• • • • Hebrews 13:7-9,17
      • God has not left His church without leadership. Christ Himself has given pastors and elders to shepherd, teach, protect, and lead His people.
      •  I have rarely, if ever, stood before you and explained the burden, purpose, and responsibility of a pastor. Others have preached it, but I have generally avoided preaching about myself.
      • But today the text requires us to deal with it. This is not a sermon about glorifying a man. 
      • This is a sermon about understanding an office that God created for the good of His church.
      • Pastors have responsibilities before God, and the people of the church also have responsibilities before God. How I lead matters and how you deal with me as your pastor matters. 
      • A faithful pastor must preach the Word, live a faith worth following, watch over souls, and point people continually to Jesus Christ.
      • And God’s call to the church is clear: remember your pastor, obey him,own follow Christ, and live out the Gospel.
      
      

      1.Remember your Pastor because he points you to Christ

      • • 7 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.
        • Do you ever stop and consider that God has given you a pastor to lead you to Christ?
        • Hebrews says, “Remember those.” Don’t live as though you have no pastor-no shepherd helping lead you to Christ so that you may grow in grace and knowledge.
        • Who are you to remember? Those who have spoken the Word of God to you. This is the primary responsibility of a local pastor: “Preach the word!” 2 Tim 4:2
        • Your pastor preaches the Word to convince you of God’s truth, rebuke you so you will turn from sin, and exhort you to continue in the faith.
        • 1 Peter 5 Says2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 
        • And Hebrews says to follow their faith, considering the outcome of their conduct.
        • A pastor should have a life of faith you can follow through rough times and into the unknown.
        • Your pastor is the one who shepherds the local church where you are planted the one who knows you, and whom you know. 
        • If you leave this church, I may still love you, care about you, and want God’s best for you, but I am no longer your pastor. 
        • I do not carry pastoral responsibility for people who are no longer part of this flock. You need to find another church, submit yourself there, and allow that pastor to know you, lead you, and care for your soul. (Time on the phone w someone who attended large church)
        • I cannot pastor everyone who has ever attended this church. I must give my time and strength to the people God has entrusted to me.
        • READ 1 Tim 3:1-7  READ
        • Notice: the standard is not sinless perfection, but a blameless life: not living in ongoing compromise, with godly character and a well-ordered household.
      • I willingly submit my life to this biblical standard, and by the grace of God, I meet it. If I did not, I should not be leading this church.///
      • Remember- God is the one who gave you Eph 4:11 And He Himself…. gave some pastors 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ
      • And that is the purpose, to equip the saints and build up the body of Christ.
      • You may not understand how a church works. This is not my company. This is not my personal wealth. This church may have millions of dollars in property and assets, but I do not own any of it. I will not retire one day and take the church with me. (most people would sell a biz)
      • I will not inherit the building, the land, or the resources of this ministry.
      • One day, if the Lord allows, I will hand this work to another pastor, and he will lead it. 
      • The assets will remain with the church because they belong to the church, not me. I am a steward . I will hand the keys to someone else who must steward what he does not own
      • That is why pastoral leadership cannot be reduced to personal ambition or financial gain. 
      • A faithful pastor spends his life building something he will eventually hand to someone else for the sake of Christ and His people.
      
      
      2. Obey Your Pastor Because He Watches Over Your Soul
      • I want to jump to verse 17 because remembering your pastor is not enough. You must also obey and submit to those who watch over your soul.
      • 17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
      • There is a unique relationship between a pastor and his flock. He is entrusted and lives with the burden of watching over souls. Not programs. Not budgets. Not services. Souls. 
      • I’ve met many people who desire the position without carrying the burden for the souls of the sheep. They want a platform and not parishioners. They want a pulpit and not pilgrims. 
      • A pastor who never weeps and never loses sleep over the sheep is not a pastor you should follow.
      • A decision isn’t made for comfort. A confrontation isn’t made for conflict. Its for your very soul//
      • a called, blood-bought pastor takes the Scriptures about shepherding seriously.
      • Titus 2:15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you
      • Acts 20:28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God. James 3:1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.
      • A true pastor knows he will answer to God for how he shepherds you. That is why he cannot treat the responsibility lightly.
      • It should be a joy for a pastor to shepherd the flock, but that joy is replaced with grief when people become resistant, rebellious, and unrepentant toward the basic commands of God.
      • What does a pastor ask of you that isn’t biblical? Love, serve, forgive, give, serve, walk in holiness, love God. 
      • Your reasonable response is obedience. Not because a pastor gets to invent his own demands, but because when he faithfully gives you the Word of God, God requires you to obey it. And that obedience is for your benefit.
      • A pastor cares about the details of your life because those details affect your soul, your family, and the health of the church.
      • People often resist these basic demands and then become angry with the pastor, but they are not his demands. They are the commands of the Lord.
      • The answer is simple- Obey your pastor in all things pertaining to Christ and his commands. 
      • Everything I’ve said up to this point could be misunderstood if we stopped here. You might think the Christian life is about attaching yourself to a pastor. That’s why the Holy Spirit gives us verse 8. Our faith doesn’t rest on a man who changes. It rests on a Savior who never changes
      
      
      3. Believe in Christ, Not Your Pastor, Because Christ Never Changes
      • • Verse 8:  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 
        • The Ultimate leader is the great shepherd not the under shepherd. You must follow Christ
        • The point of the remembering and the submitting is to be led to Christ and to follow him
        • Hebrews places this truth in the middle of considering conduct and obeying leaders to remind us that Christ never changes, regardless of who holds the position.
        • Your salvation does not come through submission to an earthly leader. Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
        • Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
        • A pastor points you to the cross. A pastor points you to grace, mercy and forgiveness. 
        • 1 Corinthians 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
        • If you ever wonder what I’m doing as your pastor, it’s simple. I want you to die to yourself, live for Christ, and spend eternity with the Son.
        • I want you to experience the abundant life Christ offers. I want your cup to run over, and when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I want you to fear no evil. I want you to know the blessing of following Christ.
      • But you must submit to the one who saves. Submitting to me wont save you. ///
      • Picture this. We’re on a boat and it sinks. We’re treading water in the dark, and you’re getting tired. I see a rescue boat in the distance and I start shouting, “Keep going. Don’t give up.” When the boat reaches us, I push you toward it, pull you toward the rope, and yell, “Grab it. This is your rescue.”
      • John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
      • John 5:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
      • I want you to grab the rope. I want you to live and not die. I’m not in the water to be liked.
      • And this is the test you must ask yourself: Is my pastor leading me to the One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever? Because He is the only hope I can hold on to for eternity.
      • John 6:40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
      • This is why church hurt and pastor hurt cannot become the foundation of your faith. Your hope is not in the criminal on the cross beside Him. Your hope is in the Son on the cross who saved you.
      • Jesus will never fail you. Jesus will never leave you or forsake you. Keep your belief in HIM> 

      You protect your heart, mind, and soul by keeping your faith fixed on the Son who was, and is, and is to come. Christ has not changed, and He will not change.

      
      
      4. Stay With the Gospel Because the Gospel Never Changes
      • • 9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.
        • A biblical pastor protects you from strange doctrines by continually feeding you the true Gospel of grace.
        • I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I’m not profound I’m just good at saying basic things
        • When we talked about adultery and fornication, it was not some strange new doctrine. It was basic biblical truth that needed to be said. I am not chasing pet doctrines, new revelations, or endless speculation. I want to keep preaching Christ and Him crucified.
        • 1 Corinthians 2:1–2  And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
        • If that’s all I accomplish in my limited earthly ministry I’ve done my job- preached the gospel. 
        • 1 cor 15: 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Remember me. Obey me in the Lord. But above everything else, hold firmly to the Gospel I have preached to you.
        • Rom 10: 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
        • And run from any Gospel that distorts the simplicity of the Gospel- Jesus Christ came to save sinners.  Galatians 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 
        • Friend there is one Gospel– 2 Cor 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
        • People often ask me what I read. The Bible. They ask which preachers I listen to. Mostly my friends.
      • The Gospel has not grown old to me. Forgiveness has not become boring to me. Salvation is still precious to me.///
      • You do not need another strange doctrine. You need another touch of the cross that saved you.
      • You do not need another new revelation. You need a fresh revelation of the joy of your salvation.
      •  Do not chase after bread that perishes. Go to the One who gives the true bread of life.
      • Colossians 1:28 “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”
      • And who is this Jesus we preach? The sinless One who took your sin.
      • The righteous One who bore your judgment. The loving One who forgives you, restores you, and brings you into relationship with God.
      •  Stay with Christ. Stay with grace. Stay with the Gospel.
      • It is still the power of God unto salvation. It is still able to save your soul.

• Escaping Condemnation: From Struggle to Freedom

  Text: Romans 7:14–8:1 • Big Idea: In Christ, we face sin honestly, cry out to the right Savior, and live without condemnation.

  Opening Prayer
  Father, open our eyes to Your Word. Give us humility to see our need, faith to cling to Christ, and freedom to walk in the Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.

  Scripture Reading (Romans 7:14–8:1, KJV)

  Romans 7:14 “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.”

  Romans 7:15 “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”

  Romans 7:16 “If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.”

  Romans 7:17 “Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”

  Romans 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”

  Romans 7:19 “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.”

  Romans 7:20 “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”

  Romans 7:21 “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.”

  Romans 7:22 “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:”

  Romans 7:23 “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

  Romans 7:24 “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

  Romans 7:25 “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”

  Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

  Introduction
  Our text today is Romans 7:14–8:1. 

  • Paul tells the truth about the war inside us—and then he announces God’s verdict over every believer: “no condemnation.” 
  • Many Christians are not only convicted by sin; they are crushed by self-condemnation. 

  Today we will 

  • define it,
  • identify its symptoms, 
  • look at biblical examples, 
  • celebrate what Jesus has done to give us a new identity, and 
  • learn four simple steps for walking this out.

  Before we can break free from self-condemnation, we first need to name it clearly and separate it from the Spirit’s loving conviction.

  1) Define the problem: self-condemnation is not conviction (Romans 7:14–23)

  To begin, we need a clear definition so we know whether the voice we are hearing is from God or from condemnation.

  Definition

  • Self-condemnation is the ongoing practice of judging yourself as “disqualified,” “unworthy,” or “unforgivable,” even after God has provided forgiveness—living under a sentence God did not pronounce. 
  • Conviction is the Holy Spirit showing us sin so we will repent and be restored.

  Self-Condemnation says, I am never enough, it causes anxiety, rumination, and sleepless nights. These thoughts cause fear and timidity. We wrestle with perfectionism, measure ourselves by others always coming up short in our minds. 

  Once the definition is clear, the next question is where this confusion creates conflict in the believer’s heart.

  The Conflict

  So we live paralyzed by this voice, unable to distinguish between the loving correction of our heavenly Father and the hostile accusations of the enemy and our own misguided judgment of ourselves. We mistake our internal spiritual struggles for a sign of spiritual death. 

  Condemnation is caused by sin; self-condemnation can be caused by sin, or it may be caused by failure, disappointment, self-criticism, or unattainable expectations. 

  The enemy loves to terrorize and torment Christians with Self-Condemnation. 

  We have already looked at the most transparent and rawest journal entry in the New Testament. 

  The Apostle Paul exposes his own intense spiritual warfare to show us a crucial truth: 

  The presence of a struggle is not proof of your defeat; it is proof that you are alive. 

  Through this text, God gives us a roadmap to break free from demonic self-condemnation and to anchor our identity in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

  Paul describes an inner conflict: “For that which I do I allow not… what I hate, that do I” (Romans 7:15). 

  He can even “delight in the law of God after the inward man” (Romans 7:22), 

  feel sin “warring” within (Romans 7:23). 

  That struggle is real—but the answer is not self-punishment; the answer is Christ.

  Paul’s honesty now gives us language for our own struggle and points us toward the freedom Christ provides.

  Before we break down Paul’s experience, we must recognize how this battle manifests in our minds and emotions. 

  It wounds us emotionally and stunts us spiritually.

  It is not just a theological concept; it leaves distinct, painful symptoms in our minds and behaviors. 

  Scripture and theology both show us that when we agree with the voice of the accuser, it produces visible fractures in our walk with God. 

  Let’s look at the spiritual and emotional diagnostic checklist:

  2) Symptoms of self-condemnation (what it looks like): There are 7

  First, self-condemnation often begins by pulling us away from the very presence that can heal us.

  1. Avoidance of God
  • Hiding from God instead of running to Him. 
  • Fearful assumption that He is always angry with you. 
  • Difficulty praying, worshipping, and witnessing
  • Genesis 3:8 “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.”

  Once distance from God sets in, the heart can quickly begin to believe that change is no longer possible.

  1. Hopelessness
  • Sorrow that produces more “death,” not repentance. 
  • Feeling that you are too far gone or that your repeating struggles are permanent failures. 
  • 2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
  • It is numbing and paralyzes your growth, and it drains your faith and victory. 

