Hebrews 3:1-6 Greater than Moses

“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.” (Hebrews 3:1)

Fix your thoughts on Jesus, because He was...

1. Greater than Moses in What He did

1. 1. A More Miraculous Childhood.

Moses was miraculously preserved and nurtured from birth when, under the sentence of death, he was plucked from the bulrushes by Pharaoh’s daughter and given a noble upbringing, with his real mother attending him as nursemaid (Exodus 2:1–10).

Christ's birth was prophesied hundreds of years before he was even born.  Jesus conception was announced by angels, His conception was a miracle. He was born of a virgin. Even John the Baptist, while he was still in his mother Elizabeth's womb, leapt for joy when he came into the presence of the unborn Christ. His birth was announced by angels to the shepherds and accompanied by astronomical phenomena that even astrologers couldn't ignore.

1.2. A More Miraculous Deliverance

God used Moses to deliver Israel from physical slavery in this life. He used astonishing miracles  Exodus 7–12 tells us that God used Moses to turn Nile into blood—He sent plagues of frogs, gnats and flies swarmed upon Egypt—hail and boils blighted the people, the animals and the crops—and on the dark night of Passover, all the firstborn of all the Egyptians and their livestock who were not under the blood died. Moses parted the Red Sea and the Israelites passed through, walking on dry land (Exodus 14, esp. 3:21–22). Moses used his staff to strike the rock so all Israel drank (Exodus 17:1–7) and Moses provided manna in the wilderness for Israel to eat.

Jesus came to deliver us from spiritual slavery to sin and give us eternal life. Christ used astonishing miracles, to raise the dead, give sight to the blind, hearing to the death, speech to the dumb, food to the hungry. Rather than rain plagues down on a rebellious country, He brought blessings and mercy. He was the rock that was struck and out of Him flow the waters of life. He is the bread of life and He feeds His people with His own body. He traveled through death when He died and went to the tomb and He has permanently parted death's waters so that we we can walk through on dry land.

1.3 A More Authoritative Prophet

Moses was the greatest prophet of the Old Testament, and every other prophet's revelations had to harmonise with the revelations first given to Moses (Is. 8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.)

Numbers 12:6–8: When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord.

However;
Deut. 18:17-18   “And the LORD said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good.  I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.

Jesus had greater intimacy with God.
John 17:5-8   And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

Jesus had more authority than Moses
John 12:48-50  He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

Jesus had divine authority to interpret Moses
Think of the way He interpreted 'you shall not murder' or 'you shall not commit adultery in Matt. 5. Think of the Sabbath controversies with the Pharasees.

2. Greater than Moses in what He built

Who built St. Paul's Cathedral? If you say Christopher Wren, you'd be wrong, because he was the designer. The company and the people who built it are long forgotten.


Heb. 3:3-4 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.  For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

2.1. Moses built Israel, but Jesus built His Church

Matt. 16:18 .. I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

2.2. Moses built the Tabernacle, but Jesus built Heaven itself. 

Heb. 8:1-2 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,  2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

Heb. 9:11   But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.

Rev. 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

3. Greater than Moses in who He is

Heb. 3:5-6 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future.  But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. 

3.1. Moses was just a man. He was a sinner, he sometimes lost his temper. He died. 

Jesus was the God-man. The sinless saviour who conquered death. 

3.2. Moses was "testifying to what would be said in the future."

Deut. 18:15, 18-19.  The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him... I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.  19 If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.

Moses testified to Christ:
In the priesthood. In the sacrifices. In his intercessions. In his own imperfections.

3.3. Moses was a servant, but Jesus was the Son, the heir. 

Therefore:
"hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast."

The Sixth Commandment: You Shall Not Murder

Sermon Outline

1. Only God has the power to create life
1. God is the good creator
2. God is the wise sustainer 
2. Only God has the right to take life
1. Sin wrecked everything
2. Our sin wrecks everything
1. Anger as proof of our murderous hearts
3. God's holy justice demands satisfaction
3. Only God has the grace give life again
1. Look to Jesus who loved and forgave
2. Look to Jesus who was murdered to save murderers

1. Only God has the power to create life

1.1. God is the good creator

Genesis 1

1.2. God is the wise sustainer

Heb. 1:3   The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

Col. 1:15-17    He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 

Acts 17:28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’

That is why God has the authority, right and duty to command us not to murder. 

