58 Hebrews 6:9-20: Preaching/Teaching

Keep Gambling on Jesus!

HOLDING FAST TO THE PROMISES OF GOD

I am a risk taker by nature.

But my risk taking is not always a good thing. When I was younger we would play some poker and I would always be all in because if I even had a decent hand I was all in with it.

When I was a freshman in college I went all in with Jesus. I gambled my eternity on this God who the bible tells us died on the cross for our sins, and rose from the grave defeating death on a cross. I accepted the gift of God and gambled that I could be connected to God in a relationship right now, that he would forgive my deepest and darkest secrets and would allow me to live with him forever in heaven.

I am confident I am going to heaven now because of what jesus Christ did on my behalf. And I gambled my life on that.

Many in America have a similar experience that I have. It is easy to be all in for Jesus for a time. But God desires that we our all in with him for a lifetime.

But God does not want us to gamble on him one time in our life he wants us to live a life of faith where we continually gamble on him. Where we trust him with our family, our relationships, our jobs. That we literally hold fast to the hope that is set before us!

Today I want to ask you: Will you live a life of gambling on Jesus. It is always better but usually harder:

The group in Hebrews had gambled on Jesus in the past. But where they going to continue to hold fast to the hope set before them or not.

The author had hope that they were going to continue to gamble their lives on Jesus, as this passage literally says, hold fast to the hope, instead of living as immature Christian walk.

Here is what the Bible says:

Hebrews 6:9 NASB95

But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.

We have seen three different warnings in this passage. But just like sometimes we have to tell people in our lives hard truths now the author wants to encourage them. The author believed this group could avoid being immature Christians.

Beloved-Dear friends, this softens the tone.

There are some things that accompany salvation.

Hebrews 6:10 NASB95

For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.

They had a track record of walking with God. As they were being persecuted they had a testimony of loving each other well. When it was hard when they were being persecuted.

Hebrews 6:11–12 NASB95

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible 4. The encouraging prospect 6:9–12

6:11–12 “Hope is important. Probably no movement has ever gripped the hearts of people if it did not give them hope.”

Are problem as Christians is not that we want too much of God but that we settle for too little of God. The same diligence you have had, God wants them to continue to be on hot pursuit of him.

Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible 4. The encouraging prospect 6:9–12

Earlier the writer had described his readers as being sluggish (lit. lazy, 5:11). Now he urged them to be diligent and to stop being lazy (v. 12; cf. Prov. 24:30–34). The same Greek word (nothroi) occurs in both places. He wanted them to remain faithful to God while waiting patiently for Him to fulfill His promises to them regarding their future inheritance.

Today I want us to give us three motivations so that we will continue to gamble our lives on the promises of God.

The first reason we need to continue to gamble our lives {Hold Fast) to the promises of God is because:

1. we encounter Jesus (13-15)

We are so content to know about Jesus, but not know him intimately.

When we are in the word of God we will be led to the promises of God. There are so many great promises in Scripture. And these promises help us encounter the living God.

Isaiah 41:10 NIV84

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Lamentations 3:22–23 NIV84

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Philippians 4:19 NIV84

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

I could go on and on: But the great things about the promises of God is the ultimately lead us to Jesus.

Hebrews 6:13–14 NASB95

For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.”

But there is a promise that is given in the book of Genesis that sums up the whole Bible and God says this promise is unconditional. It is called the Abrahamic Covenant. Unconditional simply means it is going to happen.

Explain the promise made from Genesis 12:2-3.

Abraham was 90 years old and could not give and he had believed God’s promises but still did not have a kid. In Abraham’s life there were also times when instead of believing God’s promises he tried to do things in his own power. But ultimately he had a kid and named him Isaac.

Abraham did not know how great this promise would become, his seed literally became a whole nation, Jesus literally came from his seed, and even though he did not see that in his lifetime he held fast to the promise of God and his life still lives on today.

Application:

Hebrews 6:15 NASB95

And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.

The next reason we need to continue to gamble our lives [Hold Fast] to the promises of God is because:

2. satisfaction is guaranteed (16-18).

Isn’t it amazing how we will go to so many things that we think will satisfy us but leave us empty.

Hebrews 6:16–18 NASB95

For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.

The Last reason we need to continue to gamble our lives [Hold Fast] to the promises of God is because:

3. This anchor holds forever (19-20)

I have went through some great times in my christian walk and I have been through some extremely low times and I remember one low time where I was down just having the thought that God I can’t hold onto you but thank you for holding onto me.

God is going to finish what he started in my life and I am secure in Christ.

Hebrews 6:19–20 NASB95

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

This is a real hope.

Conclusion

I gambled when I put my faith in Jesus

I gambled on Jesus when he called me to plant a church and I left security. When I took these first steps I remember thinking to myself that was hard. God can you give me an easier route. But it has been so satisfying seeing the goodness of God in so many different ways for his glory and honor.

Now I have to gamble on him and trust him as we just walked through a pandemic.

I want to live a life on faith that continues to gamble on God.

Today we looked at three reasons we need to continue to hold fast to the hope or continue to gamble on Jesus: