Preaching through Hebrews

This Sunday I’m beginning a sermon series on HEBREWS, “Christ Supreme.” The idea is to move through the letter from beginning to end, care­fully weighing each statement and closely tracing the line of thought, and setting out practical applications of God’s gripping truth along the way.

The Letter to the Hebrews is amazing. But one could say more: it’s complex, rich, demanding, deep, imposing, daunting … and simply breathtaking. Hebrews is like a rugged mountain peak, so the heights must be scaled with great care—and intense anticipation! Grappling with Hebrews is like standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon: it makes your legs ache with that sense of reverent wonder. The majesty of Christ is staggering! I'm praying for the Lord's all-important help in the preparation and proclamation side of things, and that he'd awaken (and re-awaken) Christ-exalting faith in the hearts of his gathered people.

By God’s help, immersion in Hebrews will rivet our eyes on Jesus Christ. At the heart of this letter is the argument and passion that Christ reigns supreme. The glory of God revealed in his Son is a treasure of matchless worth. And so, above all else, cling to Christ—or come to Christ, if you don’t yet trust him!

Hebrews is brutally realistic about the world’s appeals to turn back from the Lord and find our security in lesser “gods,” even though they can never truly satisfy our thirsty souls. But Satan will try to anesthetize you with the delirium of disinterest in Jesus and the vain hope of worldly security and the lazy attitude that quickly labels Hebrews “too difficult”: be warned.

This letter brings a no-nonsense message, confronting hypocrisy and pointing the way of authentic faith. Numerous warnings against sin and spiritual immaturity grab the reader’s attention: don’t turn back from Christ—you’ll lose everything!

Hebrews helps us understand the relationship between the testaments. How is the Old Testament valid for today’s Christian, and in what sense is it superseded by a new way of relating to God: how new is the New Covenant? Getting this right is immensely important if we intend to treat the whole Bible with respect as God’s relevant word for our day and every day.

Sound kind of heady? It is—and “hearty” too. It’s no secret that God’s Word makes demands on your mind; healthy faith calls for careful study. And among the biblical books, it may be that Hebrews leads the way in this regard! We live in a profoundly impatient culture that shuns thoughtful reflection and rushes on to action: do, do, do. What about you? Too busy to study? All that “academic” stuff not your cup of tea? I guess you’re saying you only have time for baby-bottle spirituality.

Finally, Hebrews prepares believers for the real trials and temptations that we hit along the discipleship path. Following Jesus is a joy; no other life can meet your heart’s deep longings. But following Jesus can also be hard. Perseverance is a necessary dimension of authentic faith in Christ, and in order to stand firm, God’s people need to be pulled and pushed (i.e., encouraged and warned) to cling to Christ all the way to glory. Hebrews is God’s gift to his church to do just that.

(For Goshen Baptist Church sermon audios, click here.)

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