Run the Race of Faith, to Win!

Hebrews 12:1-17

Purpose: Running the life-long race of faith in Jesus Christ!

1. Running Your Race of Faith (Hebrews 12:1-4)

The descriptions of Jesus in this passage:

• Jesus, the Author & Perfecter of faith (the Who)
• For the joy set before Him (the Why)
• Endured the cross (the What)
• Despising the shame (the How)
• Sat down at the right hand of the throne of God! (the Outcome)
• Jesus is Alive from the dead!

What, then, do we do in response to what Jesus does?

• We (the Who)
• Lay aside every encumbrance & sin (the Preparation)
• Run the race! (the What)
• With endurance (the How)
• The race is “set before us” (Jesus calls us!)
• Fixing our eyes on Jesus (the How)
• Do not grow weary! (the How)
• Do not lose heart! (the Perseverance)

Because God is faithful, and there’s a reward at the end, run the race
of faith to win!

2. Your Father Loves You! (Hebrew 12:5-11)

Revere God Who Knows Everything You are Going Through

3. Persevere Together! (Hebrews 12:12-17)

            Notice especially the actions (verbs) called for:

• “Strengthen” and “make straight” - in a word, persevere (vv. 12-13)
• “Pursue” peace and sanctification (v. 14)
• “See to it” no one comes short of the grace God (v. 15)
• “there be no” immoral or godless person (v. 16)

When you realize what you could have had, and missed it, it’s too late! 

Jesus is Better than anything else in this life. Follow Jesus at all costs!

Faith In The Meantime Is True Faith
Hebrews 11

Purpose: True faith is counted as righteousness by and rewarded by God.

1. True Faith Believes God’s True Word (Heb. 11:1-8)
   Psalm 19:1
   Romans 1:18-20

2. True Faith Seeks God’s True Promise (Heb. 11:13-16)
   A Better Heavenly Country
   Not the Copy

3. True Faith Endures To God’s Glory (Heb. 11:9-12, 17-38)
   Abraham
   Isaac
   Joseph
   Moses’ Parents
   Moses
   Israel
   Rahab
   Heroes
   Women
   Others

4. True Faith Receives God’s Better Reward (Heb. 11:39-40)

Faith In The Meantime

Hebrews 10:26-39

Purpose: “But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul” (Heb 10:39)

1. The Five Warnings Against Apostacy in Hebrews

• Since Jesus is Superior to Angels, listen to His message of salvation (Heb 2:1-4)
• Since Jesus is Superior to Moses, then we better take heed (Heb 3:1 – 4:13)
• Don’t Go Backward; leave OT shadows and go to NT realities (Heb 6:1-8)
• The Danger of Despising God (Heb 10:26-31)
• Do Not Refuse God (Heb 12:25-29)

2. The Sin of Apostasy (Heb 10:26-31)

          What is the “sin” being referred to here? (See Numbers 15:30-31!)

          It is the willful denial of the once-for-all salvation found only in Christ!

          This is “shrinking back to destruction” (Heb 10:39)

3. Don’t Shrink Back, Have Faith! Endure! Persevere! (Heb 10:32-39)

Their previous sufferings (vv. 32-34a)

The Character of the True Christian (vv. 34b-39)

• The True Christian has a better and lasting possession in Christ (v. 34b)
• The True Christian does not lose confidence (v. 35)
• The True Christian endures (v. 36)
• The True Christian lives by faith (v. 37, trusting in God for the future)
• The True Christian does not shrink back (v. 38)
• The True Christian perseveres (v. 39)

The true Christian never rejects God, never rejects Jesus Christ as their salvation.

New Covenant Living
Hebrews 10:19-25

Purpose: Jesus has brought us a new way of living. With full access to the Father, we are called and able to confidently live as the people of God from a pure and cleansed conscience.

1. The Why of the New Way (Heb. 10:19-21)

2. The What of the New Way (Heb. 10:22-25a)

3. The How of the New Way (Heb. 10:25b)

The All-Sufficiency of Jesus Christ!

