The Challenge Of Choosing Full Disclosure-1 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 deeply/profoundly consider the aspect of their Christian confession concerning Jesus as their Apostle & High Priest.

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

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

What barriers/tendencies 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...

FULL DISCLOSURE / SECRECY(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)

Last time in Hebrews, we looked at...

C— The challenge of choosing An ETERNAL vs. A TEMPORAL REST (3:18--4:11)

Today’s Consideration is...

D— The challenge of choosing ...

FULL DISCLOSURE vs. SECRECY(4:11-13)

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

The CHALLENGE of CHOOSING FULL DISCLOSURE-I

—Hebrews 4:12-14

OR

The WORD on YOUR CONFESSION

Attention:

Tiger Woods(Golf pro)--John Edwards(Presidential candidate)--

Jesse James(Motorcycle mogul), etc.

The writer to the Hebrews set before his audience a deeper/further consideration of a Full Disclosure of the truth regarding their Christian confession.

Christians, tempted by tradition, are encouraged toward a deeper/further consideration of a Full Disclosure.

What challenges do Christians, tempted toward tradition(traditionists), face in the consideration of a Full Disclosure?

6 Challenges traditionists must face in their confession of a Full Disclosure.

1—The challenge of choosing Full Disclosure is accepting the...

LIFE of the word(:12a)

Explanation:(:12a) Alive/Living word of God

:12—“For the word of God is living & powerful, & sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul & spirit, & of joints & marrow, & is a discerner of the thoughts & intents of the heart.”

One’s diligence to enter God’s “rest” is urgent/critical/pressing due to the simple nature of “the word of God,” thru which one is compelled.

The explanation for such critical compulsion comes from the fact that the very written & spoken “word” is indeed from God. As 3:7 declares, it is from the Holy Spirit(God Himself) thru David.

Thus this “word of God” is at once 1) “Living,” 2) “Active”( “powerful”), & 3)Vastly more searching spiritually than even a “two-edged sword” is physically.

“Living/Quick”—zaw—To live (literally or figuratively):-- Life(-time), (a-)live(-ly), quick.

Argumentation:

Jn. 1:1-4—“In the beginning was the Word, & the Word was with God, & the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, & without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, & the life was the light of men.”

Life is indeed in Christ! But it thereby resides in this word from God!

Rom. 10:13-17—“For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”[Joel 2:32] How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”[Isa. 52:7] But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, & hearing by the word of God.”

Lk. 19:12-27—“Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom & to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, & said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ But his citizens hated him, & sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’ Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, & reap what you did not sow.’ And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit & reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, & give it to him who has ten minas.’ (“But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’) ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; & from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, & slay them before me.’””