Hebrews chapter 10, reading from verse 32 through to 39, which is the end of the chapter.
But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.
For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.
Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
For you have a need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised.
For yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay.
But my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
Thanks, Alex.
Let's pray.
Lord, as we consider this passage in Hebrews, help us to hear what you want to say to us through your word.
Help us to see more of Christ, more of your faithfulness, and help us to respond in faith.
Amen.
Well, in the 1930s, the Golden Gate Bridge was one of the most ambitious construction projects that the world had ever seen.
The idea of building a massive steel bridge across the deep waters of the San Francisco Bay seemed almost impossible.
And it was dangerous.
The winds howled, the scaffolding would sway high above the freezing waters.
Because many men were terrified.
Before that time, it was just accepted that for every $1 million spent on a bridge construction, one life would be lost.
Death was part of the job.
But the chief engineer, Joseph Strauss, he cared deeply for the men that were risking their lives to build the bridge.
And he insisted on a new idea that no one had ever used before on that scale.
And that was a giant safety net.
Stretching underneath the entire span of the bridge as it was being built.
It cost a mozza as well.
It was about $130,000.
An enormous amount during the Great Depression.
But Strauss made it clear if there was no net, there'd be no bridge.
At first, the workers were sceptical.
Some joked about the net.
Some said it wouldn't matter.
Some were still frozen in fear as they climbed the beams and the cables hundreds of feet above the water.
And some did slip.
And the net caught them.
And they survived.
But one thing was true.
The men no longer based their confidence on how strong they felt on any given day.
They didn't base their confidence on how well rested they were or how many Weet-Bix they had for breakfast.
Or how steady their hands were.
Their confidence rested on something beneath them.
Something that was strong enough to hold them if they fell.
And this is the kind of confidence that our passage today is calling us to.
Hebrews 10, 32-39.
It's not a call to be brave by sheer willpower.
It's not a pep talk about toughening up.
It's a call to remember and respond.
Remember, God has proven his faithfulness in the person and work of Christ.
Remember how God has helped you endure struggles, suffering, loss.
And you can have confidence.
Not in how unshakable you are.
But confidence in the finished work of Christ.
The solid, unbreakable foundation beneath us.
Some call Hebrews chapter 10 the great pivot point in the book of Hebrews.
Where it moves from explanation to application.
And the author's gone to great detail to explain the superiority of the person and work of Christ.
And he goes on to describe that because of who Christ is and what he did for us on the cross.
We can now have full confidence in our divine and permanent access to God through Christ.
Not only this, but we can also have full confidence in Jesus, our advocate.
There's no longer a need for a high priest to offer sacrifices on our behalf for sin.
As we saw in the Old Testament.
Christ became the ultimate sacrifice.
Once and for all, through his death on the cross.
And Jesus continues to be our advocate.
And he prays to God on our behalf.
Two weeks ago, Martin encouraged us from Hebrews 10, 19 to 31.
Which says that because of our full access to God through Christ our advocate.
We should draw near, hold fast and look outwards as we consider how we spur each other on.
And then the writer gives us one of the most sobering warnings found in all of scripture.
About the folly of rejecting the sacrifice of Christ.
Through unrepentant and deliberate ongoing sin.
And he concludes in verse 31 with,
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
And parents and children among us may be familiar with what comes next.
After you've sat your child down.
And delivered some much needed words of discipline.
Next comes a hug.
It's the reassurance that you love them.
Two weeks ago, Martin gave us the words of discipline.
And now through a fortunate coincidence, I get to give us the hug that comes next.
But we're going to see that both warning and hug are necessary.
And that brings us to today's passage.
So the writer begins to apply what access and advocacy means for a small church.
That's face to face with the great threat of being tossed around by the storms of the world.
In chapter 10, verses 32 to 39.
We're going to be encouraged to remember the past.
Respond in the present.
Remember the past.
Respond in the present.
Let's jump in.
Have a look at verse 32.
Recall the former days when after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings.
We don't know exactly what events the writer was referring to here.
Although some say it was referring to converted Jewish Christians being banished from the synagogue
and abused and publicly humiliated by the Jewish establishment in AD 49 at the instruction of the Roman Emperor Claudius.