Hebrews 10:1-18

Purpose: This is all about worship!! “Can I be in the presence of God with my sin?” “What takes my sin away?” “How do I worship God in the first place?” “Is worship more than singing songs?” “Can I worship God without knowing Jesus Christ?” “Can I be holy & acceptable to God?”

1. Old Covenant Worship Weakness (Heb 10:1-4)
2. 1 What could the Law “never” do?

Never make perfect those who draw near (compare to 9:9 and 14)

1. 2 If the OC worship and sacrifice for sin worked, what would be done?

The sacrifices would cease

1. 3 The sacrifices are a “reminder of sins”
2. 4 It is “impossible” for the blood of the OC sacrifices “to take away sins”

2. New Covenant Worship Strength (Heb 10:5-10)
3. 5-9 Using Psalm 40:6-8, the author is showing that . . .

                        What did Jesus come to “do”?

The will of God, taking away the first OC to establish the second NC

1. 10 By the offering (worship language) of Jesus Christ,

we have been (past/present/future) sanctified (i.e., made holy)

3. The All-Sufficiency of Christ’s Sacrifice (Heb 10:11-14)

            How is Christ’s work described here as …

1. Having offered one sacrifice, Himself, for sins for all time
2. Sat down at the right hand of God
3. Waiting until His enemies are made a footstool
4. By one offering, Himself, He perfected for all time
5. Those who are sanctified, made holy, set apart and able to worship!

Jesus is the Priest who offers, the offering itself which appeases the wrath of God upon our sin, and the King who Rules over His saved, perfected, purified once-for-all holy people! (Heb 7:27; 9:13-14, 23-26)

4. The New Covenant in the Believer’s Life! (Heb 10:15-18)
5. 15 Who is testifying? The Holy Spirit

To whom? To us! (quoting Jer. 31:33-34; see also Heb. 8:10, 12)

1. 18 If you have been forgiven and made holy, does there then need to be

another offering for your sins? No!

Conclusion:

See Matthew 5:17-18; Romans 10:4

OT -> NT                      OC -> NC                   Shadow -> Reality                Copy -> Heaven

Outward Acts -> Pure Conscience                        Law -> Grace                        Repeated -> Once for All

We fail -> Jesus Never Fails

A Better Mediator
Hebrews 9:15-28

Purpose: Jesus is a better mediator of a better covenant that irrevocably provides an eternal inheritance.

            1. The Mediator of a Better Covenant (Heb. 9:15-22)
                  1st Covenant
                        - Death of Animals
                        - Revocable (Hosea 1:9)
                  2nd Covenant
                        - Death of Christ
                        - Irrevocable (Rom. 8:28-30)

           2. The Mediator of Eternal Redemption (Heb. 9:23-26)
                 In the true presence of God
                 Put away sin forever

              3. The Mediator of A Guaranteed Future (Heb. 9:27-28)
                   Coming again
                   Consummation of current reality (Eph. 1:11-14)

A Better Sacrifice
Hebrews 9:1-14

1. The Limited Worship of an Unclean People (9:1-5)
   2 veils
      Outsiders put to death

2. The Limited Benefit of an Earthly Sacrifice (9:6-10)
   Needed Continually
      Superficial Cleansing

3. The Unlimited Provision of the Better Sacrifice (9:11-14)
   Access Granted
      Once for all

A Better Covenant
Hebrews 8:7-13

Purpose: Jesus has inaugurated a New Covenant in his blood, bringing salvation
                to his people and rendering the Old Covenant obsolete.

1. The Necessity of a New Covenant (8:7-9)
     

2. The New Covenant Foretold (8:10-12)

3. The Old Covenant is Obsolete (8:13)

The Main Point!

Hebrews 8:1-6

Purpose: To move on from copy and shadow to reality in Jesus Christ!

1. The Main Point: Jesus is our Priest in the True Tabernacle! (Heb 8:1-2)

          Where is the throne of majesty located?

          Who pitched the true tabernacle?