2. Only God has the right to take life

2.1. Sin wrecked everything

1Sam. 2:6 The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up. 

Rom. 5:12, 14   Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned...  death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam.

Rom. 8:20, 22 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it...  We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 

Death, like an overflowing stream,

Sweeps us away; our life’s a dream,

An empty tale, a morning flow’r,

Cut down and withered in an hour.

Our age to sev’nty years is set;

How short the time! How frail the state!

And if to eighty we arrive,

We’d rather sigh and groan than live.

Teach us, Oh Lord, how frail is man;

And kindly lengthen out the span,

Till a wise care of piety

Fit us to die and dwell with Thee.

Isaac Watts, based on Psalm 91

2.2. Our sin wrecks everything

Gal. 5:19-21   The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;  idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

Matt. 5:21-22   “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

2.3. God's holy justice demands satisfaction

Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

3. Only God has the grace give life again

3.1. Look to Jesus who loved and forgave

Luke 23:33-43  When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.  Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” 

3.2. Look to Jesus who was murdered to save murderers

Matt. 27:38 Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 

Greek for robbers = leœsteœs. a robber, a highwayman, a bandit, brigand, an insurrectionist, a terrorist. 

Luke 23:39-43     One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’”  Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

`

Why should we flinch and fear to die?

What tim’rous fools we mortals are!

Death is the gate to endless joy,

And yet we dread to enter there.

The pains, the groans, the dying strife,

Fright our approaching souls away;

And we shrink back again to life,

Fond of our prison and our clay.

Oh if my Lord would come and meet,

My soul would stretch her wings in haste,

Fly fearless through death’s iron gate,

Nor feel the terrors as she passed.

Jesus can make a dying bed

Feel soft as downy pillows are;

While on His breast I lean my head,

And breathe my life out sweetly there.

Isaac Watts

OK. You shall not murder, but what about...

The Ten Commandments are no more than chapter headings. They are a summary of what the rest of the Bible teaches. As I am only preaching one sermon on each of the commandments, I am not going to have time in each sermon to answer every possible question about all the implications of keeping this commandment. To be honest, I'm not going to have time to write about them in this blog either!

That said, here are a few common questions:

1. Does this mean no killing at all? 

The old King James Version translated this commandment as "Thou shalt not kill." This has prompted some people to either embrace the most literal interpretation interpretation of the KJV's translation, or dismiss it as unworkable. So, is God saying that we should not kill anyone or anything for any reason at all? Should we kill animals for food? Is does this mean that no Christian should ever serve in the armed forces or an armed section of the police?

Philip Ryken writes:

...the sixth commandment forbids is the unjust taking of a legally innocent life. It applies to “murder in cold blood, manslaughter with passionate rage, [and] negligent homicide resulting from recklessness or carelessness.” Perhaps the best translation is, “You shall not kill unlawfully.” God’s people have always recognized that there are some situations where taking a life is not only permitted but actually warranted. One such situation is self-defense, the protection of one’s self and one’s family from violent attack. To extend the principle, we may also kill in the defense of our nation... The Bible teaches that it is not unlawful to kill enemies in wartime, provided that the war is just.. 

2. But what about war? 

The Bible itself does not lay out the criteria to clearly define what a just war is, but over the centuries many Christian theologians have agreed that:

1. Last Resort

A just war can only be waged after all peaceful options are considered. The use of force can only be used as a last resort.

2. Legitimate Authority

A just war is waged by a legitimate authority. A war cannot be waged by individuals or groups that do not constitute the legitimate government.

3. Just Cause

A just war needs to be in response to a wrong suffered. Self-defense against an attack always constitutes a just war; however, the war needs to be fought with the objective to correct the inflicted wound.

4. Probability of Success

In order for a war to be just, there must be a rational possibility of success. A nation cannot enter into a war with a hopeless cause.

5. Right Intention

The pirmary objective of a just war is to re-establish peace. In particular, the peace after the war should excede the peace that would have succeeded without the use of force. The aim of the use of force must be justice.

