HEBREWS 10:24-392009 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Hebrews 10:24-39

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2009.

As we pick it up in Hebrews chapter 10, we've been studying throughout the book of Hebrews this incredible epistle in which the author of Hebrews is writing to those believers who are quaking in their faith, they're shaking in their faith, they're tempted to turn away from Jesus Christ and

and go back to the old system, go back to religion, the old covenant, the sacrificial system, worshipping at the temple, abandoning all of the truths about Jesus Christ.

And so he's been writing to them and sharing with them the superiority of Jesus Christ and everything that comes along with him, the new covenant that we have, the forgiveness in his blood and how every aspect of Jesus Christ is far greater than not only the old covenant, but anything else we could chase after or pursue or devote ourselves to. Jesus Christ is forgiveness.

far superior, and what we have in Him is the best that we can have, and it does not get better than what we have in Jesus Christ.

And this morning as we pick it up in verse 24, I want to encourage you, and I believe the Lord wants to speak to us and challenge us to rethink this idea that we call church. Rethink church. Look at verse 24. It says, and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. Some of you have probably at some point in your life gone to see a movie at a theater.

I'm sure that's probably all of you.

Now, there's certain types of people as you go to a theater. Some people really like to be there early and see the previews. Now, there's some strange people like myself. When you go, not only do you like to see the previews, but you like to see the previews before the previews. You know, they have that extra 20 minutes or so before where they're entertaining you before the actual preview starts. This is another 20 minutes before the actual movie starts.

Well, there's some people who go to a movie and they don't like to see the previews. They don't care about the previews. All that matters is if, you know, they get there right before the movie starts and that's fine. Now, there's another group of people who really like to stay for the credits. And they like to see all the last words and see,

you know who the sound engineer was and the production manager or whatever these titles I'm just making up are and they like to see all those things maybe hoping for some outtakes at the end but but you know they just kind of hang hang out there in the theater until until all the credits are gone till the lights are fully back on and then they kind of make their way out of the theater now I don't share that with you because you know movie going habits are so important but

I share it with you because, well, we are a society that is so accustomed to entertainment and that type of experience. And the dangerous thing is when we begin to approach this idea of church the same way.

that we come for the show, we come for, you know, the movie, the presentation, and it doesn't really matter if we come beforehand and, you know, see those kind of previews. There's not really important things happening there. So as long as you make it just on time, you're good. And then, you know, you don't really got to stick around for the credits afterwards. You just kind of, you know, get out of there, get ahead of the crowd. And all that's really important is the, you know, the main point, the presentation or the thing that is going on up on the stage.

But I would challenge you and I would share with you that the author of Hebrews is challenging that mentality. When we come together on a Sunday morning, what is it?

What is the purpose of it? What is it for? Why are we gathering together? Is it so that you as an audience or as a congregation can sit and watch the worship team and watch them sing and watch them present some good music or some beautiful singing? Is it to sit there and receive and hear a good Bible study or

hear a teaching or some type of message or sharing? Is it there for you to just come and sit and watch what is going on up here on the stage?

The author of Hebrews here, at the very beginning of verse 25, tells us that we're not to be forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some. There's a real importance and a real value for gathering together. And it is important for us on Sunday mornings or throughout the week to gather together with other believers.

But what is it that we're gathering together for? What is so valuable and important about our time of gathering together? Now, spending some time in worship corporately together, praising God together, that is important and it is vital and it's why we give so much time for it in our service. Teaching doctrine, absolutely important. And again, it's why we place such an emphasis and give time for it within our service.

But the point here of the author of Hebrews is it's more than that. Church is not just about the corporate worship, the Bible study. It's not just about what happens on the stage, but it's about what happens...

In the chairs as well. And it's about what happens in the parking lot. It's about what happens sitting around the tables. And it's about what happens at lunch afterwards. It's about what happens as God's people gather together, not just during the service, but before the service and after the service. It's important all throughout.

It's not just, you know, from the specific time frames that we've set, 8.30 to 10 o'clock or 10.30 to 12, and that's the important part of service. But those things that happened before, those things that take place as Christians gather together before service...

No, they're not organized activities or we're not structuring, but that connection of Christians amongst each other is vital and it is important. And then afterwards, the time of fellowship, it is crucial.