2. Move On from Copy and Shadow to Jesus Christ! (Heb 8:3-6)

          The copy is nothing compared to the reality

          What is the copy?

          Where is the reality that the copy is duplicated from?

          “But now…” Jesus has obtained what?

Trusting in copies and shadows cannot save, only Jesus Christ takes us to God’s true presence!

Jesus Guarantees the Better Covenant

Hebrews 7:18-28

Purpose: Why would you choose useless imperfection, when you could have eternal perfection?

1. Not Useless Law, But a Better Hope! (7:18-21)

The Law made nothing perfect (v. 19)

Jesus brings “a better hope, through which we draw near to God” (v. 19)

Psalm 110:4

2. Not Ending in Death, But Alive Forever! (7:22-25)

          Jesus is “the guarantee of a better covenant” (v. 22)

          Human priests die (v. 23)

          Jesus “abides forever,” never to die again (v. 24; Rom 6:9)

          Because Jesus is alive forever, He is:

                     A Priest forever (v. 21; Ps 110:4)

                     Able to save you forever (v. 24)

                     Always lives to make intercession for you (v. 25)

3. Not Weak Men, But the Perfect Son Forever! (7:26-28)

          Jesus, the Perfect High Priest is:

                     Holy

                     Innocent

                     Undefiled

                     Separated from sinners

                     Exalted above the heavens

                     Offered Himself once for all!

                     Made perfect forever

Draw near to God in Jesus Christ who guarantees the better covenant of eternal life!

Jesus, Priest King Forever
Hebrews 7:1-17

Purpose: Melchizedek is a forerunner of a better Priest King

1. Who Is Melchizedek? (Heb. 7:1-3)
   Gen 14

2. Melchizedek Greater than Abraham (Heb. 7:4-10)

3. Melchizedek A Shadow of Christ (Heb. 11-17)

Jesus is better:
Than Abraham – receiver of the promise
Than Moses – Giver of the Covenant of Law
Than Melchizedek – King Priest of the Most High God

Who We Are Becoming – Part 2
We Exist to Glorify Christ in Worship, Discipleship, & Mission
Ephesians 4:1-16

Purpose: Everyone has a role to play in glorifying Christ in worship, discipleship,
               and mission.

1. Recognizing the Reign of Christ

2. Recognizing the Role of Elders

Office: Overseer (1 Tim. 3)
Character: Elder (1 Tim. 3 &1 Pet. 5)
Function: Pastor (Eph. 4)

3. Recognizing the Role of Deacons

Office: Servant (1 Tim. 3)
Character: Full of Spirit and Wisdom (1 Tim. 3 & Acts 6)
Function: Maintain Unity (Acts 6)

4. Recognizing the Role of Saints
   Redeemed for Service
    Gifted for service
    Equipped for the work of service

We are designed to glorify Christ in worship, discipleship, and mission, by being Elder led, Deacon served, and Congregationally executed.

Who We Are Becoming – Part 1

We Exist to Glorify Christ in Worship, Discipleship, & Mission

In Worship By:

• God-centered worship in Spirit & Truth (Jn 4:24)
• Expository book-by-book preaching & teaching (2 Tim 4:2)
• Gathering as the church for corporate prayer in one time and place. (Acts 2:42)
• Baptism, Lord’s Supper, & Membership

In Discipleship By:

• Every member gathering in Worship & growing in a Discipleship Group (Heb 10:24-25)
• Growing in the Word & ways of Jesus Christ together (Jn 15)
• Children- Truth78 & VBS (Ps 78:3-4)
• Youth – Truth78 & Disciple 6 (Ps 78:3-4)

In Mission By:

• Great Commission Ministry (Matt 28:18-20) including yearly international mission
    trip(s) to UPGs (Unreached People Groups)
• Every member sharing the Gospel
• Supporting the Cooperative Program, IMB, NAMB, & Send Relief
• Adults on Mission, Royal Ambassadors, Girls in Action, & Mission Friends
• Called to the Nations Scholarship at MBTS