Promises, Promises, Promises
Hebrews 6: 16-20
Intro: William Penn, the founder of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, was well liked by the Indians. Once they told him he could have as much of their land as he could encompass on foot in a single day. So, early the next morning he started out and walked until late that night. When he finally went to claim his land, the Indians were greatly surprised, for they really didn’t think he would take them seriously. But they kept their promise and gave him a large area, which today is part of the city of Philadelphia. William Penn simply believed what they said.
. Have you ever heard the saying, “promises are made to be broken”. That seems to be the prevailing train of thought today. It used to be that a person’s word or promise was their bond.
. The power of a person’s word is not what it used to be. Today we have to have legalized contracts for absolutely everything; have you tried to buy a house lately. The amount of paperwork is staggering.
. Even with all the contracts and promises that people have, they still disregard them when they don’t like the terms that they originally agreed to.
. We are always hearing about sports figures that make an obscene amount of money to start with, decide that they want to re-negotiate their contracts. It doesn’t matter that they signed the existing contract. In essence they had made a promise but now they wanted to break that promise.
. Our scripture this morning is describing promises.
. Promises that God has made to those who have placed their trust in Him.
. We are back in Hebrews this morning. Hebrews 6:16-20
. 16Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding.
17God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind.
18So 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.
19This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.
20Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
. The book of Hebrews is for me, and I believe for the Hebrew people that were the original recipients, a letter of reassurance and hope. The Hebrew Christians had been going through much persecution for their faith and they needed the reassurance that what they were doing, what they believed in was true and that they could rely on God.
. In these passages of scripture, the writer of Hebrews is reassuring them and us that we can rely on God’s promises.
.There is an old hymn that is in our hymnal called Standing On The Promises Of God. The chorus goes like this.
. Standing, standing, standing on the promises of Christ my Savior, standing, standing, I’m standing on the promises of God.
. In want to call your attention to three promises that can be found in our scripture this morning.
. The first thing we see here is that God promises that He won’t change His Mind.
. We have a promise of security.
. Look at verse 16,17,18 again:
. 16Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding.
17God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind.
18So 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.
. He says that when people take an oath or make a promise that they usually call on someone or something greater than themselves to help them keep that promise.
. I’m sure you have heard people say that they would swear on their mother’s grave that what they were saying is the truth.
. You have probably heard people even say that they swear to God that something they are saying is the truth.
. We even do this in our court system today.
. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God.
. Our assumption is that when you use that higher power to seal that promise then you will not break that promise.
. The writer of Hebrews is saying that God has bound Himself with an oath just like we do.
. It’s like God saying I solemnly swear that I am telling you the truth so help me, Me.
. God is swearing by who He is and we can rest assured that He will fulfill His promises.
. Vs 17 Says that God will not change His mind.
. I was watching a TV program a few weeks back and these two guys were talking and one said to the other one, “do you remember the promise that we made to each other about how if one of us got a beautiful girlfriend that the other one would get her to him up with one of her girlfriends.” After arguing about this for a minute, the one with the girlfriend admitted that he had made that agreement. He wanted out of the agreement because he said that when he made the agreement he didn’t think that either one of them would ever have a beautiful girlfriend. Things had changed and he wanted out of the promise.
. Folks when God makes a promise, it’s a promise. He will always fulfill His promises. He won’t change His mind so we can depend upon the hope that He gives us through Jesus Christ.
. God gives us this promise of security.
. The next promise we see is the promise of Refuge.
. Look at verses 18& part of 19 again:
. 18So 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.
19This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls…
. God is our refuge and anchor.
. Naval people tell us that back in the days that this was written and to a certain degree that the ship’s anchor was a safety device as well as a mooring tool.
. When the storms would come, they ships would leave port and go out a little ways and then the crew would take an anchor in a smaller boat as far out as the rope would allow and they would anchor the boat. They would do this in all four directions so that when the storms hit, the ship would be safe, it would be anchored during the storm, no matter which way the storm turned.
