Jesus is the man!
Hebrews - For Those Who Doubt • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 5 viewsDo not give up! Jesus is the man.
Notes
Transcript
Do not give up! Jesus is the man.
Do not give up! Jesus is the man.
We are in Hebrews but I can’t get this out of my head from Luke.
Listen to Jesus tell this parable: Luke 8:5-8
“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.
And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.
And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
I suspect many of you are familiar with the story.
Each place the seed fell represents a different kind of person.
The seed that fell on the path - that’s the person that’s hardened their heart and refuses to believe the truth about Jesus.
Their heart is as hard as a brick path- they will never change.
We all know a few of those.
The seed on the rock is the person who has a little depth, but not much.
Jesus is the next shiny object.
They run to him for a while - they go to every concert and event they can.
Raise their cellphone flashlights in the air and cry real tears.
Until the next shiny object comes along, and off they go.
We know a few of those too.
But Hebrews is written to the folks living in the thorns.
Notice the wording, “the thorns grew up with it…”
We all couldn’t wait to graduate from High School.
Senior year - I’ve met very few seniors who were not just done with High School drama.
Walk the stage and think, “Man, I’m glad that’s over.”
And those thorns die, but new thorns grow up with you.
Now there is dating drama.
Marriage drama.
Kid drama.
Work drama.
Family drama.
Life in general drama.
This week, a young teenager was struck and killed by a car
She was the great grandchild of a family that was very active here at FBCG until they passed a little while back.
The school system, the pride and joy of Jones County, what many of us moved to Jones County to be a part of -
It is having all kinds of drama.
In my Wednesday Kids class, I was told of an 11 year old who was recently suspended from school for vaping.
Vaping.
Who went to Handy Andy and bought that kid the Vape - he couldn’t do it?
I wonder if his supplier thinks they can get him on grape flavored nicotine
Move him to THC and then eventually get him to the hard stuff so he’ll be another income source for them.
All of these things are thorns.
They grow up with us and around us
The older we get, the more they try to choke the faith right out of us.
The writer of Hebrews saw that happening to people that he loved, and he said, “Do not give up! Jesus is the man!”
Our text is Hebrews 4:11-16.
Ya’ll head in that direction.
Kids, the three words on your worship guide you are listening for is Word, Throne and Jesus.
If you’ve found Hebrews 4, please read along with me.
Hear now the Word of the Lord from Hebrews 4:11-16
Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
Let us pray…..
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Let Us Strive…
Let Us Strive…
Look at verse 11, Hebrews 4:11 “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.”
The word strive has as it’s root word, be zealous or be eager.
Do you know a rabid University of Georgia or University of Alabama fan that, that’s about all they think of?
They wear their college gear.
They have college bumper stickers and all kinds of college junk.
And much of the time, they never attended either school.
But they are zealous for their team.
They are eager for their team
They strive to follow their team
Do you know why?
Because they know those teams are winners.
That’s the kind of energy we need to put into entering God’s rest.
The root word for rest is stop, cease.
Listen, that’s music to my ears.
School drama - may it stop.
Family drama - may it stop.
Church drama - may it stop.
Let us do everything within our power to enter God’s rest where all of the drama stops.
And be so zealous to chase that rest that we never take our eyes off the winner.
What makes the Lord the winner?
He does what He said He is going to do.
He rescued the Hebrews out of slavery.
He’s rescued many of us out of slavery.
He’s showed us how to be successful in this life
Don’t take your eyes off of him.
Jesus is the man.
Jesus is the winner.
Be zealous, do everything you can to keep your eyes on Him,
Because bad things happen when we don’t.
Because bad things happen when we don’t.
Verse 12 is very familiar.
I’ve heard many sermons preached from this verse talking about the power of the Bible.
In fact, my study Bible heads this section, “The Bible Claims Special Power,” and there’s nothing wrong with that.
But what does this verse say in context?
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Let’s take it apart - The writer equates the living God with His Word.
God is alive and He’s a talking God - so His Word is alive.
It is alive and active
Anyone remember hearing this quoted?
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
What God says happens .
God speaks with a purpose so His Word accomplishes His purpose.
It - did you hear it? - It “shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Who is the winner?
Who speaks and His Word ALWAYS does what He means for it to do?
You hear the writer, right?
Who is the man?
Jesus is the man.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
See the word soul - do ya’ll remember us talking about that word when we studied Mark 8?
Remember we said that in Mark 8:35 the greek word is translated life, but in verse 36 it’s translated soul
Well, the word soul here is the same as it was in Mark and I think that’s unfortunate again for one reason.
When we think of our souls, we think of eternal life, at least I do.
When I die, my soul will go to heaven - so soul is future tense.
But this verse isn’t talking about us doing something one of these days.
He’s talking about us doing something right now.
