https://www.bible.com/events/49297693

Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

Christ Above All: Hebrews Part 9 – East Rock

The heartbeat of the Book of Hebrews is the ultimate supremacy of Christ over all.

Today we are concluding our summer teaching series in the book of Hebrews called “Christ Above All”.

Hebrews was written to a persecuted group of Christians in or around the city of Rome, and under the pressure of the moment, they were tempted to return to their Jewish roots to escape the persecution that came with the name of Jesus.

But as we find in the letter itself, the author has gone to great lengths to show these weary Christians that Christ is better than anything else they can turn to- they shouldn’t give up on him.

The message from the writer of Hebrews is loud and clear: “There’s no life in the old way of doing things. The only source of salvation is Christ alone. He is above all.”

As chapter 13 brings the letter to a finish, the author applies the truth of Christ above all to the every day aspects of life for his readers.

Hebrews 13:1-3

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

The first commands of Hebrews 13 is right in line with what Jesus said in some of his farewell words: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

In just three short verses, we have been commanded to love those we know, to show hospitality to those we don’t, and to remember those who would be easy to forget.

What we believe about Jesus should show up in how we love those around us.

This is quite the farewell, and he’s just getting started.

Hebrews 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.

The covenant relationship between one man and one woman, as God has prescribed in his word, should be honored by all.

The word honor here has the idea of respect, cherish, something of value.

“The marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral”

The term “marriage bed” here is an idiom for the sexual relationship- and that is to be kept pure, as God has designed.

God’s judgement is assured to all those who would violate their marriage vows, or by any who would engage in sexual activity outside of marriage.

God has designed the covenant of marriage to be the sacred and holy space where our sexual desires are expressed and enjoyed together.

So, our sexuality is not a matter of preference, or pleasure, but of God’s design.

As if this farewell address wasn’t feeling awkward enough at this point, the author continues on into another touchy subject…

Hebrews 13:5-6

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.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

The author is encouraging his people to keep a proper perspective on money. Not to give themselves over to the pursuit of wealth at the expense of their focus on Christ.

Quoting from Deuteronomy and the Psalms the author calls the people of God to focus on the promises of God and his gracious provision in our lives.

With the Lord as our helper, we do not need to fear. This is the source of true contentment.

Hebrews 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.

Much like the Hall of Faith from Chapter 11, the author again encourages his audience to remember the faithfulness of the leaders who shared the gospel message with them. To consider not only their message but their life, allowing both to be a model for their own.

That Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever is a reminder that the same Jesus that was preached to them then, is the same Jesus with them now.

Their circumstances may have changed, but Jesus has not.

Verses 9 through 14 contain a warning that they would not fall victim to false teachings, especially those that were appealing to their Jewish roots, and that they would live with a resolute focus on the eternal reality of God’s kingdom through Christ.

Just as Christ suffered reproach at the hands of the Jewish leaders, so would they. Living a life that declares Christ above all, will draw persecution and pressure.

As we continue in verse 15 the author moves to give farewell guidance about worship and sacrifice offered to God.

Hebrews 13:15-19

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.

While the offerings and sacrifices of the Old Covenant were fulfilled in Christ, Christians still have an offering to bring before the Lord.

The call of the church is to words of thanks, adoration, and celebration of God. To offer good works, acts of service and compassion done to others.

Another important aspect of life together in the body of Christ is leadership.

Here the author says that we should have confidence and submission to our leaders in regard to spiritual and doctrinal truth- That we would give ourselves to obedience and devotion to the teachings of scripture and the church.

The final chapter of this letter is just as jamb packed with theological and ethical application as the rest of the letter. And we haven’t even covered it to the end of the chapter. (Yeah, there’s more to chapter 13.)

What I appreciate about this concluding chapter is how real and practical it is.

Within a letter with this much deep and articulate teaching, it could have been easy to think that it was just a good informational course. that we learned some great theological truths, sharpened our scriptural knowledge, and that was it.

But in these final words, the author brings all the rich teaching about Christ right to bear on day to day realities in our lives.

What the author of Hebrews is showing us is that what we believe about Jesus, our faith in Him, should be evident in all these everyday areas of our lives.

What we believe cannot be separated from how we live. That’s what it is to live and believe “Christ above all”

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https://www.bible.com/events/49295234

But, What is a Christian? – Harrisonburg

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

There is a lot of confusion today in our culture on what a Christian really is.

Statistics tell the shocking truth of where we find ourselves. Will we step back and examine the word of God as our authority to see if indeed we pass the test? Are you a Christian by cultural definition or according to God’s word and work?

Charles Spurgeon

“Discernment is not the ability to tell the difference between right and wrong; rather, it is telling the difference between right and almost right.”

