Jesus is Always the Same
Hebrews • Sermon • Submitted
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· 17 viewsTo encourage believers to be on the alert for any false ritual or teaching which contradicts God’s Word and show how we must imitate the leaders who were before us and be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ.
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JESUS CHRIST IS ALWAYS THE SAME
JESUS CHRIST IS ALWAYS THE SAME
HEBREWS 13:7-14
AIM
To encourage believers to be on the alert for any false ritual or teaching which contradicts God’s Word and show how we must imitate the leaders who were before us and be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ.
INTRODUCTION
The focus of this passage are words of encouragement to be alert to false teachers and false doctrines. We are to avoid them and follow Jesus who is always the same and never changes. When men are no longer with us in this world, Jesus will always be with us and minister to the needs we have in this life, and especially our spiritual needs.
THE EXAMPLES
7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.
Hebrews 1
The writer of Hebrews encouraged his readers to “Remember those who led” them in the past, which very well could be a reference to leaders who had completed their service in the congregation and had died. These were leaders who “spoke the word of God.” and conducted their lives in a way to honor and glorify the Lord. The readers were encouraged to reflect on their words and deeds from beginning to end and “imitate their faith.”
Holman New Testament Commentary: Hebrews & James 3. In the Fellowship of the Church (vv. 7–9)
Steady spiritual reflection on the life of a committed believer can teach us lessons of faith, commitment, and priority. Once we have seen the outcome of their ruling passion for God, we should follow steadfastly in their way.
One great leader who made a great impact upon my life was Enoch Howard. I met him when I was in the shoe business. He was looking for a pair of waders to baptize someone at Crab Orchard Baptist Church. Many years later, Brother Howard served as our honored pastor at Walnut Hill Baptist Church. He was a great leader who never wavered in his faith. He never compromised when he preached God’s Word. He was a great counselor and wonder friend. I hope I can follow the examples of men like E.H. Howard, W.A. Criswell, Adrain Rogers and others who have served faithfully and finished their course as steadfast believers. All of these men were great examples to follow, but they were men and men die.
1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
2 Timothy 4:1-
3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. 4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jude
28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 “Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
Acts 20:
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
There is one thing of which all of us can rest assured. Christian leaders come and go, but “Jesus Christ” remains the same. Christian leaders need to be replaced, but Jesus never needs to be replaced.
Holman New Testament Commentary: Hebrews & James 3. In the Fellowship of the Church (vv. 7–9)
Both the readers of Hebrews and believers today have access to the power and example of the unchanging Christ. Because of his past and present work, Jesus Christ can meet our every need.
The work of Jesus yesterday was to die for our sins, today He is our high priest and His future work is to return and complete the plan and purpose of God. Jesus is the greatest example of all.
THE ENCOURAGEMENT
9 Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.
We are encouraged to follow sound doctrine and not follow ritual observances of things like ceremonial foods. Ritual observances have a way of enticing people to be more committed to rules and regulations than Jesus. The Word teaches us “the heart is strengthened by grace, not by foods.” Paul had to deal with false teachers and false doctrine during his entire ministry. He encouraged every believer to be aware of them and avoid listening to their teachings.
1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
One of the last things Paul shared with his friends before being taken to Rome were words of encouragement against false teachers.
28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 “Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
Jude is a very short letter filled with a lot of valuable warnings and teachings. He encouraged his readers to “contend earnestly for the faith” because of false teachers who had denied the faith.
3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. 4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 “Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
One of the things the Jewish people had to contend with was Jewish rituals, especially as it relates to food.
8 But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.
Food may give us the physical strength we need, but it can never help us with spiritual strength. We need spiritual nourishment from God’s Word to be strong in the faith.
Holman New Testament Commentary: Hebrews & James 3. In the Fellowship of the Church (vv. 7–9)
Divine grace and not some meaningless rule about food provides the spiritual strength needed for walking along the journey of the Christian life.
THE EXPERIENCE
10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.
The writer shows a contrast between the altar in the temple and the altar of Jesus. They approached God through priests who sacrificed on the altar in the temple, we approach God through our High Priest who offered Himself on the cross in our behalf. Those who attempt to serve the Lord under the old Jewish sacrificial system do not have the same access to God as do we. This doesn’t mean they could not have the same access if they would repent of their sins and believe in Jesus as their Savior.
Holman New Testament Commentary: Hebrews & James B. A Right Response to God (vv. 10–16)
Unbelieving Jews may have eaten the material food of the Jewish altar, but they enjoyed no link with Christ. Believers contact Christ himself and live with a daily experience of his benefits. This subtle warning urged the readers not to turn away from Christ to the meaningless rituals of Judaism and so lose the privilege of access to Jesus.
11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp.
Holman New Testament Commentary: Hebrews & James B. A Right Response to God (vv. 10–16)
This verse focuses on the offering of the blood of animals to God and the burning of the bodies of the animals outside the camp. Jewish high priests who brought sin offerings to God did not eat from the altar. The sacrifices were burned. The actions of the high priests symbolized the actions of unbelievers, for the priest was among those who ministered at the tabernacle. Again we see unbelievers do not have any real contact with Christ and the benefits he offers.
12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
Hebrews
12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins outside the city on a hill call Calvary.
20 Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek.
13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
The readers were encouraged to go “outside the camp” of Judaism. We must reject the rituals of Judaism and cling to Jesus while we live our lives for Him without any fear of the mockery and ridicule of unbelievers.
14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
We do not have a permanent home and “a lasting city” on this earth. Our focus must be on Jesus and “the city which is to come.”
:14
Our focus must be on Jesus and “the city which is to come.”
CONCLUSION
How much time to you spend thinking about faithful leaders who preached the infallible Word of the Lord, leaders whose conduct honored and glorified the Lord? Are we teaching the Word of God correctly and guarding against the false doctrines in our generation? Are we living our lives for Him without any fear of the mockery and ridicule of unbelievers?
Prepared for First Baptist Church Oakdale - October 8, 2017