The Challenge Of Choosing The Greater Stewardship Series

SERIES: The Careful Considerations of Our Christian Confession—Hebrews 3:1-6; 7-17; 3:18--4:11; 4:11-13; 4:14---5:11

The Hebrews writer pressed upon his audience to further consider the intricacies of their Christian confession.

Christians, tempted by tradition, are encouraged toward a further consideration of their Christian confession.

What challenges do Christians, tempted toward tradition(traditionists), face in their Christian confession?

5 Challenges traditionists must face/reckon with in their Christian confession.

A—A challenge traditionists face in their Christian confession is acceptance of a...

GREATER / LESSER STEWARDSHIP(3:1-6) Faithfulness

B— A challenge traditionists face in their Christian confession is acceptance of a...SINGULAR / DIVIDED HEART(3:7-17)

C— A challenge traditionists face in their Christian confession is acceptance of a...PERMANENT / TEMPORARY REST(3:18--4:11)

D— A challenge traditionists face in their Christian confession is acceptance of a...INVITING / FAILED SECRECY/Protection(4:11-13)

Tiger Woods--John Edwards--Jesse James, etc.

E— A challenge traditionists face in their Christian confession is acceptance of a...PERFECT / LIMITED/Grounded/Earthly PRIESTHOOD(4:14--5:11)

A-The Challenge of Choosing the Greater Stewardship—Hebrews 3:1-6

The writer to the Hebrews set before his audience a deeper/further consideration of Jesus’ Stewardship.

Christians, tempted by tradition, are encouraged toward a deeper/further consideration of Jesus’ Stewardship.

What challenges do Christians, tempted toward tradition(traditionists), face in the consideration of Jesus’ Stewardship?

4 Challenges traditionists must face/reckon with in their confession of Jesus’ Stewardship.

1—The challenge of choosing the greater Steward is accepting the...

FAITHFUL Over the House(:1-2)

Explanation:(:1-2)

:1—Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle & High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,”

“Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling”

The writer is speaking to holy people, that is people who are set apart to God. The Jews are set apart to God, but then so are those who are Christians of Jewish descent.

He is writing to those he considers brothers, which can be Jews as well.

In what sense are they brothers? Holiness, Lineage(Jews) or both? Probably both—judging from the overall content of the book.

The holy brothers He is writing to are brothers in the sense that they are “partakers of the heavenly calling.” What is the heavenly calling?....The formerly hopeless person’s personal acceptance of Jesus as their Savior. & thus they have been granted the privilege to hear & heed the call to heaven by faith in Christ. It is a present state in which they live.

“Holy”—agiov—Most holy thing, a saint. agiov has probably as its fundamental meaning separation, i.e., from the world to God’s service. This separation, however, is not chiefly external, it is rather a separation from evil & defilement. The moral signification of the word is therefore the prominent one. Strong—Sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated):-- (most) Holy (one, thing), saint.

“Partakers/Share”—metocov—1) Sharing in, partaking; 2) A partner (in a work, office, dignity).

“Consider the Apostle & High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,”

“Consider”

“Consider/Fix your thoughts on”—katanoew—1) To perceive, remark, observe, understand;2) To consider attentively, fix one’s eyes or mind upon. Strong—To observe fully:-- behold, consider, discover, perceive. From —noiew—1) To perceive with the mind, to understand, to have understanding; 2) To think upon, heed, ponder, consider. ‘Through Thinking/Understanding.’

The addressed “holy people, are encouraged to “consider” Jesus. They had either not considered Jesus previously, which seems hard to envision, or more probably, they stood in danger of going back to Judaism.

Heb. 6:9—“But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.”

Heb. 10:39—“Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”

“The Apostle & High Priest of our confession”

“Apostle”(See “Christ” below)—apostolov—A delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders. Strong—A delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially A commissioner of Christ ["apostle"] (with miraculous powers):-- Apostle, Messenger, he that is sent.

The writer is including himself in the audience of “holy brethren” thru stating it as “our confession.”

Jesus is the Apostle, “of our confession.” He has been officially & uniquely sent forth with orders to save mankind. He is the supreme Apostle! 1)An apostle is sent to a specific situation which demands the sender’s involvement, 2)An apostle commands the power & authority of the sender, 3)An apostle speaks a specific message(to the situation) which is on behalf of the sender.

Lk. 4:18-21—““The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” Then He closed the book, & gave it back to the attendant & sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.””