Hebrews: What You Need to Know

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Hebrews – A Letter for all Seasons

Context of Persecution 64-67 AD – First great persecution.

Nero (666) – burning crosses

“Caesar is Lord” – Incense

Time – before 70 AD – Temple still standing

Author – unknown

KJV – Letter of Paul to Hebrews: Written to Hebrews by Timothy

Living: Love, Paul. Comes to end: Good-bye

They know who he was – Hebrews 13:18

Never signed his name – Persecution? Handwriting.

Paul? No. Timothy? Priscilla? Didn’t know temple well. Whoever? He loved Jesus.

Recipients

No one knows – Hebrews 13:24

Recipients persecuted mercilessly. Not Rome – Hebrews 13:24. Who knows?

LIKE BASKETBALL GAME – 5 QUARTERS, 5 TIMEOUTS AND OVERTIME.

Quarters: Balls in play – Talk about Jesus. Five quarters and overtime.

Time out – warning

Overtime: concluding remarks

FIRST QUARTER - Jesus is Superior to Angels – Hebrews 4:4-13

Hebrews 1:1-3

If we are to know anything about God, He must speak.

We don’t break out of box – “Where have you been?”

Follow any religion. No. God broke into our world in Jesus Christ.

“Icon” – “Spitting Image” – 1 Colossians 1:15; 1:19; 2:9

The preeminence of Christ – verses 2-3 – His characteristics

“Sat down” – contradiction to Old Testament priests – Fred and sister crossing street. When do I die?

Hebrews 4:4-14

Guardian Angels – Angels: first created: unable to procreate: Revelation 5:11 – 1000x1000 and thousands and thousands. Free choice: Wrong

Demonic angels after Fall:

(1)On earth tormenting

(2)In Tartarus to be released at Great Tribulation

Jesus better than angels in 5 ways.

Ministering spirits – Guardian Angels

Brianna’s angel

FIRST TIME OUT – Danger of Drifting Back to Judaism – Hebrews 2:1-4

Read Hebrews 2:1-4

“Whose mask goes on first?” “Pay Careful Attention” – listening to instructions on airplane -- Brie

Demas – Drifting

Philemon 24-24 – “Demas my fellow believer.”

Colossians 4:7-14 – “Demas”

Eight co-laborers complimented, but not Demas.

Paul already seeing the drift – Silence speaks volumes

2 Timothy 4:5-11 – “Demas has forsaken me.”

Why? – Loved present age.

See Paul in prison.

Christ outlive Nero?

Christianity outlast Roman Empire

Name dogs Nero

How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

SECOND QUARTER: Jesus Superior to Moses – Hebrews 2:5-3:6

Hebrews 2:9 – He leads us back to Jesus.

Measure Jesus as better than Moses

“What are your measurements?” Heart surgery – ICU

Didn’t dare ask Julie while dating – She wouldn’t tell me.

Asked after we got married – Still wouldn’t tell me.

Made like his brothers to be a faithful High Priest

Read Hebrews 2:14-17

Greater than Moses – Hebrews 3:5-6

Hebrews 2:10 – Author of salvation=perfect through suffering.

Author – Archegos – pioneer, trailblazer

Shipwreck – one swims ashore with rescue line.

Perfect through suffering

Already perfect – “Teleios” by suffering.

2ND TIME OUT – Tough times – Encourage each other not to quit – Hebrews 3:7-8, 12-13 through 4:13.

Hebrews 3:7-8 – “Today, don’t harden your hearts.”

Hebrews 4:1-3 – Enter God’s rest

Hebrews 4:12-13 – Spiritual surgery

Divide = soul and spirit and marrow

Our ability to enter into God’s rest is directly proportional to the quality of our inner lives. Led by spirit, not soul.

THIRD QUARTER – Jesus is a great High Priest--Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Key verse is Hebrews 4:14: Hold fast

IXOUS (Greek) – Jesus Christ Son of God Savior

Two requirements for Priest

(1)Genuinely human – able to feel pain

(2)Appointed by God.

Hebrews 5:5-6 – Appointed by God.

Hebrews 5:7-10 – Genuinely human and suffering.

Verse 7 refers to climax in Garden

Vs 8-9

(1)Dying spiritually – separated from God

(2)Experiencing full load of sin

  At Alison’s house

A 3 year old naked from the waist down. “Don’t touch furnace” – Mom not looking. Backed in just to see how hot.

THIRD TIME OUT – Grow up! Don’t commit apostasy – Hebrews 5:11-6-4

It’s time to grow up – Hebrews 5:11-6:3

SERIES OF DIAGRAMS HERE RELATING TO Conversion of Hebrews, Maturity, and Apostate

“Not laying again” (These are Jewish religious issues)

(1) Foundation of repentance – offerings of heretical system

(2) Faith toward God – issue of faith and works is settled

(3) Instructions about baptisms – ceremonial washings

(4) Laying on of hands – Priest lays hand on scapegoat

(5) Resurrection of the dead – Old Testament teaching in Daniel=2 02:12-13; Psalm 16:9, etc.

