Hebrews 12:18-13:1-25
Jesus the Mediator of Everything
Christ is the mediator between us and God. He is also the mediator between each of us along with the rest of the world. When you love something, love it through Christ. This example is made known when we see that God so loved the world that he gave His only Son. God loved the world through His son, and we should be doing the same thing. You cannot come before God without the Son, therefore you shall not come before the world without Christ being the mediator between you and all things. Think about it…
Hebrews 12:12-24
Repent, Persevere, Overcome
We need to seek our birthright just as God indicated in Matthew 13:44-45, not give it away for food as Esau did. Why did God deal so harshly with Esau? “That there be no immoral or Godless person like Esau.” “For he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.” Understand what the right approach and reaction is when seeking God. This message provided an epiphany of sorts about God’s true character. Imagine this: God does not remove His grace from those that have a heart for Him yet fall to sin. Jacob was not perfect, yet he spent his entire life eagerly seeking the Lord. He fought with the angel the entire night for that cause.
Hebrews 12:1-11
Discipline from the Perfect Father
Our list of righteous people should give us the example to live in enduring faith. Rid yourself of sin. REMEMBER: Jesus is the author and perfecter of faith. He endured suffering on the cross. He endured shame of all sinners on the cross. Listen to see the beauty of God’s discipline in our lives. When you begin to take your eyes off of the Lord you will experience scourging and discipline. Be trained by the discipline of God.
Hebrews 11:23-40
Gideon Transformed to Jerubaal
Is the world worthy of you? It should not be, because we were purchased at the highest price of Christ’s blood. You ARE the salt. You ARE the light. Do not simply be called to be these things – as Christians we are these things. See how Gideon had to step out in faith continually in day to day activities for the Lord. We will all receive God’s promise together if we are remaining faithful until the end.
Hebrews 11:1-22
Obedience in Faith
Things that are created were made out of things that are not visible. God created things in this world out of the same composition He created everything. The only difference is the code-makeup which gives us data. This is an interesting thought as we dig into the question of how does faith manifest itself through obedience? Listen in to hear a couple of very interesting examples from scripture.
Hebrews 10:8-39
The Living Water
You have to leave one covenant in order to join in the new. Ephesians 6:10-17. Always remember too, we are not to forsake our assembling together. Pray with this body we have and continue on in this manner. The big take away that I see from this message is to always be wrapped up in the hope. “But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the persevering of the soul.” This is a very powerful and convicting message that we all need to hear.
Hebrews 10:1-7
Pleasing God with Sacrifices
The sacrificial system was used to remember God, and it was a shadow of the New Covenant. Through this message you will learn the mistakes the Jews made in their sacrifices, and how through the New Covenant we can be made perfect (Greek Definition of Perfect: Lacking nothing, made complete). What we need to understand from this message is that each day we rise, we need to ask God how we can please Him! If you wake up each morning requesting God to remove sin from you, He will never be present. God does not abide in sin nor sin in God. Set your minds on the things of above and see how God plans to use you in this life.
Hebrews 9:13-28
Take your Spiritual Temperature
1st Step (v15): Have you been called? 2nd Step (v15): Have you received the Holy Spirit? 3rd Step (v22): Have you been cleansed? 4th Step (v22): Have you been forgiven? More than these as pertinent as they are in our walk with Christ, we must consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds! DO NOT FORSAKE OUR OWN ASSEMBLING TOGETHER. Taking your spiritual temperature means if you are at a high point, the body needs you. If you are at a low point, the body needs you. The needs are for various different reasons, but the emphasis is the same: if you have been called, the body of Christ needs you.
Hebrews 9:6-14
Is your Conscience shaped by God?
Conscience: A sense of right or wrong that governs one’s actions (found in v9 & v14). Your conscience can change based on your actions. Morals are governed by whatever you allow yourself to be governed by. That is why we need the Scriptures for our indicators. Things constantly change for morality in this world over time. The unfortunate truth: The culture influences the church instead of the church influences the culture. Look to the new promise of righteousness (v11-v14)!
Hebrews 9:1-5
Korah’s Uprising
Why did Korah rise up from Moses? A man was killed for working on the Sabbath?! As you learn from this message, you may find that you too can become obstinate and whiny just like Korah did. Without faith or observance of God’s Will, we are lost. It is crucial to heed God’s calling. Eternal glory can only come about if you let go of this world.