Paul's Epistles – Hebrews – Part 20:
Be Holy
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org
| www.TruthDigest.org | Online Audio Files
SERMON INTRODUCTION
The “official” writer of this epistle is unknown.
However, I obviously believe it is Paul since I have included it in the “Paul’s
Epistles” Sermon Series.
I believe there is enough evidence from early scholars
to agree this was more than likely Paul’s work.
We have already seen in Hebrews so far;
·
Jesus is greater than angels
·
And that we are to pay the most careful attention to
Jesus and His way so we do not stray
·
And how Jesus (New Covenant) is greater than Moses
(Old Covenant)
·
Paul’s warning about unbelief
·
A Sabbath Rest for the People of God
·
Jesus the Great High Priest, Jesus the Perfect High
Priest
·
Therefore, It is Time to Grow Up
·
The Certainty of God’s Promise
·
Melchizedek the Priest, Jesus like Melchizedek
·
The High Priest of the New Covenant
·
Worship in the Earthly Tabernacle
·
The Blood of Christ, Christ’s sacrifice, Once for All
·
A Call to Preserve Faith
·
Faith in Action
·
God Disciplines His Children
TODAY’S SERMON
“Be Holy”
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Hebrews 12:12-17
Therefore, strengthen your
feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your
feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
14 Make every effort to live in peace with
everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls
short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause
trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually
immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his
inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he
wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the
blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
The overall message of this
epistle to the church is;
“The Cure for Lacking Boldness or Courage in your Christian Faith and
Backsliding is a Right beginning for the Glory and Work of Christ”
I. THEREFORE
a. What is the therefore?
i. Because
God loves you, and disciplines you, showing you are His legitimate sons and
daughters...
b. Strengthen your feeble arms
and weak knees
i. Arms representing the “works” you do (remember what Paul taught just
a couple chapters ago, faith without works is dead)
1. Strengthen your FAITH so your works won’t be feeble (weak, delicate,
shabby, pathetic)
ii. Knees referring to the direction you “go” spiritually
1. Strengthen yourself spiritually so you may stay on the narrow path
c. Make level the paths for
your feet so the lame may not be disabled but rather healed
i. Strengthening
your faith producing works, and strengthening your spirit through scripture and
prayer, you will “see” the narrow path and be able to keep your eyes on
Christ.
ii. This will make your path “level” for your feet (direction you go
spiritually)
1. Level and straight is the narrow path!
iii. So the LAME (those who do not have a spiritual direction) may not be
disabled (lame, not moving) but rather HEALED (spiritually, becoming one who
moves on the narrow path toward the Lord!)
II.
MAKE EVERY “EFFORT”
a. To live in peace with everyone
i. Key
word here is “effort”
ii. We cannot control how others behave, but through the Spirit of God, we
can control how “we” behave.
iii. We are to make every effort to live in PEACE
iv. With...everyone!
b. And to be HOLY
i. without
holiness, no one will see the Lord
ii. This IS the problem today...not enough of us (followers of Christ) are
being holy, this is why not many are “seeing” the Lord today!
c. See to it that no one (the ones who are supposed to be HOLY) falls short (behaves unholy...sinful) of the grace of God
i. and
that no bitter root (false convert, unsaved, or evil person) grows up to
cause trouble and defile many
1. grows up implies that a false convert, unsaved or evil person
“continues” to be such in the congregation.
2. We will have sinners come to church, that is where they belong, but see
that they do not “grow up” or continue to live as such in the congregation,
thus being a “bitter root” that will cause trouble and defile others!
ii. and see that no one (those who are supposed to be HOLY) is sexually
immoral
III.
SEE THAT NO ONE IS GODLESS LIKE ESAU
a. Who, for a single meal (to satisfy his flesh’s desire) sold his inheritance rights as the oldest
son
i. When
we “choose” to live in sin, we are making the choice to satisfy our flesh over
the promise of our inheritance.
ii. We sell off our rights to our eternal future to gratify the cravings of
our flesh here and now.
iii. This life is but a moment, nothing in this world is worth the promise
of our eternal inheritance that waits for us.
b. Afterword (Esau selling his inheritance), when he wanted to inherit this blessing,
he was rejected
i. Not
keeping his eyes on the future promise, rather the “here and now”
ii. Paul warns we MUST keep our eyes on Jesus, the future eternal promise,
and not sacrifice that for any sin of the world.
c. Even though he sought the
blessing with tears
i. He
could not change what he had done
ii. Judgment Day is just that
1. It isn’t plea day
2. It isn’t “explain yourself” day
3. It isn’t a trial
4. Life is the trial...and we have a counselor who has a direct line to
the Perfect Judge
5. This counselor will lead and
guide us, if we let Him
6. When we hear His words, and do them, we will win this trial, and on
Judgment Day, the Perfect Judge will do what is done on Judgment Day
a. Pass Judgment
b. Some will be judged in favor
c. So will be judged harshly
7. One thing is CERTAIN, we will all be judged accordingly
Revelation 20:11-12a;12c; 13b;14-15
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who
was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and
there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and
small, standing before the throne, and books were opened... The dead were judged according to what they had
done as recorded in the books.
...each
person was judged according to what they had done.
14 Then death and Hades were thrown into
the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the
book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
II Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat
of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things
done while in the body, whether good or bad.
However, the children of God have a
counselor...If we therefore hear His words and DO them, we will stand before
the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive our rewards, rather than the Great White
Throne of God to receive our punishment.
CONCLUSION
– because you are children of god
Proven through His discipline, strengthen your faith so your works will
not be feeble and meaningless
Continue to grow Spiritually so that your path will be level
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone, and BE HOLY so others
will see the Lord!
Do not sacrifice your eternal inheritance for anything that gratifies
the flesh but for a moment.
Esau traded everything that was promised to him
to gratify his flesh for a moment. Later, when the time came he wanted to claim
what was no longer his, and though he was met with tears, he was rejected.
Luke 13:22-29
22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages,
teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going
to be saved?”
He
said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow
door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able
to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the
door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for
us.’
“But
he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and
you taught in our streets.’
27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you
come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of
teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the
kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and
south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
Matthew 7:21-24
21 “Not everyone
who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only
the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say
to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in
your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will
tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
24 “Therefore
everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a
wise man who built his house on the rock.
Let us “hear” the Word of God, AND put it
into practice!
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