Disciple vs. Christian (Andrew Stroud)

The name “Christian,” meaning “belonging to Christ,” appears to have been invented by those outside of the church. It was most likely meant as a derogatory term by the way it was used in the NT.

If you’re not actively learning from Jesus or living for him, you can still call yourself a Christian and most people won’t bat an eye. But calling yourself a disciple changes things. It gives you something bigger than yourself to live into.

By definition a disciple is someone who is actively learning and living as a follower of someone else, or of some set of teachings. By calling yourself a disciple of Jesus you are declaring that you’re living for him. And that’s powerful!

John 10:3-5, 14-16, 27

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Robert Bortins CEO Classical Conversations 1/2/24

A shocking statistic from Barna’s research shows that the majority of Americans consider themselves to be Christians (68%), but only 6% of them have a biblical worldview.

This data clearly shows that although many people identify as Christians, most have no idea what it means to actually be a Christian.

These people could be referred to as cultural Christians, which are individuals that claim to be Christian but instead are shaped and molded by the world rather than by God’s holy Word. As a result, America’s spiritual health has been cursed by cultural Christianity

Calling ourselves Christians but chasing after the world (cultural Christianity) won’t get anyone through the narrow door, because in the end chasing after the world is a wide pathway that leads to eternal destruction.

As Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

Matthew 7:13-14, 21

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. “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.

2 Timothy 2:19

Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

Be with Jesus

Become like Jesus

Do what Jesus did

John Mark Comer

“The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who…are identified as “Christians” will become disciples—students, apprentices, practitioners—of Jesus Christ, steadily learning from him how to live the life of the Kingdom of Heaven into every corner of human existence.”

John 3:3-5

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

John 14:6

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

C.S. Lewis – Mere Christianity

The Christian way is different:harder and easier. Christ says ‘ Give me All. I don’t want so much if your time and so much of your money and so much of your work. I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill a tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.’

YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!

2 Corinthians 13:5

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

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Who Is Jesus: The Last Adam 

Today, we are exploring the name attributed to Jesus, The Last Adam. Starting in Genesis, we will learn how Jesus fulfilled and completed what Adam was intended to do. We will see the parallels between Adam and Jesus in that they both had God for their Father, and both had the Spirit of God empowering them, but Adam failed to live faithful to what God commanded, and Jesus lived in complete obedience to God and competed the mission. 

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for Breath, Spirit, and Wind is the single word, “ruach”. All through the Old Testament, we see how God breathed “ruach” into Adam and others who he wanted to use for a special purpose.  

God Breathed Life into Adam 

“Then the Lord God formed a man (Literally, Adam) from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Gen. 2:7 

When Adam and Eve sinned, they really did die. The Spirit that God put in them was removed. Throughout the Old Testament, we find multiple examples of how God did give his Spirit to certain individuals to empower them for a certain task or purpose. The most prominent examples are Joseph, Joshua, Samson, Saul, and David. 

Sin and the Spirit (breath) of God cannot reside in the same place. 

The Prophets prophesied that a Messiah would come to redeem Israel. They assumed that the Messiah would restore the Nation of Israel, but God’s plan was much bigger. He was actually restoring, through Jesus, for all humanity, what was lost in Eden. 

“I will pour out my spirit (ruach) on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants, in those days, I will pour out my spirit (ruach).” Joel 2:28 

The Spirit “ruach” would rest on the promised Messiah 

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 

The Spirit (ruach) of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit (ruach) of wisdom and of understanding, 

The Spirit (ruach) of counsel and of might, the Spirit (ruach) of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:1-2. 

In the New Testament, which was written in Greek, the word for Breath, Spirit, and Wind is the single word, “pneuma”. 

The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus 

“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit (pneuma) descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21-22 

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit (pneuma), left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit (pneuma) into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. Luke 4:1 

The Garden of Eden and the Baptism/Temptation of Jesus are parallel stories 

But where Adam failed, Jesus did not fail.  

Adam and Eve were filled with the Spirit of God, but they failed to resist the Temptation to Sin. 

Jesus was filled with the Spirit of God, and he did not sin. 

Satan triumphed over Adam in the Garden. 

But Jesus triumphed over Satan in the Wilderness and would ultimately triumph over death and hell as well. 

This is the beginning of the end of Satan’s power over people. 

Jesus explains what being filled with the Spirit is all about to Nicodemus 

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit (pneuma). Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit (pneuma) gives birth to spirit (pneuma). You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind (pneuma) blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit (pneuma).” John 3:4-8 

WHAT IS THE NEW BIRTH – IT IS THE RESTORATION OF THE BREATH OF GOD THAT WAS FIRST GIVEN IN CREATION, BUT LOST IN THE FALL. 

