Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Yeah. So the question is, is there anything that you are struggling with at the moment? Anything? I think more importantly is the question, is there anything in your life that seems to be pulling you away a little bit from God?
[00:00:19] For the past two weeks, I've been thinking and praying. I just didn't know what to do, you know, what to preach on. And this past week has been such a busy week, the busiest week yet. And I just cried out to the Lord and I said, what am I going to talk on? And I felt the Lord just say, just speak on what's on your heart. What are you going through? What are you struggling with? Because when I consider that, I'm sure I'm not the only one.
[00:00:45] And, you know, if there's anything pulling you away from God or maybe you're just feeling very uninspired.
[00:00:55] Uninspired. You know, it's just like, you know what you need to do, but it is so difficult to do it. That's my story.
[00:01:05] I know I have this list, and I'll tell you just now, I have a list of things that I want to be doing every day. Not big things, small things, but man, to try and get those things done are just so.
[00:01:18] Or seem so difficult.
[00:01:20] So I wanted to encourage you today because I need this encouragement. I really do.
[00:01:27] And as I was praying to the Lord, my heart just.
[00:01:32] Just got drawn to Hebrews, to the book of Hebrews. And it was quite amazing because as I opened up my study Bible, at the first introduction of Hebrews, it said this.
[00:01:44] Have you ever known. And I wasn't quite sure what to see. You know, I don't know why, I just felt Hebrews. So it says this in the opening. This is just the description. Have you ever known a person who has turned his. Her back on Christ and the church and simply walked away?
[00:02:01] Perhaps you have struggled to maintain your own Christian commitment and the face.
[00:02:09] In the face of delusionment, spiritual confusion, loss of perspective, or outright persecution.
[00:02:18] The book of Hebrews points us to Christ.
[00:02:21] It provides light to help struggling Christians see Jesus clearly and to stand firm. So when I read that, I thought, oh, thank you, Lord, You've brought me to the right place.
[00:02:35] And so that little description may have seemed a little extreme. Don't worry, I'm not turning my back on church or God, not ever.
[00:02:43] That's why I was careful to say in the beginning, if you've got little issues, these are little issues, but they're issues nonetheless.
[00:02:52] So I'm struggling mainly with little things that I want to do and I know that God wants me to do as well. So. So the group of friends that I'm together with, we formed a little group where we meet every second week or maybe every month. It's been a bit hit and miss, but in the last time we met, we decided, no, we're going to write a list of things we need to do and we're going to put it on the group and we're going to hold each other accountable to them.
[00:03:23] Well, the first two weeks have been disastrous for me and I owned up to it on the group. I just said, guys, I failed.
[00:03:30] And then I was a little bit encouraged to see another person come on a bit later, a few days later, to say, also, he's kind of failed as well. So I wasn't the only one.
[00:03:42] But it's hard. It's. It's hard to keep these things going. It's hard to find the inspiration, I'm sure, and I hope that you will agree with me.
[00:03:53] Mm.
[00:03:58] You know, and I was thinking back as I was pondering on this, thinking back when I was younger, for some reason, I was so inspired when I was younger. And not even, yes, there were things of God. Yes. But even normal earthly things, or so committed. And so, you know, I would wake up at 4:30 in the morning just to go and gym.
[00:04:19] And it always convinced me so much because I'm trying to wake up in the morning at 5 to spend quiet time with the Lord.
[00:04:27] I can't seem to do it. And so I'm feeling hard on myself.
[00:04:32] I feel like I'm failing.
[00:04:34] And yeah, I just really do need encouragement.
[00:04:44] But, yeah, just thinking about that, I so badly want that back. I want that fire back. I want that urgency back.
[00:04:52] I want, and I want it for God now, not for things of the world so much anymore, but more for God. That. That time in the morning with the Lord is so precious.
[00:05:04] I know that when I start my days like that, they are the best. There is no doubt about it. They are the best.
[00:05:13] You know, and an important point I want to make, and I know this so well, is that at the end of the day, these things are a decision that we need to make.
[00:05:25] You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make a drink, you know, and at the end of the day, you just need to do it.
[00:05:32] I know it sounds easy, but it's hard, but we do. We just need to make that decision and do it. So I'm searching the Word and I trust because in the book of, you know, in the Book of Hebrews, it says that the word of God is sharper than any double edged sword, divides soul and spirit.
[00:05:51] So if anything's going to do it, it's going to be his word.
[00:05:59] So as I was reading through, I noticed the headings.
[00:06:05] There were three warnings.
[00:06:07] There was a warning to pay attention.
[00:06:11] There was.
