Let Us Go Onto Spiritual Maturity

Well, good morning, everyone, on a beautiful, beautiful Fall Sabbath day. You know, except for the storm this past week, we've had some very beautiful fall weather. October, beautiful sunny days, and I've enjoyed my walks every day. I take a two-mile walk in that beautiful sunshine and the blue sky. And this coming the weather and the forecast, the days ahead this week, are to be just very, very beautiful. It's always very special to enter these doors and see all the big, the smiling faces after facing all the things that we go through the other six days of the week. It's always very special. Good to see all of you, and I hope that you've had a good week and are feeling good today. There is a scripture in the Bible that says, let us go on to perfection. Let us go on to perfection. I'd like for us to consider that scripture in the sermon today.

So let me ask you a few questions. First of all, what book in the Bible is it that has this statement, let us go on to perfection? What book?

Okay, what? Hebrews. Okay, Hebrews. Very good. All right, it is the book of Hebrews.

Why was this scripture or this statement written? What is the context for let us go on to perfection? Do you understand the background in the book of Hebrews? We're going to be looking at that. There was a big problem among the Hebrews that were written to that we need to consider and make sure that we ourselves learn from it. Because many actually there in this group that was written to were not going on to perfection after their high calling. Okay, before we get right into the book of Hebrews and we'll discover what the answer is, why this statement was written, its context, and what we can learn from it, let's have a short quiz on the book of Hebrews. And there were joy quizzes. So how many chapters are there in the book of Hebrews? 13. Very good. I want some quick answers now. Who wrote the book of Hebrews?

Possibly Paul. That's a good answer. Possibly Paul. Some would feel probably Paul, but we really don't have a definite answer. I've heard some of our speakers, though, actually say Paul, and I don't think it's wrong because very likely it could have been Paul. There's some internal evidence in the book itself, but still we don't know 100%. So it's better to say, as many of our speakers also or ministers say, the writer of Hebrews. And I'll be using that today because I do like for us to be absolutely able to prove it, and the scriptures just don't really do that.

Are true or false? We've got three of these true or false questions. True or false? Many of the Hebrews have been in the church for a long time. True or false? True. That is true. Many of them, the internal evidence of the book, they've been in the church for decades, many of them.

Next one, the writer exhorted the members to keep their eyes on Jesus Christ. True. All right. And the last one, all the members were faithful, zealous, and filled with their first love. That is false. Absolutely false. And we're going to see that that is the problem. They were not remaining zealous and filled with their first love. They were no longer zealous. They were not going on to spiritual maturity or to perfection. So the book of Hebrews we find is a book of warning. And I'm not giving this today because I think everything applies to us, but yet this book is in the Bible, and we don't want it to apply to us in the way that it did to the people written to at that time. The people written to were growing weary and letting down. They were not going on to finish their race, their spiritual race. They were not going on to perfection. And the writer gives some vital instruction on what they needed to do. And it's a vital message from which we can learn. So let's glean all that we can by looking at the book of Hebrews. We're going to be right there in the book of Hebrews for the entirety of the sermon. What is it that we can do that will help us not to let down and grow weary and to maintain our zeal and our first love and go on to perfection or spiritual maturity? All right, we're going to get right into the book itself. I'm opening my Bible now to Hebrews chapter 1. We are going to work our way toward that statement. Let us go on to perfection. We'll read that as when we get to it. But I want us to begin in chapter 1, and we can't begin to cover all 13 chapters of this book. And I think many of us are very familiar with the book of Hebrews, and yet I think this is going to be a good review. And it's going to give us a good perspective on a problem that existed among the Christians in a congregation or congregations at that time. Many feel like the congregations were those around Jerusalem, those in the early church that developed in that area. It's not clear exactly where they were located, but that is certainly a very good possibility that people, Christians in Jerusalem, many of them going back to those early years after the church was founded.

