hebrews - ibclr...a letter hebrews has at least two affinities with epistolary literature. first,...

S U N D A Y S C H O O L T E A C H E R G U I D E

J E S U S I S B E T T E R

H E B R E W S

B O O K 1 � L E S S O N S 1 - 1 3


H E B R E W S

Dr. Daniel Hinton, author

S U N D A Y S C H O O L | B O O K 1 | L E S S O N S 1 - 1 3

T E A C H E R G U I D E


H E B R E W S

a letter from Ste ven W. Sm it h , Ph D

JESUS IS BETTER.

Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so.

There is quite a bit of good theology in that lyric. The love of Jesus is affirmed, while holding a high view of the Scriptures. This is enough for a child to get started. It is beautiful in its simplicity. It would in fact be quite enough, but there is more…so much more to who Jesus is. We start there, but we do not stop there because Scripture does not stop there.

Having a simple faith is a virtue but being simple minded is a vice. Therefore, Scripture gloriously leads us to love Jesus by a deepening appreciation for His nature and His work. When we see Him closely, we see that Jesus is better.

Jesus is better.

He is superior to the Old Testament prophets that lead to him. He is superior to the angels. He is superior to the temple and to the old ways of thinking about salvation. He is so much better.

Because of His superiority we are drawn to Him. This superiority is also a call to beware. If He is superior and we neglect His word or His message, then there is no hope for us.

Hebrews

The book of Hebrews toggles between passages that exalt the name of Christ and passages that warn us. We are called to see Jesus above all else, and we are warned about the folly of rejecting Him.

This next year we will celebrate the fact that Jesus is better than anything else in life. We will also encourage one another not to drift away from the faith. We will heed the warnings provided in the book. My prayer is that our church will love Jesus more deeply with a richer appreciation of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Jesus is the pinnacle of God’s plan for us. He is at the top and all else is in His shadow. May God give us eyes to see Him in 2019!

Blessings on your new year!

Steven Smith, Senior Pastor

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

S U N D A Y S C H O O L T E A C H E R G U I D E

4 Teacher GuideHow to Use This Tool (Learn the best way to use this study in a Sunday School classroom setting.)

6 LESSON 1 Introduction to Hebrews

14 LESSON 2 Jesus is Better 1 (1:1-4)

22 LESSON 3 Jesus is Better 2 (1:5-14)

32 LESSON 4 Drift (2:1-4)

40 LESSON 5 The Plan, Part 1 (2:5-9)

48 LESSON 6 The Plan, Part 2 (2:10-18)

58 LESSON 7 Jesus is Faithful (3:1-6)

66 LESSON 8 A Warning to Believe (3:7-19)

76 LESSON 9 Let us Fear (4:1-11)

84 LESSON 10 Saved by the Word (4:10-13)

92 LESSON 11 The Greater Priest (5:1-10)

100 LESSON 12 Warning, Part 1 (5:11-14)

110 LESSON 13 Warning, Part 2 (6:1-8)

6 HEBREWS Teacher Guide | Book 1

T E AC H E R G U I D E H OW TO U S E T H I S TO O L

STA RT H E R E (5 Minutes)

Choose a story, discussion starter, or media clip in order to spark the interest of students. These are provided in each lesson.

R E A D T H E T E X T (2-5 Minutes)

Read the text. Keep students engaged by asking volunteers to read portions or have each student read one verse or paragraph until the entire text is completed.

R E V I E W T H E T E X T (15-20 Minutes or 25-30 Minutes)

Take time to unpack the text. In the case of historical narrative, set the context, retell the story, highlight the major scenes and moments, and explain their significance.

CONTEXT - Historical background is provided to help understand the passage.

CONTENT - Concise observations and expert commentary are provided in order to help students understand the meaning of the passage. In this Bible Study section, teachers may choose the amount of information they’d like to cover using one of two routes.

• OPTION 1 TAKE THE DIRECT ROUTE - Follow the black text on the left side of the page for the simplest, most direct content. This option is great for discussion-based teachers. To allow more time for discussion, the direct route Review the Text section should take 15-20 minutes.

• OPTION 2 TAKE THE SCENIC ROUTE - Bulleted beneath the main text, you will find a gold arrow signaling additional commentary and content for those teachers focused more on lecture. Teachers who take the scenic route can expect the Review the Text section to take about 25-30 minutes.

CONCLUSION - Summary statements explain the main ideas of each passage.

R E F L EC T O N T H E T E X T (5-10 Minutes)

In hopes of allowing students to reflect personally on the message of the text, and to allow for deeper relational ties important to discipleship, three questions will be provided to stimulate discussion in the class.

R E S P O N D TO T H E T E X T (5 Minutes)

While many students are accustomed to receiving uplifting, useful information in Sunday School, it is critical to allow time and space for students to open their hearts to absorb the truths presented and begin to apply them in their lives. These short exercises are intended to graciously nudge students toward personalizing the messages of the text and move toward Christ-likeness in application.

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Teacher Guide | ibclr.org HEBREWS 7

H E B R E W S 1 : 3

" H E I S T H E R A D I A N C E O F T H E

G L O R Y O F G O D A N D T H E E X A C T I M P R I N T

O F H I S N A T U R E , A N D H E

U P H O L D S T H E U N I V E R S E

B Y T H E W O R D O F H I S P O W E R . A F T E R

M A K I N G P U R I F I C A T I O N F O R

S I N S , H E S A T D O W N A T T H E

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Here is a video to introduce Hebrews. In today’s lesson, introduce the class to the book using the introductory materials below.

Reading Scripture: Hebrews

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fNWTZZwgbs

H I STO R I C A L C O N T E X T: R E F E R E N C E G U I D EIntroduction & Context

• Scholars place the writing of Hebrews between 50 and 96 AD. Of course this is quite a large date range. When considering the historical context, references to various biblical and historical events and figures, some have suggested it was written in the early 60’s just before the escalation of tension between Judea and Rome in the mid 60’s.

• The authorship for the book of Hebrews remains contested. Barnabas, Paul, Luke, Apollos, Phillip, and evidently as many as 8-10 others have been claimed by scholars as the author of Hebrews. This debate originated during the time of the early church and has endured through modern scholarship. During our study of Hebrews, we will suggest that in fact Luke is the author of Hebrews. For more on the support for this, see "AUTHORSHIP: Why Luke?”

L E S S O N 1

I N T R O D U C T I O N T O

H E B R E W S


R E A D • R E V I E W • R E F L E C T • R E S P O N D L E S S O N 1

• “Establishing the historical setting for Hebrews involves at least four issues: the spread of Christianity to Rome, the Jewish people in Rome, the emperor Nero and the Jewish people in Rome, and finally Judea during A.D. 60s. All four play a role in understanding, interpreting, and applying the letter to the Hebrews for today’s readers, teachers, and preachers of the book.”1

L I T E RA RY C O N T E X T: R E F E R E N C E G U I D E

Tracing the Message

I. PREVAILING THEMES

a. Endurance- believers must persevere in their faith as they grow in Christ-likeness

b. Jesus as Son- Jesus is one with the Father, a member of the Holy Trinity.

c. Jesus as Ruler- Jesus is enthroned, ruling over the earth

d. Jesus as High Priest- Jesus came to make ultimate atonement for sin and he intercedes on behalf of believers.

e. Apostacy- turning away, walking away from God, or failing to hold fast to faith

II. THE USE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT2

The author relies heavily on the Old Testament to build his message. This is one reason scholars believe this reads more like a “midrash” (see Literary Structure and Elements), as an explanation of the Old Testament. One commentator suggests that approximately 18% of the total words of Hebrews are direct references to the OT. This does not include the many other indirect references.

DIRECT QUOTATIONS

Hebrews Reference

Old Testament Quotation

Hebrews Reference


Hebrews Reference


1:5

1:61:71:8

1:10-121:132:6-82:122:13

3:7-113:15

Ps 2:72 Sam. 7:14Deut. 32:43

Ps. 104:4Ps. 45:6-7

Ps. 102:25-27Ps. 110:1Ps. 8:4-6Ps. 22:22

Isa. 8:17-18Ps. 95:7-11Ps. 95:7-8

4:3, 54:44:75:55:66:14

7:17, 218:5

8:8-129:20

10:5-910:16-17

Ps. 95:11Gen. 2:2

Ps. 95:7-8Ps. 2:7

Ps. 110:4Gen. 22:17Ps. 110:4

Exod. 25:40Jer. 31:31-34Exod. 24:8Ps. 40:6-8

Jer. 31:33-34

10:30

10:37-3811:1812:5-612:2012:2112:2612:2913:513:6

Deut. 32:35Deut. 32:38Ps. 135:14Hab. 2:3-4Gen. 21:12

Prov. 3:11-12Exod. 19:12-13

Deut. 9:19Hag. 2:6

Deut. 4:24Deut. 31:6Ps. 118:6


R E A D • R E V I E W • R E F L E C T • R E S P O N DL E S S O N 1

III. LITERARY STRUCTURE & ELEMENTS3

A MIDRASH The term midrash (çrdm) comes from darash (çrd) which means “to search,” “to seek,” “to examine,” “to investigate.” For some midrash is: (1) literature about the Bible, that is, a literature on literature; (2) literature that attempts to make Scripture understandable, useful, and relevant for a later generation; and (3) literature that is predominantly creative in its handling of biblical material. For others, midrash is an indefinable Jewish way of thinking and interpreting Scripture that utilizes whatever methods needed so that Scripture remains a living, breathing book relevant for everyday life.

Yet it seems more appropriate to define midrash as both a literary genre and exegetical process.

A LETTER Hebrews has at least two affinities with epistolary literature.

First, Hebrews makes several personal allusions to the readers.

Second, Hebrews has a typical Greco–Roman postscript. It concludes with a benediction (13:20), personal remarks (13:22-24), and a farewell (13:25). Yet the lack of a prescript is problematic. Greco-Roman letters tend to include: a salutation, sender, and addressees.

Finally, it’s been argued that “The author’s concluding remark, ‘I have written to you briefly’ (13:22), does not necessarily imply that the writing should be classified as a letter in the strict sense” (Holladay, 2017, 698; cf. Trudinger, 1972, 128-30).

Nevertheless, there is no escaping the fact that Hebrews has characteristics of an ancient Greco-Roman letter.

A SERMON First advocated by J. Berger in 1797, those who hold the homily view suggest that Hebrews has several affinities with first century homilies.

IV. AUTHORSHIP: Why Luke?

For the purposes of this study, the sermons nor the curriculum will make a dogmatic case for authorship. We recognize the various strong arguments from capable scholars. Dr. Smith aligns with Dr. David Allen in suggesting that Luke is the author of Hebrews, or that perhaps Paul is the author, using Luke as his scribe. Some in the early church attributed Hebrews to Luke. Scholars have also observed some linguistic similarities between Hebrews and Luke/Acts. And some make the case that Luke was in fact Jewish, making him a suitable candidate to write something with such Jewish content.4



V. AUDIENCE: Why ‘Jewish Christians’?

“Admittedly, the recipients of Hebrews could be one of three possibilities: (1) a mixed group of Jew and Gentile Christians , (2) Gentile Christians, or (3) Jewish Christians. Most commentators, however, ascribe the recipients of Hebrews to be Jewish Christians. Initial support for the Jewish Christian perspective began with Clement of Alexandria circa A.D. 180, Tertullian circa A.D. 220, and Jerome in A.D. 419 or 420. Yet “to the Hebrews” (πρὸς Ἑβραιους) can be understood simply as a way to distinguish Jews from Gentiles. Or it can be descriptive for Jewish people of Judea in contrast to the Jewish people of the diaspora (Acts 6:1). So the real debate here concerns whether the recipients of Hebrews were Jewish Christians who lived in Judea or to the Hellenistic Jewish Christians who lived somewhere in the Roman Empire, presumably Rome.”5

VI. THE MESSAGE OF HEBREWS6 (Chuck Swindoll)

“Hebrews clearly lays out the present priestly ministry of Christ in the life of the believer. Jesus is both the divine Son of God and completely human, and in His priestly role He clears the way for human beings to approach the Father in heaven through prayer (Hebrews 4:14–16). The priesthood of Jesus is superior to the Old Testament priesthood of Aaron, because only through Jesus do we receive eternal salvation (5:1–9). Furthermore, Jesus became the permanent and perfect High Priest, going beyond all other priests by offering Himself as a sinless sacrifice on behalf of the sins of human beings (7:24–26; 9:28).

Throughout its pages, Hebrews makes clear that Jesus Christ exceeds all other people, pursuits, objects, or hopes to which human beings offer allegiance. Hebrews pictures Jesus as better than the angels, as bringing better lives to humanity through salvation, as offering a better hope than the Mosaic Law could promise, as a better sacrifice for our sins than a bull or a goat, and as providing a better inheritance in heaven for those who place their faith in Him (Hebrews 1:4; 6:9; 7:19; 9:23; 10:34). Jesus is indeed superior to all others.

This message of the superiority of Jesus would have been particularly important to Jewish Christians in Rome, who were struggling under Nero’s persecution and were considering moving back toward the Mosaic Law. The writer to the Hebrews showed these Jewish Christian believers that, though they were faced with suffering, they were indeed following a better way . . . and they should persevere.”

“And to this persecuted suffering group of Jewish believers and unbelievers, he writes to reveal the merits of Jesus Christ and the new covenant as opposed to the old covenant.” -John Macarthur



R E D E M P T I V E C O N T E X T: R E F E R E N C E G U I D E

HEBREWS IN REDEMPTIVE CONTEXT

Scholars believe that Hebrews was written after the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ during the time of the early church. Take a moment to walk students through some of our most recent studies.

God Story (Spring 2018): Remind the students that the Bible tells one overarching narrative.

Psalms (Summer 2018): Remind the students about the era of the Kings, before the Kingdom split, when David wrote many of the Psalms.

Nehemiah (Spring 2018) : Remind the students where we were in the storyline when we walked through Nehemiah. During the exile, Nehemiah was granted permission by Artaxerxes, a foreign ruler to return and rebuild Jerusalem.

Lamentations (Fall 2018): What did we just finish? Well, we have moved backward chronologically. It may be helpful to think of it this way. Remember when Nehemiah and God’s people joined together to rebuild the walls, and re-devote their lives to faithfulness? Rewind the story backward to when the city was first destroyed. This is when Lamentations is written. This is the beauty of the Bible. As disciples of Christ and students of the Word, we can read Lamentations through the lens of Nehemiah. We know what happens next in redemptive history. Jeremiah laments and rightfully so. And not too long after, Nehemiah weeps for the city, repents on behalf of the people and God uses him to do a tremendous work.

Christ Exalted: Christmas Hymns (Winter 2018): O Come Thou Long Expected Jesus. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here. Christ came to earth to become the ultimate rescuer from the ultimate exile. God, who is faithful to his word, sent Jesus as a ransom for the sins of the world.



Hebrews (Spring 2019): It may feel refreshing to you to be back in the sometimes-more-familiar pages of the New Testament. How will the early church carry the name of Jesus to the nations? How will this newly formed Church endure persecution? How will God instruct his people to conduct themselves?

HEBREWS AMONG THE OTHER EPISTLES

Remember that the New Testament consists of 5 historical books, 21 epistles (letters) and 1 prophetic book. In terms of genre, it is important to remember that the first five books of the NT are historical. They tell a story. The middle 21 books are instructive letters. They do not tell a story. Rather, they provide doctrine, instruction, rebuke, and inspiration to the churches. Paul’s letters are typically titled in the Bible using the recipient (i.e, Romans, Corinthians, Galatians). The General Epistles (non-Pauline) are titled using the author (i.e, James, Peter, John). Since the authorship of Hebrews is unknown, it is typically placed as one of the General Epistles, although it is titled for its recipients, the Hebrews. Of course some scholars prefer to list Hebrews under the authorship of Paul, giving Paul 14 letters.

THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

Historical BooksEpistles (Letters)

Prophetic BooksPauline Epistles Non-Pauline Epistles

Matthew Romans Hebrews Revelation

Mark 1 Corinthians James

Luke 2 Corinthians 1 & 2 Peter

John Galatians 1, 2 & 3 John

Ephesians Jude

Acts Philippians

Colossians

1 & 2 Thessalonians

1 & 2 Timothy

Titus

Philemon


WHO IS JESUS? H.B. CHARLES, JR.

Persecution tempted the readers of this letter to forsake Christ and return to Judaism. The writer exhorts the troubled church to continue in the faith because of the superiority of Christ. What they have in Jesus is infinitely better than they had in Judaism. But Hebrews 13:8 makes it clear that the bottom-line is trust, not theology. Doctrine is essential to faith. You are what you believe. But faith is more than knowledge and assent. It is trust in a person, not agreement with a creed. Christianity is Christ and Christ is God. Nothing else matters if Jesus is not who he claims to be.7



SOURCES1 Commentary on Hebrews. Bateman, Herbert, and Smith, Steven in Kerux: An Integrative Commentary for Proclamation

New Testament Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2020.. p.102 Bateman & Smith,. p.19-20

3 Bateman provides scholarly sources on these views on p.17-20. Descriptions in the cited chart are taken directly from Bateman & Smith,. p.17-20

4 For more on Luke as the author of Hebrews, see Dr. Allen’s work, Lukan Authorship of Hebrews, NAC Studies in Bible and Theology 8. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2010. For a brief review of this work, visit http://themelios.thegospelcoalition.org/review/lukan-authorship-of-hebrews

5 Bateman & Smith,. p.76 https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-general-epistles/hebrews

7 https://hbcharlesjr.today/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/The-Changeless-Christ-_-SBC-Pastors-Conference-2015.pdf



L E S S O N 2

J E S U S I S B E T T E R 1

H E B R E W S

l STA RT H E R E (5 Minutes)

Utilize one of the following tools to ignite the interest of your students. Tell a story, spark a discussion, or show a clip.

TELL A STORY

“But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.”

Ingmar Bergman is a celebrated Swedish filmmaker. He tells the story of how one day he was listening to the works of classical composer Igor Stravinsky. As he was listening to the music, he began to daydream about a 19th-century cathedral. He said that he found himself wandering around the great building and then finally standing before a picture of Christ. Realizing the importance of the icon, Bergman said to it, “Speak to me! I will not leave this cathedral until you speak to me!” But of course the picture didn’t speak. That same year—1963—Bergman produced a film entitled The Silence. The movie is about characters who despair of ever finding God because He is silent.

But Bergman’s problem was that he was looking in the wrong place. God is not silent. God speaks volumes. But His voice is not found in an icon in a cathedral. Rather, His voice is heard in the words of the New Testament. The New Testament is God’s full and final revelation. Do you want to hear the voice of God?—Then read the words of the New Testament! Do you want to know what God is saying to you today?—Then read the words of Christ! Augustine said, “When the Scriptures speak, God speaks.”1



THE IDEA: These flawed

characters who were heroic

at times, were sinful. While we commend their

godly behaviors, we must allow

them to point us to the greater

one coming, the ultimate one to emulate, Jesus

Christ.

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SPARK A DISCUSSIONWhen we read the Old Testament, we often find ourselves looking for behaviors to emulate. We want to be like David who slew the giant. Like Moses who courageously went before Pharaoh. Like Nehemiah, the great leader. While there are certainly characters and behaviors worth admiring, why do you suppose this interpretative style is insufficient for the Old Testament?