Jesus breathes on his disciples after his resurrection 

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, 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 (pneuma).” John 20:19-22 

The Spirit of God is restored to his people 

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit (pneuma) and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit (pneuma) enabled them.” 

The violent wind (Greek: pnoe – breath wind) was the breath of God like when He breathed into Adam. 

The tongues of fire “rested” much like the Spirit rested on Jesus in the form of a dove. 

All of them were filled with the Spirit (pneuma). 

The Apostle Paul recognizes that Jesus is the fulfillment of Adam’s failed mission 

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, 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, who is a pattern of the one to come. 

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! 

Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:12-19 

“For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. I Corinthians 15:21-22 

Jesus is the Last Adam – Here’s a recap of what we’ve learned 

1. God Breathed Life into Adam in creation. 

2. When Adam and Eve sinned, God’s Spirit (breath) was withdrawn from them. 

3. The removal of this Spirit (breath of God) caused their spiritual death that we all inherited. 

4. God desired to restore man to his original design and sent Jesus to reverse everything that happened in the Garden of Eden. 

5. Jesus was tempted just like Adam, but he overcame the temptation to sin and became the worthy sacrifice that pleased God and now we are the recipients of God’s grace in salvation and his breath (Holy Spirit) that regenerates us and gives us new spiritual life like what Adam and Eve knew in the Garden. 

6. When God breathes his Spirit into us, we are Born Again (spiritually).  

7. The Holy Spirit living in us is what makes us spiritually alive and what guarantees us that we will have eternal life in Heaven. 

This is just the tip of the iceberg on How Jesus is the Last Adam. Let me just mention a few parallels. 

1. Both Adam and Jesus did not have a human father. God was their Father. 

2. Adam’s sin brought us death and destruction, but Jesus’ obedience brought us immortality. 

3. Adam was the progenitor (father or source) of the human race, but Jesus is the progenitor of a new creation which is the church, the body of Christ. 

4. Adam was the Ruler of the World and lost it, but when Jesus returns, he will rule over the earth, and he will be King of kings and Lord of lords.  

Response: I have some questions for you to consider: 

Are you simply a child of Adam, or have you been born again, and now a child of God? 

Has God breathed his Holy Spirit into and made you alive in Christ, or are you still dead in your sin? 

https://www.bible.com/events/49291217

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

Christ Above All: A Study in Hebrews Part 8

Hebrews 12:4-8

After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.

Hebrews 12:4-8

In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don’t feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either. It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off big-time, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.

Many would agree that one of the most difficult parts of parenting is disciplining your children. As I read the scripture in Chapter 12, I realize that the writer of Hebrews is pulling out some of the very same phrases that we use as parents when talking about God’s discipline.

1. “I’m doing this because I love you!”

Disciple is in the word discipline. Discipleship means discipline. Without discipline, we can’t be disciples.

God is a disciplinarian, and the discipline that He provides is because He has a person al relationship with us. He loves us!

God’s discipline comes from a place of protection and love, not condemnation.

Proverbs 3:11-12

My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

2. “Rules are there or a reason, and this is for your own good.”

Boundaries and rules from the Lord are not designed to suck all fun out of life, they’re to protect us and keep us holy.

Hebrews 12:18-19

You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking.

3. I’m not asking you to like it. I am asking you to obey. One day you will understand.

-The word trained in the greek means vigorous exercise.

Hebrews 12:11

No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

The late Tom Landry, Former coach of the Dallas Cowboys said this, “The job of a coach is to make players do what they don’y want to do in order to achieve what they’ve always wanted to be.”

An athlete must strive to improve their abilities. The understand that the suffering is temporary compared to the gain and reward they receive afterwards. Likewise, our spiritual lives can flourish when we recognize challenges as signs of God’s guidance and discipline.

No Pain, No Gain!

“The fact that He doesn’t allow us to stray away from Him is love in action. He doesn’t ignore us, He comes after us to keep us right in His sight.” – Pastor Kerry WIllis

Romans 5:3-5

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

We can react to discipline in 3 ways.

Resist It

Accept it Grudgingly

Embrace it willingly

( 5 Truths about God’s Discipline, Rick Ezell)

“When God disciples us, He isn’t getting back at us. He is drawing us back to Him.” (Rick Ezell)

God’s chastening is not His rejection, It’s proof of His great love for us.

4. “It hurts me more than it hurts you!”

How can we possibly battle the enemy if we aren’t disciplined and trained to be like our Heavenly Father?

But an army that trusts and respects the commands of their chief will surely win. Especially when God is their commander and chief.

Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

https://www.bible.com/events/49291217

Christ Above All: Hebrews Part 8 – East Rock

The heartbeat of the Book of Hebrews is the ultimate supremacy of Christ over all.

