Redemption Hill Church

This Sunday we will continue in our series in Hebrews, Jesus is Better, with Hebrews 12:18-29. It’s a timely text for us because it will draw our attention to the unshakeable Kingdom of God. The world around us trembles and shakes. At times, the only certainty is instability. This Sunday we will explore the truths that we can cling to in tumultuous times and what it means to be citizens of Christ’s Kingdom who are sojourners and exiles here. My hope is that we will all leave our worship gatherings on Sunday refreshed and reminded of where our hope lies.

The imagery of a race continues, but our author makes a shift from the great cloud of witnesses that have come before us in faith to the members of our local church body here and now. We have a tendency to read the Bible individualistically, and this passage is no exception, but it is often intended to us all, as God’s people together. This Sunday we will look at our calling to run the race together.

In light of the great cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 11, and the call to run the race with our eyes on Jesus, we now turn to the difficult question of suffering – why does God allow us to suffer along the way? None of us likes to be disciplined, and many of us struggle with our own personal discipline. So, it makes sense that we also don’t like the idea of being disciplined by our Father in Heaven. This Sunday we will take an open look at the pain and the privilege of Christian discipline. 

Hebrews 12 flows out of the powerful storyline of Hebrews 11 and the “Hall of Faith” and turns toward the application of all that has preceded it in the book of Hebrews. This Sunday we will focus on Hebrews 12:1-3. This life is a race that we run, but we’re not alone in it. We will see where we can look for encouragement and endurance along the way.

Many call Hebrews 11 The Hall of Faith. We will plan to dig into the entire chapter in one go. It gives us a walkthrough the Old Testament to see how people through the ages have exercised their faith in God, His Word, and His promises. This Sunday will give us a great foundation in understanding the nature of faith. 

As we continue into the application side of the epistle, we will see the truth of God’s holiness, a warning for us, and a call for how to live.

Devin Watson will preach from Psalm 32. As he brings the Word to us from David’s prayer, we will see the beautiful promise of forgiveness. Repentance and forgiveness are not a one-and-done aspect of following Christ. It’s an everyday reality until we are with Jesus. As we come to understand our own need for forgiveness more deeply, the promise of God to forgive us will become all the more beautiful, and through it we can learn how to walk in the light of forgiveness, both for ourselves and as we extend it to others.

It’s a major shift in the letter because after 9+ chapters of theology, we now turn to application. What does it all mean that Jesus is the true and better Word, Moses, High Priest, Tabernacle, blood, sacrifice, etc.? The gospel is not confined to mere concepts or theological reflection. The good news of Jesus Christ makes an impact in every aspect of our lives, impacting our hearts, our minds, and our lives. On Sunday we will begin to see what that looks like. 

We are right in the heart of the letter, and in the meat of what the author has been driving toward throughout. In our passage on Sunday we will see that “Jesus is the Better Sacrifice.” In contrast with the repetitiveness of the old covenant and sacrificial system that required priests to offer sacrifices day after day, week after week, and year after year, Jesus came and died as the sacrifice that cleanses us from sin once and for all. We will take time to explore the deep need that every human being has for forgiveness, the emptiness of the methods we follow to try to ease our own consciences, and the hope that we find in the gospel.

Through the month of August we will help the people of RHC see how they are called to ministry and mission as individuals who are part of a church, and call them all to fight against the draw toward passive spectating.