SHOW A CLIPThe Bible as God’s Revelation, John Stonestreet

https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/VideoElement/127048


See Teacher Guide (p.4) for ways to creatively read the text.

Today’s Text: Hebrews 1:1-4

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

R E V I E W T H E T E X T

(The DIRECT Route 15-20 Minutes or The SCENIC Route 25-30 Minutes)

Take time to unpack the text. In the case of a New Testament epistle, set the context, identify the prevailing messages, explain their significance, and work to connect it to life as a modern disciple.

CONTEXT HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Many Jewish believers who moved from Judaism into Christianity soon found themselves persecuted by their countrymen. Some of them wanted to reverse course in order to escape suffering for their identification with Christ. The writer of Hebrews responds by declaring, “let us hold fast our confession” (4:14) and exhorts his readers to “go on to perfection” (6:1).2

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LITERARY CONTEXT3

I. The Superiority of Jesus Christ’s Position (1:1-4:13)A. A Better Name (1:1-3)B. Better Than the Angels (1:4-2:18)C. Better Than Moses (3:1-19)D. A Better Rest (4:1-13)

II. The Superiority of Jesus Christ’s Priesthood (4:14-7:28)A. Christ as High-Priest (4:14-5:10)B. Exhortation to Full Commitment to Christ (5:11-6:20)C. Christ’s Priesthood like Melchizedek’s (7:1-28)

III. The Superiority of Jesus Christ’s Priestly Ministry (8:1-10:18)A. Through a Better Covenant (8:1-13)B. In a Better Sanctuary (9:1-12)C. By a Better Sacrifice (9:13-10:18)

IV. The Superiority of the Believer’s Privileges (10:19-12:29)A. Saving Faith (10:19-25)B. False Faith (10:26-39)C. Genuine Faith (11:1-3)D. Heroes of the Faith (11:4-40)E. Persevering Faith (12:1-29)

V. The Superiority of Christian Behavior (13:1-21)

REDEMPTIVE CONTEXT

In God’s grand narrative, the Old Testament has demonstrated man’s sinful nature, his desperate need for redemption, and his inability to obtain righteousness and salvation by the works of his own hand. At the ordained time, God sent Jesus as the Jewish Messiah and the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. Following his death, burial, resurrection, appearances to his followers, and ascension to the right hand of the Father, his first followers formed and expanded the church through the preaching of Jesus’s message of salvation by faith alone to all who will follow Him. It is into this early church context that the author of Hebrews writes, beckoning Jewish converts to hold fast to the Gospel.

CONTENT(1) God speaks.

God is a God who speaks. He is a God of revelation. He shows himself to his creation. In this earliest part of Hebrews, the author will focus on Jesus, who he is, how he relates to the Father and what his function is within the Trinity. Pay careful attention to the way the author begins. “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets…” The author is likely Jewish and is clearly addressing a Jewish audience. “Our fathers,” he says. In the Old Testament God spoke in various ways though his prophets. The author seeks to draw the distinction between “then” and “now.” God spoke through the prophets, but now God is speaking through his Son. Our God is a God who speaks and he still speaks. But in the




context, the author is not referring to God’s verbal revelation. He is referring to the revelation of Himself, his character, his nature, through Jesus.

• The author begins with a magnificent introduction in which he brings out something of the greatness of Jesus and his saving work. He goes on to point out that Jesus is superior to the angels and thus leads into the first main section of the letter. In the Greek these four verses are a single, powerful sentence that shows the difference between the old revelation, which is fragmentary and spoken through prophets, and the new, which is complete and comes from one who has all the dignity of being Son of God.4

What does it mean that Jesus is the supreme revelation?

(2) God speaks through Jesus, the Creator.

So God speaks. He spoke in the past through the prophets. But now (in the New Covenant) he speaks through Jesus. The author describes Jesus as the one “through whom” God created the world. The one who came to earth to reveal and carry forth God’s plan of redemption for the world was the Creator himself.

“These last days” is a reference to the end times, but also to the first coming of Christ which set into motion the “last days.”

• Christ is seen as superior to the OT prophets (1:1-4) in that they were mere servants or spokesmen (1:1), while the quality of the mediator of God’s revelation has now stepped up to the level of sonship (1:2-4).5

(3) God speaks through Jesus, the Sustainer.

The one who came to reveal and carry forth God’s plan of redemption was the one who “upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Jesus was present and active in Creation. And here, Jesus is the sustainer of the universe. He created all things and he sustains all things. The author is describing the inescapable reality that Jesus is God. Jesus is one with the Father.

How does Jesus hold all things together?

“Nature reveals the existence, power, and wisdom of God; but nature cannot reveal the very essence of God to us. It is only in Jesus Christ that the invisible God is revealed perfectly.” -Warren Wiersbe



Colossians 1:15-17

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

(4) God speaks through Jesus, the Savior.

Jesus, the creator and sustainer is also the one who became our Savior as he “made purification for sin.” By way of his death on the cross, he became the atoning sacrifice, the just penalty paid for the sins of the world.

What do you think of this thorough depiction of Jesus? What do you suppose the author wants the reader to know early on in Hebrews?

Romans 3:23-26

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

(5) God speaks through Jesus, the Sovereign.

Jesus, the Creator, the Sustainer, the Savior sits at the right hand of the Father. He has been granted this high position because of who he is. He stands alone as sovereign. No man or angel can exist in the same divine position as Jesus. The author highlights Jesus’s majesty, holiness, and grandness by positioning him high above all others, even the angels. God is speaking to the world through his Son, the Creator of the world. He is speaking to the world through his Son, the one who holds all things together. He is speaking to the world through Jesus, the one who came to earth to offer himself as a ransom for the sins of the world. God is speaking to the world through Jesus, who He raised from the dead and seated at his right hand and gave him the name which is above all names.

“Think about this, if the distance between the earth and the sun (92 million miles) was the thickness of one sheet of paper, then the distance from the earth to the nearest star would be a stack of paper 70 feet high. And the diameter of our galaxy would be a stack of paper 310 miles high. Our galaxy is only a speck of dust in the universe, and if there is a person who holds all that together by the word of his power... is this the kind of person you ask into your life to be your personal assistant?” - Elisabeth Elliot



JESUS & ANGELS

JOHN MACARTHUR

One thing is clear from the contents of the epistle: the community of Hebrews was facing the possibility of intensified persecution (10:32-39; 12:4). As they confronted this possibility, the Hebrews were tempted to cast aside any identification with Christ. They may have considered demoting Christ from God’s Son to a mere angel. Such a precedent had already been set in the Qumran community of messianic Jews living near the Dead Sea. They had dropped out of society, established a religious commune, and included the worship of angels in their brand of reformed Judaism. The Qumran community had even gone so far as to claim that the angel Michael was higher in status than the coming Messiah. These kinds of doctrinal aberrations could explain the emphasis in Hebrews chapter one on the superiority of Christ over the angels.6

“The Son came. They killed Him. Then He resurrected. It’s one thing to knock Him off and shut Him up. But when He gets back from the dead, and you still ignore Him, that goes from stubbornness to insanity.” -J.D. Greear

Philippians 2:9-11

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

CONCLUSION

God speaks through Jesus, His Son.


The purpose of discussion questions is to (a) allow the teacher a way to gauge the level of comprehension and (b) allow students to develop bonds around spiritual truth.

(1) When you think of Jesus, do you tend to think of a certain characteristic of Jesus? When you think of Jesus, do you picture the pre-crucified Jesus healing the sick and preaching in Galilee? Do you picture him on the cross? Do you picture him in heaven looking down upon the earth? Why do you suppose you picture Jesus this way?

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(2) What do you suppose it means that God speaks through Jesus? It almost sounds as if God used to speak through prophets, but now we must lie in bed listening for the audible voice of Jesus and not for the voices of prophets. What does it mean that God speaks to the world through Jesus?

(3) If God is speaking through Jesus, what does this mean for mankind?

Getting To The Heart. One of the looming questions for every human heart is, “Who can I trust?” “Where can I go when it seems no one can help carry my burdens?” “When the depths of my heart are exposed, who will love and accept me?” The author of Hebrews answers these questions with a resounding, “Look to Jesus.” We can run to Jesus with our deepest pain for he holds the universe in his hand. We can have peace in the storm because Jesus entered the storm to make a way for us. We are not alone in the emptiness and pain of this world. Take heart. Jesus has overcome the world. And he sits at the right hand of the Father. He is supreme. He holds the name that is above every name. And so, YES. Yes we can trust him. Yes he is ever-present with his church. Yes he will return. Yes he will make all things new. Yes he is faithful to carry us to the other side. Yes we will reign with him in glory. This is Jesus. He is greater.


The purpose of these short activities is to encourage students to personalize the truth and begin to develop an application in their lives.

Where Was Jesus? What Was He Doing?

Using this passage as a template, take 5 minutes in class and sketch a basic diagram demonstrating where Jesus “was” and what he was doing throughout history? As you develop your diagram, think of a way to clearly teach a 5th grader, using this diagram, the way in which this passage fully depicts Jesus. At creation, in the manger, with the disciples, at the cross, in the tomb, etc.

Finally, share your diagram with a person near you and consider how you might enhance your diagram based on what your companions did.


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THE IDEA: If God is speaking

to his creation, it means we are either listening and heeding his

revelation or ignoring it. If

God is speaking through Jesus, it means that the

most foundational question for

humans is, “What do you think of Jesus?” Will we

listen? Or will we ignore?

THE IDEA: As a teacher, you might sketch one of your own. The idea is to capture a one-page visual

for the path Jesus took in

redeeming the world. Show how

Jesus, who has existed eternally, has been involved

in the world since creation.

His journey included taking

on flesh, training the disciples, performing

miracles, death on a cross, burial,

resurrection, appearances, and ascending to the right hand of the

Father.



HOME 22:6SING | Check out “The Word of God” by Seeds Family Worship.

https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/KidsSeries/136097?episode=1

READ | Colossians 1

PRAY | Thank God for revealing himself in the ultimate way by sending Jesus.

SOURCES1 https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/65942/on-stories-by-sermoncentral?ref=TextIl

lustrationSerps

2 NKJV Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible Notes, Introduction to Hebrews3 MacArthur Study Bible, Introduction to Hebrews

4 Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament, 1:1-45 https://bible.org/seriespage/hebrews-introduction-argument-and-outline

6 MacArthur Study Bible, Introduction to Hebrews


L E S S O N 3



TELL A STORYA few years ago, the Chicago Tribune reported the story of a woman in New Mexico who was frying tortillas when she noticed that the skillet burns on one of her tortillas resembled the face of Jesus. She excitedly showed it to her husband and neighbors, who all agreed that the face etched on the tortilla truly bore a resemblance to Jesus.

The woman went to her priest to have the tortilla blessed. She testified that the tortilla had changed her life, and her husband agreed that she had become more peaceful, happy, and submissive since the tortilla had arrived. The priest was a bit reluctant, not being accustomed to blessing tortillas. But he agreed to do it.

The woman took the tortilla home, put it in a glass case with piles of cotton to make it look like it was floating on clouds, built a special altar for it, and opened the little shrine to visitors. Within a few months, more than 8,000 people came to the “Shrine of Jesus the Tortilla.” All of them agreed that the face in the burn marks on the tortilla was the face of Jesus, except for one reporter, who said he thought it looked like former heavyweight boxing champion, Leon Spinks.

J E S U S I S B E T T E R 2

H E B R E W S



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We may laugh at that story, but to be mistaken about the person of Jesus Christ is no laughing matter. As we’ve seen in the past two studies, the most crucial question for each person to answer correctly is Jesus’s question to His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matt. 16:15). If we have an inadequate or incorrect view of who Jesus is, we will not bow before Him and trust in Him as Savior and Lord. Thus our eternal destiny rides on correctly understanding the person and work of Jesus Christ. 1

SPARK A DISCUSSIONToday we will be looking at a distortion of Jesus which the readers of Hebrews were evidently prone to believe. The idea was that Jesus was like an angel, sent by God. He was not divine. He was angelic. In our culture and tradition of robust Trinitarian theology, we likely haven’t fallen into the trap of thinking Jesus was merely an angel. “Fully God and fully man,” we were taught in Sunday School. But what are some popular modern distortions of Jesus? How are these distortions dangerous?

SHOW A CLIPAndrew Peterson “Is He Worthy?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIahc83Kvp4



Today’s Text: Hebrews 1:5-115 For to which of the angels did God ever say,“You are my Son, today I have begotten you”?Or again,“I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,“Let all God's angels worship him.”7 Of the angels he says,“He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.”8 But of the Son he says,“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”



10 And,“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands;11 they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment,12 like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”13 And to which of the angels has he ever said,“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?






LITERARY CONTEXT3




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REDEMPTIVE CONTEXT


CONTENTEvidently one of the dangerous false teachings of the day involved demoting Jesus to the status of angels. It is quite clear that the author of Hebrews wants to begin this letter by ascribing maximum and rightful glory to Jesus. In this case, he will use the Old Testament as his evidence.

(1) Jesus is God’s Son

Jesus was not created like the angels were. He is God’s Son. The author reminds his readers that the Old Testament language shows a clear distinction between Jesus and angels. Does God call angels his Son? No.

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,“You are my Son, today I have begotten you”?Or again,“I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?

The author quotes here from Psalm 2 and 2 Samuel 7.

• Son. A title of Christ expressing the voluntary submission of the Second Person of the Godhead to the First Person for the purpose of fulfilling the program of redemption established in eternity past (see note on 2 Tim. 1:9). Cf. vv.2, 8; 3:6; 4:14; 5:5, 8; 6:6; 7:3, 28; 10:29; 11:17 and many other references in the NT. His sonship was also expressed in the OT (cf. Ps. 2:12; Prov. 30:4).4


While the language of the New Testament at times suggests that Jesus became God’s son, we recognize that Jesus has existed eternally with the Father and the Spirit. He has always been a divine member of the Trinity. And yet he fulfilled his role of Son within the Trinity by taking on flesh during a specific moment in history.

What does it matter if Jesus is merely an angel?

Let’s think for a moment of a modern example of a distortion of Jesus. In the early 2000’s researchers identified the spiritual identity of American teens by coining the term Moral Therapeutic Deism. They suggest the guiding beliefs of American teenagers are:

1. A god exists who created and orders the world and watches over life on earth. 2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by

most world religions. 3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself. 4. God is not involved in my life except when I need God to resolve a problem. 5. Good people go to heaven when they die.5

At Immanuel, we have been blessed to have Dr. Richard Ross with us to comment on this phenomenon. He suggests that this type of young person sees Jesus as a mystical type of figurine who can be tucked away in one’s pocket, called upon in particularly challenging times in life and then put back when the crisis is over.

What does it matter if a young person has this distorted view of Jesus?

What is the remedy for this type of poor understanding of Jesus?

We must present Jesus the way the Bible does. We must demonstrate that Jesus is divine. The creator of the universe. On a plane of his own. Majestic beyond full comprehension. The owner of all authority. This is precisely what the author does here in Hebrews. It is as if he asks, “Do you know who Jesus really is? Well let me tell you. He is far superior than an angel.” In the same way, we proclaim to our friends and colleagues who have a distorted view of Jesus. “Do you know who Jesus really is? Well let me tell you. He is far more than a magic eight ball. He is worth far more than your half-hearted devotion to him.”


“As strange and supernatural and encouraging and awe-inspiring as angels may be in carrying out the orders and commands of God; as helpful and strengthening and edifying as their ministry undoubtedly proves to be, Jesus is better!” -Sam Storms

“Do not underestimate Jesus because there's nothing that compares with Jesus, not even Michael the archangel, not even Gabriel, not even all the angels combined. None of them compare to Jesus.” -Ligon Duncan



(2) The angels are to worship Jesus.

6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,“Let all God's angels worship him.”

And why should they worship Him? Because he rules on the eternal throne. Because he is the perfectly righteous one. Because he is the creator of the heavens and the earth. Because he is invincible, indestructible. Because he never changes. And because he sits with all authority at the right hand of the Father. None of this can be said of the angels. So the angels ought to bow to the Son of God.

JESUS’ CHAUFFERS?

LIGON DUNCAN

Now I had something similar to that happen to me in December of this past year. I was in Louisville with three other guys and Al Mohler was driving us in the car. And he dropped one off who was sitting in the front passenger's seat and he dropped another one off who was sitting in the back left passenger's seat, and it left him driving and me in the back right passenger's seat. And I said to Al, “Al, I would dearly love it if somebody could see that the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and perhaps the leading public intellectual in evangelicalism is driving me around Louisville!” And he said, “Lig, if they did, it would confirm the suspicions of some of my fellow Baptists!” But the point is, chauffeurs chauffeur around people who are more important than they are. So we've got chauffeurs in our congregation. That's what you do. People who are important, or who at least think they are, hire chauffeurs to chauffeur them around. The angels are just servants; they’re just Jesus’s chauffeurs. They do His bidding.6

But, in contrast:

7 Of the angels he says,“He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.”

And add to this v14. “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” Here the author draws the distinction between serving and reigning. Jesus reigns. He is the author of salvation. Angels, in a subordinate way, serve the mission of the King by assisting in the purposes of the King.



Angels Jesus

Not sons of God (v5) Rules on eternal throne (v8)

Not worshipped like Jesus (v6) Oil of gladness (righteousness) (v9)

Ministers (v7) Creator of Heaven/Earth (v10)

Eternal/Indestructible (v11)

Unchanging (v12)

Seated at right hand (v13)

The Old Testament Case For Jesus’ Superiority

Hebrews’ Old Testament Reference Found in Hebrews

Psalm 2:7 Hebrews 1:5a

2 Samuel 7:14 Hebrews 1:5b

Psalm 97:7 / Deuteronomy 32:43 Hebrews 1:6

Psalm 104:4 Hebrews 1:7

Palm 45:6-7 Hebrews 1:8-9

Psalm 102:25-27 Hebrews 1:10-12

Psalm 110 Hebrews 1:12

CONCLUSION

Jesus is superior to angels. A thorough and biblical understanding of Jesus is vital for salvation and sanctification.



(1) It is clear that the author hopes to prove that Jesus is superior to angels. But he could easily make the case that Jesus is superior to everything. When we sin, we sometimes internally say, “X is better than Jesus.” “Jesus is holding out on me. I can still do x and follow and honor Jesus.” When you are honest, in what areas of life is it tempting for you to say, x is better than Jesus?

“As we share our faith, may we do so with the winsome confidence that life in Jesus is so much richer, fuller, and better than any life apart from him. The Gospel is good news! Lives that reflect a joy deeper than circumstances lovingly bear witness to this soul-satisfying truth: Jesus is better.” -Melissa Kruger

rTHE IDEA:

As the teacher, be willing to open up.

Jesus calls us to love and serve our spouses. And yet alone time with a book or television show feels better. Sunday mornings

in the woods feel better than

gathering with the body for worship,

prayer, and encouragement.



(2) The people of the day were tempted to strip Jesus of his full authority and power. Take a moment and try to give an answer to some of these modern examples of people trying to do the same thing:

How would you respond?

» Jesus is too loving to allow anyone to go to hell.

» Jesus was merely a great moral teacher and a compassionate healer.

