Actively Seeking Rest

 Hebrews 3: 7-4: 11

            Parenting can be hard, especially when the children are small. Here is some advice that might help.

            Mary’s three small children were stressing her out. She complained to her best friend, “My kids are driving me crazy! They are relentless! I can’t catch a break! I’m exhausted!”

            Mary’s loving friend advised her, “What you need is a playpen to separate the kids from yourself.”

            “Great idea!” Mary said.

            Mary went to the store and bought a playpen. A few days later, her friend called to ask how she was doing.

            “Fantastic! I can’t believe how relaxed I feel,” Mary answered. “I get in that pen with a good book, and the kids don’t bother me one bit.”

            All of us need rest.

            Here is another image courtesy of a sister-in-Christ. Have you noticed the plethora of businesses offering manicures and pedicures? Have you noticed the high volume of business they receive?

            I know of wealthy matrons who love nothing more to get their nails done. I know of junior high girls who are working minimum wage jobs, and still they set aside enough cash to drop by the salon. (I have even known a few men who have gone with their wives or kids to receive pedicures!)

            Why do so many go? Why do some ladies even make sacrifices to get their nails done?

            This sister told me that it is not simply a case of getting ones nails cut. There is often a lot of conversation. The “salonista” is asking questions and finding out about her client. There is the element of the human touch. A connection is taking place. These females are finding—community.

            All of us need community.

            Ironically, we live in a day and age when people can find association in more places of the world than any other time in history. Thanks to the Internet, someone India can read my words moments after I push a button on my computer. Before the day is out, we could be having a conversation.  

            Clearly, communication would be taking place. I could literally make dozens of links like this before the day is out, but it would not be a connection. The contact would be sterile—machine like. They alone could not nurture a soul.

            Today, we have computers and smart phones. We have Internet by Ethernet; we have Wi-Fi. Clearly, in this world today, we are wired; but we are not connected.

            The preacher in Hebrews addressed these needs 2000 years ago. He proclaimed—we need rest, and we need community.

            This passage is going to teach us that spiritual fatigue comes from disobedience, disobedience comes from distraction, distraction comes from unbelief, unbelief comes from misplaced faith, and misplaced faith leads to disconnection.

            The preacher’s words are strong:

7 That is why the Holy Spirit says,

   “Today when you hear his voice, 8 don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness.


9 There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. 10 So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. 
 They refuse to do what I tell them.’ 
 11 So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”

It is an interesting phrase that the Preacher uses: THAT IS WHY THE HOLY SPIRIT SAYS… He is summarizing a statement we looked at last week. I might paraphrase his previous words in this way, “Because Jesus is God, and because he became a human, suffered, was faithful, and endured, let’s pay careful attention so that we don’t drift away; let’s fix our thoughts on Jesus. After all, we are his community. Consequently, let us TODAY listen to his voice. Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

What rebellion? He is talking about the rebellion that occurred in the Wilderness centuries before. He specifically refers to Psalm 95. You have probably sung part of that Psalm before. It starts out, “Come let us sing with joy to the Lord...”

Pretty joyful, right? However, it ends, like this:

Today, if you hear his voice,  8 do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, 
9 where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did. 
10 For forty years I was angry with that generation; 
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.” 
11 So I declared on oath in my anger, 
“They shall never enter my rest” (Psalm 95:7b-11.) NIV 1984

            (Try adding that verse to the devotional song. Trust me, it does not have a good beat, and you cannot dance to it!)

            Playing off that story, the Preacher writes, Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God (Heb. 3:12.)

            What is the connection with rest and obedience? Have you ever seen a child really cranky? What's wrong? Often, it is a lack of rest.

            How many times has your child whined and cried, and you said, “What you need is a good nap.”

            To which your child, with great tears and emotion said, “I don’t need a nap!” Yet, a nap was precisely what was needed—rest. However, your child did not trust your leadership, so he complained. This was active rebellion.

            That happened in the wilderness with the children of Israel. They were not trusting in God. Instead, they rebelled. Their lives were in chaos. Consequently, they were finding no rest.

