Kress Biblical Resources :: Part Three—New Covenant Faith in Jesus, the Son of God, is the Only Acceptable Way to Worship God (Heb 10:19-13:25)

Detailed Outline of Hebrews—Part Three—New Covenant Faith in Jesus, the Son of God, is the Only Acceptable Way to Worship God (Heb 10:19-13:25)

Jesus, the Son of God, is the final and full expression of God’s redemptive program—therefore hold fast your confession and draw near to God through Him, rather than returning to the Old Covenant expressions of God’s redemptive plan.¹

1. Let us draw near, hold fast, and encourage one another in the sufficiency of Christ (Heb 10:19-25)
   1. Let us draw near to God in worship (Heb 10:19-22)
      1. The confidence to draw near (Heb 10:19-21)
         1. Christ’s passion gives us direct access to God (Heb 10:19-20)
         2. Christ’s priesthood gives Him authority over the house of God (Heb 10:21)
      2. The command to draw near (Heb 10:22)
         1. With a sincere heart
         2. In full assurance of faith
         3. Having been made clean
   2. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope (Heb 10:23 )
      1. The confession of our hope
      2. The confidence of our hope
   3. Let us encourage one another to love and good deeds (Heb 10:24-25)
      1. Discover how to stir one another up (Heb 10:24 )
      2. Do not forsake assembling together (Heb 10:25 )
2. WARNING #4: Let us consider the consequences of rejecting Christ and the New Covenant (Heb 10:26-39)
   1. If you reject New Covenant access through Christ, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins ( Heb 10:26-27)
      1. If you reject the New Covenant perspective of Christ, there is no propitiation for sins ( Heb 10:26)
      2. If you reject the New Covenant perspective of Christ, there is only punishment (Heb 10:27)
   2. If you reject New Covenant access through Christ, the punishment is infinitely more severe than disregarding the Old Covenant Law of Moses (Heb 10:28-31 )
      1. Anyone who rejects the Old Covenant Law of Moses dies without mercy (Heb 10:28)
      2. How much severe punishment is deserved for rejecting New Covenant grace found in the Son of God? (Heb 10:29-31)
         1. The question of rejecting God’s Son, God’s blood, and God’s grace (Heb 10:29)
         2. The quotations concerning God’s perfect judgment (Heb 10:30)
         3. The comparison—human justice is temporal, but divine justice is eternal (Heb 10:31)
   3. If you respond in faith and do not shrink back, there is great reward (Heb 10:32-39)
      1. Remember what you have already endured (Heb 10:32-34)
         1. Being spiritually enlightened, you endured great suffering personally (Heb 10:32-33a)
            1. The reason you endured (after being enlightened)
            2. The recognition of the suffering (a great conflict of sufferings)
         2. Being spiritually enlightened, you identified yourself with others who suffered for the gospel (Heb 10:33b-34)
            1. The recognition of the identification with those who suffered (Heb 10:33b)
            2. The realities of the associated suffering (Heb 10:34a)
            3. The reason you endured (Heb 10:34b)
      2. Retain your confidence and you will receive your reward (Heb 10:35-39)
         1. Remain confident in your faith for there is great reward (Heb 10:35-36)
            1. The reward is for those who keep their confidence in Christ (Heb 10:35)
            2. The reward comes after you have done the will of God (Heb 10:36)
         2. Remember that Christ is coming and the just will live by faith (Heb 10:37-38)
            1. The promised hope (Heb 10:37 )
            2. The proper response to the promise of God—trust (Heb 10:38)
         3. Realize who you are as one who hopes in God’s Word (Heb 10:39)
            1. We are not of those who shrink back to destruction (Heb 10:39a)
            2. We are of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul (Heb 10:39b)
3. Let us remember those who endured in living by the faith (Heb 11:1-12:3)
   1. The summary statement concerning living by faith (Heb 11:1-2)
      1. Faith is the assurance and conviction of things promised, but not yet seen (Heb 11:1)
      2. Faith issues in the approval of those who exercised it (Heb 11:2)
   2. The survey of living by faith in the Old Testament (Heb 11:3-38)
      1. Faith in the pre-flood era: From creation to Noah (Heb 11:3-7)
         1. Creation itself testifies that faith in the Word of God is not mere wishful thinking (Heb 11:3)
         2. Abel’s sacrifice still speaks of genuine faith (Heb 11:4)
         3. Enoch was pleasing to God because of his faith (Heb 11:5-6)
            1. Walking with God means trusting in Him (Heb 11:5)
            2. Without faith it is impossible to please Him (Heb 11:6)