In Acts chapter 2 verse 42, we have in the book of Acts, the early church there is the model for us of what a church is supposed to be like and how Christians are to relate to one another. And it says that they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. They studied, they were taught. That's what we're doing right now. But that was not all that they did. They continued also in fellowship and the breaking of bread and in prayers.

See, I would challenge you to consider this morning that it's not just about you and Jesus. I've heard that from time to time. People who have come to me and said, look, I can be a Christian and I don't need to come to church. It's not so important that I'm involved in a church.

And while technically, yes, that is true, Jesus didn't say, believe on me and join the church and then you'll be saved. Believing in Jesus Christ is what brings us salvation. And yet for a Christian, it is so important for us to be involved. It is so important for us to gather together. And that's why the author of Hebrews says, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.

Look at the context in which the author of Hebrews is writing this. I'll back you up to verse 19. Verse 19, he says, Therefore, brethren, really bringing to a conclusion all the things that we have been studying prior, and I'm not going to get into all those things. But since we know about the superiority of Jesus Christ,

Verse 1.

and having a high priest over the house of God. So he's saying, look, since all these things are true about Jesus Christ, and now we have access to God, and we're able to have relationship with God, now there's to be a response upon us, a response on our part. And what is that response? Verse 22, let us draw near with a true heart.

Our response to the understanding of who Jesus is and what he offers to us is that we would draw near to God, that we would have relationship with God, that we would enter into the holiest of all and spend time in the presence of God and have and hold a real relationship with him. Not only that, verse 23, our response is, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.

Our response then is to hold fast to the things of God and not waver in our commitment and our decision to follow Him. To hold fast to His truth and His ways and to continue steadily in our relationship with God. And so that's the part where it's about us and Jesus. It's just me and Him. That's important that we spend time with Him, that we have relationship with Him. But connected...

to the same thought, to the same conclusion as verse 24, and let us consider one another. See, God has placed us within His body, within the body of Christ. And He has done it in such a way and for the purpose of that we need and rely upon one another. And it's not just about me and my own walk and my own relationship, but God has placed you in my life. He's placed people in your life.

And it's vital, it is so important for you to be involved in their spiritual walk and in ministering to them. And so he says, consider and exhort one another. And this whole passage this morning is, well, it's in that light. And I will bring this up continually because these are why he's sharing these things, that we would consider and exhort one another. What does that mean? Well, the word consider means to consider attentively.

or to fix one's eyes or mind on. It's something about paying attention to. It's the idea of contemplating or calculating or even strategizing. Strategize and consider and contemplate how you can stir up love and good works in people around you. Figure out, spend some time working it out in your mind. Pay attention and determine, how can I stir up in this person love?

Now we see a good example of that and John tells us that we love God because he first loved us and so we know the appropriate response to love is love. And so in order to stir up love in others, first we must pour out love into them.

And the appropriate response is love in return. We can stir up love and good works by loving, but how else? Well, that's what he's saying. Consider. Figure out. How can you impact someone else's life? How can you encourage them and help them and stir up in their life the things of God that they would go forward in the call of God in their lives and that they would accomplish and overcome and that they would take steps of faith and

that they would do all that God has called them to do. Well, not only are we to consider, but we're also to exhort one another. This idea of exhort means to come alongside or to call to one side. So it's the idea of, hey, hey, come here, come here. And then it's used in all types of contexts. It can be used calling alongside to comfort someone who's been beaten down, someone who's been broken, someone who's hurting.

It's this idea of exhorting, to comfort, to bring consolation. Sometimes it's the idea of rebuke and correction. Hey, hey, come here, come here, come here. Hey, you're doing this all wrong. This is the way that the scripture says that you need to live or this needs to take place.

Sometimes it's the idea of building up and encouraging. Hey, come over here, come over here. Look, you can do it this way and I can help you overcome this and so on and so forth. And the idea here is the possibilities are endless and that's why you and the people that God has placed in your life, you're to consider, you're to contemplate, you're to strategize, you're to figure out and calculate how can I bring about God's work in their lives.

How can I stir up a response in them that will draw them close to the Lord, that will help them in their relationship with God? Well, as we go on in the chapter...

In our portion this morning, the author of Hebrews gives us five reasons to consider and exhort one another. Five reasons why we ought to consider and exhort one another. And the first one we find in verse 25. Again, it says, "...not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching."

