Patiently Resting and Trusting

“Patiently Resting and Trusting”

Psalm 27:14; 59:9-10; 62:1-2; Isa. 40:31; John 11

                                                            

SUBJECT: GOD’S STRENGTH IN FRUSTRATIONS. 

THEME: You Can Overcome the Frustrations by the Wisdom and Strength of the Lord.  

RELEVANCE: Why is this important to us? We need to understand the source of our frustrations is Satan (these are spiritual battles) and trust the Lord to help us overcome these hindrances. God prescribes specific practices to escape the trap of impatience like patience, rest, and trust. 

INTRODUCTION: 

God wants us to actively participate in the work he desires to accomplish. Waiting strategically can cultivate good fruit in our lives such as patience, perseverance, and endurance. It also draws us closer to our Savior and points those who are watching us to the gospel.

MESSAGE:

FRUSTRATION COULD BE ROOTED IN IMPATIENT ATTITUDES

Psalm 27:14, Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. 

 A.  ARE YOU RUNNING AHEAD OF GOD?

B.  WAITING ON GOD BUILDS ADVANTAGES AND PATIENCE.

C.  WAITING ON GOD IS A CHOICE TO PATIENTLY REST IN HIS PLAN.

Again, the disadvantages of getting ahead of God are evident. Peter was notorious for trying to get ahead of God's plan, even to the slicing off of a man's ear in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus, on the other hand, never showed up too early or too late. He always arrived right on time, in keeping with what the Father was doing. Learning to wait on God's timing is one of the hallmarks of the maturity. 

Psalm 59:9-10, Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence. [10] The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.

Psalm 62:1-2, To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David.  Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. [2] He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.

The Lord doesn't catapult us into greatness; He grows us into spiritual maturity.

He stretches us slowly so that we don't break.

He expands our vision slowly so that we can take in all of the details of what He desires to accomplish.

He causes us to grow slowly so that we stay balanced.

The unfolding of God's plan for your life is a lifelong process. Relax in His presence and allow Him to lead the journey and do His work in you. (Dr. C. Stanley)

D. WAITING ON GOD IS AN ACT OF TRUST AND FAITH.

Waiting on God is not passive idleness, but a positive, active posture of trust, hope, and faithful endurance. Waiting with confident expectations are never put to shame and ultimately receive divine strength, justice, and deliverance.

1. King David Patiently Waiting on God While Trusting Him (Psalm 40:1-3)

a.      David details an agonizing season of waiting, often associated with his flight from King Saul. He emphasizes that this is not wasted time but a period where God hears prayers and prepares a firm foundation.

b.     Psalm 40:1-2, I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 

2. The Prophet Isaiah Waited on God’s Promise with Solid Confidence (Isaiah 40:31)

a.      Isaiah provides the ultimate promise for waiting on God, teaching that divine waiting exchanges our weariness for God’s supernatural strength.

b.     Isaiah 40:31, But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Perhaps waiting on God feels impractical because we perceive a different outcome than God does…we want something quite different from what God has in mind. Sometimes we are guilty of wanting things far too small when God is thinking much bigger, grander, and strategically. Further, our expectations may even be more focused on ourselves and not necessarily the broader plan of God.

This kind of thing happen repeatedly in the Bible, but it was especially punctuated in John 11 with the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead. Often, we impose our limitations on God restricting Him to fit into our expectations, when God is not limited like that at all. Our need for Him and the opportunity to transcend normal is presented through life’s challenges, but few seldom realize the opportunities to trust Him and surpass the limitations of our experience. It is true death, the grave, and the stench of death are very real limitations we cannot overcome no matter how sincere we are. It is also true that we allow ourselves to ‘think’ within the confines of those limits and we don’t even consider possibilities beyond them…. We err when we impose those same limits onto God only expecting or even requiring Him to operate within our ‘level’ of comprehension. He is NOT obligated to function that way, and further He really knows what He is doing with each opportunity. He has a strategic plan!

It is precisely at this juncture we feel acutely the frustrations not realizing God is itching to introduce something mind-blowing and life changing! Jesus requires ‘faith’—believing Him to realize the greater realities! Sometimes we are so consumed with the past… ‘what we perceived should have been’, we haven’t even entertained future possibilities yet. We would have been happy with a ‘healing’, but God wants a ‘resurrection!’ We may envision the local impact of a ‘resurrection’ miracle but not yet perceive the farther-reaching impact of such a testimony for future disciples. We can influence a ‘healing’ with our prayers, but only God can work His divine plan for our future. The first instance courts our pride, but the second option illuminates the ‘grace’ of God!

