Hebrews

As we wrap up Hebrews, the pastor shows us there are four things that are better as a result of the upgrade that has come in Christ.

After twelve incredible weeks in Hebrews, the Pastor ends his message with four things to love and one to resist the urge to love. Hebrews 13:1–6 calls us to love those around us in a way that shows a watching world that followers of Jesus wear a different jersey: the jersey marked by love.

How do you have the strength to live faithfully today in light of eternity? Jeff Parker unpacks the last verses of Hebrews 12 and reminds us not to forsake your spiritual responsibility, forget your spiritual blessings, or refuse Him who speaks.

Discipline can be a harsh word. Some of us think of a hard coach or being sent to our room. But Godly discipline is a wonderful thing. Like a parent caring for their child, God disciplines those that he loves. He corrects, guides, trains, and leads his children in the way and path they should go. God's discipline is designed to help his children grow as they draw near to them.

We are all running a race called life. It is unique before you and has its joys and struggles along the path. So how do you run this race with endurance and finish well? As we jump back into the book of Hebrews, we see the primary pioneer and perfector of our faith running the race and empowering us to run as well. So let's look to Jesus, who has run his race and now running with us on our own.

What is your legacy of faith? Who came before you in your story to be the next link in the long chain that connects back to Jesus Christ? As we close our Hebrews 11, we see the legacy and lineage of faith. As we cling to Christ, we become the faithful who carry the message of Christ forward and impact others in his name. You may have a strong legacy before you, or you may not. But in Christ, you can be the link between Jesus and your family, friends, and others as you impact the world for him.

As we continue through the hall of fame of faith, we see "father Abraham," often called "The father of faith." But Abraham was more of the "Father of growing in faith." Faith is a journey of ups and downs, courage, and missteps. The life of Abraham shows what it looks like to have faith and grow in it on the journey with Jesus.

Does your faith mark your life? Faith is not wishful thinking, but an assured conviction of things hoped for but not yet seen. Faith is the fundamental way we approach God and walk with God. This is because faith and trust are the bases of any good relationship. So let's walk by faith and not by sight until our faith becomes our sight.

How do you stand strong in your faith? There are certain things God gives us to anchor us amid hardships, the right relationships, the gospel, and our future with God. When we keep the right focus on these things, we are able to strengthen our faith no matter the circumstance.

We are experts in creating rituals, checklists, and rules to make sure we are "ok" with God. Yet, as we live under those old systems, we are only left exhausted and reminded that we are not perfect and still in our sins. When Jesus came, something utterly different was offered. He has ushered in a new relationship as he sits supreme and invites us into an intimate relationship with him.

You may have heard it said, "Don't be so heavenly-minded that you are no earthly good." That phrase is simply unbiblical. We are called to be so heavenly-minded that we deeply impact the world today. Those with their minds fixed on things above end up making the most of their lives. As we continue our series in Hebrews, we see how Jesus has entered the heavenly temple, how his sacrifice has eternal significance, and that his second coming is assured. When we think of these things, it changes how we live our lives today.

We are in a middle of a section in Hebrews talking about how Jesus brings in the better covenant. A covenant is a binding promise between two parties. We are taking several weeks to walk through this all because there is SO MUCH that God is gifting us in this covenant. This week we get to celebrate the better inheritance we receive from God through his Son, Jesus Christ. This was purchased by his blood (i.e., his death and sacrifice). In his death, we receive an inheritance. In his resurrection, we receive.

Where do you feel the most 'at home'? Where is that? What does that feel like? The Hebrews had a word for this, "Shalom." This word meant "the way it should be." The Hebrews felt most at home in the Temple of God. It was here that they were reminded of God's provision as they walked in God's presence. These were hints of heaven and shadows of something greater to come. In Christ, we do not just get the shadow, we get the full substance of the way it should be. This creates in us a longing now as we anticipate what is to come.

When something new has come, the old becomes obsolete. The people of God were a part of an old system of how they viewed themselves, the world, and how they related to God. But something new has come in Christ. A new way of seeing God, yourself, and others. Sadly, we can drift back to our old ways before Christ. But something new has come. A new promise, a new system, a new covenant between God and man. When the new comes, the old becomes obsolete.

Before we jump back into Hebrews, let's remember the heartbeat of Hebrews: don't drift away; draw near because Jesus is better. It can be easy to begin to drift, but drifting always leads to destruction in our lives. The pastor of Hebrews calls us to draw near to who Jesus is and what he has done because Jesus is simply better. When we focus on these two realities, who he is and what he has done, the only proper response to know and follow him with our lives. Welcome back to Hebrews. We are only halfway!