The first reason we see to consider one another is that the day is approaching. The day is approaching. He says, you're considering one another, you're calculating and strategizing and exhorting one another. It's to increase. It's to intensify as you see the day approaching. We can see the day approaching. What day is being referred to? It's the day of the return of Jesus Christ.

The day that we will stand before Him. Now Jesus said that we would not know the day or the hour, but that we should know the signs and the seasons.

He said we should know the times, the seasons, the general times of His return. We should be able to recognize those things. And He gave us lots of elements to look at and lots of signs to consider. And that's part of what Sunday evenings will be about. And so again, I invite you, if you can't see the day approaching, you don't think that we're living in the end times or you want to understand better how we know that we're living in the last days,

Come back this evening at 6 o'clock and be here for this series and allow God to speak those things to you because the day is approaching quickly. One of the signs that Jesus said in Matthew 24, 7 that would precede his return is that there would be earthquakes in various places. And perhaps you were reminded about this on Thursday.

Here at the church, I was here, and my wife was here in the women's Bible study, and it was right in the middle of the Bible study that the earthquake hit. And praise God for Elsa. Elsa said, don't panic, and so she didn't panic. It could be a reminder, but also on Thursday, I don't know if you knew this, but there was an earthquake, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake that hit in Costa Rica.

Did you know that recently, the end of 2008, the beginning here of 2009, in Yellowstone, there's been a flurry of earthquake activity, 400 earthquakes in a matter of eight days. There's often activity there, but not of that intensity. In Indonesia, on January 3rd, just a week ago, there was a 7.8 magnitude earthquake and a tsunami warning that went along with it.

The point is we're seeing them all over. We're seeing, well, earthquakes in various places just as Jesus said. We also fix our eyes on the Middle East. Today is day 16 of Israel's invasion of Gaza and dealing with Hamas down there.

Well, there's a lot of elements there that really could fulfill much of what the Bible speaks. And we see the relationship with Iran and Ezekiel 38 and 39. And man, there's so much that's going on. And it's really possible. These things could happen right before our eyes and Jesus Christ could come again or return at any moment.

Now there's much more signs and evidence that we're in the season of his return, but I'll let you come back this evening and be encouraged in that way.

But he says, and so much the more, as we see these events drawing near, as we see the intensifying of these signs and they're coming quicker and quicker and faster and faster, it's to have that same type of intensifying effect on how we consider and exhort one another. As we see the signs increase, it's to cause us and spur us and stir us up to minister to one another, to reach out and consider and exhort one another.

It's like in a race, when you are running the race and you see the finish line, you go all out, you give it everything you got, you give your last drop, just all the way to the end, you push it as hard as you can. In the same way, we see the finish line, the return of Jesus Christ is so near. We're to give it all that we've got, we're to go all out and consider and exhort the people around us.

So first we see we're to consider one another because the day is approaching. Jesus Christ will return very soon. Secondly, we find that we're to consider one another because, well, this is a different angle altogether, because judgment is expected. Look at verse 26.

He says, Here the author of Hebrews gives a strong warning. And it's a strong warning very similar to what we've seen throughout the book of Hebrews.

We saw a strong warning in Hebrews chapter 6 as well that really challenges people and this is another one very similar to that. Now again, let me paint the context picture for you. The people that the author of Hebrews is writing to are experiencing persecution. They're being tempted to go back to

to the sacrificial system of the Old Testament in order to relieve that persecution that is taking place. See, it was more acceptable for them to be Jewish than it was for them to be Christian. In the same way, today we experience similar things. It's more acceptable to be Muslim or some of these other religions than to be Christians.

it's more acceptable to proclaim the doctrines of this or that than it is to proclaim the doctrine and truth of Jesus Christ. And so this is the context they were living in. They're experiencing persecution and wanting to go back in order to alleve that persecution and not have to endure in it. But the author is saying to them, if you reject Jesus, understand that there is no other sacrifice for sin.

He says, if we sin willfully, after we've received the knowledge of the truth, there's no longer a sacrifice for sins. There's no other way. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. Salvation is not found in any other name. There's no other way to be saved. There's no other sacrifice for sin that can save you or I or anyone around us.

