Thank You, Jesus!

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 21st of November, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

The Apostle Paul is certainly a very interesting man.  As a Pharisee, he served the temple with zeal, carrying out orders given to him without hesitation, bringing in these converts to the New Way to stand trial for their blasphemes.  He was a good Jew, well taught and knowledgeable of the scriptures and the Law.

And then he was personally touched by Jesus and shown the truth.  From that moment on, once his eyes were opened, Paul almost constantly suffered persecution for his belief and his service to Jesus.  He was arrested, beaten, shipwrecked, threatened, mocked and ridiculed time after time.

But yet, through all of this, Paul was thankful to God and Jesus, for he knew he had been saved.  Nothing else mattered – none of the beatings or time spent in chains.  He had been living a lie, but now was set free by the truth.  Before, he was dead in sin, but now he was redeemed and freed to enjoy life eternal with God.  Through all the pain and torment Paul had to endure, he was always thankful.

Paul shared his thanks with us through his many letters, where he encourages us to be ever thankful, too – not just one day a year, but every day.  Please listen and follow along to what Paul wrote in his 1st letter to his young protégé Timothy.  I’ll be reading chapter 1 verses 12 through 17 and chapter 2 verses 1 through 7 from the New American Standard Bible…

1:12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even though I was previously a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost. 16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost sinner Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

2:1 First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed as a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

--1 Timothy 1:12-17, 2:1-7 (NASB)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for sending Your Son to earth as one of us.  Jesus is Your word in the flesh, who came to shed the light of truth into the darkness of a sinful world.  Thank You, Father, for Your loving mercy shown us.  Please help us truly be grateful in our hearts for all Your many blessings.  Help us show our gratitude by being a blessing to others.  And help us to do as You will and not just what we want to do.  Please keep us strong in our faith and of one purpose in our service to Christ Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.  And Father, please guard us from Satan and those who do his bidding.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this morning.  May Your truth soak into every fiber of our being.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

In his book Folk Psalms of Faith, pastor and author Ray Stedman tells of an experience preacher H. A. Ironside once had in a crowded restaurant.  Just as Ironside was about to begin his meal, a man approached and asked if he could join him.  Ironside invited him to have a seat.  Then, as was his custom, Ironside bowed his head in prayer.  When he opened his eyes, the other man asked, "Do you have a headache?"  Ironside replied, "No, I don't."  The other man asked, "Well, is there something wrong with your food?"  Ironside replied, "No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat."  The man said, "Oh, you're one of those, are you?  Well, I want you to know I never give thanks.  I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don't have to give thanks to anybody when I eat.  I just start right in!"   Ironside replied, "Yes, you're just like my dog.  That's what he does too!"

Can a dog give thanks for its meal?  Can it express gratitude?  I think so.  I believe it says “Thank you” in its undying, faithful service to its master.

Now I’m sure Ironside meant that comment as a slight to the non-believer.  But sometimes I think we should be more like our dogs, who love us unconditionally.  We can say “Thank you”, for our meal and for all that God provides, but those are just words, no matter how many we speak.  We need to be more like a dog, and express our thankfulness in our undying, faithful service to our Master, Jesus.

This coming Thursday is our federally recognized and nationally celebrated Thanksgiving Day.  We know that the early Pilgrim settlers celebrated God’s grace and mercy with a fall harvest feast in 1621, while this New World was subject to English rule.  The very first Thanksgiving Day of these United States was proclaimed by the Continental Congress in 1777 with a document authored by Samuel Adams.  In October of 1787, President George Washington assigned Thursday, November 26th of that year, as an official day to offer thanks to the Almighty God for all He had done to establish and secure this fledgling nation.

The importance of a national day of giving thanks continued off and on over the years until 1863, while this nation battled with itself.  President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November to be “a day of Thanksgiving and Praise”.  So for 158 years now, the United States government has recognized and set aside the last Thursday of each November as a day to give thanks to God for His many blessings in our life and the life of our nation.  For without those blessings, this nation may never have been born, and most certainly would not have stood these many years.