  When hope fades, we often try to regain peace by proving ourselves through performance.

  • Performance trap
  • Chronic Performance Anxiety and Perfectionism
  • Feeling you are responsible for everyone and everything being right.  
  • Exhausted because of believing:
    • that God’s love, acceptance, and peace must be earned through flawless behavior, leading to spiritual burnout. 
    • Gal 3:3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

  But performance cannot cleanse the conscience; instead, it often deepens shame.

  • Toxic Shame 
  • Believing a mistake or flaw means you are bad rather than “I did something bad”
  • Feeling disqualified and unworthy of blessings. 
  • Steals your confidence before God and others.
    Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
    • My Grace is sufficient for thee…
    • Jesus said, Freely you have received…! 

  Shame rarely stays private; if left unchecked, it can shape the way we see and treat others.

  1. Critical Spirit 
  • • Projecting harsh judgment outward, becoming easily critical or unforgiving toward yourself and others. 
    • Projecting from your own heart.
  • Rom 2:1-3  Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.  (2)  But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.  (3)  And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
  • Tit 1:15  Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

  That same harshness can also turn inward, trapping us in constant self-examination.

  • Hyper Introspection 
  • Constantly scanning one’s own heart, motives, and behavior in an exhausting loop of self-criticism.
  •  oneself from prayer, service, or ministry.
    • 1Jn 3:20  For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
  • Be reminded of what God thinks about us as His creation.
    • Psa 139:14  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
    • Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship (masterpiece), created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

  And beneath all of these symptoms is one deeper danger: losing sight of what the gospel has already declared.

  • Forgetting the Heart of the Gospel Message 
  1. • A vague, general, and lingering guilt replaying forgiven sin as if it is still unpaid.
     • Living as though Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was insufficient, ignoring the promise that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Romans 8:1
       • Again, causing ruminating, isolation, sleeplessness, backward focus, and inability to move on. 
     •  
  • Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

  After tracing the damage self-condemnation causes, Scripture now brings us to the decisive shift from self-focus to Savior-focus.

  Here is the turning point:

  • self-condemnation asks, “What’s wrong with me?” 
  • but the gospel asks, “Who will deliver me?” (Romans 7:24–25)
  • Paul finally cries, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). Notice he does not say, “What program can fix me?” He asks, “Who will deliver me?” And then he answers: “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25).

  And that Savior-centered answer rests on grace—the gift God gives, not the wage we earn.

  Grace (what God gives us in Christ)

  • Grace is God’s undeserved favor and empowering help given to sinners because of Jesus, not because of our performance.
  • Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
  • Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

  After seeing what self-condemnation looks like, we now turn to Scripture to see how God restores people who have truly failed.

  3) Biblical case studies (examples)

  God does not save people by pretending they never failed; He saves and restores real people—then gives them a future. Take His servants who failed…

  David—confession leads to cleansing

  • Psalm 51:1–2 “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”
  • David did not heal by denying sin; he healed by running to mercy.

  Peter—failure is not final when Jesus restores

  • Luke 22:61–62 “And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord… And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.”
  • John 21:17 “He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?… He saith unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”

  Paul—your past can become a platform for grace

  • 1 Timothy 1:15 “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” 
    • Saul (Hebrew name) was a Persecutor, Legalist, violent zealot, and murderer with a mission. Paul (Greek) became a gospel preacher, Grace defender, suffering servant for Christ, Author of a massive portion of the Bible, and his new mission: the Apostle to the Gentiles.

  These examples prepare us to receive the larger truth: God does not merely forgive our past; He gives us a new identity in Christ.

  4) Believe God’s verdict and receive your new identity:

  • “No condemnation” in Christ (Romans 8:1)
  • • Romans 8:1 is a courtroom announcement: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). If you are in Christ, the Judge has already spoken. The accuser may talk, your feelings may talk, your past may talk—but God’s verdict is higher.
    • 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
  • Scripture teaches: 
  •  a “new creation” Christian’s identity is no longer defined by past sins, failure, or human labels, but is completely hidden in Christ (Col 3:3).  
  • According to 2 Cor 5:17, when a person is in Christ, the old life is entirely gone, and a brand-new life has begun.
  • The New Testament outlines this specific identity through several definitive spiritual realities.
  • A Redeemed Saint – 1 Cor 6:11
  • Free from Condemnation – Rom 8:1
  • Completely forgiven – Col 2:13-14
  • A Child of God – Rom 8:15-17
  • A Friend of Jesus – John 15:15
  • A Citizen of Heaven – Phil 3:20
  • The Temple of the Holy Spirit – 1 Cor 6:19
  • God’s Masterpiece – Eph 2:10
  • The Righteousness of God – 2 Cor 5:21
  • An Ambassador for Christ – 2 Cor 5:20
  • More Than a Conqueror – Rom 8:37-39
  • A Royal Priesthood – 1 Peter 2:9

  If this is who we are in Christ, then freedom must become more than a doctrine we admire; it must become a daily walk we practice.

  5) Four steps to walk this out in everyday life

  1. Confess quickly and specifically. Name the sin, agree with God, and turn to Him.
     Proverbs 28:13 “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
  2. Receive God’s forgiveness as final—stop rehearsing the debt.
     Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
  3. Renew your mind with truth when your heart condemns you.
     Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
  4. Walk after the Spirit—take the next obedient step. Freedom grows as we follow the Spirit, not the flesh or shame.
     Galatians 5:16 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

  So the call is simple: stop agreeing with condemnation, and come again to the Savior who has already spoken freedom over you.

  Conclusion & Invitation

  Romans 7 ends with a cry: “Who shall deliver me?” Romans 8 begins with an answer: “no condemnation.” The Christian life is not denying the war within—it is bringing the war to the right Deliverer. Today, lay down the gavel. Stop sentencing yourself when God has already justified you in Christ.

  Invitation
  If you need to come back to God in repentance, come—He is ready to forgive and cleanse.
  1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
  If you have never trusted Christ, come to Him by faith.
  Romans 10:9–10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
  And believer—learn to forgive yourself by agreeing with God’s Word: if He has forgiven you, you are not allowed to keep condemning you.

  Closing Prayer
  Father, thank You that in Christ there is “no condemnation.” We confess our sins and receive Your cleansing. Heal minds that are stuck in shame, and teach us to agree with Your verdict. By Your Spirit, help us to walk in obedience—free, grateful, and whole. In Jesus’ name, amen.

The Only Right Answer

(God Speaks and Man Answers)  

Hebrews 13:5-6 NKJV  Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

The writer of Hebrews is telling the scattered believers  to guard against certain sins that can and will corrupt the nature of God living within us. Last week was sexual immorality,  this week is covetousness.

Here we have the same connection of thought in the following verses- 

Colossians 3:5  Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Ephesians 5:3  But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;

The word “conduct” used here is the Greek tropos– (from trepō, “turning, adopting a new manner“) – a new direction from taking a turn or adopting a new manner (mannerism, fashion); the new course of conduct someone has because knowing Christ as Lord.

Let your new life in Christ be without covetousness– aphilárgyros (from 1 /A, “not,” 5368 /philéō, “fond of” and 696 /árgyros, “silver”) “not fond of silver,” i.e. not covetous for money; free from the love of materialism; not dominated (over-influenced) by the desire for financial gain; or materialistic.

It is remarkable that “covetousness” is akin to idolatry and “uncleanness” in NT

1 Corinthians 6:9-10  Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [a]homosexuals, nor [b]sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

Covetousness is a grave sin that will shut one out of heaven.  And the writer of Hebrews gives us the remedy “find contentment in the situation you are in, because God has said He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

1 Timothy 6:3-10 NKJV   If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the [a]doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 [b]useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. [c]From such withdraw yourself.

6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, [d]and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

 

This means that true wealth and satisfaction do not come from material possessions or chasing riches. Instead, living a life devoted to God (godliness) coupled with being satisfied with what you have (contentment) brings the highest possible reward. 

Proverbs 27:20  Hell[a] and [b]Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied.

Covetousness is the sin of never being satisfied and always wanting more. Our eyes always want more. It’s never enough. It is the lust of our eyes that choke out any fruit in our life. Let me give you an example of what it means to covet.

I don’t want more money. I don’t need more cars, houses, furniture or stuff. In these areas, I am a minimalist. But I often covet clothing. I will see a new pair of shoes, and immediately think to myself, I do not need these. But I keep going back and looking at pictures of the shoes and ruminating on them, over and over like an addict until I give in to my coveting and buy them. 

Paul tells us that true happiness and godliness is living a simple life of faith, righteousness, and devotion to God. Ephesus was where timothy was a pastor and it was a very wealthy area. False teachers of the time were promoting the idea that spirituality was a tool for financial wealth, probably not unlike today’s prosperity gospel that tells you, you deserve to be rich and it is a sign of God blessing you. This is a corrupt doctrine. Paul argues that devotion to God is the goal and the blessing, not a get-rich-quick scheme. 

What then is contentment? The mental and spiritual state of being satisfied with where you are in life.  Happiness is often triggered by exciting and external events, contentment is an enduring, internal state of well-being. You can experience contentment even during difficult times by accepting your situation and finding peace with where you are in life. Single, married, widow, kids, no kids, rich, poor, or in between- you can be content.

In the following verses, Paul notes that if we have “food and clothing,” we should be content, as we entered the world with nothing and will leave with nothing. This does not mean we do not hope for and pray for God to bring these things into our lives, but that we are content knowing God has us in this moment as we wait for Him to answer those prayers

The author redefines success for the believer in Christ. While the world measures success by net worth and accumulation of goods, a heart that is anchored in Christ and free from the anxiety of greed is the most valuable and profitable asset a person can have.

SO then, the writer of Hebrews gives us remedy for coveting- His great promise, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you”

This frees us from not only the love of money, but from all fear associated with provision. I am free to tithe and to give generously, free to not worry and fear about who will take care of me or who will provide for me. God promises these things. Tithing breaks my heart of fear and giving generously breaks my heart of greed.

The author of Hebrews writes to these scattered and fearful believers, “HE has said’ so that ‘we may… say.”

There are two voices- God’s voice of promise to care for His own, and man’s answering voice of confidence. God speaks to us that we may speak to Him; and when He speaks His promises, the only answer is to accept His words as true in all their fulness, having a fixed confidence and trust in Him.

The writer of Hebrews quotes two passages from the Old Testament: 

When Moses was handing over the charge of his people to his successor, Joshua, he said first to the people and then to Joshua, 

Deuteronomy 31:6  Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

The other passage comes from the 118th Psalm. 

Psalm 118:5-6 I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. 6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

Point 1. God speaks.
He has said two things, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” 

Notice that there is a distinct parallel between the position of the people to whom this letter was addressed, and that of the Hebrews to whom the original promise was made. The original Hebrews were standing on the verge of a great change. They were passing from under the leadership of Moses, and going under the leadership of the younger Joshua. 

Recall that Joshua and Jesus are the same name; the difficulty which Israel on the borders of Canaan had to face, and the difficulty which these Hebrew Christians had to encounter, were similar, they were coming under new leadership – they were to not look to Moses anymore but to begin to take commands from another. 

In most of the chapters, the writer of Hebrews has been arguing to these scattered Hebrew believers that Christ is Messiah, He is their High Priest, He is God in the flesh and He has replaced Moses as their anointed leader.

Just as Moses said to his generation, the author of Hebrews says to the scattered Hebrew believers-  you may change the leader, but Jesus is the same God that goes with you. AS He was with Moses, and Joshua, so will He be with you.

To every one of us in Christ the message is the same, ‘I will never leave you, nor forsake you.

 The first sentence, “I will never leave you” both in the Hebrew and in the Greek the word which is translated “leave,” means the withdrawing of a hand that sustains. 

It is more nearly the original expression to say, 

“He will never drop you”; HE will never let His hand slacken, He does not withdraw His sustaining power, but will forever, day by day, give us not only the strength, but the security that comes from feeling His faithful hand, keeping you tight. 

Psalm 145:14  The Lord upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down.

Psalm 94:18  If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up.

I knew a man who was a mountain guide and had scaled most of the mountains in the world. He used a technique called “tying in”

This is highly structured safety system where you are tied into a rope team to safeguard against crevasse falls. In this setup, the guide acts as the team leader, managing the rope, navigating hidden hazards, and anchoring the team.

The guide usually walks at the front of the rope line to navigate and probe for hidden crevasses, or at the back when descending.  Team members are spaced 8-10 m apart to ensure that if one person falls the remaining members have enough distance and time to stop the fall.  Keep the rope between you and the next person straight but not pulling. A sagging rope can snag on ice or create slack that makes arresting a fall much harder.

Match the Pace of the guide. Walk at a consistent speed. Sudden acceleration or stopping disrupts the rope tension for the entire team. Step in the Tracks. Always walk exactly in the footprints of the guide. They are actively choosing a path that avoids weak snow bridges.

Be Ready to Self-Arrest. You must hold your ice axe in your uphill hand, ready to drop into a self-arrest position instantly if you hear the command or feel a sudden pull on the rope. 