But whatever they'd been through, it's clear that it involved intense persecution,
which was likened to being squeezed and pressured for their faith in Christ.
Last week, Dave told us about a Dutch Christian watchmaker, Corrie ten Boom.
Just a quick refresher if you weren't here for the Easter service.
After being set free because of a clerical error from a World War II Nazi concentration camp,
just days before all the women her age were executed,
Dave told us how Corrie was eventually able to meet and forgive one of the guards
who had tormented her and her sister Betsy.
Corrie and her sister were exposed to freezing cold conditions, starvation,
lice-infested bedding, constant cruelty from the prison guards.
But Corrie knew that she had been freely forgiven.
She knew how much she'd been freely forgiven in Christ.
And she had the same compassion that Christ showed her,
which overflowed into compassion for the guard.
She was able to forgive one of the very people who had caused her and her sister
such immense suffering.
While they were prisoners, Corrie managed to smuggle a Bible into the camp
and they would hold secret worship services where they would read scripture
and sing hymns under their breath.
And Corrie's sister Betsy ended up dying in the camp before Corrie was released.
As she grew weaker and before she was passing away,
Betsy would whisper,
there is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still.
Even through some of our deepest sufferings,
Christ proved himself faithful.
Even through some of their deepest sufferings,
Christ proved himself faithful to sustain them and give them joy in Christ.
Corrie reflected on her time in the concentration camp with the words,
when Jesus is all you have, you realise he's all you need.
The kind of suffering that Corrie ten Boom and her sister experienced
can feel pretty distant from us in 2025.
But it may not have felt so distant from the reality
of what these first century Christians endured.
Look at verse 33.
Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution.
I won't pretend to know Greek,
but I'm told that the Greek word for publicly exposed
comes from the word theatron or theatre.
They were taunted and ridiculed.
They were forced to face the humiliation of being put on display
like they were public theatre.
Not only did they endure,
but the verse 34 says,
they joyfully accepted the plundering of their property
since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession,
an abiding one.
I was recently surprised by a statistic
by the State Emergency Service
that only 36% of Lismore residents surveyed
would be likely to evacuate their home in a flood,
during a flood,
if asked directly to do so by authorities.
Only 36% would evacuate during a flood.
Why is that?
I think this speaks of our strong human tendency
to hold on as hard as we can
to what we have,
especially in tough times.
And can you imagine watching on with joy
while your house was being robbed?
Why would anyone do that?
How could anyone be joyful in these circumstances?
Because Christ was at work in them.
And because of this,
they knew they had a better possession,
an abiding possession.
They believed and they trusted in the words of Jesus
from Matthew 6, 19 that says,
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth
where moth and rust destroy
and where thieves break in and steal,
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
The gospel had flipped their priorities
for what is important upside down.
They were seeking not the temporary,
but the city that is to come,
the heavenly Jerusalem.
So why would the author be calling on them
to remember these times?
Because these times were evidence
of the work that God had already done in them.
And God hadn't changed.
He was going to continue to sustain
and anchor them through suffering
and through the struggle that was to come.
By looking back,
they're encouraged that even
if they lose earthly possessions again,
even if they're exposed to insult
and persecution
and made to be humiliating public theatre,
they have something that's so much better,
something that can never be taken away.
They have an abiding possession,
the finished work of Christ
giving us salvation,
full access to God,
full advocacy in Christ.
Have a look at verse 33,
the second half.
Sometimes you were partners
with those so treated.
You had compassion on those in prison.
One of the ways that God helped his people
to endure the storm
was through other believers.
They were active in each other's suffering.
Side by side,
arms locked,
they faced persecution together.
If you insult him,
you insult me.
The gospel not only restores
our vertical relationship with God,
but it changes our horizontal relationships
with each other.
The gospel lifts our gaze
upwards to Christ
and his finished work
and then outwards
to have compassion for each other.
We're saved into a people,
into a church,
the body of Christ.
And if there's one guarantee
in this life,
it's that at some point
we all suffer.
We all experience suffering.
And I have no doubt
that there's people
in our congregation
who have walked through
some times
of deep sorrow,
deep suffering
that I couldn't begin to fathom.
