Be Confident Series

Be Confident, An Expository study on the book of Hebrews.

6/6/12

Agenda:

I.                   Welcome

a.       Introduction

                                                              i.      Send around a sign in with email and phone number

b.      Purpose for this Bible study

                                                              i.      What it is

1.      Be Confident book

a.       Just a guide

2.      Notes from Seminary and TTU

a.       Just a guide

3.      Examine the book for tidbits and

4.      12 weeks divided into each chapter from the Wiersby book

5.      Prayer Group/Accountability… etc.

6.      Talk Theology and Glorify God by looking at who Jesus is through Jewish eyes

                                                            ii.      What it is not

1.      NOT going to determine the author

2.      NOT a seminary course

a.       Although some seminary aspects will be there

3.      NOT to replace personal quiet time

a.       Use it as a supplement

c.       Schedule of reading

Date                Chapter from Be Confident                             Scripture Reading

6/6	Is Anybody Listening?	Hebrews 1:1-3
6/13	Greater Than Angels	1:4-2:18
6/20	Greater Than Moses	3:1-4:13
6/27*	Greater Than the High Priest	4:14-5:10
7/4*	Independence Day
7/11	Pilgrims Should make Progress	5:11-6:20
7/18	Mysterious Melchizedek	7
7/25	The Better Covenant	8
8/1	The Superior Sanctuary	9
8/9	The Superior Sacrifice	10
8/15	Faith- the Greatest Power in the World	11
8/22	Stay in the Running!	12
8/29	Pardon me, Your Faith is Showing	13

6/27 I will be absent, 7/4 there will not be any study for obvious reasons.

I.                   Introduction by Ken Baugh

a.       Hope- “It surprises me that hope helped survive the concentration camps. One would think it would be something more tangible like good health, food, warm clothing, and shelter; but, as Dr. Frankl discovered, it was the power of hope.

b.      3 principles of great faith

1.      I must remember that God is with me.

2.      I must remember the honor and rewards that await me in heaven

3.      I must remember that God will guide me when I am confused.

II.                Word from the Author

a.       The book of Hebrews was written at a time when the Stability of the “Old System of religion was passing away, and their faith was wavering.

                                                           i.      * The book of Hebrews was written to a community Jewish  (Hebrew) people, as is evident by the emphasis on the Levitical priesthood and on sacrifices, as well as the absence of any reference to Gentiles.

                                                         ii.      *The recipients are referred to as  believers (Hebrews 3:1, 12) and as “beloved Hebrews 6:9

1.      Possible that there were unbelievers in their midst- people who were attracted to the message of Jesus Christ but not yet personally trusted in Him.

                                                       iii.      The believers were immature, however; some of them need spiritual milk and not solid food (Hebrews 5:11-14

                                                       iv.      The believers were facing persecution and were wavering in their faith as a result.

                                                         v.      They were tempted to put aside any identification with Christ because of the persecution and because of their attachment to the Old Testament.

                                                       vi.      They were tempted to revert back to Judaism or to try to combine elements of Christianity with elements of Judaism.

III.             Is Anyone Listening?

a.       It is a book of Evaluation

                                                           i.      Better is used 13 times

1.      Used to show the superiority  of Jesus

                                                         ii.      Perfect is used 14 times

a.       Greek means “ a perfect standing Teleion

                                                       iii.      Eternal

                                                        iv.      The writer asked the readers to evaluate their current standing in Jesus.

b.      It is a book of Exhortation

                                                           i.      Writer called this epistle “the word of exhortation”

1.      Related to the word comforter

                                                         ii.      5 Problem Passages

1.      Drifting from the word (neglect) 2:1-4

2.      Doubting the Word (hard heart) 3:7- 4:13

3.      Dullness  toward the Word (Sluggishness) 5:11- 6:20

4.      Despising the Word (willfulness) 10:26 -39

5.      Defying the Word (refusing to hear) 12:14- 29

c.       It is a book of Examination

                                                           i.      “What am I really trusting in? Word of God –Or- in the things of this world that are shaking and ready to fall away

1.      The book of Hebrews seems to indicate that the Temple in Jerusalem was still standing, and that sacrifices were still being offered there by the Levitical priests (see the use of present tense in Hebrews 5:1-4, 7:21, 23, 27-28; 8:3-5, 13; 9:4-9; 10:1, 3-4, 8, 11; 13:10-11

