November 11

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Don Merritt
Posted in Bible | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Weekly Bible Study Notes: November 10, 2021

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Don Merritt

Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.

Hebrews 5:1-4

The discussion of Jesus, our great high priest continues through chapter 5.  Here in these verses, we have a description of what a high priest is, someone appointed from among the people to represent them in “matters related to God.” Thus, we would say that the high priest performs the duties of an intermediary between Man and God.  In the case of the Old Testament priesthood, they would present sacrifices for sins and other offerings to God according to the Law. In making intercession, the priest is in a position to understand the plight of humanity since he has the same problems, challenges and temptation as everyone else; he offers sacrifices for his own sins as well as for the rest of the people… and he does not appoint himself as high priest, for this is an office ordained by God.

In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,

“You are my Son;
    today I have become your Father.”

And he says in another place,

“You are a priest forever,
    in the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 5:5-6

Our author is going to some pains here to demonstrate that Jesus, as high priest, is not something that came about by any means other than the assent of God, citing two passages to indicate that His elevation to the office of high priest was indeed a divine appointment.

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 5:7-10

This is a key passage for a couple of reasons. First, we can see three aspects of Jesus priestly ministry: First, we see Jesus’ intercessions through prayer. Throughout the Gospels, we clearly see Jesus as a man of prayer, one who is able to freely, boldly and submissively approach the Father in prayer.  Second, we see Jesus’ priestly ministry through His obedience by the fact that He was willing to offer Himself as the ultimate and transformational sacrifice for sin, once and for all, putting to an end the need for the atoning sacrifices of the Old Covenant system.  Effectively, Jesus made the ultimate intercession with God on behalf of all humanity when He sacrificed Himself.  Third, we see the present priestly ministry of Jesus, in which He is the “source of eternal salvation for all who obey him…”  Notice the conditional nature of this sentence in “all who obey him.” Yes, Jesus is the source of eternal salvation, but we must “obey him.”  I suppose this can be taken two ways, but I take it as meaning that we obey His call to repentance, and accept the grace He has made available to all of us.

In the very last part of this passage, we see a very important fact, one that our author will explain in detail in chapter 7: Jesus, our high priest is a priest in the “order of Melchizedek.” For now, let’s just mention that this is not the order of priests who served in the Old Covenant system by the Law of Moses in the Jerusalem Temple.  This is quite significant!  That tells us that Jesus is not an Old Covenant priest at all, that He serves in an entirely different system that provides entirely different promises.  The Old Covenant system was served by priests in the order of Aaron, the Levitical priesthood.  They could not offer a sacrifice that could result in the forgiveness of sins, they offered sacrifices that could atone for sins, putting off the penalty for sin until a future date when the account would come due, so to speak.  Jesus, on the other hand took sins away completely and forever.

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 5:11-14

Well now, isn’t this an interesting thing to say?  Let’s bear in mind that our author has been talking about Jesus as our great high priest, according to the order of Melchizedek, but he hasn’t discussed Melchizedek yet, he’s only made a reference to him. He has teased us with a contrast between the Old and New Covenant priesthood, and by extension the very nature of the two covenants, and then he diverts his discussion here and gets into the issue of maturity. I really hope that we can avoid the temptation to think that his readers must be very much the immature ones; that we are somehow in a better position spiritually than they were.  If the truth were really to be told, we are not much different today; in fact, we might just be worse off than they were.

I hope that anyone who has the courage to keep reading, will take this as an opportunity for some serious reflection and self-examination, as I am doing as I write this; it is a serious matter.

The author is speaking about the process of spiritual maturity as a life-long journey, a journey of growth and attainment of maturity.  Think of it this way, how long have we gone on with the attitude that when we reach out to those people who are living without a relationship with Christ, and when they agree to receive His grace and become a “new” Christian, our job is done? The reality of the situation is that our job has only just begun!  How many of us have been Christians for a lifetime, but are still “infants” spiritually… yet think we are mature because we can recite scripture and answer trivia questions? How many of us are still growing in our relationships with Christ, versus thinking we need not grow further? Consider our text: “by this time you ought to be teachers” but “you need someone to teach you…” I can attest to the fact, that this is a typical condition in the church today. Notice that there is linkage between “elementary truths of God’s word” and a baby’s milk.  Here the author is using infancy and adulthood as a metaphor for spiritual growth, particularly in relation to the respective diets of the two; “milk” as opposed to “solid food.”