[00:06:21] Just disappeared.
[00:06:28] There was a warning to pay attention.
[00:06:32] There is a warning against unbelief and then there is a warning against falling away. So those were topics that I picked up.
[00:06:41] And as we go through these verses, it's going to come, it'll bring these things to light. Very important things.
[00:06:51] All right, so we start off in Hebrews 2, verse 1.
[00:06:58] It says we must pay the most careful attention therefore to what we have heard so that we do not drift away. And I felt like when I read that, I was like, that's exactly it.
[00:07:09] You know, the devil is so subtle in what he does, he's so crafty.
[00:07:15] And even though for me it's a little thing, it could be something that slowly pulls you away from God. Just slowly, slowly. And you don't even know it. That's the thing.
[00:07:27] So you'll see that there's a therefore in that sentence. And we must ask the question, what's the therefore? Therefore can read like this. Therefore we must pay the most careful attention to what we have heard so that we do not drift away.
[00:07:41] So if we start back in Hebrews 1 and we read 1 4, it says this.
[00:07:46] In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways.
[00:07:54] But in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son whom He appointed heir of all things and through whom also he made the universe.
[00:08:06] The sun is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being sustaining all things by his powerful word.
[00:08:18] After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty in heaven.
[00:08:24] So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
[00:08:32] I won't read the whole chapter, but it goes on to draw verses from the old scriptures to back up why Jesus is greater than the angels.
[00:08:49] Yeah, and so there's two things that jump out to me in this scripture. He's showing us who Jesus is. This, the book of Hebrews was written around 60 AD, so that is like 25 years, 25 odd years after Jesus died. So there's many people who, who known him, disciples seen him, and also beyond that, many people who have known him, who have seen Him.
[00:09:16] And as I've said before, I think for that generation, it must have been so difficult for people to see a man, a normal man, and remember Jesus claim was that he was God.
[00:09:31] And for them to believe that after seeing a man must have been really difficult. If you put yourself in their shoes, you can kind of understand why it was so hard.
[00:09:41] And so what the writer is saying here, he's telling us, he's showing us how much God he was, that he is so much superior than the angels, that the universe was made through Jesus and that Jesus himself sustains the universe by the power of his word.
[00:10:01] That's the Jesus, the Jesus that you knew, that we knew 25 years ago. That's who we're talking about here. And so it's so important to really grasp that as we struggle through life and we'll see why Jesus is the heir of all things, not some things, all things.
[00:10:23] And so let's take heed to that warning because directly after explaining who Jesus was, he says, now let's pay close attention to this. This is so important. Listen, let's read on from Hebrews 2 and we can read verses 2 to 4.
[00:10:42] For since the message spoken through angels was binding and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?
[00:10:57] This salvation, that's our saving, our saving grace. This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him, right?
[00:11:09] People still there, people who heard him, who saw him.
[00:11:13] So they have confirmed this.
[00:11:16] God also testified to it by signs, wonders, and various miracles. We've just been through a series where we've, we've touched on those things.
[00:11:26] Jesus, we know it was undeniable. All the miracles that Jesus did, nobody could deny them.
[00:11:33] And by the gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will, that was another way that God proved what he was. This whole topic is that he gave His Holy Spirit and He gave the church and us gifts through His Holy Spirit.
[00:11:55] And so to summarize that it's. Again, I want to say that this passage is showing us who Jesus is.
[00:12:02] It's so important that we, we get that. Well, but here's the thing.
[00:12:10] He wasn't only God, he was also fully man. And we'll read that in the verses to come. But that, that is the thing which helps us through our hard times. Because Jesus, God was fully man as well.
[00:12:28] So he shared in our humanity and he could identify with us. Exactly.
[00:12:37] And so do you know that Jesus has gone through what you have gone through.
[00:12:41] He's experienced what you've experienced.
[00:12:44] Heartache, pain, suffering, whatever it is, he's gone through it. Jesus himself as man, total man.
[00:12:58] And also he's been tempted in every way.
[00:13:01] Remember, he went into the desert for 40 days and fasted and was tempted hugely.
[00:13:07] And, you know, temptation becomes very difficult when you are in a weak, a weak.
[00:13:17] What can I say, a weak situation. If you are feeling weak, temptation is that much harder.
[00:13:26] Hebrews 2, 17, 18.
[00:13:29] For this reason, he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God and that he might make atonement for the sins of people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
[00:13:56] And the same thing later In Hebrews 4, 14 and 16, it says something very similar.
[00:14:02] This. Therefore, since we have such a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
[00:14:13] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with us, with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet he did not sin.
