Hebrews part 4 (3:1-6)
Rev. Grady Davidson 100211
It’s a difficulty that everybody faces in life-- certainly by the Middle School years it comes up-- and frankly it never goes away and it never gets easier. It’s the question of conformity versus nonconformity. When it comes to the way in which I present myself, the way I conduct myself, the way I talk, the way I dress, the things that I value, the things which I say I believe in and hold to be true, do I just want to “fit in,” and belong, and be accepted by others? Or am I courageous enough to stand on my own two feet and be my own person and suffer the possible consequences which might arise as a result?
In his book, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, Charles Swindoll writes about a study conducted a few years ago by psychologist Ruth W. Berenda. Dr. Berenda and her associates did an experiment designed to show how teenagers handle group pressure. The psychologist’s plan was simple. She brought groups of ten teenagers in at a time for a test. At the front of the testing room the kids would see charts with three lines drawn on them of various lengths. The teacher would then point at each line, one at a time, with instruction to the class that the kids were to raise their hands when the teacher pointed to the longest line. What one person in the group of ten did not know was that the other nine in the room had been instructed ahead of time to vote for the 2nd longest line. They were told that once they came into the testing room, that they were to ignore the teacher’s instructions and to raise their hands when she pointed out not the longest, but the second longest line. The experiment began with nine teen-agers voting for the wrong line (the second longest). The stooge would typically glance around, frown in confusion, and slip his hand up with the group. The instructions were repeated and the next card was raised. Time after time, the self-conscious stooge would sit there saying a short line is longer than a long line, simply because he lacked the courage to stand up to the group. It’s a great story that illustrates the point: when we find ourselves running contrary to the majority opinion, we have a decision to make: do we jettison our own beliefs and convictions so that we seamlessly melt in with the crowd; or do we stick with our convictions and risk being ridiculed or laughed at or rejected by the others? Think about that, and let’s talk about the Hebrew Christians.
The Hebrew Christians lived as a minority population in a Godless and evil and pagan world, and they were definitely beginning to feel outside pressure to downplay their faith, pressure to be quiet and discreet about Jesus Christ, pressure to be cautious about the gospel and just “blend in” with the pagan world. The storm clouds of persecution are gathering on the horizon. They have not yet been called upon to shed blood for the sake of Jesus Christ, but they are nonetheless afraid (2:14-18, 12:4).
Their situation was probably a little like that of a pastor whom I’m going to call “Bill” who serves the Lord in Southeast Asia. Bill’s story is one I’ve been following through some missionaries who work with Bill, and this week they sent out an update on Bill’s situation.
News as of mo/day/yr: “The local pastor (Bill) who was the main local leader and coming under a lot of I**am*c department scrutiny is needing prayer along with his wife. They are really weary, tired and stressed from all the major security precautions they’re having to go through in order to protect the 12 believers in their church fellowship…Bill is making phone calls from payphones to stay in touch with people and also has had his house searched and computers seized from his home. He is also being continually followed by the government.” The letter goes on to say that in spite of laws on the books which are supposed to protect these Christians, that the reality is that Bill & his wife are living in the fearful expectation that sanctions of Sh**ia Law will be placed upon them. At this point they are scared and have broken off communication with our EPC missionaries in the area. If you can sympathize with Pastor Bill and his wife and his congregation of 12, then you can begin to appreciate what the writer to the Hebrews says in these 6 verses (and throughout the letter). Notice with me 1) an Exhortation, 2) an Elaboration, and 3) an Examination.
First of all, notice the author’s words of Exhortation in verse 1 (review verse). Notice the word of exhortation in the middle of the verse: “Fix your thoughts on Jesus.” Further into the letter he’ll say, “Fix your eyes upon Jesus” (12:2). But here he simply, think on Jesus. When you are feeling the pressure to cave in, pressure to downplay your faith, pressure to raise your hand because the other 9 are, then you must “fix your thoughts on Jesus.” He is our example of steadfastness and focus and of unwavering faithfulness in the face of pressure. Return to the gospels. Read the stories of Jesus as he courageously and steadfastly went to Jerusalem, went on trial before Pilate, and went to Calvary’s cross praying for those who drove the nails in his hands and feet.
Do you see the word “confess” at the end of verse 1? (KJV, “profession” and ESV “confession,” Gk “homologias”) That word means the essential truths that we confess that we believe as Christians.
That there is One God in Three Persons—Father, Son and Spirit
That Jesus Christ, God’s Son is fully God and fully Man, and that He came down from heaven “for us and for our salvation” (Nicene Creed)
That He was crucified for us; that He died and was buried
That on the third day he rose again from the dead as the Lord of Life, and that He has ascended to heaven’s throne as Ruler of the Universe
That He’s coming again to earth, at which time all those who have placed their faith in him will be raised to eternal life; and those who have persisted in unbelief will be raised to eternal condemnation
That He will usher in the New Heavens and New Earth, an eternal home for us where righteousness will always dwell.
