We have come to the beginning of our journey in the book of Psalms. We will probably be in and out of Psalms for the next several summers. The Psalms are unique in scripture, and when I first became a Christian, I didn’t understand the Psalms. I didn’t have a category for them. I remember being in high school in 1998, and there was a song that came out called ‘Iris’ by the Goo Goo Dolls.

I was a junior in high school at this time, and I remember listening to this song. This song caused an unbelievable, powerful thing inside of me because there had been these emotions and sentiments that I had been feeling for several years. Then I heard this song, Iris, and it put to words things I had been feeling for years that I never knew how to articulate. ‘I don’t want the world to see me, because I don’t think that they’d understand.”

I remember I was talking to one of the youth leaders at our church, and I was telling her about how I love this song because it resonates with my soul. This guy feels what I feel, I’m not alone in the world in feeling these emotions. Someone else gets me and is singing about it, and I can sing about it in my bedroom, yelling at the top of my lungs, singing this song.

The youth leader at my church said to me, You know, that’s what the Psalms do for us. That part of scripture that God has put right in the middle of the Bible. They put words to things that many of us are feeling that we’re unable to articulate. The Holy Spirit has given us this gift of the Psalms that put words to reflections, meditations, prayers, and laments. They’re put down so that you can read them and know you’re not alone.

Not long after, I came across a music artist by the name of Shane Bernard. He would later team up with another guy named Shane, and they would become the band we know today as Shane and Shane. But Shane Bernard was sort of an unknown artist in the late 90s, and one of his early albums was called Psalms. In that album, he put to music a dozen or so psalms. I remember listening to that in my bedroom by myself on a CD.

I remember him singing from Psalm 103. The Lord is gracious, he’s slow to anger. He is rich in love. He is good to us. I remember reading or listening to these songs and thinking, wow, what a gift that God has given us, the Psalms, to put to words the things that are inside of us that he wants us to articulate.

The Psalms are incredibly valuable, and it took me several years to really appreciate the Psalms and understand them. But the more I spent time in the Psalms, as I grew in my late teen years and in my 20s, it began to shape me. The Psalms have shaped how I pray. It gave me vocabulary that I didn’t have before.

The Psalms taught me how to sing to God. I remember listening to some old hymns and recognizing some of the language in hymns. Oh, that was borrowed from these Psalms. The Psalms also taught me how to grieve and to cry. The Psalms are a powerful gift from God to us that are immensely helpful to us in so many ways, and therefore, they are worthy of our study. They’re worthy of our attention.

This morning, if you’re not familiar with the Psalms, I want to give you a quick overview of the entire book of Psalms. Then we’re going to hone in on Psalm Chapter One. Specifically, I want to give you a tool on how to read the Psalms. I want to give you some basic, tangible things to do when you’re reading the Psalms that will make it much more helpful to you. We’re going to look at Psalm 1, and I’m going to model how we can examine the passage. Before we do that, let’s ask God for his help one more time.

God, would you help us understand the Psalms? God, thank you for this gift. May it profoundly shape how we live, how we pray, how we sing, how we cry, and how we see you. Would you help us now? Would you be pleased to glorify yourself through Psalm Chapter One? I ask in Christ’s name. Amen.

If you don’t know this, the Psalms are not one book. It’s not one writing. It’s a collection of writings. There are one hundred and fifty different writings. Seventy-five of them are written by a man we call King David. Some of them were written early in his life, before he became king, some were written during his reign, and some were written immediately after he was ousted from being the king.

David wrote about half of the Psalms. These Psalms were written over about a thousand years. So the earliest Psalm was probably written somewhere around 1500 BC. The last Psalm was written somewhere around 500 BC. These Psalms were written through human beings by the Spirit of God. Soon after the last Psalm was written, they were compiled together by Jewish leadership and prophets in the nation of Israel, after they came out of exile.

So the Jewish people had been in exile as slaves in Babylon. Then, after 70 years, God rescues them, and they come back into the promised land. While they are there, around 500 B.C., they compile these Psalms. They organize them not chronologically, but thematically. The Psalms are not in order. Psalm 1 was not the first one written. Psalm 150 is probably not the last one that was written, although Bible scholars argue over that. But the first one written was probably either Psalm 29 or Psalm 90.

When the Psalms are collected, they’re put together by themes in five different books. Book one, all of those Psalms, they all fit a particular theme. Book two fits a theme. The five books of Psalms all have their five different themes, and they tell a story. At the beginning of each of the five books, the Psalm that was placed there lays the foundation for the rest of the Psalms that are in that book.

Traditionally, this collection of 150 distinct writings has been known as the ‘Psalter’. That’s the traditional word for the book of Psalms. We don’t use that word much in our contemporary Christian circles, but the Book of Psalms was traditionally called the Psalter. It was organized in five books thematically, not chronologically. That’s the overall structure.

Two other important things to know about the Book of Psalms, the Psalter, are that all of the Psalms are poems. They are written in ancient Hebrew poetic style. Since it’s poetry, it uses a bunch of different poetic literary mechanisms. That’s important because that helps us interpret the Psalms a little bit better. It’s not just straightforward prose, it’s not just history, although there are elements of history, but there’s poetic commentary on history.

The history is told in a poetic fashion using metaphors and imagery. It’s important to understand that when you’re reading the Psalms, it’s not the same as reading the book of Hebrews. It’s drastically different style demands a different type of hermeneutic, a different approach.

The last thing I’ll give you this morning is that all of the Psalms are songs. They were put to music. There’s a rhythm, there’s a cadence, because they’re meant to be sung. The Jewish people, all throughout their history and especially after they came out of Babylon and came back into the promised land, would have used the Psalms as their hymnbook.

The early Christians did this too. When we look back at early church records, the bulk of the singing of the early church in the first, second, and third centuries was the Psalms. Certain psalms were especially popular. In the region of Antioch (the modern day northern part of Israel, Syria, and Jordan), the churches in that region, for about 200 years, sang Psalm 63 at the beginning of their worship gathering every single Sunday.

They looked at Psalm 63 as so valuable, all of the churches in that region would sing that same Psalm at the beginning of the worship service every single week for about 250 years. They valued it that much. Throughout church history, the early church and in the Middle Medieval era, Psalms were the primary way Christians worshiped God in music.

Hymns came on the scene in the early Middle Ages. You start seeing some hymns appear in the middle part of the Medieval era. There are some hymns, but it’s predominantly Psalms. Up until the Reformation era, hymns made significant inroads into music. For the first 1500 years of the church, it was mostly Psalms. From the 1500s up until the mid-1800s, there is about a 300-year period where there’s a slow progression when Psalms are getting less popular in church services and hymns are becoming a little more popular.

There’s this trade off. By the time you get to the mid-1800s, hymns dominate singing in churches. By the time we get to the late 1800s, especially. From the late 1800s up until about the 1970s, what we call hymns today really dominated music singing. In the 1970s, 1980s, we began to see a shift toward what we now would call contemporary worship music.

Although hymns still have a place, they’re still around. We like to do hymns here. Contemporary worship music has dominated over the last 40, 50 years or so. But Psalms dominated church history. Now I’m not advocating that we go back to that necessarily, although there probably could be a good argument to be made for that. I’m not saying that we should do that. I’m just giving you history.

The Psalms were extremely important to Christians for a really long time. It’s a part of our Christian heritage to care deeply about the Psalms. I think it’s a heritage we ought to wholeheartedly embrace. Make the Psalms a big part of your life. The best Bible reading plans are the ones that include Psalms daily. There are Bible reading plans that will have you read a little bit from this book, and then cap off your reading for the day with a Psalm or two. Those would be the ones I would commend to you. So that’s the overview and introduction to the book of Psalms.

The next thing I want to highlight is that there are two different ways to read the Psalms. There are two different approaches. There’s more than just two, but we will focus on two of the main approaches. You can read the bible anthropologically, or you can read the Psalms Christologically. The anthropological reading of Psalms is that you read a Psalm as if it’s written by a human being, for human beings, because we are human beings reading it. You’re asking, how can I become a better human being?

That’s the anthropological reading of the Psalms, and that’s a very helpful. There’s immense goodness in reading the Psalms that way. That’s how most Christians in America read the Psalms. Read Psalm 1. It’s going to talk about the blessed man. You’re going to ask yourself, I want to be a blessed man. What must I do to be more blessed?

That’s the anthropological reading of a psalm, and we should do that. There’s a lot to be learned from an anthropological reading of the Psalms. However, you should not stop there. You should go beyond that. You should read the Psalms anthropologically, as well as Christologically. Meaning, you’re asking yourself, how does this Psalm reveal Jesus Christ?

Christ is the hero of the story. So I want to ask myself, what is it in this Psalm that gives me better insight into the person and work of Jesus Christ? This is where most modern American Christians fail in the reading of Psalms. This is not a very common thing, but I want to commend you to do this when you’re reading the Psalms. An anthropological reading and a Christological reading are both useful to us; they are not mutually exclusive. We want to make use of both of those.

We’re going to look at Psalm chapter 1, and I want to give you a model for how to do both of these. The first Psalm was written by David. He starts off by talking about the blessed man. The opening phrase is ‘Blessed is the man who’. It begins to describe how that man behaves. That’s his goal. He gives us a description, and in essence, the idea of the blessed man is any person who lives like this.

Then I want to read Psalm 1 and go, How does the blessed man live so that I can live like that and be blessed? That’s the anthropological reading. Before we get to that, it would be valuable for us to define the word blessed. What does it mean to be blessed? Often, we refer to blessings as material blessings. If someone is, let’s say, financially wealthy, we may say, that person is really blessed. Or if someone has a lot of gifts or talents, we may say that person’s really gifted, they’re blessed.

That’s not necessarily the wrong way to use that language. I remember when I first got married and soon thereafter we had our first child, Lettie. I remember one of my friends saying, Kenny, you are so blessed. You’ve got a great wife, a great kid, and you are so blessed. That was true. That’s an appropriate way to use that language. You’ll hear people say, Count your blessings. What they mean is, be cognizant, acknowledge all the good stuff that’s come your way. Count your blessings.

Again, that’s not necessarily a wrong use of the word. But it’s not the only way to use the word blessed. It’s not even the primary way. When the psalmists are writing the Psalms, that’s not the primary way they use the word bless. The word bless is used 27 times in the Psalms. Every time you get the sense of a state of being, a state of emotions. Psalm 32 says this:

“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity.”

Being blessed is the person who knows he’s been forgiven and becomes blessed. When you know you’re forgiven, it does something in you. Psalm 65:4, the psalmist speaking to God, says:

“Blessed is the one that you, God, choose to bring near to dwell in your courts. He shall be satisfied with goodness.”

You get the sense that to be blessed is to have been drawn close to God and to be satisfied by him, to be satisfied by God. Psalm 89 says this in verse 15:

“Blessed are the people who know the festal shout.”

You want to see a blessed man, the person who knows how to celebrate and shout because he’s seen the goodness of God. You get the image, the sense that to be blessed means that you know something about God that has satisfied you or has birthed joy in your soul, and it makes you want to shout and celebrate.

To be blessed is to be satisfied and happy in God, not necessarily to have a bunch of stuff. Now, if God has given you a bunch of stuff and you recognize these are gifts from God, and it causes you to be satisfied in him, then those blessings are helpful. But you don’t necessarily have to have a bunch of good stuff, humanly speaking or materially speaking. To be blessed is to be happy, because you know who God is.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to interchange the word blessed there with satisfied, happy, or fulfilled. The blessed man is the happy man, the satisfied man, the fulfilled man. So what the writer David is doing here is saying, you want to be happy. I think we all want to be happy. You want to be satisfied in this life, you want to be fulfilled. Let me tell you how that person behaves. Then he begins to give us some behavior in the first two verses. He gives us a picture of how the blessed man functions. The result of being blessed is this: look at verse 3:

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

What an unbelievable image. In 2008, I was in Thailand on a short-term mission trip. I was leading a group. My assignment was to lead 70 high school students to the nation of Thailand for two months. As a part of our trip, we ended up in Chiang Rai, which is the very northern part of Thailand, at a place called the Golden Triangle.

This is where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, also known as Burma, come together. The Mekong River comes down from Tibet, China, and flows through this region. The Mekong River, one of the largest, fastest-paced rivers in the world. We went up there and we did some speedboats on the Mekong River. The Mekong River is almost 3,000 miles long. It’s the third-longest river in Asia. In some places it’s as much as a mile wide, and in some places as much as 300ft deep. At the Golden Triangle, it’s much less than that. It’s only a fifth of a mile wide, and it’s only about 100 feet deep.

But it’s pretty big and pretty long, and it’s known as one of the fastest-paced rivers in the world. But it’s remarkable. When we were on these speedboats traveling up the river, you’ll find right in the middle of the Mekong River, you’ll find these trees called Lam Sung Trees. Some of these trees come up 20 feet above the river. The river is 100 to 150 feet deep. It means these trees are 100 to 170 feet tall.

They go down deep into the riverbed, and they just stick up out of the river. They are solid and strong. There’s no movement to these trees. It’s unbelievable. I remember thinking to myself, you have this river, all this water coming fast, pounding these trees, and they just stand immovable. I think that’s the picture the psalmist wants us to have when he says that the blessed man is like a tree planted along the streams of water. Water comes at it, nothing fazes the blessed man. If you’re truly happy in God, satisfied, fulfilled in God, the cares of this world come at you. They pummel you, they hit you, they hurt you, but you stand firm. The only way to do that is to be planted in God, to know him, to know his forgiveness, and to allow that to satisfy your soul.

The blessed man is planted firmly. He yields fruit. His leaves, they don’t wither. It’s a remarkable thing to consider. We all want this blessedness. I want to be blessed. I want to be stable in that way. I don’t want to be tossed about by the cares of this world. In our vision statement here at Horizon City, it has five pillars to it, five tenets. The first one is that we want to be a community of believers who possess steadfast happiness inspired by the grandeur of God.

That’s our number one goal. I want to present you with the grandeur of God, the bigness, the awesome, the beauty of God, for you to see it, for that to inspire in you a deep, strong happiness that doesn’t move, no matter what you face. So that when the cares of this world come at you, you stand strong and nothing knocks you over.

We want to be Christians who possess a steadfast happiness that’s been inspired by the grandeur of God. David calls that man blessed. David then gives us some instructions. Again, this is still the anthropological reading. He’s a human being, writing to human beings, explaining how you can be a better human being. In the early verses, he gives us a description. This sermon almost writes itself. If you look at the first two verses of Psalm 1, he says, speaking of the blessed man:

“He walks not in the council of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord. Day and night.”

He gives us four things. This could be an easy, four-point sermon. Three things not to do, one thing to do. You go through each one of these, and you explain them. It’s a great anthropological sermon, and it would be a good sermon. It’s helpful to read the Bible in that way.

The imagery we get here is two pathways. There’s a pathway that the righteous people go down, and there’s a pathway that wicked people go down. The psalmist David is saying, Don’t listen to the counsel of the people who are willing to go down the pathway of wickedness. It’s going to be bad for you. You won’t be blessed if you listen to those people. Don’t take advice from those people.

Some people embrace wickedness. Don’t listen to them. Some people believe wicked things. Don’t take their advice, ignore their counsel. You don’t have to listen to and tolerate every idea out there. Sometimes it’s okay to reject and ignore. Some people engage in behaviors that God says are disgusting, that are gross, abominations, wicked, and harmful. The psalmist is saying, people who do those things, it’s okay to ignore their advice.

There will be people who engage in behaviors that are contrary to God’s law, and they will look at you and expect you to do more of what they do. The psalmist is saying, You want to be happy, you want to be stable. You want to be like the one planted by the tree, the tree planted by the river. Don’t go that way. Turn your ear off when those people are talking to you.

Some people will champion and advocate for wicked behavior and wicked ideas, and we are to ignore them. There’s an interesting phrase in this section here. ‘The seat of scoffers’. The word ‘seat’ refers to proximity. If I said to you, Washington, D.C. is the seat of our nation’s capital, if you go to D.C., you will be in proximity to a certain type of person, to certain types of events. You’ll be in the seat. So what David, the writer of the Psalm, is saying is, don’t sit in the seat of scoffers. Don’t put yourself in proximity to those who feel the need to mock God or mock our Christian values.

We all know these people who are the super hostile type. The person who’s the secular progressive atheist who’s hostile toward Christian faith, hostile toward deism. They mock you. Ignore those people. Turn off the YouTube channel. Don’t listen to that podcast. There’s a group of people that we have to be very careful who we get close to and who we allow to influence us. The writer David is saying there are scoffers. Be careful how close you get to scoffers.

It will be impossible for you to be blessed, for you to be happy, for you to be satisfied, for you to be stable if you have a lot of scoffers influencing how you think. Now, certainly, we want to be friends with people like that because we want to share the gospel. We want to befriend them, we want to win them to Christ. We want to share the goodness and kindness of God.

However, it’s really easy for them to influence you and hard for you to influence them. That should inform how you engage with those types of people. It doesn’t mean you reject them. It doesn’t mean you’re a jerk to them, doesn’t mean you ostracize them. But it does mean you’re very cautious in how you engage in conversation and how much time you spend and how much access to your life you give those types of people.

Galatians, chapter 6. The apostle Paul tells us in the first verse of Galatians 6 that we ought to go to those who are in sin and rebuke them, correct them with gentleness. Then he says in the latter part of the chapter, in verse 1 of chapter 6,

“But be careful that you yourself are not dragged in.”

Be careful that you yourself are not polluted, another translation says. The apostle Paul knows it’s easy in your desire to hang out with wicked people, in your desire to win them over for Christ. It’s easy for you to get sucked into their sin. It’s really hard to pull them out of their sin. That ought to shape how you think about friendships.

Again, we’re always going to be kind. We always want to be gracious. We want people to see the love of Christ. But we want to be extremely careful how much access to our minds, our hearts, and our lives we give wicked people who have wicked counsel. We’ll be very careful that we don’t sit in the seat scoffers because if we do, we won’t be blessed, we won’t be happy. Don’t take advice from wicked people. Don’t take advice from the scoffers. Then he says this in verse 2. Look at it again. Speaking of the blessed man, this is what he does:

“His delight is in the law of the Lord.”

He takes the law of God and he delights in it. It makes him smile. He reads it, he devours it. Do we do that? If you don’t, you’re not likely to be happy. You’re not likely to be satisfied. If you’re wondering, why am I not fulfilled? Maybe it’s because you’re not delighting in the law of God enough. We ought to do that. The more we delight in the law of God, the more blessed we will be.

That’s the anthropological reading of Psalm 1. You can do that with all of the Psalms. It’s a human being writing to human beings seeking how to be a better human being. Very helpful. Lots of good insights on how to live our lives. But if we stop there, we’re missing something really important. That’s how the Jewish people read the Psalms, Anthropologically.

Until today, Jewish people read the Psalms as if the New Testament didn’t happen or as if the New Testament is not accurate. So we don’t want to do that. We believe the New Testament actually happened and that it accurately accounts for the life and work of Christ. We should read the Psalms as if the New Testament is real and accurate.

I recently used the illustration of the movie The Sixth Sense. You wouldn’t watch the movie The Sixth Sense not knowing the ending of the movie. The second or third time you watched the movie The Sixth Sense, you know how it ended. He’s been dead the whole time. The second or third or fourth time you watch the movie, you can’t watch it pretending like you don’t know the ending. Because you do know the ending.

So when we read the Book of Psalms, don’t read the Book of Psalms like you don’t know the ending. We know the ending. The ending is that there is one blessed man above all. His name is Jesus Christ. We want to read the Psalms in a Christological fashion. John 5:39, this is Jesus speaking to Jewish leaders:

“You search the Scriptures because you think in them you have eternal life. And it is they that bear witness of me.”

He’s saying, you guys are reading the Bible, the Old Testament, and you think that just studying the Old Testament is going to be enough to give you eternal life, but it’s not. You could be an Old Testament expert and still go to hell. The Old Testament testifies of someone, Jesus. So he’s rebuking them for reading the Old Testament and not looking for Jesus in the Old Testament. That should inform how we read the Old Testament.

He’s rebuking them, saying, Don’t read the Old Testament without looking for me. When you read the Old Testament, look for Jesus. So when I read Psalm 1 and I read it Christologically, I want to ask myself, who is the blessed man? And the answer is, His name is Jesus. If we read it only anthropologically, it fails. Am I a stable tree planted firmly in my life? No, I’m not.

Do I bear fruit in every season? Of course not. There are moments I’m not bearing fruit of the Spirit well, because I’m a sinner, and I flop. Am I unscathed by the rivers of this world? No way. I’m not that tree planted in the river. I’m like a twig floating down, being pushed by the river into the Pacific Ocean.

When we read about the blessed man in Psalm 1, do you say to yourself, That’s me. I’m killing it. Not a chance. Not a one of us. We are so flaky and so fickle and so inconsistent. We’re tossed about by situations. We’re happy one minute, exhausted the next. Feeling excited one moment, totally saddened and discouraged the next, joyful one day, disheartened the next. We’re inconsistent, irrational, overly emotional, unnecessarily subjective, and defensive.

If you read Psalm 1 and you think to yourself, I’m the blessed man, you’ve read it wrong. We read Psalm 1 and think, This is describing Jesus. Jesus is stable and faithful, not tossed about. He is the tree planted. He is the one happy in God, fully satisfied, fully fulfilled. That is Jesus. So we read Psalm 1 and go, Wow, how did you pull that off, Jesus? You are so awesome.

You know how hard it is to avoid the counsel of the wicked? We are bombarded every single day with advice and ideas from wicked people all around us, way more than we realize. We embrace it way more than we realize. Sometimes we foolishly invite wicked advice from the media we consume, the TV we watch, the podcasts we listen to, and the social media we engage with. We invite counsel from wicked people all day.

We are not the blessed one. We have to think, how Jesus lived on this planet with all the stuff that was around him, coming at him, and not walk in the way of the sinners, not do what sinners do? How did he live the human experience and not go down the pathway of wickedness when all of us have done so? You should read Psalm 1 and go, Wow, Jesus is impressive.

So many of us have bad friends with bad ideas. Terrible, wicked behaviors. In our fear, we don’t want to offend them. So we let their advice ruminate, to come into our eyes and float around our brains, float around our ideas and our homes. In the name of evangelism, in the name of being good friends, in the name of not offending, we invite people into our lives who scoff at the things we believe are true. Then we wonder why we’re not happy, why we’re not satisfied, why we’re not fulfilled.

We inevitably, foolishly end up allowing the wicked ideas and wicked people to influence us. I can’t help but think to myself, Jesus, how did you pull it off? You are even better than I thought. Then it says that the blessed man delights in the law of God. Jesus delighted in the law of God. We don’t. Maybe a little bit here or there. Do we devour the Scriptures the way we ought to?

I don’t know about you. Sometimes I come home and I’m like, I can’t. I’m chomping at the bit to go watch the next episode of whatever show my wife and I are bingeing on Netflix at that time. I just want to see the next episode. Or I want to go see the game that’s on, or I’m chomping at the bit to do this thing. I’m delighting in this thing.

How often do I delight in these things more than I delight in the law of God? The answer is almost all day, every day. But Jesus delighted in the law of God perfectly. He meditated on it day and night. See, if I read Psalm 1 anthropologically, it’s helpful to me. But if I read Psalm 1 Christologically, it humbles me and it puts my eyes on the one that deserves my worship, the blessed man, Jesus, the Christ.

We want to read the Bible, the Psalms in particular, Anthropologically and Christologically. Not one or the other. I want to read to you Psalm chapter 1, the first few verses. I hope this doesn’t offend anyone. But I’ve edited it slightly to give you the Christological reading of Psalm 1. I’ve edited the first few verses to put Jesus’ name in it, because he is the blessed man. Psalm 1:

‘Jesus Christ is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. But Jesus Christ delights in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Jesus Christ is like a tree planted by the streams of water. Jesus Christ yields his fruit and his leaf does not wither in all that Jesus Christ does, He prospers.’

We look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. We look at the grandeur of who he is. We are in awe of him, and that births in us the steadfast happiness that he longs for us to have. Jesus is the blessed man. Jesus obeys. He does all that a blessed man would do. He earned the right to experience the benefits of being the blessed man. Jesus earned it, not us.

Then Jesus chooses to share it with those who believe in him. Jesus is the blessed man. He did all the things that a blessed man must do to be blessed. Then he says, if you believe on me, I’m going to share with you all the benefits of being a blessed man. You’re going to experience being blessed, although you’ve not done that which needed to be done to be blessed. In Romans chapter 8, the apostle Paul is writing, he says this:

“You did not receive a spirit of slavery, but received the spirit of adoption.”

When you came to faith in Jesus, you didn’t become his slave. You were adopted into God’s family. Then he says this, Romans 8:17:

“And since we are children, we are heirs, heirs of God, coheirs with Christ.”

God the Father has given an inheritance to His Son, Jesus. We believe in Jesus, and Jesus shares his inheritance with us. For those who genuinely believe in him, for those who have trusted in Christ and in Christ alone for salvation. You receive the benefits of being blessed not because you did what you needed to do to become blessed, but because Jesus did it, and he shares his blessing with you.

So those are the two ways to read the Psalms. Anthropologically, we read the Psalms, we get some wisdom, and there’s some good instruction we can apply to our lives. We’re thankful for that. But ultimately, we read something like Psalm 1, and we go, This is what a blessed man does. I’m not that. I flop every day, and then I read it again, but Jesus does that.

Jesus does it, and he has earned a blessing, and he will ensure that he shares it with me. The blessed man is Jesus Christ, who has done on your behalf what needed to be done so that you will be blessed. Church, our hope is not built on our ability to do the right things. We are fickle and inconsistent. He is stable and reliable. In the middle of the storm, he will be the anchor that holds you. When we are weak, he is strong. He is the cornerstone of our faith. He is the blessed man.

We have come now to the end of the book of Hebrews. There’s a particular sentiment on display in the last few verses in the benediction. It reminds me of something. Have you ever been working on a task and in the middle of it you realize you don’t have everything you need for the task?

Like you’re working on some home project and you decide that you’re going to randomly tear down a wall. You decide at 11pm because you’re bored, you decide you’re tearing down this wall. Your mind’s going crazy. You decide you gotta do something crazy. The Home Depot’s closed. You can’t go get the thing you need.

Or you’re maybe you’re in the middle of cooking a meal. You’re in the middle of the meal and you’ve prepared, and then you realize, I don’t have the thing I need. I don’t have the paprika or the cumin or whatever it is. You’re realize that I’m out of that.

The writer of Hebrews is in essence going to remind us that in the Christian life, when we are walking through this life and doing that which God has called us to do, that will never happen. We will never have a moment when we are in the middle of a task and we say to ourselves, I don’t have the thing I need. The writer of Hebrews is saying, God has ensured that that’s never going to take place.

This morning, I want to give a thorough recap of the book of Hebrews. We’re going to remind ourselves of what we have seen over the last several months. Then, after the recap, we’re going to look at the last few words. It’s a prayer. It’s a benediction.

The writer of Hebrews said, I’ve taught you a bunch of stuff. Now let me offer a brief prayer to God on your behalf. But remember, the Spirit of God is writing this through the writer of Hebrews. So it’s the Spirit of God praying a prayer that God the Father will hear and God the Father will listen to what the Spirit of God has lifted up.

So this prayer that’s being offered by the writer of Hebrews on your behalf is guaranteed to come to fruition. It’s a prayer that will definitely be answered by God on our behalf, designed to encourage us.

So we will do a recap of Hebrews. We’ll look at the last few verses and then, my hope is for you to hear God’s word and be encouraged that God is continually shepherding you through whatever season of life you’re in. Ensuring that you are equipped for what God has for you.

There will never be a moment in your life where God has called you to a task where you won’t quite have that thing you need. The writer of Hebrews has prayed that we would be equipped and God will answer that prayer. So let’s pray one more time and we’ll do a quick recap before we get to Hebrews 13.

Lord, we thank you. As we recap Hebrews and look at the last few verses, may we be encouraged by these words. Help us understand them. May they shape how we view you, how we live our lives. May that be true for all of us. In Christ’s name. Amen.