And so he's referring specifically to them going back to the sacrificial system, but he leaves it a little bit broad because he says, if we sin willfully. The word sin here means to miss the mark. We're very familiar with this word. It's a common word for sin in the scriptures.

If we sin willfully, he says, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. And this has often caused concern for people. And then they wonder, well, if I've sinned, does that mean I'm not saved any longer or I'm not going to be saved? Well, hey, let's take a look at this really quickly because the scripture is very clear. He says, if we sin willfully, the word sin here means

is in the present active tense, which means that this is not a one-time stumble. He's not talking about a one-time thing, or you fell, or you stumble. Hey, we all fall, we all stumble, we all sin. Yes, that is true. But this is different than a person who simply falls, or stumbles, or misses the mark. Because he says, if they sin willfully, or if we sin willfully. And

If we miss the mark willfully, deliberately, if we choose purposefully to miss the mark, but not only that, continually and repeatedly. That's what the present tense means. Present and active means you're actively involved, you're choosing to participate, to live a lifestyle of sin. The author of Hebrews is making it very clear here.

He wants to make sure that nobody is confused because there's lots of opportunity for people to be confused and think, even today, people in the church all around the world think, hey, I'm okay and I can continue to live in sin and I can live this lifestyle if I want to and I don't have to be, you know, obedient to the things of God because I prayed this prayer or I made this decision. And the author of Hebrews is saying, listen,

You have to make a choice. And your choice is demonstrated, your choice is shown, not by what you say, but how you live your life and what you do. Jesus said, if you love me, keep my commands. If you love me, keep my commands. If you sin willfully, you're demonstrating. If you continue on and persist in sin, you're demonstrating that you have not chosen Jesus Christ.

1 John 3, verse 9 tells us, whoever has been born of God does not sin. Same tense. Continue. Repeated. A person who has been born of God does not continue in a lifestyle of purposeful, willful, intentional, deliberate sin. And so he's saying, do not be deceived into thinking that you can continue to live a life of sin forever.

And not reap the consequences. In 1 Corinthians chapter 6, the Apostle Paul there wants to make the same type of thing clear. He says, do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? He says, do not be deceived. Do not be deceived.

See, there's great opportunity for people to be deceived. He says, do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

He says, don't be deceived. Don't be confused about this. If you continue in sin, if you practice fornication or adultery or homosexuality or thievery or drunkenness, he says, you will not inherit the kingdom of God. Don't be deceived. Do not think. Do not be confused to think that you can continue to live in sin and not experience consequences for that sin. See, the message from the Bible, from the Lord says,

to people who are in sin is always the same. It's repent. It's always repent. To someone who is living in sin, the message is repent, stop, change. Don't continue down that way, but turn to God. The message is never relax. Hey, you're living in sin. Don't worry about it. Just relax. It'll be okay. That's never what the Bible teaches. That's never the message that God has brought to those who are in sin. No, the message is repent.

Why? Well, because those who sin willfully, the author of Hebrews says, in verse 27, he says, well, there's no longer remains a sacrifice, but in its place, verse 27, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation, which will devour the adversaries. A certain fearful expectation of judgment. Understand that judgment is real.

We dealt with this more in depth on Wednesday evening, looking at Isaiah chapter 66. Judgment is real. God really will bring judgment and fiery indignation. It's not like, and perhaps you've experienced this in your own life, sometimes when kids are not doing exactly what you want them to do, you...

apply some type of threat. And very often, it's a threat that you would never ever actually fulfill. You would never ever actually do what you're threatening to do. You would never ever actually allow to happen what you threaten would happen. But you make this great threat in order to help them to do what you want them to do or do what is right. God's not like that.

The promise of judgment that he gives is not just some great thing that he's never actually going to do, but he makes this promise of judgment so that we behave and live in a relationship with him and do what he's called us to do. No, God means what he says. The promise of judgment is real. For those who reject Jesus Christ, there's no other way of salvation. All that is left is a certain fearful expectation of judgment.

judgment is expected and this is why we're to consider and exhort one another you see the wages of sin is death and so the message is turn from it repent don't be destroyed we live in a world that is constantly every moment pulling on us and trying to turn us from the things of god

And it's telling us deceitful and lying message and flaunting sin before us and saying, look at how great it is and come and jump on in. The water is great. You'll be fine. It'll be wonderful.