I'm not going to get too much into every scripture, but we're going to cover the basic scriptures. And we're going to see that this is a major theme or thread that runs through the book of Hebrews. Let us go on to perfection. That's what the writer of Hebrews had in mind. That's what he wanted the Christians there to do. He wanted them to really step it up because they were letting down. We're going to see they were really letting down in a way that was actually going to disqualify them for the kingdom of God. They were not going to make it unless they did begin to go on to perfection, get busy with their salvation. In chapter one, one of the truer false questions was the book sets, exerted the members to keep their eyes on Jesus Christ.

And right away, the writer of Hebrews puts the focus on, guess who? Jesus Christ. Because he is our Savior, and he is our high priest, and he's well able to help us right into the kingdom of God. If we get our eyes off of Jesus Christ, we're in trouble. We're going to be going the same way and have the same problem the Hebrews had. They were getting their eyes off of Jesus Christ. We can't afford to do that. Just look at chapter one. We'll just read a few verses here. God, who at various times and different ways spoke in the past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his Son. And this whole chapter amplifies on the Son who he has appointed heir of all things, who be in verse three, the brightness of his glory, an express image of this person. Verse five, to which of the angels did he ever say, you are my Son? But to Jesus Christ, he did say, this is my Son. In verse eight, your throne, O God, is forever and ever. So it talks about Jesus Christ and puts the focus right on him. Now, why does he do this? He begins to get into the problem that these Christians were having. And it's a major problem that we don't want to have happen to us. Look at chapter two in verse one. After setting the focus on Jesus Christ, and this whole book is going to focus on Jesus Christ very, very much, because he is the answer to the problem. Chapter two in verse one, therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard. Oh, he sees that they're not really paying attention to the message, to the truth that we have been given as he would like.

We must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. And some were drifting away. Brother, we don't want that to happen, do we? To drift away. Verse two, if the words spoken through angels prove steadfast and every transgression and disobedience receive a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, as some of the Christians in that area were doing at that time? They were neglecting so great a salvation. Here we have the opportunity to be in God's kingdom and have eternal life as a Son of God.

So great a salvation. We don't want to ever neglect it. Some of them were neglecting it, and they were beginning to drift away. So great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

God also bearing witness with signs and wonders and miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his own will. So right away he begins to show that there is a problem. Some were drifting away. Some were beginning to neglect. So great a salvation. They were not going on to perfection. And so what is the solution? Get their eyes on Jesus Christ. And in chapter two he goes on down to do that. In verse nine we see Jesus. Again, he puts the focus on Christ, our Savior and our high priest, who can help us into God's kingdom. We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God might taste death for everyone.

And we'll read just a little bit more. He just continues to keep the focus on Christ and what he has done for mankind. It was fitting for him for whom are all things and by whom are all things and bringing many sons to glory to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. We know that Christ suffered just as we and it goes on down to describe that in verse 14. Inasmuch as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same, and he experienced what it's like to be human, and he experienced what it's like to die. And he's showing here, setting a case that, hey, Christ has been through everything that we are ourselves going through. Jesus understands what it is like. He's the answer to our problems and our needs, whatever they may be. And so the spotlight is put on the solution, Jesus Christ. We must fix our eyes also on Jesus Christ if we are to make it into the kingdom of God. Okay, we'll look and we'll read verse 17, chapter 2, verse 17. And all things he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Jesus Christ knows what it's like. He's been there. He's experienced it. So chapter 3 goes on to say, verse 1, therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus Christ. And that's what this book is going to really dwell on more than anything else, is considering the Apostle and high priest, Jesus Christ. The whole book is focused really on Jesus Christ and how he can help us. But guess what? As we come on down a few more verses talking about Christ and what he is and what he has done, he then gets into verse 7 into the warning that some were drifting away. They were neglecting so great a salvation, so great an opportunity for eternal life in the kingdom of God. Verse 7, therefore, as the Holy Spirit says today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Therefore, I was angry with that generation and said they always go astray in their heart. They have not known my ways, so I swore in my wrath they shall not enter my rest. And so why didn't he write that about the Old Testament Israelites failing to be faithful to God? Verse 12, beware. It's a warning. This book is going to be full of warnings to Christians that were no longer going on toward perfection. It doesn't mean all of them necessarily in that area written to, but there must have been a lot. This whole book is devoted to it. Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily while it's called today. Lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. You know, we have a beginning to our confidence, too. We became confident at one time that we had a tremendous opportunity presented to us to become sons of God and have eternal life in His kingdom. And even beyond that, to share in the inheritance of the universe. Well, we've got to hold that the beginning of our confidence steadfast as we go on forward all the way to perfection. Steadfast to the end.