6. Proportionality

The violence in a just war must be proportional to the casualties suffered. The nations involved in the war must avoid disproportionate military action and only use the amount of force absolutely necessary.

7. Civilian Casualties

The use of force must distinguish between the militia and civilians. Innocent citizens must never be the target of war; soldiers should always avoid killing civilians. The deaths of civilians are only justified when they are unaviodable victims of a military attack on a strategic target.

Source

As a result, Christians have served in the military with a good conscience, even if they have had to use deadly force to prevent an enemy from causing far greater loss of life. 

3. But what about the death penalty?

The death penalty is a controversial subject, mainly because of the terrible risk of a miscarriage of justice. As a result, Bible believing Christians have been divided about whether or not to advocate for the reintroduction of the death penalty. After all, people have been convicted of murder and many years later new evidence has been discovered that proved their innocence. If accused had been jailed, he may have lost years of his life, but he has not lost his life itself. If the accused had received capital punishment it is too late to say sorry. Advocating that the Bible authorises the death penalty, Philip Ryken writes:

Another situation where killing is lawful is the execution of a death sentence. It is always wrong for us to take the law into our own hands. If justice is to be done, the plaintiff may not serve as the jury, the judge, and the executioner. This is what Moses did when he killed the Egyptian taskmaster (see Exod. 2:11–15), and it was wrong. However, the Bible makes a distinction between private individuals and the state. Capital punishment—when it is justly administered by the governing authorities—is one lawful form of killing. For a public official “to kill an offender is not murder, but justice.”5 This is taught not only in the Old Testament, but also in the New. Paul told the Romans, who were then under imperial authority, that the government “does not bear the sword for nothing” because the one who governs “is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer” (Rom. 13:4b). Although it is always wrong to avenge ourselves (see Rom. 12:19), the government has a God-given responsibility of vengeance... The execution of a murderer stops him from killing again and deters other would-be criminals from doing the same. His execution is also a matter of justice. The Bible says, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man” (Gen. 9:6). This is the Biblical logic behind capital punishment.

All of the historic miscarriages of justice failed because the courts ignored the Bible's limitations on the applying the death penalty. Deut. 17:6  says, "On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness." Applied to the modern world we live in, this would mean that DNA or even finger print evidence would not be sufficient by themselves to lead to the application of the death penalty. At least two human eyewitnesses of the murder itself would be required. Deut. 19:16–19 gives an even greater restriction: “If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse a man of a crime, the two men involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother, then do to him as he intended to do to his brother.” In other words, if two or three witnesses lied about witnessing the murder, knowing that their lie would lead to the death penalty for the accused, then they would receive the death penalty themselves. 

Even with these restrictions, in good conscience some Bible believing Christians still stand against the death penalty, as long term jail sentences such as our courts impose was never an option in the ancient world.  

Nevertheless, most Bible believing Christians believe that the state is "God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer" (Rom. 13:4.) As a result, God has given the state authority to raise up and arm a police force and an army and authorise them use deadly force under the government's accountability in order for them to service justice and protect the vulnerable. 

4. But what about abortion?

Britain is missing 8 million people aged about 50 and under. There are 8 million people who could have been born in this country, yet were not because their mums decided to have an abortion after it was legalised in 1967. Certainly some of these mothers were facing certain death themselves, or their child was. Others were victims of rape or incest, others had chronic medical problems or complex genetic risks. The tragedy is that this was only true for a minority of the mothers deciding to end the life of their unborn child. The legalisation of abortion in 1967 created a culture of legitimacy that has made abortion just one option that facilitated the sexual revolution. The life of the most vulnerable of all was so cheapened that to some, abortion is now merely another form of contraception. 

This may be a particularly painful subject for you to read about if you have had an abortion yourself. Perhaps you still are racked with feelings of shame, loss and guilt, so remember that you have not committed an unforgivable sin. King David made decisions that lead directly to the murder of a close friend (Uriah the Hittite), so he could cover up his adultery with Uriah's wife, Bathsheba. That in turn lead directly to the death of the child that was connived, and David clearly felt the weight of his guilt when the baby died. Nevertheless, David still found forgiveness from God. See 2 Sam. 11-12, Ps. 51 and Ps. 32. 

