“But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation….”
— Hebrews 6:9
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues our study in the book of Hebrews and shows us that amid the stern warning that the author of Hebrews has been giving to his readers, in our passage today, he points to a promise…a promise from God.
But what are the these “better things” that accompany salvation???
And how do they assure us of God’s good works and faithfulness in our lives — and ultimately provide us with, what the author describes as, “full assurance of hope until the end”?
* Unfortunately, our LIVE Stream had some internet instability in the beginning. As a result, the first 19 minutes of today’s service were not recorded. The sermon, however, is completely intact.
SBC Host: Some say yes, and they use Hebrews 6 to prove their point.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews and shows us how it’s not hard to take this position.
After all, when you read the passage, it seems to describe someone who was a true Christian.
Avg Guy:Exactly! It says that they were “once enlightened,” had “tasted of the heavenly gift,” “were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,” “had tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come.” So what gives?
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews and explains that in order for believers to mature, they need to have a firm foundation on the elementary truths of the faith.
Like the sure foundation of a building, the foundations of Christian truth serve to support growth in holiness and the knowledge of God.
Description: What can bring joy from the seeds of pain and sorrow?
The immediate answer is The Resurrection, which means that the ultimate answer is Jesus Christ.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao explains that just as that first Easter morning brought joy to those who were crushed and dismayed in their spirit, so too does the Resurrection bring a guaranteed hope to all who trust in Christ today.
*Please note that we lost Pastor Simao’s lavaliere microphone at the head of the sermon. As such, the audio quality during the sermon (both video and podcast) is not up to our typical standard.
Description: If our physical bodies matched the maturity of our spiritual states, would church look more like a senior center or a day care?
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews and make the argument that while we can all appreciate those who are mature beyond their years, there is nothing more pathetic than one who grows older… but never grows up.
Avg Guy:Okay… I just read Hebrews chapter 5, versus 5-10, and I have questions.
SBC Host: Let’s hear them.
Avg Guy: All right…
If Jesus is God and knows all things then how can He learn obedience?
What does God require by which men can be saved and have fellowship with Him?
If Jesus is God and perfect, how can He be made perfect?
And… What qualifies Jesus to be our Savior, anyway?
SBC Host: These are daunting questions, to be sure.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews and reminds us that questions like these can leave our minds reeling if we have not acquired the theological framework to think through them.
How we answer these questions will say much about our understanding of Christ – the only Savior.
Description: What does it mean that Christ is our Great High Priest? And how is His priesthood different from the priesthood of, say, Aaron?
These and other questions must be answered in order for believers to have assurance of their acceptance before God.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews and reminds us that our assurance begins and ends in the person and work of Jesus Christ…
…And that His priesthood means that His completed work is being applied by our great Mediator and Savior resulting in our perseverance despite our weakness.
Description: We know that Jesus was tempted as we are tempted… and yet, He was without sin.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews and points out that Jesus’s temptation, and corresponding sinlessness, is supposedly mentioned in the book to help us draw near to Him, for He sympathizes.
The problem is that Jesus’ sinlessness makes us think Him unapproachable.
Description: God’s word reflects God’s nature. And because He is living and active, His word must also be.
…It is purposeful.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews and shows that not only does God’s word reveal God to us, but it reveals us… the innermost secrets of our hearts — exposed.
Ultimately, for each one of us, God’s word will either be a word of PROMISE or a word of JUDGEMENT.
* Unfortunately, our LIVE Stream started glitching and then dropped at the tail end of the sermon. To catch the rest of the sermon, tune into the audio podcast on the player above at the 43:14 mark (or jump right to it by clicking here).
Description: Their wandering the desert floor for forty years not only provides us with a great WARNING, but a great PROMISE: the promise of rest.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues our study in the book of Hebrews and reminds us that even Joshua and Caleb — the two faithful spies of the Wilderness Generation who were able to enter Canaan — did not receive this “promised rest.”
For it would be the “Greater Joshua,” Jesus the Son of God, Who would be the Champion for His people and complete His work to enter into His rest; and we, if we are partakers of Him, of Christ — having received the Good News — enter, in faith, into this rest that only He alone deserves.
Description: If he was known for anything, the Pharaoh of the Exodus was known for his hardened heart that was calloused to hear the word of the Lord. This hardened heart cost him his kingdom and his son… and finally his life.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews and tells the sad continuation of this story: even the entire Israelite generation — the Hebrews who witnessed Pharaoh’s demise — would not believe the word of the Lord either and hardened their hearts as well.
Pharaoh perished in the Red Sea, while they were buried in the wilderness… on the wrong side of Jordan.
The whole community was in an uproar, wailing all night long. All the People of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The entire community was in on it: “Why didn’t we die in Egypt? Or in this wilderness? Why has God brought us to this country to kill us? Our wives and children are about to become plunder. Why don’t we just head back to Egypt? And right now!”
Soon they were all saying it to one another: “Let’s pick a new leader; let’s head back to Egypt” (Num 14:1-4, MSG).
Why would the Israelites — in the middle of the Exodus, after having seen the Red Sea part and manna fall from heaven — want to return to Egypt?
Why would they prefer slavery in the hands of cruel task masters, once again?
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews and states that when it comes to the Israelites wanting to return to Egypt, a more dramatic example of foolishness would be hard to find.
But, incredibly, there is a greater example: those who turn back from Christ.
Description: There is perhaps no one in the mind of the Jew who has as much distinction as Moses:
He was miraculously saved as an infant, raised with royalty, sent to liberate his people, and spoke with God face to face — not to mention that he was the writer of the Torah, as well as the mediator of the Old Covenant.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews and concedes that it’s a pretty long resume that put Moses in this position of honor.
But then in steps Christ who brings a better covenant …and in order to argue this position, the author of Hebrews demonstrates that Jesus is superior to even the great covenant mediator, himself, Moses.
SBC Host: [Bible Reading, Hebrews 2:10] “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the originator of their salvation through sufferings. For bot—”
Avg Guy:Wait!!! Hold up for a moment! You can’t just read that without prompting some questions: What does it mean that it was *fitting* for Christ to suffer? And what does it mean that Christ was being made *perfect*?? …Isn’t Christ *already* perfect? …And hasn’t He *always* been perfect?
SBC Host: Fair enough.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast —on the Sunday before Christmas — Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews and shows us that, indeed, these and other questions arise from this Advent passage that we find in Hebrews chapter 2.
Description: God created man in His image. He created him with an intent and purpose. But, was God’s intent thwarted by sin?
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews and explains that some do say God’s initial intent was thwarted by sin, and yet God doesn’t throw man on the scrap pile of bad ideas.
Rather, He sets about redeeming man and restoring mankind to His original intent… showing us that His plans are never thwarted.
Avg Guy:Well for starters… the whole author and release details are shrouded in mystery. And then the book doesn’t waste any time and gets right to the good parts, talking about how God speaks and all! And then we learn how Jesus is the Heir of All Things, the Agent of Creation, the Hight Priest, and that He is infinitely superior to the angels! I can’t wait to read what’s next!!!
SBC Host: A Warning.
Today on Scanida Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews and shows us how at the head of the second chapter, we encounter a warning — and it’s one that we cannot ignore.
The warning, actually, is the peril that comes from ignoring: Ignoring the Gospel. Ignoring the salvation provided for by God. Ignoring the Revelation from God, the apostles of Christ, and the testimony of God the Father.
To ignore these things is to put yourself in eternal peril from which no man escapes.
* Due to conditions out of our known control, we experienced “unstable” internet service during today’s sermon. The Live Stream began experiencing problems at 1:02:03 — about 30% into the sermon. Gratefully, the audio podcast recorded the sermon without error. To pick up where the video drops out, advance to 16:03 on the podcast player (or jump right to it by clicking here).
Description: In the first section of the book of Hebrews the author labors a point:
Christ is infinitely superior to the angels.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues our study in the book of Hebrews and explains that it’s a point which may make us wonder, because our thoughts of angels are not the same as the first readers of this book.
However, in a sense, their struggle is our struggle, not because we think too highly of angels… but, perhaps, too lowly of Christ.
Description: In the opening verses of Hebrews we read that Jesus Christ created the universe. …A surprising statement, even for most Christians! After all, didn’t God the Father create everything? And to make matters more confusing, we read that Christ also upholds everything.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues taking us through our study in the book of Hebrews and shows us that this great truth of Christ creating and upholding everything — and, as we’ll learn, making purification for our sins —not only gives us a clear picture of both Christ’s deity and humanity, but continues the author’s argument of presenting Christ as the Final and Perfect Revelation from God.
The Alpha and the Omega. The First and the Last. The Beginning and the End.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews and gives us more insight into our Special Agent with a capital “S”.
For not only is He the God-Man, Creator of the world, and the Word-Made-Flesh, but our Redeemer… our perfect Redeemer.
And the more we understand who He is, the more magnificent our redemption… in His eyes.
Sermon Archives
Given New Life
in SBC Classic Edition
We’re in the process of digging through the colossal SBC Sermon Archive Library to bring forth the rich and timeless Biblical Truths found within the hundreds and hundreds of sermon cassettes from yesteryear, in our Tape to Podcast Project.
Currently on the workbench:
The Jim Allen Gospel of John Study (1997-1998) is now complete and in our SBC Classic Edition collection!
Watch our Steeple Study grow! … Great for a listen-study through a book or series.
Our Find-A-Sermon resource page helps you find what you’re looking for.
With the increased release of sermons from our archives, SBC Classic Edition is now podcasting on its own dedicated feed, separate from our current Sunday sermons.
Sermon Notes
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