» Jesus knows I do my best to be a good person. He’ll understand if I give in just a little.

» Jesus could never forgive someone as dreadful as me.

» Jesus doesn’t care about what’s happening in my little world.

(3) What kinds of weird, abhorrent, and damnable things are people currently doing in the name of Jesus? After you name a few, what does this tell us about the importance of Christology (the study of the person of Christ) in our discipleship?



Make a chart. Take 5 minutes to recount to yourself who Jesus is. Be especially diligent to call to mind the majesty, greatness, and power of Jesus, our Savior. Once you have made this list on the left side of your notes, make another list on the right side. Remind yourself that Jesus is better than ________. Jesus is superior to __________. Make it personal and remind yourself that Jesus is worth your attention and affection.

JESUS IS: JESUS IS BETTER THAN:

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HOME 22:6SING | “Is He Worthy” Andrew Peterson

READ | John 18:36-37

PRAY | Pray that God would help us see that he is greater, that he is better than all the world has to offer.



SOURCES1 https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-3-son’s-supremacy-over-angels-hebrews-14-14 2 NKJV Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible Notes, Introduction to Hebrews3 MacArthur Study Bible, Introduction to Hebrews

4 Macarthur Study Bible, 1:45 See Christian Smith’s Soul Searching and Kenda Kreasy Dean’s Almost Christian

6 https://ligonduncan.com/more-excellent-than-angels-718/


L E S S O N 4



TELL A STORY(From Steven Cole’s, “The Danger of Drifting Spiritually”)

I read recently that the Tour de France bicycle champion, Lance Armstrong, and his wife are divorcing. The article stated that at this point, he does not have another woman in his life. Rather, his many hours spent pursuing his bicycle career have left no time for his marriage.

I would predict that 25 years from now, Armstrong will look back at his life and say, “I was a fool to sacrifice my family for my sport!” But at this point, the fame and fortune are blinding him to the more satisfying value of a lasting, loving marriage relationship.

It’s easy in life to get caught up in matters that seem very important at the time, but in the light of eternity will shrink into oblivion. Because we all have only so many hours in our day, our focus on these seemingly important matters also means that we neglect matters that are huge in light of eternity. When these things nag at our consciences, as invariably they do, we justify our current priorities by saying, “Someday I will attend to these eternally important matters, but right now, I’m too busy.” But such procrastination can be eternally fatal!

D R I F T

H E B R E W S



The one sure fact of human existence is death. As George Bernard Shaw observed, “The statistics on death are quite impressive: one out of one people die!” Since we all have to face death, you would think that we all would live in view of eternity, but we don’t. Other pressing matters come up to divert our attention: “I’ve got to get through school.” “I’ve got to get established in my career.” “I’ve got to get the kids raised, and then I’ll have some time.” Many of these pressing matters are good and important, but they easily crowd out the most important thing. As a result, even we who know the truth of the Gospel are in danger of drifting spiritually.

The author of Hebrews has spent the first chapter extolling the supremacy of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. He has not mentioned a word of application or exhortation to this point. But now, as a concerned pastor, he pauses in his argument to apply what he has written. Our text is the first of five warning sections in this letter. These warnings are addressed to professing Christians who were in the church. By using the first person plural pronoun, “we,” the author identifies himself with his readers. He faced the same temptations that they faced. He was not in an ivory tower, exempt from these pitfalls. Like every faithful pastor, he was exhorting himself first, even as he exhorted his congregation.

The danger that he was confronting was this: You are either drifting with regard to your salvation because of neglect, or you are growing because of deliberate effort and attention. But nobody grows by accident.1

SPARK A DISCUSSIONChoose one of the following debates to stir up discussion on the topic:

(1) Can a person who is living in perpetual sin be assured of their salvation?

(2) What part does effort play in a Christian’s growth? Isn’t Jesus the one who makes us more like Himself through the Spirit anyways?

SHOW A CLIPFrancis Chan- Do you feel distant from God?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0secles30I


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Today’s Text: Hebrews 2:1-4Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.






LITERARY CONTEXT3




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REDEMPTIVE CONTEXT


CONTENTTherefore… WARNING!

When studying Scripture, we must take note of transition words like “therefore.” It points us back before taking us forward. Because of x, then y. In light of x, then y. In this case, in light of the fact that Jesus is superior to the prophets and Jesus is superior to the angels… therefore. Therefore, pay careful attention.

The fact that this warning is here in Hebrews tells us that there is a particular threat to the church. When we think of it from the negative sense, the author is alerting the congregation: There are some of you who are not paying close attention to the things you’ve heard and you’re in grave danger of drifting away.

(1) Pay careful attention, lest we drift.

The word “drift” is a nautical term. It means to move at the direction of something outside oneself, especially a natural force. A ship drifts at sea in the course the wind and the currents set. Here in this passage the writer beckons the readers to pay careful attention to what they’ve been taught, lest they drift away from it. In this case, there is a course to take. A course to stay on. And they must pay careful attention or they will drift to someplace altogether different. A different course.

• 2:1 …drift away. Both phrases have nautical connotations. The first refers to mooring a ship, tying it up at the dock. The second was often used of a ship that had been allowed to drift past the harbor. The warning is to secure oneself to the truth of the gospel, being careful not to pass by the only harbor of salvation. The closest attention must be paid to these very serious matters of the Christian faith. The readers in their tendency to apathy are in danger of making shipwreck of their lives.4

“If disobedience to the older covenant of law brought swift judgment, how much more severe will be the judgment of disobedience to the New Covenant Gospel of salvation…” -John Macarthur


Does this passage teach that a believer can come to saving faith in Christ, fail to pay close attention, and thus drift away from their salvation?

One helpful way to describe what is happening here in this text is to look at Matthew 13 and the parable of the weeds.

Remember the parable of the sower?

The Seed What Happened? The End Result

Fell among the path The birds came And devoured them

Fell on rocky ground They immediately sprang up, but they did not have much

soil

The sun scorched them, and since they had no root, they

withered away.

Fell among the thorns The thorns grew up And choked them.

Fell on good soil Produced grain Some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

When we read this parable, we are almost always tempted to ask, “Which one of these is saved?” Did the middle two spring up as “saved” and then walk away and lose it? But we must remember that Jesus is not intending the parable in this way. He’s describing the reality in the kingdom. He wants to alert us that in the kingdom there will be those like this. They will not understand and be snatched away. They will initially “receive it with joy” but when trials come, they will not endure. They will receive the message of the kingdom but be enticed by the world, proving unfruitful. And there will be those who will be proven authentic by their fruit.

In another part of Matthew 13, Jesus explains it this way:

24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

In this day, there were certain types of weeds which would grow up alongside wheat. The challenge was, up until a certain time, the weeds looked identical to the wheat. The point Jesus is making is that early on it may appear that everyone is part of the harvest, that everyone


THE IDEA: Although it could be seen this way, the answer is no. We will unpack this later in the

lesson.

“The life of this world is not a lake. It is a river. And it is flowing downward to destruction. If you do not listen earnestly to Jesus and consider him daily and fix your eyes on him hourly, then you will not stand still; you will go backward. You will float away from Christ.” -John Piper



“No one drifts toward holiness.” -D.A. Carson

(in the core of their souls) is a redeemed person, one who will produce fruit over time. And yet, in time, you will find that there were some weeds among them. There were some who looked like the real thing and they were not.

The warning in Hebrews is similar. The Bible does not promote a message of receiving the Gospel and then ignoring it. In fact, the warning here has special application in our culture doesn’t it? Aren’t there many who have looked for a way to appease their conscience by “saying a prayer” or “signing on the dotted line” in order to supposedly secure their eventual place in heaven? They repeat a prayer. They perhaps walk the aisle. They may even become involved for a period. And yet they do not plan to “pay attention” to the things being taught. They did not intend to grow. The author of Hebrews says, “be careful.” “If this is you, be careful. You’re going to drift away. True faith takes root. True faith produces fruit. And this expression of faith, which pays no attention to the teaching, will ultimately demonstrate its inauthenticity.”

(2) Pay careful attention, lest we neglect.

The readers are warned to pay careful attention to the Gospel, lest they drift. But going further, the warning here insists that those who do not pay careful attention are at risk of neglecting the Gospel.

This Gospel has been:

» Declared by the Lord (v3)

» Attested by witnesses (v4)

» Validated by miracles (v4)

» Authenticated by the gifts of the Holy Spirit (v4)

It is as if the author is pleading, “Is this the Gospel you wish to neglect? The one declared by the Lord, attested by witnesses, and validated by miracles and the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Be careful. This is not something you want to neglect.”

• “Remember, it is not hasty reading—but serious meditating upon holy and heavenly truths, that make them prove sweet and profitable to the soul. It is not the bee’s touching of the flower, which gathers honey—but her abiding for a time upon the flower, which draws out the sweet. It is not he who reads most—but he who meditates most, who will prove the choicest, sweetest, wisest and strongest Christian.”5 -Thomas Brooks

It is possible, when you consider the literary context that some among the Hebrews had intellectually agreed that Jesus was greater than the prophets and superior to the angels. But this warning seems to beckon the reader to pay closer attention. This demands their ongoing focus.

Make no mistake, believers drift. And believers neglect the Gospel. The difference is our response to the Word of God. As we move from understanding the text to responding to the text, we must ask ourselves, “Are we drifting?” Have we failed to pay close attention to the teachings of Jesus, the Gospel, and its implications for our lives? One evidence of our own salvation is that when we come to a text like this, we say, “I don’t want to drift. God help me to abide in Jesus. Help me construct an anchor by your Word that tethers my life to the Gospel.”

CONCLUSION

Pay careful attention to the Gospel, lest you drift.




(1) Are you a drifter? In the last 5 years, has there ever been a season where you lost spiritual focus and drifted from the Lord?

(2) What does this passage have to say to the person who is casually involved with faith? What does this passage have to say to the person who once was active in Christian growth and now seems disinterested? Do you know someone like this? What would you say to them in light of today’s passage?

(3) Each of us is capable of drifting. In fact, it is when we suggest that we are not prone to it that we might be most susceptible to it. Let’s talk about drifting.

a. If you found yourself drifting from the Lord, let’s say, a year from now… what do you suppose would have allured you away? What tempts you to take your eyes off of Jesus for a season?

b. If you look back on the past five years and you do not see a time where you drifted from the Lord, what was your anchor? What keeps you tethered and focused on the Gospel?


THE IDEA: There may be those in class

who came to the conclusion that

they were drifting because they

never truly gave their life to Christ.

Others may say they realized their

distraction and returned to a path

of growth and maturity.

THE IDEA: Many want to

debate whether a person is saved. Only God knows

the person’s heart. Nonetheless, the warning remains. The consequences

are severe for neglecting the Gospel. Return to focus on the

Gospel!

r





Write a note.

Take 5 minutes and write a note, a text message, or an e-mail to a friend. Choose a friend who was once active in faith and now seems disinterested. Use Hebrews 2:1-4 as a template. Remind them of the truth of the Gospel. Warn them of the ramifications of neglecting the Gospel. Tell them why it’s important to you that they return to the Gospel. Pray this week about whether or not it is the appropriate time to send it. Don’t be deterred by fear. Encourage your friend to return to the Gospel. If they are genuinely saved, perhaps this is the moment when they anchor down and grow in the Lord. If they never possessed genuine faith, perhaps this can be a turning point for them.

HOME 22:6SING | Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

READ | Jump ahead to Hebrews 12:1-3. This is the antidote to drifting. Instead of drifting, talk as a family about what it looks like to fix your eyes on Christ.

PRAY | A.W. Tozer once said, “Every man is as close to God as he wants to be.” Tell God that you don’t want to drift. Ask him to help you focus on the Gospel and be anchored to his truth.

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SOURCES1 https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-4-danger-drifting-spiritually-hebrews-21-4 2 NKJV Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible Notes, Introduction to Hebrews

3 MacArthur Study Bible, Introduction to Hebrews4 Macarthur Study Bible, 2:1

5 Brooks, Thomas. Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices


L E S S O N 5



TELL A STORYTim Keller once shared a story of an infamous 1964 murder.

Catherine “Kitty” Genovese was born on July 7, 1935 in Brooklyn, New York to Vincent and Rachel Genovese. In 1964 Winston Moseley viciously stabbed and raped Kitty Genovese and left her to die near her apartment in Kew Gardens, Queens. Media coverage following her murder spawned a nationwide debate about the disturbing apathy surrounding the events, ultimately leading to the construction of the social psychological phenomenon known as the bystander effect.1

Evidently 30+ people either saw or heard this attack. Sociologists have used this case to demonstrate that when multiple witnesses are involved, it’s possible that people are less likely to step in.

Today, we are reminded that Jesus stepped in. He tasted death for everyone.

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SPARK A DISCUSSIONRead Genesis 1:26-28.

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

If God created humans to rule over the earth, does this reality seem true in our day? Why or why not?

SHOW A CLIP“Exalted Over All,” Vertical Worshiphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrlN8Yjl6PQ



Today’s Text: Hebrews 2:5-9

5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere,“What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him?7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.”Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

THE IDEA: Today the author of Hebrews will show us that,

although we as humans did not live up to this

responsibility, God had a plan.

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LITERARY CONTEXT3






REDEMPTIVE CONTEXT

In God’s grand narrative, the Old Testament has demonstrated man’s sinful nature, his desperate need for redemption, and his inability to obtain righteousness and salvation by the works of his own hand. At the ordained time, God sent Jesus as the Jewish Messiah and the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. Following his death, burial, resurrection, appearances to his followers, and ascension to the right hand of the Father, his first followers formed and expanded the church through the preaching of Jesus’s message of salvation by faith alone to

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all who will follow Him. It is into this early church context that the author of Hebrews writes, beckoning Jewish converts to hold fast to the Gospel.

CONTENT(1) God’s Plan: Make Humans Lower Than Angels

6 It has been testified somewhere,“What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him?7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.”

“IT HAS BEEN SAID SOMEWHERE?”

JOHN MACARTHUR

2:6 in a certain place. This is not an indication that the writer was ignorant of the source of the quotation that follows. The location of the quotation is not as significant as its divine authorship. Perhaps it is significant that the author of Hebrews is not identified either. The writer may have desired that his readers understand that the Holy Spirit is the real author of all Scripture (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21).4

Hebrews 2:6-8 is a quote from Psalm 8:4-6. This passage alludes to Genesis 1 when God created man in his image and gave him dominion to rule over the earth.

(a) Humans were crowned with glory

(b) Everything was subject to humans

V6 Take note of the very beginning of the quote from Psalms. Here, the terms “man” and “son of man” refer to humankind. So, who are we that God would even think about us? Who are we that God would love us? Who are we that God would sacrifice for us?

V7-8 Although humans were made “just lower” than angels, God gave the responsibility of oversight of creation to humankind. But only two chapters later (Gen. 3), mankind proved they will choose not to take up this noble banner.

• So we look around and, at present, we do not see everything in subjection to man. And, honestly, that creates a problem for people. In fact, I would say the greatest (the #1) apologetic problem people have with Christianity. We know, instinctively, that we should be on top of the world, but we’re not; if anything, the world seems to be on top of us. And so we say, “Why is there so much evil in the world? Why tsunamis? Why so much heartache and abuse?” We ask that because we know we’re destined for more!5



WHAT DOMINION SHOULD BE

Human beings are not only products of God’s creation, we are also sub-creators (or co-creators, if you prefer) with him. Like his Son, we are called to the work of ordering the world. “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet” (Heb. 2:6–8, quoting Ps. 8).* If it sounds a bit vain to regard mere humans as participants in the work of creation, Hebrews reminds us, “Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters” (Heb. 2:11).

Therefore, our work is meant to resemble God’s work. It has undying value. When we make computers, airplanes, and shirts, sell shoes, underwrite loans, harvest coffee, raise children, govern cities, provinces, and nations, or do any kind of creative work, we are working alongside God in his work of creation.

The point is that Jesus is the one supremely in charge of the creation, and only by working in him are we restored to fellowship with God. This alone makes us capable to take our place again as vice-regents of God on earth.6

(2) God’s Plan: Make Jesus “Lower” Than Angels Temporarily

In continuing his argument from chapter 1, the author expands his thought to include God’s enduring plan. Did God ever intend to put everything under the subjection of angels? No. He did, however, always have his plan in mind. He would “make Jesus lower” than angels for a period, raise him from the dead, exalt him in the highest places, and ultimately put everything in subjection to him. Let’s look at the first part of this plan.

In the middle of his argument that Jesus is superior, here the author suggests Jesus was made lower. What do you suppose he means by this?

Think about it. This would be quite the challenging question to answer in this day wouldn’t it? So, this human who was evidently crucified, buried, and resurrected was divine? “You mean like an angel? They may have said.” The author responds, “No. Not like an angel. It may seem like he’s lower than angels because he took on flesh. But this was the plan all along. He was made human for the purposes of redeeming the world. And yet everything is subject to Him.”

“This is because, for now, all of us pre-resurrected humans are dust. And while we often forget this fact — to our own burnout and despair — God never forgets.” -Tony Reinke



WHY DID HE BECOME LOWER?

In some sense, he was made lower than angels. This is part of the divine mystery of the incarnation. Remember Philippians 2? “He emptied himself and made himself nothing.” Well, we know that he didn’t cease to be divine. So what did he empty himself of? While we may not be able to articulate it in the simplest way, we know that Jesus “came down.” He “stooped low.” He “made himself nothing” in order to rescue us. The author is not making the case that the angels were superior to Jesus during his time on earth. Rather, he is attempting to explain a spiritual reality.

(3) God’s Plan: Crown Him With Glory and Honor

In Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15, Paul illustrates a spiritual reality by describing Adam as the “first Adam” and Christ as the “second Adam.” The main purpose of the illustration is to demonstrate both Adam and Jesus’s spiritual positions as representatives of humankind. For example, in Romans 5, since one representative (Adam) allowed sin to enter the world and permeate all creation. Conversely, one representative (Jesus) lived a righteous life, completing the will of the Father, and thus, offering salvation to all who will believe.

• What the psalm declares to be true of humans only in a provisional, ideal way has already been fulfilled profoundly and completely in the exaltation of Christ to God’s right hand. Jesus has become “the pioneer” of salvation (v. 10) and will restore the God-given destiny of all mankind.7

9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

The key phrase in verse 9 is “a little while.” God’s plan was to make man in his image and give him dominion in the world. Man failed, and his sin separated the world from God. God sent Jesus, an eternal member of the Godhead, the creator of the universe, to become a man (for a little while lower than angels) to suffer and “taste death for everyone,” that he might be crowned with ultimate glory and honor.

• This passage discusses God’s master plan. However, people look around at the mess the world is in and assume there is no plan in place. Or, if there is a plan, it’s a bad one. However, to suggest that God is not executing his plan is not unlike walking up on the construction site of a massive Cathedral, seeing all the rubble and tools and mess and suggesting that there is no master plan! That is actually an insult to the architect and only proves that someone has both ignorance and hubris. The Architect has a massive plan, those who focus on the mess of the construction only reveal their own shortsightedness.8

CONCLUSION

Jesus is fully God. He always has been. He took on flesh, becoming “lower than angels” in order to redeem the world. He is crowned with glory and honor, seated at the right hand of the Father.