Is this not a great example of following Christ along this narrow path? WE are tied to a guide whom we are following closely, matching His pace and following in His perfect footsteps, but when we fall, He is there, and we are tied to Him so that HE can lift us back up unto our feet

Life sometimes feels like we are scaling a glacier. It gets hard to climb, it is slippery, icy and wet. We get weary and tired. The air gets thin and its difficult to breath. But we are tied to a guide that will never fail. Like Peter, walking out on the water and he begins falling because of fear, we cry out and HE lifts us up. He is never too far away. We are tied to Him.

Psalm 27:10  When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me

All human love has its limits, even parents can leave us and forsake us. As a parent, this one is hard to understand, but I have seen it, even in my own life.  People get mixed up. They allow things in their life that mess them up. Humans, including our parents, are selfish and self-centered. But God is not a man. His love is not emotional and finicky. His love is faithful to the covenant promise. He will tightly hold you! 

“I will never drop you”- this first promise is His sustaining strength according to our need. 

The second half of that promise “nor forsake thee” – the same promise, in a different form-

Here is a promise for the loner and the lonely. The one who has forsaken all. The one who  feels alone, rejected, misunderstood and shunned. The one who feels they have no friends, no family, no ties to anyone, the orphaned and the outcast. God promises companionship.

This has been me before Christ. I moved around a lot. I lived in 18 places in 21 years, that I can remember, lived in different homes with different people. I was always the last one picked, the new kid is more of a leper than the kid with a broken arm

Some of us are called to walk a lonely road. Ministry is often lonely. The call to go to another land and place, to forsake all is often very lonely. To be the tip of the spear is to be misunderstood. People will question your heart, your actions, your words and your motives.

Moses and Joshua must have felt alone, leadership is a lonely walk. Jesus often got away to be alone with the Father. No one could understand the purpose of His life, only the Father.

The narrow path is often very lonely. Our loved ones die, and take half our hearts with them. People misunderstand us. We feel that we cannot share our hearts, for fear of rejection. “If they really knew the real me”, so we hide ourselves away

“I will not drop you” – is the of strength according to our need. But, “I will not forsake you,” is companionship in our loneliness.
I have been with the Lord 32 years, all my life He has been faithful, even on my darkest and loneliest days. He has always fulfilled His promise to never forsake me.

But do not let us forget that all God’s promises have conditions. 

Before crossing the Jordan River, Israel held a divine promise of land inheritance paired with a clear condition of active faith and obedience to God’s commands

Joshua 1:5-8 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall [a]divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may [b]prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you[c] shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

 

Does Israel today look like a nation that God would never leave nor forsake? Certainly not. And why? Because God’s promise of not dropping us, and of never leaving us, is contingent upon our not dropping Him, and of our never leaving Him.

 

John 10:28-29 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

 

No one can snatch us from our Father’s hand; but we can wriggle ourselves out. We can break communion; we can separate ourselves, and we can drift, develop a hardened heart through greed and coveting and forget the God who saved us. The writer of Hebrews has already given us several warnings throughout the letter.

There is a second voice.

Point 2. Man Answers

If God speaks to you, He waits for you to answer Him. 

Your answer should be immediate, and you should affirm as true all that He has said to you. Your answer is not according to your emotions, or your fears, or your faulty understanding of things you do not really grasp; but it is built upon His faithful promise. 

 

Do you speak to God in the manner in which He speaks to us? David did-

Psalm 27:8 New King James Version

8 When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

 

When He says, “I will” does your heart leap with joyful confidence, and you answer with a firm assurance, “HE WILL”!! or do you meet His firm assurance with a feeble, faltering faith? 

How often do you turn God’s “I will” into a doubting- “perhaps He may”?? 

2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

 

Some read this like, “All that I want from God is yes and amen”. But that is not what it says- His promise to never leave me and never forsake me are TRUE 

Do you say with an unswerving faith, in the face of fear, in the face of adversity, in the face of rejection, affliction and persecution, “God will do what He said He will do! He will not leave nor forsake me!” This is the only right answer to a faithful God.

“He has said” and then He pauses and listens, whether we are going to say anything in answer. When He promises, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you,”  Are you bold to say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man can do unto me”??

This is the answer the Lord is waiting to hear from you. He is not asking you to do it on your own strength. He is not telling you to go alone. He is waiting for you to acknowledge His faithful presence in your life. 

 “The Lord is my helper.”  A strong help in time of need. This is the only right answer to the promise. Grab a hold of it, and do not hesitate to implant His promise in your heart. And then what comes next?

 “I will not fear.” 

We have the power of God to control our fears, but it is not by mustering up some kind of fictitious courage where we brace ourselves to meet the difficulty, in our own strength. This is not what the Lord asks of us. I can recognize fear, and I have a choice. Give into the fear, or put myself in the Lord’s hands, trust His promise and say, “The Lord is help” 

Whatever comes, whatever I must go through, whatever storm I find myself in– God is with me. “The Lord is my helper “– this promise is the foundation and the courage which speaks to all my fears,

Isaiah 12:2   Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ ”

Faith is the antagonist to fear, because faith grasps the fact of God’s loving and faithful promise to take good care of His own children.

1 John 4:18 New King James Version

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

 

If we fear, we are not resting in and relying on His love. And as all of you know, fear has torments.

 

So, the writer of Hebrews tells us, “Be content with such things as ye have,” for He hath said, “I will never leave you”. BE content where you are in life. BE content with what you have. Do not love and pursue money, or riches or want more stuff. 

 

If He will never leave me, then such things as I have are enough, and if He goes away, nothing I have is of much good to me. 

And then comes the last stage in our answer to what God says, “What can man do to me?” 

If we begin with what ought to come last, and look first at what man can do unto us, then fear will overtake us. But if we follow the order of faith, and start with God’s promise, “I will never let you drop. I will never leave you alone”, solidify His promise in our heart, and crush the fear that tries to steal our heart, 

then we can look out with faith upon all the things that threaten us and seek to bring in fear and doubt, and say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do unto me?”

Altar call- Those who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. This is what Paul tells the church in Rome, it is an OT principle, when we call out to Him to help us, save us, deliver us, we recognize we have no power to do these things on our own, and we need Him to save us.

 

• • • The Sin that Destroys Marriage Hebrews 13:4
    • Marriage is very important to God. So important that he forbids people from destroying it
    • Even if you are married or not married, God has a standard for you towards marriage
    • Getting this wrong could cost you everything. Marriage is the holiest of relationships
    • You should want to honor God, know what he thinks about marriage and walk it out. 
    • If you’re dismissive about marriage, you’re dismissing the Bible and you’re wrong. 
    • The Bible says “the Marriage bed is undefiled” and you don’t want to defile it. 
    
    
    • The Marriage Bed is undefiled. 
    • • What does it mean to be ‘undefiled’ that means that its holy. Its set apart. Its different
      • If you’re indifferent about marriage, you’re indifferent to what God calls holy. ///
      • Even people of the world who don’t know God typically value marriage. They don’t have the same standards that we do, but they still have standards. They know its valuable. 
      • Jesus said this- Matthew 19: 4-6 READ
      • He’s making something clear- God created marriage, Its separate from all relationships, the two are now one, and that no one should separate the marriage (even singles), and the ones in it. 
      • There’s really 3 components to the undefiled portion of this scripture
    • 1 it refers to acts of intimacy in the marriage
    • • Now, this is an adult service and if you choose to have your kids in it they are going to hear what the bible says and the Bible says that people who are married should be consistently performing the natural obligations. It’s a huge part of Marriage. 
    • 1 Corinthians 7:3–5 (NKJV) READ
    • Marriage should be affectionate between the two. Your body does not belong to yourself
    • You’re not suppose to deprive each other of this action in your marriage because of Satan
    • • The foundation of this action is built on the ongoing trust and intimacy in the marriage
      • This isn’t a Sermon where I unpack the past or ongoing disfunction of your marriage, this is the standard for marriages, if you have marriage problems, and with this, seek counsel
      • We serve a God of redemption, forgiveness, hope, restoration. Jesus forgives so should you
      • A marriage with great communication will have physical intimacy and it should be ongoing. 
      • What actions? Its undefiled. God created your body and you should use it. “love is not forceful” so you don’t do what is not agreed upon between the two of you and its only between you two
      • Song Of Sol. is a great starting point for biblical intimacy. Climb the tree. Take hold of the fruit
      • There is no act that is more intimate for a couple than to “know” each other. Its sacred
    • When you deny each other you’re denying what God designed. Its holy. The act is holy. 
    • • If you don’t view physical intimacy as holy act that God created, you end up dismissing it, ignoring it, or even worse, taking part of it outside of the marriage bed. 
    • 2 It refers to the Holiness of the relationship
    • • This relationship is different than all others where the ongoing communication and life creates a relationship and a bond that is different than all other relationships. Kids, friends, parents etc
      • Holy is set apart. This is your primary relationship and the bulk of your energy should go to it
      • Your friends will change, your kids will leave. Focus on your relationship with your spouse
      • And if you’re in a bad season, you can right the ship. Come back to your first love. Work on it
      • Ephesians 5:22–33 – Marriage as a picture of Christ and the Church.
      • This relationship is what God uses to display to the World what his relationship w us is. 
      • This is the only relationship you make vows to God in it. I have stood with no one else and made a commitment to death do us part, forsake all others in sickness and in health
    • 3 its to be honorable among all
    • Whether you are married or not, you are to defend, support and honor every marriage
    • A ‘marriage’ isn’t just the responsibility of the married couple, its towards the ones near it
    • you don’t come between a marriage, you don’t break a marriage, you don’t befriend someone in the marriage and encourage bad actions and destruction. Celebrate divorce? Grieve!
    • A friend that pulls you away from your spouse isn’t a friend. A Christian who is an instrument of the dissolution or detriment of a marriage is against the scriptures. Stay out of others marriages
    • “but the church doesn’t stay out of my marriage” If you took care of business, no one would know your business. A man who is so diabolical that he would use God’s holy church as a front to cover up his abusive ways and expect that women don’t talk to each other? They are hurting
    •  Here’s an idea. Get saved. Mourn over your sin. Deal with your issues. HONOR your wife. 
    
    
    • Fornicators
    • • This verse and the Bible says that God will judge fornicators. 
      • What is fornication- its sexual intimacy between two unmarried people. 
    • Its never Ok. God doesn’t approve of it. Not even if you love each other, live together, have been together a long time, are ‘married in Gods eyes’, or have been doing it for years
    • • “God knows my heart” yes, Its deceptively wicked above all things. Your heart is in sin. 
      • “all sin is equal in God’s eyes” All sin is sin, but not all sin is the same in impact and severity
    • Jesus equates fornication with Murder in Matthew 15:19 and says it DEFILES in Mark 7 Paul Describes Sexual impurity as rebellion towards God in Ro 1. He rebuked the church for sexual immorality in 1 Cor 5. He says the sexually immoral will not inherit the kingdom of God in 1 Cor 6 he even continues in 6 to say to flee it, and remind yourself that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. He grieves for those who haven’t repented of it in 1 cor 12, lists it as a work of the flesh in Gal 5 and that it “shouldn’t even be named among the saints” in Eph 5 and says we should put sexual immorality “To death” in Col 3. He goes so far to include as part of your sanctification in 1 Thes 4 that you should learn to possess your body with holiness and honor. 
    • The Bible is abundantly clear- Sex outside of the holy marriage bed is always wrong
    • • We don’t turn a blind eye to this in our church because its important to God
      • And again, you’d say “do you investigate all sin equally” well, its impossible when people are such great deceivers, but when you’re publicly declaring to God and everyone that you’re living in defiance to basic scriptures, we can’t sign off on it and look the other way. 
      • The Book of Revelation condemns it repeatedly 
      • We’re told to rebuke those who encourage it and it says that the sexually immoral will be excluded from the New Jerusalem. Hebrews says GOD WILL JUDGE THE FORNICATOR
      • Maybe you’re sitting here, and you’re a fornicator. You meet the definition- 
      • Well. Repent. Ask for God for forgiveness and REPENT- Turn away from it and stop
      • You might find in whatever relationship you’re in, that stopping it ends the relationship
      • That’s probably Good, because that’s not what should sustain a relationship
      • Furthermore, you might find that the sexual sin in your life is exacerbating your spiritual growth. You know its wrong you’re continuing in it, and the guilt and shame is there. Stop
      • Secondly- If you’re living with the person, or if you have kids, Get married. Be done with it
      • It doesn’t matter if it changes your tax status, or some other situation. Get married. 
      • Because that’s the only way to fix it. Either stop, or get married. If not you’re a fornicator. 
      • And you might say? Whats the big deal? The big deal is that the creative force and pleasure of the activity is reserved for the marriage bed. Its what separates us from the world
    • Stop condemning the sexual perverts of the world if you’re acting like one yourself. 
    • Its honorable. Its holy. And if you’re fornicating with someone who is not yet your spouse you’re destroying and affecting someone’s future spouse because of your unbridled passion. Stop. 
    