The writer of Hebrews has given us one central theme. Jesus is better. That’s it. That’s his point. The writer of Hebrews is writing this letter. It’s actually a sermon that’s been transcribed and is being sent to a local group of believers. He has caught wind of the fact that there are people in this church that have abandoned the faith.

These are mostly Hellenistic Jews. They are ethnic Jews by nature, but they’re Greek speaking. They’ve embraced a lot of Greek culture, they’ve become Christians. They’re living somewhere in southern Italy, and they are a part of the Christian faith. Some of them begin to abandon the Christian faith and they go back to Judaism. The writer of Hebrews is catching wind of this, and so he preaches this sermon and he writes it down and he sends it to them.

He wants them to know that whatever you go to, if you abandon Jesus to go to something else, that thing is less than Jesus. Whatever you compare Jesus to, Jesus is better than that. Look unto Jesus. Keep believing in Jesus. The entire sentiment, the heart behind this entire letter is to give them reasons to believe that Jesus is better so that they will not be tempted to stop believing in Jesus.

In the opening two chapters, he starts by highlighting who Jesus is. He starts by reminding us that Jesus is the one that was in glory, who then stepped off his throne of glory and became a human being. He did what needed to be done to make purification of sin. We see in Hebrews chapter one, We are sinful. We need to be purified. We could not purify ourselves.

So Jesus came to do that which needed to be done so that our sins could be purified. Talk about inconveniencing yourself. The God of the universe became a human baby, dependent on a teenage mother, subjecting himself to all the pains and ills of this world. He dies a brutal death on a cross where the wrath of God is placed on him so that all who would believe on him, his death would count for them.

So if you believe on him, the wrath of God that should be for you has been placed on him. The wrath of God that was for me was placed on him. Then he raises from the dead and he triumphantly goes right back into heaven. God the Father, as we see in Hebrews chapter one, says, come sit at my right hand.

The writer of Hebrews is saying, you guys think angels are great. He never said to any of the angels, come sit at my right hand. The only person God has ever said that to is his son Jesus. Because Jesus is better.

The main point of the early section of Hebrews chapter one is that Jesus is better. As we go through Hebrews chapter one, into chapter two, he begins to tell us, there are a lot of great humans that have lived, but there’s no human that has ever done what Jesus did. No human was capable of doing what Jesus accomplished. He tells us that Jesus became lower than the angels for a little while.

Back in October, I used this illustration of a pyramid. If you can imagine a pyramid, it’s got multiple levels. You have God at the top, the Trinity, God the father, Spirit, and you’ve got the angels. They’re the second level of authority. Then the third level of authority, the pecking order, is humans.

Then fourth is the beast. That’s what we see throughout the course of the New Testament.

The writer of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 2 that we are below the angels. But there’s a process that we are going through where one day we will actually go above the angels. We are currently third in the pecking order, but we’re on the way up because Jesus identified with us.

No human’s ever been able to do that. Jesus is better. He’s the greatest human to have ever lived. Then as we go through from chapters 3 to 9, he’s making one major point over and over again. He’s using multiple illustrations and examples from the Old Testament to make the point. He’s using all of these people that these Jewish people would have revered.

He’s says, remember Moses, he was great, but Jesus was better. Moses led you into a wilderness and nothing more. Jesus is going to lead you into the presence of God forever.

But Jesus establishes a newer covenant, a better covenant, and accomplishes way more on our behalf than Abraham could ever have accomplished. Jesus is better than Abraham. He travels into chapter 4 and 5 and he begins to tell us that Jesus is better than the Old Testament priest. The Old Testament priests, they did a lot of stuff for the Old Testament saints, but Jesus is better than them because he offers a better sacrifice. They offered bulls and goats as we see in Hebrews 9, but Jesus offered himself.

Jesus is better. Jesus establishes and mediates a better covenant than what the Old Testament priests could establish and mediate. They established a covenant that allowed one person one day a year to enter in the presence of God. Jesus establishes a covenant that all of God’s people can enter in the presence of God forever.

He’s way better. The writer of Hebrews says, remember. Remember the Old Testament priest. Jesus is not even like them. He’s actually like Melchizedek. No beginning and no end. He’s not like those priests. Jesus is way better. He’s way better and establishes a way better covenant.

If you abandon Jesus, whatever you go to is less than Jesus. So don’t do that. Stick with Jesus. Look to Jesus. Consider Jesus. Pay extra attention about the things you’ve learned about Jesus. Keep trusting in Jesus. Don’t stop believing in Jesus. That’s the first 9 chapters of Hebrews.

As you travel through these chapters, there’s some themes that pop up. One of the themes that pops up is the fact that those who love God genuinely will want to obey God. If you disobey God, you’re not going to heaven, not because you’ve lost your salvation, but because you actually never were saved genuinely in the first place. That is what we looked at in Hebrews chapter 6.

So if you hear God commanding you to do things and inside of you, you don’t want to obey, it’s because you’re not genuinely headed toward heaven. You’re actually on trajectory to hell. That should scare us a bit. In Hebrews 5, verse 9, he says

“Jesus became the source of eternal salvation for those who obey.”

As we travel through the chapters, we don’t see that the expectation is perfection. In fact, it’s very clear the writer of Hebrews expects that we will still sin. But is there a trajectory in your life toward obedience? That’s the question. Are you living your life in such a way where you want to obey God, where there seems to be a sense of growth? I’m obeying more today than I did a year ago, and I’m growing in my desire to obey. If that is you, then that means you’re one of his. That desire comes from God.

But if you don’t really want to obey, if you hear the commands of God in Scripture and your inclination is to resist that diagnosis, that is a problem. Maybe you come to church, maybe you claim to be a Christian, maybe you do Christian stuff, but at the end of the day, if your heart doesn’t desire to obey him, something is wrong with your heart. He implores us, repent. Ask God for forgiveness.

In Hebrews 10:26 and 27, he tells us, for anyone who deliberately disobeys God, if you are someone who continues to deliberately disobey God over and over and over again, if we sin deliberately, there remains only a fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire.

But there’s time. You can repent today. You can say, God forgive me. That’s the first 10 chapters of Hebrews. Then he moves into chapter 11, and he begins to give us examples of people who believed in God. He’s saying, emulate these people, do what they did.

He goes through a list of all these people through the Old Testament that had faith in God. They were not perfect. They sinned. They made big mistakes, which is very comforting for us.

They looked forward and they trusted God would send the Messiah and they believed in the Messiah to come, and that’s why they were forgiven of their sin. Likewise, we look to the Messiah and we are forgiven of our sin. We addressed this in a sermon a couple months ago. How are the Old Testament saints saved? The same way you are saved, by looking unto the Messiah.

They looked forward to the Messiah and their sins were forgiven. We look back to what the Messiah has already done and our sins are forgiven. But it’s the same covenant, it’s the same truth, it’s the same reality, the same grace. The writer of Hebrews is saying, look at Hebrews 11. There’s some examples for us to follow there.

Then he moves into chapter 12 and 13, which we’ve been looking at the last few weeks. This is the Uber practical section of Hebrews. He begins to give us some very specific practical commands and instructions. There were other exhortations throughout the book of Hebrews. There are moments while he’s teaching us that he gives us quick thoughts and exhortations.

In Hebrews chapter 2, he told us to pay close attention to the things we’ve been taught about Jesus. In Hebrews 4, he tells us that whenever you’re being challenged by God’s instruction, do not harden your heart. That’s an exhortation he gives us. Later, in Hebrews 4, he tells us to trust and obey the word of God because it is living and active. At the end of Hebrews 4, he tells us to draw near to God.

In Hebrews chapter 6, he tells us to leave the elementary doctrines of Christ, stop doing the basics, move on to the advanced, deeper doctrines, study them and allow them to transform you. He tells us in Hebrews chapter 10 to consider how to stir one another up in love. The word stir there is the same word for agitate.

Imagine, like a washing machine. We’re a bunch of people in a washing machine. The idea is turn the washing machine on, stir each other up aggressively, cause one another to do good things. There’s a very proactive, intentional nature to this that we as Christians are to intentionally provoke one another to go do good stuff, agitate one another.

Then later in chapter 10, he says don’t stop gathering with other Christians. Which is particularly interesting for our culture in Central Florida. In Orlando, where we live, is the most de-churched metro region in the United States. We lead the nation in people who used to go to church. Many of them have disobeyed this command.

So throughout the first 10, 11 chapters, there are some exhortations here. But we get to chapter 12 and 13. That’s where he really gives us some significant exhortations. The first 11 chapters is mostly theology, truth, understanding of reality. Now that we know this is true, how do we live in light of that? That’s what chapters 12 and 13 have mostly been.

He starts at the beginning of chapter 12 by telling us to get rid of sin. That’s good. That’s a good exhortation. If there’s any sin in your life, get rid of it. Then he tells us to get rid of hindrances. There are some things in your life that are not necessarily sinful, but they’re a hindrance. Get rid of those things too.

Then as you go through chapter 12, he talks about the Lord’s discipline in our life. He says, the Lord’s going to discipline you if you are disobedient, but you are genuinely one of his. The Lord’s going to bring pain into your life to get you to focus and pay attention. He’s going to straighten you up. He tells us in Hebrews 12:5:

“Do not regard lightly the Lord’s discipline.”

Take it seriously. Recognize the Lord is disciplining right now. I have to take that seriously. I have to repent. I have to beg him for his mercy. I have to get rid of the sin to get rid of the injuries when he’s disciplining me. I better not take it lightly at the end.

Toward the end of that chapter, he begins to talk about Esau and says, don’t be like Esau. Esau who cried over missing out on the blessing. But he didn’t cry about the ugliness of his own sin. He was sad that he missed out on God’s blessing, but he wasn’t sad that he was disrespectful and blasphemed God that led him to leave his lose his blessing. We should not just be sad that we miss out on the blessings of God. We should be sad about the sin in our life which causes us to miss out on blessings.

He says, don’t be like Esau. He begins to use this imagery that’s similar to what we see in the Old Testament. Remember the Israelites, they were rescued from slavery, they came out into the wilderness, they wandered around for a while, and then as they were headed to the Promised Land, they disobeyed God and they hardened their hearts. So they never entered into the Promised Land.

He’s saying some people who are a part of the church are kind of like that. There are some people, they’ve walked away from a life of really big sins, overt obvious sins. They’ve been a part of the people of God. They go to church, they do Christian stuff, but they never quite deal with their heart, so they never actually enter into the Promised land. He’s saying, Christians, remember Israel. Remember when that happened to them.

That’s an imagery of us as Christians. We have come now to the edge of Mount Zion, the presence of God, where we experience his love and joy forever and ever and ever. The New Jerusalem is like we’re on the precipice of entering in. If you’re a part of the church, make sure you’ve dealt with your heart, that you’ve genuinely repented of your sin, that so that you go into the Promised Land. You don’t get stuck in the wilderness like the Israelites did.

Then we go into chapter 13, and he gives us the quick hits. He gives us these six quick hits. He doesn’t unpack them thoroughly. He just says, here are six things to remember. Worship God in a manner that is acceptable to God. Be kind and generous. Avoid sexual immorality. Be content with what you have. Don’t fall in love with money. Avoid strange teachings and obey and submit to your church leaders and your pastors.

And that’s the book of Hebrews that we’ve covered over the last eight months.

Then we come to the last section of Hebrews 13. It would be easy to read through this section of Hebrews and to think, there’s a lot of stuff for us to do. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do all this stuff he just told us to do. There are a lot of commands, a lot of exhortations really quickly. There’s a lot of stuff for us to deal with.

In fact, it could be a tad bit overwhelming. The sermons, they feel much more encouraging as earlier in Hebrews. But as you go along, they feel a little less encouraging and a little more jab. I don’t know if you have felt that. I have felt it in my sermon study. The writer, he’s pushing us. He was just telling us how much Jesus loves us and how great Jesus is and how much Jesus has for us. But as we continue to read the letter, he just keeps punching.

He knows it would be possible for them to go, we know that Jesus is better, but, you’ve just given us a lot of commands, and I don’t know that we can stick with it. He says, now listen, I’m going to pray for you. This is what he prays in Hebrews 13, verse 20. He says:

“Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

He says, this is my prayer for you. Because I know I’ve just given you a lot. I’ve given you an array of exhortations and things to do and things to consider, things to implement, things to get rid of, things to lean into. I’ve given you a lot. But here’s the thing. I’m praying that the God of Peace would do something in you.

And because it’s a little convoluted, he begins to describe the God of Peace before he gets to what he’s praying. So it’s a little bit convoluted. But if you look at verse 21, here’s the prayer he is praying to the God of Peace in verse 21, that he may equip you with everything good that you may do his will.

I am praying that as you are going through this process, that it is not you figuring out how to do it. It is not you with your human ingenuity and ability to white knuckle it and just bootstrap it and figure it out. This is not you. Go do it of your own accord, of your own strength. No. Go do these things and the God of Peace will equip you as you endeavor to do these things.

Just in case you forgot who the God of Peace is, I know I’ve just given you 13 chapters about who the God of Peace is and all that he has done. That he is better, but let me get just a couple quick tidbits about who the God of Peace is. Remember, look at verse 20. He’s describing the God of peace. That God is the one who:

“Brought our Lord Jesus back from the dead.”

The one who brought Jesus back from the dead. That’s the one at work in you, equipping you. In Romans, chapter 8, verse 11, the apostle Paul says:

“That the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you.”

The spirit that brought Jesus back from the dead is at work in you. If he could bring Jesus back from the dead. I think he can equip you to do that which he’s called you to do. It’s not just some ordinary spirit at work in your heart and life. It’s not just some random taboo thing. It’s not some spell. It’s not some magic Harry Potter wand. No, it’s the God of the universe who brought Jesus back from the dead.

He is at work in you. He will equip you to do that which he has called you to do. So if God has told you to do it, he will help you do it. I hope that’s a comfort to you this morning, believers. But he will help you.

He also reminds them here who Jesus is. God brought Jesus back from the dead and Jesus is the great shepherd of the sheep. One of my favorite passages in First Peter 5, the apostle Peter is talking to pastors, saying, hey, you’re an under shepherd. Love the flock, take care of them, but just remember who the real shepherd is.

It’s actually not on you, Kenny, to fix people. You’re not even capable of doing that. It’s not on you to equip them and make sure they’re ready. Do the best you can. But just remember this. There’s a greater shepherd than you. I didn’t step off the throne of heaven. I didn’t make purification of sin. There’s lots of things in the world better than me.

Jesus, the great shepherd, he is better and he will guide you. He will help you. He will equip you. Psalm 23. Very well known psalm, famous psalm for good reason. Just like Jesus is the shepherd. This is David writing on behalf of the shepherd. He’s describing the shepherd. This is what Jesus does for his people:

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the path of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

You’re in the middle of a battle. There’s enemies all around you. He says, come on, let’s have a meal. The God of peace. You got a lot of stuff going on in your life. Come on, let’s sit. Let’s have some barbecue. Verse 6. He says:

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Jesus will shepherd you. God rescues us. He does that which is needed for our sins to be forgiven. But he doesn’t just leave us. Jesus, I’m going to be with you. I’m going to shepherd you. It’s not just, I forgave you of your sin. Now go figure out how to live for me. No, he says, I forgave you. I did what needs to be done for your sins to be wiped clean. I’m going to be with you every step of the way.

When you face enemies, when your life is chaotic, I’m going to prepare a table for you. Jesus will ensure that we will be able to do what he has called us to do. Praise be to God. Yet not I but Christ through me. When we are in heaven, we will still sing in heaven, we will still be singing those words. It will still remain on my lips, yet not I but Christ in me. Still my lips shall repeat, yet not I but through Christ in me.

It will never be you. It’s never been about you. It will never be about you. It’s always been about Jesus. It will always be all about Jesus because he is better keep believing in him.

Last thought for this morning. This inspires or provokes a question. That is, how does Jesus equip us? He promised he’s going to equip us. How does he do this? Well, he’s just coming off of the heels of Hebrews 11, where he’s talking about these people that God did great work through. What we see over and over again is a pattern that God takes these people through situations where they learn some sort of lesson. Then many years later, the lesson they learn in a previous season of life becomes very applicable.

So the pattern we see throughout the Old Testament and highlighted in Hebrews 11 is that God takes us through moments and through seasons in which we learn something. But we don’t realize we’re learning it. Then years later, we are equipped to handle a task because we went through a previous season. This is God’s pattern.

There are other ways and other things in which God’s ways equips us. But it seems to be God’s primary means of equipping us. He takes us through some season, usually it’s hard. We learn some lessons and then later on in life we’re able to apply those lessons.

But in the midst of the difficulty, we don’t realize that we’re learning a lesson. It feels useless. And we go, why God? We’re angry and we’re frustrated, and that makes sense. God is kind to us in those moments. He doesn’t get angry at us when we lash out. He’s still kind and tender toward us. But many years later, 10, 20, 30, 50 years later, we look back and go, oh, that’s what God was doing. In the last chapter of the book of Job, Job says this.

“Now my eyes have seen what the Lord has done.”

He’s going through this incredible hell for years. At the end of his life, he looks back and goes, oh, that’s what you were doing. I didn’t realize it. We see this with Joseph. Joseph goes through 23 years of incredible difficulty. Being abandoned, betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, accused, wrongfully thrown into prison, forgotten. Many years later, he rises to the second most powerful position in the world.

He says in Genesis 50, this is why God did it, so that many would be saved. God had me go through all of this so I would be equipped to save people in this moment. We see this with King David over and over again. We see this with Esther. Esther goes through this moment in life and she walks into the king’s chambers and she’s able to save God’s people because of what she had experienced.

God takes us through these moments that are difficult, but we don’t realize that in this season, he is preparing us for the next. You have no idea what you’re gonna face in 10 years or 20 years or 30 years. But God knows. God is supernaturally organizing the days of your life, preparing you. Not merely for the days on this side of eternity. God is also doing work in you on this side of eternity, preparing you and equipping you to enjoy that which he has for you on that side of eternity.

I want to share a story that seems a little charismatic. It can seem a little bit spooky. We want to be very careful to not build our theology on our experiences. It’s a terrible way to build your theology. We should build up what we believe to be true solely on Scripture. So I’m a little hesitant to share this story, but I do think it highlights what I’m teaching this morning. So I’m going to share it with some caution, but I think it’ll become obvious what I mean by it.

I didn’t grow up in a Christian home, and I came to faith in Christ at age 14. I got involved at a church. I remember one night after our youth group Wednesday night, most of the teenagers had left, and I would volunteer to stick around. I was vacuuming our youth room at our church building, and our youth pastor, Rob Peters, came in and says, ‘Kenny, that’s a ministry, brother.’ I didn’t understand what he meant, I’m 14. I just became a Christian. I don’t know what the word ministry means.

He’s says, ministry is when you serve, you’re ministering to the other Christians. You’re serving them and helping them by vacuuming. So God’s going to reward you for that, brother. I said, oh, that’s pretty cool. I’m going to keep vacuuming. I want the reward. So, I’m vacuuming and Rob is talking and he’s putting some stuff away. Then, Rob starts singing this song I had never heard.

I was a new believer. I literally had been a Christian just a few months. He’s singing this song, and it goes like this. “I don’t wanna be, I don’t wanna be a casual Christian. I don’t wanna live I don’t wanna live a lukewarm life. I want to light up the night with an everlasting light. I don’t want to live a casual Christian life.”

He’s singing this, and I said, what? I kind of like the lyrics of that song. He taught me the lyrics and we sang. He’s like, it’s a group named DeGarmo and Key. They were popular back in the 80s. It’s kind of a cheesy Christian song. He would sing it regularly. So I picked up on it, I started singing it, and I sang that song pretty much every day well into my 30s. I still sing it regularly.

It became a mantra of my life. Lord, I don’t want to be a casual Christian. I don’t want to live a lukewarm life. I want to light up the night with an everlasting light. I don’t want to live a casual Christian life. I sang that song regularly. Rob would sing it. But here’s the thing. I had actually never heard the song. I had never heard the recorded version of it. For years and years. I had only heard Rob sing it.

Fast forward to 2009, 13 years later. I was 27 years old by this point. I was working in real estate. I was also working for a Christian nonprofit organization out of Texas, where I helped lead short term mission trips. I worked from Philly and I would travel, leading spring breaks, summer, Christmas. I would lead high school students on short term mission trips. I did this for several years, and it was a great experience.

Once a year, there were about 80 adults around North America that did what I did for the organization, where we worked for them remotely, from afar, prepping for trips and then leading trips. Since we lived all over North America, they would fly us into Texas once a year. It was called PD Summit. Project Directors.

So all the Project Directors from around the world would come in every February for a couple days. It would be Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. For training, encouragement, camaraderie. You know, it was a really great time. It was kind of like a family reunion every year.

I did this for seven years, PD Summit. These are some of my best friends in the world. We’re all project directors, people who served in this role all across the country. Teachers, pastors, business guys. I built friendships with all these people. Some of my best friends in the world are people who were project directors across the United States. How I ended up in Orlando was there was a project director working at Mosaic, and he recruited me to come to Florida in 2013.

So we go to PD summit. In the months leading up to PD summit in 2009, I had gone through a really difficult season. Some of the most difficult, most dark moments in my life. I wouldn’t quite say it was a depression I was in, but pretty close. One of the darkest moments of my entire life. I was incredibly discouraged.

One of the sentiments in my life is, I was working in real estate, and I really sensed the call to vocational ministry, but I wasn’t sure how to do that. There were some obstacles and some opposition in my life that were really some painful things. I was feeling really discouraged. I was feeling like I was useless in the kingdom of God. I have nothing to offer people. There’s nothing in me that I could ever share with anyone of any value.

I went to PD Summit. I’m hanging out with friends, and we did this game Olympics that week. This was a very elaborate thing they would do. It was over the top. They broke us up into 80 or 90 adults, into eight or nine teams. Every day in between the training sessions, we would do games, and your team would get points.

There was going to be a big prize at the end of the weekend for the team that had the most points. There were different things that happened throughout Thursday, Friday, Saturday. and different members of my team had each done something to garner points. By Friday night, I had not done anything to offer my team anything.

So as silly as it is, it reinforced what the emotion I was already feeling, this dark moment I was in. Having a real difficulty with some things and feeling like I’m useless. Here I am again, and I’m like, this is stupid that I shouldn’t be upset about this, but, my feelings are hurt that I’m useless. But yet again. I have nothing to offer anyone ever. I should just end my life.

As absurd as that sounds, or over the top, that was it. That was the emotion, the sentiment I was feeling. We get to Saturday night and talking to my friends, and some of the guys were kind of jokingly teasing me, ah, Kenny’s done nothing. You struck out in kickball. They didn’t know what I was wrestling with. I was keeping it to myself and pretending to be happy, you know, jovial Kenny.

Saturday night comes and I’m feeling pretty weighty. The last night was trivia night and we’re going through trivia. Our team is in second place of the nine teams going into trivia. We’re doing okay and everyone on the team is contributing. The last question, guys, it’s God’s providence, I’m telling you.

The last question was, give us the name and artist of this song. For the first time in 13 years, I heard Casual Christian by DeGarmo and Key. I had never heard the recorded version before that moment. I had only heard Rob’s singing version of it in my head. For the first time in my life I heard it and I said to my team, this is Casual Christian by DeGarmo and Key.

NO, Who’s that? No, guys, I’m telling you, I have sang this song almost every day of my life for the last 13 years. This is Casual Christian by DeGarmo and Key. They were pushing back. Every cheesy Christian 80s/90s band was being thrown out. I said to my team, I am telling you, this is Casual Christian by DeGarmo and key.

One of the guys, Adam, was like, Kenny’s pretty confident, so, all right, we’re gonna lose. You haven’t come through for us for the last three days, but maybe you will. Of the nine teams, only two teams got it right. The second team that got it right was behind us. So we propelled into first place and we won.

It was great. It was so silly. A bunch of 20/30 year olds elated that we won this silly game Olympics. It was the dumbest thing in the world. Then two of the guys, Adam and another guy, they actually lifted me up like on their shoulder. Everyone was chanting, Kenny, Kenny, Kenny. I mean, it was this elaborate moment.

It was so ridiculous. People are cheering, they’re like, how did you know that? My youth pastor used to sing it. That night we were leaving, I was walking down a hallway. Something broke me. The heaviness that I had felt for months at that point. I can only describe it as being supernatural. It broke and something lifted. And I was different.

I was a different person. I don’t say this often, I say this very rarely because I think it’s weird when Christians overuse this, but I really do believe the spirit of God spoke to me that night in a profound way. Kenny, I have been preparing you for things long before you realize.

We were getting on a bus to go back to our lodging, and Adam says to me, it was like you were born for this. They had no idea. I shared with Adam many years later. We were in Vegas on vacation a couple years ago later, me, Adam and a group of friends, and I shared with him, that night, God did something in me that I can’t describe. From that moment on, I have never doubted that God will equip me for all that he has for me.

Now, that situation is not why I believe it. I believe it because the Bible tells me. But God used that moment to help me believe what the Bible says. I remember that night. There were bible verses that I had memorized that were coming to my mind, that for the first time I believed in a way that I hadn’t believed before. Jeremiah 1:5 came to mind. He says:

“I have known you from the time you were in the womb. I formed you.”

1 Corinthians 2:9, The apostle Paul says that :

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived the things that God has planned for those who love love him.”

I had known that verse, but I believed it differently. Your mind hasn’t even conceived the things that God has planned for you in this life and in the next. 2 Corinthians 4:17, when Paul says that the sufferings of this world are building for us, preparing for us, a weight of glory that cannot be compared to anything else.

That the things you suffer in this world is creating something, this weight of glory that you will experience forever and ever and ever and ever and ever. You can’t even compare it to anything on this world. There’s no good thing on this side of eternity that could compare to the thing that God is preparing for you.

The thing that God is using to prepare that thing for you is the suffering of this age. I all of a sudden believe that in a way I hadn’t believed it before. Then 1 Peter 5:7, when he says:

“Cast your cares on him because he cares for you.”

Church, He cares for you. I want you to know that. You can come to him with your cares. He cares for you. He has good things planned for you. Surely good will follow you all the days of your life. He cares for you. He sees you. He knows you. He is equipping you in ways you can’t even imagine. He’s taking you through difficulties and you’re learning lessons and garnering wisdom that you will then be able to apply in a future season of life, or more importantly, when you enter into glory.

You will look back and say, that’s what he was doing. He’s even better than I thought. What a moment it will be when we step into glory and we see he was even better than we thought. The writer of Hebrews is saying, we don’t want you to miss out on that moment. So don’t stop believing in Jesus.

Christians, Jesus will help you. He will equip you. He will strengthen you. He will be with you, shepherding you. He is better than anything or any person you could ever imagine. So don’t stop believing in Jesus.

It is a delight to be with you this morning. I am always delighted to be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s day. I am here with most of my family, my wife, Bridget, and our seven youngest children are with me. We bring you greetings from Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Florida, where we have recently relocated and become members.

We spent almost the last decade in Lusaka in Zambia. We went there to help start the African Christian University. We’re supposed to be there for three to five years, but ended up being there almost 10. But we are back now and excited about the opportunity to help start the Founders Seminary in Cape Coral. Pray for us as we get started.

Our first semester starts on August 11th. I have the privilege of serving as the president of the new seminary, and it is a weighty responsibility, but an exciting one. So please keep us in mind, keep us in your prayers.

Today, I have a very specific message to give you, and that is why we choose to believe the Bible. That’s something that I’ve been talking about, preaching about, writing about for a very, very long time. It’s something that has really come to the forefront in the broader culture at large.

I don’t know if you know the name Wes Huff, but Wes Huff is an apologist. He’s a Canadian PhD student specializing in New Testament textual criticism. A while back, Wes got a call from a friend who was doing a podcast, and it was a last-minute thing where Wes was asked to come on and have a discussion, have a debate with another guy who was not famous, but he was well known in the biblical skepticism field.

He is a guy who talks about all these conspiracy theories and how there are Egyptian myths and ancient texts, and all these conspiracy theories about the Bible. So Wes agreed to go on his podcast, and it was really bad. The biblical skeptic was utterly exposed as the fraud that he is.

