A Word Of Encouragement
Hebrews: A Story Worth Sharing • Sermon • Submitted
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Good morning!
Last week we looked at a difficult passage dealing with salvation and specifically if it can be lost.
I shared with you guys six common views of that passage and then we took a deep dive into the one that I believe best explains what the author of Hebrews was trying to say.
The passage is quite ambiguous and so we looked at a lot of other scripture to help us understand and bring clarity to the passage.
To answer the question, no, it is our belief, based on the scripture that we cannot do anything to earn our salvation and therefore, cannot do anything to lose it.
The last two sections that we covered come as a pause in the middle of the author's explanation of Jesus as high priest.
He creates this brief intermission in his message to gather their focus and to prepare them for a message that is to come.
His goal is to encourage the church to continue progressing in their relationship and faith in Jesus.
In order to protect and encourage them, he reminds them that Jesus meets us where we are, but that does not give us the right to stagnate.
He exhorts us to continue to grow in our understanding.
Last week he challenges those that have joined the church to consider their own salvation.
Are they just going through the motions in an attempt to look like a believer without actually rely on Jesus?
While that is a hard message, what a kind and loving thing to share with the church.
His goal isn’t to simply call people out, but to make them really think about the truth of what Jesus did and their response to it.
There are often those in churches that are there for their own benefit.
Rather than exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit that comes through abiding, they are producing fruit out of their own abilities.
The result of that “false fruit” is a focus on ourselves instead of God.
It would be easy to look at these last two sections and think that the author only has harsh words for them and is disappointed in them.
As we are about to see, that is not the case. Look at the next few verses with me.
9 Even though we are speaking this way, dearly loved friends, in your case we are confident of things that are better and that pertain to salvation.
10 For God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you demonstrated for his name by serving the saints—and by continuing to serve them.
11 Now we desire each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of your hope until the end,
12 so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.
For those of you who are teachers, have taught a Sunday School class, lead a life group, or been in charge of a group of people, there is a truth that you have at some point encountered.
Not everyone that is in your group is on the same level.
That difference could be developmental, experience, cultural, or even generational.
Regardless of why they are different, the fact is, it is difficult to teach to each of those groups at the same time.
In order to address each of those, you have to carve out time and intentionally address them or there will be a lack of understanding at some varying level for each person.
If you can’t think of a time like that, trust me, or ask a teacher, it can be extremely challenging.
When we read these verses today, we are witnessing a teacher addressing a group of people with a wide range of experiences with God.
I believe we see these swings in tone because he needs to address at least four different groups of people.
New believers
Stagnated believers
Pretend believers
Seasoned believers
Many believe that this letter was written with the intent of it being distributed to many different churches that were all experiencing persecution.
Remembering that, makes this section come into a new light.
Where it seemed chaotic at first, we now see cohesion.
If the author wrote this with the intent of it being distributed, there is no doubt that he was relying on the Holy Spirit to speak to each church and believer in regards to their spiritual condition.
Every week when I prepare, I have the same challenge, and just like the author, I have to rely on the Holy Spirit to speak through me, and that it falls on your ears as He intends.
If for some reason, you missed one of the last two messages, I would encourage you to go back and listen to the podcast.
Each one of us falls somewhere on the spectrum that the author lays out through his exhortation and I don’t want you to miss an opportunity for the Lord to speak to you through his word.
The final part of this short interlude is a word of encouragement.
As I studied this passage this week and thought through what the author was communicating, my thoughts went to you guys who are here every week, serving as is described in this passage.
Ben and Anna Mckay - Ben and Anna are very much behind the scenes, but our church wouldn’t be what it is without them. Ben keeps all our stuff working, handles most of our sound stuff, and serves as an elder. Anna is on our staff and handles all the accounting for West and is training others to handle accounting for the Network and Kolin.
Jacob and Mattie Crump - Jacob serves as an elder and leads one of our life groups. Mattie is a voice to those among our communities who can’t speak for themselves. She brings to light the hidden struggles that so many face.
Carey and Kara Westbrook - Carey serves as an elder, is beginning to lead a life group, and serves our community here on Wednesday nights. Kara is the children’s ministry assistant and teaches the elementary on Wednesday nights. They host a life group in their home. They are also foster parents.
Kyle Debevec - Kyle is the youth ministry assistant and teaches the youth on Wednesday nights.
Craig and Colleen Glasscock - Craig is one of our deacons and is a general doer and fixer of things. Colleen serves in several roles on Wednesday nights either preparing food, teaching, or helping where needed.
Alex and Lizzie Felter - You have seen these two up here the last three weeks leading worship, Alex is on the worship team, and does several kinds of art for us. Lizzie and Alex also have hosted a Life group in their home for ? 8ish years?
Mike and Debi Upshaw - Both Mike and Debi are deacons and care for us in so many ways. Mike takes care of all our video needs and audio for any events outside this room. Debi is the organizer extraordinaire and helps with creating processes that help us run more efficiently. These two are an incredible team and if you need someone to pray for you, look no further.
Wes and Casandra Renard - These two are our newest and immediately dove into ministry head first! They have recently started hosting a life group. They also both serve on Wednesday nights. Cassandra preps and serves food and Wes, refs or plays basketball as needed and fills in all over the place.
David and Julie Miller - David and Julie host and lead a life group in their home. I’ll tell you that many times, their LG members have come to me to brag on how well they love their people. They of do such a good job of welcoming in people who typically wouldn’t go to church and showing them what it means to be loved by God in the way they love and serve them.
Rachel Guy - You may not know this, but for at least the last year, Rachel has come up during the week to clean and sanitize our building to make sure it is ready for church on Sunday Morning.
