Posts Tagged ‘Hebrews’

In 1965 Gatorade was developed at the University of Florida.  It was intended to replace and replenish the fluids in teh body after strenuous exercise or exercion of physical energy after the loss of energy.  Gatorade has advanced in technology, no doubt in 2011 and now boasts 3 different “G” Series:  http://www.gatorade.com/default.aspx#gseries?s=gseries for more info on the series.  It’s pretty cool.

What about the Christian race?  Our race to make much of God.  Our race to project God as the greatest and most supreme treasure and pleasure in our lives?  What happens when our electrolytes are low, spiritually speaking?  Do we sip on some G series and expect to be back up and running?

The Gatorade for the Christian life is in fact the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The writer of Hebrews has an audience that is low on their spiritual electrolytes.  They need replinishment.  They are tired.  Weak.  Weary.  Struggling.  Down.  The writer of Hebrews knows his audience well, adn encourages them not to give up in the race, but to run hard!  Keep moving.  Don’t give up or in!  How?

“…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.“

Don’t miss what this is saying our “Gatorade” is as believers and followers of Jesus.  Ours is not a drink, but it is drinking deeply from the endurance of Christ on the cross.  We endure because he endured.  We run the race with endurance because he endured on the cross for the sins of all mankind.  As we look to Christ, we find encouragement, nourishment, wonder, amazement, forgiveness, mercy, kindness, and an energy that stems from the Spirit of God living inside of us, reminding us of the glorious riches we have in Jesus.

Drink Deeply, RiverStone!

PC

Hebrews 12 is really speaking to me right now in my personal time in the Word.  If you’ve been at RiverStone over the past couple of weeks, you know that are walking through a series called, LEGACY OF FAITH, and we’re looking at some characters in Scripture who have left their Legacies of Faith for us to learn from, so in turn, we may leave our own for those who follow us as followers of Christ.

So where does Hebrews 12 come in to play?  We’ve been looking for 3 weeks at Moses’ life – his crisis of faith…his crisis of confidence in God…and this past week why God allowed him to go through the struggles of the 10 “no’s” from Pharaoh.

So why did God not deliever Israel, his beloved people, from Egypt and slavery immediately?  Why did he call Moses to do something, and not immediately come through?  Why did he allow Moses to be frustrated, possibly?  Angry?  Worried?  Hurt?  Wavering?  Wondering?  And why does God allow us to do the same?

Hebrews 12:11 says, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields a peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

God desires for us to be trained in the art of endurance. Our culture is full of quitters…on jobs, on marriages, on difficult situations, on kids, on parents, etc.  We are prone to quit when life gets hard, difficult or unpleasant instead of being trained by the discipline God allows to endure.

Enter Moses.  He is in a process of being trained by God.  10 times he walks up to Pharaoh and finds the same disappointment in the journey.  He hits the wall 10 times as he follows God.  Nothing happens.  Does he quit?  Will he give up?  Nope!  He allows himself to be trained by the journey God has in store for him, and he maintains his confidence rather than taking control himself.  He trusts God’s training – even if it’s hard and unpleasant.

What about you and me?  How are we doing?

• What are you walking “through”  right now that you’d rather walk “around” and avoid?
• What might God be trying to teach you in the situation?
• What does Hebrews 12:11 say about the results that will follow if you allow yourself to be in training?

Dig Deeper!

PC

I’m struggling personally with some different areas right now in my life.  There is always a danger in being transparent, but I am willing to risk.  Just because you’re a pastor or a leader in God’s church doesn’t mean that you are immune to frustration and have lots of questions and doubts about certain situations.  But nonetheless, bottom line is I’m struggling with some things.

My inclination is to say that we all are, if we’re being honest.  There is something in all of our lives right now that holds a place of questioning and insecurity.  Maybe you’re like me and you’re just honest today about it.

I’m learning so much from Moses’ life.  I’m preaching my third message on Moses’ life this upcoming Sunday at RiverStone.  (Check out the first two on iTunes (keyword RiverStone Church) or at http://www.riverstonechurch.org/media-2/messages.

How did Moses keep going when he hit the wall and struggled through “no” 10 times from Pharaoh?  What kept him going?  Why did God allow him to be beset by his struggles and frustration during this season? See Exodus 5-12.

Enter Hebrews 12. The writer says, “It is for discipline that you have to endure.  God is treating you as sons.  For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?…but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.  For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields a peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”  (Hebrews 12:7 & 10-11).

This is penetrating.  My being beset wtih frustration and struggle is allowed into my life by God for several reasons:

• Sonship – It proves God is growing me as His son
• My good – it is good for me to exercise endurance through pain
• Holiness – it is for holiness that ultimately hardship enters my world.
• Righteousness (if I allow myself to be trained by it) – I’ll come out of it more righteous if I allow myself to submit to God in the middle of it.

So my question for all of us is – Are we thinking of “later” (as Hebrews 12:11 says) or are we thinking of “now?”  Will we allow ourselves to be trained by discipline of God by thinking of what will happen “later” as we walk through it?

Dig Deeper.

PC