He goes all around the world talking to people about these things that supposedly undermine the authority of scripture. He said he was talking about this one example, this Sinai Bible that doesn’t even have the resurrection. So Wes Huff pulls that book off of his bookshelf. Again, Wes Huff, PhD student, is studying textual criticism.

He asks if the guy was talking about Codex Sinaiticus, and it was. Wes opens in the original written language and shows that what he says is not there is actually there. The guy’s like, okay, I’ll take your word for it. It’s a couple of hours of moments like these.

So much so that eventually Joe Rogan invites Wes Huff to come on the Joe Rogan show. Because the original podcast went viral. It was so embarrassing, and Joe Rogan was talking about how embarrassing it was. Joe Rogan, a well-known atheist, spends hours with West Huff talking about the Bible and textual criticism and all this sort of stuff.

Wes brought different things with him to show and give to Joe. Joe Rogan is going to church now, communicating with Wes Huff regularly about the Bible. Now he’s been on other podcasts to talk about this because of the phone call that he answered and was ready for. Essentially, he answered the question that we’re addressing here today.

I’m not saying that everybody needs to be a PhD-level textual critic. That’s not what we’re going to be doing here today. Today, I just want to help you be able to answer what I believe is the most important question for any Christian to answer. Let that sink in for a minute.

Now, as I say that, some of you are sitting there thinking, well, I don’t know if that’s the most important question. Fine. Some of you are thinking, I think the most important question would be, Who is Jesus? My most important question would be, What must I do to be saved? Or the most important question, fill in the blank, whatever it is that you say is the most important question. Let me ask you another question. Why do you believe what you believe about that? The answer is because it’s in the Bible.

Which means the more important question is, why do you believe the Bible? Because whatever else it is you think is an important question, your reason for it is going to be scriptural. So, at the end of the day, the most important question for you to be able to answer is, why do you believe the Bible?

As we think about that, there are a couple of very popular answers to the question. One popular answer to the question, unfortunately, is, That’s how I was raised. I was raised in the church. I was raised as a Christian. I was raised, and I’ve always believed in the Bible. That’s how I was raised.

That’s an insufficient answer to the question. The older you get, the more you’ll understand how insufficient that is. Because the older you get, the more you’ll be confronted with things that you were raised to believe that weren’t true. There are so many wives’ tales and other things that you were raised to believe that weren’t true. So that’s an insufficient answer.

Another answer that people often give is, I tried it and it worked for me. A very popular answer, especially today. Where experience is everything. I tried it and it worked for me. It changed my life. It’s only slightly better, but not sufficient. How many people in this world have tried things other than the Bible and had their lives changed? Many, many, many people.

One story I love is the story of a young man who lived in the Boston area. His father was killed with his sister, and this young man got into all kinds of trouble. Eventually, he ended up in Harlem, New York. He was a gangster, a hustler, and was arrested, went to prison. He became a drug addict and a drug dealer.

So he’s in prison, and in prison he meets some people who begin to tell him about this Messiah. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with it until one night, in his cell, he is visited by the Messiah. He goes and talks to the people who’ve been trying to tell him about this. And his life has changed, utterly transformed. He becomes a model prisoner.

He gets out early, he continues to live a transformed life, and personally opens dozens of houses of worship. He tried this Messiah and it worked for him. His name is Malcolm X. His messiah was the honorable Elijah Muhammad. He’s the founder of the cultic group the Nation of Islam.

So if we’re satisfied with, ‘I tried it and it worked for me’, even Malcolm X eventually came to realize that Elijah Muhammad was not the Messiah, that he was completely wrong. He shouted it from the rooftops, and eventually, the Nation of Islam assassinated him. So the fact that you try something and your life is changed because you tried it doesn’t make it true. So we gotta have a better answer.

I’m going to give you an answer, and I’ll spend the rest of our time teaching you this answer from a passage of scripture. Some of you may already know this answer. Somebody asks why you choose to read the Bible. Instead of saying, that’s how I was raised, or I tried it and it works for me, I prefer to answer, I choose to believe the Bible because it’s a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses.

They report supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin. We are going to go through this step by step, and more importantly, we’ll go through it line by line, verse by verse.

Because it’s not necessarily my answer. This is just my succinct communication of Peter’s answer in 2 Peter, chapter 1. I’m just abbreviating and consolidating Peter’s answer. Second Peter, chapter one, beginning verse 16. And there we read:

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was born to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God and as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

This is our answer. By the way, it’s very important at the outset to say this, we don’t give this answer because it’s some sort of spiritual judo move that will make any and everybody submit and say Now I believe. That is not the way that this works. What’s interesting is, we talked about Wes Huff and his encounter, and while there are some people like Rogan who are now exploring more and going to church and talking a lot more about these things, and we hope will come to faith, the guy whom he obliterated, he’s even more entrenched.

In fact, he came at two o’clock in the morning with a cease and desist order after that podcast, demanding that the guy whose podcast it was not publish. He did not want the world to see him. He did not say, You know what, I was wrong. The facts are on your side. He didn’t. Because at the end of the day, look at verse 19 again:

“We have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

That’s what it takes for people to believe, for the day to dawn and the morning star to rise in their hearts, for Christ to make them alive. So I don’t give you this answer because somehow it’s the magic bullet that will make any and everyone believe there is no such thing. I give you this answer because it is incumbent upon us to know what we believe and why we believe. It is incumbent upon us to be able to answer anyone who asks us the reason for the hope that is in us. We believe that God uses his word, and so if we’re going to answer, we should give one that is scriptural.

I’ve had many an opportunity to walk through this passage of scripture with people because it goes a little something like this: we’re talking about whatever the subject is, I’ll say what I believe on the subject. You pick any subject, the subject of the day. I will say, when the Bible says this and the Bible says that, it never fails. People would say that works for you. But not everybody believes in the Bible; that’s your faith that works for you.

I’ll get an opportunity to share with them why I choose to believe the Bible. It’s a reliable collection of historical doctrines written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. Therefore, supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies claim that the writings are divine rather than human in origin. Again, that is not my answer; it actually comes from a passage of Scripture. Then we get to talk about this passage of scripture. So let’s look at it in turn.

First, a reliable collection of historical documents. Verse 16:

“We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

We did not follow cleverly devised myths. Oftentimes, that’s what we’re accused of. We’re accused of following cleverly devised myths. These things are made up. These are just stories that have been passed down. In fact, these stories that have been passed down are not even reliable stories. We’ve often encountered people who will say that basically what we hold in our hands is a translation of a translation of a translation of a translation. Of course, so much has been lost as a result of that.

Or you’ll hear people say that it’s like a game of Telephone. Or the name it used to be called by, Chinese Whispers. Listen, people still do this in college lecture halls in order to supposedly undermine the authenticity of the Bible. You whisper into the ear of one person, and then that person whispers into the next person’s ear, and so forth. Then, at the end, we get to the final person and ask, What did you hear? He says something that is not exactly what I whispered to the first person.

That game is used as an example of why it is that we don’t have a reliable collection of historical documents. By the way, it is a collection of historical documents. Unlike many supposed holy books out there, our book is not written by a single individual. Our book is written by a collection of individuals. We have a reliable collection. It’s not just one book. It’s 66 books. There are over 40 authors. It’s written in three different languages. Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic.

It’s written on three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. Again, over 40 authors, a period of over 1600 years. That’s how this collection came to be. It’s a reliable collection of historical documents. So of course, it’s a collection. Nobody’s arguing now, but it’s a reliable collection. That’s what people are arguing against because of this game of telephone, this game of Chinese whispers that gets us the Bible.

Well, there are a couple of things wrong with that analogy. Here’s problem number one. I read for you from the ESV, the English Standard Version. Now, in order for that analogy to apply, the ESV would have to be a translation of earlier translations. So let’s say the ESV is a translation of the NASB, and then the NASB would have to be a translation of an earlier version.

Let’s say that goes back to the New King James, and the New King James would have to be a translation of the King James, and King James has to be a translation of the Geneva Bible, and so on and so forth all the way back. But you see, the problem is it doesn’t work that way. The translators of the ESV didn’t go back to earlier translations. They went back to the Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic documents themselves.

So now here’s what the game of Chinese whispers looks like. I say something into his ear, and then I say something into her ear, the same thing. All the way down, I say something into each individual ear, all the way to the last person. Everybody heard it from me. That’s how Bible translation goes. People who use this argument are ignorant, evil, or both, because that’s not the way the Bible is translated.

Ah, but wait. We don’t have the originals. This is true. We don’t have the originals. For example, we have books in schools about Julius Caesar. What they know about Julius Caesar probably comes from Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars. We have somewhere between 5 and 10 partial manuscripts, the earliest ones written a thousand years after Julius Caesar, dead and gone.

You’re probably talking about Aristotle. Eventually, kids who go to school will learn things about Aristotle, maybe from Aristotle’s Poetics. Again, we have fewer than a dozen copies of Aristotle’s Poetics, the earliest ones. 1400 years after Aristotle. Definitely, these folks would be reading Homer’s Iliad, but nobody’s going to tell them that the earliest copies we have are 2100 years after the original.

Nobody questions them, because when it comes to ancient literature, that’s not all that crazy. 900 years, 1400 years, even 2000 years. When it comes to the Bible, for example, the New Testament, we have somewhere between five and six thousand manuscripts or portions of manuscripts in the New Testament. The earliest dated document is called P52. By the way, one of the things that West Huff gave to Joe Rogan was a facsimile of P52. This fragment that we have. It’s about a generation after the death of the apostles who penned them.

That’s from John’s Gospel. John was the longest-surviving of the apostles. So, within decades of his death, we can go and look at a fragment of the Gospel that he wrote. Again, nobody’s questioning Caesar, Aristotle, Homer. 900 years, 1400 years, 2000 years between writing and what we can put our hands on. Why on earth will we question the authenticity of documents?

We can put our hands on copies that are as early as the lifetime of eyewitnesses. We have a reliable collection of historical documents. Well, some people say, I get that, but what happened was, there were monks, and these monks were the ones who created these writings that we have. They created these writings long after all of that was actually done.

Ok, so we had these overzealous monks who deceived the world. Here’s what they would have to do. These overzealous monks would have to collect 6,000 manuscripts and portions of manuscripts, change them all the exact same way, not show their ink work, not get caught, and never give up the conspiracy.

But there’s another level and layer to their problem, because within the first and second century, remember Jesus said that we were to go and preach this gospel to all people. The problem is that people groups speak different languages. So within the first century and a half, we have the Bible translated into Syriac, Coptic, and Latin, for example. So now these overzealous monks, they’re not dumb people. They realize that if they change the Greek manuscript, there are also Syriac, Coptic, and Latin copies of the Greek manuscript. The Syriac, Coptic, and Latin copies are going to say something that your forgeries don’t.

So now you’ve got to collect not only all 6,000 Greek manuscripts, but you’ve got to collect all the Syriac, Coptic, and Latin manuscripts. You’ve got to change those, and remember the lies you told in Greek, you’ve got to get all those back to where you stole them from. Don’t get caught. Don’t show your ink work, and never give up your conspiracy.

There’s another layer of the problem. The early Church Fathers preached and wrote commentaries on the New Testament. How thoroughly did they preach and write commentary on the New Testament? So much so, the New Testament scholar Bruce Metzger has argued that if all we had were the writings of the early Church Fathers, we would be able to reproduce the entire New Testament, save 11 verses.

So now our overzealous monks, 6,000 Greek manuscripts, all the Syriac, Coptic, and Latin translations of the Greek manuscripts, all of the writings of the early Church fathers, and their conspiracy have to last several hundred years. It takes more faith to believe that than it does to believe that we have a reliable collection of historical documents.

Not only do you have a reliable collection of historical documents, but we have a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses. Let’s look at the next part of this verse 16:

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His Majesty.”

Remember, this is Peter. The sword in the ear. I’ll never deny you. Who do you say that I am? Bid me to come to you. Walking on water. This is Peter. He says, but we were eyewitnesses of His Majesty. Not only that, but listen, for example, this is how Luke begins his gospel. Luke, chapter 1, beginning verse 1:

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things which you have been taught.”

First John, chapter 1, beginning in verse 1. Listen to this:

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life.”

In case you didn’t get his emphasis in verse one. Listen to verse two:

“The life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us.”

In case he wasn’t clear in verses 1 or 2. Listen to verse 3:

“That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”

We have a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses. By people who were there, by people who saw, by people who touched, by people who hurt directly. It sets the Bible apart.

Not only do we have a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses, but they were also written during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. Let’s put that piece together. We have a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. Look with me at 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 1, Paul writes:

“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preach to you, unless you believe in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, (that’s Peter), then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.”

That phrase, ‘most of whom are still alive’, what that means when you do the math, is that during the time that First Corinthians was written, there were over 300 eyewitnesses to the resurrection still alive. Which means that the claim is falsifiable. That sounds like a bad thing. Actually, it’s the best of things. The claim is actually falsifiable.

What that means is you can go and check it out. You put a witness up on the stand, and the witness says, This is what happened, this is where I was. What’s the first question you would ask? Can anybody here verify? If your answer is no, it’s not very strong evidence. If your answer is yes, there were 300 people that you can go ask right now. Here are their names.

That’s the strongest testimony possible. Falsifiable evidence. Not, I was in a cave by myself, and this is what came to me. Not, I found these magic glasses. In the case of Mormonism, the angel Moroni came. It was just me and the angel of Moroni, and the magic glasses. It’s not falsified. This claim is.

We have a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. It was falsified.

So far, all we’ve got is a good history book. We need something beyond just a good history book. Look at verse 17:

“For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was born to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”, we ourselves heard this very voice born from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.”

That’s the Mount of Transfiguration. That’s when Jesus is transfigured and Moses and Elijah show up, and Peter says, We just need to camp out right here. We need to build something right here. This moment needs to be commemorated. Of course, Jesus says no. If you go to the site today, the Catholic Church has done exactly what Jesus said not to do and built a monument there. But I digress.

This is the Mount of Transfiguration. This is the very voice of God speaking from Heaven; this is a supernatural event. This is not a superhuman event. Superhuman events, that’s Sports Center Highlights. This is a supernatural event. Again, we’re separating from just history here. We have a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses, and they report supernatural events.

The woman with the issue of blood, the man with the withered hand, the storm that is still, walking on water, water into wine, and of course, the miracle to end all miracles. Friday dead, Sunday risen. Now the stakes are higher. You see, if we believe the first part of this, we could say, absolutely, the Bible’s a good history book. But once we recognize that this good history book reports supernatural events, we have to cross the Rubicon. Now we have to say, this is not just history. It’s not just supernatural events. It’s supernatural events that fulfill prophecy. Verse 19:

“And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

We have the prophetic word fully confirmed. So now we have a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place and fulfillment of specific prophecies, not just general prophecies. Now we can go back. We could go to Isaiah 53. Written 700 or so years before Jesus was born.

But you know, you may say that’s not far enough. 700 years, not good enough. Jesus, being the suffering servant, we have to go back further. Fine, let’s go back further. Let’s go back a thousand years before Jesus was born. Let’s go back to what you refer to as Psalm 22. But remember, the Bible didn’t have chapters and verses until very recently. The last several hundred years. The Psalms would not have been known by their number. Psalm 22, for most of its history, was not titled Psalm 22.

It was titled by its first line. The first line is, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Does that sound familiar? It ought to, because that’s what Jesus cries out while he’s on the cross. So Jesus is hanging on the cross, and he calls out the name of a song. Now, if you are within earshot and you hear him call out the name of a song, it would be as though you’re at an execution and the person being executed says, Pass me not, O gentle Savior.

Number one, you know he’s referring to a hymn. But secondly, you also know the next line. If I say, Pass me not, O gentle Savior, what do you think? Hear my humble cry, while not this hour calling, do not pass me by, because you know it. So now, Psalm number 22. Jesus is being crucified. He cries out the title of Psalm 22. He says, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? The next line, Why are you so far from saving me from the words of my groaning? Go down to Psalm 22, verse 6:

“I’m a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him.”

It’s exactly what’s being said to Jesus while he’s being crucified. Verse 12:

“Many bulls encompass me; Strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like ravening and roaring lion. I’m poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint.”

Why? Because you’re nailed to a Roman cross.

“My heart is like wax.”

Interesting. Pierced in his side, thrusting upwardly, punctured the pericardium. Blood and water rush out.

“It is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws.”

Almost like you would say, I thirst.

“You lay me in the dust of death. Dogs encompass me.”

That’s a reference to Gentiles.

“A company of evildoers encircles me; one on the right, one on the left. They have pierced my hands, my feet.”

By the way, not everyone who was crucified was pierced in the hands and feet. You can be crucified by being tied to a cross and take days to die because you die by asphyxiation.

“I can count all my bones.”

Why is that significant? Well, Jesus was crucified just before a high holy day. He couldn’t hang on the cross during that high holy day, so he had to be dead. One of the ways to hasten his death would have been to break his legs so that he couldn’t hold himself up and slow his asphyxiation. But when they came to him, he had already breathed his last, so that he didn’t have to break his legs. Which is why the psalmist can say:

“I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing, they cast lots.”

This was written a thousand years before Jesus was crucified by someone who never saw the crucifixion. Because Roman crucifixion had not yet been invented, we had the prophetic word more fully confirmed.

We have a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies. Finally, they report that their writings are divine rather than human in origin. Look at 2 Peter, chapter 1, verse 20:

“Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Hundreds of times we find the phrase ‘and the Lord said’, ‘and the Lord spoke to’, ‘thus says the Lord’. Hundreds of times. These writers purport to be speaking the words of God himself. They claim that God is the source of this, that God is the ultimate author of this.

So again, the first half of this, it’s easy to nod our heads and say, absolutely, because we’re just saying it’s not only good history, it’s great history. It’s a greater history than anything else in the ancient world. Things that we readily accept without question. Yes. Reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. Yes.

Second half of this, they report supernatural events. Well, I don’t believe in the supernatural. You’ve got a problem because you’ve already acknowledged that this is not just good history. It’s the best ancient history that the world has ever seen. The best ancient history that the world has ever seen reports supernatural events. It doesn’t only report supernatural events,

These people claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin, that this is the word of God. You’ve got to do something with that. You have to do something with the fact that this is the very book that teaches us the origins of man. Man’s sin problem, man’s guilt before a holy God, the justice of God that is going to come against man’s sin, and God’s provision through the person and work of Christ so that man might find forgiveness and eternal life in him. That’s what we find in this book. That’s what we find in this reliable collection of historical documents.

Then some people say, I get all that. But I’m just more of a man of science. Unless you can prove it to me scientifically. I have to admit that when people say that, I have to hold back my enthusiasm because that one excites me a lot. Oh, you’re a man of science. You want me to prove it to you scientifically using the scientific method.

Ironically, you would call yourself a man of science and know nothing about the scientific method. So then you know that in order to employ the scientific method, something has to be observable, measurable, and repeatable. Which means you don’t use the scientific method on historical events because those events are not observable, measurable, and repeatable.

You use the evidentiary method like you would in a courtroom. What would that look like? That would look like you calling witnesses, collecting testimony. What would strong testimony in a courtroom look like? Maybe if you could find witnesses who wrote in three different languages, who wrote on three different continents, and there were like 40 of them from all walks of life, most of whom never met each other, and they wrote over a period of 1600 years, and all confirmed the same truth.

Maybe that would be a strong case to put on in a courtroom, because at the end of the day, it would lead us to say, I choose to believe the Bible because it is a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies, and they claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin. And, oh, by the way, I tried. It worked for me.

See, the claims of Christ are not just mythology. God didn’t just send us a myth and a story to be passed down. No, he sent His Son. In the fullness of time, God sent His Son, born of a virgin, born under the law, so that he might redeem those who are under the law. Christ lived his life in public, performed his miracles in public, taught His Gospel in public, was crucified in public, died and was buried, and then resurrected and was seen in public for 40 days after his resurrection. It was all public.

Then God was gracious enough to record it for us, to preserve it for us. That’s why Luke says to Theophilus, I write this for you, most excellent Theophilus. Not so that you might have blind faith, but so that you might have certainty concerning the things you’ve been taught. So when I say, place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, turn from your sin and trust in Christ, I’m not saying close your eyes and hope real hard that this myth is true.

I’m saying we have a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They’re the ones who report these supernatural events, like the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies. They’re the ones who claim that this is the word of God.

So it is God who says to you, Repent and believe. Trust in Christ alone for your salvation. He is your only hope. My prayer is that the day would dawn and the morning star would rise in your heart, that God would remove the scales from your eyes and that you would believe that The Lord Jesus Christ is who the Bible says that he is, and that you not only can, but must trust him for the pardon of your sins.

Let’s pray.

Gracious God, our heavenly Father, we bow before you in humility and gratitude. Humbled by your majesty, in awe of your greatness, and grateful for your goodness and your kindness and your mercy toward us. Thank you for providing and preserving for us your word.

I thank you that you speak to us clearly and consistently through those things that you have preserved for us. Grant by your grace that we might not only believe the historical veracity of these things, but that we might come to understand the significance of the supernatural reality.

And above all else, that we might come to know and trust the Lord Jesus Christ in the pardon of our sins. Thank you that you have not left us to wander aimlessly in the dark, but that you have revealed yourself to us. And you’ve done so clearly and publicly. Grant us faith to continue to believe, for we ask these things in Christ’s name and for his sake. Amen.

https://youtu.be/iOS6kby7rP4?si=Hz00yhGJMvgSEy2Q

We’ve come to a section in the Book of Hebrews where the writer is primarily focusing on application. In the New Testament letters, the writer will typically start with significant doctrine. Up front, there’s doctrine and theology. Then, after they’ve given us a doctrine of theology, they will move into a moment of application, saying, Here’s what I want you to do with this doctrine in theology.

That’s what the writer of Hebrews is now doing. For the first 11 chapters, he provided us with a substantial amount of doctrine and theology. He told us a lot about who Jesus is, where Jesus came from, what he came to earth to do, and what he accomplished. He talks about Jesus being the image of the perfect God. That Jesus is better than angels, that Jesus establishes a New Covenant, and that Jesus mediates a better covenant with a better sacrifice than those of the Old Covenant. That Jesus is continually our great High Priest interceding for us.

He’s given us a lot of doctrine. He’s explained to us what faith is and why it matters. Now he moves into chapters 12 and 13, and he begins to tell us, What do you do with this doctrine of theology that I’ve now given you? The Book of Hebrews is a transcribed sermon, and I think it serves as a model for how we ought to preach in our present age. We live in a culture in the United States where it is very normal for sermons to be primarily practical or application-oriented.

You go to church and you hear, Here are three steps to do this. It’s often absent of theology and doctrine. When you look through the New Testament letters, they spend a lot of time teaching doctrine and theology. We see the book of Galatians has six chapters. The first five are doctrine and theology, and one chapter is application. We see here in Hebrews, 11 chapters chock-full of doctrine and theology, and two chapters of practical application. The most balanced letter is Ephesians. Three chapters of doctrine, three chapters of application.

But most of the New Testament authors spend more time teaching doctrine and theology than they do practical application, which I think is a model for how we ought to teach in our services. Tragically, across the Western world, in modern evangelicalism, we spend very little time teaching doctrine and theology. We wonder why our churches are kind of a mess. People ask, Why do you spend so much energy teaching doctrine, because that’s what the New Testament author said. We want to be like them.

So this is valuable in our conversations as believers; we should spend lots of time talking about doctrine and theology. As parents, we should be spending lots of time teaching our kids doctrine and theology. Now, certainly, we should not stop there. Those of us who are in the Reformed world sometimes we can stop with doctrine and theology, and then we forget to do the application part. So both are important.

The writer of Hebrews has now moved into chapters 12 and 13, where he is spending significant time giving us very practical exhortations. In the first few verses of chapter 12, he gives us some exhortations. The one that I spent the most time talking about last week was he tells us to get rid of sin and to get rid of any hindrances that may distract us from Jesus, even if those things are not sinful. Get rid of sin. Sin is bad. It distracts, it causes harm, it dishonors Jesus. Get rid of sin.

But in addition to that, there are lists of things in your life that are not necessarily sinful at all, but you should get rid of them because they potentially are a distraction between you and Jesus. The immature Christian asks this question, Is it sinful? It’s not that I can do it. The mature Christian or the maturing Christian asks a different question, a better question, not Is it sinful? But rather, will this thing help me run after Jesus better? If the answer is no, then you should consider eliminating it from your life.

We talked extensively about that last week. That was the first exhortation in the first few verses of Hebrews, chapter 12. Then he’s going to give us significant, more practical applications as he goes through chapters 12 and 13. But before he gets to more exhortations, he has this moment here where he pauses and talks about discipline.

He says, get rid of sin and get rid of things that may distract you, even if they’re not sinful. By the way, this is going to take some discipline to do well. If you refuse to engage in it, if you refuse to get rid of sin and to get rid of things that are distractions, God will discipline you because he loves you and he wants to make you better. That’s what he does; he begins to focus on it.

So the sentiment that we see from him here in the middle part of chapter 12 is, in essence, to embrace God’s discipline. He doesn’t explicitly say that. That is the implied application. In the middle part of chapter 12, he’s going to talk about the fact that God disciplines us. This is a good thing, and we should like it. We should say, God, bring it on, because he disciplines those whom he loves. If God is not disciplining you, you should question whether or not you are genuinely his. That’s what the writer of Hebrews implies here.

So this morning I want to talk a little bit about God’s discipline of us. I want to talk a little bit about how God disciplines us. Then I want to focus on one particular way he disciplines us. Primarily by the way in which we judge and correct one another. First, let’s pray one more time.

God, as we look at a few verses from Hebrews chapter 12, would you help us understand it? Would you cause this to change our hearts, to transform us? May we embrace your discipline. May you discipline us as needed and make us more like Jesus. I pray, would you do that? Would you do that in me? Would you do that in us? I pray. Amen.

Hebrews chapter 12, verse 5. The writer of Hebrews says:

“Have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?”

There’s an exhortation that was given to you. There were some words given to you, some challenges. The reason they were given to you is because you are sons. You are children of God. Then he says this:

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord.”

Don’t take it lightly that God wants to discipline you. It’s a serious thing. It’s sacred. We should make much of this. We should be excited about this. This is a good thing. I am a dad to a four-year-old. I have disciplined this child for quite some time now on a regular basis. I can assure you, she doesn’t like it when she’s being disciplined.

But the writer of Hebrews would have me say, When your good Father disciplines you, you should be excited about that. In First Corinthians 11:32, the apostle Paul says this about God discipling us:

“God disciplines us so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”

That’s a remarkable statement. There are a bunch of people in the world who are going to be condemned. They’re going to face the wrath of God one day. It will be a tragic, heartbreaking moment, heart-wrenching. God says, some of you believe in me, and I’m going to continually discipline you so that you don’t end up in that category.

When God disciplines us and causes us not to be in the category of people that are going to face his condemnation, that’s a good thing. Praise God. It is a gift to be disciplined. Then he alludes to this here in this chapter. Good fathers discipline their children. A father who refuses to discipline his children is not a good father.

I want to say that to the kids in the room. When Mommy or Daddy disciplines you, they put you in a timeout, give you a lecture, or may spank you. That’s a good thing. That’s a good thing because they love you. We have various forms of discipline in our home. Verbal warnings, time-outs, and there may be moments where there needs to be a firm, physical spanking.

We call them pow-pows in our house. Lettie does not like pow-pows, I can assure you. But it’s good for her to get pow pows. It’s good for God to give us pow-pows when we sin. It’s good for God to introduce pain into our lives, to get our attention, for us to know that that behavior is unacceptable. When God gives you a pow-pow, you should say, Thank you, Daddy. Thank you.

Hebrews, chapter 12, verse 9. He says, We had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. We’re thankful for them. Shall we not be much more subject to the Father? We recognize what a good dad does. How much more should we respect it when God does it?

Side notes to the dads in the room. Discipline should be something that you are primarily involved in. It is very common, I’ve noticed, in American society for moms to carry the weight of disciplining the children. That is inappropriate. Dads, you should be thoroughly involved in that process. You should be leading the way.

A good dad should be involved. Do not just advocate that or delegate that to your wife. That’s unfair to her. It doesn’t mean that Mama never disciplines children. But if Mama does all the discipline, that’s unfair to her. That’s way too emotionally exhausting. Dads, you should be involved in that process.