            Another manifestation of a lack of trust in children is passive aggressive rebellion. You tell your child to go to bed and go to sleep. Instead, he-depending on the era-played games on his iPod, played games on his game boy, played games on his game board, or played games with his rocks. When you attempted to wake him up in the morning, how did he arise? Rested and refreshed? No. Tired.

            I see a parallel here. Sometimes, we don’t like where God’s leadership has taken us in life, so we cram our lives with as many activities as possible. (Perhaps all of them are good activities.)

            These can occur in those times that God tells us to rest; we can’t because we have too many things going. We have not trusted his leadership; therefore, we enjoy no rest.

            The children of Israel were guilty of this as well. God invited them from time to time to rest and wait upon him. Instead, they crammed their lives full of activities. These ranged from building a golden calf to picking up food on the Sabbath. Whereupon they knew not peace; they knew not rest.

            A heart that seeks to rebel against God actively or passively is a heart that is evil, because it is a heart that distrusts God. It is an unbelieving heart, and it will turn away from a LIVING God. That heart will not know connection, community, or rest.

            13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.

14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 Remember what it says:

   “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts 
as Israel did when they rebelled” (Heb. 3:13-15.)

             How do you keep from getting a hardened heart? You look out for each other. This is where connection and community come into play.

            Remember that talking earlier about how we live in a world that is wired but not connected? Let me offer you another image of that.

            Recently, I was attending a basketball game. I saw a young couple sitting in the stands.

            Back in the day, when a couple sat in the stands together, they would often squeeze together, touching each other, and you could hear them whispering words like “lovey-dovey” and “honey-bunny.” It would make you sick!

            This couple was not doing that. They were sitting side by side, each with his or her own cell phone in hand, and they were calmly texting their friends. It was as if neither existed in the other’s world. They were wired, but they were not connected.

            This can happen in churches too. Congregations can morph into a confederation of individuals instead of a close community. We are not called to be “isolationists for Jesus.” Instead, our lives connect, and we encourage and admonish each other to faithfully follow Christ. We may not be wired, but we are connected.

            We are willing to speak the truth in love, like this: “16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? 19 So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.

            The Preacher is warning these Christians, “You’re not hearing! The Israelites hardened their hearts in revolt. You’re heading that way!”

            It is like he is giving them a verse-by-verse commentary. He is proclaiming, “The God who pronounced judgment on Israel also warns us. History tells us we too can fall away (so did Paul, see I Cor. 10:12.) They were not able to enter into the land of promise because of unbelief!”

            I know this is not a popular sermon he is preaching, but the Preacher sees it as vital. It may be confrontational to us, but we need to hear it.

            I have in my notes a question I heard someone ask years ago, “Do you find yourself ignoring the parts of the Bible you don’t like? Herod did that.”

            Ouch!

THE HISTORY LESSON

Now, we can still enter his rest…

1 God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God (Heb. 4:1-2.) NLT

The Christians of Hebrews received the same message as the Israelites: good news—rest was available. It is the same for us today. All we have to do is trust God’s leadership.

            You ever have kids that complained in the car?

            “Where are we going?”

            “To Mel’s Diner and then home.”

            “Mel’s Diner! Can’t we go to McDonalds!?”

            What is the problem? The problem is the kids don’t like the direction you are headed in. They think they know something better. They express this through complaining. (Of course, my kids would never do that!) The problem is—they do not trust your leadership.

            The problem with the children of Israel, and too often, with us, is that we do not like the direction God is headed.

            Okay, watch this, watch this, watch this: 6 So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. 7 So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted:

   “Today when you hear his voice, 
don’t harden your hearts.” NLT

            God is inviting his community to connect and encourage one another to access the rest that he offers—it is there for the taking. Remember this though:

There is a link between salvation and attitude,

and there is a link between salvation and behavior.

            Remember what this preacher has told us in earlier sections: hunger for God… fix your thoughts on Christ. Now he tells us that there is a correlation between our attitude, our behavior, and our salvation. Bad behavior does not condemn us; bad behavior betrays a disbelieving heart. A disbelieving heart condemns.