(6) Eternal judgment – Judgment settled at cross

Still Time-Out Three – Don’t Commit Apostasy

Hebrews 6:4-6

Saved or Lost? Once saved always saved?

Lose=2 0salvation?

5 great advantages –

(1) Once enlightened – Matthew 4:16 – People on darkness seen a great light.

(2) Tasted the heavenly gift = gift of salvation. Tasted – not eaten or drunken (John 6) Julie at B&R – tasted vanilla ripple, pistachio, bubble gum – “Look lady, I’m going to have to start charging you.”

(3) Shared in Holy Spirit (not received Holy Spirit?) Judas is example – preached and miracles and lost!

(4) Tasted goodness of Word of God – Mark 6:20 – “Heard John the Baptist gladly”

(5) Tasted powers of coming age – Miracles of the day

“If” they fall away – Apostasy = stand next to and fall away

Doom pronounced – Not possible to return to repentance. Why?

(1) They don’t desire to repent

(2) No other message to give (See Hebrews 10:26-27)

(3) No man, no angel has power to bring repentance

(4) Crucifying Son of God again and public disgrace (Hebrews 10:26-29)

Fourth Class Conditional Sentence

FOURTH QUARTER – Jesus’ Priesthood was in the line of Melchizedek and thus far superior to Aaron’s! -- Hebrews 6:13-10:25

Read Hebrews 6:19-7:8

Melchizedek’s work – Bread and wine

Inferior (Abraham) is blessed by superior (Melchizedek)

Read Hebrews 7:11 – Levitical priests couldn’t do it.

Read Hebrews 7:15-17 – Jesus after order of Melchizedek

Read Hebrews 7:25 – Able to save for all time those who draw near

Read Hebrews 7:26-27 – No need to offer daily sacrifices – Offered self once for all.

Scottish fisherman – Little inn, evening meal. Gestured wildly about fish that got away. Hit tea glass and stained wall – Apologized profusely.

Man: “Don’t worry”, pulls pen and sketches around ugly brown stain. Magnificent royal stag emerged.

Sir Edward Lansier – England’s foremost painter of animals. This is what grace does to the stain of our sins.

Read Hebrews 9:11-12; 27-28 (once to die and judgment)

Read Hebrews 10;11-14 – “Sat down once for all.”

World War II – German boy – captured – needs transfusion – Race supremacy – refused blood.

“There is a fountain filled with blood…”

FOURTH TIME OUT – Hebrews 10:26-39 – Those who turn away from Jesus are really in trouble.

Read Hebrews 10:26-31

Out of context - Appeal for lost to get saved.

In context – Appeal for Christians not to turn back.

10:26-27 – Sin deliberately… no longer sacrifice.” Not referring to any premeditated sin.

10:32-39 – Suffering – They were persecuted in many forms: Verbal, financial, physically. Don’t quit now.

Alexander Solzhenitzen:

“Consider yourself dead – died a little early. No property, no family, all is dead to me. “Only my spirit and conscious remain precious to me. Confronted by interrogation with that kind of man the interrogator will tremble. Only the man who has renounced everything can win that victory!”

10:39 – Real Christians will persevere to the end!

FIFTH QUARTER – Men and woman of faith and especially Christ provide the encouragement we need to carry on at any price-- Hebrews 10:39-12-24.

11:1 Definition of faith

(Diagram of train) – Faith – Facts – Feelings

11:3 – Universe created

Abel/Enoch

11:6 – Without faith impossible to please Him!

List men and women of faith – “and all the rest”

10:39-40 – All commended but hadn’t seen promises – God planned something better = “be made perfect.”

Hebrews 12:1-3 – Looking unto Jesus overview

Consider what He gave up to save us!

Emptied Himself – Philippians 2

Shameful rejection

Shameful accusation

Shameful mocking – kingship, deity

Prayer – Head falls…

12:3-11 – Discipline those He loves.

FIFTH TIME OUT – DO NOT REFUSE HIM WHO SPEAKS – HEBREWS 12:25-29.

Read Hebrews 12:25-29.

OVERTIME – HEBREWS 13

1:3: Hospitality to strangers

1:4: Let marriage bed be undefiled

1:5: keep free from love of money

1:7: Remember your leaders

1:8-16: Jesus is the same…don’t be led astray by strange and diverse teachings

1:17 Obey your leaders; give an account

1:18-19: Pray for my clear conscience

1:20-21: May the God of Peace Blessing

1:22-25: Timothy is released. Greet all; Grace be with you all.

“FAITH IS THE VICTORY” By Buell Kazee