Craig and Janet Austin - Craig is a deacon and has taken on the task of managing all our outside maintenance, which is no small task. Prior to launching Kolin, Janet and Craig hosted a life group in their home. I’ve led a LG at their house before and let me tell you, Mama Janet takes care of you!
Rachel Austin - Rachel has shared testimony about her work with us before. She cares for the most vulnerable among us and works to make sure they are not taken advantage of.
Miki McManus - I don’t even know where to start with Miki. I mean, if you need a smile, prayer, a gut laugh, or encouragement she is your lady. She is our official prayer warrior for our community ministry and it is so apparent that the Lord works through her!
Michelle Palmer - Deacon Michelle is my unofficial fact checker/culture advisor. If I step out of line, you can be that Michelle will let me know! She serves on Wednesday nights by loving on all the kids and giving them her undivided attention. She also sees the things around us that others might miss and just takes care of it.
Leah and David Hill - Leah is on staff as our Worship Leader and works as Glen’s assistant for TGP Network. David is on the worship team and helps Leah. They both just finished up foster care training as well.
Maggie Fontenot - Maggie serves on the worship team and host a life group in her home.
I want to point out that without going into any detail at all, it took quite a while to mention just some of what you guys are doing in ministry.
I cannot begin to tell you what an encouragement you all are to me.
Not only have I never been part of such an amazing group of believers, but this is my first pastorate and you guys have made it a dream!
As I’m reading this passage, my thoughts immediately go to each one of you.
Listen to this again, picking up at verse 10.
10 For God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you demonstrated for his name by serving the saints—and by continuing to serve them.
11 Now we desire each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of your hope until the end,
12 so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.
I, just like you, are continually encouraged by members of this church.
You all love one another and the people God has put in your lives so well and that is demonstrated week after week.
But, similar to the churches that this letter was written, each of us faces circumstances that tempt us to step away.
I’m not talking about abandoning our faith.
As life circumstances change, there is a temptation to step away from ministry because it appears that it would be too difficult to continue.
The enemy is so good at convincing us that we cannot maintain the pace.
He isn’t wrong.
God doesn’t want us to attempt to accomplish his task in our power.
The only way we could ever keep up is by relying on God to work through us, not us working for him.
If I were to go down that list again, almost every person has faced or is currently facing something that is incredibly difficult.
As a church, we have faced so much and yet all of you are more involved in ministry than you ever have.
Don’t misunderstand me, it’s not about us just doing stuff and calling it God’s activity and we know that.
But taking an honest look at your activity is helpful.
The work you are letting God do in your life is a good way to gauge your relationship with Him.
16 This is how we have come to know love: He laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
17 If anyone has this world’s goods and sees a fellow believer in need but withholds compassion from him—how does God’s love reside in him?
18 Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.
19 This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and will reassure our hearts before him
20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows all things.
When I look at each of your lives, I see loving, not just in words, but in deeds.
Your lives are centered around loving God and loving people.
Here is what we have learned by experience, if we love one another as Christ did, in the good times and the bad, we have people to support us.
And, during those hard times, God is still actively working in us and through us.
What we see as debilitating life experiences God sees as an opportunity to show off.
I am confident that the church that the author of Hebrews is writing to had similar experiences.
Sometimes we just need a little reminder of how amazing life can be.
This passage references a few verses from James 2, but I’d like to read a good chunk of it today because James is speaking the same message that the author of Hebrews is.
Look with me at James 2:14-26
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food
16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?
17 In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works.
19 You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder.
20 Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless?
21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works in offering Isaac his son on the altar?
22 You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was made complete,
23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend.
24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works in receiving the messengers and sending them out by a different route?
26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
The life and vitality that our church experiences are a result of what James would call a complete faith.
It is complete because not only do we have faith, but we act in response to that faith.
God gives us a directive and in faith, we move forward, and that faith is increased.
Sometimes we see the end goal, and sometimes he tells us to do something that is completely out of our wheelhouse.
I’ve shared this before, but if you would have asked me when I was in college if my job was to sell gas station equipment and pastor a church, I would have laughed at you .
Neither of those things were in my plans.
I’m sure the same is true for most of you.
I can also tell you that if God gave me the option today to change where I work and how our ministry operates, there is very little I would change.
As a matter of fact, I can’t really think of anything significant that would change.
But I can also tell you this, if it weren’t for each and everyone of you, this ministry post wouldn’t be the same.
This series that we are in is about sharing our stories and I have loved hearing all of your stories as we have been in this study and I can’t wait to hear more.
When people ask me about our church, I love to tell them about all the things that God is doing in the lives of our people.
Our lives have all taken some crazy turns as we have followed God’s lead and it has been so much fun.
Every week I get so excited as I hear the stories of what God is doing.
At the end of this passage, the author tells them his purpose in his encouragement.
11 Now we desire each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of your hope until the end,
12 so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.
There is always the danger that we can become complacent in our faith.
To take some time off because everyone else seems to be handling things or because life got harder.
In verse twelve we see that word, lazy, again that we learned two weeks ago that can also be translated as negligent.
I want to encourage all of us, myself included, to preserver every day in following God’s lead.
There is an ever-looming temptation to neglect our faith and if we do, we aren’t the only ones that will be missing out.
God has so much more in store for us and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to miss it.
This week was yet another week that was so encouraging.
God is continuing to work and allowing us to take part in what he is doing.
Let’s don’t stop pursuing him.
Let’s press on and discover together the richness of God’s mercy and invite people who don’t know God to join us.
When the difficulties of life rear their ugly heads, turn to God and turn to your brothers and sisters in Christ.
In Jesus, we have all that we need to get through whatever is in front of us.
We know that by experience.
Thank you for being the church and for walking in obedience.
Let’s pray.