Honestly, as I read these verses, I’m reminded of something a blogging friend said to me several years ago: “The problem with ‘Sunday School’ is that there is no expectation that anyone will actually ever graduate.” How many of us have studied the Bible for decades, but would never even consider teaching or leading a study? The ancient Hebrew mindset went something like this: To hear something is to believe it, to believe something is to know it, and to know something is to do it.

Posted in Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Grace

Posted on November 8, 2021 by Don Merritt
donmerrittonline.com
Posted in Bible | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Living Sacrifices

Posted on November 5, 2021 by Don Merritt
Posted in Christian living | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Weekly Bible Study Motes: November 3, 2021

Posted on November 3, 2021 by Don Merritt

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

“So I declared on oath in my anger,
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.

And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”

Hebrews 4:1-5

The warning continues in this text, but now the warning is building up to something wonderful.  The “promise” of entering His rest still stands. Needless to say, this is sometimes a source of confusion; what exactly is this “rest” that still stands?  In the original Old Testament context, the “rest” was the Promised Land, but it was also the Sabbath.  Now, there seems to be another context taking shape: What’s going on?

Whatever is going on, we still have that hope somehow, and we need to be careful that we don’t fall away from God before we get there. Now our author adds the rest and the Sabbath.  So, is the Sabbath a promise?  Some say so, but last time I checked, it wasn’t a promise, it was a Commandment!  In fact, it’s one of the 10 Commandments, but unlike the other 9, Jesus didn’t re-assert this one in the Gospels:  Why? Because it was the sign of the Old Covenant, just as circumcision is the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant; neither are in force now. And yet, there is still a rest for the people of God…?

Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts.”

Hebrews 4:6-7

There it is again!  There is still a “rest” that we might enter into, and we need to ensure that our hearts aren’t hardened into disbelief, or we might miss out.  I don’t know about you, but I think this is really cool… and great fun! What could he mean?

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

Hebrews 4:8-11

Again the promise, again the warning- and more clues. Joshua led the people into the Land, Moses had given them the Law, and still centuries later, David spoke of another “rest” and the disobedience of old.  Hebrews has several instances where the Old Testament is said to contain “shadows” that are pictures of the glorious reality to come in Christ, and this is the first one of them, even though the author hasn’t come right out and said so yet.  In this case, both the Land and the Sabbath are mere shadows of a great reality that doesn’t come until Christ.  Everything in the Old Covenant is centered on the physical world. The promises, the curses, the worship, the Temple, the festivals… all are physically oriented, but point to a great reality that was to come; this is called “typology” and these things are called “types.”  Thus, the Land and the Sabbath are “types” of something wonderful that the people of the Old Testament had no real concept of… eternity.  When Jesus began speaking of eternal life, He was speaking of something that the Old Testament made no mention of… at all. All of the promises in the Law were earthly, not one was eternal in scope.  Jews do not die and go to Heaven; they die and live through their children. If you don’t believe me, ask one of your Jewish friends.

Yes, I know that some Christians might want to dispute this, saying that God hasn’t kept the Land promise, and will do so in the Millennium. Personally, I think that runs counter to our text right here, but my normal reply is: “Would you rather have a Tel Aviv address for a thousand years, or eternal life with Christ?”  Jesus fulfilled the promise of land with something far better than real estate: This is the wonderful part. Yet, another warning, “make every effort” to enter the rest and not to perish because of disobedience.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 4:12-13

This is the sternest warning of all in this section, and yet it is wonderful at the same time: The Word of God- powerful, penetrating, alive! We often refer to the Scriptures as the Word of God, and so they are.  Then we go and relegate Him to a mere academic discipline full of teachings, rules and promises… even trivia, but the Word of God is never trivial.  The Word of God is powerful, the most powerful force in our universe, for He holds the entire universe together as we saw in chapter 1.  The Word is also a Person.  Go back and read John 1:1-4; 14.  The Word of God is none other than Jesus Christ Himself: The Word of God is Wonderful!

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:14-16

It is altogether fitting that the text shifts from warning against falling away, to the piercing power of the Word of God, and then to our Great High Priest Jesus, for our author has been warning and encouraging his readers to hang on to their faith through a time of great trial lest they should perish. Think about it: They were being told to endure a really horrible time in history, Christians were being burned alive for fun and amusement, and the author is telling the people to endure that rather than turn their backs on God: Yikes!

