Working Out Your Salvation Series

1. Title: Working Out Your Salvation

2. Text: Hebrews 3

3. Audience: Villa Heights Christian Church, AM crowd, fpr the series “Nothing Better Than The Best”

4. Objectives:

-for the people to understand what it means to “work out your salvation”; to understand that the root of disobedience is waning faith, and to understand that can be helped; to understand that there is a continual danger of falling away if we choose to

-for the people to feel urged to work out their salvation – to have a concern for strong faith and faithfulness that will honor God by acting like God’s house; to feel that unfaithful lifestyles are not acceptable in the Household

-for the people to hold each other accountable and to encourage one another to love and good deeds as a way of life

5. When I finish my sermon I want my audience to better understand where godly living fits into the salvation picture and to try to be more and more like God’s Household

6. Type: expository

7. Dominant Thought: Being the Household of God, the people of God have great reason to work out their salvation and encourage one another to be faithful

8. Outline:

Intro – Someone once said to a preacher, “I know we’re supposed to be different as Christ-followers. Obviously, the Church has failed at loving one another. Since people aren’t going to be able to tell we’re Christians by that, shouldn’t we at least be weird?” I’m not sure that’s the right question to ask, but there are a lot of questions out there about what makes a Christian person different from anyone else.

Today, we begin a new series through the letter in the NT we call Hebrews. It’s called that because it seems to be directed to formerly Jewish people who have become Christians.

The series is called “Nothing Better Than The Best.” There’s a simple reason for that series title. The entire letter of Hebrews was written especially to spell out the way the New Covenant is better than the Old. Chapter after chapter compares some OT person or thing to its NT counterpart. It’s going to take us into the OT a lot, and I hope it will help you to especially appreciate how the OT helps us in our understanding of Jesus

Hebrews 3

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

Moses was a great hero of the OT. He went the extra mile plus 10 when it came to patience and love for the nation of Israel under his leadership. But, compared to Jesus, his role isn’t as significant. God built the nation of Israel, of which Moses was a part. Moses was a servant to God’s people – a servant in God’s house, if you will. Jesus came as the Son in the house. Moses was faithful as a servant, Jesus as the Son.

Jesus is the Builder of His household – and (V6) we are that house! Now, ponder that for a minute. This building isn’t the House of God. In its beginning days, the Church didn’t even have buildings. If you’ve accepted Jesus, you’re a part of the House of God. The house is never greater than its builder. It is a reflection on the builder – hang onto that for just a moment.

Just like Moses was a part of God’s House in the OT, you and I are the House of God today.

I. You Are The House of God – That’s Important

It’s important because it means…

1. God has built you

Jesus told Peter “I will build My church.” Sure enough, on the day it began, Luke records in Acts 2 that the Lord added day by day those who were being saved. 1 Peter 2:5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house…

The Church wasn’t man’s idea. When you and I accepted Christ, we became part of this God-mess called the Church. You can find all kinds of flaws with it and bellyache about what’s wrong in it, but the fact is God is the Builder of the Church. He has a lot of expense and work invested in His Church, and I believe, from the way He speaks of it, that He’s partial to His Church.