            A disbelieving heart was revealed in Hebrews by the Christians bailing out on Jesus. The Preacher is telling the Christians, “When you abandon the community of faith, you are demonstrating that your attitude is not right with God. Your attitude is showing you don’t believe what God says. You have put your trust in he words of people.”

            In Hebrews, the situation was rapidly turning into every man for himself! Because of the persecution, they were losing sight of what was important.

   The symptom was fear. The disease was abandoning the church.

   Now, let’s transition to today. What are the symptoms of hearts not trusting in God?

   For some of us, perhaps, the symptom is a jammed schedule. A life crammed with activity to conceal the emptiness we feel. This robs us of rest; this disconnects us from the community of faith.

Remember, even too many good things is a bad thing.

Have you heard about the python problems they are having in Florida? People have imported pythons from other countries for pets. Some of these pythons are escaping into the Everglades. In other cases, the owners are releasing them into the wild. Ultimately, these pythons are reproducing and multiplying exponentially. The problem is that they are feeding on the other wildlife at such a rapid pace, they are destroying the ecosystem.

I appreciate snakes. Pythons are good animals. A few pythons in the Everglades is fine, but too many of them kills off life.

It is the same in our daily lives. A few good things-is fine. Too many good things can kill off a Christian’s spiritual life, which in turn will harm the community of faith. Beware: a life jammed full of activities can ultimately lead to a hard heart.

REST FOR THE WEARY

            Are you tired? Are you stressed? You can find rest…because of heaven: 4:9 So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 10 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world.

            John, in I John, teaches that God’s people can enjoy a quality of eternal life here on this earth. It is a taste of what is to come, but it is a good taste.

            When we view this world through heavenly glasses, we best deal with the stress, pain, or even persecution that comes with a fallen world. Victor Frankel, who wrote about the lessons he learned in surviving the Holocaust, wrote that belief in a strong future means surviving a tough present. That is what the Preacher is attempting to do in this letter—offer an imaginative vision of a strong future in God.

4:11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

            This is the Preacher’s invitation before he announces, “Let’s stand and sing.” Do you know there was a song from the brush arbor days of gospel meetings? It was based on this passage in Hebrews, especially 3:15 (don’t harden your hearts 
as Israel did when they rebelled)

            It was sung at night because that was when everybody from town could meet. The words go like this:

Oh, do not let the Word depart, And close thine eyes against the light;


Poor sinner, harden not your heart,
Be saved, oh, tonight.

(Refrain) Oh, why not tonight?
Oh, why not tonight?
Wilt thou be saved?
Then why not tonight?

            This Preacher is calling for his members to respond. How about us? Let’s say our hearts truly yearn for God, how can we enjoy this rest today?

            On an individual level, I would suggest selling out to Christ, and, out of that commitment, selling out to his Body—the Church. His body becomes our body. His community becomes our community. We love his church like he loves his church. We prioritize to meet with them and encourage them.

            Second, again on the individual level, I suggest we program into our schedule each day spiritual disciplines that will help us keep the “pythons” from crowding out our lives. Prayer, meditation, Bible reading, fasting, individual hymn singing, and Bible study are all ways we can regulate our spiritual ecosystem. These practices can help us keep our hearts soft before God.

            Third, is communal. Your congregation can do what ours does. We have programmed into our assembly ever week a pause button for rest.

            Do you know what a pause button is? On your DVR, or DVD player, or VCR you have a pause button. That allows you to put all of the action on pause.

            We do the same each week. We got it from the early church 2000 years ago. It is the Lord’s Supper.

            At our church, you can count on one time each week, at least for a few minutes, where you can enjoy God’s rest in the community of faith. We mediate on Jesus and the cross. We ponder his death and resurrection… and the implications these ever-living actions have on our lives today. This, if we allow it, can truly be the pause that refreshes.

            May you, this week, enjoy the rest of God.

