What must I do to be saved?

This sermon can be viewed at:

https://youtube.com/live/HpqqUHXmg2o?feature=share

From what are you looking forward to rest?

Work?

People you work with?

Body aches and pains?

Temptations?

Sinful behaviors?

The Hebrew writer is talking to Christians who are being tempted to leave Jesus Christ and go back to the religions that were popular in their culture at that time. But the writer is urging them to reconsider their thinking because Christ and His gospel are supreme above all! Let’s feed our spirits on Hebrews 4 as we study the supremacy of Jesus.

FEAR WITH FAITH – 4:1-2:

It seem like a contradiction to suggest that we should “fear” with faith. But notice what the writer is saying. Because Israel did not enjoy the rest that God had promised them, because of unbelief and disobedience (3:17-19), so Christians need to fear that we don’t fall from our relationship with God. And the reason why Israel fell is because the word coming from the mouth of God was not united with faith in the heart of the Israelites. Some fear is healthy; there are things we need to have a healthy fear of, like rattlesnakes.

BECAUSE WE ARE ENTERING THE REST – 4:3-10:

In verse 3, the writer quotes from Psalm 95:11, just as he did at 3:11. But then in verse 4, the writer adds to the quotation from Psalm 95 a quotation from Genesis 2:2. The point is that God rested on the seventh day of the week of creation and He quit creating anything new. God has invited His children to join Him in rest, but the Jews could not do that because of their unbelief and disobedience.

The Hebrew writer’s main point is in verse 9: There remains a Sabbath rest – a rest comparable to God’s rest on the 7th day of Creation week – for the people of God. Once we enter God’s rest, then we can rest from our works as God did from His on the 7th day.

LET US BE DILIGENT TO ENTER THAT REST – 4:11-12:

Notice in verse 11 that the writer draws another conclusion: “Therefore.” Again, we see that we do not have that rest yet. We need to “be diligent” to enter that rest. The word translated “be diligent” means “to make every effort,” “to strive,” “to do all we can” to make sure we stay faithful to Jesus Christ. Because we don’t want to fall away just like the Israelites did.

The main application for today is clear: Christians need to nurture and develop a consistent devotional life. Reading the Bible should be a habit we incorporate into our daily and weekly routines. When we approach Scripture, we should come with expectancy, openness, and receptiveness, ready not only to hear from God but also to obey him.

LET’S STAY FAITHFUL! – 4:14-16:

Again, the writer draws another conclusion: “therefore.” He will spend more time later in the letter talking about Jesus as our high priest and the writer has already mentioned this a couple times before. But, since we do have a high priest who has “pass through the heavens,” that is, Jesus has already entered heaven, then “let us hold fast [tightly] the confession of our faith.”

Why? Because our high priest is not unsympathetic to what we experience in trying to stay faithful to God. Jesus does sympathize with our weaknesses. But He is also the one who was tempted in all things, but He was without sin. Incidentally, this point also proves that Jesus was 100% human since God cannot be tempted.

The final conclusion (this is the 5th one in this chapter!) – therefore (ver. 16) – let us “draw near” with confidence! You can make it to heaven! You can be pure and blameless and holy in the eyes of God! “Draw near with confidence!”

Why? Because His throne is a “throne of grace.” The throne on which God sits and rules is the throne that is characterized by grace! No, you don’t deserve to come into God’s presence. You will never, on your own, be able to make it into God’s presence! But, by His grace and through the blood of Christ, then we can come before Him with confidence and find mercy and grace to help us in our times of suffering and temptations.

Fear, with faith, because we are entering God’s rest! Let’s be diligent and stay faithful.

Paul Holland

This sermon can be viewed at:

https://youtube.com/live/V9wecKzUDd4?feature=share

King Herod is standing face to face with Jesus of Nazareth, the famous miracle worker. But we get insight into the soul of King Herod as he looks into the eyes of the Son of God.

A LOOK AT KING HEROD:

From a human perspective, King Herod was a man of noble birth even if he did have a dubious ancestry. We know something of Herod’s personality from the Jewish historian, Josephus. King Herod was a good speaker (Acts 12:22).