“With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26), means God is unlimited…His power transcends all the limitations that we must respect. Child of God, we have reassurance…that no obstacle is too great for God and that He can intervene in seemingly impossible situations. God's infinite ability and authority is not bound by natural, human, or earthly boundaries. So, whatever God calls us to do, He will empower and equip us to accomplish it. Beloved, let us align ourselves with His holy character, divine purposes, and eternal plans, rather than merely granting our personal whim, notions, or plans. 

You and I must trust Him to do the impossible…He knows no such limitations. We must stop thinking too small…too selfishly; start living by ‘faith’ in God’s limitless power and strategic plan. We will experience far less frustration when we do.

CONCLUSION: 

The Lord will do whatever it takes to prod us toward His higher places. He'll make us restless with where we are if it is time for us to move on. He'll cause us to hunger and thirst for more of Him. He'll plant within us a desire for things we never dreamed of desiring in our relationship with Him.

Trust God with all of the circumstances, relationships, and schedules in your life. Rest in Him. He desires to be your strong and sure haven in all times of frustration. (Dr. C. Stanley)

Exodus 20:8-11, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. [9] Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: [10] But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: [11] For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Mark 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

However, these difficult periods are meant to build endurance and draw us closer to God rather than just being empty time.

When the wait feels overwhelming, these perspectives and practices can help make the season a bit more manageable. When the future is unclear, focus on what you know to be true about God's character rather than what you don't know about your life. Instead of just being passive, you can channel this time into prayer, writing down what you are grateful for, and resting in the present.

Are you currently waiting for direction in a specific area of your life, or are you just looking for encouragement to help you get through today?

 

Enter God's Rest (Part 1)

Lesson Five

Enter God’s Rest

Hebrews 4:1–13

 

Theme: Since Christ Jesus, the Son of God, has completed the work of redemption and is at rest, we must accept it, rely on it and enter rest with Him. Accept Christ’s peace for the conscience, the heart, and the mind by faith.

 

Reflection

Begin your study by sharing thoughts on this question. 

1. What misconceptions do people have about finding true peace? 

There are several misconceptions related to true peace. One delusion is the notion that peace is primarily external and must be arranged or constructed in society through amicable interactions. While it is desirable to live in a peaceful society, God has far more in mind than social peace and political stability. Another misconception is that substantial peace must be earned or worked to secure through religious duties and rituals. Many religions, all based on this same flawed philosophy of works, exist in the world because of the quest of the human soul for peace with God. But real peace is ours through faith in Christ and by God’s grace and love, not our efforts to earn it or perform satisfactorily. Another approach is that people attempt to find a kind of peace in a liquor bottle, drugs, activities, or even a certain place. They want to escape the ugliness and dreadfulness of reality by numbing themselves to it…even for relatively short periods. The fact is their minds and perceptions are temporarily impaired, but reality remains uninfluenced in any positive ways. The truth is real peace can only be ours through faith (confidence, reliance, and trust) in Jesus Christ and the Word of God. God provides an inner rest and repose for the mind, heart, and soul of those who believe Him.

 

Bible Reading

Read carefully and thoughtfully Hebrews 4:1–13.   

To those who fail to see themselves as Jesus’ brothers, and to understand the thought of Hebrews 3 and 4, it may seem frightening. Such people might cringe as they imagine these verses describe God examining them, to highlight each hidden fault. But this is not the point at all! The writer has just explained rest. That rest goes beyond the promise of Palestine to Israel. God’s rest is a rest of soul and spirit, a rest of thought and attitude. The inner person is to be at rest as well. And we can rest, for nothing is hidden from God’s gaze. He knows our deepest, most secret needs, and with His Word lays bare that need—and guides us into rest. –The Teacher's Commentary

 