In his 1st letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul tells us to give thanks in everything, in all conditions and situations.  And in his 1st letter to Timothy he himself gives thanks, thanks to Jesus.  And the amazing thing is that he is thanking Jesus for putting him – Paul – into service for our Lord, even though he was blasphemer, a persecutor of the church, and a violent aggressor before he came to know Jesus.  He is thanking Jesus for putting him into the service that saw him beaten, shipwrecked, threatened, and imprisoned multiple times because of that very service and belief in Jesus as Lord.

Of course, Paul isn’t thanking Jesus for the beatings and the rest.  He is thanking the Lord in spite of all he had to endure because Jesus came to save sinners, sinners just like him.  He is thanking Jesus for showing him the truth, for washing him clean of his sin, for leading him to eternal life in heaven.  And he’s thanking Jesus for using him as an example, that if he – the worst sinner of all – could be redeemed, then anyone could find redemption simply by accepting Jesus as Lord.

Thank You, Jesus!

And then Paul goes on to give us reasons why we should be thankful, as if we need more.  We should be thankful and prayerful in behalf of all people, even those we don’t love, or that don’t love us.  This not only might help us lead a more tranquil and quiet life, as Paul puts it, but mainly we should follow this advice because it is good and acceptable in the sight of God, who holds our fate in His hands.

God wants all people to be saved – all people – and to come to know the truth that is Jesus.  Jesus is the only mediator between us and God, the only bridge, the only way we can get back to our heavenly Father.  And He gave of Himself as a ransom for that very reason.  Thank You, Jesus, Lord of all!

Be thankful…  We who call ourselves Christian have the very best reason in all the world to be thankful, for God loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son into this world that we might be saved.  And God, in His great mercy, gives us the faith to believe in His Son Jesus, to accept Him as our Lord, and to follow His commands.  We should thank our Lord with every breath.  We should sing His praises for all to hear.

We don’t know for sure the identity of the author of Psalm 100, but in that short psalm he makes a glorious declaration…

1 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all the earth!

2 Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

3 Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

5 For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

--Psalm 100 (NKJV)

Shout to the Lord with joy!  Serve Him with gladness – not because we should or we must if we want salvation, but because we want to!  Come before Him singing praises to His name, for He made us, we are His!  Be thankful to Him for He is good, He is merciful, He is the everlasting truth, He is God.

Later this week we’ll join millions of others in celebration and observance of Thanksgiving Day.  For many, it will be nothing more than a paid day off and an excuse to overeat.

But I think most folks will take the time to remember, and maybe even talk about, the good and dear things in their lives, those things they are most thankful for.  They’ll cherish their loved ones and friends, whether together with them or not.  They’ll be thankful for their meal, whether a feast at the family table, or a humble plate among other less fortunate folk at the homeless shelter or soup kitchen.  They’ll lift up a quiet prayer to our Lord, a simple “Thank You”.

Family, for those of us so richly blessed by our Father God, for those of us saved by the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, every day should be Thanksgiving Day.  Every single day we should stop and take inventory of all that we have been given, all that we’ve been blessed with.  Every day, with every breath, our hearts should sing our thankful praise to the one true God and to Jesus His Son, who gave His all for us.

Thank You, Father!  Thank You, Jesus!