He had a code of honor which he wrote and he generally did not break his word. We see that in the example of Salome, his wife’s daughter from her prior marriage, who danced and pleased King Herod so that he made his oath to give the girl whatever she wanted (Mark 6:14-28).

King Herod should have repented of his rash vows and not put the preacher to death because he did not like his message. But that was not King Herod’s character.

GOD’S GRACE REACHES OUT TO KING HEROD:

King Herod was afraid of John, Mark tells us in Mark 6:20. King Herod respected John. He knew John was a righteous man. He knew John was a holy man. King Herod respected John to such an extent that he kept him safe.

When King Herod heard John, he was very perplexed, but he used to enjoy listening to him. Mark uses an imperfect tense verb to show that Herod continued to enjoy listening to John preach the gospel to him. John’s preaching to Herod was grace. God’s grace reached out to King Herod in the person of John the baptist. King Herod could have been saved. All he needed to do was repent of his sins and believe the gospel which John was preaching, which included being baptized for the forgiveness of his sins in anticipation of the coming Messiah.

At the birthday party recorded in Mark 6, while Salome is dancing, John is not in Herod’s mind. His sin is not in his mind. His conscience is not in his mind. His resolve to defend John is not in his mind anymore. Because of the heightened emotions of this birthday celebration, all he can think about is bragging. His kingdom is so large, he can swear to give half of it to his step-daughter.

KING HEROD AND JESUS:

Years go on… God is gracious to King Herod. Not only does God give King Herod opportunity and time to repent of his sins, but He also brings another preacher into King Herod’s sphere. This time it will be His only begotten Son (Luke 23:7-8, 11-12, 15).

Here was Jesus, standing in front of him! And with all the time in the world, Herod threw questions at Jesus – and the Savior answered him not a word (23:9). Jesus answered him nothing! Think about that…

Jesus tried to reason with the high priest Caiaphas.

Jesus pleaded with governor Pilate.

Jesus grieved over Judas.

But in front of King Herod… Jesus says nothing and does nothing. Why was Jesus not more gracious? Why was Jesus not more compassionate? We cannot answer the question entirely, but Jesus did say on one occasion: “Do not cast your pearls before swine” (Matt. 7:6).  King Solomon had said, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly” (Prov. 26:4). King Herod had questioned Jesus at some length, Luke tells us, but the one question he should have asked apparently never left his lips: “What must I do to be saved?”

In the words of Hosea the prophet: “Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone” (4:17).

Here is the point I draw from King Herod: the moment of decision to respond to Christ may be one in which no word of Him, no thought of Him, and not even His name will be consciously in someone’s mind!

It was in that hour back at Machaerus when King Herod fought against his conscience;  in the hour when he decided to keep his wicked oath to Salome; in that hour when he made a serious decision to offend the holy nature of God and spurn the gospel of grace, King Herod made his decision about Jesus. He made that decision drawn out of pride, lust, murder.

King Herod is not the only one in human history to whom the God of heaven was stone-cold silent. A person can allow himself or herself to become so worldly-minded – their eyes are fat, their heart is full, his pride is stroked – that no word of Christ, no call to goodness, no call to prayer, no call to trust, no call to come to God, can ever, because of the baseness of his / her  heart, reach his soul.

Do not love the world; love Christ and His truth and respond every time your heart is touched.

Paul Holland

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11)

One morning, Calvin and Hobbes come marching into the living room, dressed for battle — or for space exploration — or maybe both. Calvin’s head is tucked into a giant space helmet, a cape drapes down his back, and he carries a flashlight in one hand and a baseball bat in the other.

His mother, sipping her coffee, asks, “What’s up today?”  “Nothing, so far,” Calvin answers.

“So far?” she asks.  “Well, you never know,” says Calvin. “Something could happen today. And if anything does, I’m going to be ready for it!”

Marching off proudly, Calvin leaves his mom looking after him with a smile and a sigh, saying, “I need a suit like that!”

I think Calvin’s onto something.  It’s true — you never know what today might bring.  Challenges, surprises, battles, temptations — life comes at us fast.  And if we aren’t prepared, we can be caught off guard.

Fortunately, God knows this, too — and he offers us exactly what we need to face whatever comes.  In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us to “put on the whole armor of God,” because the spiritual battles we face each day are real.  Whether it’s temptation, discouragement, conflict, or fear, we need to be dressed and ready.

