Take A Strong Grip

The writer of the book of Hebrews, writes to the Hebrew constituents of the early church to encourage them in the faith. Many of the Jewish Christians in the church were in danger of apostatizing and backing away from the principles and doctrine of Christ.

The writer of Hebrews writes to encourage them and to point the way back to Christ. All of the levitical sacrificial system pointed prophetically to the coming of Christ who would present himself as the perfect sacrifice to take away sin. He sets the argument forth, that because of Christ’s, the levitical sacrificial system was both superceded and abolished because of what Jesus Christ had done.

The Jewish Christians were facing pressure from those who wanted to hold on to the law and to the levitical sacrificial system that atoned for sins through animal sacrifice.

There are things that are trying to pull you away from God. In order to survive you need to take up a strong grip.

Many were discouraged by the hard times that they were facing. Many were facing religious discrimination, public scrutiny, harassment, threats, physical assaults, arrests, and in some cases death for what they believed in.

The writer appeals to the Jewish Christians to consider the heroes of faith. They lived in faith, they maintained and held on to their faith despite the many trials and temptations that they faced.

The writer records in 11:35-37

Hebrews 11:35–37 AV

Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

Then he records in verse 39:

Hebrews 11:39 AV

And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

Then, he encourages his readers by stating in the 12th chapter verses 1-3

Hebrews 12:1–3 AV

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

The writer of Hebrews likens are walk with God to a race. The end of the race, the prize for the race is the salvation of our souls and eternal life.

In this race, it’s not about placing first, it is about finishing this race, it is about staying in the rest. In this race, there will be times that you become tired, in this race there will be times that you are met with obstacles that will try to slow you down, in this race, your flesh will get tired and there might be days where you want to quit, days that you want to throw up your hands and just walk off the course! But when you get tired, when you get discouraged, when you feel like you can’t make......the writer wrote in verse 3:

Hebrews 12:3 AV

For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Get your eyes on Jesus, think about all of the hostility that he endured, he could have gave up, he could have thrown in the towel, but he endured it, he took the beatings, he took the insults, he took the nails, he took the shame, because he saw you and he saw me, and he died for us, so that we could be victorious, he died for us, so that we can finish the race, he died for us, so that when we run out of strength He could be our strength! If Jesus hung on.......then you’ve gotta hang on. If Jesus was victorious......THEN YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT YOU TOO WILL BE VICTORIOUS!!!

CONSIDER HIM THAT ENDURED SUCH CONTRADICTION OF SINNERS AGAINST HIMSELF, LET YE BE WEARIED AND FAINT IN YOUR MINDS.

LEST YOU GET TIRED AND GIVE UP, LEST YOU GET FRUSTRATED AND DISQUALIFY YOURSELF FROM THE RACE.

The Hebrew Christians were going through so much conflict. False doctrines were being taught in the church, they were experiencing conflict from every angle, and it seemed to them that they had it much easier, things were simpler and easier before I got saved they thought.

And sometimes when you are going through a season of difficulty, the devil will sometimes suggest to you that maybe God doesn’t love you, God doesn’t hear your prayer, you’ve prayed the same prayer for months and nothing has changed, if God really loved you, He wouldn’t allow you to go through this.

But then the writer of Hebrews records in verse 5-6

Hebrews 12:5–6 AV

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

God’s discipline, proves to us that He loves us. God allows storms, trials, to come into our lives not to destroy us, but to discipline us to make us stronger, to make us better, and he does it because He loves us!

When God’s discipline comes, don’t give up!

The reason why God disciplines us, the reason why we experience trials, the reason he allows the devil to tempt us, so that our faith can become stronger. So that we may share in His holiness.

It isn’t easy when we go through the discipline process with the Lord. But it will produce a peaceful harvest of right living afterward.

Finally,

Hebrews 12:12 reads:

Hebrews 12:12 AV

Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

The writer here encourages his readers to take a new grip with your tired hands. RESET. When you have an heavy object, sometimes you might have to switch hands and reset in order for you to get a better grip.

I’m reminded of a strong wind storm, a person has to wrap tightly around something that is anchored in order to prevent from being swept away by the strong winds.

There are false doctrines, there are trials, and temptations that will attempt to pull us away from God. The world, will try to pull you away from God, your friends sometimes may try to pull you away, sometimes loved-ones will try to pul you away, but the writer of Hebrews declared “take a new grip.”

The Hebrew Christians were experiencing persecution, they were experiencing hard times, and many were discouraged and on the brink of giving up. But the writer encouraged them to take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.

The writer references the writing of Isaiah 35:3-8, where the people of God would be in hard times, yet God sent them a message of hope. God would bring restoration to the land, God was going to come and deliver and save his people from their enemies, and he tells Isaiah that “with this news, strengthen those who have tired hands and encourage those who have weak knees.”

I just want to encourage you this morning to hang in there, if you need to reset yourself, reset yourself, you may have gotten frustrated, you may have become disappointed, you may even be tried, but now it’s time to reset yourself. Because I believe the Lord is coming to save you, the LORD is coming to deliver, the LORD is coming to turn it around!

Encourage someone and say “Be strong!!!” Don’t fear, the LORD is coming to save you, He’s coming to destroy your enemies!!!