           

  

There’s A Stirring # 3—The Greatest Pioneer (Heb. 2.5-3:6)

            About 10 years ago, I had a chance to watch a reality show on PBS about modern families who chose to live a life like that of 1880s Montana.

This post in a nutshell: 

Know Jesus, and keep your eyes on him.

            It was as if they had entered a time machine. Three families won a competition, they were from different parts of the country, and they traveled to Montana to participate. The premise was that all aspects of modern life would be totally removed. No tangible aspect of their experience was to be associated with anything but the timeframe of the 1880s.
            Cameras were hidden all over this Montana location, and their lives were recorded over the period of a few months. The thought was, these families would help us to understand what it was like to be a pioneer back in the West in the 1880s. That's why the show was called PIONEER HOUSE.

            The show fascinated me. Evidently, life back then was extremely hard. There were three men who participated, and before the episodes began, each man was rather husky. After only a few months, under these conditions, each male lost an average of 30 pounds. It was a hard life.           

            Their chief competitive event was preparation for the Montana winter. Of the three families, professors of history would evaluate which family would have been the most prepared for a Montana winter in the 1880s.

            Families would work hard to chop wood to supply firewood for the winter. The food would be planted and harvested and canned for the winter. The major question was—would they be able to survive the winter?

            The conclusion of the historians at the end of the event was that none of the families would have survived. All would have perished. Clearly, it was hard to be a pioneer of the West in the 1800s.

            Some of the pioneers of the 1800s perished in real life. It was a difficult challenge. Those who survived often paid a high price. However, the sacrifices these pioneers made assured a better life for us.

            All of this makes me appreciate Jesus. As a matter of fact, the writer of Hebrews uses the term “pioneer” to describe what Jesus was for us. Jesus came to earth to prepare the way for a better life in God. He did a great job.

            Now, to catch up, last week we were talking about how some of the Christians in Hebrews were becoming distracted. They had become Christians, and the community around them had said that was not a good idea. They began to marginalize them. So the newness of Christianity was wearing off.

            We talked also about how many of us may not be distracted by things due to persecution. They may be good things that distract us, but too many good things can be a bad thing. Spiritual failure does not happen immediately. Usually, it is a slow fade.

            I get discouraged sometimes watching a new Christian drift away. All of us can look at the spots in our pews. We can recall friends or families that used to be with us. They got tired, and they got discouraged. They drifted away.

            The Preacher of Hebrews does not say that new programs, promotions or pep rallies will be what will get them in gear. I hope you are not tired and discouraged, I hope your church is not either, but all of us know people who are drifting. We must be proactive, so it does not happen to us.

            What he says is, survival depends on whether or not these Christians know Jesus. It is Jesus’ voice that will last forever.

Heb. 2:5-18–JESUS WAS BOTH GOD AND HUMAN

            No book in the New Testament emphasizes the humanity of Jesus more than Hebrews, nor his transcendence!

Jesus as God (2:5-9)

5 And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about. 6 For in one place the Scriptures say,

   “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, or a son of man that you should care for him? 
 7 Yet you made them only a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. 8 You gave them authority over all things.”

   Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority. 9 What we do see is Jesus, who was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.

1. The Father has placed everything under the son’s feet (2:8.)

            Let me give you a quick summary of what the writer is saying. In verse eight, he tells us that the heavenly father has put everything under Jesus feet; that is to say, Jesus is over all things on this earth. He rules this world.

2. Jesus has been crowned with Glory and Honor (2:9.)

            This is basically an expository sermon from Psalm eight.

3. Jesus has tasted death for everyone (2:9.)

             A note of commentary here—obviously Jesus suffered a physical death. I believe the more profound thought here is Jesus tasted is spiritual death for everyone.

Jesus as Man (2:10-18)

10 God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.

 11 So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12 For he said to God,

   “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people.”

 13 He also said,

   “I will put my trust in him,” that is, “I and the children God has given me.”

14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

 16 We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. 18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

            Hebrews 2:10-18 is a commentary on v. 9, talking about the humanity of Jesus.

