FBCWest 469 | Convinced of Better Things Concerning You”
Recorded On: 09/19/2021
Bulletin
FBCWest
September 19, 2021
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him.
must worship Him in Spirit and truth.”
Praise and Worship
SCRIPTURE READING – Isaiah 66:1 & 2
“Your Love Awakens Me”
“Raise a Hallelujah”
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“Convinced of Better Things Concerning You”
PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“Build My Life”
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
“I Love to Tell the Story”
OFFERTORY PRAYER
SPECIAL MUSIC – By Pru Hungate
Continued Praise and Worship
“Nothing Ever (Could separate us)”
“Where I’m Standing Now”
Benediction “Egypt”
Acknowledgements and Announcements
Sermon Notes
Hebrews 6:9 Convinced of better things belonging to salvation for you
Hebrews 6:10 God remembers your work and love toward Him by ministering to His people
Hebrews 6:11 & 12 Be diligent in your efforts to the end – Imitate those who by faith and patience inherit the promises
Hebrews 6:13 – 16 God swore by Himself guaranteeing His promise to Abraham
Hebrews 17 & 18 God does the same for us. 2 guarantees – He swore by Himself and He cannot lie
Hebrews 6:19 & 20 Our hope is like an anchor – steadfast and sure, located within the veil where Jesus is
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
What you had to say last time and what you're going to say next time is kind of dependent, and so I don't want to go and read.
Discussed last week, but it is kind of essential in the sense of this is but beloved. So when you see the word but.
Most of the time it.
You're a wonderful singer, but
and then it doesn't matter what you just said or you're a great friend, but.
So most of the time when we had that word, but it says cancel out everything I just said. In this case it is going to be a positive but but it's going to be different in the sense of what I said last week was. There's a lot of commentators who pastors who say that what we looked at last week about the difficulty in.
Going from couple times ago from them not maturing to all of a sudden. What is apostasy in what's results and that you can't be renewed a second time if it's possible to lose your salvation and then it says also that there are those perhaps in the congregation who may be those who are the type of soil that is thorns and thistles, and they're not true believers in a lot of commentators and pastures.
We'll say, well, he's talking to a particular group of people.
He saw can do the unsaved and whatever and as I told you, I don't think so. I think he was talking to everyone and he was teaching that.
Apostasy is not something that you take lightly, because if it were possible.
You can't get saved again.
Which is harsh, but he's trying to teach, and so the reason I again feel confident in my position that he was talking to everybody is because he says, but beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you.
So one is positive it's not the you're great, but he's gone. This is what happens if you are an apostate, and if you're in that type of soil, but I'm convinced of better things. So if we were talking about the last, then why would he be convinced of better things because they couldn't get re saved?
So he said here's the warning, but I don't think you're those people.
I'm convinced of better things concerning you.
Which again in this.
Letter.
Better is frequently discussed throughout the whole letter. Jesus was better than the angels. Jesus was better than Moses and he's going to continue on saying that Jesus is a better high priest and that Jesus is a better sacrifice. He keeps going through things that are better and and again. So now he's saying to the congregation that he's speaking to. I'm not only hoping, but I'm convinced of better things.
I'm convinced that you're going to finally get off the dime and start maturing, and I'm convinced that you are not lost and I'm convinced that you're not apostate, and I'm convinced that you're not that type of soil that just wastes the Holy Spirit. He says I'm convinced of better things concerning you.
And things that accompany salvation.
Though we are speaking in this way, so he's saying now I'm I'm providing warning 'cause I want you to keep moving on.
But I know you'll keep moving on.
Which is if you will hopefully like many pastors to say, well, my congregation quite isn't where I'd like it to be, but the reason I haven't resigned is I'm convinced that congregation will move on, and so he's saying I'm convinced that you guys are going to do better, even though we're having to go back to the elementary teachings of salvation.
He says for God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love with which you have shown towards his name in having ministered and instill, ministering to the Saints.
So he's saying.
God remembers what you're doing and in this discussion, even though he doesn't quote it. What he's.
Telling us.
Is that while we are told we're at the love, the Lord our God with all our heart, all our mind, our soul, our strength.
And then quote unquote love our neighbor as a cell. He stating where to love God. Well, as John tells us, well, how do you love God? Is he than anything you can't wrap your arms around? You can't say you know God. You're having a great day, you know, good for you. We can't do those things. So goes. How is it that we can demonstrate our love for God and John tells us that we love one another as he loved us and so.
The writer of Hebrews is saying God knows that you are caring for the Saints, that you are showing love and ministering towards them and therefore God will remember that.
This is how awesome our God is.
Our God made you.
Our God.
Allows you to breathe. Right now every beat of your heart is because of God.
God has also saved us. God has also given us gifts and talents and abilities, and I know some of you have worked very hard to hone those gifts and abilities, but.
I could work as hard from now until the end of my days to be a great senior and I could be a little better than I am now.
But Pavarotti has No Fear of me.
'cause I don't have the talent that he has certainly doing work can make you better. And if you have talent, working hard can give you a more refined craft. But it is God who gave you the talent or ability and then on top of that God has told us what to do with it.
And then if we do what we do with it as he's told us after receiving all these gifts and talents.
And we have the right mind of of frame of mind when we see him, and he goes well done we go. I'm an unprofitable slave. I only did what you told me to do.
So it gave us everything, including our life and our breath and our talents and abilities. He told us what to do with them and if we do everything we're supposed to do with them, the reality is we're only doing what he told us to do. This how awesome God is he still gonna reward you?
Most of us don't think that way. If you do what I tell you to do, you just did what I told you to do.
Your employer, if he goes.
I want you to take this package and move it to the other room and you take that package and move it to the other room. Your boss is done. Well done. I'm gonna give you a raise.
Or, here's a bonus. There's no, you just did what I told you to do. But God says not only do I give you all these things, and not only do I instruct you on these things, and when you do what I tell you to do, I'm going to reward you.
And so here we are told God is not going to forget. So there are times that the church will forget that you spent.
All night making something so that vacation Bible school might be well, or that you practice and practice and practice on a special song so that you could bless the congregation. This church will forget all those things God won't.
God knows and sees and remembers what you do for him by doing.
Or his people.
God is awesome.
And we desire that each one of you showed the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of the hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish but imitators of those who, through faith and patience, inherit the promise.
He's telling us.
What you've done, God will remember.
But because God remembers because you did something some other day doesn't mean where to slow down.
Where to keep on keeping on and where to do those things with excellence and ability?
Not just.
As we have this tendency.
When it comes to if we're going to get a grade or we're going to try to get a promotion or something, we're very diligent.
But when it comes to God, well?
Plenty good enough.
You know I did. At least you know I showed up the church. Yeah, I, I missed the first couple of songs and in the first.
Part of this passive sermon and when I got here I watching my.
Cell phone and checking out my.
Facebook page and how cool I am.
Wonderful.
I see.
Think of the great Saints.
That we either no or read of, whether it's in the Bible or some other book that you've read about Billy Graham or whoever, and say.
Why is it there so few Billy Grahams.
We should be like that. We should have the passion and desire.
To be a plus. Plus when it comes to God.
Not playing good enough and enough. Those of you who are desiring to do great things can be very frustrated.
At the rest of God's people who just say, well, it's plenty good enough.
Moses ought to be one of your great.
Examples 'cause he'd get frustrated like crazy.
They kept leading the people of God.
Not because the people of God were worth it, but because God is.
So don't lose patients. Be patient, be imitators. Of those Paul says even to be imitators of him.
I wish I could say be imitators of me.
Maybe someday I can make that statement with full honesty, but when you see. But then again I guess I say, well be imitators of me, until you get to my position. Not as pastor, but get to where I am spiritually and then being imitators of somebody else. If you have to take little baby, you say, well you know I could never be Paul. OK then be me then after me then you could be Billy Graham. Then after Billy Graham you can be Paul.
Take steps but keep on moving on.
And again, how great God is. Verse 13 when for when God made the promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, saying, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply you.
And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.
Think about this.
God when he gave the promise to Abraham.
That he was going to, but when Abraham was an old man and when Sarah was an older lady and was Baron not just an older lady, but she was barren and God says I'm gonna multiply.
And.
And if you can count the number of stars in the sky, you'll be able to count your descendants and the scripture says, and Abraham believed God and was counted to him as righteousness.
God not only said this is what's going to happen, he swore it. Abraham that it would happen.
And as I said, now I find this entries in any patiently waited. Well, that's why I love the the Old Testament, because it tells us and it talks about how great a faither Abraham was.
But there was a time that Abraham tried to help God out. Sarah said, you know, why don't you take my maiden? And maybe God will bless through that and you know?
For the one time, you probably followed her advice. He probably shouldn't have, but he tried to help God out.
