Through the Bible - Hebrews

Father, I would ask that you would speak to us tonight, Lord. Remind us of your faithfulness, but also remind us of the call that you've placed on our lives. You are greater than anything and everything. Lord, you are supreme, and you are to reign supreme in my life and in the lives of my brothers and sisters here. I pray that we would not hold back or cling to the authority or lordship of our own lives. We shouldn't try to dominate or sit on the throne of our lives, but rather turn that over to you, for it is your rightful place. You are the rightful heir of the throne of my life and the lives of my brothers and sisters here. So, Lord, would you speak to us tonight as we look at this epistle? Would you continue to transform us by the renewing of our minds? For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

Now, regarding the book of Hebrews, we have now concluded the Pauline epistles, although some believe, wrongly, that the book of Hebrews was written by Paul. We will delve into that shortly. I mentioned last week that we would consider who wrote the book of Hebrews, and we will start right here in Hebrews chapter 1, where the very first word is "God." Ultimately, God wrote the book of Hebrews. He is the one who spoke this to whoever the earthly writer was, and there are many different opinions about who that writer might be.

Various church fathers from the early centuries of the church had their own theories about the authorship of this book. Some said that Paul wrote it, while others believed that Luke, Barnabas, or Apollos were the authors. There is a long list of possible authors for the book of Hebrews. However, when it comes down to it, it is God who wrote it. It is God who spoke it. It is God who ordained that this word would be delivered to His church, especially to those who were Jewish in background, culture, and religion, and who had come to Christ. The early church was indeed filled with many Jews who had embraced Christ.

When you read the book of Acts, the first ten chapters are filled with Jews who had come to Christ. It wasn't until chapter 10, when Peter went to Cornelius' house, that we begin to see Gentiles coming to faith. The gospel was to the Jews first, but it wasn't only for the Jews; it was also for the Gentiles, as God had foretold by the prophets of old. He brought it to the Jews first, and many of them rejected it, but there was a great multitude that also received the gospel.

In the second chapter of Acts, we see that 3,000 people received the gospel, and they were all of Jewish background or heritage. A couple of chapters later, we find that now there were 5,000. The church was growing very quickly, and God was speaking to His people.

As we see here in verse 1, when you consider the way that most of the letters in the New Testament begin, this stands out as not being like the others. One of these is not like the others. Hebrews has a very interesting introduction, as it jumps right into the whole focus of what's going on. The author of the book of Hebrews takes several chapters to establish that Jesus is supreme over all things.

In these first verses, he shows that Jesus is greater than the prophets. Not only is He greater than the prophets, but he also moves to the fact that Jesus is greater than the angels. Jewish people looked reverently towards the angels, but beyond the angels, we see that Jesus is greater than Moses. This was a significant step for many Jewish believers.

Furthermore, Jesus is greater than Aaron and the priesthood. Even more than that, Jesus is greater than Abraham. All of these points that the author of Hebrews lays out were, in one sense, politically incorrect for a Jewish mind. However, he is establishing the fact that Jesus is supreme, that He is over all of these things. All of those things pointed to the coming of this great one, the Messiah.

Who is the very Son of God? I love the way that it starts: "God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spoke in times past unto our fathers by the prophets." Think of the interesting ways that God spoke in the Old Testament. We've considered that over the last year and a half as we've gone through the Bible. God spoke to Amos the prophet through a basket of fruit. He spoke to Moses through a burning bush and to Elijah through a still small voice. All these different ways we see in the Old Testament include visions to Isaiah, Zechariah, and Ezekiel. Many of these prophets had dreams and visions, and God spoke in many different ways in times past.

I believe that God did this purposefully in the Old Testament so that we wouldn't come to some sort of theology or doctrine that God only speaks in one way. However, during the time of the New Covenant, under which you and I live in the New Testament, God has chosen to speak by His Son, by the Word, by the Logos, as we've seen in John chapter 1. We see it reiterated here that Jesus is the one who gives us the personal revelation of God. The special revelation by the prophets is good, but this personal revelation by the Son of God is much better.

Whereas the prophets of old professed to the children of Israel that God has loved them with an everlasting love, they were speaking of God's love. Jesus came to demonstrate God's love. He reveals what it means when God says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love." When Isaiah would say, "I have loved you and I'll never forget you. I've inscribed you on the palms of my hands," the prophet declared that. But Jesus came to demonstrate it. This is one of the neat things we see in the New Testament and under the New Covenant: the prophets declared, but Jesus demonstrated. Therefore, it is a much better revelation by Jesus Christ.

The author of the book of Hebrews takes quite a bit of time, especially in the first ten chapters, to reveal that Jesus is supreme and sufficient. He is over all these things: the temple and its customs, the law, Moses, angels, and prophets. He is far above Abraham and greater than even the mysterious character named Melchizedek, whom we read about in chapter 5 and chapter 7. The whole point of this is that there were Jewish Christians in the first century.

Many were being tempted to turn back to Judaism, to religion, and to a kind of religious formality. I believe this is something that a lot of modern-day Christians experience as well. They can fall into a legalistic formality or a religious routine, thinking that they must do all of these different things. The book of Hebrews very clearly reveals that this is not the case. The emphasis of this book is on moving to maturity.