While it is said today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.

So, pretty strong warning here not to harden their hearts and beware of an evil heart of unbelief. In chapter 4, verse 1, therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, this is talking about the eternal rest we will have in the kingdom of God. Let us fear lest any of you seem to come short of it. This is something we don't want to come short of. We want to go on to perfection.

And we must be diligent in order to enter God's kingdom. In verse 11, chapter 4 here in verse 11, therefore, let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, dividing even to division of the soul and spirit and joints and marrow, and as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, there is no creature hidden from His sight. But all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him we must give account. And so, we must be diligent as we go on forward toward perfection. And then He talks about where that help that we will need comes from in verse 14. See, then, that we have a great High Priest, a great High Minister, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus. Let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may find mercy and find grace to help in time of need. So there's help there from a merciful High Priest who has already shown, has experienced what it's like to be human. He has experienced and he's suffered. And he goes on to reiterate that in chapter 5 and verse 7, who in the days of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to him that was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his godly fear. God did strengthen and encourage him. Though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. And having been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him. So we have such a High Priest.

But now we get into the section that leads up to the, what I asked at the very beginning, was that scripture that says that let us go on to perfection. We get up to the passage that leads to that beginning in verse 12. For though by this time, and I tell you this is pretty straight from the shoulder correction here, for though by this time you ought to be teachers, you've been around a long time, you ought to be teachers, you actually need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God, and you have need, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. They had not grown. They had not gone on toward perfection. Verse 13, for every one who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. She's telling them that they had not really grown the way they should have. They were still babes. They've been in the church a long time. They ought to have been teachers by this time. But they've been dull of hearing. They've not been listening carefully to the sermons and messages and growing as they did. And so we come to chapter 6 and verse 1, and that is the verse that has our statement there, let us go on to perfection. Let us go on to perfection. Chapter 6 and verse 1, therefore leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection. Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works. You know, we all laid that foundation at one time. When we came into the church, we looked at our lives. We made some basic changes from dead works. We no longer, for example, went to church on Sunday. That is a repentance from dead works. We no longer kept Christmas and Easter. We began to keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days, other changes that we made.

So we laid that foundation, and then we went on to baptism and faith toward God, the doctrine of baptisms and laying on of hands and understanding the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

We did that. We don't need to go back and lay the foundation again. When a house builder builds a house, he lays a foundation, a good firm foundation. He doesn't need to go back and lay it again. He needs to build on top of it. But these people had not built on top of it. They were still babes. They had not grown as they should. We don't want that to happen. We want to build on that foundation and go on toward perfection. The King James Version and the New King James Version both use the word perfection. The New King James Version has maturity in the margin, and the great word means completion. It means maturity. And other other translations put it this way. The Williams translation says, continue progressing toward maturity. That's the heart and core of the sermon today. Let us be sure that we are continuing to progress toward spiritual maturity. The New Testament says, let us go on to be mature. And the New Testament says, let us pass on to our full growth. As Paul writes in Galatians 4, we are to have Christ formed in us. And we are to grow to that point that we are fully developed in Christ in us. And that's what the Scripture is saying here. This is a central desire of the writer of this book, that these people would get back in the race again and begin to grow toward spiritual maturity. No longer being babes, but growing on toward perfection or completion or maturity. By the way, the title I've given to this sermon is, let us go on to spiritual maturity. Let us go on to spiritual maturity.

You know, I think that we would all agree that 2020 has been a hard year, much harder than we may have thought it would be about, you know, just not even about 11 months ago. We didn't think this would be so hard. It's been a bruising election year. COVID-19 has struck. We've not even been able to attend services for many weeks. It's a blessing that we're able to come back and have services. But we need to stay focused. There's a lot of clutter. There's a lot of distraction that is going on that could hinder us or slow us down. We don't want that to happen. We want to go on toward spiritual maturity. We want to build on the basic foundation that we laid at the very beginning and go on to full spiritual growth, full spiritual maturity. You know, right after these verses is one of the sternest warnings of all in this book. Notice in verse 4, it does say in verse 3, this we will do. We will go on to spiritual maturity and not have to start all over again. We will grow and finish this race completely. But then in verse 4 he says, 4, and this is something to really be frightened about. It is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come. Isn't that all of us? We have tasted the heavenly gift. Our eyes have certainly been enlightened and we've been partakers of the Holy Spirit and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the wonderful age that it is coming. It is impossible, verse 6, if they fall away to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated receives blessings from God.

But if it bears thorns, if we don't produce the spiritual fruit we're supposed to then, thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to be encouraged whose end is to be burned.

So we don't want that to happen. We want to use God's Holy Spirit. You know the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is when we neglect to use it. God's Holy Spirit is that agent that helps empowers us to be able to do what we must do to develop holy divine character and nature of God. But we cannot do that without God's Holy Spirit. If we neglect His Holy Spirit, that would be blaspheming the Holy Spirit. That is the sin that will not be forgiven that Jesus mentioned.

So we must use the Holy Spirit to grow and to continue progress into word spiritual maturity.

These people weren't doing it. They were not using God's Holy Spirit to do that. And they were in danger then of missing out. But you know, this letter, like, and as I mentioned, this message is not given because I think we as a church are falling short. This message is given because it's in the Bible. It's given because we are living in an age of distraction and clutter.

And it's given because we could fall into some of these problems if we allow that to happen. And we don't want to allow that to happen. But this letter, the writer of this letter, is encouraging to the people. He uses positive encouragement to get them to do the right thing. And it gets right into that here in verse 9.

Notice even the word beloved, beloved brethren, we are confident of better things concerning you. Yes, thanks that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner, even though I've had to speak straight from the shoulder to you, we're confident of better things. For God is not unjust to forget your work. He acknowledges that they had works and your labor of love, which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister.

They had done some good things. It wasn't all bad. Verse 11, and we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish. It again brings up some of the problems. They have become sluggish. You do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. So it's encouraging. He encourages them, kind of eggs them on toward in that direction that they should be, that they should go.

God remembers their labors, but He exhorts them to get back in the race. You've kind of stepped aside from the race to enter God's kingdom and to go on to perfection. You need to get back in the race. He eggs them in that direction. We're not going to, for the sake of time, we're not going to go extensively in the chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10, but guess what the focus is on and what the answer to the problem is?

The focus is on Jesus Christ. Notice in chapter 7 and verse 1, this Melchizedek king of Salem. Well, the last verse of chapter 6 would be good, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having to come high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Then it gets into explaining Melchizedek that Jesus Christ has this new priesthood, a new high priest for the church.

In verse 24, Jesus Christ, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore, He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him. Jesus Christ is the answer of how He is the way into God's kingdom, since He ever lived to make intercession for them. For such a high priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled. What a description of our high priest, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens, who did not need daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifices for his own sins.

And then for the peoples, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. It talks about the greatness of our high minister. You know, a priest is just a minister. We have a high minister that can save us and help us every step of the way, but we have to stay close to Him and have Him working in us and looking to Him continually as our Savior and looking to Him continually as our high priest, our minister.

He's there to give us a helping hand into God's kingdom. Chapter 9, again we're just going to very quickly look through a few of these verses here, Chapter 9 and verse 11, Christ, it goes through some of the sacrifices, the blood sacrifices and things here in these chapters. But in verse 11, by contrast, look what Christ has done. Christ came as high priest of good things to come with a greater and more perfect tabernacle.

Verse 12, not with the blood of goats and calves, but His own blood. When Jesus came up to God's throne, He brought His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. And if the blood of bulls and goats sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, verse 14, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Jesus Christ has brought His own blood. Our sins are totally wiped out. Those animal sacrifices could never do that. So there's a contrast to the animal sacrifices and the Old Testament priesthood and the priesthood of Jesus Christ and His own blood that He brought before God's throne. Let's also look at chapter 10 and verse 11. And what a great sacrifice Jesus Christ has. Chapter 10 and verse 11. Every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.

