Title: Hold On!
Purpose: To inspire a confident faith in Christians


Intro:
  1. Hoping for nice weather is not Biblical Hope
  2. The rebuke for immaturity with an admonition to move on to maturity (5:11-6:8)
  3. They had lost their drive. Look at the exhortations that have stacked up
    1. We must pay closer attention to what we have heard (2:1)
    2. Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts (3:7)
    3. Take care brethren lest there be in any of you an evil unbelieving heart (3:12)
    4. Encourage one another day after day while it is still called today (3:13)
    5. Let us fear, lest while a promise remains of entering his rest, we fall short of it (4:1)
    6. Let us be diligent to enter that rest (4:11)
    7. Let us hold fast our confession (4:14)
    8. Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace (4:16)
    9. Let us press on to maturity (6:1)
  4. 3:6, 14 - Outlines part of the problem, they had lost their assurance, their confidence, their "boast of hope"
  5. The driving force behind doing anything is an expectation of reward (a hope)
  6. After the lengthy rebuke and admonition, the author wants to encourage the Hebrews
  7. TEXT: Hebrews 6:9-20
    1. Words such as "hope", "promise", "oath", "patience" are all repeatedly used...
    2. We are to be diligent to "Realize our full assurance of hope until the end"
    3. How? Through 3 Realizations -


I. Realization that God Recognizes your work (v.9-10)

  1. God is "omniscient", he knows all things and wont forget
  2. Text: "we are convinced of better things concerning you and the things that accompany salvation"
    1. I worked with equipment that came in parts and were "mated"
    2. When equipment is mated, they must stay together to work properly
    3. eg: Socket wrench set. Socket must accompany wrench, or doesn't work
    4. If things accompany salvation, it means that Baptism isn't the only thing
  3. What things accompany salvation?
    1. Your work and love for him
      1. Love is the strongest motivator - 2 Cor 5:9, 13-14
      2. Song, "because he first loved me" - Jesus has demonstrated his love
      3. Nothing more heart breaking than un-returned love
      4. Our love is returned to Jesus by doing his will
    2. Your ministry to the Saints
      1. Feeding, Visiting, Encouraging, Nurturing,
      2. Did NOT say God would remember "church programs"
        • This is a personal instruction
        • Do not put off YOUR ministry to the saints to "church programs"
      3. The saints, (the church) is the bride of Christ
        • It is special
        • I Get riled up when someone mistreats my bride
  4. This suggests that the Hebrews did not totally fall away
    1. Author was convinced of better things (there was HOPE for them)
    2. I am convinced of better things for us
    3. I believe that God will help us overcome these things if we let him--REVIVE US!


II. Realize that God has given us a promise (v.13-18)

  1. God made a promise to Abraham
    1. He would multiply and bless him, he was true to his word
    2. Oath is only as good as what your swear on (v.16)
    3. God swore by himself (v.13)
  2. But what does that have to do with us, that promise was made to Abraham!
    1. (v.17) God's promise to Abraham was also for our benefit.
    2. How? God wanted to show us 2 unchangeable things (v.18)
      1. His purpose
        • Seed promised in Genesis
        • Jesus slain before the foundation of the world
        • Purpose was to redeem those who would receive him
        • Thousands of years, God's purpose was not thwarted.
      2. His oath
        • Basically, that is what a covenant is, an oath
        • God swore by himself
        • It is impossible for God to lie, so he didn't need to make an oath, but he did for our assurance
  3. I've got a cousin who never married
    1. Very nice guy
    2. Most marriages in his family are shambles
    3. People make promises for life, then break them
    4. However, not so with God
  4. God has promised -- is there a therefore? YES.
    1. Abraham received by patiently waiting (100 yrs old became a daddy)
    2. This anticipates talking about what has been promised to us through faith in chapters 11-12 (12:14)
    3. Jesus promised to prepare a place for us
    4. We WILL receive what has been promised through patiently waiting by a God who can be trusted
    5. Patiently waiting requires - Endurance in living out your faith


III. Recognition that Jesus has entered the veil

  1. Jesus died & went into inner sanctuary
    1. This will be expounded on more in the following chapters
    2. Allusion to the Tabernacle (explanation of Tabernacle)
  2. Jesus has done what no other High Priest ever could
    1. Only the High Preist could enter inner sactuary once a year
    2. Only Jesus entered as a "fore-runner"
      1. Similar to "Author" or "Pioneer" in 2:9
      2. He blazed a trail right to the throne
    3. This is the fulfillment of the promise God made - Redemption
  3. God's promise has given us HOPE
    1. It is an anchor of the soul
      1. Wave after wave of hardships, doubt, and time can dash us against the rocks
      2. It won't happen with our anchor, our hope. It keeps us focused when everything goes crazy
    2. It is sure and steadfast
      1. Nothing else in this world is sure
      2. Therefore, can't put all your eggs into one basket
      3. However, YOU CAN put all your eggs into God's basket!
    3. It enters the veil
      1. Behind the veil is where God is
      2. You can get there now through your faith in Jesus
  4. This hope will do you no good unless you do one thing: "sieze it!" (v.18)
    1. Hang on and don't let go
    2. Once you let go, you will be swept away


Conclusion:

  1. Lay hold, seize the hope by faithful recognizing God's work
    1. Recognize that God rememvbers your work and WILL REWARD YOU
    2. Recognize that God has promised you Heaven
    3. Recognize that Jesus has blazed the trail for you to follow into Heaven
  2. These things give us great encouragement, we who have fled for refuge we are safe --- if we are diligent to realize the full assurance of our hope until the end (v.11-12)
  3. How you are to be diligent
    1. v.12 - Imitate those who through faith inherit the promises
    2. This is speaking of people like Abraham who we are to imitate
    3. This means you have to READ, LEARN AND IMITATE
  4. Diligence, then faith and patience, which means endurance.
  5. How much are you reading? -- How much are you learning? -- How much are you taking action on it by imitating?
  6. If you are lacking in diligence, now is the time to seize that anchor.