Along with that message is the enemy, the devil. He is there constantly testing us and tempting us and checking our armor and finding our weak points and trying to use those things to get us to turn from the things of God. And not only that, but then we have our flesh. And our flesh from the inside is fighting with us, constantly craving sin and desiring the things of the world in the flesh.

And so we need people around us. We have all of these voices, all of these inputs, all of these cries around us to come and join and it'll be okay and it's wonderful and it feels so great.

And so amidst all of those voices, we need those in our lives who will stand up around us and say, hey, these are the things of God. We need those around us who will consider us and consider where we're at and what we're going through and stir up within us love and good works. We need those around us who will be a powerful influence, who will be bold and not afraid to speak, who will share with us the truth.

And we need to be that type of person in the lives of others around us as well. Because there's a lot of deception. And we're playing for keeps. It's for real. We are not the judge. If a person sins willfully, they'll stand before the judge. We all will stand before God. We're not the judge. Instead, we're more like the cheerleaders.

We're to be the ones who come alongside and say, you can do it. You can do it. Come on. Get back up on your feet. Get back in the race. Get back in the fight. We're not the ones who pronounce condemnation and say, forget it. You're lost. Don't even bother coming back. There's been many in the church who have done that throughout the years. We're the cheerleaders. We're the ones who come along and say, you can overcome this. You can persevere. You can endure. Come on. You can do it.

I remember being at an event one time where there was some pole vaulters and there was a team that was doing their pole vaulting and they were demonstrating it. And this one goes up and he goes and he hits and he goes up, but he hits the bar, knocks the bar off the whatever it's called, and he falls on the mat. So he comes back and I was near the rest of the team when the guy came back in. You know, the team didn't tell him,

Man, I knew you were going to mess up. I knew you were going to blew it. Man, you just proved me right. Man, don't even bother trying again. You're not going to get over it. They didn't tell him things like that and discourage him and tell him how poor he did and how bad he was and how miserable he was and how he shouldn't be a part of the team. They didn't tell him anything like that.

All of the team gathered around this one who had knocked the bar off and said, you're up again. You can do it. Come on, you can do it this time. Come on, go for it. They're giving him pointers. They're encouraging. They're sharing with him. They're cheering him on, helping him to get over so that they can get their whole team over the bar. Well, that's what we...

are called to do as Christians. We're called to get the whole team over the bar, that those around us, we're called to cheer them on and encourage them, build them up and help them accomplish those things that God has called them to. Help them enter into eternity with a grand entrance because they've had love and good works stirred up within them. They've been built up and encouraged and there's been people alongside of them and they're able to fight the good fight of the faith. Consider and exhort one another.

We're not the judge. Judgment is expected. And it's a reality. And so we need to consider and exhort because none of us want those people in our lives to be judged. We don't want them to face the judge. So consider and exhort one another. But also we want them, more than just not being judged, we want them to have a grand entrance into the kingdom of God. We want to help them make it through this life. Consider and exhort one another.

Well, that was point number two. Point number three, consider and exhort one another because the punishment is much worse than before. Look at verse 28. He says,

Now, the author of Hebrews has spent a great deal of time contrasting the Old Covenant versus the New Covenant and showing how the New Covenant is far superior. And so he's using this thought that he's been building throughout the book and he's looking at the inferior first. He says, look, the Old Covenant, which is inferior to what we have in Christ...

Under that covenant, if someone rejected it, if someone rejected the law, they died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. And we have an example of that in Numbers chapter 15, verses 32 through 36. There was a man who disregarded the law of God, and he was out and he broke the Sabbath. He was out gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And so the people saw him,

It was early in their history, so they didn't know what to do. They take him to Moses, and Moses goes before the Lord and says, Lord, what do you want to do with this guy who's broken your law, disregarded your Sabbath? And the Lord said to Moses in verse 35 of Numbers 15, This man must surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp. The one who disregarded the law of God under Moses' law was to be put to death.

without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. That was the old covenant. And so, on the other side, what he's going to go on to share, if the old covenant is inferior, and that was the penalty for disregarding it, for rejecting it, what is the penalty for rejecting the new covenant? That is far superior. Look at verse 29. Of how much worse punishment do you suppose...