Now, there are many ways in which God disciplines us. I’m going to mention a few of them. First, God will often allow us to experience the consequences of our own actions. He will say, You’ve made this bad, foolish choice. I’m going to orchestrate the events of your life to ensure you suffer the consequences of this thing.

I sometimes have to do this with my kids. It’s hard. I want to protect them sometimes. My kid is doing something dumb, and there’s going to be a consequence of that. If you pull the dog’s tail or the dog’s ear, the dog might scratch you, hit you, pound you with his paw, and he might nip at you. I want to protect you from that. But it might actually be good for you to get a little nip from the dog so that you realize you shouldn’t pull the dog’s ear. He doesn’t like that. That’s not kind.

So sometimes we have to allow our children to experience the pain of their own actions. That is hard as a parent to watch. But sometimes God does that for us. We see this over and over again in the scriptures. Sometimes God will lead us into difficult situations, hard situations, or God will allow us to experience variations of suffering. He doesn’t want you to suffer, but he is going to lead you into a really hard situation, into a moment where you are experiencing suffering because it will expose your sin.

That’s God’s ultimate motivation whenever he’s disciplining us, to highlight in us that there’s something that he wants to get rid of. One of the greatest examples of this in the Old Testament is the Babylonian exile. If you’re not familiar, the nation of Israel came out of Egypt, went into the promised land, and they’ve been there for several hundred years. For almost all of that history, they have been incredibly inconsistent and unfaithful in serving God for hundreds and hundreds of years.

God eventually takes the nation of Israel, and he says, I’m going to send you into Babylon. God raises up the Babylonian empire and the Babylonian army, and God makes them strong, this pagan army. God gives Nebuchadnezzar, the pagan ruler, the desire to attack Israel. God does all of that. God leads the Babylonian pagan army, and he strengthens them so they can attack and destroy lots of Israel.

Lots of people are killed, lots of the city is destroyed, and the few survivors are then enslaved and dragged off to be slaves in Babylon. God did that to his people. God makes it very clear in the Old Testament, I did that to you, Israel. You’re gonna go be slaves for 70 years in Babylon because there’s something in you as a people that I want to get rid of.

I’ve heard Christians in our modern era say things about God. God’s a nice guy. He would never do these kinds of things to you. God wouldn’t discipline. God wouldn’t be mean. God wouldn’t introduce pain into your life. God’s not that kind of God. The same God of the Old Testament is the one who wrote the New. I think you’re misunderstanding who our God is. He will absolutely raise up a pagan army and have you dragged off and be slaves for 70 years because he loves you so much. He’s willing to do whatever needs to be done to get out of your heart and soul the ugliness of sin.

Side note, to be very clear, not all suffering is discipline. Sometimes we suffer in this life, and it’s not necessarily God disciplining us. There’s a host of reasons why suffering happens. Discipline is simply one variation or one reason. If you’re interested, we did a sermon series back in January on suffering. We did several sermons on why God introduces suffering. If you’re interested, you can find it on our website, horizoncitychurch.com, click the sermons button. You can find them there.

We want to be very careful. If someone is suffering, don’t assume it’s because of discipline. That would be insensitive. I’ve heard Christians say some things that feel insensitive. If someone is experiencing some sort of physical illness, we ask, What’s causing God to discipline you? You don’t know that, so be very careful. We don’t want to make those sorts of assumptions.

Another way God disciplines us is that he will often let our sin get caught. This is often quite humiliating. God will discipline us by saying, I’m going to orchestrate the events of your life in such a way that when the next time you do that sin, you’re going to get caught, and it’s going to be incredibly embarrassing to you and those around you.

We see this over and over again throughout the Scriptures and in church history. We see this a lot in our modern era. I’m always grieved when there’s a pastor who has a moral failure and he is caught in sin; it breaks my heart every time. Every time I say, Thank you, God. You love that pastor. You let him get caught. You didn’t let it be hidden. He isn’t dying with that sin; you let him get caught. As heartbreaking and embarrassing as it is to him, to his family, to his church, and the body of Christ as a whole, as much of a disgrace and a reproach as it is to the body of Christ, it is grace to that man.

Praise be to God that you would love him enough to allow him to get caught. What kindness.

The thing we see with all of these forms of discipline from God toward his people is that these forms of discipline are never the first response. With the nation of Israel, they go into the land, and 800 years go by before he brings Babylon. 800 years of consistent blasphemy, disrespect, disobedience, and inconsistency. God is continually kind and faithful to them and protects them and provides for them over and over again, generation after generation. God is so patient and long-suffering with them, calling them to repentance.

When God disciplines us harshly, it is because there has been a long track record of him disciplining us lightly that we have ignored. He says, I’m going to get your attention one way or another. So this is a great warning for us that when God is disciplining us lightly, we should listen, because if we don’t, he will discipline us more harshly.

The light way God disciplines us is that he brings other people into our lives to correct us and rebuke us, to point out our flaws. This is God’s discipline in your life. It’s the light version. You, as a Christian, have other Christians in your life to point out to you your flaws, to judge you, and rebuke you. That is God’s kindness to you.

He’s long-suffering, he’s patient, he’s gentle. There are lots of reasons for us to have a Christian community. There are lots of good reasons for us to lean into Christian friendships and spend a lot of time to make sure we don’t miss Sundays, if at all possible. That we lean into relationships with other believers. It’s encouragement and inspiration. There are practical helps.

But one of the most important reasons that we lean into Christian community and Christian friendships is that Christians can correct us when we’re wrong. They can highlight our flaws. We don’t like that one. If someone comes to you and tells you you’re doing something wrong, what you ought to do is say, Praise God. He’s being kind to me by bringing someone to tell me how wrong I am.

I’m sure we all respond that way every time. No, of course you don’t. We get angry, we get frustrated. We don’t like it. But our responsibility as believers is to look at one another and to diagnose how we’re doing, to judge one another. First Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 12. The apostle Paul says this:

“What have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?”

Some of you guys are so worried about sinners and people who don’t believe in Jesus, let’s spend a lot of energy judging one another in the church. Now, I know some of you are like, wait, didn’t Jesus say, don’t judge? Don’t judge lest you be judged. He did say words that sound like that, but that’s not precisely what he said.

When you look at the context in Matthew and Jesus’ teaching, he’s talking about a hypocritical form of judgment. He’s saying, don’t hypocritically judge, lest there will be people who come along and hypocritically judge you. Jesus explicitly tells us to judge. In John, chapter 7, verse 24, Jesus says:

“Judge with right judgment.”

So there’s a bad form of judging hypocritically, or there’s a right form of judgment. When you use right judgment, there’s a right way to judge. People will say, I don’t judge. We all do. When I walk into Chipotle and I’m staring at the food, I’m judging whether or not I want to put that chicken in my mouth. Does that chicken look like something I want to consume right now, or would I rather the carnitas or the steak? I am passing judgment on which of these is best. I’m making a decision.

The apostle Paul and Jesus make it very clear we should all be doing this as Christians with one another, looking at other Christians and determining, Are you doing what you ought to be doing? Are you living the way you ought to be living? When you lean into the Christian community, it’s like having a bunch of extra side-view mirrors. That’s what the Christian community is supposed to be, a bunch of extra mirrors that help me see more of my blind spots so that I’m less likely to cause a wreck. So I’m less likely to be a danger to myself or those around me.

People ask me all the time, Why should I become a church member? Why does church membership matter when you become a member of a church? Is it because we get to vote on things? Here at Horizon Church, our members do vote on the budget. Our members have access to financials, my salary, and various decisions. Yes, there’s that element to it, but that’s such a small part of it.

Becoming a church member is most valuable because you get a bunch of extra side view mirrors in your life. When you become a member of a church, when you lean into Christian community or if you’re a part of a church that doesn’t do formal membership, when you lean into those relationships with other believers, the thing you get, the most valuable thing, is a bunch of extra people to judge you.

That is God’s kindness to you. That is God disciplining you through other believers in the lightest form of discipline possible. It’s not actually all that painful for someone to look at you and tell you that you’re sinning. It hurts our ego, it bruises our pride, but it’s not painful at all. Earlier in Hebrews chapter 12, the writer of Hebrews says, In your fight against sin, you’ve not shed blood. He says, You guys are all up in arms about the things you’re going through. In the process of disciplining you, you’ve not shed your blood.

In the process of getting rid of sin, you’ve not shed blood, you’ve not lost an arm, you’ve not been crucified. What you’ve experienced is not that big a deal. So someone told you to stop doing what you’re doing. That’s not that big a deal. In fact, it’s God’s discipline in your life. Don’t make light of that. Later in Hebrews, in verse 11, he says this.

“For the moment, all discipline seems painful, not pleasant. But later, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

In the moment when you’re being disciplined by God, it doesn’t feel good. It’s not pleasant. But later, it will yield great fruit. So embrace it. The way God does this is he calling us to correct one another. 35 times in the New Testament, we are told to rebuke and judge one another as believers. Here’s the clearest one. Luke 17, verse 3. Jesus is speaking, he says:

“If your brother sins, rebuke him.”

That’s pretty simple. The implication there is, if you see your brother sinning and you don’t rebuke him, you are disobeying a direct command of Jesus. If I see a believer sinning and I tell them that they’re sinning and to stop, which I’ve done on occasion in my life. Sometimes I’ve gotten a response from some people saying, Who are you to tell me?

Well, if I don’t tell you, I’m sinning and I’m going to stand before God, and so I don’t care if you like me or not. I care about what I’m saying before Jesus, and I’m judged by him. So if you’re mad at what I just said, fine. But Jesus is happy with me, and I live to make him happy. When a Christian brother or sister rebukes you for your sin, it’s a good thing. Proverbs 27, verses 5 and 6 say this:

“Open rebuke is better than secret love.”

Someone who openly rebukes you is better than someone who says nothing but claims to love you in their heart. Someone says, I love you and I keep my mouth shut. That’s not love. It is better for someone to open their mouth and to offend you. In fact, the very next phrase there in Proverbs 27:6 says this:

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend.”

The wounds you get from a friend correcting you, those are faithful wounds. Side note: When we seek to bring correction to one another, we want to be gentle and tender. Galatians chapter 6 says this.

“If anyone is caught in transgression, restore him in a spirit of gentleness.”

If any Christian you know is sinning, it is your responsibility to open your mouth and say something and restore that person to not sinning. But when you do it, do it in a spirit of gentleness. Sometimes people use the commands of Scripture to rebuke one another, to discipline one another, as an excuse to just be jerks. You’re being unkind, and you’re not representing Christ.

We want to correct people. We want to do it in a spirit of gentleness. In addition to that, if someone rebukes you and they do it in a way that’s not gentle, that’s not an excuse to ignore them. That’s an immature thing to do. Someone can rebuke you, and they do it ungentlely. They sin in their rebuke, but the content of their rebuke may still very well be accurate. So you should ignore the fact that they were not gentle and just receive the rebuke. Maybe later down the road, you can follow up with them.

A week later, you can follow up and say, You rebuked me that day. Thank you. I prayed about it. I’m asking God for his help to fight that. In the conversation when you rebuked me accurately, the way you did it didn’t quite represent Christ well. It might have been easier for someone in my church to receive that.

In my pastoral experience, there are usually four ways in which people respond to correction. When God is seeking to discipline a Christian through another Christian. Here are the four ways we respond.

Number one is that we get defensive. We begin to defend or justify the action.

The second thing we often do is we get quiet, and we get really uncomfortable. We’re anxious about the confrontation, and we get quiet and pretend like we’re listening because we just want the moment to be over and move on.

The third response is that we want to return the person who rebuked us. They’ve corrected us. They’ve said something to us that hurts our feelings. We want to then turn around and return the hurt to them. I am feeling hurt, and now I’m going to say something back to you with the sole purpose of hurting your feelings because you’ve hurt my feelings.

Or the fourth way sometimes we respond is we simply ignore the person.

We get defensive, we get quiet, we return the hurt, or we just ignore them. Friends, all of these are wrong responses. All of these are sinful responses. When another brother is correcting you, it is God seeking to discipline you. The writer of Hebrews says, Do not make light of that. The right response would be to humbly ask, Would you tell me more? Tell me more about how wretched I am.

Can you tell me more about how I did that? Can you give me some other examples? What are some other things that I did? Can you help me understand how this is hurting other people? Do you have any wisdom that can help me get how I can get better at this? Or maybe you say, I’m sorry. Would you forgive me?

For some weird reason, humans struggle for that to be one of our early instincts. Someone is sinning when we rebuke them; the right response we want to hear is often the expression of sorrow and apology. Or how about this one? Brother, sister, I think you’re right. Would you pray for me right now? Would you pray right now for me that God would help me to receive this discipline? Psalm 141, verse 5. This is David speaking about other people rebuking him. This is what he says:

“Let a righteous man strike me. It is a kindness. Let him rebuke me. It is oil on my head. Let my head not refuse it.”

Someone rebukes you, pour that oil all over me. It’s like a fragrance. Bring it on. Do we respond like this often when we’re being corrected? I wish I could tell you this is how I respond every time. God disciplines us through each other, and we should not make light of that. Church, if we refuse to receive the light discipline that comes from the verbal corrections of our fellow brothers and sisters, you should expect a more harsh form of discipline if you continue in your disobedience.

The refusal to receive correction, I almost want to say it’s the worst of sins. I wouldn’t quite say that, but I almost want to say that because this sin, the refusal to receive correction, impedes every area of your life. If you have a major anger problem, but you’re willing to listen to correction and people correct you on your anger problem, eventually your anger problem will get better with God’s help. But if you refuse to listen to correction, no area of your life ever gets better.

The writer of Hebrews is saying, Don’t make light of this. The Lord is going to discipline you. Receive it. In Hebrews 12:14, he uses the word ‘strive’. The word strive here is conjugated in the original Greek in a particular way. It’s a verb, and it’s a second-person plural verb, meaning it’s one person talking to a group of people collectively.

This form of the Greek verb ‘strive’, the way it appears in the original Greek, implies that there’s a collective effort that he’s commanding you to do. So he’s saying, strive to do these things. But he’s not saying you individually strive, he’s saying plural. All of you as a group, collectively, together, strive to do these things. It’s a group effort because he knows he can’t do it alone.

Then he gives them a list of things to strive together to do. Look at verse 14. He highlights two things. He says, peace with everyone and holiness. He says, Strive to have peace with everyone and to have holiness. But you don’t do it on your own. You strive together. Well, how do we strive together to have peace with everyone? Well, if one person doesn’t have peace with another one, someone’s got to say something. That’s the implication. There’s some form of verbal correction.

Or, how do we have holiness? How do we strive for holiness together? Well, when we see each other not being holy, we open our mouths and we say, That thing you did wasn’t very holy. Then in verse 15, he highlights two more things: that no root of bitterness springs up. And he later says in the verse that no one is sexually immoral. So, as believers strive together to make sure no bitterness springs up.

How do you make sure no bitterness springs up without talking to one another about it? If you see one person being bitter, it’s your job to say, I see some bitterness springing up. Let’s stop that. Or if you see someone being sexually immoral, you know of someone doing that which they ought not do. The Bible is very clear on what the parameters for sexuality are. One man, one woman, within the bounds of sacred covenant. Anything outside of that in any kind is sexually immoral, is an abomination to God.

So if we see anyone else who claims to be a Christian doing that, it’s your job collectively to help them. They can’t do it on their own. We strive collectively to do this together. Together, embrace the Lord’s discipline so that we can be peaceful with everyone. To be holy, to have no bitterness, to avoid sexual immorality.

I’m in a couple of private Facebook groups that have various discussions on various topics. In one of these particular groups, there was a conversation that came up. I chimed in and gave some thoughts. Then something I said led one of my friends to think there was some bitterness in me.

My friend Ken, he lives in Tennessee, saw this thing I posted in his Facebook group and he sent me an audio text message. He’s said, Hey, man, I really appreciate your insights. I think there’s a lot of wisdom. However, there was one phrase you said in the middle of this paragraph that leads me to believe that maybe there’s some bitterness in you toward this other person. Maybe I’m wrong, bro. But I want to ask you about that phrase because I think most people reading this probably won’t pick up on it, but because I know you and I know the situation. Maybe I’m wrong. Just give me a heads up, correct me if I’m wrong.

You know what? He wasn’t wrong. There was absolutely some bitterness in my heart toward that person. This was about two months ago. I wish I could tell you this was a decade ago.

I had not talked about it. So this bitterness slipped in, amid other words. When we went back and forth, I just said, Brother, forgive me for demonstrating my bitterness. Thank you for challenging me. That person wronged me. They were wrong in what they did. They’re probably never gonna say sorry. They’re never gonna apologize. They’re never gonna acknowledge it.

So, for my own spiritual well-being, I was encouraged to choose to forgive that person. I have to be honest, that was really hard to hear. My friend Ken is saying, we need to strive together to have peace with everyone. These two believers are frustrated with one another, and he’s challenging both of them. My friend Ken is a gift to me.

God disciplined me through the correction of a fellow believer. It was good for me. I recognized in my own heart, there’s some bitterness there. I need to go pray. I have some work to do. Lord, would you forgive me? God sends people your way because he loves you and he wants to root out of you the things in you that are ugly and broken.

What happens if someone refuses to listen to the correction over and over again? Two things will happen. Number one is this: If you refuse to listen to the light correction, the verbal correction, and rebuke of those other believers, then God will find more harsh ways to discipline you. It’s going to happen because he loves you. He’s a good dad. Why would we expect him not to discipline us?

Second thing, if someone continues to disobey, refuses to listen to the correction of people, refuses to embrace the lighter forms of discipline, then what’s going to happen is eventually those of us who are Christians, we are going to realize that this person is not genuinely saved, that their faith is not genuine, that they’re not genuinely a son of God. They may have duped themselves into thinking they’re a Christian. They may have duped others into thinking that their trajectory is eternal judgment.

If there’s a person who claims to be a Christian, maybe they do Christian stuff. Maybe they’re a member of a church. Maybe they’re a member of this church. But if that person refuses, over and over again, to receive correction and to obey God’s word as commanded, that will be assigned to the rest of us. That person does not have the spirit of God at work in their life. That’s a very sobering reality.

The Bible gives us very clear instructions as a church on how we deal with this. I won’t go into detail now, but Matthew 18 and 1st Corinthians 5 give us very clear instructions that someone in the local church who refuses to receive a correction must eventually be excommunicated. They are removed from that church. That is a painful, painful situation. We call that church discipline. When a church disciplines one of its members by publicly declaring that person is disobedient, and they refuse to do what God has called them to do.

So we want everyone to know that we don’t think this person’s a Christian. We think if they died today, they would go to hell, and because we love them, we want them to know it, and we beg for them to repent of their sin. Now, the process of church discipline should be a long, patient process.

My church in Minnesota, over the course of six years there, we disciplined and excommunicated seven different people over the course of six years. But each time, it was a one to two-year process of us trying to get them to listen, and they refused. Church discipline is a lost art in American evangelicalism. Today, when you excommunicate someone, you’re the bad guy. I can’t believe you would have kicked someone out. How evil you are.

But the Bible says it’s a form of kindness. This person thinks they may be a Christian, they think they’re going to heaven, but they’re not. That’s a very dangerous place to be. So it is time for that person to know that they’re not going to heaven, and they should repent of their sin.

Refusal to listen to correction could be evidence that you are not genuinely saved. You think you’re headed to heaven, but you’re not. I implore you, when you are corrected, humbly repent of your sin. Beg God for his mercy. He will give it. He disciplines us because he loves us. After all, we are his children. As the writer of Hebrews says here in chapter 12, if he doesn’t discipline us, then we’re not legitimate and we’re not actually of him.

Therefore, seek the mercy of God and collectively strive for holiness. Allow God to discipline you through other people. Do not make light of that discipline. In doing this, as we embrace correction and discipline, as we strive together to do this well, in this process, we will experience all that God has for us in this life and the next.

Those who are regularly with us know we’ve been traveling through the Book of Hebrews over the last several months. Just a few more Sundays and then we’ll be in the Psalms for the summer. We are excited for the summer. My wife is pregnant, and we’re expecting our third child in July. Very excited about that. I’ve lined up a few guest preachers for the summer. I’m excited to come and share from the Psalms throughout the summer.

I’ve said this before: The Book of Hebrews is, in essence, a transcribed sermon. The writer of Hebrews at some point preached this sermon, wrote it down, and then sent it to this church that was significantly being persecuted. A church that was predominantly composed of Hellenistic Jews or ethnic Jews who spoke Greek and were part of Greek culture, likely located in modern-day Italy.

He writes this sermon, this letter, and he sends it to them as a means of encouraging them to stick with the faith. His goal is that he doesn’t want any of them to abandon Jesus ever. He wants every person who’s a part of the church to stick with Jesus and love him all the days of their life. He knows the best way to do that is to make sure they know how great Jesus is. They need to know that Jesus is better than anything else they could compare him to.

Jesus is better than whatever you think he is. If you have a high view of Jesus, that’s great, but he’s even better than that. If you have a low view of Jesus, that’s an error. He is significantly greater than that. But whatever you think of Jesus, he’s better than that. That’s been the overarching theme of the Book of Hebrews. Jesus is better than the angels. He’s better than Moses. He’s the best brother that’s ever been. He’s the greatest human that’s ever been. He’s a great high priest, greater than the high priest of the Old Testament.

He establishes a covenant greater than the covenant that they mediated. He does it with a sacrifice greater than the sacrifices that they provided. Because Jesus is better. That’s his overarching goal. I want you to be convinced that Jesus is better. That anything you consider going to, anything you think about leaving Jesus for, just know whatever that thing is, it’s not as good as Jesus. Jesus is better.

Then he gets to Hebrews chapter 11. In that chapter, as we’ve seen the last few weeks, he begins to highlight all of these great people from the Old Testament who lived like they believed that God is better than anything else they could think of. He mentions these various people, and he’s writing to these Christians who were ethnic Jews who had become Christians.

As Jews, they would have loved the Old Testament. They would have esteemed the Old Testament. He begins to highlight some of their heroes. He explicitly mentions 16 different names and then alludes to at least 10 other people throughout the chapter. He says, see all these great people in the Old Testament, Abel and Enoch and Abraham and Noah and Isaac and Moses and David and the Prophets. They demonstrated great faith, and they stuck with God.

Do you know why? Because they know that Jesus is better. That’s the overarching message of Hebrews chapter 11. His exhortation to them is, continue to live your life demonstrating faith in Jesus, just like your heroes demonstrated faith in God in the Old Testament. By the way, we know more about God than they did. God has revealed more of himself. We know more of who God is today than even they did. So if they lived out in faith, how much more should we live out in faith?

That’s, in essence, the message of the first 11 chapters of the book of Hebrews. Then we come to Hebrews chapter 12. We will see in Hebrews chapter 12, in the opening few words, that he gives us three exhortations. Number one, he’s going to tell us to get rid of sin. Number two, he’s going to tell us to get rid of anything that could weigh you down, even if it’s not sinful. Number three, he will say, add things to your life that will remind you of who Jesus is.

Those are the exhortations from the early verses of Hebrews chapter 12. Get rid of sin, get rid of anything that will weigh you down to distract you, even if it’s not sinful. Then thirdly, he will say, add some things to your life that will help you remember Jesus. So we’re going to look at Hebrews chapter 12. We’ll see these observations. But before we do that, let’s pray one more time.

Father in heaven, thank you for your word. Help us understand it, speak to us through it, shape us through it. Help us to know how to apply this to our lives. For your glory. Amen.

So Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1, says this:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses”

When I was in high school, my pastor would always say this: Whenever you see the word therefore in the Bible, you should stop and ask yourself, what’s the therefore there for? Here, the word ‘therefore’ connects everything he has previously said.

For the first 11 chapters, Jesus is better. Keep your faith in Jesus. Therefore, I want you to do some stuff. So he’s given them a bunch of great information, revelation of who Jesus is, and now he’s going to say, because that is true, therefore, do some stuff. Here’s the stuff he wants us to do.

First, he mentions this great cloud of witnesses. Because we know there’s a great cloud of witnesses, we should do some things. Now, let me pause for a second. I’ve heard people talk about this throughout my Christian life. People talk about this great cloud of witnesses like it’s a bunch of people in heaven together in a crowd, watching us and cheering us on.

I heard a Christian leader once explain it like we are track stars running around the track. This great cloud of witnesses, they’re in the stands cheering us on. That’s not at all what the writer of Hebrews is saying here. He’s saying we have this great cloud of witnesses. The word witness there is like a witness in a trial, like a court of law.

We have a crew of witnesses. Who is he alluding to? Well, the people he just mentioned in Hebrews 11. The 26 people that are mentioned or alluded to in Hebrews 11, who put faith in God and saw God do some amazing things through them. It’s like he’s calling these people from the Old Testament up to the witness stand.

The writer of Hebrews is like the prosecuting attorney. He’s making a case, and he’s calling people from the Old Testament to the witness stand. He’s saying, Noah, come to the witness stand and testify to these people what it means to have faith in God. Noah gets on the stand and says, I trusted in God and my entire family survived a global flood.

He calls Abraham to the stand. The writer of Hebrew says, Tell us, Abraham, testify to us. Abraham says, I trusted God, and my wife and I are old, but he told us we would have a child. I don’t know if you know this about old people, but we don’t usually have children. But you know what? We had a child. In fact, I became the father of many nations.

The writer of Hebrews then brings Moses and the Israelites to the stand. They say we witnessed miracles in Egypt. We witnessed the judgment and wrath of God on the Egyptians who refused to repent. We trusted God, and we saw him miraculously rescue us from Egyptian tyranny. We watched God part the Red Sea and cross us over into the wilderness. Then God brought us Joshua and the next generation. We went into the promised land, and we watched the walls of Jericho fall down. God handed us, on a silver platter, this land we now call Israel.

Over and over again throughout chapter 11, the writer of Hebrews is calling people to the witness stand. Come to the witness stand and tell these Christians about what it means to have faith in God. These witnesses talk about the miracles of God, the mercy of God, how they took over kingdoms and defeated armies, and they shut the mouths of lions, and even a few of them raised people from the dead.

They testify and they present evidence that should lead us to only one verdict. There’s only one reasonable, rational verdict that we can come to when we hear the testimony of the saints of old. That is, Jesus is better. Keep believing in Jesus. The Old Testament saints believed in the Messiah.

They didn’t know his name would be Jesus, but they knew that God promised a Messiah, and they looked forward to the day that he would come. They believed in God, and they saw God do Great things. So the writer of Hebrews is saying, Jesus is better. Look at all these witnesses. It’s a great cloud, such a great cloud of witnesses testifying to you that faith in Jesus is worth it.

Because that is true, here’s the first exhortation he gives us. In the middle part of Hebrews, Chapter 12, verse 1, he first alludes to the great cloud of witnesses. Then he says this:

“Let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

He says, Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which clings closely. Another English translation renders it this way:

“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.”

There’s a keyword there. The word is ‘And’. He wants us to throw off everything that hinders ‘and’ the sin that easily entangles. The sin that clings closely. The word ‘and’ there in the Greek means ‘And’. The word ‘And’ makes it clear that two distinct things are going on here. If I say to you, Kenny and Malaina. (Malaina is my wife.) Kenny and Malaina went to Jimmy John’s. How many people went to Jimmy John’s? It’s two. If I say to you the Eagles and the Chiefs played in the Super Bowl, how many teams played in the Super Bowl? There are two.

There are two distinctive things here. He’s saying, listen, get rid of everything that hinders and get rid of the sin. The sin is the obvious one: get rid of sin.

But also, there are these other things. There’s this category of things over here that maybe aren’t quite sinful, but they might weigh you down.

The imagery is that you are a runner. I mentioned this last week, I ran track in high school. I was pretty quick. I remember when you’re a runner, you don’t want anything to get in the way of you running. Your outfit, the way you cut your hair. You want to make sure you’ve got nothing that’s going to weigh you down.

The writer is saying, the Christian life following Jesus is like running. You want to make sure there’s nothing on you or in front of you that’s going to slow you down. He’s saying, sin is bad. Get rid of sin. But also in addition to that, some things may not seem sinful, but they’re going to weigh you down, they’re going to slow you down, they’re not going to help you run. Get rid of those things, too. That’s his exhortation to us.

