Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction: The purpose of is clearly exhortation.

Biblical teaching is very important because it forms the foundation for knowing God, obedience to God, faith in God, and love for God, but here the writer stops to encourage his readers to not just hear but to also do.

The purpose here is to encourage readers to live up to the truth that they already know.

This is really the primary purpose of the book of Hebrews as a whole.

Most of the doctrine taught in Hebrews was already known, but they were now being urged to obey it.

This is a very important pattern in the teaching of Scripture because truth that is known, but not obeyed, becomes a judgment rather than a blessing.

What are some example of things that we can believe but we do not necessarily obey?

actually began with an exhortation: run the race.

After the writer had defined and illustrated faith, he applied the truth of faith to the life of the Christian by encouraging them to run the race.

It does no good to know that the New Covenant is better than the Old, nor that Christ is superior to everything and everyone, nor is it good enough to know how we should live unless we actually accept the New Covenant, and and believe in the atoning work of Christ, and live what we know.

The biggest fool of all is the one who knows the truth but does not apply it to his life.

now gives us three exhortations: strengthen, pursue peace, and be vigilant.

Strengthen

Verses 12-13 resumes the race metaphor.

The first thing that happens to a runner when he begins to tire is that his arms drop, then his knees begin to wobble, and if he does not straighten his path, at some point, something gets pulled out of joint.

The only way that you can hope to finish the race when you start to tire is to focus on the goal because if you focus on how tired you feel you will eventually become injured.

When we experience spiritual tiredness our only hope is to fix our eyes on the goal.

The writer of Hebrews got his metaphor from .

In both of these passages we are told to strengthen the weak hands and the feeble knees, not just to strengthen our own weak hands and feeble knees.

We are commanded to not only strengthen our own weaknesses, but to also help other Christians with their own weaknesses as well.

One of the surest ways to be encouraged yourself is to give encouragement to someone else.

If you want to continue in the race, be commited to encouraging others to continue in the race.

If you want to continue in the race you must also make straight the paths of your feet.

This refers to the runner’s need to stay in his own lane.

When a runner gets out of his own lane, not only does he disqualify himself, but he also hinders others in their race.

A runner does not intentionally get out of his lane; he only does so when he is distracted or careless.

He loses focus on the goal and tiredness robs him of his will and ability to win.

Proverbs

You must strengthen your weaknesses and straighten your path so that that which is lame may not be out of joint.

The primary reference here is the same one that we touched on Wednesday.

The lame are those who are professing Christians who have not yet made a commitment to Christ.

They may have the appearance of being saved, but are not.

They are in danger of apostatizing.

These are the same type of people that Elijah referred to on Mount Carmel.

Elijah was confronting lame Israelites who refused to take a side.

The writer of Hebrews was warning believers of the danger of misleading the lame, uncommitted unbelievers and causing them to apostatize back into Judaism.

Under persecution, these professing but unbelieving Jews were beginning to doubt the goodness of the gospel.

Sadly, Christians can sometimes be the greatest stumblingblock to Christianity.

A bad example by a true believer can lead a person away from a full commitment to Christ.

Our testimony, if unfaithful, can lead a limping unbeliever to be put out of joint and completely dislocated spiritually.

God desires for unbelievers to be healed (saved).

It is not His will that any should perish.

This is a serious exhortation.

We need to strengthen each other to be sure that our living does not cause anyone to reject the gospel.

Peter gives a practical illustration in a believing wife’s testimony before her unbelieving husband.

The testimony of our lives should glorify God and bring healing to unbelievers.