(1) We have spent a good bit of time in chapters 1-2 discussing Jesus’s relationship to angels. What does this text tell us about our relationship to angels especially as it pertains to creation?

(2) Clearly the author of Hebrews is painting a high and exalted picture of Jesus to be admired by the reader. Sometimes “exalt Jesus” can feel like a very nebulous application. But let’s try to get practical with it. How does someone’s high or low view of Jesus impact their everyday life? Besides, say, going to church, how does your life look different from your neighbors’ because you know Jesus is crowned with glory and ruling the universe?

(3) How does this passage reconcile with people’s perception of Jesus as a quiet, passive, compassionate teacher walking the paths of Galilee? Why would you say, in discipling others, it is critical to present the full picture of Jesus?



Reflect on your personal life.

For those with cell phones, take out your phone and open up your photos. Spend 2-3 minutes scrolling through your photos. As you scroll through, ask yourself a couple basic questions:

(1) In what areas of my life am I making much of Jesus? Where is Jesus most on display in my life?

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(2) In what areas of my life am I trying to make much of myself?

For those who don’t use cell phones for pictures, take 2-3 minutes and imagine your most precious pictures hung on the wall or in your favorite picture album. As you think through those most precious photos, ask yourself a couple basic questions.

(1) In what areas of my life am I making much of Jesus? Where is Jesus most on display in my life?

(2) In what areas of my life am I trying to make much of myself?

Take a moment to share as a group some of your thoughts. Are we investing our lives in ways that exalt Jesus, the one who took on flesh to redeem the world?

HOME 22:6SING | “Jesus Messiah” by Chris Tomlin

READ | Philippians 2:1-11

PRAY | God, help us to honor you rightly with our lives. May our lives rightly reflect your majesty and honor. May your ultimate sacrifice produce ultimate devotion in us. May we joyously give you our lives.

SOURCES1 https://www.biography.com/people/kitty-genovese-120415

2 NKJV Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible Notes, Introduction to Hebrews

3 MacArthur Study Bible, Introduction to Hebrews4 Macarthur Study Bible, 2:65 Greear, J.D. https://www.summitrdu.com/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2015/10/2012-05-13_King-

Champion-Brother-Priest.pdf

6 Theology of Work Bible Commentary, Christ Created and Sustains the World (Hebrews 1:1–2:8)7 NIV Zondervan Study Bible, 2:9

8 Smith, Steven W. Kerux Commentary on Hebrews 1-2, p.34


L E S S O N 6



TELL A STORYOn September 9, 1828, Leo Tolstoy was born in Tula Province, Russia. In the 1860s, he wrote his first great novel, War and Peace. In 1873, Tolstoy set to work on the second of his best known novels, Anna Karenina. He continued to write fiction throughout the 1880s and 1890s. One of his most successful later works was The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Tolstoy died on November 20, 1910 in Astapovo, Russia.1

In his work, A Confession, he wrote:

“Something strange began to happen to me at age 50. I had a wife who loved me, and whom I loved; I had a large estate which, without much effort on my part, increased; my name was respected, I enjoyed physical strength, and yet I could not live because of death. The question, which brought me to the verge of suicide, sought an answer without which one cannot live.

Is there any meaning in life that my inevitable death does not destroy? Today or tomorrow death will come to those I love, and then to me. Soon not only will I not exist, but eventually no one will exist who will remember anything I have written or done. Why then go on with

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the effort? What is it all for? What does it all lead to? What difference does it make whether or not I do this thing or that thing or nothing at all?

So I could give no rational meaning to any single action or even to my whole life. But what was so surprising was how we can fail to see this. For a time it is possible to live intoxicated with life, but as soon as one is sober, it is impossible not to see that life in the face of death is a fraud, and a stupid fraud. How often I have been told, ‘oh you cannot understand the meaning of life so don’t think about it, just live.’ But I no longer can do that.”2

SPARK A DISCUSSIONIn these first 2 chapters of Hebrews, we have found that Jesus is superior. He’s on a different plane from humans and angels. He’s divine. He’s the author of salvation. The creator and sustainer of the universe. Now, remember the warning? We must pay careful attention to Jesus and his message, lest we drift. How severe our judgment will be if we ignore Jesus.

In previous lessons, we made the case that the author is not suggesting that believers can lose their salvation. Rather, there may be those who, by walking away, proved their faith was not authentic. It never took root.

With all of this said, is it possible for a person to be a normal church goer and yet be in danger of ignoring this warning? Give an example of a church goer, perhaps a Christian-in-name-only who needs to take heed of this warning.

And finally, what about for the true believer? Is there a warning here for us?

SHOW A CLIPWhy Did Jesus Come to Earth?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZEPrUW4TXI



Today’s Text: Hebrews 2:10-1810 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying,“I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”13 And again,“I will put my trust in him.”And again,“Behold, I and the children God has given me.”14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that

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is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.






LITERARY CONTEXT4







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REDEMPTIVE CONTEXT


CONTENT

• The author has argued that Jesus was greater than the angels and that his greatness is to be seen in the salvation he obtained for us. But he lived on earth as an ordinary man. There was nothing about the Teacher from Nazareth to show that he was greater than the angels. Indeed, the reverse was true, for he had undergone humiliating sufferings, culminating in a felon's death. The author proceeds to show, however, that, far from this being an objection to his greatness, this was part of it. This was the way he would save us. He would be made like those he saves.5

(1) God's Plan: Jesus, the author of salvation. (v10)

God intended that Jesus would be the founder of salvation. He would accomplish it. He would own it, lead it, and execute it. Some translations use the word “captain” here instead of founder.

Consider for a moment, once again, what the author is hoping to accomplish here in chapters 1-2. He is clearly trying to demonstrate Jesus’s superiority. Jesus is God’s Son. Jesus is superior to the angels. Jesus has existed with God eternally, and was made lower than angels only momentarily in order to redeem the world. He’s been given all authority. He created all things and he holds all things together. He is crowned with glory, and shall return ultimately to reign with his people. In order to bring many sons to glory, it was fitting that Jesus would suffer a human death, absorbing the sins of the world. He is the great earner of our salvation.

(2) God’s Plan: Jesus, the perfect High Priest. (v10)

In taking on flesh and enduring suffering, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice. Some suggest that this verse makes it sound as if Jesus was not perfect, and then was made perfect. However, the author is not speaking of Jesus’s character or being. He is and always has been perfect. And yet, by suffering he became a type of Savior that he was not before. He was willing to suffer before. He came to suffer before. But now, since he has suffered, he has become the perfect Savior in that he identifies with his creation. He had to become like his brothers (v17) in every respect, including suffering.

(3) God’s Plan: Jesus, our brother.

In bringing many sons to glory, the salvation Jesus accomplished for our sake brought us into such fellowship with God that we are called brothers.


• My brothers. Quoted from Ps. 22:22. Jesus had taught that those who do the will of the Father in obedience to His word are His brothers and mother (Matt. 12:50; Luke 8:21). He never directly referred to His disciples by the title of “brethren” until after His resurrection (Matt. 28:10; John 20:17). Not until He had paid the price for their salvation, did they truly become His spiritual brothers and sisters. The use of the term demonstrates His full identification with mankind in order to provide complete redemption (Phil. 2:7–9).6

(4) God’s Plan: He came to identify with us.

Christ had to become one of us to rescue us. Although fleshliness and humanity were not part of his nature, Jesus Christ took these things upon himself in order to be with us, in order to be like us in a way. Look at the word share. Our humanity is the most basic thing that human beings have in common. We are of the same nature. Verse 14 reminds us that Jesus didn’t somehow accidentally or arbitrarily endure the taking on of human flesh, but willfully “partook of the same things.”

John 14:18-20

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”


“He was enabling us to trust him by showing us his willingness to identify with us. He had no personal vested interest in becoming one of us other than to lead us to safety.” -J.D. Greear

THE UNIQUENESS OF JESUS’S IDENTIFICATION WITH HUMANS

In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. —Hebrews 2:10

Because suffering is a universal human experience, God saw fit that Jesus (our Savior and intermediary) would experience the most excruciating pain. It was this suffering that caused prominent British pastor John R. W. Stott to reach this conclusion:

I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross … In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in different Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statue of Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world. But each time after a while I have had to turn away. And in imagination I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn-pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in God-forsaken darkness. That is the God for me! He laid aside his immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in light of his. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross which symbolizes divine suffering. “The cross of Christ … is God’s only self-justification in such a world” as ours.

—Adapted from interview with Dr. Peter Kreeft7



(5) God’s Plan: He came to destroy the evil one.

Remember that Satan having power of any kind is subject to God’s will. Ultimately, for those who are in Christ, death has no power. Although the cross didn’t result in the ultimate demise of Satan (which will come during the events of the end-times), Jesus’s arrival in the form of a human ushered in a new era. This is the era when all who will trust in the Son of God will not endure the ultimate sting of death, but will find everlasting life.

• 14-15 The author now develops the thought of community of nature. Jesus shared "blood and flesh" (the proper order in Greek) with the children. He really came where they are, in order to nullify the power of the devil—who is described as the one "who holds the power of death." This raises a problem because it is God alone who controls the issues of life and death (Job 2:6; Luke 12:5). But it was through Adam's sin, brought about by the temptation of the devil, that death entered the world (Gen. 2:17; 3:19; Rom. 5:12). From this it is logical to assume that the devil exercises his power in the realm of death. But through his own death, Christ destroyed the power of the devil.8

Romans 5:15-17

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

Scripture describes the time before Christ as a period when “death reigned.” With the birth of Christ, righteousness reigns. The ultimate sacrifice, the atonement for sin had come. Jesus came to identify with us, but also to inaugurate a new kingdom in which Satan will have no power and all those who trust in Christ will not experience the eternal sting of death.

(6) God’s Plan: He came to extract the slaves.

One word used throughout the New Testament to describe salvation through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is the word redemption. The word carries with it the idea of freedom and a rescue. A hopeless slave or a prisoner of war has no rights, no future. Their only hope is an exchange, a payment. Something would have to be done. Something would have to be sacrificed. Something would have to be negotiated. Someone would have to identify value in the person. The freeing of the slave, the prisoner would have to mean something to someone of power.

• fear of death. Philosophers tried to overcome this fear, which they viewed as a fundamental problem; most explained that the fear did not accomplish anything positive, some (such as Epicureans) arguing that death was annihilation and others (such as Stoics) arguing that cooperating with fate was the most reasonable course. Jesus overcame our enslavement to the fear of death not by assuaging anxiety but by truly overcoming death. Death was not part of God’s original design for humanity (vv. 7 – 8), though creation was perishable (cf. divine eternality, 1:8,12).9

“Jesus Christ is the eternal Logos through whom the entire cosmos came into being. The Word through whom the worlds were made now enters human existence, assuming authentic humanity, in order to identify with us and to save us from our sins. -Albert Mohler

“Rather than casting all your anxieties on the internet, which cares for no man, cast them on God, for he cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7). . . . Our comfort lies not in holding all knowledge, but in trusting the One who does.” -Jen Wilkin



Ephesians 1:3-10

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

For those in Christ, we have been adopted. We’ve been given a new name, a new purpose, a new family, an inheritance, a fresh identity. And in him, we have redemption. We have been freed from the chains of slavery. The negotiation has been completed. Our release has been secure. The price has been paid. We’ve been redeemed.

Finally, look at the way Hebrews 2 describes the fear of death. Evidently, to live in constant fear of death is slavery. Think of this passage evangelistically. Consider the state of the soul of a non-believer.

(a) They do not understand how God relates to them. Perhaps they see God as so “out there” that he could never relate to the pain they are experiencing. Perhaps they think they have certainly out sinned any chance at a relationship with God. We must remind them that Jesus came to identify with us. He loves us. And he knows the pain and brokenness of our world.

(b) They are ruled by the lies and deceit of the evil one. Perhaps temptation has led to perpetual sin, which has led to addiction. Or the allure of power, wealth, sex, or fame has lulled them into a state of hard-heartedness. We must remind them that Jesus came to destroy the evil one. He came to end the reign of sin and usher in a reign of righteousness.

(c) They are demoralized by the uncertainty of life after death. They might say that they are hopeful regarding their eternal standing because of some internal list of good deeds. But deep down, they are fearful of death. They’re unsure where they would spend eternity. We must remind them that Jesus came to end that slavery. When we cling to Him, we have redemption, forgiveness of sin, and an assurance of our eternal standing before God.

CONCLUSION

In bringing many sons to glory, Jesus identified with us, freed the slaves, and ushered in the beginning of the end of Satan’s influence over the earth.





(1) We sometimes make a big deal about Jesus being able to relate with us. Is this something you think about often? Does Jesus really know what we’re going through? Why or why not?

(2) What does it mean that Jesus is the author of salvation? How does this relate to the idea of boasting in Ephesians 2? If Jesus is the author of salvation, and accomplished our salvation as so thoroughly reported here in Hebrews 1-2, what place does boasting have in terms of our personal salvation?

(3) As you think back through these first 6 lessons (the first 2 chapters of Hebrews), what is the main idea? There’s a lot of theology here and a lot of Old Testament references. But what is the author’s main point? And is the message infiltrating your heart? How so?



Memorize a Hebrews Outline.

Take 3-4 minutes and skim back through Hebrews 1-2. Look for a key verse that summarizes chapter 1 and a key verse that summarizes chapter 2. Go around the room and share why you chose the verse you did as a summary verse for each chapter. Here is the challenge. As we proceed through Hebrews, would you be willing to take a theme verse from each of the chapters and memorize it? By the end, you will be able to talk your way through Hebrews simply by stating the memory verses you select along the way.

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THE IDEA: The message

is that Jesus is greater. Jesus is far more majestic

than we ever imagined. Help the class get to the heart of the matter. How is

your heart stirred by thinking deeply about how great

Jesus is?



HOME 22:6SING | “How Deep The Father’s Love For Us”

READ | Along with Hebrews 2:10-18, read the lyrics to the modern hymn “How Deep the Father’s Love For Us”

How deep the Father’s love for us,How vast beyond all measure,That He should give His only SonTo make a wretch His treasure.How great the pain of searing loss –The Father turns His face away,As wounds which mar the Chosen OneBring many sons to glory.

Behold the man upon a cross,My sin upon His shoulders;Ashamed, I hear my mocking voiceCall out among the scoffers.It was my sin that held Him thereUntil it was accomplished;His dying breath has brought me life –I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,No gifts, no power, no wisdom;But I will boast in Jesus Christ,His death and resurrection.Why should I gain from His reward?I cannot give an answer;But this I know with all my heart –His wounds have paid my ransom.

PRAY | Thank God for the work of Jesus. Consider where you might be were it not for the selfless obedient work of Jesus to offer himself as a ransom for us.



SOURCES1 https://www.biography.com/people/leo-tolstoy-9508518 2 I have found J.D. Greear’s Hebrews sermon series especially insightful. As I have read through his

manuscripts, I have found he credits Tim Keller with influencing his Hebrews series. I am grateful for his useful and thorough development of these texts. They have served to help us in this study.


5 Expositor’s Bible Commentary, 2:10-186 Macarthur Study Bible, 2:12

7 Case for Christ Study Bible, The Case for Faith: Hebrews 2:5–18, The Suffering of Christ8 Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament, Hebrews 2:14-15

9 NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Hebrews 2:15


L E S S O N 7



TELL A STORYJesus Is Better (Melissa Kruger)

The writer of the book of Hebrews aims to convince his Jewish audience of one paramount truth: Jesus is better. He is better than the angels. He’s better than the prophets. He’s better than Moses. His priesthood is better than Aaron’s. His new covenant is better than the old covenant they could never fulfill. His blood is better than the blood of bulls and goats. In every way and at every turn, Jesus is better.

It isn’t that the treasures of the Jewish faith were in and of themselves detrimental, it’s simply that they were insufficient. The blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin. Jesus’s blood atoned for sin once for all. The old covenant was written on stone tablets. The new covenant is written on our hearts. The high priest entered into an earthly place of worship to intercede for the people once a year. Jesus entered heaven itself, into the very presence of God, and forever intercedes on our behalf. Though the Jews were richly blessed with God’s favor through the ministry of prophets, priests, and kings, it would be foolish for them to continue living in shadows once the substance of their faith had been fulfilled in the person of Christ. Why continue to live on crumbs when invited to a feast?

J E S U S I S F A I T H F U L

H E B R E W S



Two thousand years later, we share in our ancestors’ propensity to miss the greater by clutching onto the lesser. Our modern American culture daily entices us with temporal blessings as if they are superior to the riches found in Christ. Perhaps we need a modern-day apologetic to answer our culture’s questions: Is Jesus better than material wealth? Is he better than the relationships we yearn for? Is he better than our sexual freedom? Is he better than comfort and ease? All these we may be called to sacrifice in order to follow the way of the cross. And at every turn, the Christian should be able to resound with joy: Jesus is better.1

SPARK A DISCUSSIONWho shared Jesus with you? Go around and talk about who introduced you to Jesus.

Every house is built by some man. I mean, somebody, a human instrument is used. For example, you're here today. You're a part of God's house. Somebody shared Christ with you, did they not? Somebody did that. Somebody introduced you to Jesus. Somebody introduced maybe several of you to Jesus Christ and they're responsible in a human sense for part of the house, but who really created the house? God did. It was God through them, wasn't it?2

Today the author of Hebrews will demonstrate the difference between Moses’s influence over God’s people (the house), in comparison to Jesus’s influence.

SHOW A CLIPSex and Money (Paul Tripp)** MS and HS Teachers, please review the video and decide for yourself whether or not it would be appropriate for your particular class.https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/VideoElement/120127



Today’s Text: HEBREWS 3:1-6

Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2 who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house. 3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 5 Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are His house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

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Many Jewish believers who moved from Judaism into Christianity soon found themselves persecuted by their countrymen. Some of them wanted to reverse course in order to escape suffering for their identification with Christ. The writer of Hebrews responds by declaring, “let us hold fast our confession” (4:14) and exhorts his readers to “go on to perfection” (6:1). 3

LITERARY CONTEXT4






REDEMPTIVE CONTEXT

In God’s grand narrative, the Old Testament has demonstrated man’s sinful nature, his desperate need for redemption, and his inability to obtain righteousness and salvation by the works of his own hand. At the ordained time, God sent Jesus as the Jewish Messiah and the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. Following His death, burial, resurrection, appearances to His followers, and ascension to the right hand of the Father, His first followers formed and expanded the church through the preaching of Jesus’s message of salvation by faith alone to


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CONTENTThink back to our 2018 study of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah is famous for crying out to God, confessing the sins of Israel, and leading the efforts to return to the land from exile. In Nehemiah 9, he recounts the faithfulness of God. He lists God’s faithfulness throughout history. What he says about Moses tells us a lot about the Jewish view of Moses.

Nehemiah 9:13-14

13 You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments, 14 and you made known to them your holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses your servant.

Moses was perhaps the most revered of Jewish figures. God spoke to Moses. God gave the Law to Moses. God used Moses in one of the most powerful moments in Israel’s history. And now that the author of Hebrews has helped the reader place Jesus in His rightful place in relationship to the angels, he must do the same with Jesus’s relationship to Moses. Are you beginning to understand why we have titled this series, “Jesus Is Better?” The author clearly hopes to set our minds and hearts on the loftiness of Jesus beyond all others!