How should we respond to abortion? Well, outside of an extraordinary action of God, we are unlikely to see the repeal of the 1967 abortion act, but we can work with Christian organisations and others who would like to see further restrictions on abortions. For example, we should be lobbying Parliament to restrict abortions to below 16 weeks, like most other countries in Europe. We should also be urging government to make the NHS offer counselling and support for alternatives such as adoption and we should especially be supporting Christian counselling agencies that are both trying to offer these alternatives and offering love, support and forgiveness for women who now regret their abortions. 

5. But what about euthanasia?

Throughout the ages neither Christians nor most non-Christians have advocated suicide or assisted suicide. We all recognise that there are somethings that people don't have a right to choose, and one of those is to end one's life. That said, we now live in a complicated part of history. We can all rejoice in the advances that have brought long life to so many people, and alleviated the suffering of so many others. The huge leaps forward we have seen the medical industry make have been astonishing and are a cause for us to praise God for. However, they have also brought new dilemmas  that were no other age has had to struggle with. Medical technology can now breath for someone, pump their blood for them and feed them. All the usual symptoms of death can be overcome by machines. 

Now patients and their next of kin have to make important decisions. Should treatment be accepted or refused? Should a life support machine be turned off or kept going? 

Philip Ryken writes:

.. Christians... have a duty to oppose euthanasia. God alone is the Lord of life, and he alone has the right to determine when it is time for someone to die. The difficulty is that we now have the medical capacity to keep a body functioning long after that time has come. This raises many more ethical questions than we can address here. But briefly, although we always have a duty to provide basic nourishment, we do not always have a duty to provide extraordinary measures like artificial respiration. There is a legitimate moral distinction between killing and allowing someone who is terminally ill to die. In other words, there is a difference between terminating life—which is never permissible—and terminating treatment—which can be a way of turning life (and thus also death) back over to God. But this calls for constant vigilance, because many people (including many health professionals) don’t know the difference, and thus they often cross the line that should never be crossed. [Emphasis added].

In most of these difficult end of life medical situations, it is impossible to force general principles that will address all of the problems, however keep these in mind: Pray about it, seek advice and act with compassion and hope.

Philip Graham Ryken quotes from Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Preaching the Word; ed. R. Kent Hughes; Accordance electronic ed. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2005)

The Fifth Commandment: Honour your Father and Mother

“Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”

Annie Gottlieb is one of many participants who identify “the Sixties” as “the generation that destroyed the American family.” She writes, 

“We might not have been able to tear down the state, but the family was closer. We could get our hands on it. And... we believed that the family was the foundation of the state, as well as the collective state of mind.... We truly believed that the family had to be torn apart to free love, which alone could heal the damage done when the atom was split to release energy. And the first step was to tear ourselves free from our parents.”

Annie Gottlieb, Do You Believe in Magic? (New York: Time, 1987), pp. 234, 235. Quoted by Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Preaching the Word; ed. R. Kent Hughes; Accordance electronic ed. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2005), 602.

“God intends the family to be our first hospital, first school, first government, first church.”

Rob Schenck, The Ten Words That Will Change a Nation: The Ten Commandments (Tulsa, OK: Albury, 1999), p. 88. Quoted by Philip Graham Ryken.

1. Fathers and Mothers: Be Worthy of Honour

1.1. By Honouring and loving one another

Eph. 5:21  Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22  Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.  23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.  24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,  27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.

Remember that the husband is to submit himself to his wife out of reverence for Christ, by living self-sacrificially

And if wives submitting to their husbands still troubles you:

1Cor. 11:3  Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

Remember that Christ is 100% God, and 100% equal to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, so God (the Father) is the head of Christ in that Christ lovingly and voluntarily chose to act in a different role to His Father, and serve their commonly agreed purpose to love, serve and redeem us. In the same way, a wife is 100% equal to her husband in dignity and worth, but God has assigned her a role that is different to her husband, and they must use those roles to work out their commonly agreed purpose to love and serve one another in their marriage, as well as their children, their church and in their community.

