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July 25, 2021

Theme: The way forward with endurance

July 25, 2021 • Pastor Phil Burggraff

Theme: The way forward with endurance
Passage: Hebrews 10:26–39

Our two-fold motivation to endure obeying the commands of vv. 22–25:

1. Be Warned: God will judge anyone who rejects His Son (26–31):
a. No other sacrifice exists that can cleanse our sins.
b. The one rejecting insults God and His plan.
c. It’s in God’s nature to judge sin and sinners.

2. Be Encouraged: You are sticking it out for something greater (32–39)
How can I be encouraged?
a. Remember what God has already accomplished in your life, especially in difficult times (32–34).
b. Hold on to the confidence Christ brings because you will receive the promised life (35–39).

Main Idea: As believers, we don’t turn from Christ and face destruction, but endure by faith to reach our promised salvation.

Application Questions:
• Endurance sounds like effort and work. How is this consistent with the call throughout Hebrews and all the NT for faith alone in Jesus Christ as our means of salvation?
• What do you make of the depiction of God as a God of judgment and vengeance throughout this passage? Considering our modern tendency to focus on His love, how can this be incorporated into our depiction of God when we tell others of him or seek to explain God in our teaching?
• How are you encouraged to endure by what God has already accomplished in your life? Consider and discuss difficult times through which God has brought you.
• From this week and last week’s sermon (10:19–25), we can we do to hold on to the confidence Christ brings? Why is Christian community so vital to accomplish this?

More from Hebrews

October 3, 2021

October 3, 2021 • Pastor Phil Burggraff • Hebrews 13:18–25

Theme: Final Remarks for the Way Forward Passage: Hebrews 13:18–25 Three final calls to action as the book of Hebrews closes: 1. Pray for leaders to possess the conviction to powerfully display the Gospel (vv. 18–19). 2. Trust the work God is doing for you through Jesus (20–21). 3. Continue to persevere in the gospel (22). Main Idea: God’s has mapped out the way forward on life’s journey in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Application Questions: • What do vv. 18–19 teach us about the content of our prayers as well as how to pray? • How does the content of v. 20 serve as the basis for the request of equipping believers to do God’s will in v. 21? What does this indicate about God’s will in our lives? • What does it mean that God “works in us what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ” in v. 21? How should this impact the way that you live? • What has Hebrews taught you about perseverance in the gospel?

September 26, 2021

September 26, 2021 • Pastor Phil Burggraff • Hebrews 13:7–17

September 26, 2021 - The Way Forward Following Your Leaders Passage: Hebrews 13:7–17 Title: The Way Forward Following Your Leaders Main Idea: God provides us with guides for our spiritual journey. Thus, we must: 1. Imitate our spiritual mentors (7–8). a. Remember their teaching. b. Observe their life choices. 2. Trust Christ’s Sacrifice (9–16). a. Don’t follow faddish teaching (9). b. Follow Christ’s path (10–14). c. Offer God sacrifices that praise him (15–16): i. Speech that confesses his name ii. Service that benefits others 3. Submit to your church leaders (17). a. They watch over your souls. b. They will give account. c. The more joyous their task, the more benefit to you Application Questions: • Name the spiritual mentors that have impacted your life. What was it about them that made such an impact on you? • How are you vulnerable to false teaching today? • What does Christ’s path suggest about the way our lives should look (vv. 12–14)? How does this differ from your current reality? • What does submitting to your current church leaders mean and not mean? How can we make their work joyous and not a burden?

September 19, 2021

September 19, 2021 • Pastor Phil Burggraff • Hebrews 13:1–6

Theme: The Way Forward in Service Passage: Hebrews 13:1–6 How thankful service to God (12:28–29) acts toward the people in our lives: 1. Spiritual Siblings: Lovingly care for your spiritual brothers and sisters (1) 2. Strangers: Hospitably care for those you don’t know (2) 3. Suffering: Think about those suffering for Christ and act accordingly (3) 4. Spouse: Vigilantly remain sexually pure (4) 5. Self: Conduct your life free from the care of money (5–6) Main Idea: Service focuses on the situation and needs of others by deemphasizing the desires of self. Application Questions: • Are you connected with this body of believers so that you can lovingly care for your brother and sisters here? How can you connect more deeply to obey the command in v. 1? • Why might believers struggle showing hospitality to those they don’t know, even in the context of the church? What can be done to address a lack of hospitality in your life? • What can you do to empathize with and help those who are suffering for the cause of Christ? • Where are you weakest in the battle to remain sexually pure? What steps do you need to take to remain sexually pure in our current context? • What practical ways can you implement in your life to free yourself from the love of money?