He says, He says,

purchased for us by His own blood, accomplished for us by the Son of God, the only begotten Son of God, who took our place and received our punishment there upon the cross. What do you suppose a person who rejects that is worthy of? If they experience punishment for disregarding the old covenant, how much worse is the punishment for a person who disregards the new covenant under Jesus Christ?

The rejection of Jesus Christ is put into some very serious words here. He says, "...who has trampled the Son of God underfoot." Use Jesus as a welcome mat is another way of thinking about it. I'm going to go play in the mud and come back and just wipe my feet, stomp on Him, no big deal. That's the idea. That's what one who continues to sin willfully is doing.

in rejecting Jesus Christ and turning to something else. It's to trample the Son of God underfoot. Severe disrespect. Disrespect really isn't the right word, but severe disregard for the things of God, for the Son of God. What do you suppose the punishment is for that? He goes on to say, who counted the blood...

Verse 29. Let me find it again. Verse 29. Who counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing. Counted the blood of Jesus Christ as a common thing. To persist in sin, to continue in sin, to disregard Jesus Christ and chase after an older system or another religion or just to disregard God and live our own life and live in a sinful lifestyle. It's to count the blood of Jesus as common

Nothing more than anyone else who had died. It's just, you know, I don't know if you've ever heard this, but you've had those people who say, lots of criminals were crucified. And that's the idea of what is being said. What do you suppose is the punishment for that? The person who just says, the blood of Jesus Christ doesn't mean anything. Could have been anybody on the cross. Could have been anybody's blood. Didn't matter. It's just a common thing. Not recognizing that it's the blood of Jesus Christ.

the only begotten Son of God. And he says finally, and insulted the Spirit of grace. This is nothing to play around with. To reject Christ is to treat Christ this way. To continue and persist in sin is to treat Christ this way.

This is why we're to exhort one another because the punishment is much worse because what we're doing against Christ, if we turn from Him, if we sin against Him, it's much worse than what was taking place under the Old Covenant.

And look at verse 30. It says, For we know Him who said, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. And again, the Lord will judge His people. Verse 31, It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. We know Him who said...

It's God who said, vengeance is mine, I will repay. Again, these are not idle threats. They're not just God exaggerating the threat to try to help us to do what's right. God says, vengeance is mine, I will repay. And the Lord will judge His people. The Lord will judge His people. Quoted from Deuteronomy 32, verses 35 and 36. Again, He's saying, look, do not be deceived.

As Paul said in Galatians chapter 6 verse 7, Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. God promised. Vengeance is mine. It's His. He will repay. He will judge His people. And so for a person who is in that state, for a person who has rejected Jesus Christ, verse 31 he says, It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. It's a fearful thing. It's a dreadful thing. Because it's to fall into

and to the judgment of the Lord. And again, this is why we're to consider and exhort one another. Because judgment is real. Those who treat God's Son in this way are subject to worse punishment than those who broke the old covenant. Our position, our role is not to stand in judgment. God says, I'll take care of it. Vengeance is mine, I'll repay. Our place is not to stand in condemnation of others, but to exhort, to come alongside God

to consider and calculate and strategize how can I stir up love and good works within this person? How can I help them? Excuse me. I got a little too excited, I think. How can I help them get back on track with the Lord? How can I help them overcome these areas in their lives? How can I build them up

That they would even go further into the things of God. How can I build them up that they would go out and do the things, the awesome things that God has called them to do? Consider and exhort one another, he's saying. Number four. Consider one another because...

Our enduring reward is in heaven. Our enduring reward is in heaven. Now, as we go on from here, the author of Hebrews, he's continuing to share with them and encourage them and we'll see how we can consider and encourage one another through this. But he's also being an example for us and showing us some pointers on how we can come alongside others and encourage them and exhort them in the faith. Look at verse 32. Verse 32.

He says,

Verse 35, Two things here. He says to these that he's writing to,

He gives us an example of how to come alongside, how to exhort. He says to them, Hey, remember when you first believed, when you first got saved, and you experienced those struggles, you endured great struggle with sufferings?

Not only for your own faith, but because you identified with those who were of the faith and were being persecuted for Christ. And you had compassion on me and my chains, the author says. And man, you joyfully accepted the persecution and things that happened as a result because you knew that you had an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Your focus was on eternity. Hey, remember how you endured that great difficulty and that trial that you went through?