1.2 By loving and raising their children in an honourable way.

a. Teaching and living your faith to your should be an everyday part of life in the home

Deut 6:6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Eph. 6:4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. 

b. Recognise the weaknesses and individuality of your children

Not: Prov. 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Rather: Prov. 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Col. 3:21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. 

Eph. 6:4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children. 

d. Both parents need to be involved

Prov 1:8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

Prov. 23:26 My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways, 

e. The reward of raising your children in God's ways

Prov. 27:11     Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt. 

2. Children: Honour Your Father and Your Mother

Honour by respect

The Hebrew word Moses used for "honour" is kaved, which literally means “heavy” or “weighty.” Normally in the Old Testament it is used for the "glory" of God, for the weightiness of his divine majesty. So, when we honour our parents we are to give due weight to their role, their wisdom, their sacrifices and their responsibilities. It is to give them the recognition they deserve for their God-given authority. To honour our parents is to respect, esteem, value, and prize them  as gifts from God.

We also break this commandment by dishonouring or showing our parents any disrespect. If parents are weighty, then they should not be treated lightly, as if they don't matter, as if their opinion has no more weight in our decisions than dust. 

a. Look at Jesus:

Luke 2:49-51  “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. 

b. Obey your parents

Col. 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Eph. 6:1  Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—  3 “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

c. Even in old age

Prov. 23:22 Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old. 

3. Wisdom needed to obey

3.1. The danger of turning family into an idol that is more important than God

Matt. 10:37  “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;

3.2. Does that mean we should always obey our parents, no matter what?

Mark 3:31  Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.  32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”  33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.  34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Acts 5:29  Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!

3.3. But how can I honour the parent who did something shameful to me? 

"Salute the uniform even if you cannot salute the man"

1 Peter 2:18–24  “Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.  “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”

Hebrews: All in Christ, All for Christ

Preaching Through Hebrews in 2016

Hebrews is one of the richest, deepest and most thrilling books of the New Testament. This book opens up the Old Testament in a way that no other New Testament book does. It speaks to our deepest needs and shows us that in everything Christ alone can answer them. However Hebrews also has some of the most perplexing passages in the Bible and sometimes it leaps from though to thought that it can be difficult to follow its train of thought. 

If you want to grow in your faith, if you want to deepen your understanding of Christ and all that He has done for you, if you want to understand your Bible better, if you strength and comfort for the hard times, if you want to be challenged and provoked to serve Christ more faithfully, join us on Sunday evenings for the 

This is a provisional list of how I am planning to preach through Hebrews in 2016.

1. Hebrews 1. Basking in the light of the Son
2. Hebrews 2. Reacting to the light of the Son
3. Hebrews 3:1-6. Greater than Moses
4. Hebrews 3:7-19. The Divine Cardiogram
5. Hebrews 4:1-11. Our Sabbath Rest in Christ
6. Hebrews 4:12-13. The Power of the Word of God
7. Hebrews 4:14-5:10. Our Compassionate High Priest
8. Hebrews 5:11-6:8. Keep Growing or Whither Away
9. Hebrews 6:9-20. What is Supposed to Accompany My Salvation?
10. Hebrews 7:1-23. Two Priesthoods, but Only One Priest Needed
11. Hebrews 7:26-8:13. The Greatness of Christ’s Priesthood
12. Hebrews 9:1-15. The Greatness of Christ’s Sanctuary
13. Hebrews 9:16-10:4. Why We All Need a Blood Donor
14. Hebrews 10:5-18. What One Perfect Sacrifice Gives Us
15. Hebrews 10:19-25. The Blessings and Demands of Our Faith
16. Hebrews 10:26-39. Danger! Danger! Danger!
17. Hebrews 11:1-3. What Is Faith?
18. Hebrews 11:4-7. The Extraordinary Faith That Saved A World
19. Hebrews 11:8-22. The Relentless Faith That Established A Nation
20. Hebrews 11:23-31. The Courageous Faith That Delivered A Nation
21. Hebrews 11:32-39. The Overcoming Faith That Characterised A People
22. Hebrews 12:1-3. Fix Your Eyes On Jesus
23. Hebrews 12:4-11. What is God Up To When Things Go Wrong?
24. Hebrews 12:12-17. Living A Practical Faith
25. Hebrews 12:18-24. The Astonishing Privileges We Have in Christ
26. Hebrews 12:19-28. With Reverence And Awe
27. Hebrews 13:1-6. What Are Your Priorities?
28. Hebrews 13:7-23. Doing Church God’s Way

