Hebrews #15: an exposition of Hebrews 6:13-20. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, July 20, 2014.
Intro:
Do you ever feel like giving up? Do you ever just want to quit? Trying to live out your faith consistently in a culture that is increasingly hostile is emotionally and spiritually draining. Do you, at times, feel like throwing in the towel and walking away? The loss of hope is devastating. Without hope you won’t last five minutes. Hope is that essential as a small, struggling band of Hebrew believers in Rome discovered. They were 2nd generation believers. They did not hear Jesus directly they heard the message from those who had heard him. But the joy of new found faith soon faded as their families rejected them and the government of Rome persecuted them. Many had already walked away. Others were considering it when the writer of Hebrews took pen in hand to plead with them to remain faithful to their calling. In seeking to encourage them he warned of superficial faith, he rebuked their immaturity and then insisted that he was certain of better things for them. Now he desires to inspire their hope. Our text this morning is found in Hebrews chapter 6 beginning with verse 13.
Text: Hebrews 6:13-20
There are times when doubts increase.
Doubts tend to increase when things you believe should never happen, happen.
- I trusted in Christ – yet I got sick.
- I believed the gospel, I try to live for Christ – yet I lost my job.
- My faith cost me a relationship.
- My faith put a strain on my marriage.
- This is not supposed to happen.
- I thought only “good” would come of my faith in Christ?
Doubts multiply when things you believe should happen, don’t happen!
- I thought all my troubles would vanish.
- I thought I would always feel the way I did when I was “saved.”
- I thought people at church would be really nice.
Doubts intensify when things you believe should happen now, happen later.
- Most of us are not very patient.
The biblical writer is wondering what he could say to these Hebrew believers that would inspire them? What could he say that would give them hope? Father Abraham! That will cause them to sit up and take notice. Abraham was the ultimate example of faith and hope.
In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, So shall your offspring be. 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness. (Romans 4:18-22)
As we work our way through the text here in Hebrews 6 we are reminded that…
Thesis: Our confidence in the face of great adversity rest securely in the certainty of God’s word, His unquestioned character and the priestly work of the Lord Jesus.
There are three things I want to point out.
- Our hope is anchored by the promise of God. (6:13-16)
- Our hope is secured by our God’s impeccable character. (6:17-18)
- Our hope is guaranteed by the work of Christ. (6:19-20)