The Jewish Christians, at the time of the writing of the Letter to the Hebrews, were experiencing two critical things in their lives. First, because of the long “tradition” of the Old Covenant (almost 1,400 years) change to faith in Christ was met with a tremendous amount of resistance. As a result, there was significant persecution taking place against believers. It was a challenge to both the law and the temple that were cornerstones to the Jewish religion. Without much of a desire to listen to the new believers, and why their faith in Christ was so important, they stuck with their strong focus on the value of the law and the processes they followed in their worship. The second issue related to their level of spiritual maturity. For the new believers to grow in their new faith they must understand the Word of God and the teachings of Jesus Christ. We see several instances in the letter where the author is challenging them to grow in their understanding and maturity, not just go through the motions on a weekly basis.
Such a High Priest / A Better Covenant
Part >> 7
October 25, 2020 • Bill Rodgers
Faith in Action
December 6, 2020 • Chan Mitchell
Faith is not just something we have, it’s something we do. Faith must be expressed through action. It’s not even possible to please God without faith. Without faith, we can only go so far. Throughout the letter to the Hebrews, the author seeks to passionately persuade his readers of the superiority of Christ. As he brings the letter to a close, he turns from his carefully reasoned "sermon" to a series of practical applications for our faith. The book closes with a reminder that true faith requires confidence in a God that we cannot always see; in promises that are not always immediate; and in a hope that we can’t always express. But one thing about faith – it never does nothing. It acts. It moves. It battles. It overcomes. It conquers. Faith declares, “Nothing is greater than Christ!”
Unshakeable Kingdom
November 29, 2020 • Chan Mitchell
Many scholars agree that the book of Hebrews reads more like a sermon rather than a letter. If that’s true, then chapter 12 would be the crescendo or the conclusion of that sermon. The author of Hebrews says, in a sense, we are all searching for a “city of peace”. We all have a need for some kind of safety and security in our life. We all need a place of fulfillment and comfort. That’s why we work so hard to earn a degree, or to secure a job, or to gain an opportunity. It’s also the reason why we save our money so we can buy a ring, get married, have a family, and live our dream life. We are all looking for that “city of peace” – that place of security and comfort. However, if we build our life on any foundation other than Jesus, we are only building on sinking sand. For there is coming a day when the Lord will shake all of heaven and earth, and anything that is not built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, will crumble away.
Running The Race
November 22, 2020 • Mark Hartman
Many people have a difficult time understanding how to reconcile the idea of an all powerful, loving God who allows suffering to go on in the world. Christians and Non-Christians alike, have struggled with this problem. Some have concluded that the fact that suffering exists is evidence that the kind of God the Bible describes simply doesn’t exists. However, in Hebrews chapter 12 we see that God has good reasons for allowing suffering to continue. He is using suffering to draw sinners to himself and also refine his children. We also learn that God is not indifferent to our pain. He is actually so committed to making sure that none of our suffering is wasted, even the suffering we bring upon ourselves because of our foolishness, that he was willing to also suffer. Jesus endured the cross so that we could be redeemed and brought into the family of God. Because fo the cross, we no longer relate to God as criminals to a judge, but rather as children to their father. As Christians we can know that every ounce of suffering we experience in this life has a purpose, and even if we never get to see what that purpose was in this life, we can trust the ultimate purpose is for our good and God’s glory.