There is a huge difference between unbelief, turning our backs on God and making an error or committing a sin.  The error part, the sin part is not a problem, for we have a great High Priest.  Since Jesus, our “big brother” has ascended into heaven where He is our high priest who makes intercession for us with God, we must, and we can hold onto our faith.  Jesus, who makes intercession for us with God, has endured every temptation; He knows what it’s like to be a weak human, so He will understand and intercede for us.

Do you see how encouraging this must have been for those brothers and sisters who first heard it?  Isn’t it pretty encouraging for us now?  

With this in mind, the next step is to approach the throne of grace with confidence.  Why? Because we know who our High Priest is, there is nothing to fear… We can remain in our faith and seek forgiveness when we fall short; there is no need to give up and turn our backs on God, thinking that our case is hopeless, for Jesus is in our corner.

Posted in Bible | Leave a comment

Rise Up!

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Don Merritt
donmerrittonline.com
Posted in Christian living | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sunday Sermon Notes: October 31, 2021

Posted on October 31, 2021 by Don Merritt

The Spiritual Practice of Study goes back several thousand years and thus it shouldn’t seem like a new idea to anyone. It can take many forms and can be both an individual and group practice, yet for our purposes in this survey, I will approach the individual side of study rather than the group application. As an individual practice, study is most often approached on a more or less academic basis by most people, and for good reason. Who can argue with the assertion that it is essential for us to have a good foundation in Scriptural understanding?

There is, however, a potential danger to this approach; most of us, in seeking to gain a fundamental understanding of the Scriptures, don’t consult the Scriptures, but instead, consult other works about the Scriptures. As a result, we learn theological doctrine, and only then open the Scriptures to find passages that confirm the teachings we have learned, usually to the exclusion of passages that may contract those teachings.

There is no substitute for reading the Word of God directly.

If you are new to Bible study, it may seem a daunting task at first, but I can assure you that it is not as difficult as it may seem when you begin; here are a few things you should know from the outset.

First, the Scriptures are the written record of God’s revelation of Himself to Mankind. Did you catch that? The written record of God’s revelation of Himself to Mankind.

Second, the Bible is a published volume containing the Scriptures; the terms are similar, but not the same.

Third, when you see the word “version” in the name of a Bible, it means “translation”. They are not different collections of the Scriptures, they are different translations of the same Scriptures from their original Hebrew and Greek texts into English… or whichever language you prefer. Thus, when you see for instance the “King James Version” (KJV) or “New International Version” (NIV) they refer to two different translations, one done in 1611 at the command of King James of England and Scotland, and the other done in the late 20th and again in the early 21st centuries. These are only two popular examples, there are many, many others. Normally, I use the NIV when teaching, although I use several translations in my own study, as well as the original languages.

Fourth, the Scriptures, also called the Word of God, are not like other writings. The Word of God is much more than a collection of old stories, ethical passages, rules and teachings, for the Word is alive and is one and inseparable from the Person of Jesus Christ. While knowing the facts is a very good thing, coming face-to-face with Jesus Christ is the main thing, and should be the goal for any study of Scripture.

Fourth, since getting into God’s Word is the main thing, if you aren’t sure where to start, read a chapter a day. Take your time, this isn’t a race. Start with Matthew, the first book of the New Testament. Before you begin, ask God to guide you, to open the Scriptures to you, to reveal Himself to you and then read slowly.

We are all busy people, but over many years, I have noticed something about busy people: They find time for the things they really want to do, so you can find the time to read God’s Word, and if you can’t find the time, then you can always make the time if you want to; simply schedule it as a daily “to do”.

 

As a Theology Professor, I was pretty good at teaching Scripture from a purely academic perspective; it was my job after all. I would never denigrate academics, quite the opposite, in fact. Yet in the academic environment, I had the nagging realization that we were doing an excellent job of training the next generation of teachers of the law, but not such a great job of teaching and training men and women to be ministers of the gospel. You see, dear reader, there is a fine line there, between placing our faith and trust in our own knowledge and academic skills, and placing our faith and trust in God, and the two kinds of faith are not the same thing.

