Waiting On A Promise | Hebrews 6:9-18

Building Talk -

INTRODUCTION: Ladies, if your husband says he will do something, then he will do it. No need to remind him every 6 month about it! Haha

We hate waiting. We are awful it. But it is through that waiting that God draws us near.

Hebrews 6:9 ESV

9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation.

Though we speak in this way - although we are warning you to not fall away.

in your case - he was just warning them to not fall away, now he switches it.

beloved - a term for Christians.

We feel sure - I got a good feeling about you.

Hebrews 6:10 ESV

10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.

God is not unjust - We could put a period right there. God is never unjust.

so as to overlook your work - The father sees what you do in secret.

love that you have shown his name - you are doing in for God’s name, not others.

serving the saints, - how do we love God? by loving others. - If you aren’t serving you aren’t loving God.

HAHA illustration - if a man unloads the dishwasher, but his wife didn’t see it. Did he really unload the dishwasher?

Hebrews 6:11 ESV

11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end,

desire - it wasn’t that you would have the assurance, but to show the earnestness to have it. Meaning that you can have assurance and not show it.

Hebrews 6:12 ESV

12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

patience vs sluggish - big difference. - HAHA illustration, like when I would say I will wash the dishes only to let them “soak”.

Keep waiting for the promise - Hebrews 6:9-12

Hebrews 6:13–14 ESV

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.”

greater to swear - they would swear by something higher, God, the temple, heaven, momma.

On more than one occasion. Abraham blew it. Pawned his wife off as his sister. Slept with his servant. Yet, despite the idiocy of Abraham, God was still true to his word.

Quote is from Gen

Hebrews 6:15 ESV

15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.

patiently waited - He was not sluggish. He followed God. He trusted God . When God said go, and ill let you know when to stop. Abraham did.

Gen 22 reference. But God started speaking to Abraham around age 75. He waited 25 years before Isaac was born! Well past the days he could have expected a son. Yet God was true.

obtained the promise. - The promise of blessing.

Hebrews 6:16 ESV

16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.

oath - something you could not get out of. This is the equality of a legal document.

So God made an oath to give the final confirmation to us.

Hebrews 6:17–18 ESV

17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

verse 17- God wanted to prove it to us. For us it would be like he made a contract and signed it.

Two Unchangeable things - that is God to lie and that he promised Jesus would be high priest.

fled for refuge - they were literally running for their life. If anyone needed it was strong encouragement, it was them.

Hold fast. - hold tightly

hope - the confident expectation that God would do what he promised.

Because God is trustworthy - Hebrews 6:13-18

CONCLUSION:

1 Samuel 14:6 ESV

6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.”

Jonathan and armor bearer story. They were outnumbered but he didn’t stop believing. He said “Maybe God will show up for us”

That’s how I want to live my life. Risk it for God. If God is in it I want to be in.

we came to Florida to start a church. It stayed small for years I was discouraged ready to give up. I wanted God to show up. But slowly the Lord started to work on me.

when CBC came around I decided if God wants me to spend all my days loving a few dozen people well. Then I am ok with it and will follow him.

that’s when I actually became ready to be used by God. First he had to prepare me before he could prepare for my path.