Hebrews II – “What a Friend!”

Hebrews 4:12-16

November 2, 2003

LAST SUNDAY

We began reading what Thomas Long calls “The Sermon to the Hebrews”

He calls it a “sermon” because it’s not really a letter

And he identifies it “to the Hebrews” even though know one knows who “Hebrews” were

[probably new Christians outside of Palestine > Asia Minor ]

And he identifies the author as “The Preacher” because “only God knows who wrote it”

LIFE FOR THE HEBREWS

Life for these Hebrews was pretty miserable > they were in crisis

Christ had not returned yet > at least, not in way they thought

They found themselves under extreme pressure to conform to world

Non-Christians made fun of them > actually abused them

They were tired > more than tired, they were exhausted!

Long suggests they were tired of serving the world

Tired of worship

Tired of being out of step with society

Tired of their spiritual struggle

Tired of trying to keep their prayer lives going

Even tired of Jesus

In response to their fatigue > “The Preacher” could have served up platitudes on a plate

“Don’t worry > God doesn’t give you more than you can endure”

But he didn’t > dove right into truth of the gospel that goes beyond everything that troubled them

JESUS, THEIR FRIEND FOR LIFE

A friend who could help them keep their perspective

A friend who could help them remember who they were, where they were going,

And why things were the way they were

So the Preacher reminded them of their very best friend > Read Hebrews 4:14 -16

Life for us is not that much different as it was for the Hebrews

We can get pretty tired, too > tired of all that our lives demand of us

Story about man who got tired and gradually fell away from his church family

Pastor went to visit him > man didn’t want to talk > so pastor sat with him in silence

After a while > pastor got up and walked over to the fireplace

Took the poker and slowly pulled a glowing coal away from the bed of coals

Then he sat back down in his chair

Both of them watched as that one coal began to lose its glow >

Got dimmer and dimmer > finally there was no warmth to it at all

Without a word > pastor got up and left him alone with that lump of cold coal

The man got the message > next Sunday he was back in church

Because of what God has done for us in Jesus

We have an advocate who works tirelessly to keep us in touch with God

“Great High Priest” doesn’t mean much to us > but it did to the Hebrews

What he has to give us is our for the taking > and ours for the sharing