[00:14:28] Let us then approach God's throne with grace, throne of grace, with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
[00:14:40] So again, maybe if Jesus didn't become a man, we could have said to God, but, Lord, you don't know what it's like.
[00:14:51] You're not human. You know, you don't know what I'm going through.
[00:14:55] But we can't, we cannot say that, because Jesus was fully man, just like you and me.
[00:15:02] And that is so encouraging. And we can take heart in that, because as I said before, Jesus has been through what we've been through.
[00:15:11] And even more, it says somewhere there, have you died for your faith?
[00:15:17] Jesus did.
[00:15:20] So Jesus knows, He understands and he empathizes, sympathizes with us.
[00:15:29] And because of that, he's able to have mercy on us. He's able to be patient with us.
[00:15:36] It's good to know.
[00:15:41] You'll see that I'm kind of going through. But obviously it's too much to read all the way through. So I've picked out verses. So Hebrews 3, verse 1 says, Therefore, holy brothers and sisters who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.
[00:16:00] And then later on in verse six, it says, but Christ is faithful as the Son over God's house.
[00:16:09] And we are his house.
[00:16:12] If indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.
[00:16:19] And I love that Jesus can actually call us his brothers and sisters. Yeah, he is Lord of all, but he actually calls us his brothers and his sisters.
[00:16:32] It says that in Hebrews 2:11, by the way, it says Jesus is not ashamed to call us his brothers and sisters.
[00:16:42] So that.
[00:16:45] That is the warning to pay attention.
[00:16:48] Okay, the next one is the warning to a warning against unbelief.
[00:16:55] So we'll pick up in verse 7 to 14, Hebrews 3, verse 7 to 14.
[00:17:08] So as the Holy Spirit says today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion during the time of testing in the wilderness where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for 40 years, they saw what I did.
[00:17:29] That is why I was angry with them. That generation, I said, their hearts are always going astray and they have not known my ways.
[00:17:40] So I declared on oath in my anger, they shall never enter my rest.
[00:17:46] See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
[00:17:55] But encourage one another daily as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
[00:18:06] We have come to share in Christ if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.
[00:18:20] So in verse 13 it says, but encourage one another daily. So that is what I want to encourage for us, is that I felt like I needed encouragement. Yes, I'm getting it from the Word, but it's so nice that I can pick up the phone and I can tell my friend, my brother, I'm failing. I need help. Please help me so we can encourage one another as long as it is called today, don't delay, in other words, to do it today, do it now, be there, encourage.
[00:18:56] And then secondly, and so importantly, don't be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
[00:19:03] I think I'll go a little bit more into this later. But that is the danger that I have felt in these little things that find their way in my life. Little things that draw me away from Christian disciplines, from spiritual disciplines. Sorry. Which I know are absolutely essential for growth.
[00:19:25] I know it.
[00:19:26] You know, it may be tiredness. I don't know, it could be eating. It could be tv, Internet.
[00:19:34] There's. There's so much that can so easily find its way between us and God.
[00:19:40] And the thing is, if we don't deal with those things, then and there, our heart is hardened.
[00:19:46] And that is a very dangerous place to be. When your heart hardens, it doesn't respond, as I'll read just now in Ezekiel.
[00:19:56] But if you have a hard heart, when God is talking to you, sending people to you, giving you words, your heart is hot.
[00:20:04] Your heart is hot.
[00:20:07] You know what I mean?
[00:20:10] And you will not hear, you will not respond.
[00:20:15] It's dangerous. It's a dangerous place to be.
[00:20:20] And so then there's a warning against falling away.
[00:20:26] Now we've got to worry about actually falling away completely.
[00:20:30] Hebrews 5, 11, 12 says, we have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.
[00:20:41] In fact, though, by this time you ought to be teachers.
[00:20:46] You need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again.
[00:20:52] You need milk, not solid food.
[00:20:58] And I have felt that in my life, I've often asked the question, why am I still struggling on this thing?
[00:21:05] It feels like 10, 15 years while I'm still struggling on this thing.
[00:21:10] You know, when we go to school, we go to elementary school, and we learn the basic fundamentals which help us in the future, and if we don't learn those basic fundamentals, at best, we will struggle immensely with what is lying ahead of us.
[00:21:30] So, and so that's what's happening with us.
[00:21:35] We're still on basic things. Perhaps, I think you all can judge for yourselves and in your own lives.
[00:21:41] If we're still struggling on basic things, we are not moving into the fullness of what God has called us to.
[00:21:50] We have to strive for maturity.
[00:21:53] We need to settle ourselves on the fundamentals, the basics.