In fact, we see this clearly when we look at Hebrews chapter 5. If you want to flip over there briefly, at the end of Hebrews 5, in verse 12, the author says, "For when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God. And are become such as have need of milk and not strong meat. For everyone that uses milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, which even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

Then notice what he says in chapter 6, verse 1: "Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection," or let us go on to maturity. He encourages us to move aside from all the elementary principles, all the foundational principles of Christianity and the way of God as Jesus has revealed it, and to move on to maturity. This is the desire that every believer would become a disciple and a mature disciple.

Remember the Great Commission: "Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Discipleship involves teaching people to observe or obey what the Lord has commanded and given in Christ. We need to move on to maturity.

Now, the author of this letter, as he states in chapter 6, encourages us to go on to perfection. However, he takes a step back and acknowledges that we still need to discuss some of these elementary principles. He spends about three more chapters addressing those topics before moving on to the perfection discussed in chapters 11, 12, and 13. One of the very interesting things you see when you reach chapters 11, 12, and 13, which pick back up with the idea of letting us go on to perfection, are the themes of those three chapters.

And so, flip over just for a moment to chapter 10, specifically the end of chapter 10. Just as the author is moving into chapters 11, 12, and 13, look at what we read in verse 22 of Hebrews 10. What are the first two words there? "Let us." Just as we saw in chapter 6, "Let us move on to perfection." We see these words again: "Let us." Let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of what? Faith. Circle the word "faith" there. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Now, look at verse 23. What's the first two words? "Let us." Let us hold fast the profession of our hope. Circle the word "hope" in verse 23. Without wavering, for He is faithful that promised. Then, in verse 24, what are those next two words? "Let us consider one another" to provoke one another unto what? Love and good deeds.

There is really the pattern or the theme of maturity that the author is going to speak to in chapters 11, 12, and 13. Let us move on in verse 22 to faith. Let us move on in verse 23 to hope. And let us move on in verse 24 to love. Faith, hope, and love are a reoccurring theme in the New Testament and in many of Paul's epistles as well.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, remember the end of the chapter focuses on faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is what? Love. That agape love described in chapter 13. These are the three things that the author of the book of Hebrews is going to focus on in chapters 11, 12, and 13. The first thing is faith, and chapter 11 is the hall of faith.

When you get to chapter 12, he says, "Let us run with endurance," this hopeful expectation, "the race that is set before us." Chapter 12 centers on the theme or the idea of hope. Then, chapter 13 speaks of stirring up brotherly love once again: "Let brotherly love continue," as stated in chapter 13, verse 1.

Faith, hope, and love are really the culmination of the book of Hebrews, and I believe they are the direction that God is moving each of us in toward maturity. There are many elementary principles and various things that build up to this, leading us to the right recognition that Christ is over all the other things. We need to recognize that Jewish Christians, like so many who still come to faith, come out of another religion that had works as its orientation and focus.

When we become believers and place our faith in Jesus Christ, we often look for something more to do. We seek additional works to add to our spiritual resume, hoping to become even more righteous or stand out among the body of Christ. Yet, God is not looking for that. In fact, Jesus said something very interesting in John chapter 6 when He was approached by people who wanted to know what the work of God is. They asked, "What are we supposed to do?" In John 6:29, Jesus replied, "This is the work of God, that you believe." This message was contrary to anything the Jews had previously heard or thought.

The Jews were focused on the temple, its institutions, customs, feast days, and fasts, often losing sight of the relationship that God had called them into. He had called them to be a special and peculiar people, with God dwelling in their midst. For that purpose, they were to be priests to the nations, revealing how God works and relates to His people. Unfortunately, they lost focus on this mission and were indicted and punished for it many times in the Old Testament.

As you read through Kings, Chronicles, and the Major and Minor Prophets, you see this theme play out powerfully. In Isaiah chapter 1, God tells the children of Israel that He does not want their religious formality anymore. Later in Isaiah, He states, "You worship Me with your lips, but your hearts are far from Me." This indictment was not just for the people but also for their kings and prophets.

For instance, King Saul, their first king, believed that religious works and service were all that mattered. In 1 Samuel 14, he thought that by offering sacrifices, he would be accepted by God. However, Samuel told him that God does not delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices. What God desires are a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart—these are what the Lord will not despise.

King David understood this, while King Saul did not. Many within the nation of Israel failed to grasp this truth, and I believe that many within the body of Christ today also do not understand it. They gauge their relationship with God based on how many commandments they can keep, how much they can read, or how much they can pray. This focus is all external to faith, hope, and love. The Lord is constantly trying to bring us back to the recognition that our righteousness is not based on our works.

There's nothing that you and I can do to receive righteousness or to make ourselves more righteous in God's eyes. Our righteousness is imputed; He has given us His righteousness. One of my favorite verses that we talk about quite a bit here on Saturday night is 2 Corinthians 5:21, which says, "He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might be the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus." As we are in Christ, by faith, we receive His righteousness. We have been robed with His righteousness, clothed with His righteousness. Nothing that I have done and nothing that you have done contributes to this; it is purely by faith.

Because of our faith and the work that He has done, we have hope and absolute expectation of coming good. We have hope for salvation, ultimate salvation, where we will be with the Lord eternally. The overflow of our faith and our hope is love—love towards God and love towards mankind. That is what God desires. All of the law can be boiled down into one word: love. This is why Paul would say in 1 Corinthians 13, "Now abide these three: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." I believe that love is the overflow of our faith towards God and our hope for what He is going to give us in Christ. The overflow of that is our love towards God and our love towards humanity as well, including other people—not just our neighbors or those who love us.