. That’s what these two verses are saying.
. God is our anchor.
. Folk’s storms are going to come. We may not know where they are coming from or what direction they are going to take.
. The writer of Hebrews tells us that God promises to be our anchor.
. When storms come, He will be there to ride the storm out with us.
. There was a Christian song that came out several years ago titled The Anchor Holds.
. I want to share pert of it with you
.
. I have journeyed, through the long dark night. Out on the open
Sea. By faith alone, sight unknown and yet His eyes were watching me.
. The anchor holds, though the ship is battered. The anchor holds, though the sails are torn. I have fallen on my knees, as I faced the raging seas. The anchor holds, in spite of the storm.
.God promises that He will be or refuge and anchor in the storms of life that come.
. “I heard about a picture of an old burned-out mountain shack. All that remained was the chimney...the charred debris of what had been that family’s sole possession. In front of this destroyed home stood an old grandfather-looking man dressed only in his under-clothes with a small boy clutching a pair of patched overalls. It was evident that the child was crying. Beneath the picture were the words which the artist felt the old man was speaking to the boy. They were simple words, yet they presented a profound theology and philosophy of life. Those words were? Hush child, God ain’t dead!?
.That vivid picture of that burned-out mountain shack, that old man, the weeping child, and those words? God ain’t dead? Instead of it being a reminder of the despair of life, it has come to be a reminder of hope! We all need reminders that there is hope in this world. In the midst of all of life’s troubles and failures, we need mental pictures to remind us that all is not lost as long as God is alive and in control of His world.”
. Folks God promises to be our anchor and refuge in this life and the life to come.
. Lastly we see a promise of Access.
. Look at verse19 20:
19This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.
20Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
. Before Jesus only the high priest had access to God. Access toi God was Gained through entering what was known as the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle or Temple. Even then they would enter into the presence of God only on the Day of Atonement. This was the day that the High Priest would make the sacrifice for the forgiveness of the sins of the Jewish nation.
. The section of the temple was separated from all the other areas by a curtain.
.The sacrifice of Jesus for our sins did away with this separation between the people and God.
. Jesus’ sacrifice gave us access to God directly. No longer do we need a priest to make sacrifices for us.
. Jesus did that.
. Luke records what would seem to be just a side note of the crucifixion story but is so very very significant.
.Luke 23:44-46
. Jesus is on the cross, minutes before His death and Luke records this.
. 44By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.
45The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle.
46Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.
. The curtain that had separated man from direct fellowship with God was torn right down the middle.
. No longer did man need a priest to sacrifice for him.
. Jesus did that.
. No longer did man need a lamb to be sacrificed for their sins.
. Jesus was the lamb. He is called the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
. Now when we accept this sacrifice that was Jesus on a cross for our sins, we have access to God.
. We don’t need a priest to confess to.
. We don’t need a priest to give us penance.
. Jesus was our penance and we have access to God through the blood of Jesus Christ.
. The writer of Hebrews is telling the Jewish people that now, God promises access to Himself through the blood of Jesus Christ.
. He is telling us the same thing.
. We are promised this access to God anytime we want it.
. All we have to do is ask.
. God promises that no matter what, He won’t change his mind.
. He promises to be our anchor and refuge when we need Him.
. God promises access to Him through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
. Do you believe in God’s promises this morning.
. Christian, He is there for you in the storms of life.
. Non Christian, Do you want access to God? You can have that through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
. Invitation
*** To my Christian brothers and sisters, thank you for taking the time to read this sermon. I ask that you take another second and score this for me. I am always open to feedback so that I can continue to grow in the proclamation of God’s word.
May God bless you as you continue to strive to walk worthy of His calling.
Sources: The Holy Bible, NLT
An Anchor For The Soul, John Hamby, sermon central
Standing On The Promises, Jim Kilson, sermon central
