Andrew Fountain - Don't Choose the Stew (Hebrews pt.11)

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Don't Choose the Stew (Hebrews pt.11)

Sermon notes - Don’t Choose the Stew (Hebrews pt.11)

The story of Esau
gives a vivid picture
to bring you clarity
in life’s choices.

  • Where we are in Hebrews

Overview of Hebrews

1:5–5:10
Jesus is amazing! 		  7:1–10:18
New Covenant 		  11:1–13:19
Practical result
  1. Introducing Jesus…
  2. He’s already past the test and reached glory
  3. Trust him and you’ll go with him!
    house

    — Transition —
  1. New Priest
  2. New Access to God
  3. New Cleansing from sin

    — Transition —
  1. Faith
  2. Hope
  3. Love

Hebrews 12:14–15

  1. Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, for without it no one will see the Lord.
  2. See to it:
    that no one comes short of the grace of God,
    that no one be like a bitter root springing up and causing trouble, and through him many become defiled. [quote from Deuteronomy 29:17–18]
  3. that no one becomes an immoral or unholy person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17(For you know that later when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance, although he sought the blessing with tears.)
  • He starts off telling them to persue peace and holiness —he’ll define what that means a little later
  • “Pursue peace with everyone” —not just other Christians
    • This doesn’t mean you stay quiet when they are doing wrong
    • In China—Christians getting a good reputation as productive workers
    • What about a certain church in Florida where the leader burned a Koran? —how do you think they are understanding this text?
  • There’s a lot of confusion about what the word “holiness” means, particularly in Christian songs
  1. “come short of the grace of God”
    • This is a strange way of putting it. What if I said:
    • “I have a completely free and undeserved gift for you, make sure you measure up to it!”
    • How can you fail to get the gift? (don’t take it, probably because you don’t value it)
    • This must be the meaning because of the example of Esau he gives in a moment
  2. Bitter root springing up (will come back to this)
  3. Esau: tell the story...

Esau

Esau

Image source: Dixie Yid

  • Note it is not saying he tried to replent and failed
  • He values a bowl of soup more than all of God’s promises!
    • A gift that his grandfather Abraham had lived his life for.
  • This is pornographic!
    • Why? —fleshly craving, short term desires valued more than God’s amazing gift of Jesus
    • This is what falling short of God’s grace is
  • He is described as “immoral” (lit pornos) and “unholy” (lit profane)
    • profane: treat holy as worthless
    • the ultimate picture of no-faith. anti-faith
    • Summary of today’s message: “don’t choose the stew!
  • He is the opposite to Moses, who saw all the sensual pleasures of Egypt
  • We are tempted to this
    • So were they—they could have no persecution and a comfortable life for a few years
    • The trouble is that you can see, taste, smell the delicous stew
      • But Jesus is invisible
  • Back to 2. Bitter root springing up previous slide
    • He is quoting from the Greek translation of Deuteronomy 29:16–19
    • click on link
  • Like the parable of wheat and the tares
  • The root brings a bitter or poisonous fruit
    • Story of Elisha and the cooking pot
    • The whole harvest is ruined, contaminated
  • This is not talking about the Christian who is falling into sin
    • It is talking about someone who is living a double life, pretending to follow God, but really following the “detestable things”
    • He or she thinks that they are safe because they are with God’s people
  • They are a danger because they poison our minds
  • So what actually is the poison here in this text (as opposed to Deut)
    • How does this relate to Esau?
    • It is choosing short term comforts and physical pleasure over following God
  • e.g. Materialism or sensual pleasure are like a disease
    • not lose our salvation, but be damaged!
  • We all affect one another a lot. Sin is like that.
  • In my youth group growing up
    • There were some who truly wanted to follow the Lord
    • But a few (who turned out not to be Christians) were constantly pulling the group towards
      • clothes, and cars, and alcohol, and status
    • It had the effect of stopping the group from being as wholly devoted to God as it could be
  • But the person themselves feels safe because they are part of the group
    • Like someone who is an active part of a church
    • Somehow they think that this will give them security
  • We now move on to a comparison between worship now and worship in the O.T.

  1. For you have not come
    • to something that can be touched,
    • and to a burning fire
    • and to darkness
    • and to gloom
    • and to a whirlwind19
    • and to the blast of a trumpet
    • and to a voice uttering words such that those who heard begged to hear no more.
  2. (For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”
  3. In fact, the scene was so terrifying that Moses said, “I shudder with fear.”)
  • Explain story…
    • That is what coming into God’s presence without Jesus is like
    • Note that these images are all to do with the senses.
    • Which senses are involved?
      • touch, smell, sight, sound

  1. But you have come
    • to Mount Zion
    • and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem
    • and to myriads of angels24
    • and to the feast-gathered assembly of the firstborn sons, who are enrolled in heaven
    • and to God, the judge of all
    • and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made fully perfect,24
    • and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant
    • and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than Abel’s did.
  • How would you contrast these two?
    • visible vs invisible
    • terrifying vs joyful presence of God
    • fear is replaced by feasting
  • These are not directly perceived by our senses, but by faith
  • Which do you want?
    • Why would anyone chose the first?
  • We have to see the value of what we have!!!

Stew

Stew

Image source: pixabay

The story of Esau
gives a vivid picture
to bring you clarity
in life’s choices.

  • Final question: Are you an Esau?
  • You value the visible more than the invisible
  • am I better off chosing the stew, because at least it’s something, and maybe the promises are all empty.
  • That is a poison!
  • Are you coming short of all you could have of God’s grace, simply because you are not taking the gift
    • Not visible
    • e.g. “The person you gave it to has forgotten it...”
    • If you are not a Christian, the gift is offered. Don’t be like Esau who didn’t value it
  • We are human, have bodies of flesh, and the stew is calling out to us. It smells so good.
  • Pray for our faith to be strengthened now.

Updated on 2017-04-09 by Andrew Fountain