God’s armor isn’t a space helmet or a baseball bat.  It’s truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God (Ephesians 6:14–17).  It’s a life protected by God’s grace and powered by his Spirit.  And it’s not something we put on halfway through the day — it’s something we need to start the day with.

Calvin’s mother was right: we do need a suit like that — one that prepares us for anything life throws at us.  And in Christ, we have one available.

So, before you head out the door, make sure you’re geared up — not just with coffee and keys, but with the armor of God.  You never know what could happen today.  Be ready for it!

Prayer:

Father, thank you for providing everything I need to stand strong each day. Help me to remember to put on your armor — to walk in truth, faith, and righteousness. Prepare me for whatever comes, and remind me that with you, I’m never facing it alone.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Alan Smith

The Bible frequently imagines faithful living as a walk. Genesis 5:24 says of Enoch, “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” Noah walked with God and God commanded Abram, “Walk before me, and be blameless (Genesis 6:9; 17:1). Moses uses the metaphor repeatedly in the book of Deuteronomy. It also appears in the books of 1–2 Samuel, 1–2 Kings, 1–2 Chronicles, and is a favorite in the so-called wisdom literature: Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. The prophets use it as well.

The New Testament authors, steeped in the Old Testament, carry this metaphor over into their writings. Luke describes Zechariah and Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s parents: “And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord” (Luke 1:6). He also uses the metaphor to summarize the activity of the infant church, “And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied” (Acts 9:31).

Paul employs the metaphor throughout his letters, both in picturing the beginning of the Christian life (Romans 6:4) and in maintaining that life (Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 2:6). What does it mean that the Christian life is a walk?

Christians have a planned destination. “…rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20

Christians will face obstacles. “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10

Christians must learn endurance. “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” Hebrews 10:36

Christians cannot become complacent or stagnant. “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

Christians have a Guide to follow. “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21

Christians have chosen the good path. “Enter by the narrow gate… For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:13–14

Clay Leonard

When the apostle Paul stood atop Mars Hill in Athens, Greece to present the truth of the One True God to pagan philosophers, he used several rhetorical methods. Acts 17 reports the content of Paul’s presentation on that occasion. Modern apologists (those who argue for God’s existence) could identify elements of the cosmological and moral arguments for the existence of God in that presentation.

Paul closed out his speech with an allusion to Jesus’ resurrection. The allusion is no accident. In fact, one could argue that all Paul had to say was leading up to his statement, “of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). While the Athenians had trouble accepting the resurrection, the reality of the resurrection has become one of the most cited proofs for the existence of the God of the Bible.

Apologist Josh McDowell cites numerous facts surrounding the resurrection that support its historicity. If the resurrection is true, then it verifies Jesus’ claims. If Jesus’ claims are true, then God exists. Here are just two of the facts McDowell cites:

An empty tomb. The disciples of Christ did not go off to Athens or Rome to preach that Christ was raised from the dead. Rather, they went right back to the city of Jerusalem, where, if what they were teaching was false, the falsity would be evident. The empty tomb was “too notorious to be denied.” The resurrection “could have not been maintained in Jerusalem for a single day, for a single hour, if the emptiness of the tomb had not been established as a fact for all concerned.”

The large stone moved. “On that Sunday morning the first thing that impressed the people who approached the tomb was the unusual position of the one-and-a-half to two-ton stone that had been lodged in front of the doorway. All the Gospel writers mention it. Those who observed the stone after the resurrection describe its position as having been rolled up a slope away not just from the entrance of the tomb, but from the entire massive sepulcher. It was in such a position that it looked as if it had been picked up and carried away. If the disciples had wanted to come in, tiptoe around the sleeping guards, and then roll the stone over and steal Jesus’ body, how could they have done that without the guards’ awareness?”

This is but a sampling of the proofs surrounding the resurrection. These and many more make the resurrection impossible to ignore and a great reason to believe God exists.

Clay Leonard

Seven reasons to believe God exists: He has revealed Himself in the created world (Psalm 19:1–6), He has revealed Himself in His Word (Psalm 19:7–11), He has revealed Himself in changed people (Psalm 19:12–14), and human eternal longings point to His existence (Ecclesiastes 3:11), He has revealed Himself in the incarnate Word (John 1:1–18), He has revealed Himself in the resurrection (Acts 17:31), and finally, He makes life worth living.