Now that I am no longer in that environment, when I come across a student who is preparing for the ministry, I encourage them of course, but I also warn them about this peril. Some see it right away, others are quite sure that I have gone utterly mad… par for the course, I suppose.

A few years back I met a young Seminary student who was so very bright. He could cite chapter and verse for most any subject, he could give a philosophical analysis of everything, he knew pretty much everything. He was so very confident in his knowledge, in his analysis, in his insight. However, it quickly became obvious that he had no conception that anything he had learned about the teachings of Scripture had any relevance whatsoever to daily life. Actually, he wasn’t even entirely sure that he was a believer, but he was sure that he was going to be a Professor of Theology one of these days.

And he probably will, and that is the danger I’m talking about.

We can all study the Scriptures as an academic discipline, but the study of Scripture as a spiritual discipline is something different. Of course it is important to have a fundamental knowledge upon which to grow spiritually, but our foundation is built upon Jesus Christ who is the Person of the living Word. Our foundation as Christians is not built upon the letter only, and that is where many go wrong.

Traditionally, many of us have been taught that to grow in the Faith, we need to spend time in prayer and in the Word; that we need to go to Sunday School and be in worship every Sunday. I’m not going to say that this statement is wrong, but I will say that it isn’t nearly good enough.

Here’s what I mean:

Prayer and Study are two different spiritual practices, and that is how it has been taught for over a thousand years, but they need to be done together. Sunday School isn’t a bad thing. Yet it has one great flaw, do you know what that is? There is no contemplation or concept of anyone ever graduating. Since no one graduates from Sunday School, it simply cannot be something that makes disciples for Christ, because the whole point of making disciples, is to train people to become makers of more disciples.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

Do we believe the Word of God? If we do, then we must see that it is not just letters, words and phrases printed on a page. No sir, it is alive in the Person of Christ.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:1-4; 14

When we go to God in prayer, whose presence do we enter? Gee, that’s an easy one, the answer is right in the question: God’s presence. If the living Word was one with God, and prayer brings us to the presence of God, why would we think it’s a good idea to leave God’s presence to study His Word?

Prayer and Study have always been taught as two distinct spiritual practices; maybe we should think differently and combine them instead. I presented our look at Prayer in two different ways, one more formal and traditional, and the other less formal and less traditional, although far from new. Both are good and I recommended both of them in concert, and now I’ll suggest combining them with our study time.

So, we pray, and then we study. Let’s not forget to ask God to direct us in our study, to open His Word to us, to give us the fullness of His Word.

We read slowly through a passage and come across something that seems odd to us: What is that supposed to mean? We look up other passages, we grab a commentary and look it up or Google it… Did we ask God for the answer? If you’re like me, I probably didn’t, after all, I’m a trained professional and went right to the Hebrew or Greek and applied my knowledge and training and experience… O wretched man that I am!

None of those steps is wrong or bad, by the way, only the attitude is a problem.

Just ask Him!

Even better is this approach: Pray the Word.

Take the actual language of the Scriptures and put it into your prayers along the lines of the prayer.  Pray it in short phrases, thank God for His Word, praise Him for what you’ve seen, move on and repeat the process and you’ll get the hang of it. As you come across something you are not sure about, just continue on and ask God to reveal it to you. Relax your mind, ask Him again and thank Him for His amazing Word. Don’t be too surprised when the part you weren’t clear about suddenly pops into your head. If it doesn’t, that’s OK, for often there is something else He wants you to see, and the answer to your question comes along another time.

After an answer comes is when I want to go to my study aids to see if I can confirm the answer that popped into my mind. Let’s be honest, sometimes we only get the answer we wanted to hear, and that might just be our minds playing tricks on us. Usually in those cases, I know I’m wrong about it…

With a little practice, you may well find that the Word of God is a much deeper source of treasure than you had imagined; it’s worth a shot in any case.

