WITNESSING FOR
CHRIST
Hebrews 12:1-13
FOCUSING ON CHRIST
V:1-2. " Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of
witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin
which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is
set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith,
who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has
sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
A. God has placed before us many examples of men and women
of faith who have
served God giving
up their lives for the sake of the Gospel.
1. We have all the patriots and the prophets
who trusted God to guide and
protect them
in proclamation of God's Word as our examples.
2. All of the
disciples of Jesus experience hardships and death for the sake
of the faith.
B. Sin detracts us
from the righteousness of God.
1. All sin is a
rebellion against God.
2. Sin hinders us
from doing the work of God.
C. Jesus our Lord and Savior is
the perfect role model of faith.
1. He is the author
and the finisher of our faith.
2. Jesus endured
the cross for our sin because of His obedience to the Father.
3. His death on the
cross earned Him the position of High Priest, King and
intercessor at
the right hand of the Father.
4. The cross was
the death chosen for the worst of criminals.
a. Jesus knew
no sin, but died for all our sins.
b. Jesus allow
sinful men to crucify Him for our eternal life.
5. All believers
have to keep their focus on Jesus to run this Christian race.
a. When we take
our focus off Jesus, the ways of the world seem more important.
b. When we are
not focused on Jesus the lies of Satan become the focus.
THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST
V:3-5. " For consider Him who has endured such
hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose
heart. A Father's Discipline 4 You have not yet resisted to the point of
shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5 and you have forgotten the
exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD
LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;"
A. When we consider that Jesus endure the cross for our sakes.
it should give us.
confidence that
the Lord will enable us to endure whatever we face for His sake.
1. Jesus came down
from heaven and took on human flesh, therefore He knows
what we face
day to day.
2. The Lord will
never put more on us than what we can endure.
3. Whatever we
encounter for Christ is nothing compared to what Christ
experience on
the cross.
4. We have not yet
offered our lives to defend our faith in the
Gospel'
B. Since we are in the flesh. we will sin from time to time.
1. Because of our
sins God will discipline us.
2. We must
recognize that the discipline of the Lord is designed to call
attention to
our sins and to strength our faith.
3. We must see
God's discipline as a sign of His love for us.
4. Just as our
earthly fathers discipline us when we were disobedient, so
God does the
same.
THE DISCIPLINE OF CHRIST
V:6-8. " FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." 7 It is for discipline that
you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his
father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all
have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons."
A. We are adopted sons and daughter of the Father through
our faith in Jesus Christ.
1. God's loving
discipline of us is proof of our sonship.
2. God discipline
of us is proof of His love for us.
3. What earthly
father does not discipline the child that he loves?
4. If parents don't
discipline their children, they do not
truly love them. Prov 13:24
B. Those who God loves were chosen before the foundation of
the earth.
1. Those who God
allows to remain in their sin are not His sons.
2. It is because of
His grace that we are His chosen.
3. Many are called,
but few are chosen. Matt 22:14
OBEDIENCE TO OUR PARENTS
V:9-10. " Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to
discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to
the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as
seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share
His holiness."
A. Most of us learned to be obedient from our mothers and
fathers.
1. In the time
that I grew up, parents in the community had oversight over
the neighbors
kids and could discipline them if necessary.
2. In addition the
schools had the authority to discipline any student.
B. Our earthly parents and overseers discipline us to teach
us right from wrong
and as a way to
keep order in society.
1. As we grew up
we carried those values into our adult lives.
2. The discipline
of our parents ended when we left home.
C. The discipline of our heavenly Father does not comes with
belts and words.
1. The discipline
of our heavenly Father comes through trials and tribulations.
2. The discipline of the Heavenly Father is designed
to strengthen us in areas of
weakness.
3. The good and the
bad that happens in our lives are designed to work out
for our good.
4. The Word of God
teaches us about the righteousness of God.
5. We learn the
true meaning of God's righteousness through our life
experiences.
6. God's discipline
prepares us for His work that gives Him glory.
7. God's discipline
prepares us to be role models for Christ to others.
8. The discipline
of the Lord prepares us for successful living.
THE EFFECT OF GOD'S DISCIPLINE
V:11. " All discipline for the moment seems not to be
joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it
yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."
A. I remember a story about a beautiful Vase that a women
saw on a store room
shelf. The woman told the Vase that it was
beautiful. The Vase responded that
it was not always
beautiful. It stared out as an ugly piece of clay. It's owner took it
through a painful
process of molding shaping. The Vase said then I was put into a hot
burning fire. It
was very painful. Once out of the fire, my owner dressed me in
beautiful colors
and placed me here for all to see. Because of that process, I am
beautiful to the
eye.
1. Life with our
heavenly Father is a painful process of
molding and shaping.
2. It is the trouble
that God allows into our lives that molds and shapes us into
vessels that He
wants us to be.
B. The Lord chastises those that He loves.
1. We must learn to
appreciate the Lord's chastisement as His way of shaping
us into vessels of His righteousness.
2. Instead of
complaining about the trouble in our lives, we should
learn to be grateful that He loves us enough
to trouble us.
3. We all start out as ugly clay that God molds
and shapes into beautiful
vessels of light.
GROWING IN THE SPIRIT
V:12-13. "
Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13
and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not
be put out of joint, but rather be healed."
A. Discipleship starts when we study God Word and become
obedient.
1. Discipleship
continues when we allow the Word to change our minds and attitudes
to be more
like Christ.
2. Any person in
Christ is a new creation.
3. Spiritual growth in the Word never cease.
4. My wife reminds
me that getting better never ends.
B. Stewardship is when we put the Word of God in action.
1. Stewardship is
when the Word of God is the guide for every decision
we make and
every action we take.
2. Stewardship is
serving others with the primary objective to give God praise and glory.
C. Our job as servants of the Lord is to strengthen others
with God's words of counsel
and
encouragement.
1. It is by grace
that we are part of God's army of disciples.
2. It is to our
good to be molded and shaped into vessels of righteousness.
3. Our minds and
bodies are strengthen as we faithfully serve God.
THANK GOD FOR CHOOSING US
FOR HIS SERVICE
Rev M. Mitchell
Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia
Baptist Church
For more lessons, visit my blogs and follow me on facebook
"www'revmmitchell.com",
goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com"
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