    
    1. Here’s whats even worse Adulterers
    • • An adulterer is someone who steps out of their marriage relationship to have relations with someone else who is not their spouse. Break covenant and defile the marriage. God will judge
      • I don’t think it necessarily requires a deep or revelatory explanation to a modern church
      • Everyone knows that adultery is wrong and that it shouldn’t be happening ever. 
      • The writer of proverbs in chap 5 to his son of an adulterous woman that- Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of hell.
      • Ex 20:14 says You shall not commit adultery Paul says- Ro 13:9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
      • And there’s a seed of adultery. No one sets out to commit it. But it Jesus says it start in the heart
      • The standard of Jesus is Matthew 5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
      • You don’t want to commit adultery. I’ve counseled many through the pain and shame of it. 
      • And if you’re in it, stop. If you see it coming on the horizon run. Consider it death and flee
      • That’s one of the parts of Affair proofing your marriage- Get your mind right
      • Don’t entertain thoughts about other people outside your marriage. Renew your mind
      • Flee any other sort of sexual immorality. Don’t feed your brain with pornography and fantasy
    • Do everything you can to build up your marriage. Make your marriage a primary focus
    • And its not what causes it, but it doesn’t hurt, stay attractive to your spouse. They married you when you looked a certain way, try to stay as close as possible to that person. 
    • Pursue your spouse. Don’t take them for granted. See them for the treasure that they are. 
    • Date them. Fawn over them. Buy them gifts. Do stuff with them. 
    • Don’t talk bad about your spouse in your heart or to anyone else. Control you tongue
    • Don’t talk bad to your spouse either. See them for the treasure that they are
    • All the scriptures about treating people correctly still apply to your marriage. Live it out. 
    • Hebrews says that the marriage bed is undefiled, but Jesus says in Mark 7 that Adultery defiles a man. Its what stains it and destroys it. You must avoid it at all costs. 
    • Why is it so bad? Not just because of the breaking of the vow, but it destroys what is holy
    • Marriage is a covenant made in blood and when you share that blood with someone else, it mixes your covenant with someone with whom you are not in covenant with
    
    
    
    
    • Why is it important
    • • Church, don’t think God is trying to keep something from you. He’s trying to give you something. He’s protecting the greatest earthly relationship He ever created.
    • Its important because a horrible marriage is a horrible life
    • • I cant fathom or understand why people would live a day in a conflict they could resolve
      • Bible says “don’t let the sun go down on your anger” and “make peace with your adversary”
      • But some people love to continue in conflict. Not God’s design. Create a marriage you love 
      • Ecclesiastes 9:9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love
      • When you have a marriage you love, you have a life you love because you’re living scripture out
    • Its important because Kids flourish in a house of love
    • • Many people have the deepest traumas of their life because their parents couldn’t fix it
      • Someone cheated. Someone beated. Someone didn’t love and lay down their life. 
      • Kids learn love and the Gospel by watching their parents walk it out. Live for their conversion
      • Live in such a way that your kids know you love, forgive and serve each other deeply. 
      • Psalm 128: 1-4 Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways. 2 When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. 3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table. 4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the Lord.
      • Kids in loving homes have problems. Kids in destroyed homes typically have worse problems. 
    • Its important because God’s design was for you to have help in marriage
    • • The marriage relationship is the greatest place for discipleship. They see how you live and they are in the greatest place to help you see your blind spots and help you grow into christ
      • God knew that sanctification would happen best in close covenant.
      • So He gave you someone who would walk beside you, encourage you, confront you, forgive you, and help you become more like Christ.
      • Ecc 9:9-10 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.
      • Not just in the day to day tasks, but in the deep recesses of your wicked heart to see the light
      • Learn to love, serve, give, die to self. Marriage is a great place for personal discipleship. 
    • Its important because it Shows saved people are changed
    • • Have we been saved and changed by the Gospel? Our marriages should reflect it. 
      • When we meet Jesus, and we are forgiven from our sins, it changes us. We become more loving, more forgiving. We become worshippers and we become people who will carry our cross
      • Col 3: 12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
      • What Good is our Gospel to the lost if there is deep hypocrisy within our primary relationship?
      • If we’ve been changed by the Gospel, our lives should be changed. Every last part of it. 
    • Its important because It Tells the story of the Gospel of redemption
    • The story of redemption is Christ as the bridegroom coming to redeem his bride
    • He laid down his life for his bride. He died for her to be saved. There were no limits
    • And one day when he returns the bride will rejoice for her bridegroom has come
    • And we, as his bride maintain hope in the midst of trails that he will return
    • Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
    • We forgive quickly because he has forgiven us and will forgive us
    • We stay committed to Christ through every trial because he is committed to us
    • We walk in love, grace and mercy because he has shown it to us. 

• When God Protects the Promise

  Genesis 20 NKJV And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is [a]a man’s wife.” 4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? 5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the [b]integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” 8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid. 9 And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I [c]offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done.” 10 Then Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?” 11 And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife. 12 But indeed she is truly my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ” 14 Then Abimelech took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “See, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 Then to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; indeed this [d]vindicates you before all who are with you and before everybody.” Thus she was [e]rebuked. 17 So Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children; 18 for the Lord had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

  What is going on here?

   After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham moved. Perhaps he did not want to live in the hills overlooking the destroyed region any longer and be reminded of those people and the judgment that came on them.

  His new place brings the eyes of the king unto his wife Sarah, still attractive at the age of 90! We cannot ignore the idea of Sarah’s continued attractiveness even in old age. “She had in some measure been physically rejuvenated, in order to conceive, bear, and nurse Isaac, and possibly this manifested itself in renewed beauty as well.” (quote)

  Abraham says, “She is my sister”. This was the same excuse Abraham told in Genesis 12:10-13. It was true that Sarah was his half-sister, sister of the same mister, having the same father but different mothers, common among their culture. Yet Abraham clearly meant to communicate, “she is my sister and not my wife,” when both were true. 

  He showed that it was easy to slip back into sinful habits. Abraham stumbled in a place that he had stumbled before. Instead of trusting God to keep his family together, he devised his own plan to do it. Abraham’s plan would completely fail.

  BUT God’s covenant is not sustained by human perfection but by His faithfulness. Even when His people fail, He protects His promises.

  Most people think that after great spiritual victories, they will never struggle with old sins again. Yet Abraham had already failed in this exact area twenty-five years earlier in Egypt. Now he repeats the same mistake.

  The encouraging truth is this: Our failures may be repeated, but God’s faithfulness never changes.

  Point 1: Old Fears Can Produce Old Failures

  Abraham again tells Sarah to say she is his sister. Why?

  Verse 11: “I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place…”

  Abraham acted out of fear rather than faith. Even mature believers can fall into familiar sins when we allow fear to replace trust.

  Fear says:

  • I have to protect myself.
  • I must control the outcome.

   

  Faith says:

  • God is able to protect what He promised.

   

  How many times have you taken matters into your own hands because of fear? I have lied because of a fear of other’s approval. I have not done what I knew to do because I feared what others would think about me. I have tried to control my circumstances for fear of rejection.

  OCD- constantly vacuuming, to have lines in the carpet because I have to control things around me. But people walk all over a carpet. Control is an illusion!

   

  Either God has it in His hands, or He does not. These are your two options. Either He knows what He will do, or He does not. I can tell you this, God is not wringing His hands in anxiety because HE does not know what to do, or how to handle a situation. This is not His character. 

   

  And if God knows, God cares and God can do the impossible, then what good is it to fear? 

   

  Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be [a]safe.

  Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
  I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

  2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

  Psalm 56:3  Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.

  In the midst of your fear, you have to turn your eyes upon Jesus and lean into Him, trust His word and His faithful character. Sometimes, this is a “by the hour” thing. It is rarely a “one and done”

  God never promises to deliver us from circumstances, but He does promise to deliver us from all our fears.

  Psalm 34:4  I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.

  In the midst of my pain, in the midst of my suffering, in the midst of my trial- I sought the Lord and HE heard and He answered.

  What fears?? ALL my fears. My fear of rejection. My fear of failure.  My fear of performance and perfection. My fear of loneliness and being alone.  My fear of failure and my fears of success. My fear of “not enough” and “not having enough”. My fear of provision, protection and providence. My fear of death and my fear of the unknown. 

  The bible says that fear brings torment. How many of you know this is true?  Fear is tormenting. Fear has made me do many stupid things and make seriously unwise decisions.

  Like Hezekiah, in the midst of a death sentence, turn your face to the wall

  Remind yourself of His goodness. Throw yourself unto His mercy.

  Point 2: God Protects What Belongs to Him

  3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is [a]a man’s wife.”

   

  Before Abraham can fix his mistake…God steps in. God appears to Abimelech in a dream.

  Notice: Abraham failed. Sarah was put in a VERY vulnerable position. But God intervened.

   

  Why? Because Isaac had not yet been born. God’s covenant could not be stopped. Despite Abraham’s failure to really trust God in the situation, God did not abandon him. He would not let Abimelech touch Sarah. Her womb was going to bring forth the son of promise, who would eventually bring forth God’s Messiah. God would not leave this matter up to man.

   

  God’s promises are never dependent upon our flawless performance. The covenant rested on God, not Abraham.

   

  Numbers 23:19  “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

   

  Isaiah 46:9-10  Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other;
  I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’

   

  Philippians 1:6  being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

   

  Is this not the most encouraging thing!?? Even when we fail, God is faithful. Even when we highly mess up, God is faithful. 

   

  There are so many mountains I go around, and I get so angry with myself, thinking God is done with me. BUT HE IS NOT FINISHED WITH ME YET! He is faithful to complete His work in me.

   

  He can handle all my foolish mistakes. He does not just give up on me like so many that failed me in my life. He is a Faithful and merciful God. I remember a time when my panic and anxiety was so bad, that God was just done with me, I wanted to run away from everything and everyone, hide myself away. I felt like a huge failure and fraud. B\ut He was still faithful. 

   

  In Jonah 2:8, Jonah reflects on his deliverance from the belly of the fish, stating: 

  “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs” (NIV). 

   

  Jonah, after disobeying the Lord’s will, cries out from the belly of hell (as it states in Scripture) and God delivers him. Even though he was disobedient, even though he had to face 3 days of horrible circumstances, his only hope was to cry out to the Lord for help, no other source could help him- God was his only source of grace, love and mercy.

   

  God was not done with the prophet. This gives me so much hope. Even when I am disobedient and God has to chasten me, He is not done with me.

  Point 3: Integrity Without Relationship Is Still Incomplete

  1. 6 And God said to him (Abimelech) in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 

  Abimelech protests: “I acted with integrity.” God agrees. This is fascinating. An unbelieving king displays more outward integrity than Abraham. Yet God still identifies Abraham as: “He is a prophet.” Why?

  Because righteousness comes through faith in God, not perfect behavior.

  Abraham was called a friend of God, and now God refers to him as His prophet, one who speaks on God’s behalf, even though he told a lie that could have caused great destruction.

  Moral behavior alone does not replace a relationship with God. God desires integrity, but a relationship with the Lord only comes through being born again and put back into a right relationship with God. This only comes by grace through faith

  Titus 3:3-6 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

  His mercy is everlasting. You were saved for Him, God wants to know YOU. He wants you to call out to Him and trust Him. HE wants to make you new. He wants you to believe Him and take Him at His Word, so then He can call you His prophet and He can send you out to pray for others.

  Point 4: Broken People Can Still Be Used by God

  God tells Abimelech: “Have Abraham pray for you.” Think about that. The man who lied… Now becomes the man who prays. Only grace can explain this. God still uses imperfect vessels.

   

  James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, [b]fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

   

  Romans 11:29  For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

  This statement in context is applied to Israel, but it is the same for us nonetheless. God gives gifts and He expects us to use them, even when we fail. Even when we are broken. HE does not remove our gifts because we are in a bad season. I knew a man that has an incredible gift of prophecy. For a time, his wife left him and he fell into deep and disgusting sin. Even through it all, God still used him. He came out of it, repented and God has restored his life and he is still operating beautifully in his gift.

  Even when we are faithless, God is still faithful. Be aware- His faithfulness is not an approval on our life, it is a mark of His character. We have to always be examining our lives and hearts.

  He is always good and He is always faithful.

   

  Point 5: Restoration Is Complete

  Abimelech restores everything. Sarah is vindicated publicly. Abraham prays.

  God heals Abimelech’s household.

   

  Notice the progression:

  Failure 

  Correction

  Repentance

  Prayer

  Healing

  Blessing

  That is often God’s pattern.

   

  2 Chronicles 7:14  if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

  1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

  Genesis 20 reminds us that none of us are righteous enough to secure God’s promises.

   

  Abraham couldn’t. Sarah couldn’t. Neither can we.

   

  The promise is secure because Jesus perfectly obeyed where Abraham failed.

   

  Jesus never acted from fear. Jesus never deceived.

  Jesus perfectly fulfilled the covenant and now intercedes for us just as Abraham interceded for Abimelech 

  Hebrews 7:25 Holman Christian Standard Bible

   Therefore, He is always able to save[a] those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.

   

  Let me ask you this–

  • Where has fear caused you to stop trusting God?
  • Are you trying to protect yourself instead of trusting God’s promises?
  • Have you believed your failure has disqualified you from being used by God?

   

  Scripture declares that while God does confront sin, His covenant faithfulness is greater than our failures. He restores, He protects His promises, and He continues to use those who humbly return to Him.

  “Your failure may interrupt your fellowship, but it cannot overturn God’s faithfulness. When God makes a promise, He Himself becomes its protector.”

  
  
  
  

• • The Worlds definition of love is wrong. Hebrews 13:1-3
  • • The world’s definition of love is increasingly different from the Bible’s definition of love.
    • We live in a culture that often defines love as unconditional affirmation/// never confronting sin/// and reshaping the Scriptures to fit the spirit of the age.///
    • The truth is, God absolutely calls us to love. But biblical love is costly, sacrificial, and life-giving.
  • If you’ll embrace biblical love, you’ll walk closer with God, closer with His people, and you’ll become the kind of Christian the world desperately needs.
  • Church, don’t settle for the world’s definition of love. Live the kind of love Hebrews describes

  
  

  • Biblical love is loving the Brethren
  • • Hebrews is coming to a close and the writer is using this final section to hit home some moral points that are important to the Hebrew reader, and us in 2026. 
    • He says- Let brotherly love continue.
    • I love that he isn’t saying it doesn’t exist, it already exists, they just need to continue in it. 
    • Like last week when we talked about gratitude, it dies when we forget, and love does too
    • We must not forget to be the most loving person in the room. In every room we are in. ///
    • And It starts in Church. We are the family of God and we need to walk it out together
    • John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you… By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
    • If people come into our Church or any church and they don’t sense an abiding love that we have for one another, it not only cheapens our witness, but we’re telling them, we’re not disciples. 
    • I’ve been to churches that clear out in 5 min, and ones where theres a buzz as you walk in. 
    • Not that that is the litmus test, but its part of it- Do these people enjoy being with each other. 
  • The Bible describes biblical brotherly love quite clearly (I think FVC does a great job at this)
  • • Its kindly affectionate- Rom 12:10 Its fervent 1 Peter 4:8 It lays down its life 1 John 3:16 it proves we understand God’s love for us 1 John 4:11 It has actions and truth 1 John 3:18
    • And that one right there matters. When you say you love someone, there ought to be a pattern of actions and a willingness to tell them the truth.
    • You cant say you love a brother if you never do anything for them and never tell the truth
  • Now, I’m not asking you to think about people that haven’t loved YOU this way, I want you to think about people that YOU haven’t loved this way. 
  • I know in my own life there are people I could do a better job loving. Maybe it’s a phone call. Maybe it’s a visit. Maybe it’s a text of encouragement. Maybe it’s taking someone to lunch. If I’m going to say I love them, there ought to be some evidence of that love.
  • It also means telling them the truth. I can’t leave my brother in sin and call that love. That’s difficult, but it’s biblical.
  • Now none of us can meet every need in the church. That’s not the point. The point is that every one of us should be intentionally loving someone.
  • the high bar- 1 Jn 4:20-21 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar… And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
  • • That means here at Faith and Victory you cant hate a brother, hold a grudge against a brother, wish ill will against them and simultaneously claim to love God. 
    • Now I’m not talking about someone who disagrees with something, or someone who occasionally gets hurt. I’m talking about someone who continually chooses to sow division and refuses to love the brethren
    • Instead of continuing to poison the pot of love in this church it would be better for them to leave
  • Love is the greatest indication of our salvation. Not the only indication but according to John, one of the clearest. We must love the brethren. 
  • 1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren…

  Here’s the other part- 

  
  

  • Biblical Love is loving the Strangers
  • • Now it’s important to recognize the culture we’re living in today. This passage has been pulled into political debates that the writer of Hebrews was never addressing.
  • Faithful Christians can disagree about immigration policy, border security, or government spending. Hebrews isn’t telling you how to vote; it’s telling you how to treat people.
  • Hebrews doesn’t address government policy. It addresses the personal responsibility of believers to love and show hospitality.///
  • • 2Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. 
    • The writer of Hebrews is more than likely referencing two separate stories from the Bible when Abraham and Lot both had strangers come to them, took care of them, and later realized that they had been visited by angels for a specific purpose and task (Genesis 18 and 19)
    • There’s a wonderful encouragement here. You never know what God may be doing through your hospitality.
    • Israel had clear laws about strangers- Lev 19:33-34 And if a stranger dwells with you in your land… you shall love him as yourself… Deut 10:18-19 He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger… Therefore love the stranger…
    • And those were the laws of Israel in a nomadic ancient culture that lacked the infrastructure of a 250 year old nation that spends over a trillion dollars a year to help our fellow people in need. 
    • When Jesus said- Matthew 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in.
  • He was talking about his disciples. Those who had gone out to preach the gospel with no support. Its important you understand this distinction because this verse isn’t govt, its YOU
  • • Government may have responsibilities, but Hebrews is addressing yours.///
    • The point is that God’s people are to be people of hospitality even toward those they don’t yet know.
    • And that begins in the Church. You should see your fellow FVCers as people worthy of hospitality. Yes it takes work and it might get you out of your comfort zone, but that’s what makes us different than the world. 
    • 1 Peter 4:9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.
    • Hospitality dies when we’re too busy, too entitled, or too consumed with ourselves to notice the people God puts right in front of us.  
    • Crystal and I on vacation- end up in a church- greet your neighbor- it was their first time, we welcomed them to the church and encouraged them to come back next week. 
    • I work hard at getting to know everyone here- you say that’s my job and it is my job. Its my job to MODEL it for you so you can learn how to be hospitable. Learn it from us, then pass it on.
    • The bible says that’s what I should be 1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be… hospitable…
    • But you also as well- Romans 12:13 Distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
  • Hospitality is one of the clearest marks of Christian maturity. It gets you past yourself to others
  • How do you do that? Talk to people you don’t know. Invite people into your home. Help people carry burdens. Make people feel seen. Make people feel welcomed. That’s biblical hospitality.

  
  

  • Love the Prisoners
  • • Here’s another passage that’s often pulled into modern political debates about prison reform or criminal justice.
  • Hebrews is addressing something different. “Remember the prisoners” refers to believers suffering imprisonment because of their faith
  • Matt 25:36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. Matt25:40 Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me. THESE ARE ALSO ABOUT BELIEVERS
  • • There’s nothing wrong with prison ministry or showing compassion to inmates. The problem is using passages about persecuted believers to say something they were never intended to say.
    • When Hebrews says, ‘Remember the prisoners,’ that’s not just ancient history. 
  • Today millions of our brothers and sisters live under persecution for following Christ, and thousands are imprisoned simply because they belong to Jesus.
  • • This morning while we sit in comfortably padded chairs there are believers in North Korea worshiping in whispers. There are pastors in Eritrea sitting in prison cells. There are Christians in Iran meeting in secret homes. There are families in Nigeria wondering if they’ll make it through another Sunday service.
    •  Hebrews says, ‘Remember the prisoners as if chained with them.’ We must remember///
    • Paul himself experienced this. Christians imprisoned for their faith often depended entirely on family and fellow believers to bring them food and basic necessities. Remembering the prisoners wasn’t symbolic it helped keep them alive.
    • Its biblical Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
    • So for us, were here in America and very little, if ever are people imprisoned for their faith (yet)
    • But how do we we apply this to our context here in Auburn in 2026. What do we do
    • 1 pray for our brothers and sisters around the globe that are imprisoned for their faith
    • 2 financially support the church in persecuted countries. Even a little (we send $ to Pakistan)
  • Most importantly, it should give us courage to live our faith boldly every day.
  • We don’t receive the same response in America for being Christian. We like to say we’re living under persecution, but we’re not. We really have to go looking for it. 
  • We are not facing the kind of systematic persecution our brothers and sisters endure around the world.
  •  We probably should be more thankful that we have the opportunity to worship
  • We should probably not take for granted that we live in a nation that allows us to worship how we want with out fear of retribution
  • And we should also have a measure of courage to realize that whatever punishment we may receive, an unfriend on social media, an uninvite from an event etc, pales in comparison. 
  • But here’s our heart condition-1 Corinthians 12:26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it… Which brings us to the final point. 

  
  

  • Biblical love is loving the Body
  • Hebrews says, love the brethren, love the stranger, love the prison- “since you yourselves are in the body also.”
  • • It’s a distinctive to describe the foundation for this love: its all part of the body of Christ
    • I say it often- Christianity isn’t an individual endeavor. We are all interconnected with each other
    • You were not intended to live apart from the local church. You are not intended to sporadically or silently attend a local church. Christ did not just die for you. See your self as part of the body
    • Ro 12:4-5 we have many members in one body… so we, being many, are one body in Christ…
    • Ephesians 2:19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.
    • Here’s what I’ve noticed over the past 35 years of being in the church
  • Individuals who are not deeply connected with others in the body of Christ rarely make it///
  • • Argue with me if you want, but my data set is quite large. Disconnected disciples become depraved discontents. ——They drift into strange doctrine, grow bitter toward the church, and slowly stop looking like Jesus
    • John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
    • And Someone will inevitably say “I can abide in Christ without his church”
    • Ephesians 1:22-23 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
    • You can’t separate yourself from the body and stay connected to Christ./// Don’t try to explain away what the New Testament says. Its scarcely possible to flourish apart from the body
    • Yes, you’re part of the global church. But the New Testament is lived out in a local church.
    • Look how impossible it is to obey the New Testament apart from the local church.1 Cor 12:25-27 that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it… Now you are the body of Christ…Gal 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Eph 4:15-16 speaking the truth in love- from whom the whole body-causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Phil 2:1-4being like-minded, having the same love. Col 3:12-15.bearing with one another, and forgiving one another.1 The 5:11Therefore comfort each other and edify one another. 1 Pe3:8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers.
    • That’s  just a few. We glorify Christ and display His love to the world when we love the brethren, welcome the stranger, remember the persecuted, and live as one body.
    •  Last week we talked about receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. This is what that kingdom looks like. It isn’t merely right doctrine. It isn’t merely right worship. 
  • It is a people who love one another the way Christ loved them.
  • Church, let’s be known for that. Let’s be known as the church that  loves deeply. That welcomes freely. That remembers those who suffer. That carries one another’s burdens. That refuses to let the world define love for us.
  • This is biblical love. This is kingdom living. This is what Jesus died to create. Let’s walk in it.

• The little pebble in my shoe   Genesis 19:30-38 (NLT)

  • • The other morning, I was taking my morning walk and after a while I realized that I had a small pebble in one of my shoe 
    • I could tell that it was pretty small because it kept shifting ever so slightly- One minute I could feel it, but the next it was nowhere to be felt, and other times- it was not slightly annoying- Almost like it was playing hide and seek with me 
    • For a minute there I contemplated whether it was annoying enough to stop and remove it- the sun was already coming up, and I was so close to my 3-mile goals – I reasoned in my thoughts – is it that really bad or can I just take care of it when I get home?
    • So, what happened? – Well, you will have to wait until the end of the message to learn who won 
  • Sin is like this small pebble 
  • James 1:14-15 (AMP) -But each one is tempted when he is dragged away, enticed and baited [to commit sin] by his own [worldly] desire (lust, passion). 15 Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death.
  • • Simply put – Desire → Temptation → Sin → Bondage → Death
    • In our story today – which most of us will agree that it very gross – we see two daughters that do the unthinkable
    • It was a sin that God had warned the Israelites against and He did not take it kindly 
  • Leviticus 18:6 (AMP) -No one shall approach any blood relative of his [b]to uncover nakedness (have intimate relations). I am the Lord.
  • • And there were serious consequences regarding this 
  • Leviticus 18:29 (NKJV) For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be [a]cut off from among their people.
  • • Sin starts like the little pebble in my shoe -settle, just like a gentle whisper 
    • These two daughters didn’t just wake up one morning and say – Lets have sex with my father to save the generation 
    • You just don’t wake up one morning and say, let me ruin my marriage, my family, my job, my career, my business, my relationship, my church – Let me ruin that which God has entrusted me with 
  • It all starts slowly because of what we allow 