Posted in Sunday Class Notes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Proverbs 9:10

Posted on October 29, 2021 by Don Merritt
donmerrittonline.com
Posted in Bible | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Weekly Bible Study Notes: October 27, 2021

Posted on October 27, 2021 by Don Merritt

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.  “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future.  But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

Hebrews 3:1-6

Chapter 3 begins with a summing up from the previous chapter: Fix your thoughts on Jesus!  We acknowledge Him as our “apostle and high priest.” The next sentence is the transition to a comparison between Jesus and Moses…

“Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses” which really sets Jesus apart as an important figure in the Jewish mindset, for apart from Abraham, nobody would have been considered greater than Moses.  “Just as the builder of a house is greater than the house itself” is the comparison between the two. In saying that Moses was faithful as a servant in God’s house, but God is the owner of the house, and Jesus is the owner’s Son and Heir; Moses was working for Him. Thus, Jesus is far greater than Moses.  While Jesus is “over” God’s house, and Moses was a servant in God’s house, we are God’s house, if  “we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.”

Moses served in God’s house. We are God’s house.

Once again, we see a stark contrast between the relationship of Old Testament Israel and God, and the New Testament Church and God; the two are profoundly different.  Israel consisted of God’s covenant people, His Nation on earth.  He was their God and they were His people.  They did not, however have eternal life, the removal of sins or a direct relationship with God.  Christians have these things and more, because while the Israelites were born into their covenant as a function of biology, we are born again into a covenant relationship as a function of the life force of the Holy Spirit within us, and as a result, we are not just His people, but His children, whom Jesus calls brothers; Israel was God’s people, we are God’s family.

This is great news indeed, and I hope you are filled with joy at the thought… BUT… this is very much a conditional statement, for there is a great big IF in the middle of it. Depending on your doctrinal positions, you might start feeling a little uneasy right about now, but I would encourage you to recognize that this is not simply “Don’s crazy thinking” here, for you might have noticed that the rest of the chapter is another warning… and I’m not making that up, obviously.  Of course, you are free to see things differently than I do.

The IF is this: …if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory. What is this hope in which we glory business?  Does he mean just a hopefulness about things in general, or does this specifically refer to something?  Jesus is our hope for glory; our author is making remaining faithful as followers of Jesus a condition for the promises.  In the verses that follow, which will be our next subject, you will see that our author cites examples from the Old Testament that back this up, so if this statement of mine seems unsettling to you, I sure hope you’ll read on…

So, as the Holy Spirit says:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
  do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
    during the time of testing in the wilderness,
where your ancestors tested and tried me,
    though for forty years they saw what I did.
 That is why I was angry with that generation;
    I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,
    and they have not known my ways.’
So I declared on oath in my anger,
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ 

Hebrews 3:7-11; cf Psalm 95:7-11

As we begin, we need to recall that this is an expansion on the conditional statement in verse 6: “And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.” (Heb. 3:6b)

These verses taken from Psalm 95 recount the experience of the people in the wilderness.  You’ll remember that they kept trying God’s patience, complaining, rebelling and being disobedient in the extreme, and of all those who were saved out of Egypt, only two of them were allowed to enter the rest, the Promised Land. Not even Moses was permitted to enter into it; they all perished in the wilderness.  God had promised to deliver Abraham’s descendants out of Egypt, which He did, and into the Promised Land, which He did, even though of the ones who left Egypt, all save 2 died en route. Yet a vast number did enter the Land, but they were born during the 40 years between the exodus from Egypt and the entry into the Land, and thus we can see that God’s promise to Abraham was unconditional for the group called the descendants of Abraham, but conditional to the individuals within the group. God kept His promise to the Israelites in the Wilderness, in spite of the fact that most of them turned their backs on Him and never entered… see how this worked?

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts
    as you did in the rebellion.”

Hebrews 3:12-15

As our attention is turned back to the “here and now” the author issues a challenge to his readers.  They are to “see to it” that they aren’t led to turn their backs on God.  Instead, they are told to “encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today'”.  As I read it, this reference to “Today” tells us that this is a command that is not just for the recipients of the letter, but for all generations until Jesus returns: Encourage one another daily, lest any should fall away from their faith!  This seems to harmonize nicely with the injunction that we love one another, don’t you think?  How can we love one another and not encourage and help our brother or sister in times of trial and testing?

With that warm and cheerful mental image of love, encouragement and community, the author drops another conditional statement: We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. “Share in Christ” refers to all that we have attained in Him: Salvation, forgiveness, freedom, joy, hope, peace, sonship, eternal life, God’s family, co-heirs… all of it… IF… we hold onto our faith until the “very end.”  Then, he repeats the warning from the Psalm…

 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

Hebrews 3:16-19

Hold on to your faith until the very end!  This is the clear message for both his original recipients in Nero’s Rome, undergoing persecution often unto death, and it is also the clear message to us today.  The various theologies might dispute what the alternative is, but all agree that we must hold on to our faith.