You remember you had some strong trials, some great struggles, and you made it through? The author of Hebrews here gives us a great example, first of all, that we can help other believers and help those around us by looking back and reminding them of what God has already brought them through. We can remind each other of those promises that God has already fulfilled, those victories that have already taken place.

He says, look, you've got an enduring reward in heaven because they could look back and remember some great things that God had done in them. They could remember some of those past victories, which means they also have great reward in heaven.

And so first he reminds them, he points them back and reminds them about what they have gone through already, what God has already accomplished. And then he points them forward and he says, look and remember what you have in store for you. You have in eternity an eternal and enduring reward, enduring possession. Consider and exhort one another because we have the promise of eternal reward. Our enduring reward is in heaven.

We can come alongside each other and remind each other, hey, you have an inheritance that's incorruptible, that's undefiled and that fades not away. You have in store for you incredible things. We can help each other take our focus off because we can so easily get consumed with this life and difficulties and we can help each other take our focus off of this life, the financial crisis and all of the things that we experience and we can place it back where it belongs.

Therefore, if you're raised in Christ, set your eyes, set your mind on things above, Paul tells us. Set your mind on things above. We can encourage each other and remind each other, hey, eye is not seen, nor is ear heard, nor is entered into the heart of man what God has in store for those who love him. Do you love that person that's next to you right now? Do you love those people that God has placed in your life? Do you want the best for them? Do you want the best for them?

then consider, calculate, strategize how you can stir up love and good works. Come alongside and exhort them to help them receive this reward that is stored up in heaven for them. Consider one another because the enduring reward in heaven is great. And finally, consider one another because the need is endurance. Look at verse 36.

For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. Here the author of Hebrews tells them what their need is. You have need of endurance. The Christian walk is not a sprint. It's not a short race. It's a marathon. As it's often been said, it's not about how you start, but it's about how you finish.

You have need of endurance to finish well. Endurance is the idea of patience in regard to circumstances, in regards to trials and difficulties in life, to persecutions and things that we go through. And during those times of difficulty, man, we're easily tempted to think, man, it would be so great, it would be so much easier if I compromised in this area, if I gave in in this area, if I just

Quit going to church altogether. My life would be so much easier, so much better. And they're going through these things as he's writing to them. We go through these things. It's why we need to come alongside and consider and exhort and stir up with one another, loving good works. He says you have need of endurance so that in those times you don't lose hope. You don't give in to discouragement. You don't give up and give in to the compromise and those things. But you press on that you patiently wait.

Think about this in regards to endurance. The victory is already yours in Christ Jesus. It's already yours. You have eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ. And so all you need to do is outlast the opponent. You already have the victory. It's already accomplished. It's already won. All you got to do is stay standing longer than your opponent. The world, it's going to fade away. The enemy, he's going to be destroyed. Your flesh, it's going to be put to death.

All you got to do is outlast. Endurance is what you need. It's what I need. And it's the reason why we ought to consider and exhort one another. Look at verse 37. For yet a little while, and he who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith. But if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him. He quotes here from Habakkuk chapter 2. And he's saying, in a little while...

Just a little while. He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Speaking once again of the return of Jesus Christ. He's saying, look, you have need of endurance, so endure. Because in a little while, in just a little while, just a little bit longer, we're going to be with Jesus. He's going to return. We're going to go to be with Him. Either way, we're going to be with Him. We're going to be with Jesus. And He says, God is pleased with those who endure, but He's not pleased with those who

who do not endure. He says in verse 38, "The just shall live by faith, but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him." You have need of endurance because God is pleased with those who endure. God's pleased with those who live by faith. But the Lord has said, "My soul has no pleasure in if anyone draws back, if anyone does not endure." It's just a little while, just a little bit longer. Jesus Christ is coming again. Our life is but a moment.

And it may be for this moment that we face severe difficulty in trial, but it's just for a little bit. He's coming. Verse 39, "But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul." He closes this chapter with his vote of confidence. He says, "Guys, we have need of endurance. God takes pleasure in those who endure, and guess what? We are not of those who draw back. We're of those who believe to the saving of the soul. We're not of those.

who draw back, or of those who believe. And then he goes on, and we're not going to get into it this morning, but we'll pick it up again next week in chapter 11. And in chapter 11, we call it the Hall of Faith, because we have example after example, over and over, he talks about all of these men of old, all the Old Testament figures who walked by faith, who did these things by faith, and accomplished this by faith, and did that by faith.