And it's interesting
that the same word
for compassion
that the believers in Hebrews
had for each other's suffering
in verse 34
is used earlier
in chapter 4
to describe Christ's
sympathy for us
as our high priest.
It's Christ's compassion
and sympathy for us
that model and motivate
our compassion
and sympathy for each other.
What a beautiful thing
it is to be saved
into the body of Christ
that has the same compassion
and sympathy for each other
that Christ has for us.
And we were reminded
in Dave's talk
on Hebrews 6
verse 10
that God loves it
when we show compassion
to each other.
For God is not unjust
so as to overlook
your work
and the love
that you've shown
for his name
in serving the saints
as you still do.
And Martin encouraged us
in his sermon
on Hebrews 10
just before Easter
not to give up
meeting together.
We're not meant
to walk alone
as Christians.
A pastor
in response
to the question
can you still be a Christian
and not go to church
once said
of course
in the same way
that you can still be married
and never come home.
You might still be married
but you're missing
a whole lot
and it's not the way
that it's created to be.
It's incredibly hard
to endure suffering
without the support
of other Christians.
We need each other.
And so the writer
of Hebrews
is urging them
remember
here is the evidence
of what God
has already done
in you.
Remember that God
was at work in you
through suffering
bringing endurance
joy
deep compassion
for each other.
And then we come
to the big
therefore
of verse 35.
After remembering
the past
what are we to do next?
Verse 35 to 39
the author gives us
a couple of ways
that we can respond
in the present.
Number one
in perseverance
and number two
in confidence
through faith
in the finished work
of Christ.
Verse 36
For you have need
of endurance
so that when you've
done the will of God
you may receive
what is promised.
If you ever watched
a long distance
running race
or a park run
or maybe a school
cross country
there's a few
people that
at the start
of the race
it looks like
they've got jet packs
on their sneakers
and they'll just
take off.
But then you watch
them and about
halfway into the race
or maybe a couple
of kilometres
depending on the race
they run out of steam.
They tank out.
And then you watch
the more sustainably
paced plotters
overtake them.
Perseverance is key.
And our text
recommends a perseverance
that keeps going
to the end.
A call to not give up
our confidence
in Christ.
And this perseverance
assures us
of what is promised
being full salvation
in Christ.
Perseverance doesn't
earn our salvation
but it's primary
evidence of salvation.
Perseverance doesn't
earn our salvation
it is primary
evidence
of our salvation.
Verse 35
Do not throw away
your confidence
which has great reward.
I think arrogance
and pride
are sometimes
words that
can be associated
with confidence
but these
are so far
from what the writer
is describing
in verse 35
because our confidence
as Christians
doesn't rest on
our own abilities
or our capacity.
It doesn't rest
on how loud
or how well we sing.
It doesn't rest
on how well we play
an instrument
on the music team.
It doesn't rest
on how many
rosters we're on
or how many sermons
we can preach
or how many services
we lead
or how busy we are
or how busy we look
or how we feel
compared to other Christians.
Our confidence
as Christians
rests wholly
and solely
on the person
and the work
of Christ.
Verse 37
to 39
for yet a little
while
and the coming
one
will come
and will not
delay
but my righteous
one shall live
by faith
and if he shrinks
back
my soul
has no pleasure
in him
but we are not
of those
who shrink back
and are destroyed
but are of those
who have faith
and preserve
their souls.
The author's
quoting from Habakkuk
chapter 2
verses 3 to 4
and it's worth
reading at least
the first 4 or 5
chapters of Habakkuk
to get a full context
for these verses
but in summary
the prophet Habakkuk
repeatedly
cried out to God
complaining about
the injustice
and the suffering
of the righteous
and have a look
at God's response
to Habakkuk.
The righteous
shall live
by faith.
Live by faith
Habakkuk.
The key to perseverance
for Habakkuk
was faith
but what is God
telling Habakkuk
to have faith in?
He's telling him
to have faith
in who God is
who he has proven
himself to be
and the writer
of Hebrews
is encouraging
the reader
to do the same
as Habakkuk.
Later on
in Habakkuk
chapter 3
after God's words
to him
have sunk in
he sings a beautiful
and well-known song
of faith to God.