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for showing mercy to us poor sinners.  We disobeyed You from the very beginning but You never stopped loving us, and when the time was right, You sent Your own Son to offer us salvation.  Thank You, Father, for so great a love.  We believe that Jesus is Your Son, and we try to obey Him.  Sometimes, Father, we just have a tough time loving other people.  Sometimes we have trouble expressing how much Jesus means to us.  Please forgive us those moments of insecurity, those struggles with hatred.  Please help us remain strong and true during these frightening times.  Remind us of all the reasons we have to be thankful and for all Jesus has done for us.  Encourage us and strengthen us as we strive to carry out the work Your Son left for us.  Please keep us strong in our spirit, in our faith, and in our service to You and Jesus.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, You came to this earth as a man of flesh and bone.  You came, knowing full well how it would all turn out, but You came anyway.  You came to fulfill God’s plan.  Thank You, Jesus, for coming in our behalf, and for taking our sins upon Yourself.  Lord, we ask You to help us be good servants and to obey You without hesitation.  Help us stay true to You and faithful no matter what may happen next.  And help us carry on Your work here on earth.  Strengthen our will to do what our Father God wills us to do.  Help us to be more loving, more understanding, kinder to all we encounter each day.  And please help us as we try to show Your love to everyone who crosses our path.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Signs of the Times

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 14th of November, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Have you ever seen the movie “Bruce Almighty”?  Bruce has had a very bad day and he’s in his car driving along while praying to God for a sign.  “Just show me a sign, God”, he prays.  “Show me what to do!”

And all the while we see road signs and construction signs telling him to “Detour”, or pointing “This Way” and “One Way”.  Yet Bruce just keeps driving and praying for a sign, oblivious to all the signs he’s being shown.  Until he wrecks his car, that is, because he didn’t pay attention to the “Road Closed” sign.

Family, our Bible is full of signs from God.  We have signs pointing us which way to go, and signs warning us about what is ahead.  We even have signs that Jesus Himself erected for us, to keep us on the right, and righteous, route.  Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle Mark recorded in his Gospel account, in chapter 12 verses 38 through 40 and chapter 13 verses 1 through 8, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

12:38 He said to them in His teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, 39 the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance's sake make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

13:1 Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”

2 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”

5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 6 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. 7 But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

--Mark 12:38-40; 13:1-8 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for all the signs You put in place for us to clearly see in our Bible.  All we need to do is read this great book to be guided through this life.  Thank You, Father, for showing us the path to walk and for warning us of the pitfalls ahead.  Please help us see and pay attention to the signs You give us.  Help us stay safe and be more righteous in Your eyes.  And help us to do as You will and not just what we want to do.  Please keep us strong in our faith and of one purpose in our service to Christ Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.  And Father, please guard us from Satan and those who do his bidding.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this morning.  Remove the scales from our eyes and the blinders over our hearts so we can clearly see Your signs.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

During the 1982 war in the Falkland Islands between England and Argentina, the Royal Navy's 3,500-ton destroyer HMS Sheffield was sunk by a single missile fired from an Argentine fighter jet.  It caused some people to wonder if modern surface warships were obsolete, sitting ducks for today's sophisticated missiles. But a later check revealed that the Sheffield's defenses did pick up the incoming missile, and the ship's computer correctly identified it as a French-made Exocet. But the computer was programmed to ignore Exocets as "friendly." The Sheffield was sunk by a missile it saw coming and could have evaded.

The ship’s systems saw the approaching missile in time to intercept and destroy it before it could impact, yet they did nothing to stop it.  Why?  Because the missile was correctly identified as one made by an ally, the French, even though it was launched, in this case, by an enemy.  So while it was definitely, clearly on a collision course, the missile was allowed to pass, untouched, until it struck the Sheffield and sank her. They saw the sign, but ignored it.

Well family, we humans have been warned of a missile called "condemnation" that is headed straight for us.  People can easily evade it by accepting Jesus as Lord, but so many won't.  So many people will ignore the sign that missile bears.  And they will be sunk, for all eternity.

In the first part of our scripture reading, Jesus tells us to be leery of those who are basically only pretending to be Christians.  They put on a good act so that they can receive the admiration and praises of their fellow man, while actually causing harm to others, including the most vulnerable in their community.

We’ve seen that kind of behavior in action, haven’t we?  Especially from some of our politicians and public officials who take advantage of photo ops to make themselves look good to the masses, while enacting and enforcing policies that actually hurt the people they purportedly help.  And sadly, we can see this behavior in many pulpits, where greed has taken hold even of those called to serve Jesus by tending to His flock.