Remember, that was the love of the Pharisees. Jesus said, "If you love those who love you, what reward have you? Even the publicans do that." But He told us to love our enemies. He didn't just tell us that; He revealed it and demonstrated it. As Romans 5:8 says, "He demonstrated His love towards us, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Faith, hope, and love were a centerpiece of many of Paul's letters. We see it in Corinthians, Thessalonians, and a number of other places in his writings. Because of this, and due to the very Hebrew nature of the book of Hebrews, as well as its writing style, many people have concluded that Paul was the author of this book. I believe that this is a wrong conclusion, and I will show you why. If you turn over to Hebrews chapter 2 for just a moment, starting at verse 1, the author of this letter says:

Why is that important? Well, let me read to you what Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. You'll remember that Paul is instructing the church at Corinth about the Lord's Supper. In 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 23, he writes, "For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered to you: That Jesus Christ, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given thanks, he said, 'Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'"

Notice the way that Paul worded that in verse 23. He received from the Lord that which he also delivered to the church. Paul, by revelation, had received the gospel directly from Jesus. It was not from man; it was from Jesus Christ.

Also, in Galatians chapter 1, verse 11, he states that he received it by revelation personally from Christ. The author of the book of Hebrews, in Hebrews chapter 2, verse 3, writes, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?" This indicates that the author of Hebrews was a second-hand hearer of the gospel, while Paul was a first-hand hearer.

Based on that verse, we can conclude that the book of Hebrews was not written by Paul. However, I believe it was written by a Hebrew individual, a companion of Paul, or someone who knew and understood the message that Paul preached. I believe this letter was written with someone working alongside Paul.

When we read in Hebrews chapter 6, we see a very powerful passage that we'll discuss in just a moment. In Hebrews chapter 6, verse 9, he says,

But beloved, what's the next word? We are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation. Though we speak thus, for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which you have showed towards His name, in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister. We desire that every one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end.

Whoever was writing this letter, whoever was writing this book, was doing it with some other people. There were some other people involved in helping write this book, it would seem. As I've read through this book and studied it, I have considered all the different possible authors. When people say that Luke wrote it, I have a problem with that because Luke was a Greek, and this is very much a Jewish letter or a Jewish book.

However, I do believe that there is an answer, and you don't have to agree with my answer as to who wrote this. But if you want to consider it for a moment, turn to Hebrews chapter 13. We will look at the end of this letter real quick and how it is finished up.

Hebrews chapter 13 begins the salutation at verse 18, where we read, "Pray for what? Us. Pray for us. For we trust we have a good conscience in all things, willing to live honestly. But I beseech you rather to do this, that I may be restored unto you the sooner."

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. What? Amen.

I have written next to that, "first ending." Whoever wrote this has kind of a first ending going on. But now we read in verse 22, "And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation, for I have written a letter unto you in a few words." Circle that there in verse 22: "a few words."

Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty, with whom, if he comes shortly, I will see you. Salute all them that have rule over you, and all the saints that are of Italy salute you. Grace be with you all. Amen.

That ending, the second ending, sounds very much like Paul. Grace be with you all.

Amen. He says, "Suffer the word of exhortation, because I have written unto you in a few words." Now, I don't know about you, but thirteen chapters do not seem like a few words. There's a lot of words in this letter. However, I believe that verses 22 through 25 are the few words of the letter of Paul. I think it serves as an endorsement of the entire letter of Hebrews, which I believe was written by Timothy.

In verse 19, Paul says, "I beseech you that you do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner." It would appear that Timothy was in some sort of situation where he may have been in bonds and chains, as Paul had been so many times before. Then, in verse 23, Paul says, "Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty." So now he indicates that just as he was requesting prayer for Timothy, he has been set at liberty.

Every New Testament book either had apostolic authorship or apostolic endorsement. For a book to be included in the New Testament, those who compiled the canon of Scripture required that these letters or books had to have either apostolic authorship or endorsement by the apostles. There are a number of New Testament books that were not written by the apostles. Can you think of what they are? The Gospel of Luke? The Gospel of Thomas isn't among the canon. Yes, Acts, James, Jude, and then this book, Hebrews, as well.

When you look at these different letters, you see that they didn't have apostolic authorship, but they did have endorsement. I am pretty certain that verses 22 through 25 are the endorsement of Paul regarding the authorship of Timothy for this letter to the Hebrews. Of course, Timothy had a Hebrew background; his grandmother and mother were Hebrews. He was also a companion of Paul and spent a lot of time with him. The Pauline flavor of the book of Hebrews is very clearly conveyed, I believe, through the authorship of Timothy.

It is very interesting, and I don't know where this came from, but at the end of the book of Hebrews in my Bible, there is a subscript that says, "Written to the Hebrews from Italy by Timothy." I've never seen that in any other Bible before, and I've tried to find some information about where that subscript came from—if it was just a footnote from the translators or where it originated. It is an interesting little subnote to consider as you study through the book of Hebrews.

It's very clear that this letter was written prior to A.D. 70 because a significant event took place in A.D. 70: the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, as well as the beginning of the persecution of the Jews by the Romans. As the author of the Book of Hebrews speaks about the temple and the institutions and customs associated with it, he makes no reference to the temple being destroyed yet. Therefore, it is very likely that this letter was written prior to A.D. 70, which would align with Paul still being alive, as he died or was killed in the latter half of the 60s A.D.

