Hebrews Study – Lesson 8
As we continue our study we remember that in the first section of this book we were issued a CHALLENGE. Does anyone remember what that challenge was? Heb. 3:1 To consider Jesus, esteemed GREATER than those among men…coming to Him DIRECTLY with our cares, our needs and concerns.
As we come to the end of this first section of the book of Hebrews, we stand on a THRESHOLD. It is A LITERAL THRESHOLD. The writer of the Hebrews has brought us here. It is the threshold of a DOORWAY. And, we are being INVITED to COME IN. This first section ends with Heb.4:16. Heb. 3:1 tells us that we are CALLED. And, that this calling is a HEAVENLY CALLING. GOD is CALLING US. He is CALLING US OUT OF THE WORLD that we knew and into a NEW WORLD, and…a NEW WAY OF LIVING. It is like WALKING THROUGH A DOORWAY…into the PRESENCE OF GOD…still seeing the world and it’s things around us, but being called into the PRESENCE OF GOD, and BECAUSE WE SEE HIM we begin to live differently.
I remember one time that I had this seminar in Chicago. I remember going for a walk that evening, after the classes were over. I remember walking down the Miracle Mile in the downtown area close to the waterway that runs through Chicago…, and all the streets were very busy, and filled with people. I remember walking down a walkway by the waterway, just exploring the town, and I came upon a garden in the middle of the city. In that very busy city, with all its noise and activity, I walked into this garden that I think was built by Mr. Wrigley the chewing gum millionaire, and it was like entering through the wardrobe into Narnia. All of a sudden it was quiet, and peaceful, and it was like walking into another world. I hadn’t left the city, but I was, at that time, for some reason, overcome with this quiet place there in the city. It had a couple of benches, and I was compelled to sit down and stop for a moment and drink in the quiet, which was right in the midst of a BUSY WORLD. I could see the busy world all around, but where I was it was quiet. I remember, taking a moment, and at that time, thanking God for that place there in this busy city and thanking Him for the foresight of the person who put it there. I think that God is calling us to a place like this. A place that we can access at any time, …anywhere. In the midst of our BUSY world, the writer of the Hebrews is inviting us to walk through a doorway into the KINGDOM of GOD, Into the PRESENCE OF GOD.
Steven in the book of Acts knew of this place. So did David when Absalom was after him. Daniel knew of this place…it was in his room, where he prayed to God in a foreign, and I might say pagan land. Hebrews ch. 11 is full of examples of those who found their way into the presence of God. Heb. 6:12 tells us that (READ)…..through faith and patience INHERITED WHAT? THE PROMISES.
Let’s make it a little more PERSONAL. He is calling YOU. He has CALLED YOU to come. BY NAME. Heb. 3:1 tells us that it is a HEAVENLY CALLING. Whether you realize it or not… there is a calling to you. It is A CALLING on your life. And, it is PERSONAL. This is why we have no PEACE. Or in other words…REST. GOD has called us. AND, HE IS STILL CALLING YOU, calling you to come.
· Come where?
· My sheep hear MY VOICE…and they FOLLOW ME…you finish the verse…and I give unto them ETERNAL LIFE.
Last week we looked at some terms to consider that might help us to sharpen our FOCUS on our journey and destination. DEALING WITH THESE TERMS will help bring God, and His Kingdom, into FOCUS, making them more of a REALITY in your life. Some of those terms included words like “the world”, “the Kingdom”, “Heaven”, “earth or earthly”. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO WRITE THEM DOWN, make a note of them. RUMINATE/MEDITATE ON THEM. As we FOCUS ON these TERMS some of them will begin to naturally GROUP TOGETHER, terms that go kind of in the same bucket. BUT, AS we begin to group those words together that HELP US/you TO FOCUS ON OUR/your DESTINATION, we will BEGIN TO SEE that they are ALL LEADING US to the SAME PLACE, ONE PLACE. There is a PLACE where God is calling us to. It is OUTSIDE OF EGYPT, so to speak. THERE IS a DESTINATION. It is a JOURNEY to get there, but in reality, it is closer than you might think.
Chapter 4 ends in a place…a location…a destination. THERE IS A DOOR…a LITERAL DOOR that we are brought to…And… WE ARE ASKED TO COME IN. READ 4:14-6. It is a HOLY PLACE…A PLACE WHERE GOD DWELLS. This IS NOT JUST A SPIRITIAL EXERCISE. This lesson is very PRACTICAL, and has PRACTICAL APPLICATION to our life.
4:15 states that He UNDERSTANDS OUR FEELINGS. Yes, how we feel, and the pain we FEEL, IS IMPORTANT to Him. The end of V. 16 states that we come into this place to OBTAIN Mercy and Grace not just for forgiveness, but TO GET HELP in our time of need. So, this DESTINATION is VERY PRACTICAL. But…, WE MUST COME THE RIGHT WAY. The writer of the Hebrews says that there is really only ONE WAY to get there.
