouragement at hand is to hear and believe!  It is an individual response, but all the more a “community” (church body life) to encourage one another

 

Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

 

So with such encouragement let’s hear the “REST” of the story …

 

3.        The Exhortation of Rest … Enter It! (4:11)

 

Hebrews 4 is so much more than a physical or emotional renewal.  Though we could all use such. (I love … Mark 6: “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)

 

Our ultimate need of rest lies in the accomplished work of CHRIST who is our REST.  Spiritual in nature it is, but it does touch and reflect itself in the physical and emotional well-being of a person.

 

So the urgent appeal of EXHORTATION is … Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:11)

 

WHAT IT’S NOT SAYING:

 

§ It is not saying one works his/her way into God’s rest in salvation or heaven.  (Ephesians 2:8-9 … grace saved through faith not works)

 

WHAT IT IS SAYING:

 

§ It is exhorting the “born-again” to demonstrate their faith by actively obeying the Word of God … rather than having a passive repose.

 

So the author is exhorting us as believers to work hard (make every effort) at our faith based response to God.  We ought to “FEAR” lackadaisical faith that adorns itself in the work of assumption rather than “faithing” (believing) active action as a response to God’s LIVING & ACTIVE Word.  (see: Heb 4:12-13)

 

Look at this … “pay more careful attention” (2:1) … “if we ignore such a great salvation?” (2:3) … “fix your thoughts on Jesus” (3:1) … “do not harden your hearts” (3:8) … “none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart” (3:12) … “none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (3:13) … “be careful (fear) that none of you be found to have fallen short of it” (4:1)  

 

There is something RADICAL going on here!  It is something that is more than just “calling” oneself a Christian (by name only).  It is the radical “born again – crucified with Christ – dying to self – led of the Spirit – new nature” … standing guard over the soul, mind & body … so as to not only assure, but to stay actively urging with great appeal … DON’T TAKE CHRIST OR HIS SALVATION FOR GRANTED!

 

Jesus is our REST … Hebrews 4:14-16

 

§ We rest in Jesus preparing a place for us … passed through the heavens

§ We rest in Jesus’ identification & ministry to us … tempted like us yet without sin

§ We rest in Jesus’ completed work of grace … receive mercy and find grace

 

The author states emphatically … because of Jesus … let us hold fast to the faith we profess and let us approach God’s throne of help.

 

You don’t want assumption to bring to the gates of …

 

Hebrews 4:1  Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.

 

Amen!