Authentic Christianity 101

Hebrews 13:20-25

 

Purpose: to glorify Christ in worship, discipleship, and mission

 

1. God Raised Up the Great Shepherd Jesus Christ (Heb. 13:20)
      “God of peace”
      “Brought up from the dead”
      “The Great Shepherd of the sheep… Jesus our Lord” (Heb 9-10; John 10:11; 1 Pet 2:25)
      “Through the blood of the eternal covenant”  (Heb 7:25; 9:12, 15; Heb 8 and Jer 31)
      The gospel of eternal salvation!  (Heb 5:9; Luke 24:44-47; 1 Cor 15:1-8; Rom 10:9-14)
      Worship only Jesus! (Heb 1:5-14)

 

 

 

 

2. God Equips His People to do His Will (Heb. 13:21)
      Faith (Heb 11)
      Hope (Heb 12)
      Love (Heb 13)
      “Equip you for every good thing to do His will”  (Heb 13:21)
      This is authentic Discipleship!
      To Jesus be the glory forever and ever! (Eph 3:20-21)

 

 

 

3. God Calls His People to His Word (Heb. 13:22-25)
      A Brief Encouragement!
      The Supremacy of Jesus Christ over all! (Heb Chs 1-10)
      Five Warnings designed to preserve the soul (Heb 10:39)
         – Jesus is Superior to Angels, listen to His message of salvation (Heb 2:1-4)
        – Jesus is Superior to Moses, take heed (Heb 3:1 – 4:13)
        – Don’t Go Backward; leave OT shadows and go to NT realities (Heb 6:1-8)
        – The Danger of Despising God (Heb 10:26-31)
        – Do Not Refuse God (Heb 12:25-29)
      The Living Word: Jesus is God’s message to the world (see Heb 1:1-4)
      The Written Word (see Heb 4:12)
      Jesus is better! Live the Mission of Jesus!

 

 

 

 

 God’s man or woman, knows God’s will, from God’s Word!

Living the Authentic Christian Life – Together
Hebrews 13:15-19

 

Purpose: Because Jesus is “better,” we are called to live the authentic Christian life together as His Church, as a testimony to the world.

1. Authentic Sacrifices (Heb. 13:15-16)
   Praise and Thanksgiving, not Lambs and Goats.

 

 

 

 

 

2. Authentic Submission (Heb. 13:17)
   As to the Lord

 

 

 

 

 

3. Authentic Supplication (Heb. 13:18-19)
   To the honor of Christ

Living the Authentic Christian Life

Hebrews 13:1-14

 

Purpose: Because Jesus is “better,” we are called to live the authentic Christian life …

 

1. In the Principle of Love (13:1-4)
   Despite trials, we continue Christian community and brotherly love

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. In the Provision of God (13:5-6)
   Despite our own need, we continue to support those who minister the gospel

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. In the Permanence of Jesus Christ (13:7-9)
   Despite unstable situations, we trust in the unchanging faithfulness of Jesus Christ

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. In Partnership with Jesus Outside the Camp (13:10-14)
   Despising the shame, we count it a privilege to be suffer with Christ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living the authentic Christian life is about enduring faith in Jesus, hope in Him who entered the eternal city , and love of one another despite all temporal difficulties!

Sinners In The Hands Of A Holy God
(Hebrews 12:18-29)

Purpose: We have confidence that the blood of Christ perfects those who endure, so that when we come face-to-face with the Holy God, we will experience eternal, unshakeable joy.

• The Weight of the Holy God (Heb. 12:18-21)
  Sinai – the Old Covenant mountain of God (Exodus 19:10-14)

 

 

• The Welcome of the Holy God (Heb. 12:22-24)
  Zion – the New Covenant city of God (Revelation 21:2-4)

 

 

• The Warning of the Holy God (Heb. 12:25)
  The Curses of Deuteronomy 28:15-68

 

 

• The Word of the Holy God (Heb. 26-27)
  The coming Judgment

 

 

• The Worship of the Holy God (Heb. 12:28-29)
  The eternal, unshakeable joy of the redeemed

Run the Race of Faith, to Win!

Hebrews 12:1-17

 

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

 

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

The descriptions of Jesus in this passage:

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

 

 

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

Revere God Who Knows Everything You are Going Through

 

 

 

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

            Notice especially the actions (verbs) called for:

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

 

 

 

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

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

Faith In The Meantime Is True Faith
Hebrews 11

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

Faith In The Meantime

Hebrews 10:26-39

 

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

 

1. The Five Warnings Against Apostacy in Hebrews

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Their previous sufferings (vv. 32-34a)

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

New Covenant Living
Hebrews 10:19-25

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

The All-Sufficiency of Jesus Christ!

Hebrews 10:1-18

 

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

 

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

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

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

The sacrifices would cease

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

 

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

                        What did Jesus come to “do”?

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

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

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

 

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

            How is Christ’s work described here as …

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

another offering for your sins? No!

 

Conclusion:

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

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

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

We fail -> Jesus Never Fails

A Better Mediator
Hebrews 9:15-28

 

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

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

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