Have you ever been in one of those situations where you were really working to get a last few thoughts into a conversation you were having with someone?  Your closing remarks are your last chance to convince someone of something, to get a last few thoughts in, to make a point.  The author of Hebrews offers a lot in the last chapter of the book.  The entirety of the book is about how Jesus is better than everything else but chapter 13 is the chance to throw a few other things in.  I encourage you to read the entire chapter but here are a few verses to look at together today.

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so. 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. 15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. 17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.18 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. 19 I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.

There are exhortations to follow leaders, praise Jesus with their lips, do good to others, share with others, pray, and hold on to the teachings of Jesus amongst other things.  It got me thinking about the times I have an opportunity for “closing remarks”.  What are the things of faith that I am eager to share with others.  Is it Jesus’ love?  Is it grace?  Is it encouragements for how to live?  These days I find myself speaking with others a lot about how life just works better with Jesus.  Without Him so much of life feels meaningless but Jesus gives us purpose.  He sends us on a mission and He shows and tells us how to live.  My prayer is that for all of us our “closing remarks” would be somehow pointing others to Jesus.  Nothing else in life is quite so important.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the Hall of Faith.  It includes many of the heroes of our faith found throughout the Old Testament.  I encourage you to take a few moments and read the whole chapter but I have included a good section of it here.  Let’s take a look at it together today.

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. 20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. 21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. 23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. 29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. 31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. 32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

We could speak again and again of many of the remarkable acts of faith performed by this group and others.  For our purposes today I want to focus on the last two verses.  While certainly God used these people to do amazing things throughout the Bible none of them had the benefit that we have today.  None of them experienced the Messiah.  None of them heard of His conquering of sin by His death and resurrection.  None of them had the benefits of His teaching.  They had faith in a promise that was yet to be fulfilled but we have faith in a God who has already done the work of redemption and reconciliation in our lives.  If God can use that group to do such amazing things imagine what He can do through us if we simply have faith and are willing to be used by Him. 

People go to church for a variety of reasons.  Many go to worship God and be encouraged by Scripture.  Some go to see friends and experience community.  Some go to have an opportunity to serve.  Others go out of a sense of tradition or a habit.  Did you know the Bible tells us to go for another purpose?  One of our goals and commands is to go to church regularly so we can spur one another on in love and good works.  Let’s look together at what the author of Hebrews says about this in Hebrews 10. 

Therefore, brothers and sisters, any go since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

It’s interesting the word used here spur in its original Greek literally means to provoke.  We are told to provoke one another into love and good works.  That requires being together.  I love how online church has made worship so accessible.  I dislike how it can make it harder to do things like spur one another on or encouraging each other or even experiencing the community that we were created for.  Next Sunday make it a point to head to church if you are able and provoke someone into love it’s what we are told to do. 

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

When I was a teen I had a good friend that was often getting into trouble.  Nothing to serious but given a number of choices he often chose the wrong ones.  His parents, and in particular his mom, really loved me and encouraged him to hang out with me all the time.  I often found myself interceding on his behalf to his mother to get him out of trouble.  It typically worked because at that point in my life I was a pretty good kid who loved Jesus and tried to get him to do the right thing (most of my bad choices as a teen happened earlier).  Typically he would do something to get in trouble and I would come over because he was grounded and I was the only person allowed over.  I would sit down with his mom and strike a deal where I’d keep him out of trouble if we could go do something.  It usually worked.  The author of Hebrews reminds us in chapter 7 that Jesus fulfills this very same role for us.  He is constantly interceding on our behalf to God.  Let’s look at the passage together today.

Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 26 Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Jesus’ death on the cross means that our sins are forever taken care of but the Bible paints a picture of Jesus and the Holy Spirit interceding to God on our behalf.  Praying for us, talking about us and helping us to be more like Him. How good to know that Jesus loves us and is at work to see the very best happen in our lives. 

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Have you ever had someone break a promise to you?  Sometimes we almost expect that from those who are not close to us like a salesperson, or a driver with the promise of a turn signal blinking.  Those are insignificant but when someone we love and trust breaks a promise it can hurt.  There was a movie called Liar Liar with Jim Carey where something happened to him where he became incapable of breaking a promise.  It was a funny look at the importance of being a person of your word.  What if someone was truly incapable of lying or breaking a promise?  The Bible tells us in Hebrews 6 that is the case with God.  Let’s look at it together today. 

When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. 16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

God’s promises are perfect.  Think about that for a moment, perfect.  That means when He says He will never leave us of forsake us it means that He will ALWAYS be with us not simply try to unless something comes up at work.  When He says He casts our sins as far as the East is from the West they are gone.  When He says nothing in all of life can separate us from His love it means nothing can.  God’s promises are absolute.  Take some time in prayer today thanking God for His great promises and rest in the fact that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they can be trusted.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave