We begin a new series today - "Does God Care?" We're going to utilize the New Testament book of Hebrews because it was initially written to a group of people pondering the care of God.
Times were hard for the Jewish Christ followers in the First Century of the church. They faced persecution and misunderstanding. Consequently they thought about leaving their lifestyles of following Christ and going completely back to Jewish worship.
This letter was written to encourage them by showing them how very much God cared about them.
If you were with us in December 2007 you'll remember that we already covered the first five chapters of Hebrews in the series "Finding Calm in the Chaos." If you didn't get to hear those messages you may read them on Sermon Central.
We begin this series in Hebrews chapter 6, verses 11-20 in The New Living Translation.
11 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. 12 Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and endurance.
13 For example, there was God's promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying:
14 "I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number."
15 Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.
16 Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question the oath is binding. 17 God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. 18 So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the HOPE that lies before us. 19 This HOPE is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. 20 Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
HOPE! The original readers of the Hebrew letter wrestled to maintain HOPE in the midst of pain and suffering.
We do to.
How can I remain a hopeful person when times are hard?
KEEP ON LOVING OTHERS
Verse 11 - 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.
When we're stressed we often take it out on those nearest to us. In order to be a hopeful person I must learn to fight that natural inclination. I've got to love others instead of becoming myopic (nearsided) and only thinking about my own problems.
When facing difficult stuff in life we often ask "Does God care?" when we ought to be asking ourselves, "Am I loving others?"
Jim Cymbala preaches at a church in the slums of New York City. He tells of one Easter Sunday when he was so tired at the end of the day's worship that he just went to the edge of the platform, loosened his tie and sat down and draped his feet over the edge.
It had been a wonderful worship gathering with many people coming forward to pray about spiritual needs. The counselors were talking to these people when Cymbala looked up the middle aisle, and there about the third row was a man who looked about fifty, disheveled, filthy. Cymbala writes, "He looked up at me rather sheepishly, as if saying, 'Could I talk to you?'
He continues, "So as I sat there, I said to myself, though I am ashamed of it, 'What a way to end a Sunday. I've had such a good time, preaching and ministering, and here's a fellow probably wanting some money for more wine.'
"He walked up. When he got within about five feet of me, I smelled a horrible smell like I'd never smelled in my life. it was so awful that when he got close,I would inhale by looking away, and then I'd talk to him,and then look away to inhale, because I couldn't inhale facing him.
I asked him, "What's your name?" "David." "How long have you been on the street?" "Six years." "How old are you?" "Thirty-two." He looked fifty - hair matted; front teeth missing; wino; eyes slightly glazed.
"Where did you sleep last night, David?" "Abandoned truck."
I keep in my back pocket a money clip that also holds some credit cards. I fumbled to get some money out, thinking, "I won't even get a volunteer. They are all busy talking with others. Usually we don't give money to people. We take them to get something to eat. I took the money out. David pushed his finger in front of me. He said, "I don't want your money. I want this Jesus, the One you were talking about, because I'm not going to make it. I'm going to die on the street."
I completely forgot about David and began to weep for myself. I was going to give a couple dollars to someone God had sent to me.
See how easy it is? I could make the excuse that I was tired. There is no excuse. I was not seeing him the way God sees him. I was not feeling what God feels. But oh, did that change!
David just stood there. He didn't know what was happening. I pleaded with God, "God forgive me! Forgive me! Please forgive me! I am so sorry to represent you this way. I'm so sorry. Here I am with my message and my points,and You send somebody and I am not ready for it. Oh God!"
Something came over me. Suddenly I started to weep deeper, and David began to weep. He fell against my chest as I was sitting there. He fell against my white shirt and tie, and I put my arms around him, and there we wept with each other. The smell of his person became a beautiful aroma.
Here is what I thought the Lord made real to me: "If you don't love this smell, I can't use you, because that is why I called you where you are. This is what you are about. You are about this smell."
Christ changed David's life. He started memorizing portions of Scirpture that were incredible. We got him a place to live. We hired him in the church to do maintenance, and we got his teeth fixed. He was a handsome man when he came out of the hospital. They detoxed him in six days. He spent Thanksgiving at my house. He also spent Christmas at my house. When we were exchanging presents, he pulled out a little thing and he said, "This is for you." It was a little white hanky. It was the only thing he could afford.
A year later David got up and talked about his conversion to Christ. The minute he took the mic and began to speak I said, "The man is a preacher."
This past Easter we ordained David. He is an associate minister of a church over in New Jersey. And I was so close to saying, "Here, take this; I'm a busy preacher." We can get so full of ourselves.
We can get so full of ourselves can't we? And what happens when we get full of ourselves is that our vision becomes so narrow we can't see the grace of God! It is when we get involved in helping others solve their problems that our own hope level rises because our vision becomes broader!
FAITH AND ENDURANCE
Look again at verses 12-15:
12 Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and endurance.
13 For example, there was God's promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying:
14 "I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number."
15 Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.
If I want to remain hopeful, even in the face of discouraging difficulties and circumstances I don't understand, I must decide that I'm not going to quit - no matter what!
One of the greatest and most important days of your life will be that day you determine that you're not going to stop loving God or loving others no matter what!
The Bible here gives the example of Abraham. Can you imagine having our faith and endurance tested like Abe's was?
First God waits until he and his wife Sarah are far past child-bearing age to keep His promise of giving them offspring, then he asks Abraham to offern Isaac up as a sacrifice.
If anyone could have legitimately asked the question, "Does God Care?" it could have Abraham and Sarah.
We sometimes ask ourselves, "If God cared, why would such and such have happened in my life? If God cared, why didn't God do certain things to help me when and how I thought I needed assistance?"
Remember school? The teacher is always silent when the test is being given.
When God is silent, it may be that you are being tested.
Are you passing the test with faith and endurance?
How can we keep on loving others and express faith and endurance?
CONFIDENCE IN GOD'S PROMISES
Let's re-visit verses 16-20:
16 Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question the oath is binding. 17 God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. 18 So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the HOPE that lies before us. 19 This HOPE is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. 20 Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
God isn't fickle. He's not moody. When He makes a promise we can maintain the utmost confidence that He will follow through!
The Greek word translated "oath" is "horkos," which is derived from another Greek word, "herkos," which means, "a fence or enclosure which confines a person."
God took an oath, which means, He confines Himself to doing what He said He would do! He made a promise to Abraham and also swore an oath.
You say, "I wish God would do this for me!"
He has!
19 This HOPE is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. 20 Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchisedek.
Jesus died on the cross to prove the sincerity of God's promises!
"The curtain into God's inner sanctuary," was the thing that separated the two very special rooms in the Jewish temple, The Holy Place and The Most Holy Place.
Jesus went inot The Most Holy Place for us - He entered into the presence of God the Father to present Himself as the one and only sacfrifice for our sins!
Jesus went behind the curtain for us!
Does God care? He cared enough to give Himself in your place to prove the sincerity of His promises!
God will keep His Word in your life.
Your job is to remain hopeful:
KEEP ON LOVING OTHERS
PRACTICE FAITH AND ENDURANCE
HAVE CONFIDENCE IN GOD'S PROMISES!