For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified, the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us.

So Jesus Christ offered that one sacrifice for us. We can draw close to God because of that. Chapter 10 goes on to say, when we consider then our great Savior, because of His sacrifice and our great High Priest or minister, because of that, verse 11, therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, we can come right to the throne of God by a new and living way, which He consecrated for us through the veil, that is, its flesh. Verse 22, let us draw near with a true heart a full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience.

Our bodies washed with pure water. So here's the, you know, what He would like for them to be busy doing. Let us hold fast a confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful, and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. But notice, it brings out again that some were sluggish and letting down. Verse 25, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching. It is important to come together as we're able to do so.

But then comes a very stern warning again. You know, in this book we keep having stern warnings and then explanatory material and encouragement, and then we get back into warning. In verse 26, if we sin willfully after we've received the knowledge of the truth, there's no longer a sacrifice for sins. We don't want to ever be guilty of that, a willful sin, just getting into where we willfully sin and keep sinning. Not through weakness. We all sin through weakness, but this is a willful type of sin. No more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. Anyone that rejected Moses long died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment do you suppose will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot?

If we take this lightly, the sacrifice of our Savior and our High, and don't have him to help us as our High Priest, we take all that lightly and trample the Son of God underfoot, counting the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing and insulted the Spirit of grace, then we certainly are going to have to answer for that.

So, skipping on down to verse 35, therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. Again, he's appealing more and more as we get on into the letter part of this of this letter. Do not cast away your confidence. That is great reward or sonship in God's kingdom. Eternal life joined inheritance of all the vast holdings of God's kingdom, the universe. Don't cast it away.

It does have great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. And it talks about him coming in verse 37 and not waiting.

In verse 38, the just shall live by faith, but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him.

You know, we don't want to draw back. And he encourages them, but we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. So, these words of encouragement, urging them to go ahead and go on towards spiritual maturity. Get back on the track and run that race to the finish line. You know, this is the setting for the faith chapter.

And why does he get the faith chapter at this point? Because this shows the examples of others who have run the race, who went on to spiritual maturity, went on to the finish line, and example after example after example, why does he do that? These people are in dire need. They're about to miss out of God's kingdom. He's trying to urge them on to follow the example of all of these people of faith. So, this whole chapter, then, is devoted to that. And I don't think we're going to to say, get into verses. This was to strengthen them. This was to encourage them not to give up, just as these people of faith did not give up, to encourage them on to spiritual maturity.

So, we'll come to chapter 12. I guess this sermon is like a Bible study in many ways, but I hope it's refreshing our minds on the book of Hebrews in a very positive way. I hope it will help us. I mean, I don't want to fall into the problem many of our Christians, our fellow brothers and sisters at that time, had fallen into. They were letting down. Their love had grown cold. They didn't have the zeal they should have. They were losing it.

So, this letter is a straight from the shoulder correction to get them back on track again. I don't want that to happen to me or to you, anyone. Chapter 12 in verse 1, therefore, in view of this faith chapter, which we are skipping over, therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, all the witnesses, all these people in chapter 11, the faith chapter, serve as witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight, brethren, let us make sure we do that, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, and let us run it all the way to the finish line until we do reach spiritual maturity. What is spiritual maturity? Is having the nature of God developed fully in us? Is having the character of God developed fully in us? Is having the love, joy, peace, righteousness, all those good things? Having the very mind of God fully developed in us? Christ fully formed in us? That's what spiritual maturity is. We're to run our race then right to the finish line, and look at verse 2. Looking to Jesus. This whole book has been looking to Jesus chapter after chapter, and all the way from the very first chapter. Looking unto Jesus, who is the author, and the margin says originator, and finisher, and the margin says perfecter. He is the originator, and he is the perfecter of our faith. So the answer that for these people and for us is to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ.

Looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. He goes on to give some scriptures that we should be able to endure chastening, because he realizes he has chastened these people. They have been chastened. If you read this letter, if you were a member in the congregations where the letter was read, I think you would feel chastened.

