“Remember your leaders, who spoke the Word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” Hebrews 13:7
When this verse was written, several of the apostles were already martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ. The Hebrew Christians, many of whom were wavering, were exhorted to remember their leaders, the life they had lived, their faithfulness to God and to imitate their faith. Looking back on my life, some of the greatest blessings I have ever experienced were through the lives and teachings of people walking with the Lord! God wants us to honor those He has entrusted with teaching His Word and follow their example, as they follow Christ. Every ministry leader, every parent and every Christian is leaving a legacy by the words they teach and by their example. Lead well!! You are affecting lives for eternity!
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever,” Hebrews 13:8. People may waver and let you down, but Jesus never will! He doesn’t change His mind about you and decide you weren’t good enough after all! Every challenge He faced, every pressure situation He was in, from the storm upon the sea to Gethsemane, from Pilate’s judgment hall to the cross, only revealed He was the unchanging, majestic Son of God! This is the God who heard our cry and came down. The God who took on humanity as a tiny baby that night in Bethlehem so long ago. Our world may be in turmoil and things look discouraging, but Jesus never changes!
“Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.” Hebrews 13:9. If there is one thing our enemy, Satan is out to destroy, to undermine, to neutralize, it is the gospel of the grace of God. Lost sinners are saved by grace alone, through faith alone – the New Covenant! The enemy does not care what He uses. He will come as a serpent to corrupt the truth or deny the truth. He will sow seeds of doubt about God and whether God is really good! He met Adam and Eve in the garden with the same formula and has used it ever since. He will come as a roaring lion to persecute and intimidate. He loves to get us sidetracked by controversial questions, myths, genealogies and arguments that can’t be resolved. He substitutes a different gospel with a mix of works and grace. He attacks the deity and the finished work of Christ and denies the truth of the Word of God.
We live in a post-Christian culture and it’s not a question of whether your kids will be challenged for their faith, but when! Teach them the living and powerful Word of God! A call has gone forth – the message is clear! Go forth unto Jesus bearing His reproach, this is radical! His way is the way of the cross! His values are counter-culture: love, justice, peace, truth, righteousness, love your enemies, help the hurting, be pure and honest. The Hebrew Christians had many visible things in Judaism they were leaving behind and they were afraid: the Temple, priesthood, altar, sacrifices, holy days, and the Law. They were gaining more than they were losing, but they could only grasp it by faith. They looked for a city with foundations whose builder and maker was God. The city they were clinging to would not endure. In just 2 years, it would be destroyed by the Romans. All gone – the temple, priesthood, the altar, the sacrifices and the people were scattered. God was calling them to a better Way, the Way of the Cross. The God who transcended the universe became a baby in a manger, a human being so He could relate to you, die for you and dwell with you forever. “It is by grace you have been saved through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast,” Ephesians 2:8-9. Trust Him today!
Your friend, Jean (taken from a sermon by Pastor Terry)