1. He is our pioneer. (2:10)

            The word here in some versions is “author.” This is the word used in the Greek myths for Hercules when they described him as champion. Jesus is our champion. Another way of saying it is he is our superhero. He is in solidarity with us.

            What Christmas is complete without a viewing of the movie WHITE CHRISTMAS? My family and I have watched it almost every year.

            The fifties’ film stars Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, as World War II veterans seeking to help their old general, who is struggling in Vermont managing an inn that he owns.

            General Waverly was a beloved general whom they had followed in the war. Speaking of their devotion, they noted, “First we ate, then he ate. First we slept, then he slept.” That was the sacrificial love that had caused the men to sing, “We’ll follow the old man wherever he wants to go…” (Watch the movie sometime on Netflix—it’s a classic.)

            I don’t know if the person who wrote the movie was thinking of Hebrews chapter two, but flip the movie’s words around, and you have our relationship with Jesus—first He died, and someday we’ll die. First He was resurrected, and someday we will be resurrected. He is our pioneer, our trailblazer. Consequently, we’ll follow THE man wherever he wants to go.

2. He is our brother. (2:11-12)

            I wanted a big brother growing up. I used to daydream about how neat it would be to have a big brother. One who would be interested in me, who I could look up to, who would mentor me; I have always been envious of those who have had big brothers.

            I realize there are many of you who cannot related to what I am writing about… those of you who have big brothers! You too have always daydreamed about having big brothers who would be interested in you, who you could look up to, who would mentor you… I get that—that is a different passage for a different day.

            I remember when I was seven years old—we would keep a boy who was eleven or twelve from the Boles Home—a children’s home in Quinlan, Texas. We would keep him for a week or two at a time. I grew quite close to him; his name was Perry.

            My parents tried to adopt him, but his family would not sign off on the papers. I always wondered what happened to him. I wish that we could have adopted him. He was the closest I ever came to having a big brother. I have fond memories of that experience.

            I did not realize until I got older, and began studying the Scriptures, but I have a big brother. He mentors me, he looks after me, He has gone before me, and He protects me. His name is Jesus.

3. He was faithful. 2:13-14, 17, 18

13 He also said,

   “I will put my trust in him,” that is, “I and the children God has given me.”

14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.

            Jesus experienced all of the scuz and crud of this world and was faithful. Verse 17 is our first reference to faith in the book of Hebrews. Faith will be a big deal in this book. Because Jesus held on, God wants us to hold on. Look at chapter 4:14:

             14 Since we have a great high priest, Jesus the Son of God, who has gone into heaven, let us hold on to the faith we have. CEV

            Look at Hebrews10:23: Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.. NIV

            What does the word “unswervingly” mean? Because these Christians did not want to hold on, they wanted to let go.

            This was how the Preacher motivated them. He did not say, hey, let's have a pep rally.

            He who promised is what? Faithful. Faithfulness is important to this preacher because our Lord is faithful. What is the point of this teaching in an exhortation?

              If the Christians of Hebrews were on the fringe, the author says Christ has been on the fringe too. These Christians were not surrounded by a society that was pro-Jesus. Some Christians had lost their jobs; some have lost positions of importance. Some were made to feel embarrassed around their friends. These friends did not think it was very cool to be a Christian. Jesus understood because he had been there too.

            He is saying, "Therefore Holy brothers–that is our status. He has come down to earth to lift you up to heaven.”

4. He is our redeemer. 2:17-18

            17 Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. 18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

            He uses the word “Redeemer” here in Hebrews, and he repeats it in chapters nine and ten. The archaic old-English word for “Redeemer” was “atonement”–“at one meet.” Through Jesus, the father meets us.

            This word in the Old Testament meant “cover.” The blood of lambs and goats was shed to cover sins. The blood of Christ covers our sins.

            The Preacher also notes that Jesus was tempted. Have you ever committed a sin and later pondered it by thinking, “I can't believe I am still not over this sin. I should have been over this years ago.” Do you have any pet sins with which you wrestle? Pet sins can be deadly.