     Commentary

This chapter continues the theme of rest that was begun in 3:11. The word “rest” is used in five different senses in this section: (1) God’s Sabbath rest of Gen. 2:2 and Heb. 4:4, 10; (2) Canaan, the rest for Israel after wandering for forty years (3:11, etc.); (3) the believer’s present salvation rest in Christ (4:3, 10); (4) the overcomer’s present rest of victory (4:11); and (5) the future eternal rest in heaven (4:9). God’s Sabbath rest is a type of our present rest of salvation, following the finished work of Christ on the cross. It is also a picture of the “eternal Sabbath” of glory. Israel’s Canaan rest is similar to the life of victory and blessing we gain as we walk by faith and claim our inheritance in Christ. There are in this chapter four exhortations relating to the life of rest. –Wiersbe, Warren W.: Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament

The nature of rest. The word “rest” is used in Hebrews 3 and 4 in three distinct senses. First is the usage we’ve seen. Entry into the Promised Land, so large a feature of Old Testament history, is a portrait—a tangible example—of the idea of rest.

It was an appropriate picture. God had promised the land to Abraham and his descendants. During the years of Israel’s slavery in Egypt, pagan peoples had populated and improved the land. They had built houses, planted vineyards and orchards, and tamed the wilderness. Yet their lifestyle more and more evidenced the grossest of sins. The time of their judgment by God corresponded with Israel’s release from slavery. In coming into Canaan, Israel would be God’s instrument of judgment on sin—and would inherit riches for which she had not labored. The people would sit under trees they had not planted and drink wine made from grapes of vines they had not cultivated. They would come into a land where the work had been done—and they would rest.

Like Israel of old, you and I in Jesus have been delivered from slavery. Sin’s power in our lives has been broken, and we are called by God to enter a “Promised Land” experience, in which we will rest. We are to enjoy the benefits of the work Jesus has done for us. The Christian life is not one of struggle to carve out a bare living in the wilderness. The Christian life is one of appropriating all the benefits of the spiritual abundance that Jesus so richly provides.

A second connotation of “rest” is seen in the application of the term to God’s own rest on completion of Creation. The Jewish teachers had noted a fascinating feature of the Genesis account. For each of the first six days, the text speaks of “evening and morning.” The beginning and the end were clearly marked off. But the seventh day has no such demarcation. The rabbis took this to mean that God’s rest has no end. With the creative work complete, God is not inactive, but He no longer creates, for that work is done.

Strikingly, it is His rest (4:5) that believers are invited to enter! We are to come to the place where we appropriate fully what God has done, and while never becoming inactive, we do stop laboring. The load of a Christian life that some experience as a struggle is lifted. The pressure of trying harder is gone. –The Teacher's Commentary

      Outline

In this section, there are three primary segments.  First is a review of Israel’s example of unbelief and their consequent failure to enter God’s rest (Heb. 4:1-9). Secondly, as Christians we are challenged to follow Christ (Heb. 4:7-11), and thirdly, submit our inner most hearts to the scrutiny (examination, search, analysis, laying bare) of the Word, and believe (trust) God to personally appropriate—fittingly adopt and depend on without reservation—the heavenly and spiritual blessings of His everlasting rest (Heb. 4:12-13).

 

I.                 Understand that God Still Offers the Promise of His Rest to His People (Heb. 4:1-6, 9).

a.      Fear the Possibility of Coming Short of God’s Rest (4:1).

b.      Take Advantage of the Good News of Rest by Exercising Faith in this Promise (4:2-3).

c.      Bear in Mind God’s Rest is Still Available (4:4-6, 9).

d.      Beware of Unbelief and Unresponsiveness to God’s Word (4:6)

II.               Respond Now in Faith to God’s Offer; Let us Labor to Enter His Rest (Heb. 4:7-11).

a.      God Has Been Patient with Israel’s Slow Respond to His Offers (4:7, 8).

b.      God Expects an Immediate Response to His Offer of Rest (4:7).

c.      We must Labor to Enter into His Rest to Avoid Falling in Unbelief (4:11).

III.             Trust God’s Word to Reveal Unbelief, Detect Genuine Faith, and the Needs of our Hearts (Heb. 4:12-13).

a.      Trust the Word to Expose the Thoughts and Motives of our Hearts (4:12).

b.      Trust God to Help You Understand the Condition of Your Heart (4:13).

 

Discovery

Explore the Bible reading by discussing these questions.