Christian friend: fix your thoughts on Jesus, and hold fast to your confession. He understands your fear. We saw in chapter 2 that we are of the same family with Christ Jesus and that He himself suffered when he was tempted, therefore he is able to help those who are being tempted (2:11, 18). So the exhortation is, “fix your thoughts on Jesus… “
Did you see the story coming out of Sumner County Tennessee (northeast of Nashville) last week? At a middle school football game, some of the students led in a Christian prayer (Note: the prayer was initiated by students), and some of the coaches bowed their heads during that student-initiated prayer. They didn’t say a word; they just bowed their heads. The principal and then the superintendent found out. From their position, it was too close to the line of looking like Sumner County was somehow endorsing those athletes talking to Jesus Christ. Those coaches were not technically “disciplined,” but they were required to sign a statement saying that they now understood the district’s policy. It’s not too much to read between the lines and hear the implicit threat against their jobs if they are caught bowing their heads when students are praying again.
I tell you, I pray for those coaches. I pray that this Lord’s Day that they are in a church where their pastor is telling them to fix their thoughts on Jesus, who is the apostle and high priest of their Christian Confession. Jesus understands.
I tell you who else understands. It’s those athletes. The real test is at the next game—when those athletes join together to pray before the game, they’re going to be watching to see what their coaches do. Friends, it’s real and it’s tough and it’s in our front yard. May we all fix our thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.
Notice the movement then from Exhortation to Elaboration. I have chosen to be brief on the elaboration of verses 2 – 5. If you look at the big flow of the book, the author has shown that in these last days that God has spoken by His Son, who is greater than the prophets. Then he showed that God’s Son is greater than the angels. In verses 2 – 5 he shows that God’s Son is greater than Moses. There’s a passage back in Numbers 12 where God says of Moses,
“Listen to my words:
“When there is a prophet among you,
I, the LORD, reveal myself to them in visions,
I speak to them in dreams.
7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.
8 With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles…”
Moses was a faithful servant in God’s House, which means the people of God, God’s family. Moses had honor and glory as a servant in God’s House. Moses shepherded the people of God, bringing them up out of Egypt to the Promised Land.
But Jesus is greater than Moses because Jesus isn’t a servant in the house; rather Jesus is God’s Son over the House. What’s more, Jesus Christ is faithful over the household of God. These words of elaboration call us to faithfulness in our confession of faith in Christ, because Christ is a faithful Son governing us, ruling us, caring for us.
After the Exhortation and Elaboration comes the call to Examination, verse 6 (review).
This is what you call a “conditional sentence.” We belong to the people of God…
We belong to Jesus Christ…
IF we hold on to our courage; if we hold on to our hope. (Look on down to verse 14, in next week’s text.)
We know that we belong to the House of God IF we hold on to our courage, and don’t fall back or fade away. We must examine ourselves. When the name of Jesus is mentioned, do we duck our heads and run? Do we turn away in embarrassment, or change the subject? Or do we hold our heads high and tell the world that He is LORD? Courage, friends: fix your thoughts on Jesus!
I heard of a fellow who bragged that he had cut the tail off a man-eating lion. Somebody said, “If you could cut his tail off, why didn’t you just cut his head off?” He said, “Oh, well, somebody else had already done that.”
Christian friends, fix your thoughts on Jesus. When the world scares you; when the world intimidates you, fix your thoughts on Jesus, hold fast to your confession. Swallow your fear and be faithful!
Years ago Paul Harvey told the story of Ray Blankenship. I close with this story.
One summer morning as Ray Blankenship was preparing his breakfast, he gazed out the window, and saw a small girl being swept along in the rain-flooded drainage ditch beside his Andover, Ohio, home. Blankenship knew that farther downstream, the ditch disappeared with a roar underneath a road and then emptied into the main culvert. Ray dashed out the door and raced along the ditch, trying to get ahead of the foundering child. Then he hurled himself into the deep, churning water. Blankenship surfaced and was able to grab the child's arm. They tumbled end over end. Within about three feet of the yawning culvert, Ray's free hand felt something--possibly a rock-- protruding from one bank. He clung desperately, but the tremendous force of the water tried to tear him and the child away. "If I can just hang on until help comes," he thought. He did better than that. By the time fire-department rescuers arrived, Blankenship had pulled the girl to safety. Both were treated for shock. On April 12, 1989, Ray Blankenship was awarded the Coast Guard's Silver Lifesaving Medal. The award is fitting, for this selfless person was at even greater risk to himself than most people knew.
Because Ray Blankenship couldn’t even swim. You think about that, when the current hits you this week. Amen.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barnes, Albert. Barnes on the New Testament: Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1966. Print.
Bruce, F. F. The Epistle to the Hebrews: the English Text with Introd., Exposition, and Notes. Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans, 1978. Print.
Calvin, John. Calvin's Commentaries. Trans. John Owen. Vol. XXII. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989. Print.
Guthrie, George H. Hebrews: the NIV Application Commentary ; from Biblical Text ... to Contemporary Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999. Print.
Hughes, Philip Edgcumbe. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Grand Rapids (Mich.): W.B. Eerdmans, 1990. Print.
Lane, William L. Hebrews: a Call to Commitment. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1988. Print.
O'Brien, Peter Thomas. The Letter to the Hebrews. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub., 2010. Print.
Sermon Illustrations. Web. 28 Sept. 2011.
Swindoll, Charles R. Living above the Level of Mediocrity: a Commitment to Excellence. Waco, TX: Word, 1987. Print
Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Confident : Live by Faith, Not Be Sight : NT Commentary, Hebrews. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2009. Print.
