Don’t be Discouraged

Hebrews 6:1-15

“Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so. It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/111/heb.6.1-14.NIV

Encouragement to:-

Go unto Maturity 

V2-3

Don’t fall away

Stay grounded to foundation of faith

Otherwise its like nailing Jesus to the cross again 

V 4-6

Don’t be discouraged 

Don’t get weary

V10-15

V10-11

God will not forget your labour

His promise is sure and He is Promise Keeper

Be like Abraham who waited patiently 

What discouragement looks like? 

V12

Spiritual dull

Indifferent 

Couldn’t care less

V14

Abraham waited patiently 

Have enduring faith

V6,15

God as Promise Keeper 

“In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city. “ ‘This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’ ” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭38‬:‭1‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/111/isa.38.1-8.NIV

“In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’ ” Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered. Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the Lord on the third day from now?” Isaiah answered, “This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?” “It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.” Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭20‬:‭1‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/111/2ki.20.1-11.NIV

Rainbow - 

Oat Tree - strong and deep roots resilient and steadfastness 

Cliff - solid rock - stands forever

Candle lights

 

Faithfulness root word is truth

Deuteronomy 7:9

Numbers 23:19

The Promises are about God

How do we know which promises apply to us as believers in Christ? 

“See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭32‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/111/isa.32.1.NIV

1 Peter 2:9 

Royal Priesthood

Genesis 1:17-18

Subsue n dominion

Revelation 5:10

And you have caused them ti become a

Kingdom of priests for our God and

They will reign on the earth.

Revelation 22:1-5

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭22‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/111/rev.22.1-5.NIV

How can it look like today? 

 It begins with ruling over ourselves. It begins with allowing God to rule in us. 

 

The Time We Have Is Precious

by Ronnie Wilson, Dublin, 1986?

 

 

The time we have is precious, we have no time to waste

In looking over shoulders to see who’ll take our place.

We need to have a vision and not a sense of lack;

You’ll never make decisions if you keep on looking back.

 

 

The fields are white to harvest, the laborers are few.

And word come to believers, “What now will you do?”

Will you sit in introspection until the coming day?

Or will you rise like young men and will you lead the way?

 

 

We can’t boast of tomorrow, we only have today.

The past lies dead behind us, forgotten along the way.

Let faith rise up among us, to see His Kingdom come;

And let us run the race with joy, let’s see his will be done.

 

 

God looks for a people, the faithful and the strong,

To speak to situations and cause things to be borne.

Captives of a vision, singers of a song,

Who only live to see His Kingdom come.

 

 

Will we be that people, or will he pass us by?

Is there no one among us who’ll even dare to try?

Or will his zeal consume us, and will our lives be run,

Seeing kingdoms overthrown in the Name of God’s dear Son.

 

The Promise of Revival

The Promise of  Revival 

“When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors. The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you. You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭30‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/111/deu.30.1-10.NIV

Return to Him in obedience 

Repentance 

God will respond to return to Him

Restoration 

Works in the life of His People 

Renewal of heart, increasing the capacity to love and serve the Lord

Circumcised our hearts

The Lord will rejoice again over His People.