Today we are continuing our summer teaching series in the book of Hebrews called “Christ Above All”.

Hebrews was written to a persecuted group of Christians in or around the city of Rome, and under the pressure of the moment, they were tempted to return to their Jewish roots to escape the persecution that came with the name of Jesus.

But as we find in the letter itself, the author has gone to great lengths to show these weary Christians that Christ is better than anything else they can turn to- they shouldn’t give up on him.

The message from the writer of Hebrews is loud and clear: “There’s no life in the old way of doing things. The only source of salvation is Christ alone. He is above all.”

As chapter 12 begins the pastoral heart of the author shines through in encouragement and exhortation.

Hebrews 12:5-6

And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

When we hear about discipline, our mind fills with memories, and it can make it more challenging for us to receive the good news of God’s discipline. We need to be aware that we are coming with “pre-loaded” thoughts and feelings about it

In the face of real challenge and difficulty the author is inviting us to see things differently, through the lens of what God can do through difficult seasons.

To see the trials and tribulations of life as opportunities for God’s grace to transform us into the image of Christ Jesus, to grow us in holiness.

Hebrews 12:4-6

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

“The Lord disciplines the one he loves”

To help unpack this text, we need to do some quick word study work because in this verse there are two different Greek words that are translated as discipline.

The first word translated discipline sounds like “pie-die-ah” in the Greek.

This has in view the whole training and education of children. Cultivating and shaping their mind and morals. It includes commands, admonitions, and punishments to accomplish this development.

In our vernacular, I would say it’s akin to “upbrining”

The second word translated discipline sounds lik “pie-doo-oh”.

It carries the idea of chastisement or punishment in order to shape the character of others. It’s the more specific action taken within the greater framework of a good upbringing.

The author has established his dialogue about discipline within the context of relationship with God. We are God’s children and as God’s kids we should expect his training and discipline, His active involvement in our upbringing.

The author quickly moves to apply this truth to their current situation.

Hebrews 12:7-8

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.

The author is challenging his audience to see their suffering, the challenges and pain they are experiencing through a different perspective.

Rather than something to run from, to avoid at all costs, or even to despise. They are called to see those things as opportunities for God to grow them, as God’s discipline. That’s how the heavenly Father grows and matures his children.

The author doesn’t say God CAUSES these things, God does not author evil. But, in his sovereignty, he does allow it, and what the author wants us to see is that God will use these things for our growth and our good, if we will submit to him. And it’s this discipline, this up brining by God that is the proof that we are in fact children of God.

So often we think we are facing challenges because God is mad at us, or that he has forgotten us. But we are called to remember that God can use these things to grow and mature us.

Hebrews 12:9-11

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 spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 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.

What I appreciate about this text is the honesty about the reality of suffering and even God’s upbringing and times of discipline- Even though God’s using it for our good- it’s not always pleasant. In fact, it might be miserable, downright painful at times. But we have the promise of God’s character and his word, that he is using those times for our growth in Christlikeness.

Hebrews 12:12-13

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

With the language work, the baggage that we can bring along with our ideas of discipline, it’s no easy task to work through this passage and find what is really being said. I cannot imagine it was much easier for the original readers either.

Facing the ongoing pressure of persecution, the daily grind of seeing no relief in sight, perhaps they had become so focused on the problems all around them, they lost sight of the of what God could do in the midst of them. Maybe they forgot that God was with them and working for them.

The author seeks to remind them, this race of faith is a grueling marathon. It will take endurance and faithfulness like they have seen in Christ himself. To finish their race, it would require a new perspective and submission to the discipline of God the Father.

In your challenging and difficult circumstances, what’s your perspective like?

Do you see it as only something to endure, to grin and bear it, to struggle through? Or do you see an opportunity for God to do something in and through the difficult circumstances?

Each of us have a choice to make in those situations- What perspective will we take?

Will you welcome a new perspective about the challenges you are facing?

I want to share a brief yet powerful prayer that you can use in the midst of your circumstances right now.

When our focus is fixated on our problems, when we are asking all the ME focused questions, our prayer is so often:

“Lord, fix my mess.” “Change these circumstances, rescue me, make this go away, do something about this God!”

But the prayer of a new perspective is “Lord, change me”

“The mess around me is what it is God, I have lots of questions, I want to know why, how long, who’s fault it is, but all of that aside, I am seeking what you want to do in me. Lord, change me.”

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Establish COTN as Your Church on the App

In this YouVersion Bible app, we encourage you to set up COTN as your church. It’s a simple process and will open up opportunities to stay connected to us!

https://help.youversion.com/l/en/article/y03uerubo8-mychurch