But the chastening was needed, and the writer here says that they encouraged them to endure this chastening, to accept it, just like a father corrects or chastens his child out of love. So they have been chastened out of love. But verse 11, no chastening seems to be joyful, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. So he ends with a few exhortations. Verse 12, therefore strengthen the hands which hang down. You know, hands that hang down can't do very much, can they?

You've got to get your hands up if you're going to do anything. So their hands were hanging down. They weren't doing anything. Strengthen the hands that hang down. And feeble knees, feeble knees can't run a race. Strengthen those feeble knees. So you can get on that track and run the race and make straight paths for your feet so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace. Verse 15, looking diligently lest anyone fall short of the grace of God and any root of bitterness spring up, cause trouble. By this, he says, by this many become defiled, lest there be a person like Esau. Afterward, he wanted to inherit the blessing. He was sorry he sold his birthright, but he was rejected. So, you know, that's a pretty powerful admonition, too. You don't want to lose your birthright that has been promised like Esau lost his. In verse 25, again, we're cutting right through this, but it would not be bad to read and study the whole book of Hebrews. Chapter 12, now in verse 25, see that you do not refuse him who speaks. Don't refuse the chastening that is in this letter. If they did not escape, who refused him who spoke on earth? How much more shall we not escape if we turn away from him that speaks from heaven? So he encourages them. He encourages them to go right on and actually to not be shakable from God's church. In verse 27, the latter part, the things which cannot be shaken may remain. If we can be shaken, God will try us and test us. If we can be shaken off the tree, then we won't make it. He wants us to remain, not to be shaken from our calling.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom, verse 28, that cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire.

And chapter 13, some general admonitions which I don't think I will focus on, but again, guess what it focuses on primarily on Jesus Christ. And an interesting scripture is in verse 8, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. No, Christ doesn't change. He's the same always. In verse 15, therefore, by him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks. Do not forget to do good and to share. Verse 17, obey them that have the rule over you and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. And he says, pray for us. And verse 20, now may the God of peace, who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, again he's put in the focus on Christ, may the God of peace then that brought Jesus from the dead, make, verse 21, make you complete. Margin says, perfect here, or mature in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom he glory forever and ever. And notice a little passage at the end here that does lend some weight that this may have been the Apostle Paul. Verse 23, when know that our brother, oh, I'm, well, I'll come back to that. Verse 23, know that our brother Timothy has been set free. You know, we know that Paul worked closely with Timothy, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly. Greet all those who rule over you, and all the saints, those from Italy, greet you. We know that Paul spent time in Italy. And also in chapter 10 and verse 34, chapter 10 and verse 34, he complements the Hebrews, for you had compassion on me in my chains.

So that lends a bit of weight, too, that it could have been very likely the Apostle Paul.

I think we're probably still safer to say the writer, but if anybody says Paul, I have no problems with it. Finally, I was going to read chapter 13 and verse 22, I appeal to you brethren.

He makes one final appeal. I appeal to you brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in a few words. Please bear with this these words of exhortation. He did it out of out of love.

Brethren, there have been many distractions in 2020. There's a lot of clutter, a lot of confusion all around us. It's been a hard year. COVID-19, not able to attend services for a while, including even the Passover, remember? And Feast of the Eleven Bread has been rioting and looting in many American cities. You know, somehow Mr. Trump were declared the winner of this election.

I have an idea that rioting and looting would break out in many, many cities.

It looks like he's not going to win the election, but just something to think about.

There's been growing attacks on conservative values. It's been a fierce presidential election a lot of anger and division. Let's not let the clutter cause us to lose focus.

Remember the admonitions in the book of Hebrews and the admonition to keep our eyes focused on Jesus Christ as our Savior, by which our sins are forgiven, and as our high priest, from whom we can receive the help that we need. Beware of drifting away and neglecting so great a salvation as some we're doing. Beware of becoming dull of hearing and remaining abate and not growing and not running the race with patience all the way to the finish line. Let's keep looking to Jesus Christ, the author and the finisher of our faith, and learn from the book of Hebrews and go on to spiritual maturity.