Press On
Jesus is Too Good (Hebrews) • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Home stretch ..
Home stretch ..
Accidents, weariness, less your guard down, lose concentration -
Potential for disciples of Jesus
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.
See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
Context:
Jesus - God’s Son, our High Priest - done everything so we can be close to God as a gift.
But life is hard - endure, keep trusting, press on.
All the tells:
RUN WITH ENDURANCE, ENDURE HARDSHIP, SUBMIT, STRAIGHTEN UP, MAKE STRAIGHT PATHS, CHASE PEACE & HOLINESS, DON’T REFUSE THE SPEAKING GOD, HAVE GRACE, WORSHIP GOD
Are we there yet? -
God uses hardship to train his children
God uses hardship to train his children
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
Internal hardship - hindering things, tangly sin.
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
External hardship. [Attack, persecution, shame, exclusion, opposition]
And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
This does not make God the author of bad things. Any more than it makes him responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus.
But he is over all and he uses hardship for our training (discipline).
Qs:
what is God teaching me/showing me/ahve I done somerthing to deserve this?
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?
Don’t get caught up in the human father image - it’s to show from lesser to greater - from imperfect (and wrong) to perfect (and good).
Hebrews 11 should have shocked us into realising that normal life following God is hard.
Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!
Brings life
They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.
For our good.
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Brings righteousness and peace.
“Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Brings healing.
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?
[If it isn’t your experience - external hardship from being a Christian, internal conflict to disentangle from distractions and tangly sin - then it is worth considering
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
So - run. With your eyes fixed on Jesus, in spite of all the hardships, run.
[Started running in September last year - requires discipline, it is painful - but fruitful -
[One last thing: does not mean we should seek out suffering, or put up with abuse - but does mean we can trust it is normal to experience hardship and God is using it to train us]
[Also watch out for therapeutic Christianity - promising all good now, all victory now - making suffering your fault - doesn’t understand a broken world, the power of sin, the opposition of the devil]
Exercise and nutrition plan - be in shape for wedding/etc
Savings and finance plan - deposit for home/car/pay off credit cards/afford holiday
For something worthwhile many of us can be disciplined/self-controlled/focused -
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
That’s a goal worth aiming at - to see the Lord.
Worship God by chasing holiness and peace
Worship God by chasing holiness and peace
Are we there yet?
You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,
From a mountain which inspired fear and trembling, with restricted access
To a mountain of grace, joy and festivity -
to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
In one true sense, you’ve arrived. You’re there. Access to God sorted and ready now.
And everything is a gift. A present from God.
But we’re also not there yet.
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
When Jesus returns, we won’t have to make any effort any more.
But now we do. Like running with endurance.
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.
“Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
The quotation from Proverbs about discipline is followed by a second quotation from Proverbs about being wise and ready to take godly choices. [All of this section in proverbs]
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Make every effort is actually - ‘Chase’ peace and holiness. Keeps the running idea.
Notice the ‘and’. Not peace at all costs - unity with evil is not holiness.
In the workplace, in our households, in our neighbours, in the church
what is chasing holiness and peace:
what are the challenges -
the opposition to holiness nad peace,
the opportunities for holiness and peace
[thinking along the lines of the help of Proverbs: my temper, sexual desires, pride, grumbling, bitterness, greed, indulgence, drunkenness, shame]
What are the temptations against holiness and peace? - fake peace (more like a Christian ceasefire - chase instead the wellbeing of the other person not your own).
We do this - we can do this - because we’ve arrived:
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
Or in Hebrews 12:26-27
At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
Nothing here lasts. Don’t chase things which don’t last.
[Shook out my car carpets recently - left the dust and grit outside - don’t make garbage your end goal]
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
All of this running with endurance, looking to Jesus, putting off sin, chasing peace and holiness -
all of this is worship.
For lasting joy.
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.