Eagle Ridge Church of God Sermons

Jesus is Superior, Period.

Week 7: Faithful Endurance

Hebrews 12:1-4

• looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…

• Faithful endurance can only be achieved by focusing on Jesus

• looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him…

1. Focusing on Jesus begins by anticipating Joy

Romans 8:18-23

• looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross…

2. Focusing on Jesus means through not around struggle and suffering

• looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame…

3. Focusing on Jesus disregards shame messages

• looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

4. Focusing on Jesus returns to Joy experienced in God’s presence

Hebrews 12:28

“Let us” practice focusing that leads to enduring.

1. Commit Hebrews 12:2-3 to memory
2. Feed on it for 30 days

Jesus is Superior, Period

Week 6: What is a Faithful Life

Is a faithful life just perpetual risk?

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

Misconception 1: Faith means if we really, really wish for something, God will provide it.

Misconception 2: Faith is trusting that adherence to His law will get you what you want.

Misconception 3: Faith is leaping blindly into the dark unknown.

Achieving Faith with Active Trust:

Abel trusted God’s judgement call.

Then, he acted on that trust.

Proper expectation in God is the breeding ground for a miracle.

Faith Receipts: The stories of God’s superiority exemplified through our active obedience in faith.

• By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death... Hebrews 11:5 ESV
• By faith Noah… constructed an ark… Hebrews 11:7 ESV
• By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out… not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8 ESV
• By faith Sarah... received power to conceive, even when she was past the age… Hebrews 11:11 ESV

Hebrews 11:39-40 ESV

Steps to Writing Your Own Faith Receipts:

1. Identify an area of your life you’ve been preoccupied with balancing.
2. Consider what God might be asking you to do to begin turning your faith from concept into practiced lifestyle.
3. Be attentive to those who might need to hear your “faith receipts”.

Jesus is Superior, Period.

Week 5: Finding Lasting Confidence

Hebrews 9:26b-28, 10:10-14, 10:19-25, 10:22

Confident that Jesus is my “once for all” I can and must…Move closer to God without fear of guilt or insecurity concerning his love.

Hebrews 10:35, 10:38b-39, 10:32-33

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 

Confident that Jesus is my “once for all” I can and must…Remain focused on my confession and the hope it promises.

Hebrews 10:24-25

Confident that Jesus is my “once for all” I can and must…Focus on my responsibility for others in Christ and resist self-focused religion

Start feeding your confidence in Jesus, your “once for all”

1.Remember and replay the truth about Jesus  Hebrews 9:26b-28

“Holy Spirit speak I am listening, help me remember what you have done for me.”

Hebrews 10:9-10

“Holy Spirit speak I am listening, help me remember what you have done for me.”Hebrews 10:12-17

“Holy Spirit speak I am listening, help me remember what you have done for me.”

2. What risk do you need to take to connect your roots with God’s people?

Jesus is Superior, Period.

Week 4: This Doesn’t Feel Like Love

Three things need to happen before we go any further!

1.   Confront (Hebrews 5:11-6:3)  

2.   Prophetic Warning (Hebrews 6:1-4)

3.   Reasons for hope (Hebrews 6:9-12)

About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. Hebrews 5:11

Step 1: Confront

• They are consuming but not producing. Hebrews 5:12-14
• They seem unwilling to push through resistance which makes them vulnerable. Hebrews 5:13-14

Step 2: Prophetic warning

• “Here’s where you are presently heading.”  Hebrews 6:1-3

Step 3: Reasons for Hope

• “I believe in you and the resources that are available to you.”   

Hebrews 6:9-10 & 11-12

Practicing “earnest imitation”

1.    Humbly receive any confrontation and warning from The One who loves you. 

2.    How can I begin imitating those who are showing Jesus’ way to me.

3.    Get in the game where disciples make disciples.

Jesus is Superior, Period.

Week 3: Confession and rest

Hebrews 3:1-6

Don’t wander from your confession. 

• Confession is a public statement of belief and intention.

Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, Hebrews 3:1 

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  Hebrews 4:14

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

 “…consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2 who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house.”   Hebrews 3:1-2

• Baptism is an example of confession.

“Jesus is my Lord and Savior”

“I trust Jesus with my life”

“I am dead to my old life and raised to new life”

“I will follow Jesus no matter the cost”

The reward for not wandering from one’s confession is “rest”.

• Rest is to stop one’s work and constant striving.

The promise of entering this rest still stands!

Rest is in God’s presence.

Exodus 33:14 ESV, Matthew 11:29 NLT, Hebrews 12:28 ESV

What does wandering look like?