So think about this, if the Word of God is so sharp it will separate your life from your spirit,
Your life from you spirit, what would happen to you right here, this minute, today, if that was to happen?
You’d die.
Listen, of joints and marrow - joints and marrow never meet.
Marrow is in the bone
Joints hold bones together to they can move.
What happens if a sword separates your joints from your bones?
You’d die.
Are you getting the picture?
The Word of God - the successful, never failing Word of God can discern the thoughts - what’s in our minds
And the intentions - what we mean to do with those thoughts
The thoughts and intentions of our hearts.
What’s our real motivations and goals are.
And if they are disobedient, what is the expected outcome?
Well, death.
Now, think with me here.
This writer isn’t referring to the entire Bible, although his words apply to the entire Bible.
He’s referring back to the Words of God that he’s quoted.
Like Psalm 95:7-8
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
What disobedience will bring on death?
If we harden our hearts against God.
When will it bring on death?
Today - the day you hear it and reject it.
He quotes Psalm 95:11 also
Therefore I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.”
What is His rest?
Life everlasting with no more drama.
What is the result of rejecting God’s offer of life
Eternal drama that starts this very minute.
He quotes Genesis 2:2
And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.
The Lord rested when His work was complete.
If you reject God’s offer, there will be no rest for you.
Have you ever had a naked dream
Have you ever had a naked dream
Hebrews 4:13 “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
You dream you show up to work or school or to a football game with no clothes on at all.
Ever done that?
Bet you have - it’s a common dream.
Do you remember in your dream the embarrassment you felt?
How “exposed you felt?”
Put that feeling here - nothing is hidden from God’s sight.
He knows you - He knows the “thoughts and intentions of your heart.”
And if you come before the throne of God alone - having hardened your heart towards Jesus - you’d be happy to feel only this level of embarrassment.
You chose to follow a loser
And that loser is you.
Since rejecting God’s offer of salvation is disobedience and it brings death.
Since rejecting God and being the captain of your own soul is following a loser.
Since you know what is going to make you a failure
Why not follow the winner instead
Why not follow the winner instead
Hebrews 4:14 “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”
I love the word used for confession here.
It’s a compound word - homo - meaning one and logia - meaning word
It’s our one word confession.
Jesus.
Let us hold fast to our confession - let us hold fast to our one word
Because our one word is a winner - He is the winner.
He speaks no empty Words
And His Words will do what He purposes them to do.
I can’t help but hear Jesus’ Words at the Gates of Hades when He said,
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Your ball team might win a championship but Christ’s Church will conquer the World.
A Church that confesses Jesus cannot be stopped.
Satan can send his armies against it - but they will fail.
The Church of Jesus Christ will always stand
Because its leader is the winner.
Now let us hear the best news ever
Now let us hear the best news ever
“Hebrews 4:16
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
This is our hope,
This is our potential
That we can draw near to the throne of the Father, that we can go to the place where we can get the rescue we need.
Remember, it’s this throne: Revelation 4:2-11
At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.
And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.
Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.
From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God,
and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind:
the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight.
And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
Doesn’t sound like the song, “I can only imagine” does it?
Flashes of lightning, rumbles of thunder.
Strange creatures - never ceasing to cry out, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty.”
Twenty four elders on their face before God the Father,
Throwing their crowns at His feet and declaring Him worthy to receive glory and honor and power for He created all things and sustains all things and gives all things life.
Me and you.
And you are told to approach that throne - do you see it?
Do you feel it?
Can you imagine going there alone?
Knowing your own disobedience, your own sinfulness.
Can you imagine standing there before all of this knowing that you are guilty?
But the writer of Hebrews is telling us we can draw near with confidence right now, because we are not alone.
Jesus, the Son of God, escorts us into the Father’s presence.
The throne changes from a throne of judgment
To a throne of mercy
Our sins are washed away
The sins and desires that have tormented us
Removed from us as far as the east is from the west
Wiped from God’s mind
And eventually to be wiped from our minds as well.
The throne changes to a throne of grace
Where every day, every day you and I can come, every day on our knees in prayer, to receive the strength and power and wisdom and courage to face every drama that life throws at us.
Brothers and sisters, Let us therefore strive to enter that rest
Do not harden your hearts
Do not fall away from the truth
Let us be zealous to follow Jesus, the Son of God
Who takes away our sins and gives us life.
Oh dear friend, if you have not trusted Jesus to do what He said He would do in your life
Please do not harden your heart
While it is still today, call out to Jesus to save you
Plead with Him to wash away your sins
And enjoy with us the new life Jesus brings.
We’ll pray and then we’ll sing.
I’ll be at the front pew if you want to talk about Jesus.
But please, everyone, while it is still today, please let us renew our passion to follow Jesus.
Let us pray.