            I read a Christian author's work, discussing the fact that children grow up loving teddy bears. They sometimes figure that since the toys are cuddly, the real things might be also.

            In 1990 two boys scaled the fence at the Bronx Zoo in New York City and went into the polar bear compound. The next day they were found dead. Your pet sin can kill!

            Jesus knows the temptation to have pet sins. My guess is that selfish anger was one of them. Whatever they were, he has faced those. Yet, he never sinned.

            I love this verse in chapter five: 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. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered… (Heb. 5:7-8.)

            He was our pioneer in learning how to obey the Heavenly Father. He was a trailblazer to show us how to deal with temptation. Jesus has experienced the trauma of dealing with sin.

            Now, where do you think the Preacher is going to go with this? An application arrives in Chapter 3.

           

THE PREACHER’S APPLICATION?

FIX YOUR THOUGHTS ON JESUS (Heb. 3:1-6...)

            How does the writer begin chapter 3? In the NIV, he begins with the word “therefore.” I was always taught that when you see the word “therefore,” you look to see what it is there for. In this case, you consider the fact that he has written all of this information up to now, so what? We would say it like this, “In light of what I've just preached, here is how I would apply this.” (If you want to have fun with the book of Hebrews, get a highlighter and highlight the word “therefore” every time it appears in the book of Hebrews. You might be interested in what you find.)

3:1 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. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him…

            I saw a movie about Nelson Mandela and his jailor named James Gregory. Back in the 1960s, the South African government strategically placed a jailor over Mandela who could understand the prisoners’ language and dialects. In other words, the jailor was to eavesdrop in order to discover Mandela’s secrets.

            In time, something the South African authorities would have never suspected happened—Gregory grew to sympathize with Mandela. Observing the violent treatment against the blacks, the jailor decides to read the “Freedom Charter”—a document written by Mandela and his followers.

            The jailor became sympathetic to Mandela and his cause. When others who worked in the prison saw hints of this, they pushed the jailor on the fringe—out in the margin. His own peers withdrew from him. His son was killed in a car “accident.”

            The jailor persevered, and history has proven Gregory correct. He paid a high price for that, but in time, he was very glad he stayed with his beliefs.

            You may be paying a high price for your faith. In time, eternity will prove you correct. You will be glad you paid that price.

            Your family may be pushing you away right now for your faith. You may be a pariah at school or college. You may be suffering at your job for Jesus. The preacher of Hebrews says—hang in there. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Stay focused on Jesus. Keep your thoughts on Jesus.

            How often do you think about Jesus? Hebrews says think about Jesus all of the time. Constantly.

            Therefore... thoughts of Jesus should drive us and motivate us. Unfortunately, too many times my thoughts are focused on me; my self-interest and my desires are what motivate me. This should not be. The Preacher’s admonition changes everything.

            We fix our thoughts on the great pioneer-Jesus-who was faithful.

            Have you heard of Polycarp? Polycarp was the bishop of Smyrna, which today is the city of Izmir, on the west coast of Turkey. He was part of the generation of church leaders who succeeded the apostles. According to one tradition, he was taught by the apostle John and was appointed to his office by the apostles themselves.

            Polycarp was captured by the governing authorities for being an atheist (he did not recognize Caesar as Lord) and was brought before the proconsul. The proconsul tried to persuade him to deny the faith. The proconsul urged him, “Take the oath and I’ll let you go. Curse Christ.” 

            Polycarp replied with the immortal words, “Eighty-six years I have served him, and he never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”

            Perhaps some of these Christians of Hebrews knew Polycarp. If so, that is the conviction the writer wanted them to have.

            Probably for some of these Christians, there had been no one greater than Moses. And so this preacher says to them, “as far as men go, Moses was great. But Moses was nothing like Jesus. Jesus is the epitome of faithfulness.”

…just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future.

            And then note verse 6:

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 (Heb. 3:6.)

One Question: Who is God’s house?

One Answer: The Church

             When you look in the New Testament, you see references over and over again to “house”, “household”, “family”—you know why? Because a lot of people in the New Testament chose to follow Christ, and lost their earthly families over that decision. So God's community, God's family, became their family.