So often, Christians live this dumb, minimalist Christian life. The question so many people ask is, Is it a sin? If it’s not a sin, then I can do it, right? That’s how immature Christians behave. That’s not the brand of a mature Christian. The person who wants to follow Jesus wholeheartedly does not ask, Is it sinful? That’s the wrong question. The right question is, will it help me run faster? Some things are not sins but could weigh you down.

The writer of Hebrews is saying, Examine your life. Think about your life, think about your behaviors, think about how you live. Anything that gets in your way, even if it’s not sinful, get rid of that thing. Are video games sinful? No, not necessarily. But will they help you run after Jesus faster? It depends on how many minutes you spend playing. I don’t think video games are sinful at all. But are they potentially a weight that will slow you down? Maybe you should consider getting rid of them.

Is Netflix a sin? No. (I guess it depends on what you’re watching.) Inherently, no, Netflix is not a sin. My wife and I have Netflix. We watch all sorts of dumb stuff. We’ve been watching every apocalypse show. My wife watches the British Baking Show regularly. Is Netflix a sin? No, it’s not sinful. But could it slow you down in the Christian life? Absolutely. So be very careful how many minutes you spend on Netflix.

Dads, is it wrong to have your work email on your phone? No, it’s not a sin. But could it be an obstacle between you and the things that are most important in your life? Absolutely, it could. Maybe consider taking the email off your phone. Ladies, is it wrong for you to watch the rom-coms? No, it’s not sinful to watch the rom-coms, but could it cause you to think about relationships too much and think about wanting a boy more than you ought to? Of course.

Is it wrong to read a bunch of dystopian fiction novels? No, it’s not sinful. But is it a distraction? Is it weighing you down? How many minutes are you spending reading that versus reading God’s word? Is it a sin to have Instagram? No. Unless your parents say you can’t have it, then yes, it is a sin. You disobey your parents, then. No, it’s not a sin to have Instagram. But could it weigh me down potentially? How many minutes do I spend doing this? Opposed to this?

A few months ago, I deleted TikTok from my phone because I was spending a lot of time on TikTok. I gave my wife anxiety because she would overhear me watching these videos. I really got into watching police body cam videos. The police released them. Or videos of people interacting with police. It’s terrifying. You realize how ridiculous humans are. I realized I’m spending way more time on TikTok watching Police Body cam videos than I am spending time with my kids or my savior. Clearly, this was a weight, It was a hindrance. So I deleted TikTok from my phone.

Do I think having TikTok on your phone is a sin? I do not think TikTok is a sin at all. But for me, it was a hindrance. So, for me, I had to get rid of it. Your hindrance is going to be different than mine. We’re going to have different hindrances. It’s going to be different from person to person. So you have to pray and be honest with yourself. Prayerfully consider your own life, take inventory of your own heart and mind, and ask yourself, What are the things in my life that are a hindrance?

The writer of Hebrews would say, Get rid of it and run after Jesus because he is better. There’s a great quote from Dr. John Piper. He’s a pastor, and he was a pastor in Minnesota for many years. He was my boss for a little while. Dr. John Piper says this: One of the greatest uses of social media will be to prove at the last day that prayerlessness was not from a lack of time.

We’re gonna stand before God on Judgment Day. He’s gonna say, so you didn’t pray a lot, did you? Yeah, I didn’t have any time. He’s gonna whip out the logbook. You were on Twitter for 1,818 hours. Seems to me you have plenty of time to pray. Now, in his grace, this will be covered under his blood. Praise be to God.

Those of you who know me, know I’m a political junkie. I love politics and culture, but I’ve had to limit myself to how much I follow politics. Election season, I’m all in. Then I turn it off for two years. My wife listens and watches. She’ll regurgitate stuff for a bit. But for me, it’s not good for my soul.

In College in the early 2000s, I found this guy by the name of Rush Limbaugh. Rush Limbaugh was one of the most influential men in American culture for many years. I started listening to Rush a lot. I was what they called a ditto head. I love Rush Limbaugh. I listened almost every day from about 2001 till 2012. About 11 years.

I can probably count on two hands the number of days I missed Rush. He would be on the East Coast radio from about 12 to 3. I would orchestrate the day of my life and make sure that I would be in the car as much as possible during those hours. I love Rush.

You know what I found? The more I listened to this guy. He was a conservative political talk radio guy. I started to hate, really loathe, liberal people who had liberal politics. I remember after the 2012 election, the person I voted for lost. I was so angry. I had this venom in my heart.

I was a youth pastor, and I remember hearing the Holy Spirit prompt my heart, saying, I’ve commanded you to be kind and compassionate and sympathetic and gentle and tender. Do you think you could do that easily for a Democrat? Nope. Do you think the commands of God are only in play if the person voted for the same person you voted for? No.

I remember the Holy Spirit really speaking in my heart. I realized, is it a sin to listen to political talk radio? No, it’s not a sin. But for me, it was causing things in me that were unhealthy and toxic. So I had to cut it. For me, it was a hindrance. I haven’t listened to political talk radio since 2012, and my soul is way healthier.

I love people I disagree with. I can look at someone and think they’re absolutely wrong on a policy and totally reject their bad idea, and still have compassion and sympathy toward that person because I got rid of some hindrances in my life.

I think a lot of Christians suffer from this in our modern society. So whatever it is for you, whatever makes it harder for you to obey God, get rid of that thing. So there’s this thing in my life, it’s not sinful, but it’s making it harder for me to do the thing that God wants me to do. Get rid of it. The Apostle Paul says this in First Corinthians 9, verse 27:

“I discipline my body, and I keep it under control so that I will not be disqualified from the prize.”

Another English translation renders it this way:

“I beat my body too, and I make it my slave.”

Paul says, My body wants certain things. You know what I do? I beat my body. You’re a slave to me. You will do what I tell you to do. In Romans 13:14, the apostle Paul says this:

“Make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.”

Make no provision for the flesh. Don’t live your life in such a way that your sinful desires have any opportunity to be satisfied. I have a good friend of mine who was an alcoholic and is in recovery. He’s been a part of AA. God has done a really great work in his life over the last few years. He and I were hanging out a few weeks ago, and he told me that, because of his alcoholism and his background, he no longer goes to restaurants that have a bar.

He just can’t handle it. He can’t go to Applebee’s because even looking at a bar will make him want to go back down that road. He can’t go to Olive Garden because they bring wine to the table for you to sample. He can’t even do that. So he and his wife only go out to eat at breakfast joints.

Now, my friend, if he were here today, he would tell you he doesn’t believe alcohol is a sin. I would agree with him. There’s nothing in scripture that would say alcohol is a sin. Drinking alcohol is not sinful. However, for some people, it’s a hindrance. For those people, you should never have alcohol. Alcohol is not sinful, but it could weigh you down. So be extremely careful.

This long list of witnesses in Hebrews, chapter 11, the writer of Hebrews is calling to the stand. They are all testifying. Living in this manner is worth it. Getting rid of the sin and the hindrances. It’s valuable and it’s worth it. It will pay off. God will do great things in you and through you, he will sustain you. He is better than anything you could ever imagine. Go all in on Jesus. Surrender all to Jesus. Give him your whole heart. He is better.

Then he says this in Hebrews 12, verse 2, he’s going to allude to how we defeat sin in our lives. So first, he said to get rid of the hindrances. Get rid of sin. Then he says this in Hebrews, chapter 12, verse 2:

“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.”

The writer of Hebrews is saying, You want to fight your sin. It’s what you do. Look at Jesus and look what he did. He’s the founder and perfecter of our faith. He came to this planet, and he endured a cross. Why? Because there was a joy set before him. The Father said to him, Son, if you endure this, on the other side of it, there will be a family of people that you’ve redeemed that we will enjoy together forever and ever and ever. Jesus looked forward to that.

He said, I want them to experience me. I want those people to experience the maximum amount of joy and love that could ever be had. So I will endure the cross so that this thing will come to fruition. He took the shame and humiliation and pain of the cross so that we could experience his joy and so that he could enjoy us, so that we could enjoy each other forever and ever and ever.

The writer of Hebrews is saying, You want to endure things in this life? Here’s what you do. Look at the one who endured for you. Look at Jesus. In fact, 14 different times throughout the book of Hebrews, he makes that sort of statement. He says things like, Consider Jesus. Look to Jesus. Think about Jesus. In Hebrews chapter 2, he tells us to pay close attention to the things you’ve heard about Jesus. Look at Jesus.

Our third point for this morning is to practically add things to your life that will remind you of Jesus. I mentioned a few of these a couple of weeks ago, but they’re worth mentioning again. Gathering with Christians every Sunday on the Lord’s Day is an essential part of the Christian life because this is a place where you will be reminded of what Jesus did for you.

It is why we do confession and communion every single week. I want to smack you in the face with the glory of Jesus every single week, week after week. I want to remind you of what he finished on the cross on your behalf every single week. I mentioned this stat a couple of weeks ago. Less than 50% of American evangelicals think it’s important to attend church weekly. Less than 40% actually do.

The average American evangelical attends church on average 1.5 times per month. That’s considered normal, regular attending. Let me tell you that is not nearly enough. Not close. I’ve been really looking around, figuring out how to do a midweek service because I hate going a whole week without seeing you guys. I hate it.

Another thing we can do to remind ourselves of Jesus is make sure that we have great Christian friendships. Are your best friends the people closest to you who are most influencing your life? Are they people who are gonna help point you toward Jesus? If they’re not, then maybe you should shuffle the deck of your friendships a bit.

How about the media you consume? How about the music you consume? I love podcasts, but maybe turn them off sometimes. Turn off the fantasy football podcast or the This Teenage Life podcast, or the Joe Rogan podcast. Maybe just turn it off. Maybe turn some music on that will remind you of Jesus.

This is why we have a master list of every song we’ve ever done on our website. This is why we publish sermons. I don’t want to publish sermons for people to just listen to the sermon they missed. No, it’s for those who are already here to go back and listen again, to remind yourself of what God has done on your behalf.

That’s why we do those things. How about things like daily prayer, reading, family devotions, and personal prayer time? Are these things staples in your life? If they’re not, I would encourage you to add them. The writer of Hebrews is saying we have to look to Jesus. So, find some ways to add some things to your life that will continually remind you of Jesus.

Those are the three observations we see in Hebrews 12. Number one, get rid of your sin. Number two, get rid of anything that’s a hindrance, even if it’s not sinful. Number three, look to Jesus. Intentionally add some stuff to your life that will consistently remind you of Jesus. That’s ultimately the exhortation from the writer of Hebrews.

Last thought for this morning. He says here that there is a race that’s been marked out for us. There’s a race that’s been set for us. He’s saying, here’s the race I want you to run. That race has only been made possible because of what Christ has done on your behalf. If he has called you to it, then he will help you run the race. You don’t have to do these things by yourself. He will help you if you humbly ask Him.

https://youtu.be/wspauPqXrVY

Well, last week I unintentionally lied to you. It was unintentional, I promise it was. As you were here, I told you we were going to just do two sermons from Hebrews 11. But as I was preparing and studying this week, I just thought to myself, we have got to have a third. There’s too much here. So, next week, Lord willing, we’ll be back in Hebrews 11. Then we’ll move on to Hebrews 12 after that.

Last week, we talked a little bit about Abraham and how he was looking forward to a city to come, a city that has foundations, and how that was profound in his life. This morning I want to look at one other character that is mentioned here in Hebrews. He would be quite sacred to the Jewish people in the first century when this letter was written. We’re going to look quite a bit at Moses. I plan to examine Moses, and then next week, we’ll look at the whole chapter, and we’ll move on.

The Book of Hebrews is, in essence, a transcribed sermon. The writer of Hebrews has preached this sermon. It’s been transcribed, and then it was sent to this church that was under fire. This church was predominantly ethnic Jews living somewhere in the Roman Empire. All of these Jewish people had become Christians.

In this church that he’s writing to, there are three categories of people. Some people have been faithful to the gospel, and they’re joyful; they love Jesus. They’ve been faithful, and they’re excited and they’re sticking with the faith. That seems to be a minority when we’re reading this letter. But that group exists in this church.

There’s also a second group of people who’ve been faithful to the gospel. They’ve not wandered away from the Christian faith, but they’re growing in their apathy. They’re considering whether or not they should stick with Jesus or go back to Judaism. They’re wandering in this moment.

Then there’s this third group of people who were a part of the church that have now abandoned the faith altogether, and they’ve left. The writer of Hebrews is talking mostly to those who are apathetic, which seems to be the bulk of the church. He’s telling them, those that have wandered away from the faith, don’t be like those people. Stick with Jesus.

He’s reminding them, as we’ve already seen in this letter, of some of the moments in their lives where they’ve already been faithful to God. He’s saying, stick with that. Don’t go away from doing what you’ve been doing. Stay faithful. Then he comes to Hebrews chapter 11, where he begins to highlight all of these people in Israel’s history. He is telling them to remember these people who had great faith, do what they did, and live life in light of the faithfulness of God.

He’s highlighting all of these people in Hebrews 11. There are 16 different people either directly mentioned or alluded to in Hebrews 11. In essence, he’s saying, remember these people. Remember the faith they demonstrated. I want you to demonstrate this kind of faith. You’ve already been doing it. Keep on doing it. The writer of Hebrews seems to know that if he lifts up examples of great faith, then the people will know they can do it. Not because of them, but because of the grace of God.

If the grace of God is at work in those people, and they could demonstrate faith, then we know because the grace of God is at work in us, then we too can live out faith. There’s something about the human experience where once we’ve seen someone else do something, we too can do it. We believe.

Let me give you an example. In the sport of track and field, which expanded significantly in the late 1800s, early 1900s, track and field exploded on the scene as a very popular sport amongst Americans. For several decades, people have been running, and they’re getting stronger and faster.

At some point in the 1950s, people thought humans had reached their pinnacle. This is the fastest they’re ever going to be. There was an argument amongst scientists, nutritionists, and biologists in the mid-20th century that it would be impossible for a human to ever run a mile in less than four minutes. It would be physically impossible. They had already reached the fastest humans will ever get, and they were getting close to four minutes, but they would never break the four-minute mark.

Well, there’s a doctor by the name of Roger Bannister. He was convinced that the argument was not true, that humans potentially could break the four-minute barrier. He began to train and train and train. He used all the science that was available, but he still couldn’t break it. People were telling him, It’s not possible.

But eventually, Roger Bannister broke the four-minute barrier, running a mile in 3 minutes and 59 seconds. It was global news all over the world, newspapers covered it. This feat seemed physically impossible. The very next year, two more people broke the four-minute barrier. The next year, four more people broke the barrier. Within five years, more than 200 people would break the four-minute barrier.

Today, if you run a mile in four minutes, by Olympic standards, that’s pretty slow. Many years ago, when I was In High School, I ran a mile in 4 minutes and 51 seconds. It was the fastest in my high school, the fastest in the city of Philadelphia for that year. Then I went to State, and got blown away by everyone who was there because 4:51 was pretty slow. Two high school students were close to breaking the four-minute mile mark. This is in the year 2000, many decades after Roger Bannister.

The writer of Hebrews seems to understand. If you lift an example of someone who’s done it, we as humans then think, I could do that. Roger Banister is not necessarily doing this with the power and grace of God at work in him. So, how much more as believers can we say, God worked in them, and they were able to do that with God’s help. Then that’s an example for me to emulate.

It’s an example for me to look to and seek to follow after. The writer of Hebrews is saying, You remember these people in Hebrews 11, those who believed in God, you too believe in God. So you too can demonstrate faith the way they demonstrated faith. As he goes through this chapter, he’s highlighting all of these different people in the Old Testament, and he spends significant time on two characters, two whom he gives the most attention to.

Abraham and Moses, which is not by accident, because these are the two characters that would have been most respected by Jewish people in the first century. So he’s writing to a predominantly ethnic Jewish audience, and they would have respected and revered Abraham and Moses. So he has spent a significant time talking about Abraham and Moses. He says, Remember the faith that Moses demonstrated.

At the end of chapter 10, and into chapter 11, he begins to allude to the fact that the faith that you have shown is like the faith that Moses showed. Now, this would have been a huge deal to a Jewish person in the first century. You’re saying, I’ve done something similar to what Moses did. That’s remarkable. This would have been an unbelievable compliment to them. But remember, it’s not you. It’s Christ in you and through you. It is not faith in yourself that causes you to accomplish these things. It’s faith in Christ and his power through you.

He’s saying, that’s how Moses did what he did, and that’s how you can stay and live the Christian life well. What Moses did is what we ought to do. So this morning, I want to take time to examine what the three main things the writer of Hebrews highlights about Moses. Number one is that he made a bold and deliberate decision. Number two, we see that Moses embraced the cost of that decision. Then, third, we’ll see that Moses valued Christ above all. We’re going to look at these three things in Hebrews chapter 11. But first, let’s ask God for his help one more time.

God, we thank you for the examples that are laid out for us in Hebrews 11. I pray that we would be both challenged and convicted this morning, inspired and exhorted this morning. Lord, as we look at these verses, help us to understand them, and Spirit, help us to understand how to apply the truth we see here to our own lives. I pray for your glory, I ask these things. Amen.

Number one, Moses made a bold, deliberate decision. If you have your Bibles, look at Hebrews chapter 11, verse 24. It says this:

“By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.”

Now, many of you may be familiar with the story of Moses. If you’re not, here is a brief, quick recap. Moses is an Israelite. The Israelites have been enslaved in Egypt for several centuries. Moses is born into slavery. When he is young, there is an oracle that comes to Pharaoh that says there’s going to be a savior who rises up to rescue God’s people from Egyptian slavery. Pharaoh hears and says, You’re telling me that there’s an oracle that there’s going to be a savior born that takes my slaves away. So he is going to deal with this.

Pharaoh says this baby has been born, and we don’t know who he is. So Pharaoh says all of the baby boys under age 2 are to be slaughtered. Across Egypt, Israelite boys are being killed. We don’t know how many, but probably into the thousands. Every baby boy under age 2 was killed by Pharaoh. Moses is one of these baby boys. He’s a young baby.

At this time, his mother, seeking to protect him, takes baby Moses and then through this crafty plan, ends up introducing the baby to Pharaoh’s daughter. Through what seems to be this crazy, unplanned process that unfolds. Pharaoh’s daughter gets hold of Moses and determines she’s gonna raise Moses as her own. She takes Moses into Pharaoh’s court, into Pharaoh’s home. Moses is then raised amongst the wealthiest, most well-educated, and most powerful people in the world.

When he gets to the age of 40, he comes out and declares that he doesn’t identify with Pharaoh’s family, but he knows that he is a Hebrew, he’s an Israelite. There’s this moment where he’s walking and he sees an Egyptian man mistreating one of his fellow Israelites, one of the slaves. Moses intervenes, physically attacks the Egyptian man, and eventually kills the Egyptian man.

Through an interesting set of circumstances, Moses discovers that Pharaoh will likely be out to get him, probably prosecute him for this killing. So Moses flees at age 40. He will spend the next 40 years of his life as a shepherd in the wilderness of Midian. We know these as his pre-Exodus Days. Moses didn’t; Moses just figured he would live in the desert, die, and be forgotten. He never thought he’d ever go back to Egypt. But at age 80, God appears to him through a burning bush.

At age 80, Moses returns under God’s commands and guidance. He returns to Egypt, performs various miracles, and eventually, God uses him to rescue the Israelites out of Egypt. They go into the wilderness, and they wander there for the next 40 years. Moses dies at 120. Then his protege Joshua is the one that God raises up. Joshua eventually leads the Israelites into the promised land.

There’s a moment at age 40 where Moses is at a fork in the road where he sees this Egyptian mistreating this Hebrew man, his kinsman, one of his countrymen. That’s the moment where Moses makes this deliberate, bold decision: I’m not gonna identify with those people, I’m going to identify with God’s people.

The writer of Hebrews is highlighting this saying, Remember when Moses did this? That’s a good thing to do. We should do this. There will come a moment in your life when you have an opportunity to take a bold and deliberate stand to identify with God’s people. The writer of Hebrews is saying, when that time comes, do it.

For some of you, that may mean that it’s time for you to really put your faith in Jesus Christ for the first time. It’s time to truly believe. It’s time to go, you know what? The Lord’s working in my heart, and the time has come for me to say, yes, I’m with him. I’m with the people of God. The apostle Paul says this in 2nd Corinthians, chapter 6, verse 2:

“Behold, today is the day of salvation.”

Paul says, Today is the day. Come on, you’ve heard of Jesus. It’s time for you to take the bold and deliberate step to say, I will give my life to Christ. There’s a poker term called ‘all in’. If you’ve never heard that term, if you’re playing poker with people and you’re gambling, you’re putting money out. You’ve got your chips, and you come to the point where you say, I have no other options. You take everything you have and you put it to the center and you say, I’m all in.

It means, everything that I have, I’m going to sacrifice it and leverage it for this moment. If I lose in this moment, I’m done. I got nothing else. I’m out of the game and I’ve lost everything. That all in idea is what Moses is doing here. He’s saying, listen, the writer of Hebrews is saying Moses went all in. All in means if you fail, there’s no second chance. This is it. The writer of Hebrews is saying, Go all in on Jesus.

With my life, I’ve gone all in on Christ. Everything has been given to Christ. If Christ is not real, I’ve got nothing. But he’s real. I’m quite confident in that. For others of you, you may already be a Christian, you may be following Jesus, but maybe you haven’t taken a deliberate, bold decision to identify with God’s people in any public forum. I’ve seen this a lot in my almost 20 years of pastoral ministry. This is a very common sentiment I’ve seen in Americans.

It is very common for Americans to say things like, I don’t want to offend my co-workers. I don’t want to frustrate anyone. So I’m not going to boldly say stuff at work. I’m just gonna be kind and I’m gonna love people well, and they will eventually figure out that I’m a Christian. Eventually, at some point in the future, there will be an opportunity for me to share the gospel with them.

Eventually, there’s gonna be this moment where they’re sad and the lights from heaven come down and they’re gonna come to me and say, You have been so kind to me for 27 years. What is different about you? What do I not have? What is in you that is so different? You’re gonna say, it is Jesus, the Christ of Nazareth. They’re gonna go, oh, I believe.

Friends, that moment will never come. Let me say this very clearly. In no uncertain terms. That moment will never come. You will die having missed the opportunity to share the gospel, and your friends and coworkers will die and burn in hell. That is not loving. I exhort you. Take the deliberate decision to identify with God’s people. I exhort you. I challenge you. I know it’s hard. It is really hard. I say it like it’s easy. I know.

I’ve got a friend of mine I’ve been friends with for 27 years, and I recently had a conversation with him about stuff that he looked at online. I said, That’s gross. That’s disgusting. He’s told me he thought I was a conservative, libertarian guy. I said, I think that stuff should be outlawed. He was shocked. He’s said, What, you think these videos and images I watch should be against the law? I said yeah, if it were up to me, you’d be in jail. He thought I was kidding.

He didn’t know that about me. It dawned on me I had not been deliberate enough with him. He thought I would be okay with that. It was shocking to him that after 27 years of friendship, I thought those kinds of images and videos should be against the law. If I were the governor of the world, I would make it illegal tomorrow. I thought to myself, after we got off a call, Lord, I’m so sorry. Forgive me that, for some reason, in 27 years of friendship, I have not been deliberate enough to speak in such a way that he would know that’s my stance. Lord, forgive me. So I want to make it clear to you, I’ve been guilty of it.

I was waiting in the moment for him to ask me, well, why would you stake this thing? Why would you believe? But we hung up the phone. You know, he never asked me why. Why would you be against this? The next time I talked to him, a week later, I said, Remember that conversation we had? You never asked me why. Can I tell you why I want to be intentional? I want you to know why I think this should be illegal. He finally asked me why.

After Moses dies and Joshua’s about to lead God’s people into the promised land, Joshua is talking to the people, and he’s saying, Remember when Moses was leading us? You kept going back to the old gods. You kept wanting to flirt with the fake gods of Egypt or the gods of Canaan. He says, we’re about to go into the promised land. Joshua says, I want you to make a deliberate choice, Israel. When we go into this promised land, we boldly commit to the one true God. He says this very famous verse, Joshua 24, verse 15, Joshua says to the people of Israel:

“Choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites here in Canaan. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Listen, we’re about to go into the promised land, and you have options. You can flirt with the gods of Israel, you can flirt with the gods of Canaan. But here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to make a bold, deliberate decision. Me and my house, we’re gonna serve the Lord. We’re going all in on the one true God. Would you go all in with me? The writer of Hebrews is saying, That’s a model for us Christians to emulate. Moses made this bold, deliberate decision.

The second thing we see in Moses is that he embraced the cost of going all in. There was a significant cost that Moses would have to pay. There was going to be some suffering, some pain that came along with this right. He embraced it. In Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 25, the writer of Hebrews says:

“Choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God.”

Rather than staying in Pharaoh’s palace with the richest, most powerful, opulent, influential people, He says, no. I’m going to identify with God’s people who are being ostracized and persecuted, and abused. I’m going to defend the one who is being persecuted. I’m going to kill the persecutor. It cost him 40 years in the desert. It’s a high price to pay for taking a stance.

Different theologians and Bible scholars, and pastors throughout the centuries have debated whether or not it was right or wrong for Moses to kill the Egyptian. Some faithful believers would disagree with me on this. But I think there’s one passage in the New Testament that gives us some insight that it was the righteous thing to do. In Acts chapter 7, Stephen is giving his famous sermon right before he is killed. He’s recounting things that happened in the Old Testament. In Acts chapter 7, verse 24, Stephen, talking about Moses seeing one of the Israelites being wronged and mistreated, says:

“And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him.”

That’s the language of the New Testament. It says that Moses saw what was going on. He defended and avenged. The language and the sentiment from Acts chapter 7 seem to display that Stephen, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, believed that what Moses did was righteous. If we look through history, you can read through some Egyptian records, it does seem like there were some limits for how Egyptians could treat their slaves.

So it does seem like this Egyptian man was breaking Egyptian law by harming this Israelite. When Moses, who grew up in Pharaoh’s court and knows the law, shows up and sees it, he kills this Egyptian man. That’s the righteous God honoring thing to do in the moment, is what Stephen seems to be outlining for us. Sometimes this is preached when Moses killed someone, it was wrong. It was murder. So then Moses fled because he wanted to escape being arrested for his crime. That’s not the sentiment we get from Acts 7 and Hebrews 11.

It seems to be saying, what he did was righteous, and he knew that he would suffer some consequences for that. So he decided to flee from the King’s anger. Hebrews 11 tells us that, in this moment, Moses is associating himself with the people of God. He’s saying, these are God’s people. I’m with them. It cost him.

It’s a good question for us. Has our association with the people of God cost us? Being an American Christian is way easier than being a Christian in most parts of the world. But it doesn’t mean that there’s no cost. In fact, in Hebrews 12, the writer of Hebrews will tell this church, You’ve suffered some things, but you haven’t bled yet. I think it’s similar. Christians in the room, some of you have suffered things for being Christians, but you haven’t bled yet. So there’s still more to give. There’s still more to sacrifice. Have you leaned into that?

The writer of Hebrews is saying, Have you intentionally, deliberately done things that you know will cost you something? If you haven’t, you’re probably not doing it right. There’s gonna come a moment where you have the opportunity to speak up, and it’s gonna cost you something. The writer of Hebrews would say to you, Do what Moses did. Speak up, do It.

I’ve seen this so many times. So if you feel this is you, you are not alone. I’ve seen so many people who profess to be Christians, who live the Christian life, and yet they never speak up at work about anything because they’re so afraid it’s going to cost them something. I’m not saying you have to be the loud, obnoxious, hostile fundamentalist. But most of us probably need to speak up more. I don’t want to offend anyone. Maybe it’s time to offend some people.

We don’t want to offend just for the sake of it. That’s not the goal. My goal is not to offend if I can. But I must be willing to say that which is true, even if it may offend. There’s this saying that’s often attributed to St. Francis. The saying is, ‘preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.’ That’s a very common sentiment, and I think a lot of people like it and get behind that statement.