  What did Lot allow

  • • If you have been with us on Wednesday as we have been going through the book of Genesis you can already see that Lot has not been doing good and just when you thought it was over, we now have Genesis 19: 30-38
    • Pastor Jay spoke about the state of the people of Sodom (where Lot was living) and as a matter of fact, was a leader in that city 
    • The Bible say that Lot sat at the gates of the city and historically here is where all the cases were decided by the men (leaders) of the city 
    • Lot knew and saw everything that happened in the city – He raise his family in this city and was very aware of the sin nature of this place 
    • We cannot begin to understand the sin the daughters committed unless you look at their upbringing – without excusing the sin -what led them to this point 
  • What did Lot allow in his household? 
  • Genesis 13:11-12 – Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted company with his uncle Abram. 12 So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain. 
  • • Lot did not immediately move to Sodom – He chose a place near Sodom 
    • The Bible does not tell us when Lot moved to Sodom – but we can tell that there was a draw, a desire to move to Sodom 
    • It’s interesting because most of the thing that bring us down, the things that the enemy uses to Kill, Steal and Destroy starts by us allowing a little bit at a time 
    • Genesis 13:13 – But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord – Sodom was full of sexual immorality
    • And God is very clear – Run from Sexual Immorality -1 Corinthians 6:18 (NLT) 
  • God knows the strength of sexual immorality that He commands us to now even take a longer look, try to fight, debate it, reason with it, or even pray about it But to Run as you pray
  • Lot did not run away from Sodom but he was drawn towards it 

  Sin has a strong grip

  • Genesis 19:15-16 (AMP) When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot [to hurry], saying, “Get up! Take your wife and two daughters who are here [and go], or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But Lot hesitated and lingered. The men took hold of his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, because the Lord was merciful to him [for Abraham’s sake]; and they brought him out, and left him outside the city [with his family].
  • • Here we can see the strong grip of sin on Lot – vs.16 – But Lot hesitated and lingered 
    • Lot was not in a hurry, he did not want to leave Sodom, he did not want to leave sin 
    • To a point where the angels had to take his hand, his wife’s hand and the daughters in order to rescue them 
    • From this we can tell that the grip of sin was so strong in their mind, they were choosing Death. Remember Desire → Temptation → Sin → Bondage → Death
  • And the Bible is very clear that the only reason they were save was because of Abraham’s sake vs 16
  • We have seen it over and over, where someone is being warned multiple times:
    • Stop going to that place, stop hanging out with that person, flee from that person, watch your back, stop allowing that in your life
  • And they don’t even listen and unfortunately it always led to death – to begin with spiritual death in one way or another 
  • Here is a clear example of the prison they were in and only God could grab their hand and pull them out of Sodom 
  • Thank God for His mercies 

  That which you allow affects your family 

  • Lot intention was not that one day his girls would do the unthinkable and sleep with him as a detestable sin to the Lord 
  • It all started when he inched closer and closer to Sodom 
  • Maybe his uncle (Abraham) warned him – and he refused to listen, maybe he cut wise council and justified what he was doing -IDK
  • All we know is that it cost him dearly 
  • Spurgeon said, Lot was someone who was saved from a burning house – SAVED- but lost almost everything 
  • Living in Sodom had a great and harmful effect on Lot’s family – His compromise affected more than himself 
  • This is a major issue we only think of ourselves – We need to magnify sin 

  The truth in Sin 

  • • Lot and his two daughters are saved and escape to the small town of Zoar, there after the Bible says that he was scared and fled to the mountain 
    • This is very interesting because this was not the first place was supposed to flee to, but he pleaded with the angel that he would go to Zoar 
    • Really quick – from the Bible Genesis 19:21–22 (NLT) – 21 “All right,” the angel said, “I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village. 
    • Zoah would have been destroyed as well if Lot had not pleaded with the Angels 
    • Meaning –my own thoughts -that Zoar was immoral as well 
    • Lot not only didn’t want to leave Sodom, but he chose little Sodom (less people) 
    • Lot then flees Zoar and finally heads to the mountain 
  • Lot’s sin followed him wherever he went 
  • • If you remember from last week, Lot was willing to offer his daughters to the town people and now we see that; 
    • Ironically, in his own drunkenness Lot carried out the shameful act that he himself had suggested to the men of Sodom: he slept with his own daughters – Watch out for that which we allow
    • It’s not a surprise that the daughters would come up with this very thought 
    • There is truth hidden in sin for the benefit of deception -We can see the Truth in Sin in: 
  • Vs 31-32 – One day the older daughter said to her sister, “There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children. 32 Come, let’s get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.”
  • • Truth – Our father is aging 
    • Lies – There are no men left in the anywhere in this entire area 
    • Most sin that we commit has some twisted truth – there is an offer 
      • I am having a bad day(T)- It’s just a glass of wine (L)
      • It just showed up on my feed (T) -It’s just a 10 sec video, I am not hurting anyone (L)
      • You don’t know what he or she is going through (T) -They just wanted someone to listen to (L) they want more
      • It’s just a call, text, coffee, email e.t.c -– soon you are trapped 
  • 1 Corinthians 10:12 (AMP) Therefore let the one who thinks he stands firm [immune to temptation, being overconfident and self-righteous], take care that he does not fall [into sin and condemnation].
  • Sin doesn’t know boundaries and doesn’t care
  • • Its start out by inviting you to look over to Sodom, next it leads you into Sodom, Provides a temporary Camping in Sodom, Helps you becoming part of Sodom by offering you a villa and a title. And finally, even after been rescued from Sodom, Sodom finds you in bed with your own blood!
  • Be careful of what you allow 
  • • Lot’s daughters are not innocent – they knew exactly what they were doing 
  • After all Sodom was still in them
  • That is why God say’s I will take out the old heart and give you a new heart- Ezekiel 36:25–26(NLT)
  • • Because the old heart is still in Sodom regardless of the change in area code 
  • Genesis 19:34(NLT) –4 The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, “I had sex with our father last night. Let’s get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.” 35 So that night they got him drunk with wine again, and the younger daughter went in and had intercourse with him.
  • Sin has a strong grip – how often do we deceive ourselves that we are aware of what we are doing; getting close to sin only to end up birthing Moab and Ben-ammi

  Justification and consequences 

  • Genesis 19:34(NLT) As a result, both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own father. 37 When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites. 38 When the younger daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Ben-ammi. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites.
  • • We often speak of Ismael, but we don’t speak enough about the Moabites and the Ammonites
    • These two sons were born out of gross sin end up being enemies of God 
    • They:
      • Lead Israelites into Idolatry and sexual immorality – Numbers 25:1–3
      • They continuously fought against Israelites – Judges 3, 1 Samuel 11
      • They hired Balaam to curse Israelites – Numbers 22–24
  • They mocked God people – Zephaniah 2:8-9 (NLT) – I have heard the taunts of the Moabites and the insults of the Ammonites, mocking my people and invading their borders 9 Now, as surely as I live,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, “Moab and Ammon will be destroyed -destroyed as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah.
  • What we allow is far greater than today! – it can and will affect our generations to come. It will either be blessed or cursed by the Lord 
  • Remember the pebble in my shoe -Here is what I learnt from the WWW
  • Pebble – Walking continuously with a pebble in your shoe concentrates your body weight onto one tiny point. This localized friction and extreme pressure will quickly cause painful corn or callus, localized blisters, or even skin tears. Over time, it can alter your gait, leading to ankle, knee, or back pain
  • Ignore the pebble and The Body is affected!! Next it affects the rest of the church body 
  • Some of you are in a place where our gait has changed because of your decisions this far – it’s time to stop, ask the Lord to remove the Pebble and restore your gait 

  Redemption

  • 2 Peter 3:9 (NLT) The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent.
  • I love that even in such a sinful state the Lord still redeems, and we see the Lord redeem regardless of where we came from or what we have done!
  • It doesn’t matter what you have allowed this far- today if you hear His voice and repent – you will be restored as well 
  • In Ruth 4:17 and Matthew 1:5 – we see a Moabite woman become an ancestor of Jesus Christ as a great-grandmother of King David
  • You will have to read the book of Ruth to see this beautiful redemption, and you too have access to this same grace if only you are willing to recognize “The little pebble in your shoe”
  • I did stop to remove my physical pebble before I took another step, and I am praying that God removes any unseen pebbles in my heart!

• Don’t Refuse the One Who Speaks  Hebrews 12:25-29

  • If I asked you today, “Would you like to hear God speak to you?” I think just about every one of us would say yes.
  • We’d all like to know what he wants us to do, believe, what to expect and how we should live. 
  • Hebrews started with Heb 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 
  • God didn’t send another prophet. He sent his own Son
  • God has spoken. God is speaking. The question isn’t whether He’s speaking. The question is whether we’re listening. Because When God speaks, he expects a response.  Don’t refuse him
  • He speaks to shape what we believe, who we trust, how we live, and how we worship Him.
  • The book begins with God speaking through His Son. It ends by asking one question: 
  • What are you going to do with what He said? Don’t Refuse him who speaks. 

  
  

  • Listen to the one who speaks YOUR EARS
  • • READ v 25 This statement connects back to the previous part of Hebrews 12 when he’s connecting Sinai and Zion. Hebrews juxtaposes Moses at Sinai and the reader of Hebrews coming to the new Jerusalem of the Church of the living God
    • through Moses, people were unable to escape God’s wrath, but now, God has spoken directly to the Hebrews. At Sinai God spoke through Moses. Now He has spoken finally through His Son.
    • Sinai represented terror, distance, the Mosaic Covenant, and judgment.
    •  Zion represents the heavenly Jerusalem, Christ the Mediator, the New Covenant, access to God, joyful worship, and the sprinkled blood of Jesus.
  • If judgment fell upon those who rejected God’s earthly revelation, how much greater accountability exists for those who reject God’s revelation through Christ from heaven
  • • It interesting that the writer says “Him who speaks” not “who spoke”. God is actively speaking
    • Christianity isn’t what God once said. It’s His final and living revelation in His Son.
    • Jesus said in Mark 4:9 And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
    • This is repeated many times in the Gospels and over and over to the 7 churches in Revelation
  • You have ears. Listen. Listen to the words of Jesus. Listen to the word of God
  • • Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live;
    • Many people want a vibrant relationship with God, but they don’t actually listen to Him.///
  • There actually may be reasons that you can’t hear God’s voice
  • 1 You’re actually not a follower of Jesus. You might tell yourself you are, buy you might not be
  • John 10:27 – My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
  • 2 you never respond to the words of Jesus. You like to listen to them an read them but you ignore them- Matthew 7:24 – Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them…
  • 3 you don’t listen carefully to what God says-  Luke 8:18 – Therefore take heed how you hear…
  • 2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
  • Diligence begins with listening. Use your ears. God speaks and has spoken. You can hear him
  • To hear God speak you must take an active role in listening. Don’t refuse him who speaks. 
  • I’ve had people ask me after church questions that I answered twenty minutes earlier
  • Trust the one who speaks YOUR HEART
  • • READ V 26-27 Hebrews goes back to Sinai, where God was on the mountain and the whole earth shook. it quotes Haggai 2:6 Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.
    • Sinai wasn’t the final shaking. God says another shaking is still coming. “yet once more”
    • The Haggai quote was to discouraged Jews back from exile. They didn’t know if God was still going to move in the new temple like he did in the old temple. 
    • And here’s the significance- God assured them- Don’t jump to conclusions- I’m not done yet
    • He assured those in Haggai and now in Hebrews- I have a much bigger plan- big shaking coming
    • Hebrews takes that Old Testament promise and applies it to Christ and His Kingdom. 
    • Christ has already inaugurated His Kingdom through His first coming, but one day He will return and there will be one final cosmic shaking of everything temporary.
    • God doesn’t shake things to destroy your faith. He shakes things to reveal where your faith actually is.
    • God’s ways are that throughout history, he removes temporary things so eternal things Shine
    • Just as God has removed the Old Covenant System, one day he will remove this world and establish his eternal kingdom. 
    • Everything we make as humans is temporary. Governments. Economies. Buildings. Wealth. 
    • And all of those things you put your trust and hope in, when they are shaken, you shake as well
  • Because you have put too much trust in them. They are the foundations your life is built on. 
  • • Can I be vulnerable for a min? There’s been times when things are sideways in the church that emotionally overwhelms me to the point of gut and sleep problems. Division, disobedience, destruction. Why? Its my lifes work. I want it to succeed. I want to continue pastoring. 
    • Eventually, after I get my heart right and bow my knee before the Lord, He asks me one simple question: “Matt-what are you trusting?”///
    • And Hebrews gives me the answer. Trust what cannot be shaken. Christ. 
    • His priesthood. His sacrifice. His covenant. His promises. His Kingdom. The only foundation. 
  • I’m not called to trust the church. I’m called to trust Christ.
  • 1 Cor 3:11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
  • Matthew 7:24-25. Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them… I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…
  • Things are going to be shaken in your life. Plans. Careers. Finances. Relationships. Ministries.
  • Sometimes He shakes them because we’ve started trusting them more than Him.
  • Sometimes that’s exactly why. Other times we simply live in a fallen world. Either way, God uses the shaking to deepen our trust in Him. God can use every shaking to solidify our foundation
  • Psalm 46:1-2 – God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed…
  • Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding…
  • And yes, sometimes we pray “Lord stop the shaking” but Sometimes God says “I’m going to continue to shake it because I love you and I don’t want you to build on something temporary”
  • Trust the One who speaks and shakes. Don’t refuse him.  If He’s the One doing the shaking, then He’s also the One preserving what matters most. His unshakable kingdom
  • Isaiah 26:3-4 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.
  • When everything around you feels unstable, remember this: God isn’t losing control. He’s revealing what was actually worth holding onto all along.
  • Be thankful to the one who speaks ATTITUDE of Gratitude
  • • 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, 
  • Our altitude in Christ is connected to our attitude towards Christ and our life. 
  • • The NKJV says ‘let us have grace.’ Many translations say ‘let us be thankful.’
    •  The idea is that those who have received grace become grateful people. (we say grace)
    • Many Christians are some of the least thankful people that you’ll meet. We’ve Americanized our Gospel into a self-centered existence where our Christian walk is an exercise in meism
    • We’ve become consumers instead of worshipers. We evaluate church by what we get instead of what glory God receives. The whole of the experience is filtered through “what about me”
    • The Church, and you exist for one purpose To give God glory. Your life is to give your life to him. 
    • We’re not just saved from sin; we’re saved for God. Saved to know Him. Saved to worship Him.
    • Romans describes the person who falls into reprobate sin- 
    • Romans 1:21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
  • Many peoples hearts become darkened because they lose a sense of thankfulness
  • • We’re thankful that we’re alive, that we’ve been saved by grace, that God has provided for us, and above all that we’re receiving an unshakable kingdom.
    • Loss of thankfulness is forgetfulness. You forget who God is, and what a relationship with him brings. Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits.
    • The writer of Hebrews has spent chapter on chapter describing the access we have to God
  • And he drives it home with “since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken”///
  • • We miss that and forget that often. We lose sight of the blessings of the unshakable kingdom
  • When we forget the kingdom, we start living as though this world is all there is.
  • Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
  • Peace grows where gratitude grows. More gratitude more peace. 
  • 1 thankful people require less Thankful people require less to be satisfied. Kingdom is enough
  • 2. Thankful people complain less Thankful people treat people differently than entitled people
  • 3 Thankful people serve more We you are full of Christ, you are able to love and serve others
  • You see it often. People Blessed with relationships they take for granted. 
  • You are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Jesus came, preached the kingdom and the real reality of receiving this kingdom is a foundational truth to anchor you in your life. 
  • Pray- Daily- Lord, your kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 
  • We’ve become so comfortable with this world that we’ve forgotten we’re citizens of another one. You refuse the King who wants to rule you in his kingdom. 
  • The end of this verse and this chapter give us the reason to possess this ‘grace” 