            Talking about these phenomena, John Elliott wrote a book about the first letter from Peter, and he called it HOME FOR THE HOMELESS. That was the life that many Christians found themselves in. So this preacher is telling these Christians, “Jesus is your big brother. The church is your family. They will love you. You love them.”

            James Thompson taught us in class that you cannot look at Hebrews and see it as a book of individuality. This is a book of community. This is about the communal church.

            We live in a day and age that celebrates the individual. People scream out, “I want my rights!” We celebrate the rugged individualists of the westerns.

            I love the movie Shane–a lone gunfighter who addresses the terrorism against a Western settlement in the pioneer days.

            Alan Ladd plays Shane. All Shane wants to do is just fit in and leave his life of gun fighting behind. But Shane is Shane–he is an individual.

            In the movie, the bad guys are killing the pioneers, the settlers, in this little western settlement, so Shane takes it upon himself to face them all down.

            He rides into town, and Joey, a little boy who idolizes him walks behind him all the way in. Which makes me wonder, what kind of mother is Jean Arthur’s character in this movie? But I digress.

            First, Shane encounters the evil gunfighter, Jack Wilson, (played by Jack Palance) in a Wild West duel:

              

        Shane: So you're Jack Wilson.

        Jack: What's that mean to you, Shane?

        Shane: I've heard about you.

        Jack: What have you heard, Shane?

        Shane: I've heard that you're a low-down, Yankee liar.

            Jack draws, but Shane shots him dead. Then Shane kills the rest of the bad guys who were laying in wait for him. Victorious, Shane rides away into the mountains of the Grand Tetons. Joey again trails Shane, beckoning Shane to return. He calls out in plaintive cry, like a little lamb, “Shane. Come back Shane.”

            When he realizes Shane is not coming back, he calls out, “I love you Shane.” Cue the tears.

            We celebrate movies like Shane. (I bet I’ve seen it ten times myself.) The Hebrews’ preacher does not. He instead talks about community, family, unity, togetherness, sacrifice for the community, self-sacrifice, and he tells them, “We are God's household; we share together; we help each other; we encourage each other; we work together; we play together; we are family.”

            So how do we pull this off? He says, “If you're going to survive, the key thing, is whether or not you know Jesus. Know Jesus, and keep your eyes on him.”

            We look at him and we know that he did not quit; he was faithful; from him we gain our perspiration, our motivation, and our inspiration to carry on.

            In the lives of many Christians, there comes a moment when they truly become serious about following Jesus. I've always wondered what motivates that. I think it has something to do with seeing Jesus in a new light—seeing him more clearly as he truly is.

            There is a legend told about the ancient emperor, Cyrus, who was mowing through city-states, territories, and countries, capturing the land and creating an empire. In this story, he entered into one small kingdom, and his soldiers brought the defeated prince and his family into his presence.

            Cyrus had a way of testing the mettle of those whom he conquered, so he asked the Prince, “What would you give me for your life?”

             The prince replied, “I would give you up to half of my kingdom.”

             Cyrus asked, “What could you give me the lives of your children?”

            “I would offer you all of my kingdom—everything that I have,” answered the prince.

            Cyrus saw a beautiful woman standing beside the prince, and he perceived this was the wife of the Prince, so he asked, “What would you give me for the life of your wife?”

            The prince replied, “Then Sir, I would offer you my very life itself.”

            Cyrus was impressed by that answer. He decided to spare the family, including the Prince, and he gave the family their own plot of land to live on.

            Later, reflecting on the events, the Prince spoke about Cyrus and said to his wife, “You know, that Cyrus was a handsome man.”

             His wife answered, “I would not know. For I could not take my eyes off of you.”

            There is something about a husband who loves his wife so much that he would willingly give his life for her. There is something about a bride who loves her husband so much that she lovingly cannot remove her eyes from him.           

            We as the bride of Christ have a husband, who has willingly given his life for us. Let us fix our eyes on Him.

Thanks James Thompson and David DeSilva.