If you are keen to really deepen your knowledge of the whole book of Hebrews, you need to read it for yourself. Start with just reading it for yourself in your Bible. After you have read it several times you may find it helpful to understand how the whole book is structured. Some commentators believe it started as five written sermons which the author edited together into one book. Even if this wasn't exactly what he did, it is still a good way of breaking it down into more manageable chunks. 

Click here for an outline of the whole book. That will help you get a quick overview of the entire book. 

Then read each of the five "sermons" for yourself. I have put the outline subtitles of each of the "sermons" into the NIV text of Hebrews itself. 

Click here to read the first "sermon". 

Click here to read the second "sermon". 

Click here to read the third "sermon". 

Click here to read the fourth "sermon". 

Click here to read the fifth "sermon". 

The Christian and the Sabbath

Does God still expect Christians to keep the Sabbath?

Some Bible believing Christians believe that of the Ten Commandments, the only one that is not binding on Christians is the Fourth Commandment. In good conscience before the Lord, they believe this is the New Testament’s teaching. It is worth hearing their case:

All Bible believing Christians are united in believing that the Law of Moses can be divided into three parts, the Ceremonial Law, such as offering sacrifices and keeping Jewish feasts, the Judicial Law, which was intended for ancient Israel to use as their country’s legal system, and the Moral Law which is found in both the Old and New Testaments. Hebrews 7:18–19 says, “The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.” From this we understand that the Ceremonial and Judicial laws of the Old Testament are no longer binding on Christians as their main function was to point to Christ’s life, death and resurrection.

The question is, is setting one day out of seven aside  to rest and worship God together with His people merely a part of the Ceremonial and Judicial laws of ancient Israel, or is it a Moral Law for Christians too?

In Colossians 2:16-17, Paul warns the Christians, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” In Galatians 4:10–11 he rebukes them by saying,  “You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.” This makes it sound like the Sabbath principle of rest and worship one day out of every seven is part of the Jewish ceremonial law and is now more binding on Christians than keeping the Feast of Tabernacles.

However, those of us that do believe that the Sabbath principle is still as much a part of the Moral Law as not committing adultery is, also believe that we are no longer to keep the Sabbath itself. We agree with Paul and do not keep “a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.” That is because we keep the Lord’s Day instead. Rather than resting and meeting for worship on a Saturday as the Jews did (and still do), we do so on the Sunday instead.

Why do we rest and meet for worship on Sunday instead of Saturday?

Seventh Day Adventists and some other small sects have argued that Christians should keep the Jewish Sabbath of Saturday and not Sunday. So why do we rest and worship on the first day of the week (Sunday) rather than the seventh day (Saturday)? Like every thing else, it is because we want to follow the pattern laid down by the Lord Jesus and His disciples.

On the very day that Jesus conquered death and rose from the dead, John 20:19–23 says, “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” “After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.  Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”” What are we trying to do and what are we longing for when we meet for worship at Parkside on the first day of each week? We gather to remember and celebrate Christ’s resurrection on that day and we long for Jesus to stand among us, for Him to give us His peace, for us to be overjoyed and filled with the Holy Spirit, and to be reassured that our sins have been forgiven, just as the disciples first did.

The Book of Acts tells how the Jews repeatedly kicked the Christians out of their synagogues on the Sabbaths. Then we read in Acts 20:7  “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.” What did they do? They celebrated the Lord’s Supper and they listened to the preaching of the gospel, and they did it on the first day of the week, not the seventh.

Notice also what Paul says in 1Cor. 16:2,  “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” Paul took it for granted that the Church is meeting on the first day of the week and not the seventh, so that is the day that he encourages them to take up a collection.