2.  Why didn't the Hebrews enter God's rest? (Heb. 4:1-3)                                      

Having reminded his readers that the generation which came out of Egypt did not enter into the rest of Canaan because of unbelief, the writer now proceeds to warn them of a possible failure on their part of entering into rest in Messiah. —Wuest, Kenneth S.:

A.    A Reflective Command for Believers to Follow (v. 1-9)

1.      Our Recourse—“Let us therefore fear”

a.      Should be influenced by our focus on Christ as Apostle and High Priest (3:1)

b.      Should be influenced by the superiority of Christ’s revelation over Moses’ (3:2)

c.      Should be influenced by the failure of Israel to enter rest because of unbelief and hardened hearts (3:7-19)

d.      Should be influenced by the fact that the opportunity to enter God’s rest still stands (4:1)

                                                              i.     Believers today may enter and enjoy their spiritual inheritance in Christ. We must be careful lest we fail to believe God’s Word, for it is only as the Word is “mixed with faith” that it can accomplish its purposes.

1.      The phrase, “let us fear” means both reverential respect for the judgment of God upon unbelief, and the attitude in which the believer examines his own heart.

2.      If these Hebrews forgot Christ’s ultimate triumph over His enemies and theirs (Heb. 1:13-14), then they will fail to continue in faith.  If they lack faith in the power of God to bring them victory, their unbelief will forfeit God’s rest. Paul urges them therefore, to “fear”—to take it to heart that unbelief—lack of confidence in God—is the reason Israel did not enter the land.

3.      It is with reverential fear all are to examine their own spiritual condition (1 Cor. 10:12; 2 Cor. 13:5) and to actively press for commitment on the part of others (Jude 23). 

                                                            ii.     The Canaan rest for Israel is a picture of the spiritual rest we find in Christ when we surrender to Him.

1.      When we come to Christ by faith, we find salvation rest (Matt. 11:28).

2.      When we yield and learn of Him and obey Him by faith, we enjoy submission rest (Matt. 11:29–30).

3.      The first is “peace with God” (Rom. 5:1); the second is the “peace of God” (Phil. 4:6–8). It is by believing that we enter into rest (Heb. 4:3); it is by obeying God by faith and surrendering to His will that the rest enters into us. –The Bible Exposition Commentary

2.      Our Reasons (4:1b-9)

a.      The Assurance of an Available Promise of Rest (v. 1)

                                                              i.     No one should conclude that the promise of rest is no longer valid. It has never had a complete and final fulfillment in the past; therefore the offer is still in effect.

                                                            ii.     The argument in this section is given in several propositions:

1.      God finished His work and rested, so that His rest has been available since Creation (4:4).

2.      The Jews failed to enter into their rest (4:6).

3.      Many years later (Ps. 95), God said that a rest was still available (4:7). That “today” is still here!

4.      This means that Joshua did not lead Israel into the true rest, because a rest still remains (4:8-9).

                                                           iii.     The promise stands. This is the thought with which the chapter begins (v. 1). Even though a later, obedient generation did enter the Promised Land, that entry did not completely fulfill the promise of a “rest” for God’s people. In fact, much later, in the time of David, the promise and the warning were repeated: “Today, if ye will hear His voice” (v. 7). If God’s full blessing for His people had been granted when Joshua led Israel into Palestine, then the promise of a rest would not have been repeated much later to the people of David’s day, or by the writer of Hebrews to Christians then and now. –The Teacher's Commentary

                                                           iv.     The promise is “entering into His rest.” This is the rest God gives to believers involving His peace, confidence of salvation, dependence on His power, and assurance of a future home in heaven (Matt. 11:29). Since there remains a rest, don’t think that believers have missed entirely their opportunity to take advantage of it (Heb. 12:15).

1.      Christ invites us to the rest of salvation (Matt. 11:28). Notice that rest here is a gift; it is unearned and unmerited. This is the rest of salvation that comes from realizing that Christ finished the work of redemption on Calvary’s cross. It is the rest of conscience that follows the realization that the penalty of one’s sins has been paid once for all and that God will not demand payment twice.

2.      Christ invites us to the rest of service (Matt. 11:29-30). In verses 29 and 30, the invitation changes from salvation to service.

(1)   Take My yoke upon you. To “take a yoke” in that day meant to become a disciple. When we submit to Christ, we are yoked to Him. Enter into submission to His will; turn over control of your life to Him (Rom. 12:1, 2).