By now, three chapters into Hebrews, you should see the pattern: Something wonderful, followed by a warning, and then something wonderful…  What an amazing letter!  I hope you’ll also be seeing that it is not a theoretical kind of book, it is real, living and alive with vitality, the kind of life and vitality that can change a person’s outlook on life itself.

Posted in Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sunday Sermon Notes: October 24, 2021 

Posted on October 24, 2021 by Don Merritt

As we continue our look at the Classical Spiritual Practice of prayer, I’d like to offer another approach to prayer which is both classic, and potentially controversial. The controversy comes into play when people insist that a more formal approach to prayer, like we discussed in last week is the only proper way to pray.

As I’ve mentioned before, God relates to each of us a little differently, and this is nothing that should come as a shock to anyone. God knows us and how to relate to each of us; He created us.  As for me, I think that both approaches are not only valid, but that they enhance each other and deepen my relationship with our Lord when used together. Is my opinion right or wrong? I don’t know, but it works for me. Will it work for you too? I don’t see why it wouldn’t, but the only way for you to find out is to give both a try.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

What is God’s will for us? Where can we find joy? Is it God’s will that we find joy? What should we pray about?

All these questions are answered in the three short verses above.  God’s will for us is that we be joyful, that we pray continually, and that we give thanks in all circumstances.

I don’t know about you, but this seems rather simple to me. Why do so many people say that it is so hard?

When we pray, whose presence are we in?  God’s, of course.

How easy is it to slip back into the old ways when we are in His presence?  Not very, for we are centering on our relationship with Him.  We fall backwards when we are looking away from Him, isn’t that right? So, maybe the key is to do what Paul said, and pray continually!

But how?  We have families, chores, jobs, school… The answer is so easy and so obvious that most of us miss it: just talk to Him.

Yes, that’s right, just talk to Him!!!

Talk to the Lord all the time.  Start when you wake up, “Good morning, Lord, thanks for a new day.”  Was that difficult?  Then, as you get ready, keep talking to Him about your day, about the things on your mind, about how much you love Him, and how thankful you are for all that He has done in your life, and the lives of those around you.  Talk to Him about how much you want to serve Him today, and that you want to serve Him today because you love Him.  Talk to Him on your way out the door, on the bus, in traffic, at your work station.  Talk to Him about your work and how you want to do the very best you can so that that He can be glorified… because of how much you love Him.  Talk to Him at lunch, on your way home, in the kitchen, at the dinner table…

Develop the habit of talking to God.  Approach this not in fear and trembling, but as though you are with your very best friend in all the world… because you are!  He is the friend that you can say everything to, your fears, your sins, your mistakes… He knows about them anyway, so why not get these things off your chest? You see, we don’t need any formal written prayers, that are of dubious value anyway, for this isn’t a corporate or ceremonial thing.  It’s just you and the Lord.  Nobody needs to know, except for the Lord… but soon, everybody will see the difference it makes in who you are and how you behave.  They will see your joy, your inner peace and your new inner strength.  Your whole outlook on life will change as you make this practice a part of who you are in Christ.

None of this means that you might not have a more formal time set aside for prayer and reflection; this will enhance it.  This does not mean that you don’t study the Word; it will enhance your study. This does not mean that you skip church; it will enhance church.

Some of you will note that I’m not saying anything that hasn’t been said before by others, and that is true.  This practice of continual prayer is as old as the Scriptures, and over the centuries many have written about it, including Brother Lawrence in the classic “The Practice of the Presence of God.”  You need not take my word for it, you can get that on the internet for free.

Or, you can just start talking to God right now.  Tell Him how much you love Him in your own simple words, in your own heartfelt way.

Here’s a suggestion: Set aside a regular time for prayer every day. For most people, first thing in the morning is best. If you are concerned that you will run out of time before work or school, get up earlier. I am up by 4 am most days, and although this used to be difficult, now that I’m used to it, the pre-dawn is my favorite time of day. Try the method I set out last week. You can be formal or informal, whichever works best for you. Then, talk with God as much as you can for the rest of your day; you see, these two approaches to prayer are not mutually exclusive.

Posted in Sunday Class Notes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments