The Book of Hebrews 3:1-6 Introduction to the great stewardships

Good morning. We're going to be taking a look here at this passage that Brad just read for us here. Hebrews chapter 3 verses 1 through 6. And we're going to be actually looking at this for a few weeks. Let's take a look at the passage. I'm calling this passage a spiritual sandwich. And I'm sorry to bring that up just less than an hour before lunchtime. But anyway, here we have Hebrews 3, 1 through 6. It's a spiritual sandwich. Why do I say that?

Verse 1 starts off by putting our focus upon our position in Christ and who He is. We'll talk more about that position statement here. The next one, verses 2 through 6, at least the first part of verse 6, 6a we're calling it, has us comparing and contrasting Moses with Christ. It presents that Christ is worthy of more glory than Moses. And then, as we get into verse 6, the last part of it there, ends by bringing us back to personal and church body relevance.

What do I mean by that? By confidence and hope being something that's pointed out here. Next, hold fast, firm to the end. And we'll look in more detail about what's meant by that. And then we will examine the nature of the if in verse 6. That's very important here. And so we'll be looking at the passage in that way.

So why will we be looking at this passage for two more Sundays after today? Well, there's a lot in this, and the passage is rich with truths, some of which we're going to draw today, and others of which we're going to be pointing out more in two subsequent Sundays. The passage is rich with truths that we as believers, here and now, And as a church body, need today. And so we want to kind of hover over the truths in this passage and make sure we draw it all out and bring those things forward.

We're invited in this passage, right at the outset, we're invited to see who Christ is and to consider Him. Even that word consider is of greater significance than might first be thought. We'll see that the total grace, and I mean total grace, that we have been placed in is of greater glory and is also essential. That is, it's not just optional, it's not a nice add-on. Complete and total grace is exactly what God has in mind. We will also see permanent confidence and hope. Ever had your hopes dashed? Have you ever had a lack of confidence? How did that feel? How'd that work for you? Not so much, right? This is permanent confidence and hope. That's what this passage is offering.

So let's take a look at it and see where that comes from. One of the things as we go through the passage, and it'll be true here in today's look at it, as well as the next couple of weeks, is to look out for position and condition. Now we need to talk about that. What do we mean by that? Our eternal position is about who we have been made to be and what is true of us and what we all possess, what we have. Some have put it this way, our position and possessions.

All of what we have eternally and unchangeably by God's doing so we can't blow it. Isn't that nice? We can't blow it. There are things that God has done in the believer, and there are things that God will do in the believer that are unchanging. Can't be blown, messed up, or lost.

The fact that you are in Christ, repeatedly stated in the New Testament letters, the fact that you are in Christ is something that is not reversed. There's no passage that says, whoops, you've fallen out of Christ. There isn't any such thing. So you're in Christ, you're in Christ for good, you're in Christ all the way to heaven's gates. The fact that Jesus is inside you, the fact that Jesus is inside you is something that is true all the way to heaven's gates. He is always going to be inside you. He doesn't fall out or step out. The forgiveness that we have in Christ is permanent. Okay? Always. It's always there.

Those are examples. Actually, Roger, earlier this year, went through a list of about 33 different ways that we have a position in Christ. And so I'm just touching on a few important ones here. Now, in contrast to our position, which once we believe cannot be changed, or lost, or damaged, or diminished, In contrast to that, the moment-by-moment issue in the believer is our walking in the position that we have.

That's the issue. We call that condition. It's our living out of the eternal position that we have. It doesn't touch or change our eternal position, but it's based on it, and it can vary moment-by-moment. God's gracious motive means an opportunity for the believer is the point here. And we want to put the contrast this way. We'll use two different words.

One is relationship and the other is fellowship. If you're a believer, you have eternally a relationship with God through Christ. If you're a believer, you eternally have a relationship with God through Christ. Moment by moment, however, there's the question of, will I have fellowship with God based on the relationship? See the difference there? Moment by moment, will I have fellowship with God based on that relationship?

Let me give you an example. So here's my son Randy who I think is preoccupied with the sound system now. Here's my son Randy. He will always have a relationship with me as my son. I'll be his father. That's the way it's always going to be. So we have that relationship and that's established and it's not going to change.

However, let's suppose that I was over at Randy's house one day and I did or said something that was terribly offensive. And Randy calls me up and he says, Dad, you can't come over to my house for several weeks here. I'll let you know when it's OK. What you did or what you said was so bad, we just can't have you come here. I have broken, on my end, broken fellowship.

I have not done anything to touch or damage the relationship. See the distinction there? He will always be my son. I'll always be his father. The fellowship is what's at issue. The same thing is true with us as believers. Now, we use these words motive, means, and opportunity, and you may be familiar with that as something that shows up in the detective and in the courtroom. Let's talk about that, and this is not in your handout. One, the motive for the believer is grace, a grace motivation, not a threat of if you don't do this, this and that's going to happen to you. Or if you do that, this or that's going to happen to you.

Notice how it shows up in Ephesians 4.32 on the issue of forgiveness. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has forgiven you.

See that? Past tense. What's the motivation, not, boy, you'd better forgive or you're not going to be forgiven. That's law. That's what Jesus actually says in the Sermon on the Mount. But that's not here. We're under grace. What's the motive for forgiving? Not in order to be forgiven. That's law. But because you've been forgiven. That's grace. You've already been forgiven. That's not at issue. What's at issue is you're forgiving another based on your forgiveness already. The next motive. Now we've got to have means, right? If I'm going to be charged with something, I better have means. So what's the means? God's gracious provision.

Scripture, and we give the Ephesians 3.20, Colossians 1.11, and 29 as references here. Scripture says three E's, okay? We are enabled, empowered, and energized to live out the Christian life. The means by which we're to live out the Christian life is enabled, empowered, and energized.

Hebrews 13.9, which we'll get to if the Lord allows, Strengthened and established by grace.

That's how it happens. It happens because God has made every provision for a living out of the Christian life. And finally, the opportunity. Doing the works He has prepared and growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ. That's the opportunity that's before us. We have means, we have motive, and we have opportunity. Can we be fully charged? Yes. Now, so as we look out for position and condition, one of the things to be clear, I went through business school and they had all this about the art of delegating. Guess what?

God has not delegated this to you. God has not said, here you do it and we'll check back with me when you're done. He is with you every step of the way. to provide motive, grace, to provide enabling, empowering, and energizing every step of the way, and He is the one who provides the opportunity. He's set it up. He's prepared every good work that we might walk in them, and to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. Therefore, God is not delegating living the Christian life to us. He hasn't delegated it to us to pull off.

It's His to do through us every single moment, every single day. If you try your best to be a good Christian, you will blow it. Guaranteed. Why? That's not what God wants. God does not want you to try to be a good Christian. You will fail because that's not at all what God has in mind.

Motive means an opportunity. So we want to look out for position and condition. Let's go through this. You have it on page one of your handout on the slide just like it's on the screen. Therefore, holy brethren, that's position. He's writing to those who are believers.

They are holy brethren. Do they have issues? Yep. But positionally, their relationship is such that they are holy brethren. Partakers of a heavenly calling, that's position. Consider Jesus, and we'll talk more about what that means, that word is full of more significance than might first strike us, as a moment-by-moment action in our condition. That's condition. He's saying, you are holy brethren, you are partakers of a heavenly calling. When he says, consider Jesus, that's condition. That's something that I can or cannot do, but the exhortation is certainly to do it. That's condition. The Apostle and High Priest, that's Christ's position. Interesting, Christ has a position too. But His position and condition are always consistent. The Apostle and High Priest of our confession, verse 6, Christ's house, whose house we are, That's our position, which we will experience and enjoy in our moment-by-moment condition.

