I settle for being less than the best Christian because …
Hebrews 10:11-18
Introduction
When I was a young boy growing up one of my favorite shows to watch on television was “ABC’s Wide World of Sports”. It came on every Saturday afternoon and the introduction went something like this: Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition… This is ABC's Wide World of Sports!
And to me the promo said it all. If you are going to do something why not do it to win; why not do it so that you are the best at what you are doing? Why would you want to settle for just competing or why would you want to settle for just being part of the team; or why would you want to settle for just getting by? The honor comes in the winning; the honor comes in striving to be the best.
Priest had come and gone throughout the period that the Israelites lived under the sacrificial system. And they were all just about the same. Day in and day out they went through the motions of doing their duties but it never really accomplished anything. The sacrifices that they offered day in and day out never could take away the sins for which the sacrifice was offered.
And then Jesus comes on the scene and He is different. He came to earth to be the high priest. He came to earth to be the sacrifice. He set Himself apart from the other priest; He came to win us back to the Father and Praise God He was successful. And the evidence that He won is that He is now seated at the right hand of God.
I am so glad tonight that Jesus knows what it means to win and Jesus doesn’t settle for less than the best. And He desires His people not to settle for less than the best in their lives too. But yet too many Christians are less than the best Christians they can be; at best, they may be mediocre. And God isn’t pleased. And His church doesn’t need any more less the best Christians filling its pews.
And so the question I have to ask myself is why do I have to strive to be the best Christian I can be? Why can’t I just settle for just getting by in my Christian life?
Read Scriptures: Hebrews 10:11-18
I. Jesus’ sacrifice demands that I cannot settle for being less than the best Christian I can be.
Hebrews 10:12 “But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.”
Jesus didn’t offer just a finger for me; nor did He offer just a hand for me; nor did He offer just an arm, a leg a foot or an eye for me. He offered His whole life for me. He offered Himself completely for me on the cross. That demands my best!
Jesus didn’t offer to help me because He just happened by and saw me in distress. Jesus didn’t help me out of the miry sand I was stuck in because He thought to Himself that “I will help him today and then maybe he will help Me one day”. Instead my Bible tells me in Philippians 2:7 that He left the riches of heaven and “made Himself nothing” so that He could rescue Me. Where He came from and what He became demands that I become the best Christian I can be.
Jesus is God and Jesus is also king. He has had all the benefit of being God for all eternity. But when the fullness of time had come He left His kingship-took off His crown- to become a servant. He gave it all up to come to earth to rescue me. Don’t you think Jesus’ sacrifice demands that I become the best?
II. Jesus’ victory over His enemies demands that I cannot settle for being less than the best Christian I can be.
Hebrews 10:13-14 “Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”
If there is someone who goes ahead of me and clears the path for me then I owe Him by best and Jesus has done just that. Jesus has defeated His enemies so they can not attack and overcome me. The word says “greater is He that is in me then He that is in the world.”
If there is someone who will even the score with my enemies so that I don’t have to go through life worrying about getting even, wouldn’t you think that He deserves your best?
If there is someone who tells you that I will take on all your battles for you – let me fight for you, wouldn’t you think that they deserve your best.
III. Jesus’ personal relationship with me demands that I cannot settle for being less than the best Christian I can be.
Hebrews 10:16 “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”
As the Israelites were heading toward the Promised Land they camped at Mt Sinai and Moses went up the mountain to meet with God. The people could not come close to the mountain less they die because God was on it. God and man had a great gap that separated them.
Once a year the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and meet with God. Only He could enter that sacred place and meet with God. No other Israelite could enter that sacred place and live. There was a great gap between God and man that separated them.
Then Jesus made the sacrifice of Himself and gained the victory over His enemies and He no longer remained a distant God but chose to become a very personal God. No longer was there a great gap that separated me and God. God came up close. He put his laws in my heart, wrote them in my mind and then proceeded to send the Holy Spirit to live within me so that God could personally guide me.
I did not move toward God; God moved toward me and don’t you think that deserves my very best as a Christian. He didn’t have to move toward me but He did and I believe that just deserves my best.
IV. Jesus’ forgiveness of my sins demands that I cannot settle for being less than the best Christian I can be.
Hebrews 10:17 “Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”
I am use to people telling me that they have forgiven my past mistakes but somehow or another every so often my mistakes raises its ugly head in a conversation.
My wife, my friends, my church members they might forgive me for something that I have done or said to them but I know that they don’t have the power to forget so every so often my faults are brought up.
But then, I am so glad today that when I confess my sins to Jesus, He not only forgives me but He remembers them no more.
It seems to me that Jesus didn’t have to take that extra step and not remember my sins any longer. It would have been sufficient if He just forgave them. But He took the extra step for me and remembers them anymore.
Conclusion
And here is my problem. Jesus sacrificed for me; Jesus gained victory over His enemies for me; Jesus drew close to me and Jesus remembers my sins no more and yet I am content just to get by as a Christian.
Something is wrong with that picture. I ought to be sold out to God because He is sold out to me.
As I close I want to challenge you today to step up to the plate and be the Christian God desires you to be. Tell yourself no more just getting by for me as a Christian. I am going to strive to be the best.
Are you willing to accept that challenge today?