None of this is new, because greed and avarice have always been man’s downfall.  But as incidents increase, we can take it as a sign of the approaching fulfillment of all that Jesus told us.

And then we come to the more explicit signs Jesus told us to watch for in chapter 13.  Again there’s that warning to beware false prophets, false teachers, false Christians, even those who may claim to be the returned Christ.  We can easily see the false teachers and fake Christians around us.  But family, there are also those who are claiming to be Jesus by putting writings out there the He supposedly wrote, new writings, telling us what He really meant by the things recorded in our Bible.

Signs of the times.  Wars and rumors of wars come next.  But again, this is nothing new.  Mankind has been at war with himself since Cain first struck down his brother Abel.  Jesus tells us not to let any of this trouble us because these things must happen.  Before He comes again, certain things must happen.  And these, therefore, become our signs.

The ever accelerating instances of wars and threats of war.  Nation rising up against nation, kingdom against kingdom, family against family, neighbor against neighbor.  Earthquakes, famines, and troubles popping up all over.  Jesus wasn’t overly specific here, but I think “troubles” could include floods, wildfires, drought, and pandemics.

And yes, we’ve been experiencing these things throughout our history.  But the thing is, they are increasing in numbers, in frequency, and in devastating effect.  And the scary things is, Jesus says this is only the beginnings of sorrows.  There’s worse yet to come.

Now none of this is meant to frighten us, but to prepare us.  If we truly believe in Jesus, we will trust what He tells us and take His warning to heart.  If we don’t ignore the signs of the times, we will understand what is to come – and it may be soon - and be better prepared.

The important thing is to keep our faith firm and secure, no matter what happens.  As we come across sign after sign, faster and faster, we must not lose hope and let our faith waver.  Trust in God always, and trust in the word of our Lord Jesus, for His signs are not all bad.

The last book in our Bible contains the vision of what is to come that Jesus showed to the Apostle John.  For many, this is truly a frightening glimpse into what we may have to endure.  But it resolves with Jesus coming again to set everything right.

Listen to the wonderful reassurances the Book of Revelation opens with, from chapter 1, verses 1 through 8…

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

--Revelation 1:1-8 (NKJV)

Hear these words of prophecy and hold them close to your heart, for the time is near when all will be fulfilled.  Jesus is coming again, and this time in all His glory, not hidden in some obscure manger but coming with clouds.  Every eye will see Him, believers and non-believers, those who follow Him and those who rejected Him.

And there will be a great mourning across the land as the non-believers realize it was all true; everything in our Bible was all true.  The signs were there all along.  But too many people ignored them.

Family, we don’t want to be like Bruce Almighty, not paying a bit of attention to the signs God has posted for us until we crash.  We must keep our faith strong.  We must continue to serve our Lord Jesus, trusting in Him to set everything right, trusting in His word.

Bad, scary things will happen, must happen, and with increasing frequency.  But we can’t let it get us down, or shake loose our hold on the truth of Jesus’ word.  When our Lord returns, He’ll call us home and none of what we’ve gone through will matter.

Just be watchful of the signs, knowing what is to come, and keep a firm grip on your faith.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for setting Your great plan in place that will allow us to live with You forever, just as You intended in the first place.  All we have to do is believe in Your Son Jesus and maintain our faith and obedience to the end.  Thank You, Father, for having mercy on us.  Please help us remain strong and true during these frightening times.  Sometimes, Father, we get too busy to watch for the signs You set for us.  Please forgive us when we ignore those signs and warnings.  Help us to endure what is yet to come.  Remind us that a far greater tomorrow awaits us if we remain faithful and true.  Encourage us and strengthen us as we strive to carry out the work Jesus left for us even as the world seems to be falling apart.  Please keep us strong in our spirit, in our faith, and in our service to You and Jesus.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, You warn us of troubling times yet to come.  We realize that this is not meant to scare us, but to prepare us, to forewarn us.  Thank You, Jesus, for letting us know what lies ahead.  Lord, we ask You to help us remain vigilant and watchful for the sign of the times.  Help us stay true to You and faithful no matter what may happen next.  And help us carry on Your work here on earth.  Strengthen our will to do what our Father God wills us to do.  Help us to be more loving, more understanding, kinder to all we encounter each day.  And please help us as we try to show Your love to everyone who crosses our path.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Hold to the Hope

