December 2, 2012
Evening Service

Hebrews 12

 

Review:

1.     We have just finished chapter 11 of Hebrews, the faith chapter.  The writer mentions all these powerful people of faith, and how they staid steadfast in their faith in God.

2.     He told us what faith is, the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen.  

• They hoped for;  Heb 11:10 KJVR  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.  THEY HOPED FOR THIS CITY BUT NEVER SAW IT.  HOPED FOR, NOT SEEN.

·       John showed us that city this morning in Rev. 21.  Rev 21:1-2 KJVR  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  (2)  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3.     Then we were told how important faith is;  Heb 11:6 KJVR  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

4.    Then the writer told us something very important;

Heb 11:39-40 KJVR  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:  (40)  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

 

We concluded that we will all be made perfect, or complete at the same time, at the resurrection.  The writer said, “these all died in the faith.”  Which means, they died pleasing to God.  God will reward them with us, at the resurrection, when we stand before God to be judged according to our works, whether good or bad.  But know one thing Christian, your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life.

 

Chapter 12.

 

Heb 12:1-29 KJVR  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,

·       The cloud of witnesses?   These that have been mentioned.  James, the first martyr of the church, Steven, and all the others that suffered martyrdom rather than denounce their faith.

let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 

·       The weight;  anything worldly that would take our eyes, and minds off of Jesus.

·       The sin which doth so easily beset us;  remember sin is a transgression of the law.  These could be different in each person.  What I might be struggling with is something that  you might not have any trouble with.  But the encouragement from the writer is to lose your desires for the things of the world, and get closer to God.

·       Run with patience the race;  living the Christian life.  Paul talks of this;  1Co 9:25-27 KJVR  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.  (26)  I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:  (27)  But I keepunder my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

HERE’S THE GOAL.C

(2)  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

• Author, and finisher;  He wrote the script, and then played the part of the sacrificial Lamb of God.
• Remember what the writer said of Moses;  Heb 11:26 KJVR  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.

• Jesus’ reward, sitting at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

(3)  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 

• The song we sing;  He the great example is, and pattern for me.  CONSIDER HIM.

(4)  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 

• Luk 22:44 KJVR  And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

(5)  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:  (6)  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  (7)  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  (8)  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.  (9) 

• Pro 3:11-12 KJVR  My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:  (12)  For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 

• When things aren’t going quite the way you think they should, and you are troubled over things that are happening in your life, seek the face of God in prayer, and confess your sins, and He will make things right.  Never be haughty, and proud in the eyes of God.  But humble.

(10)  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.  (11)  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 

• The idea is let Him have His way with thee.  Yield to the mighty hand of God.

(12)  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;  (13)  And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.  (14)  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:  (15)  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God;

• Paul said, “be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for you know your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”   By doing this you will not fail of the grace of God.

lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 

• Root of bitterness;  envy, strife, backbiting, gossiping, slander, any such sin, don’t let it happen.

(16)  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.  (17)  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. 

• He found no place of repentance.  This is a great danger. 
• I think of the one who does not heed the warning of getting rid of the sin that so easily besets you, and every weight that would hold you back from following God more closely.  If you don’t let go, there may come a time when you can’t find the peace that you desire from repentance, God will not hear.  This is what the writer is saying.

(18)  For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,  (19)  And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:  (20)  (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:  (21)  And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)  (22)  But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,  (23)  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,  (24)  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 

 

ANOTHER WARNING:

(25)  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:  (26)  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 

• Isa 13:13  Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
• The writer quotes Haggai;  Hag 2:6 KJVR  For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

AND THEN REASONS;

 (27)  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 

 (28)  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:  (29)  For our God is a consuming fire.

 

Peter said it like this;

2Pe 3:10-13 KJVR  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.  (11)  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,  (12)  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?  (13)  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.