Here's where the if comes in, and we'll talk about this more. If we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. So see that? There's some statements of position here, and there are statements of condition. There are statements of position, things for us to understand about who we are, who we've been made to be, and what we have. And there are statements of condition, things that depend on our having made a decision for the Lord.

Let's take a look at the first one there. He calls them holy brethren. We are Christ's brethren, brothers of Christ and sons of the Father. This is all Hebrews 2. We saw this in Hebrews chapter 2. Each one of us who believes is by all counts close family. We've said, when we went through Hebrews chapter 2, God has no grandchildren. God has no nieces and nephews.

The Father has sons, children, we're it. And Christ has brethren, we're it. We're them. We are them. Each one of us is close family to the Father and the Son forever. That's the relationship that God has established. Now, so I'm going to restate this. This is not in your handout. We're a sibling to the Son and the Father is your Papa. Got that? We're a sibling to the Son and the Father is your Papa. That summarizes the relationship that we have with God.

So, given that, to be holy means to be set apart for a special and spiritual purpose. To be holy is set apart for a spiritual and a special purpose. So holy brethren are those who have the relationship as sons of the Father and as brethren to Christ and are by character holy. That is, they're set apart for the spiritual and special purpose.

We weren't made sons and brethren just for fun. There was a purpose in it. It wasn't just recreational. We were set apart for God's intended spiritual purpose. He did the setting apart. He did the making of us to be brethren. He did the making of us to be sons. He pulled it off. We didn't.

Those are things done by position. They won't change. They won't be touched. They won't slip back. Now, this word partakers, we want to take a look at that. And this is not partakers. Not that. It's a different word. Partakers. You see that? Now, partakers are those who share. That's his intended meaning here. We have been made to be partakers, that is, sharers of a heavenly calling. You and me, we're sharing this heavenly calling.

By the way, does that mean we'll just each get a little slice? No. We all get the whole thing. We're joint sharers in something that is not divided up into little tiny pieces that each of us get. But we're all partakers of the whole thing, of a whole. We who believe all have a complete set of heavenly blessings in Christ.

Ephesians 1.3.

You have been, past tense, not conditional, blessed with every spiritual blessing, where? In the heavenly places in Christ. That's double in, by the way. It's in in. In the heavenly places, in Christ. You have been blessed with that complete set. Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. We also have a heavenly seating together with Christ.

Ephesians 2, 6. We're seated with Him. And by the way, that's not just future tense. That's not when I get to heaven I'm going to sit with Jesus. This is present tense right now. If you're a believer, you're spiritually, positionally with Christ seated there in the heavenlies. You're already there. You're done here. You're done here. So we have heavenly blessings, which are complete.

We have a heavenly seating together with Christ. We also have a heavenly citizenship. Philippians 3 20, I think that's the verse in the top of your bulletin as well. We have a heavenly citizenship We also have a heavenly hope hey Colossians 1 5 the heavenly hope a Heavenly calling then is your personal purposeful and enduring invitation at that it's your personal and That means you, right?

You're personal, purposeful. It's not just sort of a recreational thing. Hey, would you like to come to our party? But purposeful. There's a reason for it. It is not something optional. It's an eternal purpose and it's an enduring invitation. We have a calling and it remains. It's not like, okay, you got an invitation. Nope, sorry, you didn't respond fast enough. It's not retracted. It is there permanently. So it's personal, purposeful, and enduring invitation.

Now, let's look at the partakers here, because that word partakers is going to keep showing up. As a matter of fact, half the instances of that word partakers in the New Testament are here in the book of Hebrews, and we're looking at the first one of them. Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.

The next one shows in Hebrews 3.14, for we have become partakers of Christ if we, and here's this same if and hold fast, and this is just later on in the same chapter, hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end. And we'll take a closer look at this, but hold fast means to stay the course. Your course is set, stick there. Keep going in that direction. That's what that means.

Then in Hebrews 6.4 we're going to run into this, in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit. So notice, partakers of Christ, partakers of the Holy Spirit, sharers in, sharers in the Holy Spirit.

And Ephesians 3.6 and Philippians 1.7 also underscore the same message. So this partakers is a sharers and we're going to keep looking at aspects of partakers as we proceed through the book of Hebrews here. Jesus the Apostle and High Priest is the next set of words that comes up. An apostle is not just a general messenger.

You can send something around town through various means. These days we have all kinds of means. You can text and email and all sorts of things. But you can also send some paper documents or some other object that's carryable using a messenger service. And that messenger in that case is not a special messenger. They just will carry anything you want to deliver anywhere else you want it delivered. That's not this.

This apostle is a specially appointed messenger given particular authorization and a specific assignment. So Jesus, when he was sent here, was not sent to start a messenger service. He was sent here with specific authorization from the Father and on a specific assignment from the Father. So that's why he's an apostle, not just a messenger in a general sense. Jesus himself had apostles. He sent them out on an authorized, they had specific authorization, on an authorized and very specific assignment. Jesus himself was an apostle sent by God the Father.

And one of the things, we have an elective here that meets in this room in the hour before the service, and we're going through the Gospel of John. And one of the things we see Jesus repeatedly referring to is, I was sent by the Father, I was sent by the Father, I was sent by the Father. He keeps underscoring that point. He is the Apostle from the Father sent on specific assignment with particular authorization.

Jesus, as this passage points out and in the previous one, is our High Priest. He even now continues to represent us to God, not by continually making sacrifices. Why? Because Jesus himself was the once-for-all sacrifice. We're going to see that in Hebrews 7-10. Once for all, once for all, once for all is said again and again. Once done, once given, perpetually valid. So Jesus is now our High Priest in the heavenlies. He is also the once-for-all sacrifice.

Now, this word consider, I think it's very important that we consider this word consider. Will you consider that with me? Okay, good, good. This word is an imperative. You must consider Jesus. So it's not a suggestion, okay? I think it's a really good idea if you consider Jesus. No, that's not what he's saying. He says you must consider Jesus, but there's more to it than that. This word doesn't mean, consider, like put Jesus on a list of options for evaluation and figure out if Jesus is kind of one of the things that might work out, sort of, kind of.

You know what I mean? Okay, that's not what he's talking about. You know, here's an option and it's, you know, color, do you want a blue Chevy or the orange one or the red one or the one with the racing? No, it's not that. This is consider, you must consider, and it's not a list of options.

The word means this, to behold, to fully observe, to fully perceive in depth, so as to have an aha moment. Aha! That's what he's asking. Not consider like this might be one of the options you'd think about and conclude, or maybe not, but rather that you would consider Jesus and end up having an aha moment. You see the difference there? He's telling you, you must have an aha moment. See that? You must have an aha moment.

I'll put it this way. All y'all must behold, fully observe and perceive so as to come to a full realization of who Christ is and what He has done. That's what He means by consider. Not just consider Jesus and then go, nah. Consider and have an aha moment about Jesus. That's the word he's focusing on here. That's his message As we get to three six what we see that we are of Christ's house We're not of Moses house. Okay, that that was the house under Israel and under the law. We're not of that house.

I That was under principle of law. And when I use that word principle, I want to be clear what I mean. A principle, one of two things. It's either a fundamental truth, or the way things work, or sometimes both. In this case, we have underlined the way things work. And that's on purpose, because that's the meaning of principle here. The principle of law means things work according to the law. That's what he's talking about here.

We're of Christ's house, the church, the body of Christ, so we're not under the principle of law. Law isn't the way things work among us here in the body of Christ. Not even one, not ten, not nine, not eleven, none. We're under zero principle of law because we're 100% under principle of grace. We saw in Romans chapter 5 this grace in which we've been made to stand permanently.

Grace is, Romans 5.21, the reigning principle, the reigning way things work. Grace. 100% grace, total grace, full on, full out, pedal to the metal grace. We've made the comparison in the past. We drink from a Niagara Falls of grace. We drink from our Niagara Falls of grace, mountains of grace, fountains of grace, huge massive amounts.

So big, Ephesians 2.7, so big that it will take forever for God to show us the grace that he has for us. Riches, wealths of his grace. Grace is the reigning principle. We are of Christ's house where grace reigns supreme. And it's not deficient so as to need even one law. Not a bunch of rules. Not at all.

Now one of the things we're going to put off in terms of the major content, Moses and Christ and God, stewardship's in the middle of this spiritual sandwich. Verses 2 through 6a, we're going to put that off for next week. Here, take a look at that. and proceed on to verse 6b and c. Quick summary, verses 2 through 6a both compares, that's what's the same, contrasts, what's different, the two assignments of Moses and Christ. There are some things that compare and there are some things that greatly contrast.

Each is called the builder of a house, each one is. Each one is called faithful to what God had assigned them. Each one is called faithful to what God had assigned them. There are many builders and many houses in the Word. God is the builder of all things. God is the builder of all things, and this passage makes that statement.

In all these things, Christ is considered worthy of more glory than Moses. What? More glory than Moses? Yes. As we'll see, Moses had a fading glory. Christ has a growing glory. We're taking a look at that fading glory of Moses and the growing glory of Christ as we look at it in the weeks ahead here. So now we come to this big if in the passage here. So the warning here is not that watch out, you're going to lose everything. You're going to lose your relationship. You're going to lose your position. No, that's not what it's all about. That is, in fact, impossible.

As a matter of fact, as we go through the book of Hebrews, the book of Hebrews makes assurance that we cannot lose our position in relationship. Later on in Hebrews, it says, let your life be free from the love of money. Why? God will not, and that will not, by the way, is a double, double emphatic. In English, we're not supposed to say things like not, not. It is so emphatic that God will not leave you or forsake you that it's a not-not-not-not. We'll get to that eventually. It's a not-not-not-not, God will leave you or forsake you. God will not-not-not-not leave you or forsake you. See that? It is super emphatic.

Anyway, we'll get to it. That conclusion that this is threatening you with losing your relationship is a wrong one. We won't go there. but that we won't enjoy and experience our position, which is untouchable, if... So what he's talking about is you have a position, your holy brethren, you have a position here as partakers. You already have that. That's not at issue. But will you enjoy that? That's what's at issue. Will you enjoy it?

The if here in verse 6 conveys it will most likely, that's the form of the Greek there, most likely be true of each individual believer. If we hold fast and stay the course, are confident and hope in Christ to the end. It's not saying you've got to persevere or else you really never were saved. It's not saying that if you don't persevere you're going to lose it.

It's saying you already have a relationship. You are holy brethren. You're already partakers. That's not in question. You are of Christ's house. We're not talking about that. But we're talking about your enjoyment of all those things. Your experience of all those things.

That only comes if you'll stay the course. Now, this is the use of a term that's actually a nautical or shipping term. And we had a supplement several weeks ago. We're going to offer it again. There's some on the cabinet to the right as you exit this room. The first side of it is shipping terms and nautical terms throughout the book of Hebrews. And this is one of them. Staying the course with the ship. That's the one we see in this passage in 314. We're going to see it again.

The second one is athletic terms in the book of Hebrews. So feel free to take advantage of that. We'll also have it available for you to download off the website if you'd like to do that instead. So at any rate, that's something you can take a closer look at. And we'll keep referring to that since Hebrews makes repeated reference all the way to the end to these nautical and athletic terms.

Now, let's talk about confidence and hope in absolute certainty. We have absolute certainty in our confidence, I think. No, we have absolute certainty in our confidence because confidence is not in ourselves. If I am absolutely certain and absolutely confident because of me, that's just plain arrogance.

That doesn't cut it. What he's talking about here is absolute confidence because my trust is in God, one in whom I can have absolute confidence. God is not going to blow it. God's not going to come to you and say, you know, we really gave it the old college try. We just didn't pull it off. Not going to happen. God's not going to say, oops.

