Is Christ Our Anchor? 12-29-24

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For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every trespass and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? That salvation, first spoken by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.
Prayer & Introduction
Prayer & Introduction
These past several weeks we looked at death, judgement, heaven and hell. We do not often address these topics in churches today let alone in everyday conversation. I don’t think I have ever had a stranger, friend, or co-worker voluntarily ask, “Hey, what do you think about death? What do you think happens when we die?” I’m pretty sure that if I brought the topic up myself, I would find myself uninvited from eating lunch with my colleagues ever again.
These topics are difficult to wrestle with and some of us walk away with a heavy pit in our stomach unsure of what to think or how to process what we’ve heard. There is a sense of finality that comes from contemplating death and eternity because death is final for our time on earth and eternity is forever. Yet we have a Savior who said, “They cannot absolve themselves of their sin on their own. But I love them and I must make a way for them.” And he did make a way for us because of his great love for us (see Phil. 2:5-11). This is good news! This is the best news! This good news was preached to us these past several weeks and has been preached to us over the years.
I want to put an exclamation mark on these things by way of summary of the 1st chapter of Hebrews. Let’s read the first few verses together:
Hebrews 1:1–2 “1 God, having spoken long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days spoke to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds,”
From Genesis to Malachi, God points us to the hope we can have in Jesus and Jesus speaks the words of God to us through the Bible today. In John 12:49-50 Jesus tells us,
John 12:49–50 (LSB)
49 “For I did not speak from Myself, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.
50 “And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”
These words in Hebrews confirm for us that there is no revelation from God after Jesus. There can be no man to claim he has a revelation from God to the degree that it is a new revelation or a new word. The only word from God that we have to proclaim is this: Jesus, The Son of God, came to earth in the flesh, lived a blameless life, and died a sinners death (that is, the death we deserved) so that we might be clothed in his righteousness - not our own - forever according to what he was instructed by his Father.
Through the remaining twelve verses of Hebrews chapter 1, Jesus is shown to be glorified and given all authority over all of his creation. This is Jesus in his rightful place over all created things. Not just over things in the world of the Bible, not just over the days of the founders of the church across the world, not just over those who are spreading the gospel message to others today, not just when he returns to reign over the new heaven and the new earth, but he is over all things at all times.
Jesus Is Lord Today
Jesus Is Lord Today
This brings me to the first main point of my message: Jesus is Lord right now. Today. Jesus is the final revelation from God. He is the first and the final Word. Like we just sang this morning: HE IS.
What Are We Listening To?
What Are We Listening To?
These truths from Hebrews 1 should resonate with us from our time examining the four final things through advent. They are followed first by a command and then a cautionary statement starting in chapter 2. Note that this is the first command in the letter; there are no commands given in the first chapter. The book opens with an incredibly beautiful presentation of our Lord Jesus to draw our focus to him for a very specific reason. Look with me at verse one with this in mind:
Hebrews 2:1 (LSB)
1 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away.
For this reason - what reason? Jesus! The author stresses here the need to not just listen but to pay extremely close attention to what we have heard regarding Jesus and what we have heard from Jesus. We are, at all times, filling our minds with what we want to listen to set out each day with intention to listen to the things we desire to hear. Whether it is by pre-purchasing sports or concert tickets years in advance, getting that music playlist lined up just right for the drive, playing games or listening to various podcasts. Whatever it is, we are giving our attention to something. We choose what we place at the center of our attention every day. So did the church being addressed in Hebrews. And it seems the author recognized they were at risk of diverting their attention from their Savior to things the world had to offer.
We see this same command repeated throughout the book of Hebrews:
Hebrews 2 which we already observed says to pay much closer attention to what we have heard.
Hebrews 3 tells us to “consider” Jesus. That is to contemplate, to notice and seek understanding. It also tells us to “hold fast” to the assurance of our Salvation who is Christ.
Hebrews 6 speaks of pressing on to the maturity that comes from faith in Jesus.
Hebrews 10 also tells us to hold fast or grip tightly to the confession of our hope, which is Jesus.