(1) THE AUDIENCE: Brothers (v1, v6)

Take a moment and look at how the author addresses the audience. “Therefore, holy brothers.” This phrase is quite rare in the New Testament. While it is thought that even amongst the audience of Hebrews there were likely mere curious followers, it is clear, here, that the author addresses believers.

In the context of this passage, the author is not suggesting that these people are especially righteous or spiritually successful. In calling the “holy,” he reminds them that they are set apart. They are different. From a salvific perspective, those who trust in Christ are justified. They are called holy. In the eternal sense, because believers are covered by the blood of Christ, and Christ’s holy life has been transferred to their account, they are holy. This is often misunderstood to mean that those who are in Christ are sinless. Rather, believers have been declared holy by the blood of Christ. And yet, they are beckoned to become holy in this life by being conformed to the image of Christ.

Would you describe the Church (all those in the world who trust and follow Christ) as a holy people? Why or why not?

Why do you suppose it would be misunderstood if we, the church, were to say we are a holy people?

“To be among those who share in a ‘heavenly calling’ has to do with our identity, and there is nothing more central or crucial to our lives as Christians than understanding who we are.” -Sam Storms


The second descriptor is that the brothers “share in a heavenly calling.” As believers in Christ, we belong more to the heavenly realm than the earthly realm. This is, in fact, not our permanent home. Our identity, our hopes, our efforts, our toil on earth is pointed heavenward. Later, the author will say it like this: “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.”

Finally, look down at verse 6. “And we are His house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.” The author uses the analogy of a house to describe His people. This verse almost sounds as if he is asserting that believers must “hold fast” in a certain way in order to hold on to their very salvation. Rather, the author is explaining that those who have true faith (their only confidence and boasting is in Christ) will hold fast. If you hold fast because of your authentic faith, it will be proven that you are His people. You are His house.


THE PEOPLE OF GODEphesians 2:22

“In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

1 Timothy 3:15

“…if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”

1 Peter 2:5

“…you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 4:17

“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the Gospel of God?”

(2) THE EXHORTATION: Consider

The author encourages the believers to consider. In order to consider something, you must devote attention and thought to it. In context, recognizing the coming conversation regarding the superiority of Jesus over Moses, it is likely Jewish believers had an inaccurate view of Moses. It is almost as if the author is beckoning the people to stop thinking about Moses for a moment and consider Jesus. “Moses is great. But don’t fixate on Moses. Fixate on Jesus who is far greater.” Consider Jesus.

We all spend time thinking of hundreds of tasks and ideas each day. How much time would you say you spend reflecting on Jesus? What are the personal benefits of carving out time to simply reflect on the greatness of Jesus?



(3) THE CENTRAL FOCUS: Jesus

Here the author compares Jesus with Moses.

MOSES JESUS

Who He Is What He Has Done Who He Is What He Has Done

Servant (v5) was faithful in all God's house (v2)

faithful in all God's house (v5)

testify to the things that were to be spoken

later (v5)

Apostle. (v1)

High Priest. (v1)

More glory than Moses (v3)

Builder of the house. (v3)

Son (v6)

faithful to Him who appointed Him (v2)

faithful over God's house (v6)

Moses was a faithful servant. He served the house of the Lord (the people of God) faithfully. But Jesus did not just serve the household of God, He built the household of God. He is not a servant within the family. He is a son.

• The Old Testament commandments and rituals were the Jews' priority. And Moses had brought not only the Ten Commandments, but he had penned the enter Pentateuch which lays out all the Levitical laws and all the laws that governed everything they did. And so Moses was the great law giver. And let's face it, the law was number one on the Jewish hit parade every week, of every year. That was the most important thing in their life.5

The word here used of Moses and Jesus is faithful. This is quite the powerful word. In being sure that Christ is exalted to the rightful position above Moses, we might forget to note here that for Moses to be considered faithful is quite a compliment. It reminds us of Matthew 25:21.

His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Just because Jesus is greater doesn’t mean that people cannot be honored and esteemed as faithful.

Are you a faithful person? What does it mean to be faithful?

GETTING TO THE HEART

Being faithful means to be reliable or trustworthy. Simply put, a faithful person can be counted on. They deliver what they say they can deliver. Their actions are in line with their beliefs. You can trust that a faithful person will arrive in a situation and be the person and do the things that are congruent with their character. While we long for a day when we might be called faithful


by Jesus, Jesus is the only truly faithful One. Have you known anyone who has never let you down? Who has never had a lapse of judgment? Who has perfectly been true to every word they’ve spoken? Of course not. And yet, there is one who is. This is why our hopes, our fears, our insecurities, our pains in life are only safely secure when we place them with Jesus. For He is always true to His Word. He will never fail us. “Your spouse is great. But Jesus is better.” “Your job is great. But Jesus is better.” “The money is great. But Jesus is better.”

CONCLUSION

Brothers and sisters, consider Jesus.



(1) Is there a difference between asking someone to consider Jesus and to consider Christianity?

(2) The author of Hebrews draws the readers’ attention to Jesus by demonstrating His greatness. He’s not a helper of God’s people, He’s the head. He’s not the keeper of the house, He’s the builder of the house. In your family growing up, or in your current family, how do you put the focus and attention on Jesus?

(3) “Jesus is better.” Is this a good phrase to use when combating temptation in your life? In a way, when we give into sin, aren’t we saying, “_______ is better for me than Jesus?” Would you be willing to share a personal sin struggle you have, where reminding yourself that “Jesus is better” would help you fight off sin?




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Hebrews To Us

In the modern church, we don’t typically share the struggle of exalting Moses too highly. But the author of Hebrews hopes to take the readers’ eyes off of something which has taken precedence over Jesus.

What might the author say to the modern church?

Consider Jesus, church, for He is far greater than __________. List as many things as you can.

To modern non-believers, what might the author say?

Friends, consider Jesus, for He is far greater than _________. List as many things as you can.

Take a few moments at the end of class to share what you wrote.

HOME 22:6SING | Check out “There’s Nothing Better Than Jesus”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfIgP6gFtyk

READ | Here is an excellent article on parenting from the perspective of biblical counselors.

https://biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/2017/03/08/jesus-is-better-but-is-that-practical/

Perhaps use the thought-provoking encouragements at the end of this article to discuss as a family.

PRAY | Pray as a family that you would place Jesus in the position of highest honor in your family. Pray that God would help you identify the idols in your lives.

SOURCES1 https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/jesus-is-better/

2 Macarthur, John. https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/1607/jesus-christ-greater-than-moses 3 NKJV Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible Notes, Introduction to Hebrews

4 MacArthur Study Bible, Introduction to Hebrews5 Macarthur, John. https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/1607/jesus-christ-greater-than-moses


L E S S O N 8



TELL A STORYWhen we cross a busy street with small children in tow, we put out our hand and say, “Hold on tight,” and our little ones grasp our hand as tightly as they can. But we would never depend on their grasp. It is our grip on their hand that holds them and keeps them secure. So Paul insists, “Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Phil. 3:12). Or more exactly, “Christ has a grip on me!”

One thing is certain: It is not our grip on God that keeps us safe, but the power of Jesus’s grasp. No one can take us out of His grasp—not the devil, not even ourselves. Once we’re in His hands, He will not let go.

We have this assurance: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29).

Doubly safe: Our Father on one side and our Lord and Savior on the other, clasping us in a viselike grip. These are the hands that shaped the mountains and oceans and flung the stars into space. Nothing in this life or the next “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39).1

A W A R N I N G T O B E L I E V E

H E B R E W S



SPARK A DISCUSSIONBefore you were a believer, can you remember a time when you were dangerously drifting toward hard-heartedness and all out rebellion against God? What was it like? How did you come out of it?

After you were a believer, can you remember a time when you were dangerously drifting away from your personal walk with God in favor of sinful behaviors, apathy, or rebellion? What was it like? How did you come out of it?

Today Hebrews warns believers not to be like the Israelites who saw God’s faithfulness and yet refused to give whole hearted devotion to Him.

SHOW A CLIPOnce Saved, Always Following (J.D. Greear)https://vimeo.com/257808573




7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,“Today, if you hear His voice,8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,9 where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation,and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’11 As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said,“Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was He provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

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LITERARY CONTEXT3






REDEMPTIVE CONTEXT



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CONTENTThe layout of Hebrews is becoming familiar. The author highly exalts Christ (in comparison to angels, prophets, Moses). And then he warns. Chapter three is no different. Last week, we saw that Jesus is greater than Moses. In our modern, western minds, this makes easy sense. We’ve never considered Moses to be greater than Jesus. But remember that, for the Jewish believers reading this letter, Moses was a hero. It could be said that Moses was the most faithful person they could think of. After all, he delivered them from slavery and ultimately delivered them all the way to the front steps of the Promised Land. And in chapter 3, the author tells the reader, “Yes, Moses is faithful. But Jesus is far more faithful.” These first few verses of chapter 3 (which we covered last week) are a critical setup for the coming warning.

Look at v7. “Therefore.” In view of _______, do something. In light of _________, don’t do this. Since _______ is true, therefore ________. Do you see what the author is doing? Since Moses was faithful, but Jesus was far more faithful, you must pay attention to your heart so that you do not repeat the sins of your forefathers.

(1) Warning: The Way of Your Forefathers

Verses 7-11 are a quotation from Psalm 95. And Psalm 95 describes the events of Exodus 17 and Numbers 13-14.

Take a moment to review this reference. It will not take long to remember the historical moment the author of Hebrews is referring to.

Numbers 13-14 Psalm 95

27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.”

30 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” 31 Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” 32 So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

2 Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!

3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

4 In His hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are His also.

5 The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

7 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you hear His voice,

8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,



we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. 33 And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

20 Then the Lord said, “I have pardoned, according to your word. 21 But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, 22 none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it.”

9 when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.

10 For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.”

11 Therefore I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.”

Psalm 95 serves as a commentary on God’s relationship with the Israelites post-Exodus. It is quite astounding that this generation, which witnessed the plagues and experienced the crossing of the Red Sea, would have any trouble trusting God for provision. And yet unbelief became their very legacy in Jewish history. Both Daniel and Nehemiah identify this generation in their prayers as forefathers whose hearts were idolatrous and wicked. What were they guilty of? At the very least, according to Psalm 95, they saw God’s faithfulness and yet their hearts were hardened. They experienced God’s provision, and yet they went astray in their hearts.

The author of Hebrews hopes to capture the attention of Jewish believers. “Moses was great. These people around him saw God’s faithfulness and refused to bow their hearts. Jesus is far greater. Do not be like your forefathers who grew cold hearted.”

(2) Warning: The Evil, Unbelieving Heart

After allowing the Psalmist to offer the first warning, the author offers his own similar warning.

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.”

If you’ve been following along closely in the Hebrews study, statements like this might make you scratch your head.

Why is the author telling believers not to have an evil, unbelieving heart leading them to fall away from God?

What does he mean to fall away from God? Is the author suggesting a person can be a born-again Christian only to fall away from God later and lose their salvation?

“The Exodus was a great act in redemptive history, but the people grumbled and God did not permit them to enter Canaan. The deliverance from sin under Christ is an even greater exodus. Those who abandon God and His apostle Christ will lose their promised inheritance as well.” -R.C. Sproul



Since Scripture does not contradict itself, we must interpret Scripture by Scripture. The overwhelming evidence of the New Testament teaches that once a person is born again, justified by the grace of Christ, covered by the redeeming blood of Christ on the cross, he is sealed with the indwelling Holy Spirit, and granted a sure inheritance of eternal life. Scripture teaches that a person who undergoes this true transformation cannot lose their salvation.

• Our debates over “once saved always saved” or the perseverance of the saints are often one-dimensional, with little nuance. I’ve argued elsewhere that true believers cannot lose their salvation, and I believe Scripture is clear on this matter. God’s Word also anticipates that the grinding mill of time and circumstances will eventually unmask pseudo-believers as false converts (e.g.: 1 John 2:19, Parable of the Sower, and so on).4

Some scholars suggest perhaps Hebrews is simply written to non-believers. Some suggest that perhaps “falling away” is not talking so much about salvation. Though it does seem that Hebrews is addressing Christians and warning them not to drift away. So how do we make sense of this?

Dr. Tom Schreiner suggests the best way to understand this is to recognize that God will absolutely carry through to salvation those whom He redeems, and therefore these warnings are the means by which God ensures that believers endure to the end. In other words, there are some who will not endure until the end, and it will be because they did not heed this warning, and therefore their faith was proven inauthentic, invalid. And others (all those who are truly saved) will heed this warning and thus endure to the end. “Those passages, those warnings, those admonitions are the means God uses to keep us until the end.” -Tom Schreiner

Another possibility is that there were some in this body who had intellectually assented to belief in Christ and were thus members of the fellowship. And yet, like the Israelites who were members of God’s chosen people, saw His faithfulness and yet continued in their hard heartedness, perhaps members of this first-century church were Christians by name alone. This warning, therefore, exhorts them to not allow themselves to slip into evil hard-heartedness. They are not to be allured by the deceit of sin, lest they fall away from God, proving their budding faith to be hollow and empty.

With these views in mind, read the verse again.

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.”

Those who are truly in Christ will exhibit a sure pattern. They will cry out to God for salvation, and they will depend on God, grow in God’s Word, increase in Christ-likeness and endure to the end. So, take note, brothers and sisters. Check your heart, brothers and sisters. If your life is not on this trajectory, you may be falling away from God. You may be like the Israelites. You see God’s good work, but you refuse to give Him your life. You honor God with your lips, but your hearts are far from Him. Be warned.

(3) Warning: The Corporate Fight Against Sin

What are they to do about it? How should someone who wants to heed the warning respond?

“They didn’t lose their salvation. They have now made obvious physically what was true spiritually. They didn’t lose something. They just never had it to begin with.” -Dr. Steven Smith


13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said,

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”(a) They should encourage one another every day not to be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (b) They should guard their hearts from rebellion against God.

True believers aren’t sinless. The temptation of the flesh persists and the believer fights to put the body’s sinful and evil desires under subjection of the Holy Spirit. And yet, the warning demands that believers be resolute in our intolerance of any ongoing, unrepentant personal and corporate sin.

What does it means to encourage one another every day to not be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin? Is this a normal part of your life within the body of Christ?

CONCLUSION

Pay attention to the heart. There are those who, like the Israelites, will express belief in Christ while allowing the deceit of sin to bring forth an evil unbelieving heart. True disciples fight against sin and the authenticity of their faith is proven by their lifelong endurance.



(1) Do you think the Hebrews 3 warning passage is relevant to us at Immanuel? Why or why not?

(2) Have you ever questioned your personal salvation? What caused you to doubt it? How can you truly know if you’re saved?

(3) Have you made a commitment with someone at the church not to allow one another to drift into ongoing sin? What does your relationship look like? How do you encourage each other? How do you hold each other accountable? Have you ever had to call a brother or sister up bluntly regarding their sin?


“Are you still following Jesus through struggles and hardships? Are you clinging to him in spite of a thousand voices telling you to grab on to the things you can see? If so, thank God for his preserving grace. He has preserved you, and he will preserve you, through any difficult days that lie ahead—until he completes the work he began and you see him face to face.” -Jeff Robinson

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Are You Like the Israelites?

See the descriptions of the Israelites below. To the right, take a few moments to write in areas of your own life in which you share these struggles. After a few minutes, share some of these with the class.

The Israelites Me

Did not trust God’s providence

Did not trust God’s protection

Blatantly disobeyed God’s commands

Forgot God’s goodness to them

Forgot God’s power

Worshipped created things rather than God.

Wanted to return to slavery

HOME 22:6SING | Blessed Assurance

READ | Here is a neat poem about our eternal security in Christ.

Salvation's Eternal Flame(c)2000 Holly L. Schmidtbleicher

A darkened room, a raging windA quieted soul embraced within.A single flame the only lightTo pierce the blackness of the night.This tiny flame, though nothing more,Within mind's eye became a door.Opened wide God's truth revealedThat in His love we're ever sealed.If each soul a candle, Truth proclaims,We burn with salvation's eternal flame.This, once received, cannot be lost

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'Tis bought with blood that stained the cross.The winds of sin cannot extinguishWhat Christ's death paid in full and finished.At the moment of receiving God's free gift by believing,Every sin is washed away:Those of past and future and today.This work did not depend on us;All we can simply do is trust.For by our deeds we cannot gain it;We can do nothing to maintain it.God gave ability to choose it,But then sealed in Him, we never lose it.So even when this flame is hid,Or of faith's glow seems to be rid,When sin's density seems to dim its light,And guilt's darkness seems like endless night,Just cling to the promise that He made usThat nothing can ever separate us.Because forever God remains the same,So burn's salvation's eternal flame… 5

PRAY | Our passage this week beckons us to pray in three specific ways.

(a) Lord, help me not to grow hard-hearted and rebellious like the Israelites, who saw your faithfulness and yet grew cold.

(b) Lord, search my heart. Expose the areas of my heart which are far from you. I don’t want to be a Christian in name alone, but a whole-hearted disciple.

(c) Lord, use me to encourage my brothers and sisters not to be enticed by the sins of the world. And may we together exercise our faith by enduring to the end.




SOURCES1 https://odb.org/2013/12/31/in-his-grip/


4 https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/remain-christian-hour-miracle/ 5 http://www.scriptureman.com/hsalpoem.html


L E S S O N 9



TELL A STORYIn the Philippines I heard a local pastor use the following parable to illustrate Christ’s offer of rest (Matt. ll:28) and the response of people who won’t trust Him completely.

The driver of a caribou wagon was on his way to market when he overtook an old man carrying a heavy load. Taking compassion on him, the driver invited the old man to ride in the wagon.

Gratefully the old man accepted. After a few minutes, the driver turned to see how the man was doing. To his surprise, he found him still straining under the heavy weight, for he had not taken the burden off his shoulders.1

Today we will learn of the promise for those in Christ to enter His rest and the demise of those who refuse.

L E T U S F E A R

H E B R E W S



SPARK A DISCUSSIONWhat is the longest amount of time you have ever gone without sleep? What were the circumstances? What was it like? Who holds the record in the class for longest consecutive time without sleeping?

Can you think of a busy and stressful season of life when it seemed like literally day after consecutive day you were working, striving, without much pause? What were the circumstances? How long did you persevere in that season? What was it like?

SHOW A CLIPTimothy KellerNCC Q10: What does God require in the fourth and fifth commandments?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2I5G8hy1pM




Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as He has said,“As I swore in my wrath,‘They shall not enter my rest,’”although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.” 5 And again in this passage He said,“They shall not enter my rest.”6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 again He appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,“Today, if you hear His voice,do not harden your hearts.”8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from His.11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

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LITERARY CONTEXT3






REDEMPTIVE CONTEXT


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CONTENTThe scathing warning of chapter three is followed here by a positive exhortation for those who are in Christ. If those who are hard-hearted will not enter the rest of Jesus, then those who genuinely trust Christ possess a promise of this inheritance. Believers can be assured that they will enter God’s rest.

In chapter four, the author directs the message back and forth from Psalm 95 (a continuation of the analogy from chapter 3) and exhortation of the immediate audience. Let’s unpack the passage by answering two important questions.

(1) What does it mean to enter God’s rest?