Psalm 34:8 says, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” As with a couple of the other reasons listed, this last is somewhat experiential and, therefore, anecdotal. Some have “tried” belief in God and Jesus and gone away jaded, cynical, and disillusioned. Nevertheless, if God exists and What He says is true, then authentic belief in Him will produce the best of all possible lives here on earth.

One of the most common objections to God’s existence is the so-called “Problem of Suffering.” The line of reasoning here says that If God is all-good and God is all-powerful, then suffering should not exist. This argument assumes that allowing anyone to suffer shows a deficiency in either goodness or power or both. Suffering, however, is the byproduct of sin. Sin exists in the world precisely because God is so good that He created humans with true free will.

Only belief in God gives an explanation for suffering as well as a means of channeling it for greater good in this life. Jesus’ death on the cross not only atones for human sin, it also provides a new way of looking at life and death. Suffering reveals the brokenness of this world by sin and also becomes the means by which God overcomes sin for all people who will receive His gift.

Jesus summarizes this world-upending truth in the introduction to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. The so-called “Beatitudes” reveal the life that God calls “blessed” or “happy.” It is a life of humility, mourning, meekness, hunger and thirst for righteousness, mercy, purity, and peacemaking. In short, it is contrary to the ways of the world. But it is this life that is truly worth living. Believe God exists; He makes life worth living.

Clay Leonard

You can watch the sermon on this theme at:

https://youtube.com/live/66GhEASKKcc?feature=share

What is your strength? We all have strengths; we surely know what those strengths are. But, if we are not careful, Satan can use those strengths and turn them into a weakness. We must submit our strengths to the teachings of the Word of God and allow Him to use our strengths for His glory, not for ours.

Now, before we get into our text, I want to draw some verses to your attention. The promise by God to David that God would bless David and his house is found in 1 Chronicles 17. God told David in that text, in verse 8, that He had cut off all the enemies of David from before him. In chapters 18-20, the writer tells us about David’s military victories. He defeated practically all Israel’s enemies: the Philistines, the Moabites, the Arameans, the Edomites, and the Ammonites. Then in these chapters, we have texts that say, “The Lord helped David wherever he went:” 18:6, 11, 13; 19:13. But it seems in our chapter, David kind of sets aside the help from the Lord and he wants to put his confidence in the flesh…

SATAN STANDS UP AGAINST ISRAEL – 1 Chronicles 21:1-4:

Here in 1 Chronicles 21, the writer blames Satan for standing up against Israel and moving David to take a census of Israel. God had already struck Israel with a famine for three years during the reign of David and it was because of a sin by King Saul that had not been resolved. So, again, God is angry with Israel. It seems to me as we study the text that the fundamental problem is that David is taking pride in the military strength of the nation of Israel.

But that pride is motivated by Satan, according to the author of 1 Chronicles. Now, we don’t know and scholars are at a loss to explain how 2 Samuel can say it was God’s anger that incited David while 1 Chronicles says it was Satan. It seems to me that the pride in David’s heart came from Satan and God was angry with David because of his pride and so David – through his pride – was incited to take a census of Israel’s military strength.

ISRAEL IS ENCOURAGED TO TRUST ITS MILITARY – 21:5-8:

Verse 7: “God was displeased with this thing.” Now, the reason why God did not destroy more people in Israel and why God did not strike David with the sword is found in verse 8: “I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” In 2 Samuel 24:10, the text says that David’s heart troubled him after he had numbered the people and that prompted David to confess his sin to God.

GOD’S PUNISHMENT OF ISRAEL FOR DAVID’S PRIDE – 21:9-17:

Verse 14 summarizes what God then does. He sends a pestilence and strikes down 70,000 of those military men whom David trusted. This was done by an angel whom God sent to destroy Jerusalem.

David accepts responsibility for the sin – the pronouns in this verse are emphatic.

David acknowledges that the Israelites were innocent of sin.

David asks to be punished himself, in place of his sheep, just like the later “Son of David” will be punished in place of His sheep.