Who is Melchizedek? A seemingly obscure person in the Old Testament is one of the most significant. The first priest in our Bible, Melchizedek, foreshadows the Final Priest in our Bible, Jesus. A priest is someone who stands between God and humanity. Jesus is the final high priest who is perfect, eternal, and promised. We have full and final access to God in Him. So draw near because Jesus is the better eternal priest.

What do you do between God's promises and God's fulfillment of those promises? Throughout the book of Hebrews, the pastor has shown us the wonders of God and the promises we can hold onto. But often, there is a gap between God's promises and fulfillment. In the between, we hold onto the trustworthiness of God, remember the examples that have gone before, and run to the presence of God through Jesus Christ.

What happens when we become bored with God? This is the first sign of becoming dull towards the gospel and entering into spiritual immaturity. Like any good coach, teacher, or leader, the Pastor of Hebrews uses inspiration, instruction, and intensity to help his church body become all they were meant to be in Christ. Dullness leads to destruction and devastation. But there is something more in Christ. So let's press onto maturity because there is always more in Christ!

All of us bring questions before God: Is he good? Can he be trusted? Is he worth following? God has answered this in Christ with an emphatic "YES!" Jesus entered into the lowest positions to sympathize with us. But then he stepped into his rightful position to lead us. In Christ, we have the perfect High Priest we can trust with our lives and follow him with everything in us.

Jesus wants to invite you into the fullness of life both now and forever. There is coming a moment when we stand before God and must give an account of how we live our lives. So how can we use TODAY to prepare for THE DAY? As we look at Hebrews 4:12-13, we see how the word of God prepares us for eternity with God.

Where do you find your rest? For many of us, we think rest is simply leisure or relaxation. But biblical rest is so much more. Rest is experiencing all God has for us, both now and forever. Those who walk in rest are embracing God's promises, enjoying God's presence, and experiencing God's peace. The offer for this rest is for today. It's not something you can earn, only something you can receive in Christ alone.

How many people truly finish well in this life? Of those who were delivered out of Egypt, only .0003% did. 2 out of over 600,000 people actually finished strong in their faith. This warning is for us to continue to move through our journey with Jesus in faith in Jesus. Many of us spend our lives wandering through the wilderness, missing out on the fullness of Christ. God is warning us not to disbelieve in the gospel of Christ but to draw near because Jesus is better.

Jesus is better than Moses. Now for many of us, this doesn't feel like that big of a deal. But for the Hebrews, Moses was the greatest of all prophets and an example of faithfulness to God. For all the Moses is, Jesus is better. Moses had an assignment, and he was faithful as a servant. Jesus had an assignment, and he was faithful as a son. No matter your assignment, the call is to be faithful to the One who was faithful till the end.

As we wrap up Hebrews 2, the pastor of Hebrews is giving us five amazing truths about Jesus that are possible thanks to Christ coming as a human, yet still being fully God. This passage shows us that we have a God that understands the human experience. Jesus got tired, He got hungry, and He was tempted to sin just like us. But He did not sin and took our payment for sin, so we no longer have to fear the cost of sin: death—what a good God.

Hebrews 2:5–13 is a complicated passage, but the message is clear: Jesus is better because of His humanity. By entering our world as a human yet fully retaining His deity, He paves the way for humanity's salvation, he tasted death for everyone, and now Christ is not ashamed to call His Church "family."

So far, in the book of Hebrews, our author has lifted up our eyes to see Jesus. Now, as we move into chapter 2, he looks us in the eye and emphatically says, "Don't drift away!" It is easy to drift. It is natural to drift. It is dangerous to drift. We can drift towards licentiousness or legalism, passivity or performance, rebellion or religion. God wants us to walk faithfully in a loving relationship with God. This takes a moment-by-moment, daily reminder of the goodness of Christ and the joy of following him. So don't drift away. Draw near.

Jesus is the better messenger. He is the Son of God who fulfills the promises of God. He is the One who is worthy of worship and service. He is the eternal King and sits supreme over all. Jesus is BETTER. We are all tempted to drift back to lesser things. But when we truly see Jesus for who He is, we see God's primary message: He loves us. So draw near to Jesus because the better messenger has arrived.

Jesus is better. He is better than anything you can compare him to and anything that has come before. Yet, as we look at our lives, we can drift away from the person and work of Jesus. The book of Hebrews shines a light on Jesus. In the opening paragraph, we see seven reasons why Jesus is better. As we see him for who he truly is, we find the joy and life we were made for. The message of Hebrews is simple: don't drift away, draw near, because Jesus is Better.