Latest / The Daily Word / July 16 – Hold Fast to the Unchanging Christ
Transcript
- Cory Barnes: Well hello, happy July sixteenth. Welcome to another daily word. Pastor Jenny here. And as I said, it's July 16th. Do you know what that means if you're part of our Lakeshore family? Some of you might, and the rest of you are about to find out. It is Pastor Debbie's birthday. Happy birthday, Pastor Debbie, if you're listening. and if you're not, don't worry, I'm gonna tell you happy birthday personally. but if you know Pastor Debbie It's to love Pastor Debbie, so be sure to give her a shout out. Tell her you love her, tell her happy birthday. but we want to dive into today's reading for our daily word. We're in Hebrews chapter 13. And it is the last chapter in the book of Hebrews. And so the overall title of it, at least in my translation, says concluding words. Whether that's exactly how it's titled for you, it's the last chapter in the book, so certainly. the author's intent is to kind of wrap up his thoughts and what he's saying. And so I love this particular chapter in the book because it does have in it Hebrews 13 8, which for our fourth grade denomination is, you know, some people have a life verse, our denomination has a kind of heartbeat verse, key verse that we're known by that we hold to and that is Hebrews 138 which says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Anytime you go into a four-square church, you should see that scripture displayed somewhere. so of course, you know, that scripture you know would have popped out to me. But really what jumped out to me today in the reading was the verse that followed just after and that's verse nine. So Again. Key verse, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Very familiar with that, especially being a part of not just the four square movement, but I think that's a very familiar verse for anyone who's a part of the Christian faith, Christian movement, following Jesus. But then the next verse says this it says, so because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so do not be attracted. By strange new ideas. Your strength comes from God's grace, not from rules about food, which don't help those who follow them. Now remember, a lot of what the author has talked about in the book of Hebrews is helping those who have started to follow the ways of Jesus, helping them unpack and unfold. really kind of help reorient themselves from the old ways of which they've been used to I'll say following God and reorient themselves to hey there's a new way there's a there's a better way we're still following God but Jesus has come and he's given us life and life more abundantly but in this process the the author it really comes with a warning that Jesus not only has he brought a new way, but he is the way. You know, there there's another scripture that says Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And so when this verse nice verse nine says, do not be attracted by strange new ideas, I think this is such a firm warning to not just the audience he's writing to in this moment, but also for all of us. Look at the day and age we live in now. and I'll say progressive Christianity, where there's these new thoughts and ideas, this idea that because of the day and age we live in now, we think we're we have this tendency to think we're better than because of the time period we live in now. And that's just not true. Because verse 8 again says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He hasn't changed. but for some reason, our viewpoint of Jesus, we want to change who he was and who he is. But that's why God has given us his word to show us that God is the same. God hasn't changed. it is it is us who has to. bend and shape and mold and change. So when verse nine says, don't be attracted by strange new ideas, we need to be very cautious and careful that when we are faced with a new belief, because again it's kind of funny, it's a little paradoxal, because again, he's talking to an audience who the whole idea of Jesus and being the savior, Messiah, having a messiah come wasn't a new idea. But they did have to wrap their heads around the fact that Jesus was the Messiah and that it was Him in their practice. It was all brand new to not be doing the things they were doing, to, you know, having to have the priest go into the Holy of Holies and now they're all, you know, holy priest, like that was a whole new way of thinking. Following Jesus in and of itself would have been a strange idea. And so it's kind of funny to me. that the author would use these words because you had to think this particular audience at the time was already feeling I'll say in the words of Fresh Prince of Belair flipped upside down. but as we are following Jesus, we need to be very cautious and careful that anything that comes to us, that's why e even as we preach and teach, we're like, hey, don't just take our word and and we never just teach ideas in and of ourselves. We're we're always teaching, going through the word of God, but we're exegeting the text, we're studying the text, we're cross-referencing, and we're encouraging you to do the same. We're never asking you to take what we're teaching at face value. And so because we believe, as the scripture says, that Jesus is the same. Yesterday, today, and forever. And so We're never gonna teach a different Jesus tomorrow than what we taught today or from what we taught yesterday. Our understanding and revelation of him is gonna grow from faith to faith and grow glory to glory. But who he is doesn't change. And if you come across a teaching that is trying to change who Jesus is and what he does for us, then you should have some red alert signs going off. So that's my encouragement. For you and for us today. Let's pray. Lord, thank you for your faithfulness and your goodness. Thank you that you are faithful, Jesus, to be the same yesterday, today, and forever. That you are unchanging. You aren't like us. you know, we can do one thing today and do something different tomorrow. and so Lord, we're asking that as Through through our humanity as we are shifting and changing, Lord, help us to see your faithfulness. Help us learn how to be more faithful. But Lord, most importantly, help us learn how to remain faithful to your word. Help us to faithfully read your word and understand it so that we are not attracted by strange new ideas. Help us to not be deceived by false teaching. Help us to not only know who you are and to know the truth of your word, but to share the gospel, the good news of the gospel to all those we encounter. We thank you, Lord, it is that your love that will draw others to repentance, and it is your truth that will set them free. So Lord, thank you for your grace that is on us today. Thank you for the strength that you give us through your grace. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.