2.      Temple was destroyed in 70 AD gives evidence that the book was written around 65-69 AD

a.       Statements that persecution was becoming more severe (10:32-39, 12:4, 13:3, 23

3.      God wants us to be “established with grace” 13:9

4.      Key message of Hebrews “You can be secure while everything around you is falling apart” 12:28

d.      It is a book of Expectation

                                                           i.      The focus in the book is on the future

                                                         ii.      The world to come 2:5

                                                       iii.      God wants us to turn loose of the things of this world and stop depending on them

                                                       iv.      We are to “hang loose” and start living for the eternal values of the world to come.

                                                         v.      Jim Elliot- “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

                                                       vi.      This message is not for new converts but rather spiritual mature Christians

1.      But it can be used to motivate Christian babies

2.      Emphasis is not on what Christ did on earth (milk) but rather on what he is doing in heaven (meat)

e.       It is a book of Exaltation

                                                           i.      The book of Hebrews exalts the person of Christ

1.      1^st 3 verses sets the theme (hence the ones we are discussing tonight)

                                                         ii.      In His person - superior to the prophets

                                                       iii.      In His work

Questions for discussion and reflection

1.      What is the difference between hearing and really listening?

2.      In what ways do you agree or disagree with this statement: “In the Christian life, if you do not go forward, you go backward; there is no permanent standing still”?

3.      Wiersbe says, “God does not allow His children to become ‘spoiled brats.” What are some traits of a “spoiled brat” Christian?

4.      Name some things that we tend to trust in today rather than in God.

5.      Wiersby says that the book of Hebrews is a book of examination. It helps us discover where our faith is. What sometimes keeps us from examining our lives?

6.      Abraham understood a sense of values and delayed gratification. Lot on the other hand lived for the immediate. List examples of Abrahams and Lots on today’s world.

7.      Hebrews sets out to prove Christ is not merely a man. What difference would it make in your life if you discovered that Christ was indeed merely a good man or a prophet?

8.      Read Genesis 1:26, John 1:1-14, and Colossians 1:13-17. Then explain Christ’s role before the Incarnation.

9.      Tozer is quoted as saying, “Every man must choose his world.” What makes it difficult at times to choose the kingdom of heaven over the kingdom of earth?

Christ                                        the Prophets

God the Son                             Men called by God

One Son                                  Many prophets   

                          A final and complete message            A fragmentary and incomplete

Christ, Better than the Angels

Hebrews 1-2

Over view: God spoke in times past through the prophets, but He has reserved the greatest declaration of His glory for His Son. The Son of God is greater than any prophet. He is even greater than the Angels, through whom Moses’ law was communicated (2:2, Acts 7:53). In order to bring salvation He willingly became a little lower than the angels. And by His suffering and death He made it possible to lift mankind above the angels into the family of God. Because of His perfect humanity, Jesus is uniquely qualified to serve as High priest for Sinful mankind.

Daily Walk: The book of Hebrews opens with a penetrating statement: “God … hath… spoken unto us by His Son” (1:1-2). The heart and core of Christianity – and the reason for its superiority over the old Judaic system – can be summarized in a single word: Christ. The old system was built around precepts; the new centers around a person. The old was merely a shadow; the new supplies the substance.

            On what foundation are you building your life? It is easy to substitute man-made traditions and performance standards for a growing relationship with the Son of God. Evaluate the “religious rituals” in your own life. Are they advancing your relationship with God, or keeping you from getting to know Him and His word better?

            John summarizes this crucial issue as well: “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son hath not life” 1 John 5:12. Are you a have… or a have not? If the answer disturbs you, let John 1:12 point the way to a foundation that is unshakable!

Insight: Jesus Is Greater Than Angels, Isn’t He?

            Jesus’ superiority over the angels (Hebrews 1:4) may seem rather obvious, but to the Jews angels were highly exalted beings. They were present at the giving of the Law, God’s supreme revelation, to Moses at Sinai (Hebrews 1:4; Deuteronomy 33:2). Moreover, we now know from the Dead Sea Scrolls that some expected the archangel Michael to be the supreme figure in the messianic kingdom.

Tidbits:

“Religion is man searching for God; Christianity is God reaching down to mankind.