God doesn't need insurance. We need insurance. God doesn't need insurance. The confidence is not in ourselves, but in an absolutely trustworthy God who has revealed absolute truth. And I'm absolutely certain of that. Absolutely certain. We have a certain and absolutely fixed and unshakable hope in Christ the Lord. I can have absolute confidence and an absolute hope. You see the difference that an absolute hope makes?

It's not, I hope that... See, all throughout life, people hope for certain outcomes, right? I hope that. I hope not. And what are we talking about? Probabilities. Is this talking about probabilities? This is not probabilities. This is absolute certainty.

So I have a fixed and certain and absolute hope. I am hopeful, but not about probabilities and percentages. Not, I'm wishing and hoping for a certain outcome. I have absolute certain hope as a believer. The hope is in Christ. It's fixed and unshakable hope. Things could be miserable. I might be going through all sorts of things that I wouldn't necessarily sign up for. But my hope in the Lord is absolute and unshaken and fixed. It's not an I hope so kind of hope, but a hopefulness grounded in total certainty. Total certainty. Now, here we have a question.

Does it depend, that is, do the things in life, do my position, do my condition, does it depend on who you think you are or who you think Christ is? Which one? Multiple choice here, let's do that. Who do you think you are? We got some hands for that? Who do you think Christ is? You got hands for that one? How about both? How about both?

The Jewish believers to whom the author of Hebrews was writing were tempted to lean back on their sacrificial system because after all you can see that You see, here it is. It says, sacrifice the lamb. I went there to the temple. Check. I did it. I saw it. They did it. Sacrifice was made. And that I can see. It's all very visible. It's all very verifiable. They were tempted to get drawn back under the sacrificial system under the law of Moses. And boy, was there a lot to do. As a matter of fact, they even liked that there was a lot to do.

As a matter of fact, during New Testament times, the Jewish men had a prayer thanking God that they weren't born a woman. Why? Because the Jewish men had more laws by their count that men were under than the women. So therefore, they must be more privileged. Therefore, they must be more privileged. So they were tempted to pull back under this law of Moses.

After all, I can see it. After all, I can do it. After all, I can see what I've done. After all, I can check it off. He reminded them, as sons of God the Father, as holy brethren of Christ, partakers of a heavenly calling, to consider Jesus and who He is, and that's to arrive at an aha moment, to stay the course with their confidence and hope. Stay the course. You know, this Christian thing is really something. Imagine, here are the Jews, and yeah, you've got this big, solid temple.

And boy, with Herod in here, he's put gold all over this thing. I can see it. I can smell it. I can touch it. You know, I can taste it. Right? And so we've got all these things that just fit the senses, and it's all right here. And imagine, here are these people, and he's trying to tell them, I want you to believe you're sons of a Father.

Have you ever seen Him? No. Oh, well, you're brethren to Christ. Have you ever seen Him? No. You have a heavenly calling. Have you ever been there? No. This Christian thing is really something. He's trying to convince them and show them that this thing you can't see and touch and taste and smell and hear, this thing that you can't see is more real than this thing that you're familiar with and that you can see and you have seen. But that's going to last. It so happens that five years after this letter is written, that temple would be gone.

But we're still sons of the Father. We're still brethren of Christ. We're still partakers of the heavenly calling. By faith, all those things that we haven't seen and can't see is what we're counting on for eternity. It's what we're counting on for eternity. We have absolute confidence and we have a complete and unshakable hope.

Not an I hope so hope, but a permanent and certain hope. I am always hopeful because my hope is not a hope of probabilities. See that? I'm always hopeful because my hope is not a hope of probabilities. It's not that I hope it turns out this way. I am always hopeful because I am certain that things will turn out as God has told us it is.

Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for that confidence and hope that we have, that we have this close family relationship with the Father and the Son, even to the point where our relationship with the Father is, He's our Papa. And Lord, we thank you not only for what's true and we can count upon here, but for the intimacy that we have been called upon to have with you. And we pray that you would teach us that, even through the course of today. And we pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.