20.1.19p - Hebrews - Endurance

Being a Christian for a long time is difficult. I have faced several obstacles that I never knew I would face. It’s hard to deal with the temptations and sins all around us. It’s hard to accept the fact that Christians don’t always act like Christians, people around us will refuse to see things that the Bible teaches, and we have no control over the will of another person. I’m sure there are other things that we could add to that list. Why would anyone choose a life like this? It would be easy for us to let our love grow cold and love this world. Maybe some of us have already done that. If you have, you are not alone. I have spoken to many Christians who struggle to persevere through the trials of this life. Hebrews is a book for you.

This is a book like no other in the Bible. It doesn’t start like the other epistles because it does not seem like a letter until the end. To understand the book of Hebrews, let’s start at the end and see what the writer says about his book.

Hebrews 13:22--25 (ESV) --- 22 I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. 23 You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. 24 Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. 25 Grace be with all of you.

This book is described as a word of exhortation. An exhortation is an emphatic urging of someone to do something. It is like a sermon. Paul is asked at a synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia to give a word of exhortation to the Jews. It is a sermon. This is the lens we must use as we look at this book. When we look at it through this lens we see seven exhortations.

Hold On To Truth (1:1-2:18)

What is he urging the people to do? He wants them to endure different trials and temptations. First, he wants them to endure a temptation to drift away from the truth.

Hebrews 2:1 (ESV) --- 1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

What does that look like? When I was younger, I would go bodyboarding. I remember one time having a blast with my cousin. We would be right next to each other, and we were having a blast for like an hour. Then, we got tired and wanted to take a break. But when we looked for our parents, we realized that we were like a quarter-mile down away. How did that happen? We were drifting. We weren’t drifting away from each other, but we were drifting away from where we were supposed to be.

The Hebrew writer wants to urge us to keep looking at the truth we have been given. If we aren’t careful, we can get so focused on the thoughts and opinions of people that we lose track of the words we have been given in the Bible. Do we realize how important these words are? Don’t drift away from the truth. Hold on to it.

Keep Growing (3:1-7:10)

The next exhortation is to continue to learn and grow. How many of us have stalled out in our spiritual growth? Once we get to a certain level of understanding, there is a temptation to feel accomplished and to stop trying to know more. We might think that we know enough to get to heaven, but we are wrong. We don’t earn heaven by knowing the right things. This is a relationship. Heaven is a gift for those who love the Lord and who love their neighbor. If we want to be in heaven with God for eternity, it must be because we love him, not for selfish reasons. We must learn more and more about him. We have to keep striving to know more about him and to love him.

Hebrews 4:11--13 (ESV) --- 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 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. 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.

Our mission is to know more about him and to let his word transform us. We see the Hebrew writer throughout this second section trying to get the people to dig deeper into the word and understand these blessings on a deeper level.

Hebrews 5:11--12 (ESV) --- 11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,

We see that they have become dull of hearing instead of striving to know more and grow spiritually. How easy is this for us to do? We must never be content with the things we have learned or with the growth we have already obtained. We want to be a little better person, but God wants us to be like him.

Draw Near To God (7:11-10:39)

The third section has the phrase “draw near” repeated throughout it. That is his exhortation. He hints to this in Chapter 4, and then he mentions it five times in Chapters 7 and 10.

Hebrews 4:16 (ESV) --- 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.

In Chapters 7-10, he emphasizes our need for this. We need to draw near for help as trials come into our lives. My favorite section in this book is found in Chapter 10:19-25

Hebrews 10:19--25 (ESV) --- 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean 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 stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

This is summarizing all that he has said thus far in the book. What is he trying to fight against when he encourages people to draw near to the throne of God with confidence or with a true heart in full assurance of faith? He is calling for God’s people to endure feelings that we are not good enough. Have you ever felt like you weren’t good enough to deserve the love that God offers? This book helps us understand why we don’t have to shrink back in fear of God. If our heart is true, we can have full assurance that he loves us and wants us to come into his throne room. He is more like a loving father than an evil dictator. If we have a wicked heart that wants to sin deliberately after all that he has done for us, we will be afraid and shrink back. But if we want to love him, he wants to love us. “We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” (10:31)

Follow The Faithful (11)

In Chapter 11, he gives us many examples of men and women who held on to their faith until the end. They endured various trials with less understanding than we have, and they will be rewarded just like we will if we remain faithful. We need faith in the things we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1--3 (ESV) --- 1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.

Hebrews 11:39--40 (ESV) --- 39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

They did not see the fruit of their faith. They are waiting for the final day when God will reveal it to all of his children. He wants us to follow them.

Stay Strong (12:1-17)

In Chapter 12, he explains why life has to be so difficult for us right now. He compares what we are going through to the struggles of childhood. This entire life is essentially our childhood. We are being disciplined, and God is giving us instruction so that we can understand more.

Hebrews 12:7--9 (ESV) --- 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?

This life is not going to be easy, but it is preparing us for something much greater in the life to come.

Hebrews 12:11--17 (ESV) --- 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

He is encouraging his readers to press on. Life is difficult, but it is so worth it. The inheritance that is promised to us is better than anything this world could ever offer. God wants us to have it if we will just remain faithful. If we give this up, we will miss out on the greatest blessing we could ever know. When this life is over, we will regret giving up.

Fear The Lord (12:18-29)

One thing that is amazing throughout this book is that he provides warnings. This is not just a book with a bunch of fluffy words about God’s love and grace. He gives warnings over and over again. These warnings are intended to terrify us, and they should make us straighten up. We need these warnings to think soberly about this. There is punishment if we understand the love of God and reject it.

Hebrews 12:25 (ESV) --- 25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

He has shown us in the Old Testament that he can destroy those who refuse to listen and obey. He is a loving and merciful God, but he cannot allow his people to rebel. He expects us to live with reverence and awe.

Hebrews 12:28--29 (ESV) --- 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

Worship Acceptably (13:1-18)

The last section of the book explains what acceptable worship looks like.

Hebrews 13:1--6 (ESV) --- 1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 3 Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. 4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Our worship consists of sacrificial living for those around us. It’s not about giving God our bulls and goats as much as it is about living for the people around us. This is what acceptable worship looks like to God.

Hebrews 13:16 (ESV) --- 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Why We Endure

Looking at this book in light of his exhortations helps me to see the message of the book. But I imagine that if anyone here has studied this book, they have seen a lot more than these exhortations. The writer of this book gives us reasons why we must endure.

We must hold on to the truth because Jesus’ words are greater than the words of angels that brought us the Old Testament.We must continue to learn and grow because Jesus brings us all the promises of Moses, Joshua, and Abraham. He is greater than these men because he delivers what God promised them.We must draw near because Jesus has given us a greater covenant with the great sacrifice that enters heaven and removes our sins.We must follow the faithful because Jesus has pioneered the way for us by enduring the same trials we go through.We must be strong because Jesus was strong in the face of the Lord’s discipline (5:8).We must fear and obey because Jesus feared God and obeyed him.We must sacrificially love each other because he offered to God acceptable worship by sacrificing himself for us.

Conclusion

There are so many more things to see in this book. I cannot cover it all in one hour, but I hope you can see the purpose behind it and the message of it.