(a) Old Testament Analogy

First, the author links “God’s rest” to the Promised Land. If chapter three reminds the Jewish Christians that there were those who did not enter the rest, the readers, conversely will enter the rest.

Verse 3: “For we who have believed enter that rest…”

• The author argues that the purposes of God are not frustrated because Israel of old disobeyed Him and failed to enter the rest He had promised His people. The promise remains. If ancient Israel did not enter God's rest, then someone else will; namely, the Christians. But this should not lead to complacency on their part. If the Israelites of an earlier day, with all their advantages, failed to enter the rest, Christians ought not to think there will be automatic acceptance for them. They must take care lest they, too, fail to enter the blessing.4

(b) Salvific Rest

The ultimate rest believers find in Jesus comes from recognizing that they cannot be saved by works. In this sense, believers cease their striving and efforts and rest in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. In fact, if a person believes in any way that their work even partially contributes to their salvation, they are in serious error and lack authentic faith. This is why it is appropriate to say that we have done nothing to contribute to our salvation. After all, it is a gift. Of course, this demands a bit of nuance because a person trusts, believes, repents. But the focus here is that Jesus did the work to secure our salvation and we did nothing to earn it. We simply responded.

Just like the Israelites allowed their hearts to be hardened and did not enter the rest of the promised land, if the readers of Hebrews have intellectually assented to the idea of Christ but not given their life to Christ, they will not enter the ultimate rest of Jesus, eternal life with Him.

(c) Sanctifying Rest

What remains in the New Covenant is not the Mosaic command to abstain from all work, earning endeavors and effort for one 24-hour period each week. What remains is the principle that God designed humans for rest. It is not that believers once entered Jesus’s rest in order to place saving faith in Christ only to return to the rat race of a stress and anxiety filled life. No. The person who has experienced the salvific rest of the soul in salvation experiences the sanctifying

God continues to hold out to all His children a peaceful, worry-free lifestyle that we can enter into on a moment-by-moment basis. -Chuck Swindoll



rest of casting worldly cares soundly with Jesus every day. We don’t devote one day to resting in Him. We rest in Him with our lives. Consequently, this restful and dependent attitude often demands an actual day in the week reserved for reflection, worship, and calm.

How might you describe someone who never rests in God? What is true of their hearts?

TEENS & REST JEN WILKIN

My oldest son started high school this fall. At his orientation, the counselors took a portion of the program to speak to parents about the greatest challenge they see students face in school. I expected to hear about poor study habits or substance abuse, but to my initial surprise, these were not at the top of the list. Apparently, the greatest challenge presenting itself in the office of the high school guidance counselor is a growing number of kids struggling with anxiety and depression. Can you guess why? It is a combination of over-scheduling and sleep deprivation, linked to two main contributors: electronics use and extracurricular activities. We were encouraged as parents to go home and talk to our teenagers about setting boundaries in both these areas. Parents across the auditorium scribbled notes furiously as the counselors outlined some suggestions: limit texting, monitor bedtimes, cut back on team practices. I couldn’t help but think to myself…tonight there will be many demonstrations of teenage angst when mom shows up with her new list of suggestions. What is unfolding at my son’s high school is a clear illustration of a spiritual truth: the need for regular periods of rest in our lives.5

(2) How can one enter God’s rest?

(a) So long as Jesus tarries, it is never too late.

Some of you, the author says, have yet to enter. Remember that the author addresses believers. This warning is for the modern church. For those of you in the congregation who have witnessed the things of God, but never given your heart fully to Jesus, you can enter His rest today. There is still time. Do not harden your heart.

We often highlight God’s patience in His invitation to all who will come to Him. But let us not forget that His patience has an expiration date. The author of Hebrews invites the people to enter God’s rest, but just as in the time of Moses, there will be those who will not accept the invitation and the time to enter the land will have passed. We do not know when the Lord will return and issue a final judgment, but on that day, it will be too late. This is why the author urges them: Enter the rest.



BEING DILIGENT TO ENTER GOD’S REST CHUCK SWINDOLL

1. We acknowledge that our God is in full control of our lives. No accidents or surprises occur. He calls the shots.

2. We take Him at His Word. We believe His promises (the Bible is full of them—by the hundreds).

3. We claim them by faith. We apply them to our particular circumstance almost as if God were speaking directly to us this very moment.

4. We rest in Him. We consciously refuse to worry or fret over how He is going to work things out. By entering into that rest, we cease from our own works just as deliberately as our Creator-God ceased from His works on the seventh day of the creative week.

5. We continue in that calm frame of mind until God sovereignly intervenes and solves the problem. We keep trusting in Him with all our hearts. And every time an alien thought of anxiety flits through our minds, we turn it over to the Lord in prayer.7

(b) True faith evidenced by obedience and maturity.

In the same way that it is never too late to enter God’s salvation rest in Christ, Scripture beckons believers to remain in His rest. By trusting in God’s providence, clinging to His peace through the trials and troubles of this life, our faith is proven authentic as we endure in His rest to the end.

• Because time is our most limited resource, how we allocate it reveals much about our hearts. Our time usage should look radically different than that of the unbelieving family. We must leave time for slow afternoons, for evening meals where we pray together and share our faith and struggles, for Sunday mornings of shared worship. God ordains Sabbath for our good and for His glory.6

John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”

CONCLUSION

Jesus is the believers’ ultimate and present Sabbath rest.

May our homes be places where Sabbath rest is jealously guarded, that in all things God might have preeminence – even our schedules. -Jen Wilkin





(1) What would you say is the difference between the “rest” we find in Jesus through salvation and the “rest” we are to find in Him in this life? Is there one you more easily exhibit?

(2) Let’s discuss the spiritual rest the author refers to. Are you good at resting in Jesus? How does your life look different from your co-workers’ or neighbors’ whose souls do not know the rest Jesus provides? Can you remember the time when you came to Christ for salvation? Often times when people share their testimony, they talk about a weight that was lifted. In this sense, they experience the soul rest that comes by throwing yourself at the mercy of Christ. Was this your experience?

(3) Are you guilty of becoming too busy? What do our busy schedules say about us? Are we busy for the kingdom? Are we busy for some earthly reward? What motivates you to take on more and more things?

Getting to the Heart.

When we take time to examine our hearts, we realize there is fear and anxiety. I fear my children won’t have enough opportunities. I fear they will resent me later if I do not provide certain things for them. I fear I will lose my job if I don’t overachieve in a certain area. I am anxious my mother will remove her affection if we don’t pack up the kids to visit this Christmas. I am anxious if I lose this job, I won’t be able to find another one. We may try to convince ourselves we’re busy with noble endeavors, but most of the time we’re busy trying to satisfy our own doubts. Finding our rest in God is the only place we will find the satisfaction and fulfillment we are looking for. We won’t save every relationship or keep a steady enough grip on every job we possess. The joy of life is not that we controlled everything. It is that we rested in God’s providence. We work with all the energy and time we can healthily give and then we say, “I trust you God with the results.”



Have you ever taken time to consider the areas of your life where you are the most anxious?

Take 3-4 minutes in class and have the class list the things that produce the most anxiety/fear in them. Here are some probing questions to get them started:

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(1) In what situations do you tend to fly off the handle in anger or frustration? Does it have anything to do with something you fear or something you’re insecure about?

(2) What keeps you up at night? Is there something you’re thinking through so thoroughly that you’re trying to control it within your own power instead of trusting God? When you think about it, is it controlling you more than you’re controlling it?

(3) Are you especially sensitive about one part of your identity? If someone makes a comment about x, y, or z, are you liable to become unhinged? Is there a hidden fear or anxiety there?

Now list the things that have a tendency to cause you anxiety. After a few minutes, ask members of the class to share one each. When one person shares, ask the class if they can think of a Scripture that might represent what God would say to this anxiety. On one side of their notes, their column might say “Anxieties” and they should make notes on the other side for Scriptures that help remind them of God’s truth.

ANXIETIES WHAT GOD SAYS

HOME 22:6SING | Your Grace is Sufficient

• This is an easy and simple chorus and excellent for family worship time.• Here’s an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ1jCPV_s_4

READ | Matthew 11:28-30

PRAY | Pray that God would help you to implement a regular pattern of rest for the body and trusting Him moment by moment; cast your anxieties on Him.

SOURCES1 Larry Chell from https://bible.org/illustration/christ’s-offer-rest 2 NKJV Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible Notes, Introduction to Hebrews3 MacArthur Study Bible, Introduction to Hebrews4 Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament, 4:1-105 https://www.jenwilkin.net/blog/2010/10/guarding-sabbath-for-our-children.html 6 https://www.jenwilkin.net/blog/2010/10/guarding-sabbath-for-our-children.html7 https://www.insight.org/resources/daily-devotional/individual/shifting-the-stress-by-prayer-and-rest


L E S S O N 1 0



TELL A STORYMany years ago in a Moscow theater, matinee idol Alexander Rostovzev was converted while playing the role of Jesus in a sacrilegious play entitled Christ in a Tuxedo. He was supposed to read two verses from the Sermon on the Mount, remove his gown, and cry out, “Give me my tuxedo and top hat!” But as he read the words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted,” he began to tremble. Instead of following the script, he kept reading from Matthew 5, ignoring the coughs, calls, and foot-stamping of his fellow actors.

Finally, recalling a verse he had learned in his childhood in a Russian Orthodox church, he cried, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom!” (Luke 23:42). Before the curtain could be lowered, Rostovzev had trusted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.1

S A V E D B Y T H E W O R D

H E B R E W S


R E A D • R E V I E W • R E F L E C T • R E S P O N D L E S S O N 1 0

SPARK A DISCUSSIONSo many people in our day are turned off by the Bible. They believe it is old, outdated, irrelevant and corrupt. In fact, when someone references the Bible, they immediately grow apathetic, assuming the person is biased, ill-informed, or ignorant. Furthermore, citing the Bible in any academic argument is almost universally dismissed on the basis that it is a religious, unproveable source written by people with an agenda.

What should the church’s response be to this growing animosity toward the Bible?

(a) Should we keep the church talk to the church building and small groups and not bother others with it?

(b) Perhaps we should talk about the values of God, but not mention the Bible as their source?

(c) Should we find the parts of the Bible that are more palatable to society and only champion those things?

SHOW A CLIPThe Bible is Living and Activehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3sVDFRdz9M

"This Book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this Book" – the words of Pastor James MacDonald's grandfather, written inside the Bible he gave James as a young boy.




12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

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THE IDEA: While the class may roll their eyes at your

seemingly silly solutions, probe them a bit more.

Well, then, what is their idea?


R E A D • R E V I E W • R E F L E C T • R E S P O N DL E S S O N 1 0






LITERARY CONTEXT3






REDEMPTIVE CONTEXT


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CONTENTThe Word of God here refers to the revelation of God. In this specific context, special consideration should be given to Jesus as the revelation of God. Jesus, the Word become flesh, and the message of the kingdom He came to deliver is sharper than any double-edged sword. The good news of the kingdom is sharper than any double-edged sword. The truth that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father but through Christ is sharper than any two-edged sword. God’s revelation to the world penetrates to the core of creation.

Read 2 Timothy 3:16. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” We know that God’s word is useful in this way. God’s revelation shapes us, guides us, teaches us. But here, the focus is how God’s truth penetrates hearts.

(1) The Word of God is living and active.

Jesus is alive. And His Gospel is alive. Scripture is alive. It moves and breathes, in a sense. The idea here is that the Word of God has a function. It is not a document to be read. It is not history to be told.

• The Word of God is not a dead word or an ineffective word. It has life in it. And because it has life in it, it produces effects. There is something about the truth, as God has revealed it, that connects it to God as a source of all life and power. God loves His word. He is partial to His word. He honors His word with His presence and power. If you want your teaching or witness to have power and produce effects, stay close to the revealed Word of God.4

Why do you suppose it is so important for the church to be text-driven? To be Gospel-driven?

Co-workers and neighbors continue to try to convince us that the ultimate sense of reality is found in one’s feelings, one’s experiences. But we are not assured that our feelings and emotions have transformative power. In fact, a church built upon the foundation of experience and emotionalism will in time prove powerless. Similarly, a believer who spouts the latest worldly quips and evaluates truth based on whether it feels right will be proven powerless. The Word of God, God’s revelation to the world, His Son, His Bible have the power to change hearts. Thank God for a body of believers that gathers and stands upon the Word of God.

Dr. Smith often describes preaching as “re-presenting the text.” Why do you suppose he is so resolute in his desire not to sway from the biblical message?

• First, commit yourself to reading and passionately learning the whole counsel of God, book-by-book, and live in accordance with it, no matter the cost. I say “book-by-book”

"The anatomy of temptation begins with questioning the Word of God." -Dr. Steven W. Smith


because that is the way God spoke, not in random verses without contexts. If we do this together, we will lay a foundation that can’t be shaken, a foundation that will give us a biblical understanding of God and His ways. We will understand true, biblical prayer, experience deep spiritual revival, introduce the world and reintroduce our nation to the one who is the way, the truth and the life.5

(2) The Word of God pierces.

If we are right to suppose that there are those in the Jewish audience who were friendly to the idea of Christ, and yet refused to yield themselves fully to God, this strong description of the Word alerts them that the Word of God will expose them.

“sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow”

The author uses the phrase “the division of soul and spirit” to describe the very core of a person. The Word of God penetrates to the deepest core of its hearers. Down into the soul and spirit. There is no barrier humans can construct that would be strong enough to fend off the power of the Word of God. There is no place within our being where we can store hidden thoughts, intentions, or actions. The truth of God pierces through our masks to what is underneath.

Why do you suppose the description here is not that the Word of God moves people or inspires people? Why, in this context, does it penetrate people?

(3) The Word of God discerns.

Some translations use the word “judges.” The Word of God judges the intentions of the heart. This provides another compelling reason for memorizing Scripture (Psalm 119:11). As we move through life and make daily decisions, when Scripture comes to our minds and hearts, we can discern our intentions. The Scripture helps us discern our motivations.

• With the word "judges," we move to legal terminology. The Word of God passes judgment on our feelings and thoughts. Nothing evades the scope of this Word. What people hold as most secret they find subject to its scrutiny and judgment.6

Remember 1 Sam 16:7? But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

• But here’s the wonderful news about all this. God’s intent in “exposing” my heart in these ways wasn’t so that He might make a mockery of me or shame me or ultimately harm me in any way. What God’s Word did in me was far more than expose my pride and self-protection and arrogance. Yes, it was convicting. Yes, it was painful. But it was redemptive and healing and empowering as God’s Word, through the Holy Spirit, brought me to life at least in regard to those three issues.7


“You can study it for a lifetime and still not fathom its depths. It is a book so deep you can swim forever and never touch bottom, yet so peaceful that even a child can take a drink without fear of drowning.” -Adrian Rogers

“Many of us hold God’s Word in high esteem, but it has no power in our lives. The Bible wasn’t meant to decorate your coffee table or be held under your arm at church. The Word of God was written because of what it can do in our lives.” -Tony Evans



“This is the age of the sermonette, and sermonettes make Christianettes.” -Michael Green

(4) The Word of God does not discriminate.

Evidently the author wants to remind the readers that everyone must deal with the Word of God. The Word of God brings a person to complete exposure. When a person is naked, they are fully known. There is no covering. They are exposed. The warning is the same for both surface-level “name only” Christians and non-Christians. Don’t think that you can continue in your hard heartedness and somehow be insulated from God. In this way, the author of Hebrews continues with this thread: in due time, posers will be exposed. Be careful not to be a poser, lest you drift away into sin. Pay attention to your heart because if there is no obedience and transformation there, you may be a poser. Instead, grow in Christ. Instead, spur each other on to reject sin. The Word of God is not something to be played with. It’s not a fact to believe or reject. It is living and active. It pierces to the heart. It exposes everyone. We must respond to the Word of God.

Can you think of some non-believer in your life who seems to think they are immune to God’s judgment?

Do you think it’s possible someone could be in our body at Immanuel and be consistently rejecting the Word of God? How could one exist at Immanuel as a poser? How difficult would it be?

• The anemia of evangelical worship—all the music and energy aside—is directly attributable to the absence of genuine expository preaching. Such preaching would confront the congregation with nothing less than the living and active Word of God. That confrontation will shape the congregation as the Holy Spirit accompanies the word, opens eyes, and applies that word to human hearts.8

CONCLUSION

The Word of God is powerful. It cuts to the heart of man.





(1) Have you ever convinced yourself that you had a personal sin, out of reach from God’s conviction?

(2) Would you say your personal life exhibits the truth of Hebrews 4:12-13? In other words, can people close to you sense that God’s Word is special to you? Do you treat it as living and active in your life? If so, how?

(3) Do you love God’s Word? Is it possible to develop a love for God’s Word? What does the Bible do for you that would cause you to yearn for it each day?



Spend a few minutes at the end of class comparing notes on your Scripture reading patterns. See what you can glean from each other as they share about the systems and habits that have worked for them over the years. If you find an appropriate moment, challenge the class to set a goal for Scripture reading this week and report back next week.

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HOME 22:6

SING | “Word of God” from Seeds Family Worship is based on the verses we studied this week.https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/KidsSeries/136097?episode=10

READ | Sam Storms described a time when he felt “laid bare” by the Word of God. Read his prayer below and see if it would stimulate this kind of honest and dependent prayer with your family this week.

“Oh, my, Lord. You are the potter. Not me. I’m only the clay. You created me. You called me into existence out of nothing. I only live because your mercy sustains me. I deserve eternal damnation and you in grace have chosen to give me eternal life. Forgive me for questioning your ways. Forgive me for judging you and arrogantly thinking that I exist to hold you to account for what you do. Forgive me for presumptuously thinking that I know how to do things better than you do, more justly than you. I am the clay. Mold me and shape me however you see fit.”9

PRAY | Pray that you would be so nourished, challenged, and changed by the Word of God that you would grow to love it.

SOURCES1 Why Christians Sin, J. K. Johnston, Discovery House, 1992, p. 121 from https://bible.org/

illustration/script-change

2 NKJV Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible Notes, Introduction to Hebrews

3 MacArthur Study Bible, Introduction to Hebrews

4 https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/pierced-by-the-word-of-god 5 Arthur, Kay. https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/precept/read/articles/the-power-to-

change-15249.html 6 Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament, 4:12

7 https://www.samstorms.com/enjoying-god-blog/post/two-personal-illustrations-of-the-power-of-gods-word

8 https://albertmohler.com/2013/08/19/expository-preaching-the-antidote-to-anemic-worship/

9 https://www.samstorms.com/enjoying-god-blog/post/two-personal-illustrations-of-the-power-of-gods-word


L E S S O N 1 1



TELL A STORYIt took nearly two years to build and cost six million dollars, which was a large sum at that time. On opening day, July 1, 1940, The Tacoma Narrows Bridge was the third longest suspension bridge in the world. Spanning Puget Sound between Tacoma and Kitsap Peninsula, the people who made the crossing on that day marveled at this engineering wonder of the modern world. But Tacoma Narrows would soon be famous for a different and disastrous reason. Even during construction, workers felt the deck of cables and girders undulating up and down. Concluding it was just part of the design, they affectionately dubbed the bridge “Galloping Gertie.” That wobble and shimmy continued until November 7, 1940 when a 35 to 40 mph wind made Galloping Gertie go for the wildest ride in history. All that metal and blacktop began bucking like a rodeo bronco on speed. The shaking began just as Leonard Coatsworth, a Tacoma News Tribune editor drove onto the bridge. He was traveling to his daughter’s house to return her black cocker spaniel, Tubby:

“Just as I drove past the towers, the bridge began to sway violently from side to side. I jammed on the brakes and got out, only to be thrown onto my face against the curb. Around me I could hear concrete cracking. The car itself began to slide from side to

T H E G R E A T E R P R I E S T

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side of the roadway. On hands and knees most of the time, I crawled 500 yards to the towers. My knees were raw and bleeding, my hands bruised and swollen from gripping the concrete curb. Toward the last, I risked rising to my feet and running a few yards at a time.”

