Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• AD 75 - many of the Jewish Christians are tempted to give up Christ and go back to Judiam
• The writers main theme is Jesus
• Who He is
• What He has done
• He is the High Priest
• He is writing to a mixed church
• There are those who are truly converted
• They will not shrink back to perdition but the saving of their souls
• There are those who are not converted
• They are 'professors' but not 'confessors'
• They spoke with their lips but did not believe in their hearts
• There are those who are weak in the faith
• He was writing to a mixed church just as we have today
• Chapter 3 is particularity addressed to those who are very tempted to return to Judiasm
• The writer compares Christ to Abraham and Moses
• Moses was faithful in all his house but Christ is the builder of the house
• Moses wrote the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible)
• Moses wrote down all their laws
• Moses wrote down all their ceremonies
• Moses wrote down all the sacrificial system
• Moses led the people out of Egypt, out of slavery
• Can you not see the greater glory in Jesus Christ?

Consider Christ (v1)

• "Therefore, Holy Brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus"
• Brothers:
• We are brothers in the Lord
• We are holy in the sight of God
• God is imparting Holiness by the work of His Holy Spirit
• These must have been encouraging words
• Therefore:
• Go back to Chapters 1 and 2
• Consider Christ - the express image of the person of God, the glory of the Father, the final revelation from God
• Do not think of the greatness of angels
• The angels are there to worship Jesus
• Jesus was created a little lower than the angels when He was made man, but as God is seated far high
• The angels are created beings, Jesus had no beginning or end
• The angels will serve man in the new heaven
• Consider:
• In the Greek means gaze
• God wants us to stop, think, contemplate and consider Jesus Christ
• The heavenly calling:
• There was a day when the did not know God
• Then God came and made them alive
• They were called with a heavenly calling - to know Christ
• The Apostle:
• Apostle means sent one
• Jesus was anointed by the Father to do God's will
• Jesus had all authority and power from God
• We need not depend on humans that can let us down - but totally rely and depend upon the Lord Jesus Christ
• Moses failed
• Human beings let us down
• The Divine part - God sending
• The High Priest:
• The human part
• Jesus Christ represents us before the Father
• We need no other
• We need no priests or a go between
• The curtain in the temple was torn in two
• We can go direct to Jesus

Compare Christ (v2-6)

• "Moses was also faithful in all His house"
• Moses was obedient
• He spoke to Pharaoh (though there was some initial diffidence)
• He received the law of God
• Leading, praying and interceding for the people
• Jesus is like a prophet unto Moses
• Jesus in comparison to Moses - but then greater than him
• Moses spoke to God as a friend but never addressed Him as Father
• Jesus addressed God as Father
• Moses spoke to God every day but did not please Him every day and sinned
• Jesus obeyed God in every point and pleased Him every day
• Moses was a servant in the House of God
• Jesus was the Son of the Master of the House of God
• Jesus had authority, had permanence
• The House of God is the people of God (the Church)
• Moses was a part of the House (like us)
• Christ is the builder of the House
• Moses saw the glory of God
• Christ was the glory of God
• Moses was an apostle, but his brother was High Priest [Aaron]
• Jesus was Apostle and High Priest
• Jesus was Prophet, Priest and King
• Jesus was the Son
• We may not be tempted at times to follow Moses
• Are we tempted to follow other things?
• Are we tempted to think that our salvation is by our own law keeping?
• Our faith is in the Lord Jesus
• Nothing must take the place of Jesus Christ

Continue to Follow Christ (v6, v14)

• "if"
• How does this fit with your theology?
• How does this fit with perseverance of the saints?
• How does this fit with 'once saved always saved'?
• "...if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end"(v6)
• "...if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end"(v14)
• Does not mean that we cannot backslide?
• God keeps His children
• The proof that we are His is that we do preserve to the end
• We are a new creation
• We have the Holy Spirit within us
• The call is to follow Jesus to the end
• Think of the example of the chrysalis and the butterfly

Consequence of walking away from Christ (v7-19)

• These words are very challenging
• These words are taken from Psalm 95
• The first half about the beauty of holiness
• The second half changes to call the people to account
• God had provided so much for the people but they rejected Him
• When testing and difficult times came, they did not trust God
• Do we blame God when the trials come?
• Do our hearts harden - just like the people in the wilderness
• If so, we are in a very dangerous position
• "Today":
• The emphasis on the present - on Today
• No Christian can rely upon past experiences [apart from Salvation]
• What is our heart like today?
• Only two entered in (Joshua and Caleb)
• Thousands died as they resisted God
• "Beware brethren" (v12)
• The writer is addressing the Church
• "An evil heart"
• Not being tempted
• It means not trusting in God
• Stubborn unbelief
• "Exhort one another" (v13)
• Do not just rely on the pastor or elders to encourage or come alongside those who are backsliding
• Help others, speak to others
• "The deceitfulness of sin" (v13)
• "Partakers in Christ"
• We must not turn away from the living God
• May it be that no-one is lost to hell
• We must not be like a boat that drifts off course (perhaps little by little)
• We must not end up an apostate

Summary:

• Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession and look to Him
• Compare Christ
• Continue to follow Him to the end
• Beware of the consequences of turning away