And I suggest to you, it's not just that he changed the subject. Okay, that one's done. Check. Okay, now faith. Okay, let's talk about faith. No, what is he doing? Listen, he's saying, look, you have need of endurance.

And we're not of those who draw back. We're of those who believe and are saved. And check this out, guys. We have a lot of examples that have gone before us to show us, look, you're not alone. You're not the only one who's struggled. You're not the only one who's gone through difficult things. And you too can overcome by faith. The just shall live by faith. And so he gives these examples. This person lived by faith and this person lived by faith and that person lived by faith.

demonstrating and showing that you too can live by faith and overcome. You don't have to draw back, but you can press on and you can overcome. And then we go into chapter 12, which we'll get to in a few weeks. And in verse 1, it says, "...therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses..."

That's all those guys in Hebrews 11 that he's talking about. So he's tying all of these things together. Hey, since we're surrounded by all this great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, the sin which so easily ensnares us, and notice this, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. See, all of this in chapter 11 is an example for us so that we can know that we too can run with endurance the race that is set before us.

We have these witnesses. We have these examples to testify to us. I don't have to draw back. I don't have to give in. I don't have to compromise. I can turn from sin. I can walk with God. I can live by faith. I can run with endurance this race that God has given to me. So comfort and exhort. I'm sorry, not comfort. Consider and exhort one another. Consider and exhort one another. You can run with endurance. And that person next to you that's struggling,

they can run with endurance. We've got a great cloud of witnesses, many who have gone before us, who demonstrate and prove it can be done. Let's come alongside one another because the need is endurance. All we have to do is outlast the opponent and those are quickly fading away. Those will soon be gone. We just need to stay standing, to keep walking, to stay in relationship with Jesus Christ.

And so the author of Hebrews here gives us this great exhortation. And again, I challenge you to rethink church, to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. It's important for us to gather together, but not just because of what goes on here on the stage, not just because of what goes on here, even on the property, but gather together with others. Come early, stay late if you need to. Meet up for Bible studies throughout the week. Do whatever you need to do.

To consider and exhort, to strategize, to calculate, to figure out, how can I help these people around me? Press on and endure. Because the day is approaching and Jesus Christ could return at any moment. And I want them to be ready. I want them to be watching as Jesus commanded. Consider and exhort, strategize and calculate and figure out, how can I minister to those around me? Because judgment is expected and the punishment is much worse than under the old covenant.

And I don't want anybody that God has placed around me, I don't want them to experience the judgment of God. It's real. And I want to do my utmost. I want to do my best to give them every opportunity to turn, to overcome, to understand the love of God and the victory that's found in Jesus Christ. Consider and exhort one another because our reward is in heaven. Their reward is in heaven.

We have incredible reward to live for. Great things in store for us. Consider and exhort one another because what we need is endurance. Let's be that team that works together, that gets behind the one who's stumbled, the one who's fallen, that encourages the one who's doing great, the ones that stick together to make sure we all get over the bar, that we all endure, that we all stay in the race because our need is endurance. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, I pray that you would help us. God, it's so easy to be caught up and consumed with our own lives, with our own things, our own struggles. And Lord, so often we come and we gather expecting to be ministered to. And Lord, we love that you minister to us. But God, you also call us not to look to our own selves, but also to the needs of others. And so help us, God, to consider

and exhort those that you've placed around us. Help us, Lord, to take time, bring to our attention those needs, those areas that we can be of value, that we can really have an impact in someone's life. Help us, Lord, to take some time to consider and calculate and strategize and figure out and be led by your Spirit how we can really impact the life of those people that you've placed upon our hearts.

the body that You've called us to be a part of. Lord, help us to be a vital part of it, to minister to the needs of those around us, to warn those who are going astray, to encourage those who are doing well. Lord, that we would endure until Your coming, which is very soon. And God, I pray for any who are here, any who are listening to this. Lord, and they're in a position where they're continuing and they're persisting in willful sin. Lord, I pray that You would open their eyes and their hearts.

would help them to repent, to turn back to you. I pray, Lord, that they would be set free by the truth that is found in your word. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of his word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.