Just five days before, Professor Frederick Farquharson, a University of Washington professor of engineering proposed a solution to the bridge’s shaking. Now, watching the disaster unfold, Dr. Farquharson and a news reporter walked out onto the bridge during a lull to rescue Tubby. The dog, too terrified to leave the car, bit one of the rescuers and they were forced to leave him in the car.

At 11 a.m. the center span of the bridge broke up and fell into the water below. The16 mm footage of that unbelievable undulation has been shown in countless science classes as a lesson on why it’s important to learn all those boring physics formulas.

Bridges get us from one side of a river, ravine or canyon to the other. Of course, the center span needs to be solid and secure. Yet it’s also vitally important that the bridge be firmly anchored on both sides. We would never take a crossing if the bridge only brought us 95% of the way.1

Today the author of Hebrews will show us that the work of the high priests was only a picture of the greater and complete priestly work of Jesus Christ.

SPARK A DISCUSSIONAfter falling to temptation, have you ever awoken the next day and decided to “make it up” to God? “Surely, doing x, y, and z for the Lord will make up for this.” How does this mentality contradict the Scriptural message that Jesus is the ultimate High Priest?

SHOW A CLIPArkansas Bridge Bows after Tour Bus Drives Across ithttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cspk7yJPR74

There is no weight limit on the bridge of Jesus, our Savior, the Great High Priest who has made a way for us to enter heaven.




For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to

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THE IDEA: If we could get

ourselves right with God in any

sense, then Jesus’s death is in vain. The offerings of

the Old Testament were only a

shadow of the ultimate and final sacrifice of Jesus.


offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

5 So also Christ did not exalt Himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by Him who said to Him,

“You are my Son, today I have begotten you;”

6 as He says also in another place,“You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

7 In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. 8 Although He was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. 9 And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.







LITERARY CONTEXT3



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REDEMPTIVE CONTEXT

In God’s grand narrative, the Old Testament has demonstrated man’s sinful nature, his desperate need for redemption, and his inability to obtain righteousness and salvation by the works of his own hand. At the ordained time, God sent Jesus as the Jewish Messiah and the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. Following His death, burial, resurrection, appearances to His followers, and ascension to the right hand of the Father, His first followers formed and expanded the church through the preaching of Jesus’s message of salvation by faith alone to all who will follow Him. It is into this early church context that the author of Hebrews writes, beckoning Jewish converts to hold fast to the Gospel.

CONTENTTake a moment to recount the literary context. What is the message of Hebrews? The first thing the author sets out to do is to position Jesus rightly. Over the first 4 chapters of Hebrews, he accomplishes this by comparing Jesus to several things. Jesus is God’s Son. He is the creator and sustainer of the universe. He holds all authority. He’s not an angel who is a mere assistant in the plans of God. He is the executor of God’s plan. He was not created as a helper. He has no beginning. He’s been one with the Father and the Spirit forever. Jesus is far greater than angels. Further, Moses was faithful as a vessel to lead God’s people from captivity. But Jesus, greater still, was faithful to take on flesh and die on the cross to absorb the wrath of God on behalf of the world. And there were those in the Old Testament who did not enter the rest of the Promised Land due to their unbelief. And now, people are in danger of committing a greater offense in rejecting Jesus, the source of ultimate rest. Jesus is better. So play close attention, lest you drift. Jesus is better. So do not harden your heart. Encourage each other to run from sin, and especially habitual sinfulness, lest you are exposed as a fraud. Jesus is better. So enter His rest with haste. Jesus is better.

And now, Jesus is the ultimate high priest.

(1) Similarities between high priests and Jesus.

As with many things in the Old Testament, high priests served as a picture of a greater reality coming. High priests in Jewish culture were appointed as those who would serve as a mediator between the people and God, offering sacrifices of atonement to God on behalf of the people. It can also be deduced that the Jews continued in this ritual system even on into the time that this epistle was written.

“If not for a compassionate High Priest, popularity will destroy me. Lord help me see the vanity of all praise but your own.” -Lecrae Moore


In the same way that priests could not appoint themselves to the position, the author says, Jesus did not exalt Himself to this position either. He was appointed by God to carry out this mission as the ultimate high priest. The author uses Psalm 2:7 and Psalm 110:4 as evidence of Jesus’s appointment. It is important to remember that though Jesus voluntarily subjected Himself to the will of the Father to take on these roles within the redemptive plan of God, it in no way compromises His status as a divine member of the Godhead.

Jesus also shared with the high priests of the day an understanding of human weakness. Jesus is compassionate in this way because He felt the stinging pain of the broken world. The clear difference, which we will explore below, however, is that high priests had to offer atoning sacrifices for their own sin. High priests related with the people as a fellow sinner, where Jesus did not.

A priest, most simply put, went to God on behalf of the people.

Take a look at John 17 and what has come to be called the “High Priestly Prayer.”

John 17:20-26

20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Can you see Jesus as the High Priest here?

• Once a year, the high priest of the Israelites would enter that “God room” with a small pan of blood precisely as God required it in the Law, which he poured out on the grail (called the "mercy seat") there between the golden cherubim. God, witnessing the spilling of the blood and pleased with the sacrifice that had been made correctly by the priest, graciously forgave the Hebrew people for their sin. It was an annual event, the most sacred of all events. The Hebrews must have held their breath as the high priest went in with the pan, poured the blood, and came out of this room where God dwelled.4

(2) Difference between high priests and Jesus.

The idea is not that Jesus is a high priest. It is that He is the high priest. He is greater than angels, greater than prophets, greater than Moses, the greater Sabbath. He is the greater High Priest.


Nothing is so great for you to endure that Jesus does not feel touched by. He’ll stay by you through it. -Charles R. Swindoll



High Priests Jesus

Appointed by men Appointed by God

Made atonement for own sin Needed no atonement for own sin

Offered temporal sacrifices Offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice

Human, fallible Human (& divine), without blemish

Offer atonement for one Offer atonement for all

High Priest King & Priest

More will be explored in Chapter 7 regarding Melchizedek. But here, the author wants the reader to know that there was an Old Testament figure who foreshadows Christ.

“Our great High Priest, Jesus, always lives to make intercession for us. We all go through periods of guilt, shame, and self-reproach. But the blood of Jesus Christ washes away every stain, forgives every sin, redeems every mistake, and silences the taunts of our diabolical bully.” -David Jeremiah

“Jesus knows how a fallen world affects you, how temptations compete for supremacy within your soul. Jesus gets the shame, the demoralizing feeling that accompanies the skirmish between what you feel and who you are called to be. Jesus understands, and He sympathizes with you.” –Dave Harvey

JESUS & MELCHIZIDEK5

Few persons in the Bible are shrouded in more mystery than Melchizedek, king of Salem. After the battle against the five kings in Genesis 14:17, Melchizedek stepped into the narrative as if out of nowhere . . . then vanished again. We know nothing of his ancestry, his family, or his exploits. All we know is that he was the ruler of nearby Salem—the city that would one day be called “Jerusalem”—and that he was called “priest of God Most High” (Genesis 14:18). When Melchizedek met Abram after his victory, the king came with bread and wine in his hands and a blessing on his lips.

Centuries later, after the coming of Christ, the author of Hebrews looked at the account of Melchizedek and drew a number of analogies between him and the ultimate High Priest and King of Jerusalem, Jesus. The book of Hebrews doesn’t say that Melchizedek was literally the Son of God making a cameo appearance. Rather, the author drew parallels between the two figures, suggesting that what Melchizedek was literarily, Jesus Christ is literally. The cue for this parallelism came from Psalm 110:4, in which the Davidic Messiah was called “a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” Consider these analogies from Hebrews 7:1–3 that teach us about our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ.

Literarily Melchizedek was... Literally Jesus Christ is...

A priest outside the Levitcal priesthood, therefore not a minister of the Law of

Moses, which came much later

The ultimate priest outside the Levitcal priesthood, therefore not a minister of the

Law of Moses, which He fulfilled

A "king of righteousness" according to a translation of his name

The "king of righteousness" because He purchased righteousness for us on the cross

A "king of peace," as Salem means "peace"

The Prince of Peace, who will one day bring a kingdom of universal peace

Without a record of parents, having neither his beginning nor end recorded in Scripture

The eternal Song of God, having neither beginning nor end, eternally one with the

Father and Holy Spirit as God the Son



CONCLUSION

Jesus is the greater and ultimate high priest, making atonement for the sins of the world.



(1) How difficult is it for you to forgive yourself? Do you harbor guilt and disappointment toward your past indiscretions? What does your view of your past sins tell others about your view of Jesus and His forgiveness?

(2) Take a moment to describe a couple different people. What are some adjectives you would use to describe someone who is outside of Christ?

And now what does it mean for a person to be in Christ?

How does the work of Christ as high priest afford us this type of change?

(3) Jesus is the ultimate high priest in that He sympathizes with us in the brokenness of this world. Although He was sinless and victorious where we are not, does it bring you comfort when you’re tempted to know that Jesus has been tempted as well? What difference does it make that Jesus relates to us in this way?



Do you have any devout Catholic friends? For the purposes of this exercise, imagine a close Catholic friend of yours came and shared with you at lunch one day:

“It has been such a rough year. Ever since I took this new job, I am just exhausted. I have been short with my spouse. I’m not listening when my kids are talking to me. I’ve been zoning out in the middle of the day scrolling through Facebook. The pictures of old friends make me yearn for a simpler time. No kids. No spouse. I seemed happier then. I know it’s wrong, but when you

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s

THE IDEA: Sometimes we simply cannot believe that

Jesus’s forgiveness can stretch as far and as wide as

the sins we have committed. This

is the point. Jesus is the ultimate

atoning sacrifice. We need not

worry whether our sacrifice was

acceptable to God. The price was paid in full.

THE IDEA: hopeless, aimless, empty, dead in sin,

unsure

THE IDEA: secure, forgiven, not perfect but striving, satisfied,

hopeful (See Romans 8)



work the hours I do, I feel like I deserve a Friday night with a few too many drinks and fun with my friends. But I feel bad about it.”

When you gently ask, “What does God think of this new lifestyle?” She responds by saying, “Well that’s what keeps me sane in all of this. I know if I can just make it to confession, God will forgive me. Every time I go to confession I feel better for a little while.

Take 3-4 minutes in class and write (or type into your phone), a 3-4 line plea to your friend that Jesus is the Great High Priest. The emptiness and powerlessness of this pattern can only be reconciled by clinging to Jesus. Share with the class some of the things you shared with your friend.

HOME 22:6

SING | Crown Him with Many Crowns

READ | John 17

PRAY | Make a list as a family. If you were to go to the temple once per year to offer an animal sacrifice for your sins, what sins would be on this year’s list? Thank God for becoming the ultimate High Priest who offers forgiveness for all of our past, present, and future sins.

SOURCES1 From “Taking the Crossing” Sermon by Rev. Douglas C. Hoglund. https://www.woodside-church.

org/files/sermons/Sermon%20pdfs/Take%20the%20Crossing.pdf 2 NKJV Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible Notes, Introduction to Hebrews

3 MacArthur Study Bible, Introduction to Hebrews4 https://www.insight.org/resources/daily-devotional/individual/we-have-an-anchor

5 Svigel, Michael. https://insight.org/resources/article-library/individual/melchizedek-as-a-type-of-christ


L E S S O N 1 2



TELL A STORYIn The Last Days Newsletter, Leonard Ravenhill tells about a group of tourists visiting a picturesque village who walked by an old man sitting beside a fence. In a rather patronizing way, one tourist asked, "Were any great men born in this village?"

The old man replied, "Nope, only babies.”

A frothy question brought a profound answer. There are no instant heroes, whether in this world or in the kingdom of God. Growth takes time, and as 1 Timothy 3:6 and 5:22 point out, even spiritual leadership must be earned.

- William C. Shereos1

W A R N I N G , P A R T 1

H E B R E W S



SPARK A DISCUSSIONCan a person who cannot articulate the Gospel be saved?

If a survey was conducted in our church and every active member of Immanuel was given a survey containing basic spiritual questions, could this reveal something of the maturity of the congregation? Suppose 500 people in the church suggested that:

(a) A person is saved by working hard to be a good person and believing that Jesus is God’s Son.

(b) People from other faith backgrounds who live a good life can also be saved.

(c) All humans are generally good people who tend to do the right thing.

(d) There’s not really one truth, so we shouldn’t judge someone who believes differently from us.

Would it be a fair assumption that these congregants are not saved? Is it possible that congregations in America contain people who would answer in these counter-biblical ways?

SHOW A CLIPhttps://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/illustration/98539

This clip is a silly example, but the point is quite serious. Is it possible that someone has been in church for years and years and simply hasn’t grown at all?




11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

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LITERARY CONTEXT3






REDEMPTIVE CONTEXT


k




CONTENTBiblical scholars differ at times as how to properly divide a book of the Bible. The chapter and verse markings we see in our Bibles, of course, were added much later. So Bible experts examine the book and look for themes and arguments. They hope to extract the author’s overall message by identifying the structure. John Macarthur, from whom we have borrowed an outline for this study, sees a shift here in the book. The focus on Christ as High priest (4:14-5:10) shifts to an encouragement to the audience toward whole hearted commitment to Christ (5:11-6:20).

Here, the author indicts the audience for spiritual stagnancy. Evidently, they had become lethargic in the learning and applying of truth. They had become slow to grow spiritually. The description of this spiritual condition is clear, and the underlying warning is stark.

(1) Describing Spiritual Childhood: Immaturity

They cannot understand. (v11)

Here in verse 11, the language is “dull of hearing.” These spiritual concepts have become hard to explain to them. They cannot understand these deep truths (especially regarding the full depiction of the person of Christ). Remember the grand message of Hebrews: Jesus is better. The author continues to develop his case as to Jesus’s position, His authority, His greatness, His worthiness to be worshipped. And here he points out the fact that the audience has been slow to absorb and apply these truths, making it challenging to move onto a deeper level of instruction.

They need someone to teach them the basics. (v12)

Someone who is spiritually immature refuses to teach others, mainly because they have not willfully received the truth and applied it to their lives. Instead, they need someone to continue to teach them the basics.

• 5:12 Teachers. Every believer is to be a teacher (Col. 3:16; 1 Pet. 3:15; cf. Deut. 6:7; 2 Tim. 3:15). If these Hebrews had really obeyed the Gospel of Christ, they would have been passing that message on to others. The Jews were instructed in the law and prided themselves because they taught the law but had not really understood or appropriated its truths to themselves.4

They need “milk” not “solid food” for spiritual nourishment. (v13)

The author clearly uses the metaphor of an infant to drive home his point. Infants get all the nourishment they need from milk. But if a growing toddler were to never advance to solid food, they would be unable to grow and become vibrant. In the same way, the spiritually immature person depicted here has decided not to advance to solid food, but prefers to live on milk, which seriously cripples their spiritual development.

They are unskilled in the word of righteousness. (v14)

The Hebrews, because they were unwilling to apply these truths and move on to deeper understanding and growth, were unskilled in reference to the truth of the Gospel. For those in the Hebrew congregation who had given mere intellectual assent to the idea of Christ but failed to fully trust and obey Him in their lives, this depiction of spiritual infancy fits quite well.

"Gradual growth in grace, growth in knowledge, growth in faith, growth in love, growth in holiness, growth in humility, growth in spiritual-mindedness - all this I see clearly taught and urged in Scripture, and clearly exemplified in the lives of many of God's saints. But sudden, instantaneous leaps from conversion to consecration I fail to see in the Bible." -JC Ryle

“Christians who neglect the Bible simply do not mature.” -John Stott


They may believe in Jesus, but they haven’t given their lives to Christ. Therefore, they truly don’t understand the Gospel, the understanding of the undeserved righteousness believers are given through Christ.

One of the most obvious signs of spiritual immaturity is when a person cannot articulate the central components of the Christian faith. What does it tell a person about his own faith if he cannot articulate what he believes?

They possess no discernment (good from evil). (v14)

We would not be surprised to learn that a spiritually immature person is especially prone to excursions into sin, unwise practices, and folly. It could be that the author is laser focused on those half-hearted, unredeemed in the group who perhaps believe in the concept of Jesus but have not trusted Him as the only sacrifice suitable to atone for their sin. They have not responded to the good news with true repentance and faith. And therefore, as previous sections have suggested, their faith is in danger of being exposed as inauthentic. True faith transforms and grows. This “faith” they possess is proving hollow. Of course, someone who has not given his life to Christ will not have gone to the depths of the Word of God to learn how to discern good from evil in belief and practice. If the author addresses young but stagnant authentic believers, the implication is the same. If your faith is authentic, you will grow. You will move from milk to meat so that you will grow in increasing discernment.

They exhibit no (or at least inconsistent) spiritual practice. (v14)

Learning to be discerning and learning to be skilled in the Gospel takes practice. This is why we can tell a lot about our own spiritual state by examining our spiritual practices.

(2) Describing Spiritual Adulthood: Maturity

It is not difficult to identify the opposite of spiritual immaturity here in the text. The author has given quite the thorough portrait of a disciple here.

What are some characteristics of someone who is spiritually mature?


“Spiritual maturity is not reached by the passing of the years, but by obedience to the will of God.” -Oswald Chambers

THE IDEA: Now let’s compare this list to what we see

here in the text.



They understand spiritual things. (v11)

If the Hebrews were growing in Christ, they would be able to understand the deeper things of God. They would reflect on the greatness and majesty of Christ and allow it to produce in them worshipful lives of service. They would grow in increasing awareness of their own sin and increasing understanding of the sufficiency of Christ.

They are teachers. (v12)

Due to the nature of American Christian culture, we have mostly ignored Scripture’s call to every believer to teach. We have assumed this activity is reserved for the seminary trained or the paid church staff members, or perhaps an especially gifted minority within the church. However, the Scriptures teach that Jesus’s followers are teachers. While there are various types of teaching, and offices designated for teaching, every follower of Jesus is a sharer. They are passers of faith. They are trainers of the next generation. They are parents. They are disciple-makers.

Reference Passage

Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

1 Peter 3:15

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…

Deut. 6:7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Matt. 28:19-20

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

5

“The Bible is the divine means of developing spiritual maturity. There is no other way.” -Howard Hendricks



They progress to solid food. (v13)

A disciple who is growing spiritually learns more and more of God’s Word. The Holy Spirit illuminates the Scriptures to reveal more and more areas of disciples’ hearts which are hardened toward God, which are drifting from God, which remain in his own grasp and not under the control of the Savior. In moving from milk to meat, the disciple matures. She grows in increasing likeness to the Savior.