We should be demonstrating the gospel the way we live. I get it, and I agree with that. But here’s the thing. Words are necessary a lot. Like saying, preach the gospel at all times and when necessary, use words is kind of like saying, stay alive, and when necessary, breathe oxygen. That needs to be done a lot. There are moments where you have an opportunity to make a deliberate, bold decision, and it will cost you something. Make the choice anyway.

I’ve gotten pushback from people on my commentary online about pro-life issues. You guys know I’m an abolitionist. That’s why we give money and we fundraise for Choices Women’s Clinic. I’ve had a few people say to me, as a church plant, you want to be careful what you say online. You don’t want to seem like one of those far-right-wing extremists. You want to be careful that you don’t seem too conservative.

I’m not throwing myself in with MAGA. I’m throwing myself in with Jesus. He is the one who says the unborn are our life made in God’s image from conception. This is not a political issue. This is a moral issue. If it costs me something, then so be it.

John the Baptist, whom Jesus praised as the greatest prophet ever, of all the people born of women, there’s none better than John the Baptist, Jesus said. John the Baptist was not arrested and beheaded because he preached the gospel. He dared to tell someone whom they could and could not marry. He says that particular marriage, you can’t do that. If he had just talked about the love of Jesus, he would have never been beheaded.

There’s a very prominent thing in American culture where we just tell people, Jesus loves, Jesus loves, Jesus loves. Jesus is the nice guy, the doormat, you can do whatever you want. If you’re that kind of Christian, nobody is beheading you. You’ll live a perfectly fine, happy life. Jesus says, the ones that I endorse, the ones that I commend, the ones that I praise publicly, are the ones that will say to them, No, you cannot marry that person. That marriage doesn’t count. It’s not real.

But they might behead you when you say it. You may speak up at work when they say you have to use a certain pronoun, you say I’m not going to do that. I don’t think that represents reality. I want to be very kind and loving, but I don’t want to do that. They may say, You’re going to lose your job, and you say, That is terrible. I don’t want to lose this job. But unfortunately, if that’s the cost, are you willing to take that stand? I know it’s easy for me to say it, and it’s really hard to live it. I have had lots of moments of failure. So in large part, I’m preaching to myself.

But we are called to be prophetic to our culture, to tell them what is right and wrong. We do it with kindness, we do it with gentleness, we do it with tenderness. But we must do it decisively, deliberately, with clarity, with boldness. When it comes to issues of the sanctity of life or sexuality or marriage or Marxist ideology, that’s not political, that’s moral. But take a deliberate stand, and if it costs you something, so be it. In Romans, chapter 14, the apostle Paul says this:

“If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord.”

I sent out an email yesterday with a link to an interview that Al Mohler did with Aaron Renn. Al Mohler is the president of Southern Seminary in Kentucky. Aaron Renn is a political and cultural commentary guy. He’s a Presbyterian pastor. He came up with this taxonomy that he calls the “negative world” taxonomy. He’s written a book that’s really good about how to live faithfully in a negative world. He says there are these moments in American history where things change dramatically. So you have the pre-colonial era, then the Revolutionary War happens, and things change dramatically.

Then you have the Civil War, and things change dramatically. You have World War I, things change dramatically. And WWII happens, and things change, and then after WWII there’s this thing called the post-War consensus. After World War II, a bunch of Americans organically begin to think about how we ought to live. They recaptured some things from the 1800s, family values and some traditions, and there’s more overt emphasis on religion in some ways.

It was in the 1950s that we added ‘Under God’ to the Pledge of Allegiance, and we added ‘In God We Trust’ to the money. So from the 1950s up until the 1980s or so, that’s what we call the positive world, meaning if you were a Christian, that was beneficial to you, if you applied for a job and you were not a Christian, that would be held against you. Being a Christian was good, and to be a part of the Rotary Club.

Every president claimed to be a Christian. Their lifestyles may not have shown it, but they all claimed to be Christian because that was helpful in American society. Up until about the early 1990s. Then, around the early 1990s, up until the early 2010s, Aaron Ren refers to in his book as the neutral world, where being a Christian is not helpful to you in any way, but it’s not harmful to you in any way either. So it’s a neutral world.

But then he says it changes. Right around the 2010s, things began to shift. By the time we get to 2014, 2015, if you’re a Christian, it’s held against you. The demarcation moment that he highlights in his book is the Obergefell decision. It’s the Supreme Court decision that legalized so called same sex marriage across the nation. He says that was a moment that clearly shows that we are now in a different world than what we were before. Because how people would have responded to that just 10 years earlier, 20 years earlier would have been very different.

So the world is different. He’s not saying that is good or bad, he’s just saying this is the world we live in. He’s saying a lot of the Christian books that have been written in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s about how to church plant properly, how to preach, how to do stateside missions, all of these books assume a positive or neutral world. He says those ideas don’t work in a negative world.

We need a new way of thinking about ministry and how we do some things. It’s a really helpful book, really insightful. There’s an interview that Mohler did with Aaron Wren. He talked about this. I think this is helpful to understand the world in which we live, what we don’t want to be. What I don’t want to be is someone who’s known as hating culture. There are a lot of pastors who think Disney is of the devil. Everyone’s bad.

I don’t look at culture as if all of culture is bad. I think culture is an opportunity for redemption. I can engage with elements of our culture, and I can redeem them for the glory of God. But how I do that in a positive world is different than how I do that in a negative world. In a negative world, being a Christian and taking a stance is not going to get you any social benefits. You’re not going to be invited to any clubs.

Recently, I had someone who was in my youth ministry when I was a youth pastor. They now live in Jacksonville, and they’re going through the process of adoption. An adoption agency told them, You’re going to have to tone down a lot of the Christian stuff you’re posting on Facebook. You might want to tone that down a little bit because some agencies don’t want to place people with overtly Christian families.

If you’re the kind of Christian who is a good Christian on Sunday morning, that’s fine. But if you’re the kind of person who’s going to bring that into your work, they may not want to place a kid with you. An adoption agency rep told him that two weeks ago, in a supposedly red state, Florida. We tend to want to think we should be careful, but being a Christian in the world in which we live today is not gonna get you any benefit. It’s gonna be held against you in some ways.

Now, what we don’t do is run for the hills and become Amish and run away from culture. That’s not what we’re gonna do. I’m going to engage in culture. In the book of Jeremiah, when the Jews are going into Babylon, they’re going to be there for 70 years. God tells them, You’re going to live in a hostile culture. You know what I want you to do? Put down roots. Buy a house, plant a tree. Get married. Give your kids away in marriage. It’s okay. You live in Babylon. Don’t freak out and run away. Don’t cuss everyone out in the name of Jesus. Just relax. But you live in Babylon for a while, you’re not in Israel anymore. Things are going to be different.

In 1965, if you got up and said, This person cannot marry this person, everyone would agree with you. Today, when you say that you’re a bigot. The writer of Hebrews, in Hebrews chapter 11, he’s saying, You’ve already experienced some of this stuff. In chapter 10, he told them that there was a moment when the Christians in this church, some of them, were arrested. The Christians were afraid to identify themselves as Christians. So they go to jail to visit some of their Christian friends.

While they’re gone, all their neighbors realize that they’re Christians. So they plunder their house. We see this in chapter 10. The writer of Hebrew says, You’ve been plundered, publicly exposed, and mistreated. You’ve already experienced some of these things, Church, just know you’re going to experience more of it. When that comes, you know what you ought to do. Do what Moses did. Embrace the cost of your deliberate decision. It’s going to cost us something.

Number three, why did Moses make this good decision? Because he had a proper evaluation of Jesus Christ. Jesus is greater than all. In Hebrews 11:26, he says this, speaking of Moses:

“He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.”

The reproach of Christ was the humiliation he would experience for believing in the Messiah.

When people ask me, You believe the Bible is completely true? Yes, I do. You don’t believe that every creature on planet Earth today all came from a single-celled organism? No, I don’t believe that. In fact, science doesn’t corroborate that. You shouldn’t believe it either. Something I struggle with is, I want to be respected. A lot of us probably do. Here’s my wickedness that I have to repent of pretty much daily: I want to be seen as smart. So I’ve read a lot of books, I’ve done a lot of studies, and I almost did a PhD. I’ve got multiple degrees. I’ve worked hard because I want people to look at me and say, He’s intellectual.

If I’m honest, I esteem that. It hurts my feelings when I’m told that I’m not smart. I told someone who I think is smart that I don’t think the evidence is that all creatures living on the planet today came from a single-celled organism. The narrative is that there’s a single-cell microscopic organism that, over the last 4 billion years, through multi-generational evolution and adaptations, is what forms every living thing on Earth today. I do not believe that.

I told my friend, I’ve examined the data on that multiple times. No, I don’t think that. I don’t think the evidence corroborates that. I don’t believe that. I think the Bible gives us a better narrative to believe in verses what other people are trying to tell us to believe. My friend did not think I was smart because I don’t believe in Darwinian Evolutionary theories. It hurt my feelings to hear him say that.

At the moment, what I wanted to do was to try to backpedal a bit. I try to give the intellectual, smart answer. I thought I found myself doing that pretty regularly in my life. In this one moment, I felt myself doing it. I remember thinking, Lord, just give me faith to trust what you say. I said, I’m bummed that you think I’m not smart because of that. He’s told me he was going to have to rethink what he thinks of me. It hurt my feelings. I said, Lord, help me. Help me to trust you. Give me the faith.

My flesh will fail. But, Lord, your spirit is strong in me. Lord, give me the boldness to stand for what I believe in. Help me, God. I’m gonna be humiliated, Lord. But you were humiliated. I’m in good company. I want to follow in your footsteps, Jesus. I want to throw myself in with God’s people. I want to show solidarity with them. I’m in with them. I’m making a deliberate, bold decision. I’m one of those people who believe in the Bible, and it may cost me something. That’s okay because I value being humiliated for Christ more than I value the respect of the intellectual community. God, would you help me to live that out well?

The last point of application for us, in light of these three observations from Moses. We are naturally weak, and so we need God to help us. That’s why we sang Give Me Faith. That song is like singing a prayer to God, because to live this out, it takes faith. I need to believe that God is going to come through. Right now in the Ortiz home, we’re doing a little bit of retirement planning, and I’ve been doing some research on annuities. So an annuity, you pay a certain amount of money and you get a certain money back.

You only put money in if you’re confident that you’re going to get something back in return in the long term. It takes a certain amount of faith and confidence in the annuity provider to put money in. It’s costing me something now, but I’m confident I’m going to get something back that’s greater in the long term.

Similarly, it takes confidence in Christ. I’m willing to pay the cost now in the negative world because I know there’s a grander reward coming for me in the long term. There’s a spiritual annuity coming to me in the long term, in the next life, in the city to come, that I will stand before him and hear, Well done. That inspires me in this life. But I have to be honest, I don’t always have that faith. Sometimes my faith is lacking. Sometimes my faith is weak.

I need to beg God, Lord, would you give me the faith? It may cost us credibility or donors or respect. Lord, would you give me the faith? Give me faith to trust what you say, that you are good, that your love is great. I may be weak, but your spirit is strong in me. Give me the faith to believe that you are good, that you are in me. That you will be strong in me. That you will be faithful to me. That there is a reward coming. That the humiliation of Christ truly is more valuable than the treasures of this world.

Help me to believe that, God. Some days I don’t believe it. Would you help me? Help me to believe. You’re not going to leave me out to dry. You’re not going to leave me hanging, Lord. That’s why we sing. Oh, God, please give me faith. Give me the faith to be like Moses, to value the reproach of Christ more than the treasures of this world. Church, I implore you, I exhort you. Make the deliberate, bold decision. It may cost you something, but do it anyway. You do it because we value Christ above all. The moments when you struggle to believe it. Ask him to give you faith, and he will do it. Would you pray with me?

Father, we thank you for your kindness to us. Would you give us the faith that we need? Give us faith, Lord, that we need to be the people you want us to be. Lord, I feel like I struggle with this so often. It’s easy to say it, so hard to live it. God, would you forgive me? I confess that I often don’t live this as well as I ought to. But I know that you are strong in me.

My flesh is weak, but you are strong. Lord, I pray that you would give us the faith to live this out. May we emulate what we see in Hebrews 11. May we follow in the footsteps of Moses. May we value Christ above all, and may that shape how we live in this life until we see you face to face.

May that be true of us. I pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

https://youtu.be/S0KGQNv00CA?si=uhGnvIiI-gugE9s2

My name is Kenny. I have the privilege of serving as pastor at Horizon City. Those of you who’ve been with us for a while, you know we’ve been traveling through the book of Hebrews, which is structurally a transcribed sermon. In essence, the writer preached a sermon at some point, transcribed it, and then sent it to this small church that was under fire. This church, predominantly ethnic Jews who had become Christians, but some of them were now considering abandoning the Christian faith and going back to Judaism.

He is writing this letter to implore them not to abandon the Christian faith. As we’ve been traveling through the first 10 chapters of Hebrews, we’ve seen various exhortations and insights from the writer of Hebrews. Now we’ve come to chapter 11, which is one of my favorite chapters in the book. My plan is, next Sunday, God willing, for us to exposit the entire chapter, to go through all of chapter 11.

But today’s message will feel a little bit different than normal because I want to just hone in on one particular phrase. One particular concept that has sort of been alluded to a little bit already in Hebrews, but now takes center stage. It will be examined and highlighted again later in the book. I want to focus on one phrase that comes from Hebrews 11, chapter 10. It’s speaking of Abraham, and it says that:

“He was looking forward to a city that has foundations.”

Now, if you’re not familiar with Hebrews, chapter 11, it is sometimes referred to as ‘The hall of Faith.’ It’s highlighting all these people from the Old Testament. The writer of Hebrews is going through the list of people in the Old Testament who demonstrated great faith, and he’s highlighting these people, and saying, here’s the thing this person did which demonstrates genuine faith.

It is interesting, though, when you know the backstory of all the people labeled or mentioned in Hebrews 11. A lot of them made some good choices, but a lot of them also made some really poor choices. The resumes of the people mentioned in Hebrews 11 are jam-packed with warts.

What an inspiration this chapter is to me and ought to be to us. So he’s going through Hebrews 11, and he’s mentioning these people in the Old Testament. He’s mentioning something each of them did to demonstrate genuine faith. When he gets to Abraham, he mentions something interesting. He mentions that Abraham was looking forward to a city with foundations, a city not built by human hands, but a city built by God.

This is an interesting descriptor for him to hone in on because he could have said all sorts of things about Abraham. Abraham lived a pretty full life. He did a lot of things, made a lot of decisions, good and bad. He’s got a pretty stellar resume in some ways. So, of all the things that he could have said about Abraham to highlight him, I find it interesting that the thing above all that the writer of Hebrews feels the need to highlight is that Abraham was looking forward to a city. This city must have been a really big deal to Abraham. It must have shaped how he lived his life.

Abraham’s not alone in that. More than 2400 years later, after Abraham, there would be a Christian pastor in Africa by the name of Augustine. Augustine was a pastor in North Africa.

In fact, in the wake of World War II, in the 1940s and 1950s, lots of nations were debating this idea of ‘just war’. What does it mean to commit a war crime? Some people were arguing that it’s a war. You can do whatever you want. Others argued no, look at the atrocities committed during World War II, there needed to be limitations. So there is this moment in the mid-1900s called the Geneva Convention.

A bunch of political leaders from around the globe debated how far is too far in war. They brought in data and literature from all sorts of writings. One of the philosophers that they quoted at the Geneva Convention was Augustine. 1500 years after he lived, a bunch of politicians are using Augustine’s work, along with others, to help them understand how far is too far in modern warfare. It’s a pretty big deal that this Christian pastor in Africa in the year 400 is writing things that are influencing the Geneva Convention in the 1900s.

That gives you a little insight into who Augustine was. Augustine wrote a bunch of books, essays, tracts, and papers. A bunch of his sermons have been transcribed, but his greatest work is a book called The City of God. It took him almost two decades to write. In The City of God, Augustine spends a significant amount of time talking about this great city to come.

Augustine says, Remember the big, great city that Abraham was looking forward to? Augustine spends a significant amount of time writing about that future city. His work, The City of God, would go on to be one of the most influential works in Christian history. In the book, he talks a lot about the idea of the City of God and the City of Man. There are these two cities, and everyone on planet Earth is a citizen of one of those two cities.

We’re all born into the City of Man. Through faith in Jesus, we can then be transferred from the City of Man into the City of God. But everyone is a citizen of one of these two cities. In this age, in this world, these two cities we live in, intermingled, is how Augustine says it. If you are a genuine believer, if you put faith in Christ, you are a citizen of the City of God. If you don’t believe in the one true God, or if your faith is not genuine in Jesus, then you are a member of the City of Man. You are not a member of the City of God.

But Augustine articulates quite vividly that there will come a moment in the future where Jesus comes back and he initiates a great divide, where the citizens of the City of God will be separated from the citizens of the City of Man. The citizens of the City of Man will be condemned and cast out. Then Jesus is going to radically renovate the world in which we live. This earth, it’s going to be way, way bigger, way better than it is now.

The citizens of the City of God will remain in this new, radically renovated earth, and Jesus will live amongst us forever. That’s in essence the trajectory of the Christian faith. Those of us who love Jesus will remain on this planet in this new paradise that Jesus creates for us. Augustine wrote significantly about this. So, full disclosure, I am greatly influenced by Augustine.

In this morning’s message, I’m going to lean a lot on Augustine’s work. Why did Augustine feel the need to write so much about this? Why is Abraham looking forward to this city? Why does the writer of Hebrews, of all the things he can mention about Abraham, why is this the thing that he feels the need to hold up? The city we’re looking forward to is probably a really big deal. We should think about it often.

So this morning, I plan to give you four descriptions of that future city. I’m going to give you four observations from Scripture, and then I want to give you two practical applications. But first, let’s ask God for help.

Father in heaven, we thank you for your word, the Bible, this sacred text that is without error, that accurately depicts the life of Abraham and tells us about that great future city. Thank you for teachers like Augustine and other pastors throughout Christian history who have helped us to understand some of these concepts.

And now, Lord, as we examine a few verses from Scripture this morning, I pray we would think about that future city, and it would shape how we live our lives. Would you be pleased to use the reality of the future city, the one that Abraham looked forward to? May that reality shape how we live in this world. And may we leave this place this morning more convinced of the future city and more passionate about looking forward to it than when we walked in. I pray these things in the matchless name of Jesus.

Amen.

Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 10, speaking of Abraham:

“For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

It can be confusing because it’s described in different ways. In Hebrews chapter 12, the writer of Hebrews gives multiple names to this city. The writer of Hebrews, speaking about the Jewish people, implies that they missed out on entering into this city because they were disobedient. But then he says this in verse 22, speaking to the Christians,

“But you have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.”

So in one verse, he uses three different descriptors, three different phrases to describe this future city that Abraham’s looking forward to. He says, it’s Mount Zion. It’s the city of the living God. It’s the heavenly Jerusalem. Those are the three descriptors. The word Zion he’s picking up on from the Old Testament. The word Zion is used dozens of times throughout the Old Testament, primarily by Isaiah and Jeremiah. In their prophecies, they use the word Zion, or sometimes the city of Zion, house of Zion, or Mount Zion. They’re always referring to the same thing.

They’re saying that there’s this moment in the future where all of God’s people from all generations will gather. That gathering is called Zion. He’s saying to them, you Christians, you are the ones who have now come to the entryway of this city, of this great gathering, this heavenly city, this heavenly Jerusalem. Some people argue that these prophecies in the Old Testament are for ethnic Jewish people, for the nation of Israel.

But when you look at what the writer of Hebrews is saying, I don’t think that’s what he’s referring to. The writer of Hebrews is saying the ethnic Jews God was faithful to them in the Old Testament. But all those promises in the Old Testament, they’re actually not for them. They’re actually for you, Christians. You are the ones who are going to enter the heavenly Jerusalem.

The Book of Revelation in chapter 21 refers to this new community, this gathering, as the New Jerusalem. So those are all the different adjectives or descriptors used for this. We have the New Jerusalem, the Heavenly Jerusalem, the House of Zion, the City of Zion, Mount Zion, City of God, City of the Living God, the Holy City, the City with Foundations. All of those descriptors are referring to the same thing: the gathering of God’s people when Jesus comes back.

If you die in this world before Jesus comes back, which in all likelihood is going to be most of us. In likelihood, we’re all going to die before Jesus comes back, statistically speaking. So what do we do in the meantime? We were separated from our physical bodies and we’re in heaven. But that is a temporary holding tank. There’s going to come a moment where Jesus radically renovates the earth, and we are then joined with our physical bodies.

But they’re going to be glorified, they will be new bodies. In Philippians chapter 3, we see that we will have bodies the way Jesus had a body post-resurrection. When Jesus rose from the dead, he had a glorified body. He could walk through walls. He wasn’t going to suffer from the things we suffer from. That’s the kind of body you’re going to have.

You’re going to have a physical body that’s perfectly healthy. No cancer, no foot issues, no diabetes, no cataracts, no Parkinson’s, no sleep apnea. What a grand thing that will be. We’re going to have a new body, and we will be with Jesus in this city forever and ever, living in this radically renovated Earth.

Side note, it’s important to note that it’s going to be an actual physical place. I think sometimes we think of heaven as this floaty place. We’re in the clouds, floating around. It will be just as real as your hand is today. We’ll eat food and we’ll spend time together, and we will enjoy Jesus together forever. The new Jerusalem, the city that Abraham was looking forward to, is a real physical place, a gathering of God’s people all together.

When we think of cities, we often think of geography, locations. But that’s not the primary way the Bible uses the word ‘city’ or ‘nations’. Most of the time in scripture, when the word ‘nation’ or ‘city’ is used, it’s not referring to a physical place. It’s often referring to a group of people. We see this in the book of Exodus. The nation of Israel was considered a nation of people before they ever had land.

They moved around. They were nomadic. Abraham was nomadic, moved around, but he was a people unto himself. His family became a people. So when we think about the future city, we shouldn’t think about location. We should think about a people. The New Jerusalem will be a community of believers in Jesus living together in perfect harmony. Abraham was not looking forward to pearly gates or big buildings or streets of gold or extravagant buffets or any other amenity. The streets of gold. How amazing will it be to see the streets of gold?

That’s not the most amazing thing about the New Jerusalem. In fact, that’s not even in the top 1000. One of the most amazing things about the New Jerusalem is that it’s a community of God’s people living together in perfect harmony forever. The thing about this group of people that is most shocking is that we will be sinless. Because of the grace of God, none of us will ever sin against one another. Can you imagine what it would be like to live in a city with millions of other people and no one ever sins?

That’s what it will be. Oh, what will that be like? Can you imagine being in a community of people with no disappointments, no gossip, no betrayal, no heartbreaks, no breakups, no misunderstandings, no miscommunication? A community of people where there are no insecurities or distrust, no racism or bigotry or misogyny or hatred, no sexual immorality, no abortion, no slavery. A city where no one is lonely and no one is hungry.

A community with no war, no attacks, no debates, no theft, no strife. A community where there are no abusive leaders or toxic politicians or exploitation or manipulation or jealousy or envy. No agenda, no ulterior motive, no baggage of any kind. Can you imagine living in a city like that? Every time in this life someone sins against you, you can pause and think, what would it be like to be in a city where that would never happen?

All of us have people we’re close to that we love, and we love things about them. But then there are things about them we can’t stand that irritate us or frustrate us. Imagine every person you know and love who follows Jesus with all the good about them, but all the things about them that are hurtful or sinful sliced away.

Oftentimes, we interact with other believers, and they do something sinful or frustrating toward us, we want to focus on that thing. I would exhort you to think about it in this way: You’re a believer. You’ve done this thing against me. There’s going to come a day when you’re not going to do that anymore. I see in you the day, the version of you that will be in the new Jerusalem. What a day that will be.

There have been all sorts of studies over the years done on what humans long for the most. Universities, think tanks, and all sorts of organizations have done survey after survey, over and over again. The number one thing that people will report wanting the most is a deep connection with other human beings. In a lot of those same surveys, you know what people fear the most? Deep connection with other human beings.

It’s the thing we long for and we’re most afraid of. We’re nervous about what humans may do to us. We want to have deep connections with other people, but other people are the greatest source of pain in our lives. Well, can you imagine being in a city where you can lean into those deep connections and never have to fear being hurt by that person? What a day that will be.

How do we know we will be sinless? How do we know that will be the case? Well, because Jesus is shaping us and preparing us and transforming us to be that. It’s not dependent on you. If it were dependent on you, it wouldn’t happen, but it’s not dependent on you. It’s dependent on Christ, and Jesus has promised to do it. This is what the Bible tells us in Colossians chapter 1, verse 22: he (Jesus) has reconciled you. Then he tells us why:

“To present you holy, faultless and blameless.”

The reason why Jesus reconciled you was so that eventually he would present you wholly faultless and blameless. In Ephesians 5, the apostle Paul tells us this:

“Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her.”

He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle. Jesus died for you. He loves you and he has promised that he will do in you what must be done, so that on that day you will be presented without spot, without wrinkle. Jude 1:24 says that God is the one who will protect you from stumbling and make you stand in the presence of his glory without blemish and with great joy.

It is God who is doing the work in you. He is the One who’s going to keep you from stumbling in this life. He is the One who will guide you and protect you. He is the one whom you will stand in his presence, without blemish and with great joy. Then, of course, famously, Jesus says in Matthew 16, verse 18:

“I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail.”

How do we know for sure we will be sinless? Because Jesus is the one doing the work. He will build his church, and all of the gates of hell that seem like they will stand in the way, they aren’t going to prevail. Abraham understood this. The writer of Hebrews tells us that he was looking forward to that city whose architect and builder is God. God is the one architecting the city. God is the one building this community of believers. It is God who will bring it to fruition on that day.

Believers and nonbelievers all long for paradise in some way or another. What we saw happen in the mid-19th century was this significant movement of people beginning to say we don’t have to wait for the future age. We can bring that today. We can bring paradise today if we only have the right political system. That ideology, in essence, is what gave birth to political systems like communism and socialism.

Communism and socialism promise that we can create a utopia on this earth. We can create everything perfect. We can have a perfect city where we never sin against one another if we just provide everything for everyone. The problem is not humans. The problem is the system. If we can only have the right, perfect political framework, then we’ll have perfect paradise. But communism simply cannot change the human heart.

Neither of those systems, communism and socialism, can deliver on the promise. Those systems are ultimately bankrupt because they demand something of humans that humans simply cannot do. That is to behave well all of the time, apart from the grace of God. That’s what communism wants. Communism says, behave, be good, work hard, even though you’re not gonna have any rewards, and even though you don’t have the grace of God at work in your life.

But that simply doesn’t work. Those systems will never work. We should oppose those systems. They are contrary to the reality of human nature. They will never work. At the heart of those systems is a desire to create the New Jerusalem apart from the grace of God. It’s a desire to have politics architect the perfect city, rather than recognizing that only God can architect the perfect city.

We see this with secular progressive politics all the time. The expectation is to do something that we simply cannot do. The expectation is for humans to behave in a way that humans cannot behave. It is like expecting ice cream to never melt in the Florida sun. It’s an absurd, preposterous expectation. We can build Utopia without God, but the reality is, that is a false narrative. If you want to build utopia, you need the only being that can create utopia. Simply put this way, if you want the city of God, you need to have God.

My first point was, the city goes by multiple names. The second point was, it is the final destination. The third point, the new Jerusalem will be a community of perfect believers together. Finally, number four. The fourth characteristic of that great city, and this is the most important one.

The apostle John writes in Revelation, chapter 21, verse 3, this:

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them’.”

Church, we’re going to live with God together, enjoying him forever. When you see his face, it will satisfy your soul more than anything you’ve ever experienced. It will be the most beautiful, most delightful moment that you’ve ever had. I try to think about what it might be like to see Jesus, to see him in his glory, his beauty, to bask in the glory of our perfect Savior. What will that be like?

I think about moments in my life that have been pretty glorious. I remember the first time I had a Shake Shack burger with chopped cherry peppers. It was pretty amazing. It was a pretty glorious moment. I remember the first time I went to Six Flags in New Jersey, and I rode the Batman ride. It was a fantastic roller coaster. I remember the first time I had a great glass of wine, I just thought, wow, this is delicious. I remember the first time I sat watching a sunset with my wife after we were newly married. I remember that moment, how beautiful, delightful that moment was.