GOD BLESSES DAVID DESPITE HIS SIN – 21:18-30:

God responds, in mercy, to David’s prayer by commanding David to build an altar and worship God (ver. 18). Ornan also saw the angel and so did his four sons who hid themselves out of fear. But Ornan saw King David coming to him and went out to meet him.

Beginning in chapter 22, we learn that the temple of Solomon was built on this site and in 2 Chronicles 3:1, the writer associates this site with Mount Moriah. And the only other place where “Mount Moriah” is mentioned in the Scriptures is in Genesis 22 when Abraham was commanded to offer Isaac as a burnt offering on Mount Moriah. So we have a connection between Abraham offering Isaac with the location of the temple of God built by Solomon and this location – the threshing floor of Ornan – in response to God forgiving David of his pride.

CONCLUSION:

As far as this specific theme is concerned, the writer will point out especially in 2 Chronicles (13:18; 14:11; 16:8; 20:15) that victory does not come to those who trust in the flesh. The theme culminates in King Jehoshaphat’s prayer in 20:15 and a prophet’s response from God to the king’s prayer: “Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.”

We need to submit our strengths to the authority of the word of God and not put trust in our strengths. Peter reminds us that “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time” (1 Peter 5:5-6).

Don’t let pride cloud your judgment – put your trust in the unwavering word of God.

Paul Holland

While I was not the smartest kid in my classes in junior high and high school, I generally made good grades. Mostly As with a B here and there. Being raised in a Christian home, I knew cheating was wrong and did not do it frequently, although I think I did a time or two. It was actually more tempting to let someone cheat off me. Since we moved frequently and I often started a new school in the middle of the year, I did not have friends. There were other factors that contributed to me desiring to be popular, by allowing someone to look over my shoulder. However, I also knew that was wrong and was not in the best interest of the other student. With courage, I would shift my body position so that the “cheater” could not see my paper and I would do so in a way that did not look obvious.

“‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another” (Lev. 19:11). “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). “Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices” (Col. 3:9).

Since God is a God of truth (Psalm 31:5; Isaiah 65:16), He cannot tolerate lies. Nor can He tolerate stealing. “You shall not steal” (Exo. 20:15). “You shall not steal” (Deut. 5:19). “He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need” (Eph, 4:28).

Cheating is both lying and stealing. Therefore it is sinful on two counts. When a student in school chooses to cheat, he or she is enabling laziness. That contributes to yet another sin. Cheating also, as it did me, makes others uncomfortable. How can you invite someone to worship or study the Bible with you if they know that you cheat? That would be hypocritical. Finally, cheating lowers the value of an education. It makes the diploma / degree valueless if someone has not earned the grades they have received.

So, listen to the words of Solomon: “Truthful lips will be established forever, But a lying tongue is only for a moment” (Prov. 12:19). And: “A righteous man hates falsehood, But a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully” (Prov. 13:5).

Paul Holland

There are no better events in the biblical narrative that illustrate the providence of God better than those involving Joseph and Esther. Let’s meditate on the account of Joseph. The events related to Joseph are recorded in Genesis 37-50 (minus chapter 38). While we know that the dreams given to Joseph in chapter 37, when he was 17 years old, came from God, the text does not directly attribute the dreams to God. “God” is not mentioned until 39:9.

In fact, if you read through the account, you will notice that Moses, the author of Genesis, does not attribute many actions to God at all! “God” is mentioned 38 times; “LORD” is mentioned 8 times.

What does God do with Joseph or for Joseph? He is “with” Joseph (39:2-3, 21, 23) and He caused what Joseph did to prosper (39:23). But these are broad, generic statements so that we do not know exactly what God did. What does appear to be safe to say is that God did not perform any miracles in these events in the life of Joseph (after the initial dreams in chapter 37) except interpreting the dreams. But even with the dreams, it is not Moses who tells us God is doing it; it is Joseph relating that God could interpret dreams (40:8; 41:16, 25, 28; 41:32, 39).

The Lord blessed Potiphar’s house on behalf of Joseph (39:5). In 46:2-3, God finally speaks, telling Jacob that He will be with Jacob when he goes into Egypt and He will bring him back to the Promised Land.