[00:22:01] And, and, and he says here, you no longer try to understand, you know, when sometimes you feel like you just don't feel like it anymore.
[00:22:15] I think that's what it's talking about. You, you actually.
[00:22:21] Yeah, you just, you just don't have the drive. You don't.
[00:22:24] There's no passion, there's no drive to. For it.
[00:22:34] So we have to make that conscious effort of dealing with, in this one aspect, on the elementary stuff.
[00:22:42] We need to settle our hearts on those things so that, so that we can move forward. Because until that happens, it's going to be difficult to move forward. There's no doubt, right?
[00:22:54] Hebrews 6, 16, 20.
[00:22:58] People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.
[00:23:11] Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised.
[00:23:20] He confirmed it with an oath.
[00:23:23] God did this so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope that set before us may be greatly encouraged.
[00:23:39] We have this hope as an anchor for the soul.
[00:23:43] Firm and secure, it enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain where our forerunner Jesus has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.
[00:23:57] Now, that is from the NIV version.
[00:24:00] And to be very honest, I struggled with that when it says here, But it says something about to God did this so that two unchangeable things. Do you know what those two unchangeable things are in that scripture?
[00:24:20] Well, I decided, let me try read a different version. So I turn to the new living translation and it says this. And I found this very helpful.
[00:24:32] Now, when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it.
[00:24:38] And without any question, that oath is binding.
[00:24:42] God also bound himself with an oath so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind.
[00:24:54] So God has given us both his promise and his oath.
[00:24:58] These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie.
[00:25:07] Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.
[00:25:17] This hope is the strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.
[00:25:22] It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary.
[00:25:27] Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
[00:25:34] But I found that hugely helpful because I was struggling to see what those two things were. Those two things were his oath and his promise.
[00:25:43] And know that it is impossible for God to lie. Impossible.
[00:25:50] God is not a man that he should lie.
[00:25:53] So you can put your life on that. You can.
[00:25:58] And we can do that with absolute confidence.
[00:26:03] And I also love where it says we can flee to him for refuge. And I think this is where it comes to for me when I'm stuck in those little things, struggling in these seemingly silly things that are holding me back.
[00:26:20] Where are you running to?
[00:26:23] You run to watch a movie?
[00:26:25] Sometimes I feel like that's all I want to do, is this is an escape, you know? But I'm feeling there's a reason why I'm longing for that, you know?
[00:26:36] But we can run and flee to God, to Jesus, and that is where we supposed to be running to.
[00:26:51] Yeah. So he is our refuge and he is our hope. He really and truly is our Hope for all things.
[00:26:58] It doesn't matter what you're going through.
[00:27:01] He is the hope. He is the answer.
[00:27:05] So where do you flee to for your refuge?
[00:27:09] When you want to just run away a little bit, where do you go?
[00:27:15] We're going to end off on this passage, which comes much later in Hebrews. Hebrews 12:1:3 is one of my absolute most favorite scriptures in the whole Bible, but I think it really sums it up beautifully.
[00:27:30] Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, for the joy set before him. He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
[00:28:10] I mean, that's it. That is what I needed to hear.
[00:28:15] Consider Jesus, who has been through what you've gone through and what you're going through, and he has overcome.
[00:28:26] So I want to just tie it all together. Hopefully.
[00:28:29] We just draw out the main points, pay careful attention.
[00:28:37] I know it seems to state the obvious, but I think we often. Our attention is elsewhere.
[00:28:45] We are not paying careful attention to this, to the message of the gospel, to the salvation, to Jesus who He is. We're just not.
[00:28:53] Our attention is elsewhere.
[00:28:57] And this, the fact that we do this will help us and keep us to some extent from drifting. I don't think it's the only thing, but it's definitely one of the most important things.
[00:29:09] The second thing is that Jesus can really and truly identify with you. You have to believe that he knows your hardships intimately, he knows your sufferings.
[00:29:26] He knows everything. And I think he knows more. He's been through more.
[00:29:31] And because he can identify with us, he can have mercy on us, he can be patient with us. Thank goodness for that. The Lord was patient with me for about 15 years, and I'm forever grateful for that.
[00:29:50] Let's encourage each other. I think we've been going through this long.
[00:29:55] We are here together. We're a beautiful family.
[00:29:58] You know, we all love each other and I think it's quite evident. I really do. I love that about this church of ours. There's true love for one another. But let's. Let's encourage each other. Let's reach out, let's notice people who are struggling through things, and let's reach Out.
[00:30:14] Remember that sin is more deceitful than you can ever imagine.
