At this part in Hebrews the writer is worried about what the essential content is. The subtle temptation that new believers may have once they come into a relationship to shift their focus from Christ.

The question today is Are you moving forward in your relationship with Christ? Where is the emphasis in your day or do people notice something different about you when your at school or work? Are you going forward or are you falling?

The passage starts off with a song, “He is good; his love endures forever.” (2 Chronicles 5:13) This song remains the same today, we still sing songs of affirmation.

The sermon focused on three areas including God’s covenant, the cloud in the temple and the consecration.

Covenant – God’s promise to his people, “The Lord has kept the promise he made.” (2 Chronicles 6:10)

Cloud – Represents the place where God dwell within the temple.

Consecration – The church remains a consecrated place of God’s people, You are God’s Temple.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are —yet he did not sin.” ~ Hebrews 4:15

Over this long weekend and through Hebrews 4 we see how the Sabbath is the rest day for the People of God.

When the writer of Hebrews in writing in this book he’s writing because the door is still open for people who are drifting away to see what the outcome is. He’s offering them the chance to come back and recommit to all that God has for us.

“Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.” ~ Hebrews 4:1.

“…The variations between Samuel and Chronicles in this section are more numerous than usual…” ~ Roddy Braun.

In this passage we see a situation where God uses Satan as an instrument for his purposes. Though, Satan has power that God limits.

The passage outlines David’s motive, the sin was in the motive: A self-indulgent action caused by pride.

God hates self-indulgent pride and opposes it, He also has a way of dealing with it as seen in 1 Chronicles 21.

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil…” ~ James 4:6-7. 

Recognise that we have to deal with the sin of Pride.

As christians part of our role is encouraging other christians. Hebrews 13:13 talks about “encouraging each other daily.”

How do we encourage each other daily? By sharing stories that we have seen God’s hand in, by telling others about what God has done for us. It could be your personal story or a story you share that someone else has told you that’s encouraged you. It could even be a story that happened during your childhood.

When do we stop encouraging? Well never, until we leave this world, Hebrews 3:14 reads, “hold firmly to the end.”

We need to keep moving and stop grumbling and take small steps of obedience every day.

Guard against sin, don’t think your immune. Encourage each other, talk about what God has done.

What is known about Chronicles is it was written around 4BC – before Jesus came at a time when there wasn’t really much going on.

The purpose which comes across from reading Chronicles is encouragement for those who had faith in God. In a sense it was written to build up the disconnected people.

1 Chronicles 1-9 shows a history that provides Hope and Courage. An example of the hope and courage is found in 1 Chronicles 5:24-26.

“These were the heads of their families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah and Jahdiel. They were brave warriors, famous men, and heads of their families. But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara and the river of Gozan, where they are to this day.” ~ 1 Chronicles 5:24-26.

“David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you.” ~ 1 Chronicles 28:20.

Let’s embrace God’s history and be proud of it. His history is our hope of a brighter future in his kingdom. We have a God who will give us Hope and Courage as we forge our future.

In the passage we see the word “atonement” which basically means to become one or to become united.

“For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.”  ~ Hebrews 2:17

The writer in Hebrews 2 also warns those that may be drifting away in their faith. The passage reminds the people about all that they have by being a part of God’s family. Jesus was sent for this, to share in our “humanity.” (v14)

“He too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death… and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” ~ Hebrews 2:14-15

Part 1 – Introduction to Hebrews
Part 2 – God’s Family
Part 3 – Encouraging Others

Biblical preaching is Christ centered (v1)
Biblical preaching is Biblical. Preach the word (v2)
Biblical preaching is to be done at all times (v2, 5)
Biblical preaching is for the benefit of the hearers, that they may be trained in righteousness (v2)