BETTER THINGS

HEBREWS

Hebrews• Written soon before fall of Jerusalem 8:13• Anonymously Paul?• To Jews in Judea and Galilee (Hebrew-speaking

Jews)• Masterpiece of logic - new covenant is better• Great motivation for Christians in danger of

falling away permanently• “Main point” 8:1 “we have a high priest seated

at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens”

Hebrews• A Better Covenant 1:1-4:13–A Better Mediator 1:5-2:18–A Better Messenger 3:1-4:13

• A Better Priesthood 4:14-10:18–A Better High Priest 4:14-7:27–A Better Sacrifice 8:1-10:18

• A Better Way 10:19-13:25–A New and Living Way (Faith) 10:19-11:40 –A Better Hope 12:1-13:25

“Let Us” Statements in Hebrews• 4:1 “Let us fear”• 4:11 “Let us be diligent to enter that rest”• 4:16 “Let us come boldly to the throne of

grace”• 6:1 “Let us go on to perfection”• 10:22 “Let us draw near with a true heart in full

assurance of faith.”• 10:23 “Let us hold fast the confession of our

hope without wavering”• 10:24 “Let us consider one another to provoke

unto love and good works”

“Let Us” Statements in Hebrews• 12:1 “Let us run with endurance the race set

before us.”• 12:28 “Let us serve God with reverence and

godly fear.”• 13:13 “Let us go forth to Him, outside the

camp, bearing His reproach.”• 13:15 “Let us continually offer the sacrifice of

praise, that is, the fruit of our lips…”

Warnings in Hebrews• 2:1-4 “How shall we escape if we neglect so

great a salvation?”• 3:7-13 “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any

of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;”

• Heb 4:11-13 “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.”

• 5:11-14 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God;”

Warnings in Hebrews• 6:4-6 “For it is impossible for those who were

once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”

Warnings in Hebrews• 10:26-31 “For if we sin willfully after we have received

the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The Lord will judge His people.“ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Warnings in Hebrews• 12:25-29 “See that you do not refuse Him who

speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.”