[00:30:20] The smallest little thing. I read this thing from one. Of course, I wouldn't remember his name. Now, Spurgeon, where he describes how cunning the devil is, where he will trip you up without you even knowing it.
[00:30:40] And it's really true.
[00:30:46] And the thing is, nobody ever knows when they're being deceived, right?
[00:30:50] You know, you don't know when you're being deceived.
[00:30:53] So it's tricky, it's hard. And that's why we need each other. We need the word and we need each other.
[00:30:59] So we have to be so careful about that.
[00:31:03] Then, very importantly, as I've said already, sin hardens your heart.
[00:31:08] That's what sin does.
[00:31:10] Sin drives you away from God.
[00:31:15] And the last thing you want is a hard heart.
[00:31:18] And this is where I said, we'll come Back to Ezekiel 36, 26, 27.
[00:31:24] God says, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.
[00:31:30] I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
[00:31:36] And I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. But do you see that? It's God doing that.
[00:31:47] And so if we run away from God, he can't do that.
[00:31:52] If we harden our hearts against God, he can't do that. He wants to do all of that for you. He wants to give you a new heart, a new spirit.
[00:32:00] He wants to. It says there, I will put my spirit in you and move you. I will move you. I will give you the inspiration to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
[00:32:14] And so when we in these situations, we've got to run to him. Running away from him is just.
[00:32:22] It's just the worst.
[00:32:25] It only leads to death.
[00:32:31] We need to learn the elementary stuff and move on beyond that, because it's holding us back if that's where we are. I'm not saying that that's where we are.
[00:32:40] We each of us need to take stock and look at our lives and look at our knowledge of the Word and of God. And we need to assess, are we stuck on the basics? Because we're not going to move forward if we are, and this is in our court. I believe. I believe this sits in our court.
[00:32:57] It's not going to just happen. We have to make it happen.
[00:33:01] You can trust God's promises.
[00:33:03] It is impossible for God to lie.
[00:33:07] Impossible.
[00:33:09] If God's made a promise, it's going to happen.
[00:33:13] That's why Abraham was such a man of faith because how much hundred years he waited, but he still stood on it. He said, no, God's going to do it. I mean, it's amazing.
[00:33:26] We need to throw off every sin that weighs us down and entangles us. And I love that language. We've got to throw it off, not just put it off. We need to get rid of that and throw it as far away aggressively as we can get rid of it, you know? And again, for me, it's. It's just the little things.
[00:33:46] The little things that just keep us entangled and keep us where we are instead of moving into his fullness.
[00:33:54] And when we do that, when we. When we take those weights off us, then we will be able to run the race that is set before us. Because God has a plan for each and every one of our lives.
[00:34:07] And if we want to run well in that, we've got to get rid of what's weighing us down.
[00:34:12] And then lastly, keep our eyes on Jesus.
[00:34:15] He went through everything we've gone through and more, and he overcame.
[00:34:20] He won.
[00:34:22] And we can go to him.
[00:34:24] He will understand.
[00:34:26] He will have mercy on us and he will give us the strength to get through.
[00:34:31] Shall we pray?
[00:34:33] Heavenly Father, thank you for your word.
[00:34:38] It's just reflecting now on, you know, Lord, I had a.
[00:34:43] Such a busy week, and I was just saying, please show me. Show me what I can share with people.
[00:34:50] Show me what you would like to share and speak to people on. And you brought me to this, Lord, your word is so full, it's so rich, so beautiful.
[00:35:01] The answer to life's problems are in this book.
[00:35:04] And I really pray that, Holy Spirit, that you would open our eyes, our spiritual eyes, as Les prayed this morning. Pray that you would open our ears, Holy Spirit, so that we may hear you, that we may take this seriously, that we may pay careful attention to what you are saying to us. Because this is not a joke, Lord. This is a matter of life and death.
[00:35:28] And it's not just about scraping into heaven. Lord, you have a beautiful plan for each one of us.
[00:35:34] And I pray that we can understand deeply what you are saying to us through this beautiful letter in Hebrews.
[00:35:47] You are telling us to get rid of these things, showing us what to be careful about.
[00:35:53] Help us to pay attention, help us to understand.
[00:35:58] And I pray, Lord, that you would give us everything we need. And I believe you will to be everything you called us for.
[00:36:07] So I pray for each person here as we go out this week.
[00:36:11] Encourage them, Lord.
[00:36:12] I pray that they would be running to you in their times of need.
[00:36:17] And thank you for that. We are all here for each other as well.
[00:36:20] Pray this all, and we ask it in your name, Lord Jesus, amen.
