I Am Convinced Of Better Things In Your Case

WE ARE CONVINCED OF BETTER THINGS

HEBREWS 6:9

Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. {Hebrews 6:9}

PRE-SERMON QUESTION:

Hey do you have your phones with you today? I have a text question for you. We have a number on the screen that will route to my phone. Send me a text answering the following question:

“Name one person who has been very influential in your spiritual development?”

Please keep the answer to 2 or 3 words. I know this is going to excite you but I need to be able to read them out loud to everyone later in my sermon so brevity in important.

INTRO:

Have you ever heard the saying, “Jesus did not come to make bad people good but to make dead people alive”?

Well I understand the intent behind the adage – namely that Jesus came to save us – and I have even said it myself, but the truth is it is not entirely true.

If Jesus came to give New Life he also came to give Abundant Life.

The book of Proverbs is all about making us better people. It starts, of course, with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs’ imagery for having a relationship with God) but it moves from there to simply showing us how to live an enriched life.

Paul’s epistles and the book of James also give us input into how to be better people.

If we miss this we will fail to experience the best of what God has to offer us. You see, He believes in you and He wants to help you grow and he wants your life to be meaningful.

1. The truth is … the closer we draw to Him to better life can be.

2. The more we assimilate the mind of Christ the better life will be.

3. The more we walk in His Spirit the better life can be.

These three things trans end circumstances in your life and enrich life beyond measure.

This does not in any way assume life will not be hard or you will not be responsible for your successes and failures, but it does mean God’s best for you can be realized.

The writer to Hebrews is talking to people whose lives are hard and hard things are being demanded of them and right here in the midst of one of his sternest warnings he says, “Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation.” {Hebrews 6:9}

I cannot tell you how many times God has encouraged me with those words … how many times they are brought to my mind during times of failure or discouragement. I believe what they do for me they can do for you.

With this in mind I just want to encourage you this morning with some simple truths. Some truths that, if you’ll start to meditate on them and apply them, your life will be enriched.

I think these truths lie in the background of what the author in Hebrews is telling he people. I know these truths are in the background of my life … they are imbedded within my philosophy of living.

I told you some of them when I first arrived and I will, from time to time, remind you of them because I believe they have relevance for you too.

They certainly have relevance regarding how I lead Christ’s church.

1. WHAT GOD SAYS YOU MUST DO GOD KNOWS YOU CAN DO.

Move the dirt to get to the gold!

Andrew Carnegie once talked about the process of gold mining. He said that, in this industry you know and expect to move a lot of dirt. There is no need to complain about the debris because it is part of the task. It goes with the job. But what you must keep in mind is that moving the dirt is not the job ... finding the gold is the job. We move dirt to get to the gold! We are looking for the gold!

Finding the gold in life can be hard. But it will become easier of you are focused on the gold.

Zig Ziglar says, “Life is hard. But if you will be hard on yourself life will be infinitesimally easier.”

Now our Heavenly Father does not always make it easy either – but He knows you and he knows you can do what He calls you to do.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. {Philippians 4:13}

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. {1 John 4:4}