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 7th of November, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

There is a lot we don’t know about our New Testament Book of Hebrews.  We don’t know who the author was, although there has been much debate and many names suggested, including the Apostles Paul and Barnabas along with Silas, Apollos, and Clement of Rome.  We don’t know for sure who the letter was written to, although it’s very title indicates its readership would have been the early Jewish converts to Christianity, and most likely those in Italy.  We don’t know when it was written, although most indicators point to sometime in the late 60s.

But we do know that the author displays great literary and rhetorical skills in his writing.  We do know that this letter provided much needed exhortation to those early Christians who were in danger of abandoning the faith in the face of persecution.  We do know that it shows the superiority of Christ and of Christianity by proving that Christ is superior in both His person and His priesthood.  And we know that it also serves as a warning to us all not to let our faith - our hope - waver and degrade so that we fall back into sinful lives.

Please listen and follow along to the message the author of our Book of Hebrews left for us in chapter 6 of that letter.  This is a little long, but please bear with me as I read from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible…

1 So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. 2 You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.

4 For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened — those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come — 6 and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing Him to the cross once again and holding Him up to public shame.

7 When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. 8 But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it.

9 Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. 10 For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers, as you still do. 11 Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. 12 Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.

13 For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in His own name, saying:

14 “I will certainly bless you,

and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.”

15 Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.

16 Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. 17 God also bound Himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that He would never change His mind. 18 So God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. 20 Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

--Hebrews 6 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for ensuring that this great letter was saved for us through the ages so that we can share in and learn from the instruction it provides.  From this we see how Your Son Jesus is superior in every way to anything this world might offer.  From this we see why it is necessary that we hold to the hope available only through Him.  Thank You, Father, for the undeserved mercy You have shown us.  Please help us mature in our faith.  Help us hold to the hope of eternal life with You that You promise.  And help us to do as You will and not just what we want to do.  Please keep us strong in our faith and of one purpose in our service to Christ Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.  And Father, please guard us from Satan and those who do his bidding.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this morning.  We place all our hope on the promise You made of eternal life with You through Your Son Jesus.  Help us keep that hope alive and strong.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

English writer, philosopher, and lay theologian G. K. Chesterton once noted that, "Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all.  As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength."

Mr. Chesterton says that the virtue of hope is hoping when things are hopeless.  Only when everything is hopeless does hope show its true strength.

Hopelessness, desperation…  I imagine we’ve all tasted those feelings at one time or another, that sense that all is lost, there’s no hope left.  Fact is, when we watch the nightly news or read about what’s going on around us, we may get the sense that there is no longer any hope for this old world.

But I think what Mr. Chesterton is alluding to is that we only feel hopeless if we use the world’s definition of hope.  The world says that hope is the feeling that we will get what we want, that what we want to happen will happen.  It’s almost like a game of chance – either it will happen or it won’t; we’re just hoping that it will.  There’s no guarantee here, just a hope. 

But if we get away from the worldview and shift to our Biblical application of the word, we’ll see hope in a whole new light.  Here we will see hope is the expectation of the fulfillment of promise.  We don’t just hope it will happen, we expect it to happen.  For our true hope is based on God and His word.

Everything God has ever said has come true so far.  Everything He has promised has come to pass to date.  So we have every reason to trust that what He has said will come true, will happen in the future, will indeed come to pass just as He said it will.  This is the basis of our hope, that God’s word is trustworthy and true.