But then he had to wait some more and waits and then he told before this he told the Pharaoh and Egypt that that Sarah was his cousin, not his wife. And so we kept having to wait patiently for God to do what God had promised to do. But he even in his doubts at times.
Patiently waited for that promise.
Or men swear by one greater than themselves with them. An oath is given as confirmation.
Is an end of every dispute.
In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise, the unchangeableness of his purpose, I'm going to stop there.
It talks about here that when people are having a dispute, they swear by someone higher than them. So if you were to go to court today and be a witness.
They would have you before you were to take the witness stand. Raise your right hand and they would say.
Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the testimony you're about to give in in the case now pending is the truth? The whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Now notice the next line in our secular society, so help you God.
They say you are the square by a higher power. Even though our culture says there is no God.
But you are the square by higher power, so that what happens if you lie and it's significant lie. They can prosecute you for perjury. You can spend more time in jail than the person you're with testifying to. If you perjure yourself because you swore by a higher power.
But even in not in a courtroom situation, oftentimes.
And the next two examples I want to give is generally people who are truth challenged to begin with.
So they will say, I swear to you on a stack of Bibles.
So what makes a stack of Bibles more holy than one Bible?
But they're trying to convince you I'm really telling you the truth, so I'm I. I swear to you on a stack of Bibles.
Or the other one?
I swear to you on my mother's grave.
And I love it sometimes, but you know, your mom is still alive. You know they can't even tell that truth.
But but somehow their mother's grave is is sacred. And so I'm gonna swear on my mother's grave. I'm telling you that I was wearing on a power higher than me and so they're trying to convince you they're telling the truth by making these great statements.
I hear God says.
There isn't anybody higher.
Some swearing by myself.
I swear on my own self.
That this promise will come true.
To show the heirs of the promise, the heirs of the prompt. Who are they us?
He's not talking about Abraham, he's talking about the heirs of the promise US. Those who believe in Jesus, the son of God who came who lived, who died who rose again.
In his at that right hand of God the Father, we who believe that we are the heirs of the promise.
So that to show the heirs of the promise, the unchangeableness of his purpose in this pose with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie.
God says.
I can't lie.
Because I am the truth, I'm not a truth. I am not your truth. I am the truth.
And the fact of whatever I say I cannot by my nature by who God is, he cannot tell a lie.
He's even greater than George Washington.
'cause I don't know if the Cherry Tree happened, but I know that God can't lie.
So God so by the US, the heirs of the promise have been sworn to on God's own nature, that he is going to do what God says he's going to do, and on top of that God can't lie, so we can't even doubt if you will.
Because when God says it.
It's done.
And yet we're always having to, will God sovereign know if God says something, it is.
You don't need to believe it or not believe it. It is because God can't lie.
So he tells us.
But he loves him so much. He goes, you know.
I know in your human relationships.
We've all met people who prevaricate. That's a nice word for lie, there's.
You you've been around and even you know you, you teach your kids not to lie, but you know some monster came in the middle of night and ripped up their homework. You know we've all been told things that we just know that aren't true, God says.
Hey, I know you don't know me at times because.
You don't have that total relationship that I want with you.
But I can't lie. So because you don't know me that well. I also swear to you it's true.
We have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.
When God can't lie and tells us something, and when God swears by himself, he's going to do something, then that should be strong encouragement.
You see, the world keeps saying, did we have this faith that is blind? No no, we have a faith that responds to what God has promised.
At this point we have realized if you will our salvation.
I have been saved on being saved. I'm going to be safe.
But he's not back yet, and I'm not in heaven yet.
There's a lot of my loved ones and others of our friends and who are in heaven and see him face to face. But at this point we're living in faith and in hope.
One of these days will no longer need hope because we will see him face to face.
But we should be encouraged, not just because God is sovereign, but because God swore in and God can't lie. So have this hope.
Take hold of the hope that simple.
Sing rap onto it.
Don't just let it be out there somewhere.
There's a lot of times.
Will ask for something for our birthday or Christmas.
And we hope our family or friends will get it for us.
I give you a little story I had as a as a kid had hoped and had told my mother and my my brother who is.
15 years older than me that I wanted this slot car set.
Some of you know what that is, and some of you have no clue. Depends on how old you are.
Back in my day, you didn't have to go to a slot car place. You could actually have one at home and had a little Figure 8 and I wanted that.
And I had hope because my mom and my brother were pretty good to me that they get it. So Christmas came and I'm all excited and hopeful.
That then I would get this slot car and then there's this box that's wrapped. That's just the right size for a slot car.