Though the fig tree
should not blossom
nor fruit
be on the vines
the produce
of the olive
fail
and the fields
yield no food
the flock
be cut off
from the fold
and there be
no herd
in the stalls
yet I will
rejoice in the Lord
I will take joy
in the God
of my salvation
God the Lord
is my strength
he makes my feet
like the deers
he makes me tread
on high places.
The key to perseverance
for Habakkuk
and the key to perseverance
for the Hebrews
and the key to perseverance
for us
is faith.
It's not faith
in how strong
or brave
we feel
on any given day
or faith
in our inability
it's faith
in the net
underneath us
it's certainty
that the net
will save us
from an otherwise
certain death
in the event
of a strong
gust of wind
or a misplaced step.
Faith
in the net
gives us
confidence
to carry on.
The finished work
of Christ
is our confidence.
So to summarise
verses 37 to 39
Jesus is coming soon.
A reminder
that our current
struggle
and suffering
is temporary
compared to
an eternity
with Christ.
the saved
will persevere
by faith
and the lost
will shrink
back.
So have
confidence
in Christ
through faith
to persevere.
Saint
Chrysostom
showed an
incredible display
of faith
and confidence
in Christ
when he was
brought before
the Roman
Emperor
and the Emperor
threatened him
with banishment
if he remained
a Christian
and Chrysostom
replied
you cannot
banish me
for this world
is my father's
house
but I will
slay you
said the Emperor
no you cannot
said the noble
champion
of the faith
for my life
is hid
with Christ
in God
I'll take away
your treasures
no
you cannot
for my treasure
is in heaven
and my heart
is there
but I will
drive you
away from man
and you
shall have
no friend
left
no
you cannot
for I
have a friend
in heaven
from who
you cannot
separate me
I defy
you
for there
is nothing
you can
do to
hurt me
think back
to the young
and the small
storm-toss
church
that's just
come out
of an
intense
period of
persecution
knowing that
more persecution
was coming
more persecution
was on the
horizon
there was a
reason why
God told the
Israelites to
gather the
stones of
remembrance at
Gilgal
after God
had helped
them cross
the Jordan
into the
promised land
and although
the stones
were much
less impressive
than the
miraculous display
that God
showed them
of his
power
it was a
symbol of
God's
faithfulness
that he
will preserve
and carry
his people
tough times
are still
ahead
look at
these
stones
remember
how I
helped
you
and
respond
in
faith
the
author
of
Hebrews
encourages
us
with
two
things
remember
how
God
has
shown
his
faithfulness
and
helped
you
in the
past
and
respond
in the
present
be
confident
in
Christ's
finished
work
be
confident
that
Christ
is at
work
in
you
look
back
in
faith
look
ahead
but
keep
going
persevere
in
faith
the
fickle
and the
fleeting
are not
worth
your worry
and attention
God
says
my
righteous
one
shall
live
by
faith
George
Matheson
wrote
the hymn
oh love
that will
not let
me
go
in the
midst
of
his
own
suffering
that was
a result
of
him
losing
his
sight
to
a
degenerative
eye
condition
and
there's
much
more
to
the
story
and
it's
worth
looking
up
but
here
are
some
verses
from
his
famous
hymn
to
encourage
us
oh joy
that
seekest
me
through
pain
I
cannot
close
my
heart
to
thee
I
trace
the
rainbow
through
the
rain
and
feel
the
promises
not
in
vain
that
mourn
shall
tearless
be
oh
cross
that
liftest
up
my
head
I
dare
not
ask
to
fly
from
thee
I
lay
in
dust
life's
glory
dead
and
from
the
ground
their
blossoms
red
life
that
shall
endless
be
oh
love
that
will
not
let
me
go
I
rest
my
weary
soul
in
thee
I
give
thee
back
the
life
I
owe
that
in
thine
ocean
depths
its
flow
may
richer
fuller
be
Lord
help
us
be
assured
by
and
rest
in
the
finished
work
of
Christ
help
us
remember
your
faithfulness
to
work
in
us
and
help
us
endure
through
suffering
and
loss
give
us
confidence
in
Christ
faith
to
persevere
and
compassion
for
each
other
Amen