Many who have studied the Book of Hebrews have concluded that it was likely written somewhere around 64 to 68 A.D., and it seems to have been written from somewhere in Italy, perhaps in Rome. The Book of Hebrews, more clearly than any other book in the New Testament, outlines the doctrine of what we call apostasy. Because of this, it has become a very difficult book for many within the body of Christ. Various denominations struggle with the Book of Hebrews, and the Catholic Church has completely set it aside because they do not know who the author is.

However, I think we have already concluded that there is a good apostolic endorsement of the letter. Why would the letter of Hebrews be looked down upon by the Catholic Church? One reason is that it makes it very clear that there is no longer a need for the priesthood, which would pose a significant problem for the Roman Catholic Church if this is a doctrinal statement in this book. Consequently, they have cast it aside, and other denominations have also dismissed the Book of Hebrews, especially because of the doctrine of apostasy that is clearly presented in this text.

I do not have all the answers regarding apostasy. However, I believe there are enough warnings in Scripture from God for us to take note that there is a very real phenomenon called apostasy, where someone can depart from the faith. One of the passages that is often referenced in Hebrews is found in Hebrews chapter 6, so if you'll turn there for a moment, I think it's very important when studying the Book of Hebrews to recognize the cultural context of who this book was written to and why.

From the title of the book, we know that it was written to Hebrew Christians. Additionally, from the salutation at the very end, the last verse of the Book of Hebrews states that it is written to the Hebrews. This indicates that it was addressed to people who came out of Judaism.

They came out of a very rigid religious structure and turned to faith in Christ, but now they're being tempted to go back to their religious formality. To be quite honest, religion is a lot easier than Christianity. Christianity is difficult in that it requires a sheer step of faith and following God from faith to faith. The just shall live by faith, and this is mentioned three times in the Bible. Habakkuk's words, "the just shall live by faith" from Habakkuk chapter 2 are referenced in Romans chapter 1, Galatians, and Hebrews.

Living by faith and not by sight is much more challenging than adhering to a list of religious observances. If we can focus on religious practices, it makes our flesh feel better. We go throughout the day feeling accomplished, gauging our spiritual state by whether or not we've completed certain tasks. If I haven't done these things today, I know I better get started, go to confession, or perform other rituals because it will make me feel better. However, the problem with religion is that it can make people feel good, but it doesn't mean they are righteous or that they will be with the Lord in the end. They may have many good works, and those works might look impressive, but they are not enough.

I was teaching this last week at the Bible College on Thursday, going through the book of Isaiah. In Isaiah chapter 11, it says that God does not judge by the seeing of the eyes or the hearing of the ears, but He judges by righteousness and justice. Our justice system is completely built upon what we see and hear. We make judgment calls based on evidence and testimony. How many of you have been jurors before? A number of you have. Every time I get chosen for jury duty, they excuse me because they find out that I believe in God and the death penalty.

If you have gone to jury duty before, you know that the judge instructs you before the trial begins to leave your bias at the door. You are to set aside your personal beliefs and look at the evidence, hear the testimony, and come to a conclusion based on what you see and hear in that courtroom. Thus, our justice system is entirely built upon what we see and hear. God's justice system, however, operates on a different level.

Our earthly justice system is flawed. Would you all agree? Amen. But God's heavenly justice system is perfect. He is a righteous and perfect judge. I was just talking to Todd about this yesterday, and in Genesis chapter 18, there is a verse that I have thought about for many years. I think it's a powerful question that Abraham asks God just before God goes to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He questions God about whether He would save the city if there are 50 righteous people. How about if there are 40, or 30, or 25, and so forth? Abraham asks God, "Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?"

That is a powerful and important question. If there is one who will judge all mankind—both those who have gone before us and those who shall come after us—then that judge better be righteous and perfect. This question is answered with a resounding yes. We know that our God is a just and righteous judge. He does not judge merely by the seeing of the eyes or the hearing of the ears.

What that means is that on the day of Christ Jesus, nobody will be able to stand before God and give their testimony, plea, or show evidence by saying, "Here are my good works and here are all the things that I have done." But that's what religion emphasizes and focuses on. The problem with religion is that it cannot make people righteous. In fact, those who seek to live religiously and follow a religious pattern often lack two important qualities: humility and joy.

If they are fulfilling their standard or plan, they may become the most arrogant people in the world, like the Pharisees. Conversely, if they aren't fulfilling it—which they generally don't admit—they know in their own hearts that they are not fulfilling it, and as a result, they have no joy. So, if you're wanting to walk in religion or you're wondering if you are right now, that's a good barometer. Are you proud and arrogant, and do you have no joy? If so, you might be religious and not have a relationship with Christ.

The culture of the Jews was very religiously oriented. They had many standards and things they were to keep, and they gauged their righteousness based on how well they adhered to those standards. They also gauged other people's righteousness based on those same criteria. Many of these people had converted to Christianity. Walking with Christ by faith, from faith to faith every single day, is much more difficult than following a religious system. It would be tempting for them to revert to their old life.

And yet, the author of the book of Hebrews writes to them and says, "Hey, don't go back to that old life." Why? Well, as Hebrews chapter 10 says in verse 23, there remains no sacrifice for sin. If you sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth—and Jesus is the truth, and the work that He did on the cross is truth—then if you sin willfully, there's no other sacrifice. You can't go back to the temple and offer a lamb or a ram or any other thing. There's no more sacrifice for sin. Jesus is it.