I remember the moment when Jalen Hurts threw that 46-yard touchdown pass to Devontae Smith to seal the game. What a glorious moment that was. I remember the moment my first child, Lettie, was born. I remember when the midwife handed me that purplish-looking creature that I thought was an alien. I remember just holding her. I remember the joy. I remember how beautiful she was to me. I remember the delight that I felt in that moment.

Church, all of those things, they pale in comparison to the moment we will see Jesus. When we see his face, it will be more beautiful, more delightful, more satisfying, more joyful than any of those things. Nothing in this life will compare to the moment when we see him face to face. We will be in a city where we stare at him forever and ever and ever. There will be nothing like it. Those are the four descriptors we see in scripture of the city of God.

I want to give you two points of application. Number one, when you face suffering in this world, think about the future city. Think about Zion. Think about the new Jerusalem. In Revelation 21, verse 4, the apostle John tells us that when we enter into that moment, when we all gather together, this is what we can expect:

“Jesus will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death will be no more, neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore. The previous things have passed away.”

Grief, crying, and pain will be no more. So in this life, when you face grief and crying and pain, none of us will escape that. We will all face those things in this life. But in this life, when you face that, you can pause and you can think about the moment to come, where it will all be wiped away.

In this age, in this life, make no mistake, we will suffer as long as we are intermingled. The city of God and the city of man are living intermingled. In this age, there will be pain. We are all finite and fallen creatures living in a broken world. We are affected by our own sin and by the sinful choice of others. It’s inescapable.

But when you face great pain in this life, in those moments, you can pause and think about the future moment to come, where it will all be wiped away. In the moments of this life, when you experience the curse of sin, the sting of death, you can pause and think about the future. The Apostle Paul tells us to do this, and models this for us in Romans, chapter 8. In Romans, chapter 8, verse 18, the apostle Paul is saying, when he’s facing pain in this world, this is what he does:

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed.”

What an unbelievable statement. In this life, you’re gonna face afflictions, sufferings. The glory to come is so magnificent, you can’t even compare the current to that. It feels like he’s almost invalidating the pain we feel in this world. But I don’t think that’s what he’s doing. He’s not making light of the pain we feel in this world. He’s just trying to make much of the glory that is to come.

I remember a couple of weeks ago, I was talking to someone about my wife and me looking to buy a house. We were able to buy a house about six weeks ago in Clermont. I remember looking at some houses, and I was talking to a real estate agent, and the real estate agent said, This one house I really liked was about 800,000 dollars. I was like, that’s about triple what we can afford, so we probably can’t buy that one.

She told me, with her agency, because of all this stuff happening, it wouldn’t surprise her if one day that house was worth 80 million dollars. I thought to myself, imagine if that were true. Imagine if someone came to you and said, I’m going to sell you a house today for $800,000. You’d think that’s a lot. That would hurt paying for that. It would cost me something. I would feel the pain of that today. But what if I knew for sure it’s going to be worth 80 million dollars. That’s well worth the suffering I’m experiencing in this world.

That’s the sentiment on display in Romans 8. The apostle Paul is trying to say, This world is real. It’s painful, but what you’re gonna get is so valuable. This is gonna feel like nothing. There’s gonna come a moment with the pain of this world and you’re gonna look back and think, that was nothing.

He says a similar sentiment in Second Corinthians, chapter 4, verse 17. Paul, speaking of suffering and affliction, calls it light and momentary. Now, if you know the life of the Apostle Paul, he experienced a lot of painful situations. We read this and can’t believe Paul is making this statement. The afflictions of this world don’t feel light and momentary at all. They feel heavy, like they’re going to go on forever and ever.

Paul says, keep your eye on the future that is to come, the glory that is to come, and the heaviness of this world will feel lighter and eventually will be wiped away. The rest of that verse, 2 Corinthians 4:17, He says:

“For this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”

The suffering you endure in this world is preparing you for a weight of glory that you can’t even imagine. So in this life, when you experience pain and suffering, think about the glory to come. Paul helps us understand that it will give us the strength to endure. The glory that is to come will comfort you.

In the 1600s, there was a great Puritan preacher by the name of John Bunyan. He wrote one of the most famous books in Western history, The Pilgrim’s Progress. Some of you may be familiar with it, if you’re not familiar, the story is about a man named Christian. Christian is on a pilgrimage towards the celestial City. That’s what John Bunyan called it.

Along this pilgrimage, Christian meets another man by the name of Mr. Standfast. So, Mr. Standfast and Christian they’re going on this pilgrimage, and toward the end of their time together, Mr. Standfast is looking forward to the celestial city. He knows he’s about to die.

Mr. Standfast says to Christian, ‘The waters of this life indeed are to the palate bitter and to the stomach cold. Yet the thoughts of what I am going to and the convoy that waits for me on the other side do lie as a glowing coal at my heart.’ This life, sometimes it’s bitter. This life is so cold. When I think about where I’m headed and the convoy, the group of people that are there waiting for me, they’re already in. They’re already in a moment where they’re experiencing the glory of God. They’re waiting for me.

Abraham is already there experiencing the glory of God. When I think about the convoy that awaits me, it burns in my soul like a glowing coal, Mr. Standfast says. The pilgrimage toward the City of God is strengthened by our knowledge of that future city and gives us great comfort to endure the difficulty of this life. The pilgrimage toward the celestial city is most successful when we keep our eyes on the celestial city. So, Christians, keep your eyes on that.

The second point of application this morning. The thought of the new city should warm your heart. It should do something inside of you. You can use this as a diagnostic tool. As I’ve been talking about this as we’re reading passages of scripture from Romans, Corinthians, Hebrews, and Revelation 21, as you hear these scriptures, as you hear the reality of what is to come, it should be warming your heart.

You should have a reflex or reaction to this. Remember when you were a kid, you went to the doctor and they gave you a little rubber hammer, they kind of popped it on your knee, and your leg would pop up, showing you the reflex. If you respond to it, that means you’re good, your reflexes work. But if you get popped on the knee with a little rubber hammer and your foot doesn’t move, or it barely moves, that means something is wrong.

The concept of the celestial city, the New Jerusalem, is like that rubber hammer popping you on the heart. If throughout this sermon, you haven’t moved at all, something’s wrong. This is a diagnostic tool for you. What should happen is you should think about what an amazing moment it’s going to be. It should flood your soul with joy. Or it would also be appropriate to respond like, I’ve not thought about that much. I’m lamenting that I have not thought about it, but I intend to think about it more.

But if you sit here this morning and you think to yourself, that’s cool, New Jerusalem, I bet that’s gonna be good. But it doesn’t do anything in you. It doesn’t warm your heart, it doesn’t stoke your affections for Jesus, it doesn’t cultivate in you a passion for Christ, it doesn’t grab you or nearly bring you to tears. If nothing is happening on the inside of you, something’s off.

I challenge you this morning, if that’s you, take that to the Lord in prayer. It could mean many different things. It could mean that maybe there’s some sin in your life that you need to repent of, you haven’t brought to the Lord, you need to deal with. Or maybe there’s a relationship in your life that’s fractured, it’s causing you to not see clearly. Or maybe you’re just apathetic. Maybe you’re at a place in your Christian faith where you’re just so-so. Or maybe, you think you’re a genuine Christian, but your faith is not genuine.

If you genuinely believe in Christ and you are one of his, when you think about being with him forever and ever, it should do something in your soul in the moment. If it doesn’t, you should go to him in prayer and say, Lord, what is it about me, what’s going on inside of me that this doesn’t grab my heart, this doesn’t stoke my affections for you? But if it does stoke your affections, if you do find comfort, then you can know the Lord is working in me. He has promised to complete the work he began in me.

One final thought. Abraham looked forward to the City. Lots of Old Testament saints look forward to the City. Augustine looked forward to the City. But there is someone in all of human history who’s looked forward to the City more than you and more than anyone else. He’s greater than Abraham. His name is Jesus. Jesus is looking forward to the City. Jesus longs for the day when he’s going to be with us and we feast with him forever. This is what gave him the strength to endure the cross.

In Hebrews, chapter 12, verse 2, it tells us that it was the joy set before him. He endured the cross. There’s a future picture set in front of Jesus, and Jesus sees it. The new Jerusalem. The celestial city, with my people enjoying one another forever and ever and ever. I’ll do the cross. I’ll go through this to get there with them.

It was for the joy set before him that he endured the cross. He went on a mission to ensure that our joy could be had. To remove the obstacle between us and him, and that was sin. Church, that is mega love. Jesus suffered the consequences of our sin. He died a brutal death on a Roman cross in our place. It should have been you and me on that cross.

But Jesus dies in our place. He takes the penalty that we deserved. Pays the spiritual debt that we owed. So that there will be no more obstacles between us and the celestial city. So that now we can march into a community of people, a perfected people, where we enjoy one another together forever and ever. We will feast with him. We will see him, we will enjoy him. We will be satisfied by Him. That will go on forever and ever and ever.

https://youtu.be/zrskQkvlSXI?si=n9flo9-ph5kUfzxc

It is a very unpleasant experience to be called into the teacher’s office after you hand in an assignment that you know wasn’t your best work. The teacher sits you down and looks at you, and says, This work isn’t like you. This isn’t the normal quality you usually submit. You normally do work much better than this. Your expected performance is much higher. It’s not a great feeling. If we are being honest, it feels like getting punched in the gut. Especially when you know it’s true. You know that the work that you submitted wasn’t as good, that you hadn’t put in the full effort. You phoned it in on this one, maybe out of discouragement or out of tiredness.

The author of Hebrews, like a master teacher or coach, is doing the same thing for his audience. In our passage this morning, Hebrews 10:19-39, the author of Hebrews, like a good mentor or a good teacher, is coaching his readers to continue on in their former diligence, not to be content with this kind of work.

He does this by first pointing out the ample resources available to them to draw on to aid them in their work. Then he warns them of the consequences of falling back in their faith. Finally, he’s going to encourage them, reminding them of their potential. They were successful in the past, and he is so confident that they will persevere until the end.

We read beginning in Hebrews 10, verse 19:

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”

In the letter to the Hebrews, there is this beautiful sermon about faithfulness to Jesus and all the blessings and riches that the believer stands to gain that he has through Christ. This better covenant has been discussed over the past nine chapters, and now, at this point in chapter 10, the hope is that the Christian would make use of all these gifts and blessings. Full access to God has been granted through the sacrifice of Jesus. We have an amazing High Priest, better than we could imagine. So the reader is urged to make use of these great privileges.

May you draw near to God with that full assurance of faith he’s giving you, because you have been sprinkled clean, you have been washed, you have been purified through Jesus. Draw near and hold fast to your confession. You’ve been given these resources, so you should use them. Why is studying your Bible exciting? Because it’s going to recount to you the love and care that God has for you. Why is reading theology worthwhile? Because it’s talking about the faithfulness of our God. Hold fast to the confession of your hope, because the One who made it is faithful both to you and to all of his promises.

It should be obvious what should be done. If we have these blessings, then we should take every opportunity to draw on them, to recall them, to meditate on them. If I have the Torchy’s Tacos gold card and I get free queso every time I show up to Torchy’s, why would I go to Torchy’s and not get free queso? As silly as that analogy is, that’s what’s going on here in Hebrews. He’s saying, you’ve been given these awesome blessings. You’ve got these gifts, you have these tools. Make use of them, use them. Don’t go to Torchy’s and not get free queso. Draw near to God. Hold fast to the sure hope that you have in Jesus.

Now, as we move on, in verse 24, it says:

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day is drawing near.”

Christians should take time to consider the way they can stir up other Christians to love, demonstrating that love through good works. Stir up is usually more of a negative word, used to agitate a crowd, but here it’s used positively. In the same passion, with the same fiery fervor, you might start a protest over something, do that. But do that for believers to love Jesus more. Stir them up. Fan the flames. Encourage the new believer to draw near to God’s word and to grow in prayer. Show others how valuable this Christian community is.

Warm the heart of the suffering brother who may be going through a spiritually dry season. Call out and keep accountable others whose love may be diminished from the gloom of sin. These are just some of the ways. There are many others that you could stir up Christians to love and good works.

The word I want to focus on here for a minute is consider. The challenge here is not only to go about stirring up others to love Jesus and obey him, but to think about ways to do this in advance of meeting those brothers and sisters on a Sunday morning. Plan out before Sunday morning gets here, ways that you can minister to others during the Sunday gathering. So when Thursday, Friday, and Saturday roll around in your busy week, take some time to plan for church, to prep for how you might encourage, uplift, or challenge others to follow Jesus.

Don’t leave the stirring up of others to improvisation. All of us do this planning naturally for other things. I don’t think anyone here would invite someone over for dinner and not plan out a single detail until that person walked in the door. No, you make a plan for them coming over. All of us do this naturally and innately. We invite someone over, and we naturally start to think of what we need to do for them. We need to clean the house, we need to get it ready. We need to cook the roast, we need to go to the grocery store. We need to make a list so that when we go to the grocery store, we don’t forget something.

In the same way, you should plan in advance. Consider ways to stir up others in the church. Give thought to the advanced planning of how you might encourage, equip, bless, admonish, and correct the fellow members of the church on Sunday morning. You can’t stir up others if you’re not around others. It’s obvious, but it needs to be said. So Hebrews reminds you not to neglect meeting together as the church, and it puts more urgency on doing so since the race is almost finished.

The day of the Lord is near. For those of you who may have been in church for a long time, you’ve probably heard these verses before, and they’ve probably been in the context of exhorting you not to neglect meeting together. Don’t skip church because it’s bad for you. That you need the church, that’s the way you grow, and you miss out on so many benefits and equipping for yourself if you skip church. So make it a regular habit.

Don’t be absent because you’re leaving behind growth for yourself, and it’s not good for your soul. I want to reiterate that it is all true, but I want us to look at this text from another angle this morning. Don’t neglect meeting together because there are others in the church who need you. There are other people on Sunday morning who need your particular encouragement.

They need your help. They need your presence. You have been gifted. The scriptures tell us you’ve been gifted with special gifts and talents and abilities, encouragements, even just special words. These are given to you by God for the purpose of ministering to others in the church.

You’re not gifted for your own upliftment, for your own spiritual growth, for your own edification. You have been gifted uniquely by God so others will benefit. When you neglect meeting together, when you make a habit of doing so, you’re robbing, removing, holding back those gifts that are needed by other people in the church. Don’t neglect meeting together because other people may need you. You’re necessary.

It’s good, it’s important that you took the time to be here. Prioritize the church gathering, yes, because it’s good for you. But make sure that the church is a priority because we need you here. We need you with us. I need you stirring up love and good works in my heart.

Now, the great teacher and coach, the author of Hebrews, is going to move into a very stark warning. He’s reminded us of the resources we have, the abilities that we have, and the community needed to help each other along the way. Now he’s going to give us a warning of what happens if we continue to go down the road of poor-quality work.

What will happen if we embrace a pattern of neglecting the church, neglecting the gifts that Jesus has given us? What if we freely draw back, and instead we become apathetic and stagnant in our faith? What’s going to happen if you follow that path? Maybe that’s what the audience of Hebrews is starting to walk down. So we read in verse 26 this warning:

“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

This is a strong, harsh warning to the believers that a judgment awaits those who fall away. What happens if they continue to hand in subpar work? What happens if they become lax? 
If they start to treat the gifts that God is offering them with contempt? The judgment of God comes. The author of Hebrews warns strongly that the judgment of God is no good thing. It’s fearful, it’s full of dread. No one wants to fall under the judgment of God. It is horrible.

He compares the Old Covenant to the New Covenant in this warning. We’ve learned throughout the book of Hebrews that the Old Covenant has been made obsolete by the new and better Covenant. So if you or I, who are now under this new, better covenant, fall away, if we treat these better things with contempt, the gifts of God that we’ve been given graciously by him, if we treat those with contempt, how much greater judgment will there be on us?

There was judgment on those who disregarded, disobeyed, and trampled underfoot the Old Covenant. Now that we have the New Covenant, how much more will God judge us for not paying closer attention to it, for disregarding it, for disrespecting it, for going on deliberately sinning? If God judged those in the Old Covenant who disregarded and disrespected their hamburger steak, how much more, the author of Hebrews is saying, will God judge those who have been given the prime USDA Black Angus certified rib eye and despise that cut of meat?

You would not expect less judgment on the New Covenant. You would expect greater judgment. So don’t be apathetic to the covenant. Don’t fall back. Don’t be discouraged. Keep pushing forward in your faith. With that sobering warning, the author of Hebrews wants to snap our attention back to Jesus, to see the dangerous pit looming under you so that you can course correct and press on in the faith.

While these warnings can sound harsh, and you may have started to wonder, Why is the author of Hebrews so mean? It’s quite the opposite. I hope you can see that it’s out of an abundance of care and love for them that he gives these sharp warnings to his readers. These warnings are to help you see the seriousness of falling away from Jesus. They’re supposed to remind you that there is so very, very much to gain in your faith, and there is so much to lose by turning away from Jesus.

If my son walked out into the road and there was a speeding car coming right at him, I wouldn’t say, Kai, at your earliest convenience, could you please consider the bad choice that you’re about to make and kindly refrain from walking in that direction to avoid any potential bodily injury? No. I would shout harshly, Kai, get out of the road. The sharpness is needed. It puts you on high alert. It communicates to you the severity of the danger and the need for immediate action. Hebrews is warning us from being lazy and apathetic in our pursuit of God, for disregarding the gifts of God.

There’s a short story by Herman Melville, the author of Moby Dick, called ‘Bartleby the Scrivener’. In this story, Bartleby is hired by a lawyer to be a clerk for him. Initially, he hands in wonderful quality work and a quantity that’s unmatched by the other clerks around him. But then, all of a sudden, one day the lawyer walks in and says, Good morning, Bartleby. Can I have those numbers on my desk by 10?

Barleby looks up at him and, in a very unaffected, nonplussed way, just says, I would prefer not to. Well, the boss is taken aback. Well, it’s your job, Bartleby. Can you get these numbers on my desk? And again, the same unaffected response. I would prefer not to. Bartleby stops doing any work, and he simply stares all day out of a window that faces a brick wall. He stops taking care of himself. Anytime anyone asks him anything, he just says, I would prefer not to.

The lawyer finds out that he’s living in the office building, and it starts driving him nuts that he continually says the same thing. ‘I would prefer not to do anything’. So he leases out his building to another employer and goes to get away from Bartleby. The new owner calls and complains and says, This guy is driving me crazy. How did you not warn me about this guy? He just says, ‘I would prefer not to’, to every request.

I think this story can illustrate how apathy, a lack of motivation, can creep into our hearts. It not only ruins our lives, but it also drives the people around us crazy. It zaps all ambition from our hearts. I think that’s the temptation, to be like Bartleby. That may be what the author of Hebrews is trying to say to the people he’s addressing in Hebrews 10.

After all, as we’re going to read on, these believers had already been enduring quite a lot. The cost of discipleship for them was high. They have been enduring mocking, disgrace, and possibly plundering of property. Maybe there was a vibrancy when they first started for the first couple of years to fight the good fight of faith, to be good witnesses despite persecution and sword, despite prison sentences. But now, after so many years later, there’s a temptation in this reader’s heart to just say, God, I don’t want to do this anymore.

Year after year of hardship and struggle and pain, my perseverance, God, and my endurance is starting to grow thin. Maybe they, like Bartleby, just want to say, I would prefer not to have to do this anymore. They may be starting to say, I’m tired of being mocked. I’m tired of the culture constantly pushing against me. I’m tired of getting my stuff stolen.

They may be thinking, I’m tired of being called names and being made fun of for my sincere faith, and I would just prefer not to have to do this anymore. So, by way of warning of what that apathy could lead to, the author of Hebrews is reminding them of the fearful judgment of trampling underfoot the covenant of God and Disregarding what they had been taught, he gives them this warning as a reminder to refocus, to not fall into apathy, to not give up in the face of hardships.

But he doesn’t do just that. Like any great coach, he gives the warning of the danger they’re facing to be sure their attention is focused. But then he encourages them by reminding them of their past victory. We read starting in verse 32:

“But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, ‘Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul will have no pleasure in him’.”

Rehashing your past is a wonderful marriage counseling tool. It’s helpful for couples who you are counseling that seem to be so angry and against each other that they practically can’t speak to one another. So what you do as an aid in this situation is to do separate sessions with them, and at each one, one at a time, you start to pull the story from them of when they first fell in love. What was it that really drew her to your eye? What was it about him that you didn’t want to be away from him for a second?

As you recall that story, the feelings of love start to flood back into your mind. The temporary blinding by this frustration-fueled amnesia fades away, and they see with a little bit more clarity the beauty and deep abiding love for their spouse. Nostalgia can work wonders as you are reminded of when the sparks first flew, when the fireworks of romance first exploded. There was a time when that person was so dear to you, you were not always antagonistic towards each other.

This can help in many situations beyond just marriage. When you’re feeling burnt out, remembering why you’re pursuing something in the first place can reignite the motivation that’s now become dormant from all the frustrations that you met along the way. The author of Hebrews is using this method as any good coach or mentor would, to motivate his readers to press on despite the pain and frustration. They need a boost. They need this reminder. They need endurance to keep running at the great pace they had started with. The race isn’t over. It’s been arduous for them.

For the audience of this letter, life seems to be full of trials, and they’re probably getting exhausted with all they’ve had to endure so far. So the author is reminding them of what they have in Jesus. The zeal they had at first was because of the glory revealed to them and secured to them in the New Covenant. They knew there was a greater kingdom to come. Their eyes had been fixed on the reward Christ had for them. So what does it matter if their property was plundered? What does it matter if they’re going to go to prison?

What’s a year-long prison sentence in view of an eternity with God and all the joy set before them? What could men do under persecution compared to what Jesus had already secured for them? The value of Jesus was worth enduring anything. The picture in their mind of the kingdom of God drove their steadfast faith. So just like in that marriage counseling tool, he’s reminding them of these things to fan the flames of faithfulness that may have started to grow cold, to fuel up their emptying tanks of endurance, urging them to continue to fight the good fight of fate, to not put down their sword, to not abandon the battle.

Our great coach and teacher, the author of Hebrews, continues encouraging his pupils by letting them know that he has full confidence in them, their character, and their work. They’re not part of this faithless crowd that falls away and faces the judgment of God, they are faithful people. They’re winners. They’re achievers. Like the best teachers and mentors, He says to his audience, I have confidence in you. I know you’re capable. I know you’re the kind of person who perseveres to the end. I am confident that you are not one of those who shrink back and fall into destruction. In verse 39, he says:

“But we are not those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”

You’re with us. You’re one of the ones who perseveres to the end, who sees the great reward that there is in Jesus, who sees the kingdom of heaven kept for them, the better kingdom not built by human hands. That’s the kind of people you are. From this section of warning and encouragement, he’s going to jump into a very, very long sermon illustration in chapter 11 of all the people in the past that held on by faith.

All of those who have gone before them who have shown themselves faithful despite hardships, those who have endured to the end in their faith. As he goes through this list of people he’s pointing his readers to see, this is the crowd you belong to. These are your people, not the people who shrink back and are destroyed. You are like these people. That’s the team that you are on.

By way of application, what can we glean from this passage this morning? The warning that the author of Hebrews gives in Hebrews 10 is very strong, very sharply worded for a church that is growing tired and lacking motivation in the face of persecution. They need this endurance to persevere in their faith. The temptation to just give up and give in is strong. The author of Hebrews gives this strong and sharply worded pastoral warning to help them course correct. To help them not give up on the great reward that is waiting for those who continue to the end. If this is a warning for them, it certainly is a warning for us. who have yet to face the kinds of trials the audience of Hebrews suffered.

If they could be tempted by apathy, who had already faced public shame, prison, and stolen property, they did that gladly for their faith. How much more can we be tempted today to disregard these things, to grow apathetic, to grow lax in our faith? The bar is already been set at the lowest it’s ever been in church history. Very little is expected of the average Christian. Biblical illiteracy is rampant in churches.

It’s even becoming common for pastors today to have little knowledge of the Bible. Church attendance is seen as a low priority. Ethics is a forgotten subject. Serving is optional, Prayer is a foreign language, and the kingdom of God is just another far off distant land. You enjoy an unprecedented amount of comfort and freedom that the persecuted church might be jealous of.

You should be outperforming those who have limitations on their meeting places. Those who have to do underground churches face prison sentences and death if they convert. You would think that that would mean that the American church would skyrocket, but it’s not. We’re marked instead by increasing apathy, self-centeredness, and laziness. It’s marked by less discipleship, less biblical knowledge, permissive and sometimes unashamedly sinful congregations.

We have not grown more than the persecuted brothers and sisters. We have fallen so far behind them in faith that it’s kind of baffling. There are so many temptations that you face in the world right now to abandon Christ. It is not always in dramatic ways, but sometimes slowly, like the drip of a leaky faucet. Satan seems to have enticed us into being deceived, into thinking that with all of our accomplishments, achievements, technologies, and comforts offered to us, we can somehow reverse the curse of the sin-stained world.

Removing from us the desire for that better kingdom. Because with our luxury, it’s hard to imagine that what we have now is worse than what’s coming. It’s hard to imagine that kingdom is any better than all the nice things we have now. How often are you clinging by faith to the better kingdom of God awaiting you? Or are you just desperate for a little bit more time here? Let’s raise the standard. Let’s set the bar higher. Let’s not settle for weak faith, but press on into maturity.

How can you expect to grow and stir up others into good works in the face of hardships and difficulties in life if your faith is weak? Is the best hope you can offer to the struggling Christian just a little bit more worldly comfort? Is it the best that we can do to stir up others by just talking about the new iPhone or how cool AI is? Be comforted, Christian.

Instead, point them to the riches in Jesus. Lift up this future kingdom that awaits us. That despite the pain today, there will come a day when the people of God will be presented to Jesus, adorned as a bride, ready for the wedding feast of the Lamb. Look forward to that day, discouraged brother. Feast on the coming promises of God, distressed sister.

Jesus, in his parable of a man who finds a valuable treasure in a field, says that that man went and sold all that he had to purchase the field because he knew that not a single one of his possessions compared to the value of the treasure that he found in the field. This man sold everything he had, and it says he did it with joy. He’s delighted to sell everything he has because he knows the treasure in that field is already worth more than anything he could possess.

He isn’t begrudgingly doing it all. It’s not, if my pastor says I have to, or since you’re making me feel guilty about it, I’ll sell my possessions. This isn’t a lecture. It’s not a guilt trip for him. No one is spending hours convincing him that the things of God are good and important. The Christian shouldn’t have to be convinced that the things of God are worthwhile. You shouldn’t need to be argued into faithfulness. But this man is wiser than we. He quickly assesses the value to be had. He weighs it against all he currently has, and he realizes there’s much more value there.

I need to get that field. I need that treasure that’s in there. So who cares if he has to sell his Ninja Blender or autographed football? Who cares if he has to sell his Chevy or his house or any of his other stuff? Who cares if he has to sell it? Jesus is worth far more than the value of all these things combined. My stuff doesn’t hold a candle to Jesus.

You have a lot of work in the faith ahead of you. You have need of endurance. This morning, you need to keep your motivation in the faith. So draw near to God. Hold fast to him. Hold fast to the sure confession, because he is faithful. Come to the gathering because you need it, and we need you. I am confident that you will not hear these warnings and encouragements and shrink back. I am confident that you all are those who will endure to the end and preserve your souls.

https://youtu.be/mx-NMpAcFoA?si=BWkyMztF3NeUC4CM

This morning, we have come to the middle section of Hebrews chapter 10. Similar to what we saw last week in Hebrews 9 is jam-packed with all sorts of doctrinal lessons and implications. Lots of theology is being taught. Like I said last week, Hebrews chapter 9 and into chapter 10, this section of Scripture is like a giant squid with hundreds of tentacles and arms reaching into every theological topic, debate, and subgenre of theological study. It is nearly impossible to discuss any topic of theology without having some need or obligation to consult this particular passage of Scripture. Yet again, rather than giving you 10 or 12 sermons from this passage, which we easily could, we will do just one.