Hebrews 12 admonishes us to “fix our eyes on Jesus” and again to “consider him”.
Only one thing makes [listening] hard. If you don’t want to listen. If you want to listen, listening is easy. Therefore [we] are the problem, not God.
John Piper
So we have to ask ourselves, “What holds my affection? What is my heart set to hear today?” Is it Jesus? If not, we will find ourselves drifting towards the things that have captured our attention. This brings us from the command of “listen close” to the warning. It says, “lest we drift away”. In other words, unless we pay close attention to Jesus, we will drift. There is no opportunity to check a few religion flavored boxes and then coast along in life with our get-out-of-hell-free card. This Greek word for drift is unique to the Bible. This is the only place we find it used. The word pararreō means to flow by or past, to glide by. Much like a negligent captain who fails to throw out his anchor will find himself pulled out to sea by the unseen currents tugging at his ship; we too will find ourselves lost and hammered by the waves of sin and false teaching that seek to dash us against the jagged rocks having assumed we would be just fine with a couple of oars.
This is not a matter of struggling in our salvation. If we have put our hope and faith in Christ, we do not fear the storms of life. We do not fear death or judgement. This warning is for those who, in their hearts, neglect their salvation not yet having received it. Looking forward in Hebrews chapters 10 and 12, we see another warning to the audience and to us:
26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.
29 How much worse punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as defiled the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”
31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.
Even Jesus issues this warning to his listeners through his parable in Matthew 22.
2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 “And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been called to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4 “Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been called, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 “But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. 7 “But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire.
and in Mathew 25:1-13 he tells similar parable:
1 “Then the kingdom of heaven may be compared to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 “Now five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 “For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5 “Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6 “But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 “Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 “And the foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 “But the prudent answered, saying, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 “And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 “And later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12 “But he answered and said, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
Whether compared to citizens in a kingdom or brides betrothed to the Bridegroom, those who were cast out and destroyed had the appearance of being in the kingdom, but the ones who paid no attention and were lazy and drifted along had their true hearts exposed on the final day. Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard so that it can take root in our hearts and in our minds. This way we won’t just hear the truth, but the truth will take a hold of us and give us life.
This is the second point for today:
We Cannot Save Ourselves from Drifting
We Cannot Save Ourselves from Drifting
This will quickly be followed by a sub-point, of
Look to Jesus
Look to Jesus
I’m going to read through a couple of passages now to take us to my final point for this morning. First, I want to emphasize this: I long for each of you to see Jesus and experience the same peace, the same forgiveness, the same joy, the same longing for eternity with him worshiping in the presence of the Father. If you take anything out of this message, please let it be “Look to Jesus”. Look to him with me here in these passages:
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the trespasses that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Hebrews 10:11–18 (LSB)
11 And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until His enemies are put as a footstool for His feet. 14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,” He then says, 17 “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, leading to salvation.
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and confirmed and one which enters within the veil,
So we arrive at my final point for this morning:
Jesus is Our Anchor
Jesus is Our Anchor
I want to leave you with this quote, then we will take time to reflect before we stand to sing.
We are in the midst of the storm of life. The believing saints of God are on board the ship. Someone looks to the horizon and warns, “We are directly in the path of the typhoon! We are as good as dead. We will surely be dashed to pieces on the rocks!”
But calmly someone else advises, “Look down, look down! We have an anchor!” We look, but the depth is too great. We cannot see the anchor. But the anchor is there. It grips the immovable rock and holds fast. Thus the ship outrides the storm.
The Holy Spirit has assured us that we have an Anchor, steadfast and sure, that keeps the soul. Jesus—Savior, Redeemer and our great High Priest—is that Anchor. He is the One who has gone before us. He has already entered into the calm and quiet harbor, the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.
Where Jesus is now, there we will be—forever.
John 14:3; John 17:20–24; Hebrews 6:17–20
Jesus, Our Man in Glory, 91, 92.
A. W. Tozer
*Close in Prayer for the People & Food*