Communauté et discipulat

God Has Expectations of Christians (Hebrews 10:19-39)

2013.02.03Don Brewster

Because God has given us great gifts in Christ, he expects our faith to be seen in action, especially by standing with the oppressed and fighting injustice even when it costs us.

Great gifts in Christ call us to act (19-25)

Hebrews 10:19-25 gives the reason God has expectations for us: the great gifts he has already given. These gifts are Jesus Christ, the gift of faith, the hope of God's promises, his unconditional and sacrificial love, and the family of believers. Romans 5:8 shows that love, since Christ died for us while we were still sinners. The key to getting the most from these eternal gifts is a faith that grows and is put to use.

Faith must be seen in our lives (26-31)

Great gifts bring great responsibility, as Jesus said in Luke 12:48: much is given, and much will be demanded. God wants to see the faith we profess with our lips lived out in our lives. Jesus saw the faith of the four friends who lowered the paralytic through a roof and forgave his sins. James 2 says faith without works is dead. This passage focuses on the good we fail to do, which is why the repeated words 'let us' call us to act.

Stand with the oppressed and fight injustice (32-34)

This passage tells us what God expects and also what we can expect in return. When we stand with the oppressed and fight injustice, we can expect a fight, suffering with and for others, insult and disgrace, and persecution. Paul confirms this in 2 Timothy 3:12, saying everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ will be persecuted. Our staff in Cambodia has recently experienced this, with purses and motorcycles stolen and a counselor held at gunpoint for five minutes.

Do not shrink back, but live by faith (35-39)

Hebrews 10:35-39 tells us not to throw away our confidence, because it will be richly rewarded. God expects our faith to overcome our fears, and that is a daily battle to trust him more than our circumstances. We do not need great faith, since even faith the size of a mustard seed is enough if we act on it. The writer contrasts those who shrink back and are destroyed with those who have faith and are saved.

Chang shows faith that acts

Chang was 12 years old when she was rescued after three years locked in a room where dozens of men abused her every day. Our Cambodian staff loved her, and she gave her life to Christ and was baptized. She wanted to read the Bible, graduated from school, and memorized all of 1 Corinthians 13 word for word. She now bakes cakes, and she writes that she teaches poor children in her community to read and write after her work each day.

Choosing daily whom we will stand with

Every day we choose how we spend our time, our talents, and our treasure, and I fail more often than I succeed. Chang is a powerful motivation to see what God might do through someone who simply acts on the faith they have. If believers in every faithful church acted on their faith together, the world would be changed. So the final question is personal: with whom will I stand?

Apply to Life

  • Let us remember the great gifts we have in Christ and put them to use.
  • Let us act on our faith by standing with the oppressed and fighting injustice.
  • Let us not shrink back in fear, but trust God more than our circumstances.
  • Let us examine daily how we spend our time, talents, and treasure.
  • Let us ask ourselves with whom we will stand this week.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

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