Quick side note on my philosophy of preaching and what we’re hoping to cultivate here at Horizon City. We are committed to expository preaching. We’re going through books of the Bible over several weeks or months and looking verse by verse, passage by passage. We believe in expository preaching. But there are different flavors of expository preaching out there. So people say they’re expository. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re all the same. There are different philosophies, different approaches, and there are some that are not necessarily bad; they’re just different.

Then there are some that I would say are not so good. There are various categories in that way. The particular flavor that I have when it comes to expository preaching is, in layman’s terms, what we would call the one-point sermon. One main point, then any subpoints or sub-ideas, are simply reinforcing or expounding upon that one point. The philosophy is simply that people only remember one thing. By the time you leave, you’ve forgotten most of what I said. The reality is you’re not going to remember most things.

Some preachers take the approach that they’re going to give you a lot of different points, and they just hope you remember one or two, and everyone’s going to remember a different one. Kind of like the adage, you throw enough stuff at the wall, eventually something will stick. That’s the philosophy. I don’t think that’s necessarily bad or wrong. It’s just different than my approach. My approach is I want to give you a one-point sermon, and I want to drill it over and over and over again.

The hope is that you remember the one thing that we want to drill home. When we’re doing expository preaching, the hope is that the one point of the sermon matches the one point of the passage that the original author intended. So when the writer of Hebrews is writing these verses in the middle part of chapter 10, he has a particular point in mind. The hope would be that my one-point sermon matches the one point that he was making in the middle part of Hebrews, chapter 10.

If he is making a point and I am making a different point, then I’m not accurately representing what the writer of Hebrews was seeking to articulate. I think I’ve seen that in sermons. I’ve probably been guilty of it at times in my life. Where you take a passage of scripture and you manipulate it. You use the scripture as an excuse to say what you want to say rather than accurately representing what the original author intended to say. So the goal is not, What am I getting out of this? The goal is, What did the writer of Hebrews intend to communicate to his audience? We want our sermons to be in line with that.

That’s our overarching goal. In addition to that, when it comes to our philosophy of preaching, we also want our sermons to then take that one point that the author made, and we want to connect it to Christ in one way or another. We want to go, how does this one point from this passage shed light on Jesus? What does this one point give us that we didn’t know before about the person and work of Christ?

One way we do this is to have communion every single week. In sermon prep, I’m always asking myself the question, What is in this text that gives me yet another reason to remember Jesus in communion? So it’s a one-point sermon that should match the one point of the text. Then I want to ask, how does this one point shed light on the person or work of Christ?

What I’ve just described to you is what theologians refer to as the redemptive historical expository approach to preaching. There are other variants, there are other philosophies. You can categorize most preachers into different categories. This is our philosophy. So that’s the primary focus. Redemptive historical. That’s the primary flavor of our preaching here.

However, there are times when we will deviate from that because we think there’s some good reason to. This morning happens to be one of those times. We don’t want this to be normal. It’s not a normative practice to deviate from the redemptive historical approach. But we do want to do this occasionally. We do this occasionally for one of two reasons. Usually, when you’re going through a book of the Bible, like Hebrews, sometimes you’ll cover passages of scripture, and it’s the same theme being hit over and over again.

So if you take this approach to preaching, what inevitably happens is you’ll have three or four or five sermons in a row. They kind of feel like they’re saying the same thing over and over again. Sometimes that’s good. Sometimes we need to hear the same thing over and over again. That’s valuable. But there are other times when we feel it’s helpful to do something slightly different.

So the main point of this text in Hebrews, chapter 10, is that Jesus is better than priests. Jesus made a sacrifice better than the sacrifices that the priests in the Old Testament made. That’s the main point of the text. Well, we’ve already covered that pretty thoroughly. We’ve preached several sermons on that theme, and we could preach it again from a slightly different angle, and that could be helpful.

There are times to do that, but then there are moments where we think, are there secondary points in the text? So maybe it’s not the main point, but is there a second-place point or a third-place point in the text that we haven’t covered. In this text, there is a secondary theme being covered. Again, we don’t want to just make up something. We want to still get it from the text.

We look at the middle part of chapter 10, and we see there’s a main theme, and there’s a second and third secondary themes. They’re still important. They’re just not the primary point of the text. So we want to kind of pull away. So this morning we’re going to look at what I think is a secondary theme in the text. If you read the text, that’s not the first thing that stuck out to me. That’s the reason why I want you to know, here’s the thought there.

But it’s clearly there. I’m not just going to get up and make something up and pretend it’s in the text when it’s not there. So we look through the text. There are three or four different things in this text, and of those three or four, we can’t cover all of them on a Sunday morning.

So let’s pick one that we think would be most helpful to us in this particular moment. What I’d like to do this morning for us is to look at sanctification. Sanctification, this process of being sanctified. Sanctification refers to the process of becoming more holy, the process of being cleansed by God. So in this text, he makes this primary point, but then throughout the text, he alludes to the work that God is doing in us to make us more holy.

I want to lean in on that this morning. The process of sanctification is the process of us growing in our faith divine, developing in Christian maturity, in essence, becoming more like Jesus. That’s the sanctification. This morning, my goal is to look through this text and to ask the question, How can we grow in our faith?

How can we become better Christians? More importantly, how can we become more like Jesus? The first answer I’m going to give you is going to feel a little bit discouraging because it’s going to tell you that you actually can’t, that you’re incapable of it. But then I’m going to tell you how you can. That’s our plan. How can we grow in our faith? You can’t. But here’s how you can. That’s our plan for this morning. Let’s ask for God’s help.

Lord, as we look at this text, would you help us understand? May we walk out of this place more like Jesus and more committed to growing our Christ likeness. Would you do that for all of us, myself included? Amen.

Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 5. The writer of Hebrews is quoting from the Old Testament. He says this:

“Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.”

This is interesting because the writer of Hebrews says, Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said this. But you can’t find any of these words anywhere in the New Testament.

Well, he is quoting from the Old Testament. This is Psalm 40, written right around 1000 BC, and the writer of Hebrews is saying, Remember that psalm that King David wrote in a thousand B.C.? You thought that was just David writing, but those were the words of Christ that would be fulfilled through Jesus when he came onto the scene. He said, There’s much more to Psalm 40 than you realize. He equates the words of Christ with the words of Psalm 40. He is saying, Psalm 40 is Jesus speaking, not just King David speaking.

He equates the Old Testament with God speaking. Therefore, to disobey the Old Testament, to disobey God’s word, is to disobey God. To disobey the words of God is to disobey God himself. These are the words of God. Every Sunday, when we have someone read Scripture before the sermon, we have them say, ‘These are the words of God.’

I want to remind you that you’re not just hearing random words on a piece of paper. You’re hearing the words of God. I’ve heard people say, Wouldn’t it be great to hear God’s voice? Yeah, read the Bible. That’s the voice of God. People say, I want to hear the audible voice of God. Well, read the Bible out loud. You can hear the audible voice of God any moment, anytime.

So the writer of Hebrews is saying, Remember when King David wrote Psalm 40 a thousand years ago? That was Christ speaking. I’m going to read the writer of Hebrews’ quote again. But rather than imagining King David saying this, or the writer of Hebrews saying this, imagine this is Jesus speaking. Jesus says this,

“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me.”

Jesus is speaking to his father. Father, you don’t take pleasure in a bunch of goats being killed. You don’t take pleasure in burnt offerings. But you’ve prepared a body for me. Jesus speaking to his father, you are preparing a body for me to step into to do that which you take pleasure in. He doesn’t take pleasure in goats dying. He takes pleasure in the Son of God dying because that leads to the redemption of God’s people. Then he says this in Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 7. Again, it says, Jesus speaking:

“Behold, I have come to do your will, oh God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.”

Jesus, 1000 years before he becomes a human, says to his father, You are preparing a body for me, and I am excited to go to earth to take that body on to do your will, oh father. As it’s been written in the scroll of the Book, Jesus is saying, God, my father, is preparing a body for me that I’m going to step into so that I will fulfill that which the Old Testament has been talking about for generations and generations and generations.

There’s a lot packed into a very short section here in Hebrews chapter 10. Jesus is telling his father, I’m going to go and do what you have called me to do. We get the same sentiment from Jesus in John chapter 6. Jesus is speaking to a group of Jewish people, and he says to them:

“I have come not to do my own will, but to do the will of the One who sent me.”

Not to do my own will, but to do the will of my Father. The writer of Hebrews is quoting from Psalm 40 and leveraging that in this passage to make the point that Jesus is willing to do what the Father has commissioned him to do, to provide a sufficient sacrifice that will deal with sin permanently. Not like the sacrifices of the Old Testament, which had minimal value temporarily, but to offer a sacrifice that will have maximum value permanently.

Jesus was sacrificing the body that the Father prepared for him, which was prophesied about in the scroll hundreds of years before Jesus showed up on the scene. We see this unbelievable relationship between God the Father and God the Son. There’s this plan.

You guys know I’m a big football fan. I think about before a big play, let’s say in a Super Bowl, before Jalen Hurts throws a 46-yard touchdown pass to seal the game. There are these big moments in the middle of a game where the team has a huddle, and they go, here’s what we’re gonna do. We’re gonna do this, we’re gonna do this, and it’s gonna accomplish this. If anyone in that huddle is not on the same page, not committed to the plan, it goes awry.

The Father and the Son, they’ve gotten in the huddle, said, Here’s what we’re gonna do. Father says, we’re gonna prepare a body for you, we’re gonna send you. The Son says, I’m on the same page. I’m not here to do my own thing. I’m here to do what we have agreed to do. The Father says, Holy Spirit, you’re gonna glorify the Son. The Son says, I’m gonna glorify you, Father. The Father says, I’m gonna gather a group of people and I’m gonna give them to you as a gift, my son. They’re gonna glorify you. You see this unbelievable, beautiful team at work, deploying this incredible redemptive work on our behalf.

The writer of Hebrews is alluding to all of this. He knows that there are people in his audience who are considering abandoning Christianity. He’s thinking to himself, do you not understand what has happened on your behalf? Did you not know the playbook? You are considering abandoning Jesus, the one who did this for you. Why would you ever think about leaving him? Then he finishes this last section here in verse 9. It says this,

“He does away with the first in order to establish the second.”

Jesus comes, and he fulfills what was promised in the Old Testament. He says, the Old Covenant, the first one, it’s come to an end. We’re doing away with that one. It’s been fulfilled.

There’s this prophecy being alluded to in this text. It’s not explicit, but there’s this prophecy being alluded to. Then it becomes explicit a few verses later. What is this prophecy? Look at Hebrews 10:14. The writer of Hebrews says this, speaking of Jesus:

“For a single offering, he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

So Jesus perfected, past tense, those who are being sanctified, present tense. So there’s this sense of Jesus did something that’s been done in the past, it’s complete to a particular group of people. Who is that group of people? It is those who are in the present tense, being sanctified, being cleansed, being made holy. Jesus did something remarkable in the past that cannot be undone. It’s permanent, it’s done, for a group of people who, in the present tense, are being sanctified, cleansed, being made holy. That’s those of us who believe in Jesus.

You’ve been perfected, so in some sense, your salvation is set. But then, you’re still in the process of being sanctified, of being cleansed. The apostle Paul alludes to this in Romans, chapter 8. He talks about the fact that we are all being conformed to the image of Jesus. Imagine if someone could take every moment of your life and put it up on screen. Instantly, you’re thinking, that would be embarrassing. If Jesus were in your shoes, living the life you’re living, and put on a screen, how would he live that life? Then you compare the two.

For those of us who are believers in Jesus, there are probably some things that match. Praise God. There are some things that I’m doing that Jesus would do. We’re happy about that. But, there’s a whole lot in this movie of how I’m living my life that doesn’t match the way Jesus would do things. There’s a long list, a lot of scenes of the movie that are not quite like Jesus.

What Paul is saying in Romans 8 and what the writer of Hebrews is saying here in chapter 10 is that we are all going through a process where God is changing us. So as that movie unfolds, it matches the Jesus movie a little bit more each day. Today, I will behave a little bit more like Jesus than I did yesterday. By God’s grace, tomorrow I will behave a little bit more like Jesus than I do today. There’s this process I’m going through of being conformed to the image of Jesus.

You get the sentiment that God has promised. He’s doing it both here in Hebrews 10 and Romans 8. The Greek tenses they’re all passive. So it’s not something you do to conform yourself to the image of Jesus. It’s something being done to you. You’re not sanctifying yourself. You can’t do that. You are being sanctified by the power and grace of God. It’s passive. He is doing it to you. God has promised that he will do in you what only he can do to ensure that you are molded to be like Jesus.

That is your final destination. You have been predestined, Romans 8 says, to be conformed to the image of the Son. That’s what God has promised. It will happen. If you are a believer in Jesus, you will be completely conformed to the image of Jesus. You are being sanctified. He will continually do in you what needs to be done to ensure that it will come to fruition. He wants us to be more obedient to his moral law, and he is working in us to do that.

Another quick side note, in our exhortation the next few weeks, we’re going to cover the Ten Commandments. Remember, we talked about this a couple of weeks ago, that the moral law is the inherent right or wrong. That’s the big picture. That’s who God is and how he wants us to behave. This is the moral law. Then God gives us a very brief summary of the moral law. We call that the Ten Commandments or the Decalogue.

The decalogue is given to us, these 10 statements that summarize the entire moral law. Then God goes to the Jewish people, to the Israelites in the Old Testament. He says, I’m going to give you this old covenant that’s got over 600 additional laws to help them follow the 10. So God says, I want you to follow the moral law. But the moral law you don’t fully understand. So let me just give you 10. You’re still struggling with those 10 because they’re too vague. So let me give you more specific rules, 600 of them, to help you figure out the 10.

Let me give you a silly example. This week, my three-year-old daughter and I were spending time in the kitchen, and my daughter tasted the milk that I had just poured for her. She says, yuck. She throws it out in the sink. I said, Baby girl, what was that all about? Why did you do that? She said, I didn’t like that milk. It was warm. I was pretty sure it wasn’t warm; I had just taken it out of the refrigerator. So I said it was not warm. She said, No, I didn’t like that one. I want a different one. I want almy milk. (Almy milk instead of almond.) I said, No, almond milk is for Dada. You drink the regular milk. She said, Fine. I said, baby girl, I want you to know we’ve talked about this before.

We don’t waste things in our house. God has given us gifts and resources. We don’t want to waste it. God has given us this milk, we don’t waste it. Remember when we talked about that, about how we want to be good stewards, we want to take care of the things that God has given us. She goes, I remember. So, I gave her another rule to help her fulfill the principle. Anything we pour into her cup, she drinks it.

That’s not a choice. See, because there’s a grander principle that I want her to live by. But she’s not getting it because she’s immature. She’s three. So it’s coming upon me to then give her a more specific rule that helps her fulfill the principle. Similarly, God does this with Israel. He’s like, I want you to follow the moral law, but you guys are too immature. You’re not getting it.

So I’m going to give you the Old Covenant with 600 very specific rules. If you follow these rules, that’ll help you fulfill the moral law. But the goal is not to follow these 600 rules. The goal is for you to fulfill the principle. When Leti is 33 years old, she should not have to follow the rule of drinking whatever her dad pours for her. That won’t be a good rule. There’s going to be a point where she reaches maturity and she no longer needs the rule because she will hopefully understand the principle.

Similarly, God says to Israel, I’m going to give you some rules. But these rules, they’re only temporary. He gives these rules in about 1400 BC when they come out of Egypt, before they go into the promised land. He says, I’m going to give you these rules from now until the Messiah comes. But when the Messiah comes, these rules, all bets are off. These rules are temporary for you because you’re too immature to understand the moral law. So I’m giving you some rules. That’s what he does with Israel.

But right in the middle of this moment, while they’re living out these 600 rules, he gives them a promise. About 800 years after the law, right around 600 BC (the law is given in 1400 BC), there’s a guy named Jeremiah who shows up on the scene. The Israelites have been living for 800 years at that point under the Old Covenant Law. God says through Jeremiah to the people of God, there’s going to come a moment when you don’t need these laws anymore.

I want you to know there’s going to come a moment where I’m going to do something inside of you where the rules will no longer be needed. The writer of Hebrews leverages that promise here in Hebrews 10. So he’s talking about how we’re being sanctified. He alludes to back in the day when Jeremiah prophesied and God spoke to us through Jeremiah that there would come a day when we don’t need the rules anymore. The writer of Hebrews is saying that the moment has come now through Jesus. He says this in Hebrews 10, verse 16.

“This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord. I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds.”

He’s saying God has a moral law that you can’t see. Since you were immature, God gave you a bunch of rules. There’s going to come a moment where the moral law is written on the inside of your hearts, where I put it inside your mind. God is going to do something supernatural in you that will cause you to not need rules because you’re going to have him. The writer of Hebrews is saying that it’s come now because of Jesus. Do you know who the people are that he’s going to do that for? It’s the ones that are being sanctified by Jesus.

If you’re a first-century Jewish Christian, like this audience, they’re Jews by ethnicity and nationality, but they’ve become Christians. They’re part of a local church. They’re reading this letter. They’re going, wait a minute. That promise from Jeremiah we thought was for all of the Jewish people, but you’re telling me it’s actually for Christians.

When he said that God would do this in Israel, you’re saying he didn’t mean physical Israel, that he meant a spiritual form of Israel. Hebrews is saying that the promise wasn’t for Jews, it was for those who would believe on Jesus, for those who are being sanctified by Jesus. That’s what he’s promised. The writer of Hebrews is saying, all those promises that God made hundreds of years ago to do a great work in people, do you know the people he’s talking to? People who believe on Jesus.

So if you are a believer in Jesus here today, God has promised to you that he will do what needs to be done in you to ensure that you will become like Jesus. It’s a long explanation. I know that the passage can be a little bit convoluted.

There are two questions I want to ask this morning. First, how will you be sanctified, and what can you do? What’s your part? How can you ensure sanctification? The answer is you can’t do anything. It’s not on you. Spiritual growth is a work of the Spirit. We’ve already seen this in Hebrews chapter 6. The writer of Hebrews was talking about milk and meat. Remember, a couple of months ago we talked about this? He’s saying, you guys are drinking milk, but you should be eating meat. Basically, you’re immature Christians. You should grow up in your faith. But then he says this to them in Hebrews chapter 6, verse 3, Hebrews 6:3.

“And this we will do. If God permits.”

We’ll grow in our faith. We’ll graduate from milk to meat. We’ll grow up in our faith only if God permits. Hebrews 6:3. He implies that if God doesn’t permit for you to grow in your faith, you’re not going to grow in your faith. It’s a work of the Spirit. Philippians 1:6. The Apostle Paul says this:

“I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.”

He does not say, I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will give you the opportunity to bring to completion that which he started. That’s not what it says. It doesn’t say, he who began a good work with you now leaves it up to you to figure it out and finish it. That’s not what he says. He who began the good work is the one who will bring it to completion.

That is important to remember for two reasons. One, it cultivates incredible humility.

So there’s going to come a day where I know for sure I’m going to look like Jesus, or I’m going to behave like Jesus, and be like Jesus. I know that 20 years from now I will be more like Jesus than I am today. Not because of me, because he promised it. I can take great pleasure in that. Knowing that he does it cultivates humility in us.

So the first question we asked this morning was, How can you grow in your faith? The answer is, you can’t. It’s not on you. There’s nothing you can do. It’s a work of the Spirit. Then the next question is, What can I do to work on my faith? The answer is, you can do it by looking to Jesus. People ask all the time, What can I do to grow in my faith? I want to become a better Christian. I want to develop, I want to mature. That’s a great question.

Here’s how to do it. The most often used metaphor for spiritual growth in the bible refers to trees or plants with the idea of fruit. Several years ago, I lived in Ocoee with some guys. Five single dudes in a house. We called ourselves the Men of the Misty. We lived on Misty Meadow Road. We had robes with embroidered nicknames. It was classic. So we lived in the house together and we had a tree in our backyard which was supposedly an orange tree.

I say supposedly because it was not very healthy-looking. But it did one day eventually bring some oranges. They were the grossest-looking oranges you’ve ever seen in your life. We tasted one and it was awful. But it did produce a few oranges once every few years.

Imagine you have this orange tree, and someone said, This is an orange tree. Now, imagine if one day someone said to you, Make that tree grow fruit. I can’t do that. It’s a natural phenomenon that God created. We can’t force it. The tree doesn’t wake up and produce fruit like that. You can’t force a tree to grow fruit. But you can create an environment where the tree will be healthy. Healthy trees will naturally produce quality fruit. So you cannot produce spiritual growth in your life. Spiritual growth is a work of the spirit.

However, you can put yourself in environments where you are more likely to see health in your life, spiritually, and emotionally. Which will then allow the Spirit to do what only he can do in your life. Make sure that you put yourself in environments that are conducive to growth. That will lead to growth. In Galatians, chapter 5, the apostle Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit. When the Spirit of God is at work, the Spirit brings forth fruit. It’s the Spirit’s work. In Galatians 5, he says,

“The fruits of the Spirit are love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

If you’re lacking in any of these things, it’s because the Spirit of God hasn’t brought these things to you. You ought to prayerfully, humbly put yourself in environments where the Spirit of God can do the work in you that you cannot do. Oftentimes, this is how we do it. We are lacking in self-control. We think, here are three steps on how to have better self-control. Here’s a book, 13 Steps to Be a More Self-Controlled Person, this week. That’s work. That’s energy you’re putting forth. It may seem okay for a little while, but ultimately it fails. Lasting fruit can only come from the work of the Spirit.

If you go to the About Us page on our website, you will find a section where I talk about our core values. I want to read it to you. This is my ministry philosophy. Speaking of our church,

“We want to see people grow and mature in their spirituality and faith, but we cannot manufacture spiritual growth. Spiritual growth is wrought by the Spirit of God. However, we have observed that the Spirit of God most often and most intensely grows and matures people whenever they are confronted with the goodness and beauty of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we shall seek to confront people with Christ’s goodness and beauty as often as possible.”

That’s our ministry philosophy. How do you grow? You can’t. Put yourself in environments that are conducive to growth. What are those environments? Environments where you’re being reminded of the goodness and beauty of Christ. So here’s a simple answer. Someone says, How do I grow my faith? My answer is simply something like, put yourself in situations where you can be reminded regularly of how good and beautiful Jesus is. The Spirit of God will grow you.

You can’t manufacture spiritual growth, but we can put ourselves in environments where we will be smacked in the face daily with the beauty of Jesus. So my exhortation to you is to put yourself in the types of environments where the Spirit of God tends to grow people. You know, where he doesn’t tend to grow people? When they’re in a dark room by themselves, looking at inappropriate images on the Internet. That’s not an environment where people typically grow.

Here’s an environment where people don’t typically grow. Where they’re spending lots of energy, figuring out how to evade their taxes. That’s not an environment where people tend to grow. Here’s an environment where people tend not to grow: when they’re lazy and never read their Bibles. That’s not an environment where people tend to grow. Here’s another environment where people don’t tend to grow. When they’re consuming a bunch of trashy media.

There are certain environments more conducive to growth than others. So my exhortation to you from the writer of Hebrews is, you are the people being sanctified. So here’s what you ought to do. Put yourself in the places where you’re going to be sanctified. Put yourself in a position to be consistently reminded of the goodness and beauty of Christ.

Let me give you a few quick, practical applications.

You know where you don’t get smacked in the face with the goodness of Jesus? In your bed, sleeping in. This doesn’t happen there. The current stats are that only 40% of American evangelicals attend church weekly. 60% of people who claim to be followers of Jesus do not gather with Christians every single week. It’s heartbreaking to me. The current stats are about once every three or four weeks. That’s the norm.

We have that here. We have a crew of people who would call themselves members. I was in a community Facebook group, and someone posted recently looking for a church. People started posting in the comments. I read some of the comments, and one was, You should go to Horizon City. It’s a great church. You would think that would feel like a compliment. But then I saw the person’s name and I thought to myself, I think I see you once every six weeks.

I thought to myself, I was excited that they would commend our church, and that person seems to think they are a part of this church family. But I’m pretty sure most of the people who show up here don’t know you. I thought to myself, I think that person thinks that’s okay. So I sent the person a private message and gently encouraged them. Hey, thank you for commending the church. Let’s talk about this.

This is also why we do weekly communion. First, because I believe the New Testament commands it, but also because it’s an opportunity to be confronted with the beauty and goodness of Christ every single week. Week after week, to have his grace bestowed upon us. This is why we’re committed to expository preaching. Our entire liturgy is crafted to smack you in the face with the goodness of Jesus. That’s our goal.

Even the songs we select. There are certain good songs that we would not sing here because I don’t think they smack you in the face with the goodness of Jesus. There are some good Christian songs, but the beauty of Christ is not explicitly on display. So I’d rather not sing those songs. The scripture verses, our liturgy, everything that we do from start to finish, is designed in some way or another to remind you of some element of the goodness of Christ. That’s our whole goal. You can’t get that online.

When you walk in this door and you’re greeted warmly by someone who loves Jesus, you’re reminded of the goodness of Christ. When you sit and you chat with someone, I’m reminded of the goodness of Christ. I can’t do that at home in an online setting. YouTube makes for a really poor church.

Our sermons are online. You can find them on YouTube, you can find them on our website, and you can now find them on Spotify. If you’d like, just Google Horizon City Church sermons. You can go to our website. Click the sermons button. They’re on our website, they’re on YouTube, they’re on Spotify. We’re working on getting them on Apple podcasts so you can go back and listen to them throughout the course of the week.

Listen, I’m a political junkie. But you know you’re not gonna be reminded of the goodness of Jesus while you’re listening to Ben Shapiro or while you’re watching Fox News or while you listen to NPR. Fox News is not gonna remind you of the beauty of Jesus. Let’s turn that off occasionally, and let’s put something on that’s gonna remind you of the goodness and beauty of Jesus. Let’s turn off the podcast, turn off the Gary Vee or the Alex Hormozi, and let’s listen to something that’s gonna remind us of the beauty of Jesus. I listen to sports talk radio. You know, I’m not gonna be reminded of the goodness of Jesus listening to Eagles fans rant on the radio. So you know what I should do? I should turn that off occasionally and maybe turn something on that’s gonna remind me of the beauty of Jesus.

Make it a high priority to be around believers regularly because the more you’re around people who believe in the goodness of Christ, the more likely it is you will be reminded of the goodness of Christ.

Media and music have more power than we think. I highly encourage you to put some music in your life that will remind you of the goodness and beauty of Christ. If you want a good starting point, you can go to our website. Go to the About Us page, scroll down to the very bottom. We have a section called Our music. There are two buttons on there, Apple and Spotify. Every song we’ve ever done is on that list.

Maybe listen to those songs on a regular basis, and hopefully, the Lord will use that music to inspire you and to remind you of the goodness and beauty of Christ. How about Bible reading? Family devotions? Personal prayer times? How often are you doing those things if you’re not doing those things on a regular basis?

If I’m frustrated that my home is not a place where the Goodness of Christ is on display. Well, then it’s on me to do something about that. These are ways in which we can put ourselves in environments that are more conducive to growth, find ways to be reminded of the goodness and beauty of Jesus.

My last thought for this morning is this. I want to quote from the great theologian and philosopher Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump quotes his mom with a great maxim. He once said, Life is like a box of chocolates, You never know what you’re going to get. In some sense, that’s accurate. But I think in one major sense, Forrest was wrong. Forrest’s mama was wrong. I think we should think about life as a tree. Life is like a tree.

You always know what you’re going to get. If you have an orange tree, you’re going to get oranges. If you have an apple tree, you’re going to get apples. If you have a life where the goodness and beauty of Christ is not constantly invading, then you’re not going to have great spiritual growth. But life is like a tree.

If you invest in the goodness and beauty of Christ, you will bring forth fruit born of the goodness and beauty of Christ. If you say you’re an orange tree but you produce apples, that’s problematic. You are not what you claim to be. Similarly, if you claim to be a follower of Christ but you produce fruit that does not remind people of Christ, you are not what you claim to be.

In that case, I would encourage you to repent before God, confess your sin to him, and beg him for his mercy. We can grow in our faith. We have been perfected by Jesus. We are being sanctified by Jesus, and we will graduate to be what Jesus called us to be. If G