• Step 1…Unbelief

• Step 2…Disobey because you don’t believe or trust

• Step 3…Repeated disobedience or a pattern causes a hardening of the heart
• Step 4…Our out-right rebellion against God’s authority

Hebrews 3:1 & 4:14 

Let’s practice living your confession and enjoying rest:

1.    Reaffirm you confession-

“Jesus is my Lord and Savior.”-He is my authority and I can only find freedom from my sin and it’s just punishment through Him. 

 “I trust Jesus with my life.”-I give up the right of self-determination making Jesus the one who directs my life. 

“I am dead to my old life and raised to new life” -I am a sinner in need of God’s grace who is now his adopted child.  I am a new person, and I am being made new. 

 “I will follow Jesus no matter the cost!” -My allegiance is to Jesus whether the path is difficult, or it is easy. 

2.    Do one thing to experience resting in Jesus this week.

Jesus is Superior, Period.

Week 2: Messenger and Message

“To whom or what should we listen in order to find out what to believe and how to order our lives?” Christian Theology, Erickson, The NIV Application Commentary Hebrews, George H. Guthrie, 339-40.

“Many see any spiritual encounter, regardless of its nature or message, as communicating truth, and even some professing to be followers of Christ are buying into the broader cultures fascination with angels.  The NIV Application Commentary Hebrews, George H. Guthrie, 78-79

1 John 4:1, Hebrews 1:4-5

Jesus is not just a messenger he is the message

1.     Because he is God and therefore has authority, period.

2.     Because He set aside this authority to serve us

 Hebrews 2:9, Hebrews 2:14-15

3.     Because Jesus suffered in coming to serve us

Hebrews 2:10 & 18

Therefore, Jesus has credibility!

Hebrews 2:1-4, Luke 8:15 NLT

Remain focused and unmoved from Jesus’ as God’s messenger and message.

Jesus is superior, period.

Let’s focus so we don’t “drift”.

1.     Join or continue through Hebrews.

2.     Remember a time when you drifted and paid the price.

3.     Join in a time of confession & repentance.

Jesus is Superior, Period.

Week 1:  Jesus’ credentials

Hebrews 1:1-3

 Why was this written? 

 Hebrews 2:1 & 3, 4:14 & 6:1

Jesus is God’s one and only Son.

• Jesus was God’s agent in creating the world.

 1 Corinthians 8:6 NLT

• He is God’s presence up close and personal.

 Colossians 1:15

• He keeps things moving in the right direction.
• He is one with the father waiting to return

 Hebrews 2:1 & 3

Sustained focus on Jesus:

 1.      Commit to be here each Sunday.

2.      Pick up a journal and study guide and use them.

3.      Do this in community with others. 

Resurrection Sunday

1 Corinthians 15:1-9

“Euangelion”= Good News or Gospel

This is Good News!

 Luke 4:18

This is Good News…Only if I take a sober look at your life. 

This is Good News…Because it has answers for 2 issue, I don’t have answersfor.

• I am what I am I can be nothing more.
• No one survives this.

1 Corinthians 15:52-57; Romans 3:23

This is Good News…But only if you are willing to die.

 1 Corinthians 15:35-38 , John 10:10 , 1 Corinthians 15:58.

This is Good News…Because now I can be strong and purposeful.

Repent…believe…follow (Circle diagram)

What would it mean for you to die and be born to new life?

Palm Sunday: Triumphal Entry?

It becomes clear that Jesus isn’t what they expected…And that’s why they didn’t recognize him for who he was.   

 Zechariah 9:9

1 Kings 1:38-39

Who didn’t recognize Jesus for who he was.

• The Romans
• The crowd

 Luke 19:36-38

•  The Pharisees

 Luke 19:39-40

Creation will recognize what people miss. 

Romans 8:21-23 & 14:10-12

Those who recognize Jesus praise Him before the crowd joins them andafter the crowd leaves. 

Can you recognize when Jesus shows up?

Jeremiah 29:13, Deuteronomy 4:29, Revelations 2:4-5

Has it become clear to you that Jesus isn’t what you expected, and you are disappointed?

Ways to pursue Jesus this week:

1.     Walk with Jesus through Holy Week

2.     Experience the upper room with your family or bridge group. 

3.     Invite someone from the crowd to Resurrection Sunday.

Seeing the Unseen: Reaching the Lost

Week 3

If you are following Jesus you can see what others cannot. John 3:3

You can see the Kingdom of God; His restoring work is happening all around us. Matthew 6:33

Seeing means I can join Jesus in His work. Matthew 13:17

Listen and respond

• Listen to and respond to God.

Acts 8:26 NIV

• As he obeyed , the Spirit continued to lead.

Acts 8: 27-29 NIV

• Listen and respond to people.

Acts 8:34-35 NIV

• We never know when we’ll have the opportunity to share our faith.

• We’ll never know what part of God's process we may be.

• We may never know what the results may be.

“Who will I be listening to?” and “What will my response be?”