Author: Larry Soape

Larry Soape is the Associate Pastor for Median & Senior Adults, and Missions at FBCSA.

Suffering

REVerse Passage:  Hebrews 12:25-13:25 (day four)
As the writer of Hebrews closes his letter, he ends with a series of admonitions…show hospitality, remember the prisoners, demonstrate fidelity, be free from greed, be content, honor those who taught you by faith, guard your doctrine.  He is praying for them to experience sanctification.  After this challenging prospect of instituting all of these character qualities in our lives…only possible by the blood of Jesus Christ…the writer pronounces a blessing upon the listeners.  In verse 20, he writes, “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight,…”  How does He do that?  How does He accomplish this in our lives?  In 1 Peter 5:10, we get a clue.  “And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”  God will do it, but suffering may be His tool!  Through suffering, we are blessed.

 

The Faithful God

Re: Verse reading–Hebrews 11:1-2, 32-40; 12:1-3, 12-17 (day four)
It always seems to take me by surprise.  I begin to read of the acts of righteousness, the miracles of overcoming great odds, and the mighty power of faith demonstrated in the lives of men and women.  Then I read verse 35ff…”others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death…”  Wait a minute!  We were talking about great miracles of deliverance and feats of power.  What is this description of defeat and loss?  Does faith reside in the pain and suffering of life as well?  The circumstances of our life do not determine our faith.  Our faith transcends the circumstances of life.  Faith comes from God because He has provided something much better for us than temporary victory.  We must keep our eyes upon the faithful God!

In His Presence

Re: Verse reading–Hebrews 10:19-39 (day three)
The writer of Hebrews addresses two groups of people in this passage.  In verses 19-25, he speaks to those who have believed.  They have heard the gospel and through Christ, have entered into the presence of God.  In verses 26-31, he speaks to those who choose to remain in sin.  God is a God of love, but He is also a God of justice.  His love demands His justice.  The writer says that we should not expect God to just overlook our sin.  We cannot counterbalance our sin with good works.  Verse 31 says, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”  This is where we learn of the importance of a ‘fear of God.’  To recognize the majesty and glory of our holy, infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, and ever present God inspires a fear.  Moses, Gideon, Isaiah and John trembled to the core of their being before God. Thankfully, as believers, our fear does not include judgment…but don’t forget discipline!

Dull of Hearing

Re: Verse reading–Hebrews 5:11-14; 6:1-12 (day four)
Verse 11 says, “Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing.”  These are believers who have a relationship with Christ…how have they become ‘dull of hearing’?  ‘Dull of hearing’ means they cannot comprehend the mature things of faith.  They are still returning to the basics of the faith and are not ready for the ‘word of righteousness’.  Verse 14 gives us a clue…the mature practices his spiritual senses in order to discern good and evil.  Just as there are good practices to follow to become an excellent athlete, bad practices can tear down the body and destroy an athlete’s strength.  As believers, we often allow sin in our lives that dulls our spiritual senses.  Reading a questionable book or magazine, watching inappropriate movies or TV shows, or viewing sinful internet sites…these can all dull your spiritual senses.  If you want to be mature in your faith, practice discernment!

Hold Fast

Re: Verse reading–Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-10 (day four)
Verse 14 – “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”  Confession…what exactly is this confession we are to hold to?  Our side notes reference us back to Hebrews 3:1 where the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to “consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.”  Let’s go back another layer…look at John 17:3.  In Jesus’ High Priestly prayer, He says, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”  This verse gives us the confession.  It answers the question of who Jesus is…He is sent from God.  He was sent from God as our High Priest.  After His death on the cross, the veil in the Temple was rent.  Jesus opened for us access to the Father!  We are to hold fast to the work of Christ that restored our standing before God!

Walk By Faith

Re: Verse reading–Hebrews 3:7-4:13 (day three)
Moses was faithful in all his house as a servant and was worthy of honor.  Jesus was faithful to Him who appointed Him and is worthy of greater honor.  The writer of Hebrews, in verse 12, says, “Take care, Brethren, that there not be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.”  He is talking about being faithful.  We are to be faithful, and to encourage one another to be faithful.  Verse 13 says “so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”  It is faith that keeps us ‘in Christ’.  It is faith that holds us fast in our assurance of Christ.  There is no greater sadness than for a person to hear the gospel, but not unite it with faith.  They do not find the rest promised by God, but rather they fall through disobedience.  The key is faith.  Because of Christ, we can hold fast to our confession.  Walk by faith!

Facing Life With Faith

Re: Verse reading–Hebrews 1:1-6,14; 2:1-4 (day four)
We begin a new study this week…the book of Hebrews.  Our theme for the quarter is “Facing Life With Faith.”  Hebrews is the place to find answers on how to do that.  Just the first four verses give you a hint of what is to come.  Look at the descriptive phrases about Jesus in these four verses:  God’s Son, Agent of Creation, Heir of all things, Radiance of His glory, Exact Representation of His nature, Powerful Word, Purified our sins, Seated at the Father’s right hand, Much better than the angels, More excellent name, and God’s present spokesman!  To acknowledge these attributes demands a response on our part to them.  How do we respond to Jesus?  That is the question every one of us must answer.  How we answer will have eternal consequences.  Eternal is a long time.  Who is Jesus?  Why did He come?  How am I to respond to Him? 

The Truth

Re: Verse reading–1 Corinthians 15:3-20, 35-44, 50-57 (day four)
Paul acknowledges that the words he has written, were given to him (by the Holy Spirit).  In verse 3, he says “I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received.”  Verses 3 and 4 are sometimes called the Easter verse…”that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”  These are great verses to memorize…you can deliver the good news in one concise passage!  Paul says if this message weren’t true, we should be greatly pitied.  But it is true!  Christ did die, and was buried, and rose from the grave.  How can our lives not be changed?  Christ gave His life for us.  Out of His great love for us, He gave His life that we could have forgiveness of our sin.  He paid the price for my sin.  My life is His.  The world refuses to acknowledge His death and resurrection…to do so, would require a response from them.  Tell them the truth!

Look Ahead

Re: Verse reading–Deuteronomy 34 (day four)
Moses was 120 years old.  He had learned to submit to God and His plan.  Even though Moses’ strength was not abated and his eye was not dim, he did not argue with God about not going into the promise land.  Moses knew he should not argue.  He had questioned God in the past as to why God had done things the way He did (i.e. – why did you send me out here with these obstinate people?).  Now, at the end of Moses life, he accepted that he would not be able to do some things he wanted to do…like go into the Promised Land.  There was no man like Moses.  He had been used powerfully by God.  How do we grow old?  Do we continually try to play younger than we are?  Maybe our health does not allow us to go and do like we used to.  Billy Graham has said, “one thing I can still do is pray.”  Our most important work of our life may still be before us.  Don’t miss it by looking back!

Longsuffering

Re:Verse passage:  1 Samuel 8:1-10; 12:1-5  (day four)
What does the term ‘patient’ or ‘longsuffering’ mean to you?  In our fast-food society and mindset, ‘to be patient’ means we give them two or, maybe, three chances to do it right before we react.  In 8:7-8, God says, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.  Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—“  God had endured the continued rebellion of Israel for nearly 400 years!  His focus was on His divine plan to restore mankind from the ravages of sin…not on the perceived loss of a ‘right’.  Do we keep our eyes on God’s divine plan?  Are we looking at the events of the world, the relationships around us, the pressing problems of the day?  God has a plan…let’s discern where we fit into it, in our small slice of history!