Their ability to discern grows. (v14)

Just as it is not surprising for a spiritually immature person to continue in folly, it is not surprising that a growing Christian pursues holiness. They open themselves to the conviction of the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures and yield in obedience to Christ. They are not easily enticed by the subtle lies of Satan. They can recognize the Gospel and confront false teachings. They lead and guide their families. They are led by the Spirit in their daily endeavors.

Their lives are characterized by constant spiritual practice. (v14)

The roots of an oak tree are not put down in a weekend. And the grounded faith of a mature disciple is not developed during a weekend retreat. An elite athlete does not become an Olympian on the day she wins at the Olympic Trials. She achieved the Olympic standard in the months and years which preceded. Similarly, the vibrant and proven faith of a spiritual hero has been developed over the years and years of spiritual discipline and practice.

• “Sometimes when we read the words of those who have been more than conquerors, we feel almost despondent. I feel that I shall never be like that. But they won through step by step, by little bits of wills, little denials of self, little inward victories, by faithfulness in very little things. They became what they are. No one sees these little hidden steps. They only see the accomplishment, but even so, those small steps were taken. There is no sudden triumph, no spiritual maturity. That is the work of the moment.” -Amy Carmichael

CONCLUSION

Authentic faith grows. Authentic followers of Jesus become discerning, maturing teachers of others.



(1) Can you think of someone who is a spiritual role model for you? Do you see the spiritual practices of their lives? What do they do consistently? Do you suspect their depth of faith is more of a spiritual gift or something that has been developed over time and practice?

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(2) Have you ever stopped to chart your own spiritual growth over the years? How would you answer the following questions?

a. How has my understanding of the nature and character of God changed over the past 5 years? 10 years?

b. How has my decision making changed over the past 5 or 10 years?

c. In what areas can I see that I have gotten stronger, wiser, better in my walk with Christ and my service to Him in this life?

d. If I took a theology or Bible exam today, would I score higher today than I would have 10 years ago? Which books of the Bible or theological concepts have you spent particular time going deeper in?

(3) What part does Bible reading, Bible memorization, and overall Bible understanding play in spiritual growth? Is it possible to grow spiritually without engaging with Scripture? And how do Bible knowledge and Bible application relate to one another as a part of spiritual growth?



Name something you’re trying to accomplish in life, something you’re working at. Some examples might be: losing weight, being a better parent, completing a project at work, earning a promotion, running a marathon, getting out of debt.

List the practice you enlist to get there. What things do you have to do daily, weekly, monthly, yearly to get closer to your goals?


Now consider your spiritual growth. How does it compare?

Consider writing down one spiritual goal. What practices would you need to employ to get there? Let’s take one example. Perhaps you want to be more involved in sharing your faith with family members and friends. You would likely need to:

(a) Spend time studying the Scriptures to deepen your understanding of the Gospel.

(b) Spend more time with lost friends and family members, looking for opportunities.

(c) Meet with a spiritual mentor who is more experienced in this area for coaching and support.

(d) Spend time practicing the spiritual conversations you will have with your loved ones.

(e) Spend time praying for those you are hoping to influence for Christ.

HOME 22:6SING | The Old Rugged Cross

• Give special attention to the latter verses featuring a Christian’s response to the cross.

READ | Some Additional Passages on Spiritual Growth

2 Peter 3:18

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

1 Timothy 4:15

Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.

Hebrews 6:1

Therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God…




SOURCES1 https://bible.org/illustration/no-instant-heroes 2 NKJV Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible Notes, Introduction to Hebrews

3 MacArthur Study Bible, Introduction to Hebrews4 Macarthur Study Bible, 5:12

5 https://thegospelcenteredlife.com/2012/02/28/shrinking-the-cross/

Romans 5:2-6

Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Philippians 1:9

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment…

2 Corinthians 13:5-7

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed.

PRAY | That God would (a) deepen your faith in a way that propels growth, (b) show you areas of your life which need attention, and (c) grant you courage and stamina to practice spiritual disciplines with consistency and joy.


L E S S O N 1 3



TELL A STORYSeveral years ago, in Long Beach, California, a fellow went into a fried chicken place and bought a couple of chicken dinners for himself and his date late one afternoon. The young woman at the counter inadvertently gave him the proceeds from the day—a whole bag of money (much of it was cash) instead of fried chicken.

After driving to their picnic site, the two of them sat down to open the meal and enjoy some chicken together. They discovered a whole lot more than chicken…over $800! But he was unusual. He quickly put the money back in the bag. They got back into the car and drove all the way back. Mr. Clean got out, walked in, and became an instant hero. By then the manager was frantic.

The guy with the bag of money looked the manager in the eye and said, “I want you to know I came by to get a couple of chicken dinners and wound up with all this money. Here.” Well, the manager was thrilled to death. He said, “Oh, great, let me call the newspaper. I’m gonna have your picture put in the local newspaper. You’re the most honest man I’ve heard of.” To which they guy quickly responded, “Oh no, no, don’t do that!” Then he leaned closer and whispered, “You see, the woman I’m with is not my wife...she’s uh, somebody else’s wife.”1

W A R N I N G , P A R T 2

H E B R E W S

THE IDEA: Even amidst good works,

good intentions, external nobility,

time and proximity reveal the true

status of a person’s heart.



SPARK A DISCUSSIONOn one hand, it seems the Bible instructs believers to maintain a child-like faith (Matt. 18:12) and to never “graduate” from the Gospel message (Col. 2:6). And yet here in Hebrews 6, believers are told to move past the elementary teachings and on to maturity.

How do you suppose we bring these concepts into harmony? Is this a contradiction?

The idea that believers should purposely keep their faith simple (like that of a child for example) is a misunderstanding of these verses. Jesus uses children as an example of how it takes meekness (a child-like sense of dependence, need, and humility) in order to inherit the kingdom of God. He is not suggesting that those with weak faith ought to continue in their shallowness. Similarly, when Paul suggests that his primary focus is the Gospel, he does not place this focus over and against deepening in the knowledge and practice of that same Gospel. Similarly, in Hebrews the author is not suggesting believers forget and depart from the central tenants of the faith, but rather not to be content with mere knowledge of these tenants. They must obey them. They must embody them. They must deepen in their understanding of them. They must trust Christ more deeply.

SHOW A CLIPhttps://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/671?episode=5

Pastor J.D. Greear gives a brief description of his interpretation of Hebrews 6. Since the RightNow Media Player allows viewers to scan to various places in the video by using the “time remaining” in the video on the bottom right of the viewer, jump in at 39:00 remaining and watch until around 37:10 remaining.




Therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the age to come,6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding Him up to contempt. 7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

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LITERARY CONTEXT3






REDEMPTIVE CONTEXT


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CONTENTLessons 12 and 13 in our study are linked by one word. Hebrews 5 and 6 are linked by one word. It appears that the author of Hebrews points back to the verses directly preceding chapter 6 in order to make his appeal to action. Last week, we saw the author’s observation. There are those who have been associated with Christ in some way or are perhaps connected to this audience who evidently do not exhibit any spiritual progress. They are spiritual babies who lack discernment, fail to understand the depth of Christ and the Gospel, and their apparent faith is in danger of being exposed as inauthentic.

Chapter 6 says, “There are those who are like this. Therefore, we must act now.”

The author’s basic claim is that believers must go on to maturity, because the one who does not will be exposed as a fraud. Let’s look at this passage in two parts.

We must go on to maturity…because the one who does not will be exposed as a fraud.

(1) We must go on to maturity…

To go on to maturity is to move past the “elementary teachings” to which the Hebrews were first exposed. Two questions loom after reading verse 1.

What are the elementary teachings they are to move forward from?

How are they to move forward from them?

The first will be answered quite clearly. The second is answered in various ways throughout the book of Hebrews, but an important answer to the question is given here.

What are the elementary teachings they are to move forward from?

Therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of [repentance from dead works] and of [faith toward God], 2 and of [instruction about washings], the [laying on of hands], the [resurrection of the dead], and [eternal judgment]. 3 And this we will do if God permits.

“If our religion be of our own getting or making, it will perish; and the sooner it goes, the better; but if our religion is a matter of God’s giving, we know that He shall never take back what He gives, and that, if He has commenced to work in us by His grace, He will never leave it unfinished.” -Charles Spurgeon


“This passage does not teach that you can lose your salvation, but it does teach you something important about the nature of saving faith: it endures to the end.” -J.D. Greear

“When we wrestle with doubts, we should remind ourselves of this precious truth: it’s not the strength of our faith that ultimately matters, but the object of our faith.” -Jen Oshman

Repentance from dead works…

This refers to the foundational teaching of turning away from wicked deeds that lead to death and turning to Christ.

Faith toward God…

Salvation comes through faith in Christ, not by works.

Instruction about washings…

Although the wording is quite unique, the author likely refers to Christian baptism.

Laying on of hands…

This could allude to the laying on of hands as an ordination of teachers in the early church or a reference to the laying on of hands during sacrifices.

• Symbolizes the Spirit’s presence either for healing (Luke 13:13, Acts 9:17), blessing (Mark 10:16), reception into the church (Acts 8:17, 19:6), or as a call to special ministry (Acts 6:6, 13:3, 1 Tim. 4:14, 5:22, 2 Tim. 1:6); it is hard to specify which of these is in view here. The author cites these fundamental teachings not to devalue them but to urge the readers not to stall at step one. The further instruction in chapters 7-10 will provide a deeper grasp of what is central: the sacrifice of Christ for human redemption (similar to Paul’s teaching for the “mature” in 1 Cor. 1-2).4

Resurrection of the dead…

Eternal life for those who place saving faith in Christ.

Eternal judgment…

Final judgment for those who reject the saving message of Christ.

It is challenging to know with perfect clarity exactly which doctrinal points are in focus here, but the point is clear. It is not enough to learn of these things and not to grow into these things. When we consider the supposition that non-believers were present (or those who associated with Christians by name only and not by heart surrender), it becomes even more clear that the author demands they must move beyond mere intellectual assent to the foundational principles of the faith.

But why is the author so concerned about them progressing into maturity? Isn’t it enough for a person to believe in the tenants above?

Look at verse 3. How will they move on from the elementary teachings into spiritual maturity? Evidently, it begins with dependence. Were it not for this verse, the reader could suppose they could muster up enough good works to “prove” that their faith was real. They may suppose they could complete enough spiritual practices to convince people that they had moved beyond the



“The warnings are real: If believers fall away into sin and never repent, they won’t be saved. The assurances are real: God, in Christ, by the Spirit, will keep all believers to the end. And the former are a God-ordained means of ensuring the latter.” -Andrew Wilson


elementary teachings. True transformation comes not from willing one’s own spiritual growth, but by depending on Christ. This does not mean that sanctification is passive for the believer. Rather, true believers pursue holiness through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

(2) …because the one who does not will be exposed as a fraud.

The point the author is making is clear.

True faith action Fake faith apathy

An authentic believer grows An inauthentic believer remains stagnant

A real heart change a steady life change A false conversion continuance in same life direction

A follower of Jesus endures to the end A Christian by name alone returns to unrepentant sin

A devoted disciple pursues holiness A mere moral performer outward holiness, inward corruption

A grateful son becomes like the Father A double-minded man exposed as a fraud

As has been noted by numerous pastors and theologians, there is no such thing as a fruitless Christian. The Scriptural depiction of a true follower of Christ is one whose affections and behaviors steadily come in line with God’s. And Scripture alerts us that this is not an aggressive forging of a rebellious will toward God’s. Rather, it is part of the joyous surrender of a born-again believer, it is by faith alone that people are saved. However, just as the epistle of James instructs in chapter 2, there is a certain type of “faith” that does not save. What is this inauthentic faith that does not save? It is the “faith” depicted here in Hebrews. It is a “faith” that acknowledges some religious facts, but does not include authentic repentance and trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and thus, does not yield the type of transformation that accompanies the Gospel.

“For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”

You may have noticed during the course of this lesson that this is quite the challenging passage. What does it mean for someone to have already been enlightened? To have already partaken of the Holy Spirit? It sure seems as if the author is implying that some people are saved, walk away, and then face eternal judgment. For the purposes of fairness and theological humility, consider for a moment some of the various interpretative options here:

(1) He is speaking about true believers who walked away and now face eternal judgment in the form of eternal damnation. (Believers lost their salvation.)

(2) He is speaking about true believers who walked away and didn’t lose their salvation, but by walking away heaped upon themselves a form of judgment from God. (They lost rewards, or they lost earthly or heavenly blessings.)


(3) He is speaking about people who affiliate with the church (or even hold intellectual belief in Christ), have experienced something of spiritual significance, and yet continue to walk away from God, and not toward maturity. (They never were saved. Their faith was exposed as inauthentic.)

As you can see, each interpretive approach has its challenges. It is important to read and reflect on these passages with humility. It is also important to interpret these challenging passages in view of other passages, interpreting Scripture with Scripture. While over the course of the series on Hebrews we will suggest #3 as the most appropriate understanding of Hebrews 6 and the other warning passages, we recognize the importance of theological humility a nuance amongst brothers and sisters in Christ who, being earnestly committed to the textual authority, remain divided.


“There’s simply no way for our children, colleagues, and congregants to form discernment by proxy. As we’re reminded in the book of Hebrews, the goal of Christian discipleship is to make teachers of us all, capable of nourishing ourselves on ‘solid food . . . for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil’” -Jen Pollock Michel

CASUAL NOTES FROM DR. SMITHThere are four options that have been traditionally taken.

1. Loss of Salvation.

This means that the person being spoken of is a true believer. However, they moved to a position that they were beyond the grace of God, and though they once possessed salvation, they no longer have it.

The problem is the whole context is one of not only warning, but security. Christ is our High Priest. He is going to the Father on our behalf. He is at the right hand of God interceding for us. It would seem unlikely that this is the case in light of this text, not to mention all the other texts in Scripture.

2. Hypothetical

He is describing a real Christian, but he is saying this…“If someone would do this, and if it was possible to fall away (even though it is not) then if that hypothetical situation were true, they could never be saved again, because Christ would have to die for them again.”

Theologically that’s great. The problem is that there is no conditional sense in the Greek language in verse 4. It’s just not there.

3. Loss of Rewards

He is describing a real Christian here. This does make a lot of sense in light of this language that is given about the person who is described. This Christian, however, was not mature. They are like the children of Israel in the wilderness. They are Christians, but they rebelled. While they were still God’s children, they were not able to enter the promised land.

So, this person was saved, but when they get to heaven they will have less reward.

This interpretation has two advantages.

First, the Scripture does teach loss of reward. The Scripture does teach this in 1 Cor. 3:12-13. “Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.



If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.

If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

Second, the context of the text is about maturity. It seems that he is warning them in Hebrews 5:11 and telling them that they should be mature. This argument can be made in the Scripture. And, it may be right.

The problem I have with it is what follows in verses 7-8. The two lands are described: one producing thorns and the other fruit. Throughout all of Jesus’s teaching, the thorny ground was described as the unbeliever. The most notable example is Matthew 13. You also have the wheat and the tares, as well as the barren fig tree that produces no fruit. On the other hand, you have the parable of the seed growing secretly in Matthew 13 and the parable of the mustard seed. They both have a similar point that the kingdom will have humble beginnings and then take off.

All through Scripture a Christian is portrayed as fruit bearing. If this was speaking of a non-Christian, you would have to entertain the idea of a non-fruit bearing Christian. But that is not in Scripture. There is no such thing as a non-fruit bearing Christian. You say, well what if someone professes Christ, but later bears no fruit, what do we say about that person? Are they a Christian? We do not know. The point is, as we have said before, that they cannot be assured of that since assurance is only for the fruit bearing.

This is why I John 2:19 says they went out from us because they were not of us. It is clear that some will profess faith, but never genuinely have salvation. So, are you saying that two people appear to get saved one day, one was genuine and the other fake? Yes. Jesus always said there would be wheat among the tares and goats among the sheep. How do we know the true from the false? Well, we watch, because true faith lasts. Not because they are good people; rather because God causes true believers to endure until the end. The idea that these are carnal Christians has exegetical merit but is still problematic.

So, what does this text mean? Let me give you a fourth option.

4. False Believers

This person is, in fact, a goat among the sheep. They, at one point, appeared to be a Christian, but have since left the faith proving that they were never in it to begin with.

CONCLUSION

We must go on to maturity because the one who does not will be exposed as a fraud.





(1) Have any of the strong warnings throughout the book of Hebrews frightened you? Born again believers need not doubt their salvation, for God eternally keeps those whom He has redeemed. But who do you suppose this warning is supposed to ‘sting’ if not the believer? Are we to ignore this warning if we are certain of our salvation?

(2) Imagine someone you’re discipling asks you, “I am considering taking a seminary class online that dives deeply into this certain area of theology. I’m fascinated by the subject and would love to know more, but my dad discouraged me. He said that going deep in a seminary class like that only builds more head knowledge. He suggested I should not worry myself with all the theologians and arguments and keep my simple, pure and individual faith.” How would you respond? What would you advise?

(3) Have you ever wrestled with the idea of whether or not a person can lose their salvation? How has this series helped to address that theological dilemma? Has your position changed? Has it been strengthened or better clarified?

Most of us have people in our lives who fit into the category of someone who was once involved, once present, once interested and has drifted far from God. The truth is, we cannot be certain of another person’s eternal standing unless they declare it. And even then, only God knows the true status of a person’s heart. But has your understanding of your friend or family member’s situation changed or been refined throughout this series? Perhaps someone would be willing to share about how they’ve processed this.

Example: A friend and I gave our lives to Christ at a Christian camp at age 16. We attended church together until college, where I found a church and Christian community in which to belong and grow. She pursued a relationship with a non-believer and disassociated with the church. Years later, she posts negatively about Christianity on social media and I hesitate to bring up our shared spiritual experiences from the past. I used to believe she had accepted Christ and then lost her salvation by going astray into sin. Now I can see that either (a) her faith was never authentic and it is showing in the way she constantly rejects Christ and His Word or (b) she was truly saved, is feeling the loving conviction of the Holy Spirit each day, and will ultimately be brought back to repentance one day, and prove that her faith was in fact authentic, and she was simply in a prolonged wayward season.

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Take out your phone and send a text message to a mentor. Ask them for the single most critical spiritual consistent practice which has most contributed to their spiritual growth. Ask them to be specific about their practice of it.

You might say, “John, we are studying Hebrews in church this year and I am struck by the importance of the pursuit of spiritual maturity. I have long admired your spiritual depth and maturity. I’m curious. What’s your secret? What’s been the one or two things you’ve done over the years to strengthen and expand your faith? Thanks!”

HOME 22:6

SING | “How Firm a Foundation”Modern Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UvBH9lPU1I

READ | John 10:27-29

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

PRAY | Thank God for the salvation granted us through Christ. Thank Him that the strength of our salvation does not lie with us and our ability to perform, but with Him and His finished work on the cross. Ask for His help to continue into spiritual maturity.

SOURCES1 Charles Swindoll, Growing Deep in the Christian Life, pp. 159-60


4 NIV Zondervan Study Bible, 6:2

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hebrews - ibclr...a letter hebrews has at least two affinities with epistolary literature. first,...

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