So, we come to this DOORway. (Give practical illustration at doorway. Go outside the doorway. Walk through doorway.) Will we come in? IF NOT, then, WHAT IS KEEPING US OUTSIDE? How can we get past these obstacles? God is wanting us to Dwell In this PLACE WITH HIM. But, it is important to mention that, this place goes with us AS WE TRAVEL through this life. THINK ON THESE THINGS…
The next 5+ chapters of our study will talk about this place and the ONE FOUND THERE. It will also show us the way in. The ONE FOUND THERE is the ONLY ONE that has the RIGHT to be there. The first 4 verses of chapter 5 talk about the Law and man’s failure to satisfy it, the priest being flawed himself. Galatians 3:10-2 says…READ. Even though man was given or showed a Law that was good, he found out that he could not SATISFY IT’S requirements by HIS OWN efforts. So to, we will see that we cannot enter by OUR efforts either. This is important. The only way of obtaining God’s REST is to approach God the right way, carrying Nothing.
We took a look at what was offered by two different Bible characters, Cain and Able.
· Does anyone remember what each offering was and God’s response to them? Gen. 4:1-7
· It is important to remember this example as we draw near to God. If our GOAL is to PLEASE HIM and find HIS REST how we get there makes all the difference.
· The writer of the Hebrews uses the example of Cain and Able himself as one of his examples in ch. 11:4 Able having obtained the blessing, even though it cost him his life.
Chapter 5:5-10 will begin to show us the way, and that this ONE IS THE ONLY ONE that could have provided the way. READ Heb. 5:5-10. Is it possible to have this Holy Place as part of your life, or in reality the Main FOCUS of your life? God says that it is. BUT, what does that mean? I think that really INITIALLY we do not know what that means. But, IF we follow God, making His Word our GUIDE BOOK, He can show us the way and what that means. AND, what that means is probably DIFFERENT from what we currently think that it is. THIS IS THE LABOR PART OF LABOR TO ENTER INTO HIS REST.
The end of chapter 5, v.11-4 tells us that these Hebrew Christians, as did the OT Israelites, had become DULL OF HEARING, v.11. (Are we in the same situation?) They had seen the POWER of God at work, but QUICKLY FORGOT what He did for them the next time they were faces with a NEED or CHALLENGE. They began to trust in their own devices instead. They were not acting on what they had received.
· This is the THIRD WARNING
· What is another word for this? Apathy. Blasé.
· How does this compare with us today?
V.12 tells us that these Jewish Christians apparently had good teaching and a good foundation at one time, but had let it slip. READ v.12. This relates back to an earlier part of our study in Heb. 2:1, letting things slip. V. 12 says that by the time they had received this letter that they should have been teachers (what about us), and, that they had not APPLIED what they had learned. This gives credence to the point about our need to PRACTICALLY APPLY what we learn and understand from God’s Word.
We all to often want to approach God with our HEAD, and after we see and understand some new TRUTH, we end it and say, “Ah…I got it.” And, it ends there…we go on to learn/understand the next truth. We quite often really do understand the truth that we just learned, BUT IN REALITY, this new truth has NO BENEFIT to us because we have not allowed God to APPLY it to our life. That’s want happened to these Christians. They were NOT ACTING ON what they knew.
REREAD. 5:11-4. V. 14 Has an interesting phrase in it. In the middle of this verse, the KJV uses the phrase, “by reason of use”. What do you think that that means, and, what is the result of it’s application? This relates back to Heb. 4:12.
Chapter 6:1 says (READ) just what we were discussing. It says that we are to LEAVE, go past, ON TO THE NEXT STEP, the principles of the doctrine of Christ, which is the APPLICATION OF THE TRUTH. The Principles of Christ are not evil or bad, but…they are BASIC. The mature Christian has gone PAST this point to APPLICATION OF THE TRUTH, having our senses EXERCISED, discerning both good and evil, 5:14. The end of 6:1 uses the term “Dead Works”.
· What do you think that means? It could mean works that have no benefit, OR, it could also mean the ABSENCE of the APPLICATION of the truth that they had learned.
· The test of I Cor. 3:12-5 (READ) could be applied here. And, has application to the first ½ of chapter 6.
Read 6:1-8. This looks very much like a picture of the church today. There are 2 types of lives depicted here. What are they?
· Fruitful/mature
· Unfruitful/immature
· It could possibly give reference to an example of an unbelievers lifestyle.
· The books of 1 and 2nd Peter and 1 John give reference to knowing true believers by their fruit.
· A parallel passage is found in John 15:1-8 (may read v. 9-11 also.)
· Heb. 6:9 reminds them that “good works accompany true salvation”. (the latter part of this verse admits that he is speaking pretty harsh and pointed to them.)
· Reminding them in v. 12 that it takes “LABOR” , faith and patients worked out over time to INHERIT THE PROMISES.
· V. 13-5 God is the Highest and Most SURE GUARANTEE possible that it would be so. “CONSIDER IT DONE!” V.15 says that Abraham PATIENTLY ENDURED…RECIEVING the promise.