Set and I'm excited.
I opened the package all excited, knowing that my hope is going to be realized.
And it was a racetrack, but was one where you wind up the cars.
Now I was severely disabled.
My mother taught me well to be grateful for what you get.
So with every ounce of ability that a 8 year old could muster.
I looked at my brother and said thank you trying to look genuine and sincere. I'm sure I wasn't, but I was trying because I was taught better, but I was severely disappointed because it was obvious that I told them I wanted an electric slot car.
For my birthday for Christmas.
And after they got a little laugh or whatever, they brought out a different president. And it was the slot card that that I had hoped for.
God's not like that. He's not waiting to get something on you and have a little laugh. If he says this is what you're getting now, notice no one promised me this slot car. It's what I had hoped for. In our case, God has said, this is what's happening.
Hope for it.
I know you haven't got it yet, but if you hope for it, take encouragement because it's going to come because I swore it and I can't lie.
So take hold of that hope.
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul.
I hope both sure and steadfast.
Now what is the purpose of an anchor? The purpose of an anchor so that the ship doesn't wander in the.
Stream or how the the waves are carrying it. It places an anchor so that the ship stays where it is moored.
He's saying take hold of this hope like an anchor so that you don't drift off into unbelief so that you don't drift off into UM.
Para see that you don't drift off being something else that you know that God is promised and that God can't lie and so this prevents us from moving off.
Him, it is an anchor.
To our soul.
That is both sure and steadfast, which means.
If you took an anchor.
Or a 25?
Of foot yacht.
And tried to anchor the Queen Mary. Guess what it ain't gonna happen.
But if you take hold of the anchor of that hope, it was dead fast, and sure you will not drift because it holds tight.
And so it's steadfast and sure.
We don't wander off and.
Which and one which enters within the veil.
He's saying this hope that we have isn't just our floating in line.
It's anchored to the one who's in the Holy of Holies, the one who's within the veil. When you see the term veil, it doesn't mean a bail here. It means the heavenly holy of holies. The separation mark between the holy Place and the Holy of holdings, the separators where.
The priests and the Levites would go daily de minister and the place once a year that the high priest would go.
Says within there where Jesus has entered as a full run runner for us.
Notice this.
As a 4 runner for us.
He didn't say on our behalf alone.
He's there.
Before we get there.
But we too can be within the Holy of Holies because we are a holy priesthood.
A royal nation.
Where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Now according to my time, I've gotta stop here because we can't chew on too much at any one time. And you know, y'all. Looking at clocking, there's things you want to do, whatever. So I've gotta stop here and cut it again. But notice he's going to. He's brought up Melchizedek before he's going to discuss Melchizedek in greater detail next time.
And so we look at him.
But Jesus.
As it says, here is a high priest forever.
So it doesn't matter how long it'll take us to get there.
Jesus still there.
You see the.
Aaronic priesthood they would go into the Holy of Holies for a brief time once to offer a sacrifice for themselves and then offer a sacrifice for us and then hightail it out of there.
The scripture says that Jesus sat down in the Holy of Holies at the right hand of God, interceding for us.
So you may leave to live to be 125.
Jesus is still interceding for you.
You may live to be 50. Jesus is still living, interceding for you. Jesus is interceding for you the entire time until your hope is no longer. Hope a reality.
When your faith is no longer faith, it's reality.
Steadfast and sure.
This is what Jesus gives us.
It's not blind faith.
It's faith.
It's not a substitute for what we don't know is for the fact that when we hear God speak.
We take him seriously. We believe him.
That is why I say over and over the people who say God said it. I believe it that settles it are absolutely wrong.
God said death settles in.
It doesn't matter where other believe it or not.
If God told Abraham.
Your descendants will be more than the stars of the sky.
My unbelief is not going to stop it.
'cause he doesn't lie.
So this week.
I'm sure you will, but if not this week next week.
If you have that difficulty, you're having that struggle.
No, the God has promised you.
He can't lie and he swore upon himself.
People my swear in court on him people. My swear on a stack of Bibles are on their mother's grave.
But God can't swear by anything higher.
But that's not even necessary, because if God said it, that's it.
So when you're struggling, you don't need to say, well, God sovereign, he's king. No God is who God is.
And I will trust him.
And I will set my hope on, not the situation. I will set my hope on him and as long as you set your hope on him, you will not wonder in the winds and the storms of life. But you will be steadfast and sure.
And therefore.
We had to build our lives on him.
And all God's people said.