  
  

  • Fear the one who speaks LIFE
  • • by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
    • We are to serve God with reverence and Godly fear. The God of Sinai is the God of A Street
    • He is an all consuming fire./// That describes who God is. He is infinitely holy. He purifies what belongs to Him and judges everything opposed to Him.
    •  His holiness has not diminished because He has drawn near. If anything, our accountability has increased because of the privilege we’ve been given.
  • What is serving God acceptably with reverence and godly fear? 
  • • It’s a stark living reality of the God of Sinai being the center of your daily life and how you live
    • Matt 10:34-38 READ Jesus gives a standard for discipleship and followership and its clear
    • Your whole life should be consumed with the things of God. All of it. None of it belongs to you
    • Romans 12:1 Present your bodies a living sacrifice.
    • So then how should we live? How do we serve him with reverence and Godly fear
    • 1 daily consecrate your life to him. Tell him and you that you have been bought with a price
    • 2 spend more time in your life worshipping him for his goodness to you and your blessings
    • 3 and this is a real focus of mine– come to church to worship and receive the word
    • Psalm 2:11 Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling
    • Ecclesiastes 5:1–2 Walk prudently when you go to the house of God
    • We are here to worship the king of kings and Lord of Lords. Worship him with reverence
    • We are here to have him speak to us by his word. Remove distractions and listen to the HS
  • A holy and reverent Church service sets you up for a holy and reverent week. 
  • God speaks in the service. Prepare your heart. Arrive on time. Settle kids and then WORSHIP
  • Years ago I was in a church service where they had a remote control blimp floating around the room dropping some sort of ticket for some prize. I remember thinking, “Have we forgotten who we’ve gathered to worship?”
  • Our God is a consuming fire! Have some reverence! I was able to speak with a Secret Service agent this week in DC. Regardless of what you think of Trump, he’s still the President. I was asking him about him- He refused to talk about him personally. He’s on the detail. 
  • You know what else? He only speaks when spoken to. Yes he’s a fellow American. Yes he’s the one protecting him- might say Trump needs him more than he needs him, but Respect. 
  • There shouldn’t be more respect for a govt office than there is for a Holy God. 
  • Isaiah 66:2…On this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.
  • Romans 11:22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: 
  • God is severe. But God is infinitely Good as well. Worship him as Such and watch him move
  • SO God will Speak. Listen when he does. Trust when he does. Be thankful when he does and worship when he does. He’s worthy of it. We’re receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken
  • One day, everything you’ve ever seen will be shaken. Every kingdom. Every economy. Every nation. Every possession. Every accomplishment.
  • Only one kingdom will remain. And Hebrews says we’re receiving it right now.
  • don’t refuse Him who speaks. Listen to Him. Trust Him. Thank Him. Worship Him.
  • Because our God is a consuming fire.

• The Crucible of the Promise 

  I wrote this before Sunday’s message on Faith. God is speaking to His children about what He wants from us in this next season, and I believe it is to fully trust and have faith in Him and His Word.

  Genesis 18:1-15 Then the Lord appeared to him by [a]the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4 Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.” They said, “Do as you have said.”

  6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. 8 So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate. 9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.” 0 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and [b]Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

  13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”

  What is going on?

  Abraham is sitting under his usual spot- the terebinth tree. 

  Three men appear- and Abraham bows himself before them. One must be the Lord, the pre-incarnate Jesus because Abraham bows and this man allows it. Abraham recognizes he is in the presence of the supernatural. We do not bow before angels. The other two are angels, who we will see next week are the two angels sent to destroy Sodom.

  Abraham has Sarah make a meal for them, they eat and while they are eating the Lord once again confirms the promise to Abraham, but this time in the ear shot of Sarah. She laughs, saying to herself that this thing is impossible, they are too old.

  Sarah’s laugh was not a laughter of faith, like Abraham, but a laughter of doubting and distrust. Sarah could not get over was her age. I am waxed old — like an old worn-out garment is the meaning. And past child-bearing age, AND having been barren, AND Abraham is old also. 

  Sarah’s conduct has been unjustly condemned. Though Abraham may have guessed that his visitors were more than men, she probably had no such suspicions. Sitting inside the tent, and catching their words occasionally, listening, she hears her own name mentioned, when she hears them talk of her having a child she naturally laughs. thinking possibly that they did not know ALL the circumstances. 

  This is now the promise to Sarah. The men have come to speak to Sarah. “Where is Sarah thy wife?”  And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” Sarah was listening in the tent door.

  Sarah hears this with surprise. She knows that she is past child-bearing. Sarah laughed within herself, within the tent and behind the speaker; yet to her surprise her internal feelings are known to him. 

  The man replies, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

  In her confusion and fear, knowing her heart was read, she denies that she laughed. Perhaps at this point she realizes this is more than a man. The God who sees me hears me. He insists that she did laugh, at least in the thought of her heart. 

  I believe this is the point at which Sarah receives faith and strength to conceive. The word told to her husband has now been told to her. And we find  sarah in the faith chapter

  Hebrews 11:11 NKJV By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

  Is anything too hard for the Lord??

  I recently read a book, “Surprised by the Voice of the Lord” and the author said this, I am paraphrasing, “For most of my life I believed God for too little. For the rest of my life, if I have to make one mistake, it will to believe God for too much”

  But we know that is impossible to believe God for too much. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. It is only impossible in our eyes.

  He has a purpose in everything He does. God’s promises shape and test us before they come to pass. 

  Psalm 105:19 (ESV): “Until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.”

  This verse refers specifically to Josep, but there is a spiritual principle at work. God gave Joseph prophetic dreams about his future leadership when he was a teenager. However, before those dreams were fulfilled, he was sold into slavery and wrongfully imprisoned for years. During this painful waiting period, the very word and promise God gave him acted as a test to refine his faith, patience, and character. 

  What does this mean to you?

  1)God’s word will test our faith, “Did God really say?” Is the language of the enemy. Make no mistake we have a common enemy and he hates us. His job is to deceive, to introduce doubt and disbelief. He undermines the word of the Lord and attacks the character of God.

  Proverbs 30:5: “Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”

  Parable of the sower Mark 4:16-17 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 

  Deuteronomy 8:2: “…the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.” 

  Tribulation and persecution WILL arise to test your faith in God’s Word. It is not a matter of IF but WHEN.

  We immediately love the promise, but we struggle when our expectation does not align with the reality of our circumstances. A word from God creates a gap between what is promised and what is currently seen. When God gives a word, the waiting period before its fulfillment serves as a crucible. 

  A crucible is a heat-resistant container used to melt or alter substances at extremely high temperatures. A specialized vessel—traditionally made of clay, porcelain, or graphite—engineered to withstand intense heat. Used by jewelers, metallurgists, and chemists to melt ores, cast metals, or perform chemical reactions requiring high temperatures.

  Figuratively, a crucible refers to a severe trial or a transformative situation where people or ideas are rigorously tested. It is a challenging, often painful experience that tests a person’s character or resolve.

  The Crucible of the Promise- when God speaks a word whether by the Spirit, another or the written word of the lord, it will be tested in your life, whether you will believe and hold firmly to God’s truth or whether you will fall into doubt and disbelief, despise God’s Word and fail to receive that which was promised.

  Hebrews 12:16-17 NKJV lest there be any fornicator or [a]profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

  Sarah only knew her circumstances. Because God is supernatural, He speaks to things that only He can accomplish and it is on us to either believe that word or believe our present circumstances.

  God spoke to pastor and I about planting a church- but it took five years, military service, several moves until that word came to pass. We had to hold onto what the Lord had shown us. Did we get discouraged? Yes. But we held each other accountable to the vision- I had severe internal struggles. My past was horrible. Could God use a wretch like me to build His glorious church? I was told HE would not.  Would I stand firm on His calling in my life, even if my mind could not conceive how HE could or would use me?

  Faith is not seeing, neither is it walking blindly. It is holding fast to what the Lord has spoken.

  2 Corinthians 5:7  For we walk by faith, not by sight.

  God is strengthening our trust in Him. True biblical faith requires trusting the word even when everyday reality completely contradicts it.

  God spoke multiple times to Abraham and to Sarah, strengthening their faith in His word. Sometimes you have to turn your back on everyone and everything and strengthen yourself in the Lord!

  1 Samuel 30:6  Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was [a]grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

  When David faced his darkest crisis: his city was burned, his family was captured, and his desperate men threatened to stone him, he did not give in to despair. Instead, he drew his courage and hope directly from God.

  Guard your faith! Turn your face away from the problem and unto Jesus! A preacher told a story of a time when his son was in a bad motorcycle accident, They were at the hospital and he was watching his wife as they got news that their son may not live- she turned her face to the wall, rebuked fear, and called on the name of the Lord.

  This is the actions of someone who has drawn strength from the Lord time and time again. They are not a novice- they have learned to face things with the help and power of the Lord. They have spent years and years in prayer and the reading of His word.

  Abraham would not have ever been able to offer up Isaac if he did not have faith in God’s Word. The word will test you, and you will be put through a crucible!

  IS anything too hard for the Lord!!??

  2)God’s word is meant to refine our character. His divine promises are not just future rewards, but tools for present transformation.

  The time period of waiting becomes a refining fire where God is purging our flaws.

  Zechariah 13:9 New King James Version

  9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined,
  And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them.
  I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”

  The delay exposes hidden pride, impatience, self-reliance, and other ungodly traits forcing those traits to the surface to be removed. What will you do when God reveals the impurities in you? The fire will be turned up and impurities will arise. You have a choice. Let the Holy Spirit deal with those sins, or ignore it, ignore the refining fire and conviction and continue on in your pride?

  God is more concerned with our character than our comfort! God prioritizes who a person is becoming over how comfortable they are during the process.

  James 1:2-3: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

  I have learned that discomfort and discipline from the Father actually means that I am loved and accepted. HE is dealing with me as a daughter. It is for my good that I go through hard times and hard trials. He is perfecting in me good character, and molding and conforming me into Jesus. This is my purpose in this world, to be conformed into the image of Jesus, give God glory and do His will. 

  Whatever crucible I have to endure to become more Christ-like is worth the trial.

  I remember a season early on in the ministry that was hard on me and hard on my family. It was a long season, at least much longer than I wanted it to be. I remember after a few years finally asking the Lord what was going on. I had done everything I knew to do. I prayed against the enemy. I took my thoughts captive. I worshipped. I prayed and prayed and prayed. The Lord spoke a word to me I will never forget, “Crystal, I am teaching you compassion.”