So, when we read John say in Rev. 1:10 “On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,” we assume that this happened on the Sunday, not on the Jewish Sabbath of Saturday. As a result Christians have often called the Christian Sabbath, the ‘Lord’s Day.’

Five reasons to keep for Christians to keep the Lord’s Day

1. God’s own example in creation. Before the fall, before sin even entered the world, God blessed Adam and Eve with marriage. He is the one that brought them together and blessed their union. As a result, marriage is not just something for Jews only, it is something that God expects of all humanity, which is why almost every single human society in history has practiced marriage in one form or another (apart from the last 50 years or so in the West).  If we regard marriage as sacred, then we ought also to remember that God laboured for six days in making the heavens and the earth (Gen 1). Then, Gen. 2:2-3 says, “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.  And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” So it was God Himself that declared the seventh day is holy. It was God who rested, and if He rested, how much more should all of humanity, who are all made in His image, follow His example and keep that day holy and set apart.

2. Jesus’ own example on earth. Luke 4:16 says “[Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom…” In other words, Jesus’ custom in the town He grew up in was to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. As a child and as an adult, He did not sin because He always kept the Sabbath holy, just as He kept the rest of the Law. As we seek to become more like Christ, we should seek to make His custom of meeting with the people of God week by week a habit of our own.

3. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. Every Christian must confess that Jesus is Lord over their lives (1Cor. 12:3, Rom 10:9, Phil 2:10-11). That means we are acknowledging that Jesus has the right to tell us what we can and cannot do, what we must do and what we must not do. Not only that, it also means that we are to demonstrate our love and gratitude for salvation by seeking His strength to become more and more obedient to Him (Jn 15:10, 1Jn 5:2-3). Speaking of Himself, Jesus said in Mark 2:28 “the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” This is the same language that the LORD uses in the fourth commandment: Ex. 20:10 “..but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God.” In other words, the Sabbath is one day that God claims for Himself, both in the Old Testament as the LORD God, and in the New Testament as the Lord Jesus Christ. If Jesus is your Lord, He is Lord over your Sabbaths as well.

4. The Sabbath is the Gospel illustrated. In summary Hebrews 4:1–11 says, “..For we also have had the gospel preached to us… Now we who have believed enter that rest…There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” In other words, the Sabbath rest is a weekly illustration of the Gospel itself. We could never work long enough or hard enough to earn our salvation. When we come to fully acknowledge that, we can only rest in the promises of God, who has already done all the work required to save us. Meeting and worshiping each Sunday constantly reminds us of the gospel itself.

5. Watering down this truth has helped to empty the Church. The idea that God no longer expects Christians to set aside one day in seven for rest and worship was virtually unknown for over 1800 years of Church history. Since it first became popular in the late 19^th and early 20^th Century increasing numbers of Christians treated going to church as an optional extra and used Sundays as a day for sports, shopping, sleeping in or to earn a bit of extra cash. Since then Christianity was turned from a faith that boldly proclaimed that “Jesus is Lord!” into one where God is so nice that He isn’t particularly worried about how we live our lives or spend our time. The fact is that a faith that demands nothing of people will mean nothing to them either.

Conclusion

Isaiah 58:13–14 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’S holy day honourable, and if you honour it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Hebrews 10:25 “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

The Greatness of our Saviour. Hebrews 1.

Sermon notes for Sunday Evening, 7th February 2016

Jesus is...

1. Greater than the Old Testament

Heb. 1:1               In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,  2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,

2. Greater than all the promises of the Old Testament

whom he appointed heir of all things,

3. Greater than anything in all creation

and through whom he made the universe. 

4. Greater than any other possible revelation of God

3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

5. Greater than the entire OT sacrificial system

After he had provided purification for sins,

6. Greater authority than any human

he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 

7.0. Greater authority than any angel

4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

7.1. Greater because of His unique relationship go God the Father

Heb. 1:5                For to which of the angels did God ever say,

            “You are my Son;

                        today I have become your Father’”?            Or again,

             “I will be his Father,

                        and he will be my Son”?

7.2. Greater because Christ can be worshiped like no angel can be

6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

             “Let all God’s angels worship him.”  7 In speaking of the angels he says,

            “He makes his angels winds,

                        his servants flames of fire.”