(2)   and learn of Me. This command does not represent a crisis as we come and yield to Christ; but this step is into a process. As we learn more about Him, we find a deeper peace, because we trust Him more. Life is simplified and unified around the person of Christ. This invitation is for “all”—not just the people of Israel (Matt. 10:5–6).  As we acknowledge His lordship in every area of our lives, He trains us in His ways.

(3)   for I am meek [gentle] and lowly in heart. In contrast to the Pharisees who were harsh and proud, the true Teacher is meek and lowly. Those who take His yoke will learn to take the lowest place.

(4)   and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Here it is not the rest of conscience but the rest of heart that is found by taking the lowest place before God and man. It is also the rest that one experiences in the service of Christ when he stops trying to be great.

(5)   “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Again there is a striking contrast with the Pharisees (Matt. 23:4).  Jesus’ yoke is easy; it does not chafe. Someone has suggested that if Jesus had had a sign outside His carpenter’s shop, it would have read, “My yokes fit well.”  The word “easy” means “well-fitting”; He has just the yoke that is tailor-made for our lives and needs. The burden of doing His will is not a heavy one (1 John 5:3).

(6)   His burden is light. This does not mean that there are no problems, trials, labor, or heartaches in the Christian life. But it does mean that we do not have to bear them alone. We are yoked with One who gives sufficient grace for every time of need. To serve Him is not bondage but perfect freedom.

                                                             v.     The fatal mistake for the believer is to seek to bear life’s load in a single collar. God never intended a man to carry his burden alone. Christ therefore deals only in yokes! A yoke is a neck harness for two, and the Lord himself pleads to be One of the two. He wants to share the labor of any galling task. The secret of peace and victory in the Christian life is found in putting off the taxing collar of “self” and accepting the Master’s relaxing “yoke.” –J. H. Jowett

b.      The Possibility of Coming Short of the Goal of Rest (v. 1)

                                                              i.     All who profess to be believers should make sure that they do not come short of the goal. If their profession is empty, there is always the danger of turning away from Christ and embracing some powerless religious system that cannot save.

                                                            ii.     We should be careful that none of us suppose that we have missed the Lord’s Rest.

1.      Moses showed clearly (Deut. 3:18-20; 12:9-11) that for Israel their rest was their inheritance. In the same way it is natural to suppose that the term “rest” also refers to the functional equivalent for a Christian’s inheritance.

2.      That Christians are “heirs” has already been affirmed (Heb. 1:14) and this will be repeated (6:12, 17; cf. 9:15). The inheritance cannot be separated from Messiah’s kingdom and His “partners’” share in it (12:28).

3.      The concern is that no one would think they had missed their “inheritance- rest.” Some struggled with the problem of the delay in the Second Coming, and needed to exercise patience—Christ is coming and will not delay (10:36-37). If this was God’s concern, it was urgent to show that this promised “rest” is still available.

 

 Response

Use these questions to share more deeply with each other.

3.  What is the rest God offers his people?

 

4.  How can we experience God's rest both now and in the future?

 

 Journaling

Take a few moments to record your personal insights from this lesson.

5. What steps can I take to more fully enjoy God's rest this week?

 

 

 

Rest? (Keep the Faith, Part 4)

Lesson Four

Rest? (Keep the Faith)

Hebrews 3:11-19

 

Theme: Christ Jesus, the Son of God, is our Model of fidelity and is infinitely Superior to Moses. Therefore, hold firmly to your faith in Christ, God’s faithful Apostle and High Priest.

 

Reflection

Begin your study by sharing thoughts on this question.

 

7. What is the meaning of “rest”? (Heb. 3:11)

 

I.                 With this background, we can now better understand one of the key words in this section—rest (Heb. 3:11, 18; 4:1, 3–5, 8–11). The writer mentioned two different “rests” found in Old Testament history: (1) God’s Sabbath rest, when He ceased from His Creation activities (Gen. 2:2; Heb. 4:4); (2) Israel’s rest in Canaan (Deut. 12:9; Josh. 21:43–45; Heb. 3:11).