This is a big part of the reason why I believe God allowed the temple to be destroyed in 70 AD. If the temple was sufficient, then God would not have done away with it. But Hebrews makes it very clear: the temple was no longer needed, no longer necessary. That's why the veil was torn from top to bottom when Jesus said, "It is finished," because He is our anchor within the veil. He's our refuge. We no longer need the high priesthood. We no longer need the sacrifices of lambs and goats and all these different things because His sacrifice was once for all.

He's supreme to angels, prophets, Moses, Aaron, Melchizedek, and all these other things. Jesus is supreme. So if you want to turn back to those things, then you've got a real problem. Notice what the author here says in Hebrews chapter 6, verse 4. Actually, let me start in verse 1, because, again, remember chapter 6 is a turning point where he says, "Let's move on to perfection." Let's go into the deeper things that will lead us to maturity in Christ.

Let us go on to perfection, verse 1, not laying again the foundation. Now, notice what the author of the book of Hebrews identifies as foundational principles in Christ. Not laying again the foundation of, number one, repentance from dead works and faith towards God; number two, the doctrine of baptisms; or the laying on of hands; and the resurrection from the dead; or eternal judgment. These are the things that he identifies as foundational principles in Christ.

These are the things that we should learn immediately and early on when we become disciples of Christ. We should learn about repentance from dead works. We should learn about faith towards God and baptism, as Jesus told His disciples to baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We should teach them about the laying on of hands and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. We should teach them about the resurrection from the dead and eternal judgment for those who do not come to Christ and repent.

So these are foundational principles. Unfortunately, a lot of people in the body of Christ never learn about these things. There are many churches...

Throughout our nation and in other nations that never even talk about the foundational things, we wonder why people never come to maturity in Christ. They don't even know about the foundational principles.

Now, moving on to maturity, he says, "And this we will do if God permits." We are going to move away from these things if God will allow.

In verse 4, it states, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come." It is impossible for these individuals. In verse 6, it continues, "If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing that they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame."

He says it is impossible for these individuals, if they fall away, to be renewed again to repentance. Now, that's a heavy teaching. As we put this in context with the other passage in Hebrews chapter 10, what we are looking at is that this falling away is not an accident. It is a deliberate turning away. It is a deliberate walking away from the work that Jesus has done and saying, "That's not enough."

That's the context of this. It is not someone who, oh man, they screwed up and they sinned and then they died before they could repent and confess and ask for forgiveness, and now they are going to hell. That is not what is being said here. The falling away in verse 6 is a deliberate turning away and departing from what? Departing from the work that Jesus did.

Again, Hebrews chapter 10, verse 23 says He is the only sacrifice. There is no other sacrifice. If a person determines, "You know what? What Jesus did is not enough," this was the teaching of the Judaizers in Paul's day. They would come into Galatia and other areas and say, "Listen, that faith in Jesus is great, but Paul forgot to tell you some things. He didn't inform you that you also need to be circumcised, keep the Sabbath, and observe the feast days and fasts. You're not supposed to eat these foods, but you can eat these foods."

They would come in and say what Jesus did is not enough. What the letter to the Hebrews says is that what Jesus did is sufficient, and all those other things are deficient. They are not enough; they all point to the fact that we need Christ. But there is a clear teaching.

In the book of Hebrews and in other letters in the New Testament, there is the possibility of departing from the faith and from the simplicity that we have in Christ and the grace that we have received. That's why Peter would say that we are to grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to be drawing near to God by faith, with full assurance of faith.

Out of an overflow comes works, because when we get to Hebrews chapter 11, we see that there are works that accompany faith. There are things that are done that prove that you and I believe. Obviously, this was an issue in the early church, because Paul made a very great statement about justification by faith alone in Romans. Then, as we will see next week when we get into James, James comes along and says, "Hey, listen, faith without works is dead." Your faith is revealed by your actions, and it's very clearly seen.

However, our salvation is not by those actions; it's not by those works. It's by faith, and it was by faith in the Old Testament just as it is by faith in the New. There is a teaching among many churches in the world today that leans towards what I would call extreme dispensationalism. I know that some of these words are kind of big, but extreme dispensationalism believes that Old Testament saints were saved by works, by the works of the law, and that's not true. Man was saved by grace through faith from Genesis all the way to Revelation.

We see this with Abraham in Genesis chapter 15, verse 6, where it states that he believed God, and God accounted it to him as righteousness. The faith that Abraham had in God was revealed by his actions. This is not just true for Abraham, but also for Enoch, Noah, Abel, and a long list of others that we read about in Hebrews chapter 11.

The text states that it is impossible to renew these individuals to repentance because they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to open shame. These are individuals who have deliberately departed from the sincerity and the simplicity that is in Christ. It appears in verses 4 and 5 that these individuals had a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and that's very hard for some of us to grapple with.

Sometimes we look at that and say, "Wait a minute, I don't believe that you can lose your salvation." Let me tell you something: I don't believe you can lose your salvation. It's not like your wallet or your keys, where you might say, "Oh man, I don't know where I put that." That's not what it's about.

There does seem to be, in the New Testament, a very clear teaching about people rejecting their salvation and departing from the faith. We read of one of them in 2 Timothy, where Demas had forsaken Paul, having loved this present world. He had departed. Now, does that mean that he would never return? I don't know. I mean, God could work in a miraculous way to bring him back.