7.3.  Greater in eternity

8 But about the Son he says,

             “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,

7.4. Greater in righteousness

                        and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.

7.5. Greater in justice

Heb. 1:9                You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

                        therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions

                        by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

7.6. Greater in power and unchangeableness

10 He also says,

             “In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,

                        and the heavens are the work of your hands.

Heb. 1:11                They will perish, but you remain;

                        they will all wear out like a garment.

Heb. 1:12                You will roll them up like a robe;

                        like a garment they will be changed.

             But you remain the same,

                        and your years will never end.”

7.7. Greater in victory

13 To which of the angels did God ever say,

                        “Sit at my right hand

            until I make your enemies

                        a footstool for your feet”?

14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

NIV Hebrews' Fifth Sermon on Saving Faith

5.1. Since saving faith is so simple

Heb. 11:1               Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

Heb. 11:3                By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

5.2. And since we have seen saving faith lived out in the Old Testament

5.2.1. in the life of Able

Heb. 11:4                By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

5.2.2. in the life of Enoch

Heb. 11:5                By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.  6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

5.2.3. in the life of Noah

Heb. 11:7                By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

5.2.3. in the life of Abraham

Heb. 11:8                By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.  10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Heb. 11:11                By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.  12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Heb. 11:13                All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.  14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Heb. 11:17                By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received 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 raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

5.2.4. in the lives of Isaac, Jacob and Joseph

Heb. 11:20                By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

Heb. 11:21                By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

Heb. 11:22                By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.

5.2.4. in the life of Moses

Heb. 11:23                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.

Heb. 11:24                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 pleasures of sin for a short time.  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 sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

Heb. 11:29                By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

5.2.5. in the lives of Joshua and Rahab

Heb. 11:30                By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.

Heb. 11:31                By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

5.2.6. in the lives of numerous Old Testament saints

Heb. 11:32                And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, 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. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection.  36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison.  37 They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death 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, and in caves and holes in the ground.

Heb. 11:39                These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.  40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

5.3. And since saving faith endures

5.3.1.  Saving faith endures by Christ’s example of endurance

Heb. 12:1               Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

5.3.2. Saving faith endures God’s discipline

Heb. 12:4                In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

             “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,

                        and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

6             because the Lord disciplines those he loves,

                        and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

Heb. 12:7                Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?  8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.  9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!  10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.  11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

5.4. And since saving faith is lived out in everyday life

Heb. 12:12                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.

Heb. 12:14                Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.  15 See to it that no one misses 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. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.

5.5. And since saving faith gives us astonishing privileges

5.5.1. the privilege of approaching God without trembling fear

Heb. 12:18                You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;  19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them,  20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”  21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”

5.5.2. the privilege of being a member of the heavenly Church

Heb. 12:22                But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,  23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,  24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

5.6. Therefore we should not refuse to listen to God’s word with saving faith

Heb. 12:25                See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?  26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”  27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

Heb. 12:28                Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,  29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

5.7. And therefore we must live out our saving faith in everyday life

5.7.1. Saving faith changes the way we relate to others

Heb. 13:1               Keep on loving each other as brothers.  2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.  3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

5.7.2. Saving faith changes the way we think about sex and money

Heb. 13:4                Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.  5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

             “Never will I leave you;

                        never will I forsake you.”

6 So we say with confidence,

            “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.

                        What can man do to me?”

5.7.3. Saving faith changes the way we think about church

5.7.3.1. about church leadership

Heb. 13:7                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.

5.7.3.2. about what is taught in church

Heb. 13:9                Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them.  10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

5.7.3.3. about how the world may despise the church

Heb. 13:11                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.

5.7.3.4. about how we worship God in church

Heb. 13:15                Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.  16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

5.7.3.5. about church leadership

Heb. 13:17                Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Heb. 13:18                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.

5.8. Concluding prayer and final remarks

Heb. 13:20                May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,  21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Heb. 13:22                Brothers, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written you only a short letter.

Heb. 13:23                I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.

Heb. 13:24                Greet all your leaders and all God’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings.

Heb. 13:25                Grace be with you all.