Our problem comes in when, like those early Christians, we start losing that hope, little by little, as the circumstances begin to weigh heavily on us.  Maybe it’s a sense of growing persecution from the unbelieving world, like those early converts experienced.  Maybe it’s a a virus sweeping across the land like the angel of death, infecting even our loved ones, even ourselves.

Slowly our hope begins to fade.  Slowly our complete trust in God shifts toward placing more and more trust in our fellow man.  Our hope begins to slip through our fingers, as hopelessness settles in.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews understood how all this could happen.  He saw it happening to those early converts, and God knew it would happen to us as well.  That’s why the author so strongly encourages them and us to hold to our hope.  He gives us the example of the promise God made to Abraham, a promise made and kept.  And he gives us the fair warning that those who have accepted Jesus, who have shared in the indwelling Holy Spirit, but then turn away from God and reject His Son, they can never be brought back to repentance and salvation.  In their betrayal, they are nailing Jesus to the cross once again, and holding Him up to public ridicule and shame.  This is true hopelessness.

But our author didn’t just leave it at one example, one warning.  A little earlier on in his letter, in chapter 5 verses 1 through 10, our author writes…

1 Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. 2 And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. 3 That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs.

4 And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was. 5 That is why Christ did not honor Himself by assuming He could become High Priest. No, He was chosen by God, who said to Him,

“You are My Son.

Today I have become Your Father.”

6 And in another passage God said to Him,

“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

7 While Jesus was here on earth, He offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the One who could rescue Him from death. And God heard His prayers because of His deep reverence for God. 8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, He learned obedience from the things He suffered. 9 In this way, God qualified Him as a perfect High Priest, and He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him. 10 And God designated Him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

--Hebrews 5:1-10 (NLT)

Now remember that the original audience for this great letter was composed primarily of good Jewish people who had come to believe in Jesus as the Messiah.  Our author used references that they would be familiar with and understand.  In this passage, Psalm 110:4 is cited as an indicator that Jesus had a right to a priesthood that pre-dated the Jewish priesthood begun under Aaron.  Jesus is our great High Priest, and through Him and Him alone we have a direct line straight to God.

Family, I know there is a lot of craziness going on in this world.  The news on TV is filled with it.  We hear of murders, crimes, scams, human trafficking, drug trafficking, use of excessive force by some law enforcement officers, lack of enforcement by others.  We get the latest numbers of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths from the coronavirus along with the health mandates.  Businesses desperately seek employees while supplies shrink and demand grows.  More and more, it just all seems hopeless.  And indeed, if we put our hope in man and mankind, all is truly hopeless.

Our only hope, family, is in God and the promise He made us.  Our only hope is Christ Jesus, who was sacrificed to atone for our sin, whose blood washes us clean.  Our only hope is our continued belief in Jesus, our acceptance of Him as our Lord and Master.  We must hold to that hope, lest we sink into the vast hopelessness of this world.

Hold to the hope, in the blessed name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for always being just and trustworthy.  We can fully trust in You because You have always done just as You said You would.  Thank You, Father, for promising us life eternal with You if we accept Your Son as our Lord.  Please help us hold to the hope You give.  Sometimes, Father, things just seem to be utterly hopeless.  We let the world convince us that we can only depend upon ourselves, upon our fellow man.  Please forgive us those times.  Help us hold Your word in our hearts.  Remind us that You have always kept Your promises.  Help us set the world off to the side and focus only on You and the things of heaven.  Encourage us and strengthen us as we strive to hold on to our hope.  Please keep us strong in our spirit, in our faith, and in our service to You and Jesus.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, it is only through You that we can come and be with our heavenly Father.  By Your blood we are washed clean and by our belief in You we are saved.  Thank You, Jesus, for loving us this much.  Lord, we ask You to help us remain true and faithful to You.  Help us firmly hold to the hope of salvation You offer.  And help us carry on Your work here on earth.  Strengthen our will to do what our Father God wills us to do.  Help us to be more loving, more understanding, kinder to all we encounter each day.  And please help us as we try to show Your love to everyone who crosses our path.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.