Hold Tight To The Hope We Have Series

I. EXORDIUM:

Are you holding tight? Are you fighting the good fight of faith?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show that we need to hold tight to the hope we have and fight the good fight of faith.

IV. TEXT:

Hebrews 10:23 (Amplified Bible)

10:23 So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word.

V. THESIS:

Thank You very much, LORD JESUS, for You are Faithful who will also be the One to hold us tight and fight the good fight of faith in us.

VI. TITLE:

Hold Tight To The Hope We Have

Subtitle: Study on the Book of Hebrews

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Date of writing: Before AD. 70

B. Style of writing: Best Greek style

C. Authorship: Not specific, but generally attributed to Apostle Paul. Can be also ascribed to Barnabas, Luke, Apollos

D. Audience: Hebrew Christians

E. Theme: Christ is superior to the prophets; Christ is superior to angels - J. Vernon McGee's Thru The Bible

F. Purpose: The chief doctrinal purpose of the writer was to show the transcendent glory of the Christian dispensation, as compared with that of the Old Testament.Thompson Chain - Bible Book Outlines

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. Retain the hope we have

"So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it,"

Hold fast or "katecho" in Greek meaning:

1. to hold back, detain, retain

2. to get possession of, take

Hebrews 3:6 (Amplified Bible)

3:6 But Christ (the Messiah) was faithful over His [own Father’s] house as a Son [and Master of it]. And it is we who are [now members] of this house, if we hold fast and firm to the end our joyful and exultant confidence and sense of triumph in our hope [in Christ].

Hebrews 3:14 (Amplified Bible)

3:14 For we have become fellows with Christ (the Messiah) and share in all He has for us, if only we hold our first newborn confidence and original assured expectation [in virtue of which we are believers] firm and unshaken to the end.

Hebrews 4:14 (Amplified Bible)

4:14 Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him].

Revelation 3:11 (Amplified Bible)

3:11 I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one may rob you and deprive you of your crown.

It is our responsibility to hold on the LORD, that's our part, we retain our hope in GOD, we fight the good fight of faith.

1 Timothy 6:12 (Amplified Bible)

6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned and [for which] you confessed the good confession [of faith] before many witnesses.

B. He who promised is faithful to His Word

"for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word"

CHRIST is "pistos" or Faithful meaning:

1. trusty, faithful

2. easily persuaded

The Word, or "Promised" or "epaggello" in Greek meaning:

1. to announce that one is about to do or furnish something

2. to profess

1 Corinthians 1:9 (Amplified Bible)

1:9 God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (Amplified Bible)

10:13 For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 (Amplified Bible)

5:24 Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].

2 Thessalonians 3:3 (Amplified Bible)

3:3 Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen [you] and set you on a firm foundation and guard you from the evil [one].