We read here that it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, and I thank God that He is the one who is able to do the impossible. Amen! What's impossible with man is possible with God. Sometimes we can look at an individual and say, "No, they lost their salvation." Be careful what you think. Paul made it very clear in 1 Corinthians chapter 5 that if a believer has departed from the faith and is going after the things of the world, we are to treat them as an unbeliever.

The problem is that the church took that verse and said, "Alright, we excommunicate them; we have nothing to do with them." But how is the church supposed to relate to unbelievers? What are we supposed to do with unbelievers? We should seek them out, preach the gospel to them, and evangelize them.

So, if we have an individual who used to go to church, who walked with the Lord, and now has departed to pursue the passing pleasures of sin in the world, should we just say we are shunning them? Should we never talk to them again? No! Instead, we should seek them out and preach the gospel to them as if they were unsaved. They may say, "Leave me alone, man! I know God." But the truth is, they don't. They have departed from the Lord, and so we are going to preach Christ to them just as we would preach Christ to any unbeliever.

I think it's dangerous when the church takes a passage like 1 Corinthians chapter 5 and builds a doctrine of excommunication without recognizing what Paul was saying. We need to seek them out and preach the gospel to them just as if they were another unbeliever. It may drive them to anger; it may make them upset. Praise God! Hopefully, it will turn them, in their anger, to repent and return to the Lord.

But again, faith without works is dead, as we will see in James next week. We see a very clear illustration of this in Hebrews chapter 11. So, flip over to chapter 11 and remember that the last three chapters of Hebrews—11, 12, and 13—center around the themes of faith, hope, and love. Hebrews chapter 11 is a passage that you've probably read before, even if you haven't read through the whole book of Hebrews, because here we have...

The Hall of Faith includes accounts of Old Testament saints. Yes, there were saints in the Old Testament just as there are in the New Testament. They were saints not because of the works that they did, but because of the faith that they had in God.

We read in Hebrews chapter 11, verse 1: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." This is why faith is difficult. Walking by sight is a lot easier, and walking in religion is a lot easier. However, faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. By it, the elders obtained a good report; they had a good testimony.

Through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were made by the things which do not appear. This is why science and those who are so focused on science have such a hard time with the Bible and Christianity. It does take faith to trust that God spoke the earth, everything in it, and all the universe into creation.

I believe it takes more faith to be an atheist, but it does take faith to believe what the Bible has to say. Through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God and that the things which are seen were not made by the things which do appear.

By faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous. God testified of his gifts, and by it, he being dead yet speaks. In verse 4, we read about Abel and his walk of faith. His faith in God revealed itself physically in the sacrifice that he brought to God. His faith was exercised in works.

Not just Abel, but also Enoch, in verse 5. By faith, Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God translated him or caught him up. He had his own individual rapture. Before his translation, he had this testimony that he pleased God.

How did he please God? Verse 6 tells us: "Without faith, it is impossible to please him." Boy, underline that in your Bibles! Without faith, it is impossible to please him. This means you could do every possible good work and still not be pleasing to God unless you had faith towards God. Without faith, it is impossible to please him, for he that comes to God must believe two things: number one, that God exists, and number two, that he is the rewarder.

Of them that diligently seek Him, the one who comes to God must first believe that He is, that He exists, and that He is the rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.

Now, after Enoch, we read in verse 7: "By faith Noah, being warned by God of things not yet seen." Think about that. Before Noah and the flood, there were no boats and there was no rain. God said, "Build a boat; it is going to rain." Being warned of things that had not yet been seen, he was moved with fear and prepared an ark for the saving of his house. By this, he condemned the world and became an heir of righteousness, which is by faith. He inherited righteousness not by building an ark, but by his faith.

Then, in verse 8, we see: "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place that he should afterwards receive for an inheritance, obeyed and went out." His faith became action. If our faith is not active and moving forward, can we truly say it is faith? Do we really trust? By faith, Abraham obeyed and went out, not knowing where he was going. He moved by faith and did something that was completely out of the ordinary.

By faith, he sojourned in the land of promise as a stranger, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs of him with the same promise. He looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. He was looking forward to something that was yet unseen—a city built by God, not an earthly city.

Through faith, also Sarah, his wife, received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged Him faithful who promised. It wasn't by her own working, but she judged that God was faithful. Therefore, there sprang even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars in the sky for multitude and as the sand of the seashore, innumerable.

These all died in faith, having not received the promises. Would you put a star next to verse 13? That is a powerful declaration. These people continued and endured in faith, although they didn't receive earthly blessings. They didn't receive the promise here on earth, but they died in faith, having not yet received the promise, but having seen them afar off and were persuaded.

They embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek after a country. Truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came, they might have had an opportunity to return. If their focus was earthly and temporal, and by sight, then they would have turned back to the old way. But instead, they pressed on and endured.

Now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly country. Wherefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God. It is important to underline that in verse 16, as it implies that there are those whom God is ashamed to be called their God. That is pretty heavy. What kind of person might God be ashamed to be called their God? Perhaps someone who professes to know God but lives a completely temporal and sinful life. They are essentially a bad witness, a poor representation of who God is.

In contrast, these individuals—these men and women of faith who exercise their faith—God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city.