As we continue reading through the events, we see where the brothers believed God was doing something to them as they interact with Joseph (whom they do not yet know): 42:28. Jacob hoped that God would give his sons compassion before Pharaoh (43:14). Joseph hoped God would be gracious to Benjamin (43:29). In 44:16, the brothers believed God had “found out” the iniquity of the brothers against Joseph. So we see expressed by the patriarchs a trust in God, both His ability to punish and His ability to bless.

But as “providence” is defined as God working without miracles, then we see Him working constantly behind the scenes. This is summed up by Joseph several times: 45:5, 7-9; 50:20, with 50:20 serving as the theme of Joseph’s life and his faith. Joseph believed God had given him his sons (48:9). God had allowed Jacob to see Joseph’s sons (48:11). Jacob believed God had been his shepherd (48:15). Jacob believed God would take his family back to Canaan (see also 50:24-25). Finally, in 49:18, Jacob expects salvation to come from the Lord.

God can bless us, just as He did Joseph, without working any miracles. We do not know why bad things might happen to us – think of Joseph spending time in jail – but God can work things out for our good, to help us serve Him. We need to stay faithful and trust Him.

Paul Holland

This snow and the salt on the roads wrecks havoc on our cars, doesn’t it? The places over our back wheels is slowly rusting away. The next car we get, I hope, has that protection over the wheels so this doesn’t happen. Rust slowly “chips away” the paint on a car. Like sin, rust is a corrosive power. Over time, it can remove the paint from our vehicles, just like sin can remove saving faith from our lives.

The Hebrew writer is trying to encourage Christians to think seriously about Jesus and our relationship with Him and just stay faithful! Let’s feed our spirits on Hebrews 3. I do not plan to study every single verse in this letter; some chapters will be too long for us to consider. But I will look at all of chapter 3.

CONSIDER JESUS – 3:1-6:

Christ is the Apostle of our confession and the High Priest of our confession. An “apostle” is someone sent on a special mission. It is very similar to our English word “missionary.” Jesus is the “apostle” sent from heaven, from the Father, with the Father’s message.

Jesus represents the Father to us; but He is also our “high priest.” The writer of Hebrews is going to use the expression “high priest” 17 times, and ultimately his point is going to be Jesus is our High Priest. In other words, not only does Jesus represent the Father to us, but He also represents us to the Father. Jesus is the only one who stands between us and the Father.

The author of Hebrews ends this passage by reminding his audience that they must “hold fast” to their confidence and their hope in order to ultimately inherit their home in heaven. Christians must remain steadfast in their faith and persevere in the hope of Christ to enjoy the promise of the consummation of that heavenly calling.

DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEART – 3:7-11:

The psalmist is quoting from Psalm 95 and he is applying its message to Christians. “Do not harden your hearts.” That is the behavior the writer wants us to take away from this quotation because he quotes this verse again in verse 15. Do not harden your hearts. In other words, keep a humble heart and a submissive mind to the teachings of God.

Aldous Huxley, the twentieth-century English novelist and essayist said, “That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach” (Aldous Huxley, “A Case of Voluntary Ignorance,” Esquire Classic, October 1, 1956).

TAKE CARE AND ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER – 3:12-19:

Now the Hebrew writer shows that he is not talking to Lone Rangers… “Encourage one another” (ver. 13). Of course, the famous text in Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Why? Because there is strength in numbers. God created us to worship, yes, but He also created us to worship together.

The writer tells us that we are, effectively, our “brother’s keeper.” We need to “encourage one another.” This verb “encourage” is used 111 times in the NT! The Hebrew writer will use it four times: 3:13; 10:25; 13:19, 22. The pronoun “one another” is used 106 times in the NT. Clearly, God wants us as Christians to know one another, encourage one another, and worship with one another. Christianity is not a stay-at-home, practice on your own, religion.

On January 21, 2023, the University of Michigan relay team was competing in the Simmons-Harvey Invitation in Ann Arbor. Runner Sophie Isom fell during the first leg of the 4×400 race. After Isom got back to her feet, the other three members of her team were able to make up 30 seconds of lost time and Michigan won and beat that team down south (OSU) by 8 seconds. When we struggle to find our balance in life, we need our church family to help pick us up and carry us to victory.

Consider Jesus and do not harden your heart to His message. Take care and let’s encourage each other to stay faithful!

Paul Holland