II.               But he saw in these “rests” illustrations of the spiritual experiences of believers today.

a.      The Sabbath rest is a picture of our rest in Christ through salvation (Heb. 4:3; see Matt. 11:28).

b.      The Canaan rest is a picture of our present rest as we claim our inheritance in Christ (Heb. 4:11–13; note the emphasis on the Word of God). The first is the rest of salvation; the second is the rest of submission.

c.      But there is a third rest that enters into the discussion, that future rest that all believers will enjoy with God. “There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God” (Heb. 4:9). This word for rest means—“a keeping of a Sabbath”—and this is the only place in the New Testament where this word is used. When the saints enter heaven, it will be like sharing God’s great Sabbath rest, with all labors and battles ended (Rev. 14:13).

d.      We may diagram these rests in this way:

Past                               Present                                                 Future

God’s Sabbath rest        Salvation Rest                                      Heaven

Israel’s Cannon rest       Submission Rest (Victory in Christ)

 

8.  Why do some people turn away from God? (Heb. 3:12-14)

 

I.                 Worldliness.  No believer today, Jew or Gentile, could go back into the Mosaic legal system since the temple is gone and there is no priesthood.

a.      But every believer is tempted to give up his confession of Christ and go back into the world system’s life of compromise and bondage.

b.      This is especially true during times of persecution and suffering. The fires of persecution have always purified the church because suffering separates true believers from the counterfeit.

c.      True believers are willing to suffer for Christ and they hold firmly to their convictions and their confession of faith (see Heb. 3:6, 14). We are not saved by holding to our confession. The fact that we hold to our confession is proof that we are God’s true children.

II.               Unsaved (v. 3:12). An “evil heart of unbelief.”

a.      This evil heart of unbelief is suspected in some of the readers, it is a heart in which the evil of unbelief is present, not in a passive, but in an active, pernicious—destructive, detrimental—condition. The attitude of these Hebrews toward the New Testament was not only of passive neglect, but one of an active opposition. 

b.      This could result in a deliberate and final rejection of the New Testament. This is different from a believer with a heart where unbelief is present.  This described one with an unbelieving heart—a heart solely and entirely controlled by unbelief where there is no faith whatever. Some of the Jews receiving this warning were not saved, but had merely given an intellectual assent to Jesus as the Messiahs and to the New Testament.

III.           Tragedy is also a reason people turn away from God. They find it impossible to believe that a ‘loving God’ would permit a tragedy in their family or life.  They become bitter against the Lord and blame Him for not preventing the tragic development. Emotional Pain.... People become angry with God and blame Him for some lost opportunity, mistreatment, abuse, suffering, or pain they have been carrying for years. Is there anything more frail than a bruised reed? Look at the bruised reed at the water's edge. A once slender and tall stalk of sturdy river grass, it is now bowed and bent.

Are you a bruised reed? Was it so long ago that you stood so tall, so proud? You were upright and sturdy, nourished by the waters and rooted in the riverbed of confidence.

Then something happened. You were bruised …

by harsh words

by a friend's anger

by a spouse's betrayal

by your own failure

by religion's rigidity.

And you were wounded, bent ever so slightly. Your hollow reed, once erect, now stooped, and hidden in the bulrush.

And the smoldering wick on the candle. Is there anything closer to death than a smoldering wick? Once aflame, now flickering and failing. Still warm from yesterday's passion, but no fire. Not yet cold, but far from hot. Was it that long ago you blazed with faith? Remember how you illuminated the path?

Then came the wind … the cold wind, the harsh wind. They said your ideas were foolish. They told you your dreams were too lofty. They scolded you for challenging the time-tested.

The constant wind wore down upon you. Oh, you stood strong for a moment (or maybe a lifetime), but the endless blast whipped your flickering flame, leaving you one pinch away from darkness.

The bruised reed and the smoldering wick. Society knows what to do with you. The world has a place for the beaten. The world will break you off; the world will snuff you out.

But the artists of Scripture proclaim that God won't. Painted on canvas after canvas is the tender touch of a Creator who has a special place for the bruised and weary of the world. A God who is the friend of the wounded heart. A God who is the keeper of your dreams. –From He Still Moves Stones by Max Lucado

 

Question 8. This is a great opportunity for discussion. Rather than giving short answers, like “disobedience” or “tragedy,” take time to hear some actual stories about people whom the group members have known. Think ahead of time so you have a story to share to open the discussion.