In verse 17, by faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac, his son. He that received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called." Isaac was the child, or the son, of the promise, and yet Abraham was willing, by faith, to offer his son. Why? Because he accounted that God was able to raise him from the dead, from whence he also received him in a figure.

Abraham believed in the resurrection, and the resurrection is the cornerstone of my faith and your faith as well. He believed in the resurrection; he trusted that if he killed Isaac, God would raise him from the dead. He had the same faith that you have, the same faith that I have. Although he looked forward to the resurrection, we look back to the resurrection of Jesus. We also look forward to the resurrection of our own bodies, and we are still waiting for that, earnestly expecting it.

The passage goes on in verse 20, discussing Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Moses' parents. It mentions Rahab the harlot and the faith of the children of Israel when they came through the Red Sea. It talks about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. The author continues through Hebrews chapter 11, recounting the stories of so many men and women of faith, who clearly demonstrated their faith.

By the actions and the deeds that they did, the things that they did declared that they believed. It comes down to a question for you and me: do the things that we do declare that we believe, or are we focused purely on the things that are temporal and on all the religious things that we can do?

Now, this doesn't mean that we don't do good works. Out of our faith towards God and the work He has done in us, we do exercise our faith in good works. However, our good works are not to win salvation. Look down in verse 38 of Hebrews chapter 11. After it declares all these people, the author of the book of Hebrews says, "of whom the world was not worthy." Don't you want to be a believer in God that the world is not worthy of because you are a man or a woman of steadfast faith and trust in God?

In verse 39, it states that they obtained a good report through faith, but they received not the promises. They had a good testimony; they had a good report, but they did not receive the promise. God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect or made mature. They looked forward to the coming of Christ, but they did not receive the promise that is in Christ because they were prior to His life, death, and resurrection. Still, they received a good report, and I believe that we will see every single one of these in heaven one day. I look forward to meeting these men and women of faith.

May we be numbered in the hall of faith that continues going on throughout the ages when we get there to be with Him. Hebrews chapter 11 focuses on faith—faith towards God, just as we saw there in Hebrews chapter 6. Remember, these are one of the elementary principles: faith towards God.

Now we move from faith towards God to our hope in Christ in Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12 speaks of that hope in a very interesting way. "Wherefore, seeing also that we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses," the men and women of faith from Hebrews chapter 11, "let us lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily ensnare us, and let us run with endurance or patience the race that is set before us."

Looking unto Jesus, the author and the 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. For consider Him who endured such contradiction or hostility of sinners against Himself.

Lest you be wearied and faint in your minds, you have not yet resisted unto bloodshed, striving against sin. You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks unto you as children: "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked of Him. For whom the Lord loves, He chastens and scourges every son whom He receives."

After you have come to Christ by faith, you will, in this life, experience testing, trials, and tribulation. Those testings, trials, and tribulation are ultimately for our benefit because they are, in a sense, the chastening of God—the testing of God to produce in us good fruit, fruits of righteousness, the peaceable fruits of righteousness that we read about in this same chapter.

But notice what he says: we've come to God by faith, and we're going to be tried. We are going to go through difficult things. You might faint if you did not have hope. What kind of hope? Well, the same kind of hope that Jesus had. It says down there in verse 2 that Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured. He went through the testing; He went through the trial, the difficulty, because He was able to look through the suffering to the joy that was on the other side.

Paul speaks about this in his letter to the Corinthians as well. Although we have suffering in this life, the testings and sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. You see, when we can look through the testings, the trials, the suffering, the chastening, and the difficulty here in this world, and we can look beyond it to the next life, we have hope. We will endure. Hope is an important aspect of endurance.

Those that depart, those that walk away—although it blows my mind that any would—have lost sight of the next life. They are focused on the earthly city; they are mindful of the earthly country. Just as we saw in Hebrews chapter 11, if Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and all of them were mindful of the earthly country, they would have had opportunity to have returned. But they sought a city whose builder and maker is God, a city which has foundations. That is why Christianity is not focused merely on this life, although there are...

Some within the liberal aspects of the church only look at Christianity as having temporal implications and not eternal ones. When you focus only on the temporal and lose sight of the eternal, there's no reason to continue on in Christ when trials and tribulations come. However, we will be faced with trials and tribulations, and we will faint if we lose sight of the fact that there's something on the other side of the testing. The race will one day end, and as a result of that recognition and understanding, the streets of this race, in a sense, are surrounded by all those who've gone on before us—this cloud of witnesses that's watching us run the race.

When we have this understanding, as chapter 12, verse 1 says, we want to lay aside every weight and sin that so easily ensnares us. We don't want to be bound or held captive by the things of this world; we want to let it all go so that we may run with endurance, looking unto Jesus, remembering that He is there at the finish line calling us home.

Moving on from that and the chastening of the Lord spoken of here in chapter 12, which is filled with an exhortation to endure, we see that endurance is only possible if you see the finish line. If you're running a marathon, which is 26 miles, you will give up very quickly if you don't have the finish line in your mind and whatever prize awaits at the finish line. In an earthly marathon, it's some small medal that costs about $2, but in Christ, it's a crown of righteousness. We look forward with great expectation and hope for that crown of righteousness.

Faith towards God and hope of heaven and eternity with God will build in us love, as we read in chapter 13: "Let brotherly love continue." We are also reminded to not forget to entertain strangers, which means we should be hospitable to those we may not know. We should show love and charity towards those who come in. "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unaware." That is such an interesting verse and concept. Have you ever walked away from a situation and thought, "I wonder if that was an angel?" Some have indeed entertained angels unaware. This concept is illustrated very clearly in the Old Testament in Genesis chapter 18, where Abraham entertained two angels, and I believe Jesus Himself.