  2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NKJV  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any [a]trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

  The Word is a mirror. Scripture functions as a diagnostic tool, revealing the true motives and alignment of the human heart.

  James 1:23-24 NKJV  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

  How the word works as a mirror-

  Reflection: Just as a physical mirror shows exactly what you look like on the outside, a word or message reveals the reality of your inner self. It exposes thoughts, biases, and unsaid feelings. Get you MY Utmost for His Highest Devo and get rid of your “Jesus is Calling”. 

  Clarity: It cuts through self-deception and hypocrisy. When we hear or read certain truths, it forces us to confront who we are versus who we claim to be. Tozer on self-deception, you agree with yourself

  Call to Action: A mirror is only useful if you do something about what you see. Hearing a truth and immediately forgetting it renders the reflection useless

  We must see ourselves clearly! I praise God for tribulations and trials! They 1) make me reliant on the Lord and not myself, 2) deal with any and all pride in myself and my ability to handle things by indepentntly and 3) lead me to fall into the Lord’s hands for comfort

  Through the crucible of refining our character, God is preparing us to receive the promise. The test ensures that when the promise is finally fulfilled, you have the spiritual maturity to handle it without falling into pride. 

  I think about King David, getting a word when he was just a young man and having to wait15+ years to be king. HE was being prepared to rule a kingdom in righteousness and justice.

  Joseph was being prepared to be second in command over an entire nation, and to save his people during the time of a famine.

  1 Timothy 5:22  Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.

  God does not put people into positions they are not ready for, we should be mindful of this. Know yourself well enough to say, “I am not ready for the promise”. Look at yourself soberly and with discerning eyes.

  Is anything too hard for the Lord?!

  3)The character of God is at stake. This time-gap forces a person to choose between relying on circumstances or relying on the character of the Promise-Giver. 

  WE had people tell us to not plant a church- family members and even pastors. I had people tell me that God could not use me in the ministry because of my past. We had to rely on the Word and character of a God who makes all things new. I will tell you as someone who came from the wrong side of the railroad tracks- one of the hardest promises you will have to receive is being a new creation in Jesus Christ, that your sins are under the blood, that you are loved and forgiven, that HE holds you in His faithful hands and that one day HE is returning for His faithful ones.

  You have got to get to know the Lord! Otherwise you will be tossed to and fro with every wind and storm that comes at you. We can only know His character through prayer and the Word, otherwise you will find yourself believing in another Jesus and another gospel, which many in today’s world are falling prey to.  

  God acts, keeps His word, and shows mercy “for His name’s sake”. God’s ultimate motivation for keeping His promises is rooted in His own perfect character, flawless reputation, and glory, rather than human merit. 

  Psalm 23:3  ESV  He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness[a]for his name’s sake.

  His reputation is at stake! The psalmist writes that God leads us in paths of righteousness “for His name’s sake,” indicating that His guidance and restoration are ultimately to bring honor to His own reputation.

  Ezekiel 36:22-23 ESV  “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.

  He delivers despite our failures. When the Israelites were unfaithful, God repeatedly spared and restored them not because they deserved it, but to protect the holiness of His name among the surrounding nations.

  Psalm 138:2 English Standard Version  I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things  your name and your word.[a]

  God’s promises are backed by the ultimate honor of His name, making His Word completely trustworthy. 

  Because God’s name represents who He is (holy, just, and loving), His integrity is always on display. Therefore, He keeps His word because He cannot lie, deny Himself, or allow His reputation to be compromised

  4)The Word of the Lord has sustaining power. The word given is not just the test; it is also the anchor that keeps us from giving up. It reveals that our present circumstances do not dictate our future in the Lord. We have hope in Christ, to see us through, to do all He said He would do

  Jeremiah 1:12 ESV  Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”

  He is actively watching over His promises to bring them to pass. Not a Word that He has said will fail. He will do all He said He would do. Even if it takes 70 years to bring it to pass. Jer 29:11 promise had a 70 year time gap. We must remain loyal to His Word. It is God’s character to keep His Word and that He is returning for us to bring us into His kingdom.

  Staying faithful in the dark proves that we love God for who He is, not just for what He provides.

• • Strengthen Your Hands (Hebrews 12:12-24)   *Verses in NKJV, unless otherwise noted*

    – We are going through the book of Hebrews, chapter 12. This whole chapter is meant to bring encouragement and perspective to our struggle in this life lived for Christ…

    – Pastor Kevin preached last week that we are in a race, like a Spartan Race: It can be grueling and hard, often unexpected, with many obstacles in your way…

    – And people are watching. Actions speak louder than words. What is YOUR race saying about the God you serve? 

    – Jesus is our ultimate example! He ran his race with focus and purpose unto death! He avoided the distractions, and endured to the end. We can run well by focusing our faith on Him…

    – We must allow our Father God to discipline us, or we are not really his children. It is good for us, and grows us, and prepares us for what is coming in the future. (In the Spartan Race, you get disqualified if you skip the obstacles or the penalty…)

    THEREFORE….

    Today’s verses start with, “therefore,” which means that everything that was previously said in verses 1-11 is relevant… “The reason you should do what is next, is because of what was just said.”

    
    

    Hebrews 12:12-24, Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

    14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

    18 For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, 19 and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. 20 (For they could not endure what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.” 21 And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”)

    22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

    These verses talk about 3 things:

    1. Be strengthened and encouraged on your race.
    2. Pursue peace and holiness, individually and corporately.
    3. The new covenant is better for us than the old covenant!
    
    
    1. Strengthen your hands.

    (Paraphrase of Hebrews 12:1-11) “We are surrounded by many witnesses, lay aside the sin which so ensnares us, run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the foundation of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…”

    “Consider the hostility Jesus endured from sinners, in case you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted sin unto death.”

    “If you endure discipline from God, He deals with you as a son or daughter; for what son is there whom a father does not discipline or correct? If you don’t receive it, you aren’t God’s son.”

     “No discipline seems to be joyful at the time, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

    THEREFORE….

    – Hebrews 12:12-13, Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

    – The author is making reference to a scripture in Isaiah, to encourage those who are spiritually and emotionally exhausted, by using God’s word!

    – Isaiah 35:3-4, …They shall see the glory of the Lord, The excellency of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”

    – Be strengthened and encouraged because God, Himself, fights for you! 

    – Stand Firm and Hold Fast! Of course this life for Christ is hard, but you are growing. Don’t avoid it, and Don’t give up! (Don’t always look for the easy way out…)

    – Example: Grip strength, (your ability to hold on) is a key correlative indicator to whole body health… predicting muscle function, mobility, cardiovascular fitness, and longevity.

    – Research shows that lower grip strength is associated with mobility limitations, difficulty performing daily activities, muscle mass decline, reduced bone mineral density, and higher risk of fragility fractures…

    – Reduced grip strength is linked to higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, and chronic conditions… along with decline in endurance and balance…

    – Correlation, not causation… Working exclusively on your grip strength will not make your heart disease go away… Weak grip is a sign that your overall health is in decline!

    – The spiritual metaphor: 

    – Your hands becoming weak, and you wanting to let go, is a sign that your spiritual fitness is in decline. If so, you’re not going to be able to complete the obstacles, and are in danger of not finishing the race…

    – Strengthen your hands by focusing on Jesus, keeping the faith, and enduring the refining discipline of the Lord… so you don’t fall away, or cause others to either.

    – Isaiah 41:10, Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

    – Palms 34:18, The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

    – Gal. 6:9, And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

    – Your “grip strength” will improve as you are encouraged in the Lord!

    – Because people are watching, and you have been saved by grace, and God is growing you and disciplining you, and because Jesus already set the example… Run your race! Don’t avoid life’s obstacles but lean into them. Be encouraged, you CAN do this! 

    – Not just you, but the whole church together…

    – My verses today speak of corporate action, not just what we do as individuals… basically, what you do in the body affects the whole group… we are running the race together… 

    – Example: Spartan Race again… 

    – Kevin shared he benefited from watching others complete an obstacle so he could learn how to do it… 

    – Sometimes the obstacle is IMPOSSIBLE without help (for most of us, anyways). We can be there to help others through it… (Kasey McCallister, no legs, lifted monkey bars…)

    – We are all in a race together, but not against each other, we just want to finish well…

    – Galatians 6:1-4 explains the relationship perfectly…

     Verse 1, Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

    – (If a brother starts to drift, and falls into sin, you who have strong and unshakable faith should do your best to get them back on track… but be careful not to fall into the same sins that they did!)

    Verse 2,  Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

    – (Be patient and sympathetic as your brother fails. Be compassionate and helpful. Help a brother out, but that doesn’t mean to do it for them…)

    Verse 3, For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 

    – (The ground is level at the foot of the cross. You aren’t too good to help others. We are a team.)

    Verse 4, But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 

    – (Make sure your stuff is squared away, and that is a victory you can celebrate to yourself, privately. Don’t be so focused on everyone else’s business.)

    Verse 5, For each one shall bear his own load.

    – (Your brothers can help you, but you need to pull your own weight, too. Ultimately, you are responsible and accountable for how you run your race… don’t blame anyone or anything else…)

    – 2 Cor. 1:3-4, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

    – Eccles. 4:9-10, Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.

    
    
    2. Pursue peace and holiness.

    Hebrews 12:14-15, Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

    – In context, pursuing peace with all people is inside the church. Get along and work together.

    – The body of Christ is full of diversity in thought, backgrounds, attitudes, personalities, life experiences, and spiritual maturity… (Like hiring in the fire dept…)

    – Romans 14:19, Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 

    – Make it your goal to be helpful and encouraging, overlook offenses and be patient…

    – Pursue holiness: “Holy Living” isn’t just acting right, dressing right, speaking right, and not sinning… The Holy Spirit inside you is the only thing that makes you holy.

    – 1 peter 1:2 (NLT), God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

    – When is says, “Those who are not holy will not see the Lord.”  It means that those people do not have the Holy Spirit inside of them. 

    – Verse 15, “looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God”

    – Not that God ever fails to give grace, but WE can fail to receive it. 

    – We receive God’s amazing grace (salvation and forgiveness) by believing in Jesus, and doing what he says. To “fall short of the grace” would be to fail to be saved.

    – Who should we be “looking carefully” for?

    – Those in our church that haven’t truly accepted the saving grace… yet.

    – Those who may be falling prey to false gospels or false teachers…

    – Those who appear to be drifting away.

    – “lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble”

    – This phrase references God’s earlier covenant with the people of Israel:

    – Duet. 29:18-19, so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood; 19 and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart’—as though the drunkard could be included with the sober.

    – This is a warning against self-deception, and self-worship, not just false Gods. 

    – Selfishness, discontentment, and offense over the things of this world will cause division in the church! Those who are deceived tend to draw others away… leading to their drift.

    – When believers begin to place their hope and faith in the things of this world, and idols, instead of God alone, the “fruit” they produce will become poisonous to “the body”.

    – When we see a fellow believer struggling with their faith, and focusing on the “god’s of this world”, we need to draw them back in, and build them up! Focus them back on Jesus.

    – Eph. 3:16-17 (NLT), I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

    
    
    3. You have a new and better covenant.

    – This is the author’s ending encouragement to the community of believers. That they are under a new and better covenant with God through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

    – Vs 18-24… the old covenant under Moses, represented by Mt. Sinai, and the new, Jesus, Mt Zion.

    – The Book of Hebrews has done this compare and contrast several times. The old vs the new:

    – Ch 1&2: Jesus shown to be superior to the Old Testament prophets and the angels.

    – Ch 3&4: Jesus portrayed as superior to Moses and Joshua.

    – Ch 5-9: Jesus is superior to Aaron, the old covenant, and the tabernacle.

    – Ch 10: The sacrifice of Jesus was far greater, leading to better a promise and a better hope.

    – Here is Chapter 12, the comparison is between two “mountains”, symbolizing 2 covenants with God:

    – Verses 18-21 describe a physical mountain burning with fire, God spoke with a voice that terrified the people, and if man or beast even touched the bottom of the mountain they would be killed… it is depicted as impersonal, intimidating, and unapproachable.

    – This description comes straight from Exodus, when God met the people in the desert.

    – This is the Mosaic Covenant with God, laws and animal sacrifices that could never be enough

    – Separation from God…

    – Verses 22-24 describe a spiritual mountain, city of the living God, surrounded by angels and the church full of born-again believers, a Spirit that makes men perfect, and a final blood sacrifice for sin… Jesus is the Mediator and our Savior…

    
    

    – The contrast here is between how we, as God’s people, can approach God, Himself.

    – Our covenant is better because we have Jesus and his final sacrifice for sin, we are under grace, we have the Holy Spirit inside us, we can speak to God directly through Jesus Christ…

    – This is our encouragement! We can be saved! We can draw near! We have a better deal.

    – Strengthen your hands today!

    – prayer –