Summer in Hebrews

Troy Mills Christian Church

Sunday, August 29, 2021

Bible Reading: “How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you.
You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.” “For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory.
The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” “The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray.” “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” “O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.”

(Psalm 31:19; Psalm 84:11; Psalm 25:8; Psalm 34:8; Psalm 86:5)

Text: Habakkuk 2:4

What does Habakkuk 2:4 have to do with the book of Hebrews?

Romans—What it means to be righteous

Galatians—What it means to live

Hebrews—What it means to have faith

#1–God’s Loving Discipline—Hebrews 12:5-6

            Proverbs 3:11-12–

            Isaiah 54:9—

            Zephaniah 3:17—

#2—New (Superior) Life Means New (Superior) Relationships

            Hebrews 12:14—Live at peace

            Hebrews 12:15—Don’t become the “bitter root”

                        Deuteronomy 29:18

            Hebrews 12:16—Stay godly

                        Ephesians 5:3

#3-Run the Race—Hebrews 12:1-2

            Philippians 1:6; 2 Timothy 4:7

Scriptures to Guide our Perspective

Psalm 9:7-8 “But the Lord reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne. He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness.

Psalm 73:26 “My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

Psalm 100:5 “For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.”

Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”

Malachi 3:6 “I am the Lord, and I do not change.”

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

1 John 4:4 “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

1 Thessalonians 4:17 “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

Hebrews 9:12 “He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.”

Men & Women of Great Faith in the Old Testament Found in Hebrews 11

Abel (Hebrews 11:4)                              Genesis 4:1-16

Enoch (11:5)                                         Genesis 5:21-26

Noah (11:7)                                           Genesis 6:1-9:17

Abraham (11:8)                                     Genesis 12:1-9; 17:1-8

Sarah (11:11)                                           Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-8

Isaac (11:20)                                             Genesis 22:1-40

Jacob (11:21)                                         Genesis 48:1-22

Joseph (11:22)                                         Genesis 37-50

Moses (11:23)                                            Exodus 1-15; 19-34

Rahab (11:31)                                           Joshua 2:1, 3; 6:21-25

Barak (11:32)                                            Judges 4

Gideon (11:32)                                          Judges 6-8

Jephthah (11:32)                                      Judges 11-12

Samson (11:32)                                         Judges 13-16

David (11:32)                                             1 Samuel 16-1 Kings 2:11

Samuel (11:32)                                          1 Samuel 1:1-1 Samuel 25

Summer in Hebrews

Troy Mills Christian Church

Sunday, August 22, 2021

Bible Reading: Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”

Text: Hebrews 11:1-3

The Fourth Warning–Hebrews 10:35-39

          We are not people who shrink back because we have faith.

What is faith?

          Faith involves things we don’t know and don’t see.

          Faith is looking to God as our source.

          Faith is knowing God knows more than we know.

          Faith is knowing God can provide more than what we have.

          Faith is knowing God knows what to do when we don’t know.

          Faith is obeying what God has told us to do or where He has told us to go.

What we have is not all there is that is available to us.

          Psalm 150 tells us that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills.

What we know is not all there is to know.

          Psalm 147—God’s understanding is infinite.

What we can do is not the limit of what God can do.

          Job 42 tells us that God can do all things. No purpose or plan of God can be thwarted.

Thwarted—to successfully oppose; to frustrate; or baffle.

Jesus is the superior person—chapters 1-6

Jesus is the superior High Priest—chapters 7-10

How to live by faith—chapters 11-13

Take time to read Hebrews 11 and get to know the people who are celebrated for their faith. The best way to develop faith is to hang folks who have faith. Get to know their stories and then live as they do.

Summer in Hebrews

Troy Mills Christian Church

Sunday, August 15, 2021

Bible Reading: Psalm 31:1-5 “O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger. Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone. I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.”

Text: Hebrews 10:36-39, 19-25

The writer of Hebrews included five warnings to readers.

Warning #1—Hebrews 2:1-4 A warning to not drift away from the things of God.

Warning #2—Hebrews 3:7-4:13 A warning to beware of a hardened heart.

Warning #3—Hebrews 5:11-6:20 A warning not to stray from the path God created for you to walk.

Warning #4—Hebrews 10:36-39—Do Not Shrink Back from Your Faith!

          Many examples of not shrinking back are given in Hebrews 11

Hebrews 10:19-25—How not to “shrink back.”

          #1—10:22-

          #2—10:23—

          #3—10:24-25—

Take some time this week to read the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11

Summer in Hebrews

Troy Mills Christian Church

Sunday, August 8, 2021

Bible Reading: from Psalm 8 “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens! When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon, and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!”

Text: Hebrews 6:19-7:3; Genesis 14:17-24; Psalm 110:4

The Mystery Man, Melchizedek

Genesis 14:17-24; Psalm 110:4

#1—Melchizedek came out to Abraham

#2—He brought bread & wine to Abraham

#3—Melchizedek was priest & king of Salem

#4—Melchizedek blessed Abraham

How is Jesus our High Priest, in the order of Melchizedek?

#1—He comes to us.

          Hebrews 13:5-6

#2—He is more than sufficient.

#3—He is our peace and righteousness

#4—Jesus will bless us.

          Ephesians 1:3

Dull, Lethargic and Stagnate

A few years ago, my wife and I made an intentional commitment that we would learn something new every day. It is not difficult. Most of the time, all you must do is read a few e-mails, read a book, listen to the radio, or just listen to those around you. There is so much to learn, the challenge is what to learn about.

We have joked with one another about how we just learned something and since we had accomplished that goal for the day, we could just take it easy for the rest of the day. (Sometimes learning two things in one day is a real trip. Try it and see!)

Learning is vital to survival. Learning will help us change and continue to move forward. The writer of Hebrews understood that. One of the warnings given was a concern for those who had stopped learning. They had learned a few things, enough to make them different, enough to move them out from under the Law and traditions of man but for some reason, they stopped.

The writer says that they had become “dull,” or “lethargic” or they had become “stagnate.” They had pretty much stalled out. No longer were they moving forward, growing, or advancing in their walk with God. Instead, they were going backwards.

Not learning new things will cause to live in our past, repeat our mistakes, and miss out on the “new thing” God is doing.

We should take heed of this warning. There is so much to learn about God, about the world we live in, about each other and about ourselves. We cannot afford to become “dull,” “lethargic,” or “stagnate.”

Always in Pursuit!

Don