Peril Patience And A Promise

Hebrews 10:1-4, 10:34-38

Peril Patience and the Promise

Protocol first, Protocol first Protocol First

The authorship of the book of Hebrews is a point of debate among theologians. Some say that it was written by Apollos some say Silas others still say that it was written by clement of Rome. For the sake of argument I’m going to use Paul as the author. Its safe to say that the only one who really knows is God. But, I like Paul, and this is my sermon. So I’m going to use Paul. Is that all right? The author calls this letter a “word of exhortation”. It was necessary because the readers were being persecuted and some were in danger of abandoning their faith in Christ and reverting back to Judaism. And though they were not in danger of martyrdom they were in danger of becoming apostate. The letter is a stirring apologetics for the superiority of Christ, and Christianity, over Judaism in terms of priesthood and sacrifice.

1.In the time that Hebrews was written it was a very trying time to be a Jew and believe in Jesus as the messiah. For even right today if you are a Jew if you are of the Hebrew culture and ethnicity to convert to Christianity in Israel means to forsake everything. You cannot work in the government of Israel if you are a Christian. For some it means being disowned by family and friends and rejected by the community. So while we call for the freedom of Jews in eastern countries we must also call for the freedom of Christians.

2.The book of Hebrews is a book that is written to the newly converted Jews who were being pressured by their kinsmen to return to Judaism and forsake Christianity. The Jews were trying to maintain their political and social status and didn’t want the newfound faith of these messianic Jews to take hold and capture the hearts of the people in which they had subjugated for such a long time.

3.So they said to these new believers ``Come on back to the faith of your fathers, this Jesus that your serving isn’t coming back. He’s dead and someone has stolen his body. You can’t believe those apostle fellas they’re all crazy to think that this Jesus actually raised himself from the dead.”

4.“Forsake this Jesus and come on back to the synagogue and come on back to the faith of Abraham and Jacob. Come on back to the Law of Moses and the patriarchs and the prophets.”

5.Thus Paul had to send an urgent letter to these new believers and let them know that they had the right one. He had to tell them that God who at sundry times and in divers ways had spoken by the prophets has now in these last days spoken to us by Jesus. He tells them in the letter that he was the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of God. He tells them in the letter that by Him, by Jesus that the worlds were framed and the heavens created by Jesus.

6.So he says ``don’t leave Jesus and go back to Judaism. If you go back to Judaism you’ll go back to the worship of angels and the worship of the patriarchs and the prophets`` so don’t go back to Judaism. For, Jesus is better than worshipping angels. The angels worship Him. So don’t go back to worshipping angels. If you go back to Judaism you’ll go back to worshipping Abraham and the prophets but Jesus is better than Abraham and the prophets. For, Abraham is out looking for a city, but Jesus IS the city so don’t go back to worshipping Abraham.

7.I know folks who believe that Islam is better than Jesus. But Jesus is better than Islam. Folks think that Buddhism and Hinduism are better than Jesus but Jesus is better than Islam, Better than Buddhism or Hinduism.

8.I have a friend who is a lawyer. My son’s uncle and I made some money off of him a few years back. I happened to know some people who needed a lawyer and wanted to use an African American lawyer if possible. So I referred them to him and he represented them and gave me a finder’s fee. Twice I made a little change with him. He was a member at Mt. Zion at the time. I happened to see him a few months ago and he stopped me at the store. And I was happy to see him. I asked him `so How are things going at Mt. Zion´ Oh, he said I don’t attend Mt Zion anymore I’ve stepped up. I said `Oh yeah where did you step to he said I’m in the nation of Islam with the honorable minister Farrakhan I said oh ok Now you know that I can’t recommend you to my friends anymore hunh`he said oh are you prejudice or something you won’t recommend me because I’m not a Christian anymore. `I said `no but I don’t want to recommend any lawyer who doesn’t know the difference between stepping up and falling down.