· Are we WILLING to TRUST GOD. God gave Abraham a DOUBLE backing to His Promise to him. He backed it up by two immutable things. Do you know what immutable means? It means CANNOT BE CHANGED. The First was by His PROMISE. The Second by an OATH. What made this Promise so SURE? READ Num. 23:19 and I Sam. 15:29. Either component would have been binding and good enough with God. But, in the realm of men an “oath” is greater than a promise.
· V. 19 This PROMISE holds in the presence of GOD, inside the veil. Because of its SURETY, it HOLDS as an ANCHOR in our souls. IT CAN BE TRUSTED in EVERY AREA of our life.
· V. 20 When someone else has already done it WE ARE ENCOURAGED that it will be the same for us! Christ went before us. He is already THERE. The PLAN WORKED. It was TESTED and found to be SURE and TRUE. He beckons us to come. He says, “This IS the way. “.
As we come to the end of Chapter 6 we come back to some TERMS. The first term has to do with our LIST OF DOCTRINAL STATEMENTS. The word IMMUTABLE needs to be added to those things we know to be true about God. What does that mean? God CANNOT lie or go back on a PROMISE. If we UNDERSTAND His Promises and do not TAKE THEM OUT OF CONTEXT we know that we can STAND on them….REMEMBERING, that God’s timing is NOT our timing. We need to be careful not to make GOD’S PROMISE OUR VERSION OF THAT PROMISE. We need to UNDERSTAND GOD’S TERMS so that we CAN ACT ON THEM. As a side note, this may be why Satan is allowed to presently continue to operate…operate until God’s promise is fulfilled.
The second group of terms deals with the terms that we posted a couple of weeks ago on the easel. . (Terms like LABOR… and… REST. ENGAGE. ENTANGLED. THE WORLD. THE KINGDOM. HEAVEN. EARTH or EARTHLY. Home. FAITH. PRIESTHOOD(of the BELIEVERS). UNBELIEF.) The original group of words placed up on the easel looked a lot like our lives…a hodgepodge of terms randomly floating around in our lives. However, God wants us to ORDER and PRIORITIZE these terms as they apply to our Christian life.
As we work, or LABOR, to CULTIVATE, these terms or concepts into our life, we will see that the FRUIT of God’s Spirit will begin to MANIFEST in our life, giving us a RENEWED CONFIDENCE in God and His PLAN for our life. The things that will not survive the test of I Cor. 3:12-5 will begin to slowly SHRINK, becoming less dominant. Watering and pulling weeds…watering and pulling weeds…makes for a PROFITABLE and HEALTHY garden in life. OUR LIVES ARE FULL OF CHOICES. THE MORE RIGHT/ETERNAL choices that we make each day the clearer God’s PURPOSE AND PLAN becomes and we BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE GOD’S TRUE REST in His will for our DAILY life.
This Sanctuary that we seek IS NOT OUT THERE SOMEWHERE! It is IN HERE…INSIDE YOUR HEART. That is why it is so REDEBLY ACCESSIBLE. We do not have to travel on some Mecca or pilgrimage to get to our destination. If we learn and understand the secret of GOD with us..although it isn’t a secret to God, we can have access to God’s REST and PEACE ANYWHERE, in ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, at ANY TIME. It became Abraham’s habit, and it became Daniel’s habit also. Any PLACE, any TIME. Being in the GOD ZONE.
It is IMPORTANT to mention to remember that when we find this ZONE, THAT IT IS A HOLY PLACE, and GOD IS AT WORK. But, OFTEN His work involves not only you, BUT OTHERS. BE SURE TO LOOK AROUND. A HOLY TIME IS OFTEN ABOUT THOSE AROUND YOU AND NOT ABOUT YOURSELF.
IT IS ALSO WORTH MENTIONING AGAIN, that FAITH IS THE VEHICAL BY WHICH WE TRAVEL WITH GOD. We will see this message repeated over and over again in this book. Many self help books begin with the power of believing, but do not give you any SUBSTANCE to believe in. BUT, our FAITH is in the SUBSTANCE of THE LIVING GOD.
(By the way our whole CHURCH FOCUS is called what? THE GREAT ADVENTURE. Pastor Steve has coined our travels as a church and individually as the GREAT ADVENTURE. Hebrews DOES THE SAME.)
WE ENTER IN BY FAITH
IT IS A HOLY PLACE
We talked/mentioned last week that FAITH is ESSENTIAL to UNDERSTANDING God and also ESSENTIAL in PLEASING Him. But, AS WE WILL SEE as we progress through this book, FAITH, AND ACTING ON THIS FAITH, undergirds ALL that we are and EVERYTHING that we do.
When was the last time that you showed up in God’s Presence without a plan?? We come into God’s Presence to learn the Plan, not to share with Him our plan.
Real encounters with God: The transfiguration, Abraham and God discussing Sodom and Gomorrah and Samuel in the temple.
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