Powerful People Persevere Series

Powerful People Persevere

Our theme this year is Powerful People and we are considering how God works in and through ordinary people in a powerful way.

All of us have the potential to be empowered by God, and the way in we which we live our everyday lives, as disciples of Jesus, will affect the ways in which we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us.

This morning I want us to consider the truth that Powerful People Persevere.

The focus of the sermon is Hebrews 6:1-20, but before I read it to you I want to put the passage in context.

The letter to the Hebrews was written to a group of believers who were enduring persecution.

They thought if instead of following Jesus they turned back to Judaism, then the persecution they had to endure would end.

The writer of Hebrews wrote to them not to condemn them, but to warn them of the consequences of turning away from Christ.

To warn them about turning away from the only one who could keep them from everlasting destruction.

The words of this message are as true in 2020 as when they were first written. Salvation is in Christ alone, there is no other way of salvation.

Listen to Hebrews 6:1-12,

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. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding. 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, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— 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. When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it. 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. 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. 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. 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.

There are three points I want us to consider this morning:

DANGER - DILIGENCE - DECLARATION

What is the DANGER?

If Christ is not at the centre of our everyday lives then we are in danger.

We will never be Powerful People if we reject Christ.

We will never be Powerful People if we are not Spiritually Mature.

We will never be Powerful People if our lives today are no different from before we were saved.

Following Jesus requires us to persevere, to move forward, to make an effort to live according to the will and purpose of God.

The writer speaks of the danger faced by those who have been enlightened, those who, spiritually speaking, have been brought from darkness into God’s marvellous light, and then choose to return to living in the darkness of sin.

People who have experienced the free gift of salvation and the joy of knowing in repentance God has forgiven their sins and then grown cold and wandered back into the embrace of the things of the world.

People who have experienced the gift and power of the Holy Spirit operating in their lives who choose to re-embrace sinful thoughts, deeds and actions.

People who have heard the good news of the Gospel and the truth of the Bible and then reject or water-down God’s word to fit their own self-made theology.

God will never empower a person who denies Christ as the Lord of their lives, by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing Him to the cross once again and holding Him up to public shame.