In a pre-appearing of Jesus, some have entertained angels unaware. Remember them that are in bonds. This is how love, or agape, is exercised. It is exercised in hospitality and in reaching out to those who are in chains and bound with them, those who suffer adversity. Be yourselves also in the body.

Love is also exercised in honoring the marriage bed. Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed is undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Let your conduct be without covetousness. Love does not covet. As a person who has faith towards God and endures in hope of eternity, love being exercised in our lives will produce good fruits. It does not have covetousness. Be content with such things as you have, for He has said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." Is that enough for us, knowing that we have God and that is all we need?

Sometimes, we in America lose sight of the fact that God is sufficient for all things and that we are sufficient in Christ. We get so focused on other things and covet after them, becoming discontent. However, He has given us a great promise: He will never leave us or forsake us, so that we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."

Remember those that have rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God. Whose faith follow, considering the end of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Be not carried away with diverse and strange doctrines, for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace.

It is so easy to get bound up and carried away with all kinds of weird ideas, arguing and contending with one another. That is not of Christ. Let us be established with grace and not with meats. This was the Jewish sort of thing; they were always arguing over what we can eat and what we can't eat, which has not profited those who have been occupied therein.

We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat, who serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned outside the camp. Wherefore, Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. This was a direct call and exhortation to the Hebrews.

Those who were seeking to turn back to the temple were being urged to come outside the camp. Even if it meant bearing His reproach, even if their families rejected them in the society and culture in which they lived, they were encouraged to step away. For a Jew to become a Christian was as if they had died to their family. The author says to come outside the camp, bearing His reproach, for we have no continuing city; we seek one to come.

Jerusalem was the cornerstone of the Jewish heart and mind. The temple was so central to their identity that it represented their enduring city, but only for a few more years until it was destroyed. The author of this book reminds them that we do not have a continuing city here on earth. We do not look and hope for Jerusalem. While the Jews, even today, say, "Next year in Jerusalem," we look for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Therefore, by Him, let us offer the sacrifices of praise to God continually. This is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. It is an exhortation that, although we do not have a temple and do not have an earthly priesthood, we still have sacrifices. This is a hard concept for us in the Gentile church in America today. There are still sacrifices that God has called us to, and a number of them are spoken of throughout the Scriptures. Thessalonians speaks of a few more, but here it says we are to continually offer the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips giving thanks.

Not only that, but verse 16 mentions more sacrifices: we are to do good and share with one another, or to fellowship with one another. This is similar to what we looked at last week on Sunday morning regarding the communion of the saints and the sharing of the goods we have. We are called to do good and share those things. Do not forget, because with such sacrifices, God is well pleased.

Taking care of one another's needs is an aspect of agape—faith, hope, and love. With such sacrifices, God is well pleased. We are also instructed to obey those who have rule over us and to submit ourselves to them. Why? Because they watch out for our souls, and one day they will stand before God on our account. They must give an account, and they should do it with joy and not with grief, for this would be...

Unprofitable for you, pray for us, for we trust and have a good conscience in all things, willing to live honestly. I pray that this would be our desire as well—willing and desiring to live with honesty, integrity, and self-control. Those who live with faith in God and towards God have hope in His coming kingdom and love towards God and all those around us.

Now, briefly before we finish up tonight, I know that one of the other things that is often wondered about in the Book of Hebrews is Hebrews chapter 7 and the story of Melchizedek. There are some within the body of Christ who believe that Melchizedek, and the appearance of Melchizedek in Genesis, is Jesus coming in the flesh in the Old Testament. I don't have time to go into it deeply tonight, but I have a hard time with that reading of the Scriptures.

I want to say one thing about this: the person of Melchizedek in the Old Testament is not as important as the priesthood of Melchizedek. The priesthood of Melchizedek is the priesthood that was given or placed upon Jesus by the Father, by an oath, as we read of in the Psalms. He is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

You see, a Jewish convert coming to Christ would have had a hard time departing from the priesthood of Aaron because it was so important. However, it is revealed in Hebrews that Jesus has a greater priesthood than that of Aaron, than that of the high priests, because it is the priesthood of Melchizedek. This is a very interesting discussion and something that perhaps we'll talk about another time, but of course tonight we don't have enough time.

If you have questions about that, you can talk with me afterwards. Let's stand and pray together.

Father, I do thank You for this great letter from which we can learn so much about who You are, Jesus, and what You've done. Lord, I pray that we would take careful time to study through it verse by verse, line upon line, in more depth and detail than we were able to tonight. I pray that with what we talked about tonight, You would stir the hearts of my brothers and sisters here to want to dig deeper into this great treasure.

Of the New Testament, Lord, we do look forward to, with great expectation, the day of Your coming. We have great hope, absolute expectation—not just a blind "I hope it happens" sort of thing—but we know that it will come to pass.

So, we look forward with hope for that day. Help us to endure whatever trial we are faced with or difficulty we come in contact with, Lord, in this life. Help us to be focused on eternity, looking for and expecting Your coming as the day draws closer. May we be able to stand strong in the day of trouble.

We ask this in the mighty and precious name of Jesus, and all God's people said, Amen.