9.  What can believers do to support and encourage each other during temptations to resist the will of God? (Heb. 3:13)

One antidote is mutual exhortation—a spirit of mutual concern and admonition among the Christian brotherhood. This is the way to avoid both apostasy and consequent judgment by the Living God. God’s people should be daily urging others not to forsake Christ for whatever reason they may have.  Local congregations must recognize that the hardening tendencies of sin can often be counteracted by truly concerned fellow Christians.

10.  What practical advice does this passage offer us on remaining faithful to God? (Heb. 3:13-15)

 

I.                 Believers are to warn and admonish one another to keep their hope and confidence in Christ. This brings to mind the warning to assemble together (10:25), which includes the opportunity for exhortation. Mutual strength comes through such encouragements; this is the effective countermeasure against hardened hearts and sin (v. 13). We must exercise this specific responsibility among believers until Christ comes for us.

II.               By so exhorting one another and thus encouraging faith and obedience, Christians prove they are indeed partakers of Christ in the blessings of the promised rest. The test of a believing heart is confidence steadfast unto the end (v. 14).

III.             Such encouragement should continue as long as it is called Today (v. 15).  In Psalm 95:7 it means something like “while you still have opportunity.” With reference to the lost it would mean as long as God’s offer of salvation by grace through faith continues. “Today” is the accepted time; it is the day of salvation.

IV.            Israel in the wilderness failed to enter into the Canaan rest (v. 19) because of unbelief. Can the warning be any plainer than this? 

 

Inspiration

Here is an uplifting thought.  

In reading carefully through the New Testament to see just what kind of an experience you can expect, I find that the New Testament sets forth only one. There is just one experience for which you can look—only one feeling you can expect—and that is the experience of faith. Believing is an experience as real as any experience, yet many are looking for something more—some dramatic sensation that will bring a physical thrill, while others look for some spectacular manifestation. Many have been told to look for such sensations, but the Bible says that a man is “justified by faith” and not by feeling. A man is saved by trusting in the finished work of Christ on the cross and not by physical excitement or religious ecstasy.

But you may say to me, “What about feeling? Is there no place in saving faith for any feeling?” Certainly there is room for feeling in saving faith, but we are not saved by it. Whatever feeling there may be is only the result of saving faith, but it in itself is not what does the saving!…

Finally, someone may say, “I believe the historic facts of the gospel, but still I am not saved.” Perhaps so, for the faith that saves has one distinguishing quality—saving faith is a faith that produces obedience, it is a faith that brings about a way of life. Some have quite successfully imitated this way of life for a time, but for those who trust Christ for salvation, that faith brings about in them a desire to live out that inward experience of faith. It is a power that results in godly living and surrender.

(From Peace with God by Billy Graham)

 

Response

 

Use these questions to share more deeply with each other.

 

 

11.  Why should believers distinguish between faith and feelings?

 

 

Question 7. Be careful to maintain balance here. It's easy to get into a gender-related discussion about emotions. Because a person is emotional doesn't mean his/her faith is not real. Faith can lead to emotion. It just can't be based on emotion.

 

 

 

12.  How can you determine if your faith is real?

 

 

Question 8. Read James 2:14–17 (read through verse 26 if you don't mind a longer passage). Discuss current examples of faith without works.

 

 

 

13.  What can you do to ensure that your faith will endure?

 

 

Prayer

 

Father, we ask you to deepen our faith in you. Give us the strength to withstand temptation, overcome doubt, and remain loyal to you. At the end of our lives, may we hear your words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

 

Journaling

 

Take a few moments to record your personal insights from this lesson.

 

 

What steps can I take this week to strengthen my faith in God?

 

 

 

Additional Questions

 

 

14.  How can you avoid hardening your heart against God?

 

 

 

 

15.  What is the danger for Christians who neglect the fellowship of other believers?

 

 

 

Question 11. If you can, offer some examples of how your own life is different in proportion to the time you spend in fellowship with believers.

 

 

 

16.  What Christian friend can you encourage in spiritual matters? How?

 

 

 

For more Bible passages about remaining faithful, see Deuteronomy 11:13–18; 1 Samuel 12:24; 2 Samuel 22:26; 1 Kings 2:3,4; 2 Chronicles 19:9; Psalm 97:10; Proverbs 28:20; Matthew 25:19–23; 1 Corinthians 4:2; 10:12, 13; 3 John 3–5; Revelation 2:10; 17:14.

To complete the book of Hebrews during this twelve-part study, read Hebrews 3:1–19.