10.7.24 Sermon Afterthoughts

Hello brothers and sisters,

I hope this email finds you well and looking forward to what the Lord will do in and through you this week.  Knowing our ability to forget the Lord's word to us each week, I am wanting to make a more regular habit of sending out a weekly email to further cement in us His truth.  It's very possible that you have found Hebrews a tough book to work through.  If not, then maybe I am the only one! Soon, we will begin chapter 7 and how Jesus is better than Melchizedek.  Even the author himself acknowledges that this is a hard truth to explain.  I do trust that the Lord will give us the wisdom and grace necessary to understand and apply this ancient word.  My goal in these emails is the latter: that we would not simply understand, but have our lives transformed by Him.  

In our text yesterday, we were told that the Lord not only made a promise to Abraham, He confirmed that promise with an oath.  Interestingly enough, he says that God made this oath so that He could show the heirs of the promise more convincingly the unchangeable character of his purpose.  In other words, He wants you and me to know without a doubt that He has not given up on the promise that He made to Abraham.  That even today, He is working out His good purpose of saving sinners.  He said it.  He promised it.  He confirmed it with an oath.  He will save all who trust in Him.  And so we are told to hold fast to the hope set before us.  Don't lose hope for God is faithful!  It seems a wonderful time to take that truth and cling to it!  Below are a few questions that will help you do just that. 

1. This world is a mess! In what ways are you tempted to lose hope?  Be honest with yourself in this.  

2. What has God promised for His children that addresses those struggles?

3. In what ways can you be actively setting the hope of His promise before you this week?

4. How can you be an encouragement to others to remember God's purposes?

Remember what we said last week. The problem with these Hebrew believers was not that they didn't understand what God was telling them. It was that they were not putting it into practice.  By God's grace, may we come this week to believe and live in the beauty of His promise!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Kevin