         4. Noah was delivered from the condemnation of the world because of his faith (Heb 11:7)
      2. Faith in the patriarchal era: From Abraham to Jacob (Heb 11:8-22)
         1. By faith Abraham lived as stranger in this world (Heb 11:8-10)
            1. He left the known to go the unknown (Heb 11:8)
            2. He lived as an alien in a land of promise (Heb 11:9)
            3. He looked to the heavenly city ( Heb 11:10)
         2. By faith Sarah received the ability to conceive (Heb 11:11-12)
            1. Her ability to conceive was tied to faith (Heb 11:11)
            2. Her faith was integral to the fulfillment of God’s plan and promises (Heb 11:12)
         3. Before receiving the fulfillment of all the promises, the patriarchs died in faith ( Heb 11:13-16)
            1. They lived as pilgrims (Heb 11:13)
            2. They had a heavenly perspective (Heb 11:14-16)
            3. They have the pride of God and a divinely prepared city (Heb 11:15-16)
         4. By faith the patriarchs testified to their hope in the future fulfillment of God’s promises (Heb 11:17-22)
            1. Abraham offered Isaac and received him back (Heb 11:17-19)
            2. Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau accordingly (Heb 11:20)
            3. Jacob blessed Joseph’s sons and worshipped (Heb 11:21)
            4. Joseph testified of the exodus and through his funeral arrangements (Heb 11:22)
      3. Faith in the Mosaic era: From Moses’ birth to the Exodus (Heb 11:23-29)
         1. By faith Moses’ parents had the courage to protect him in spite of Pharaoh’s edict (Heb 11:23)
         2. By faith Moses had the courage to identify with the people of God rather than as a prince in Egypt (Heb 11:24-26)
         3. By faith Moses had the courage to lead the Exodus, keep the Passover, and pass through the Red Sea (Heb 11:27-29)
      4. Faith in the conquest and kingdom era: From Joshua to the prophets (Heb 11:30-38)
         1. By faith Jericho fell (Heb 11:30)
         2. By faith Rahab survived its fall (Heb 11:31)
         3. By faith Israel’s heroes triumphed—in life and in death (Heb 11:32-38)
            1. The notable names of faith (Heb 11:32)
               1. Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah
               2. David, Samuel, the prophets
            2. The notable exploits of faith (Heb 11:33-35a)
               1. They conquered kingdoms by faith
               2. They performed acts of righteousness by faith
               3. They obtained promises by faith
               4. They shut the mouths of lions by faith
               5. They quenched the power of fire by faith
               6. They escaped the edge of the sword by faith
               7. They were weak but were made strong by faith
               8. They became mighty in war by faith
               9. They put foreign armies to flight by faith
               10. Women received back their dead through resurrection by faith
            3. The nameless heroes who endured hardship by faith (Heb 11:35b-38)
               1. Some were tortured unto death
               2. Some were mocked and beaten, chained and imprisoned
               3. Some were executed
               4. Some were destitute and afflicted
   3. The summary statement concerning living faith in the Old Testament era (Heb 11:39-40)
      1. Old Testament saints were justified by faith (Heb 11:39)
      2. Old Testament saints will actually receive the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise because of the New Covenant that we have (Heb 11:40)
   4. The specific application concerning living by faith in the New Testament era (Heb 12:1-3)
      1. Let us continue in the life of faith (Heb 12:1-2)
         1. Looking to the Old Testament examples of living by faith for encouragement (Heb 12:1a)
         2. Laying aside everything that hinders you from living by faith (Heb 12:1b)
         3. Looking specifically to Jesus for help to endure (Heb 12:2)
   5. Let us consider especially the faith and endurance of Jesus (Heb 12:2-3)
      1. He is the Source and Completer of faith (Heb 12:2a)
      2. He is the ultimate example of and encouragement for living by faith (Heb 12:2b-3)
         1. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross
         2. After enduring in faith, He is exalted to the right had of God
         3. He endured persecution to the end
         4. His example can encourage you not to grow weary and lose heart

• WARNING #5: Let us endure in our faith and embrace the discipline of the Lord—and let no one come short of the grace of God and refuse the Word of God (Heb 12:4-29)

1. Embrace the discipline of the Lord (Heb 12:4-11)
   1. Regard faithfulness as more important than life/death (Heb 12:4)
   2. Remember the exhortation of God concerning His sons (Heb 12:5-11)
      1. The biblical citation concerning the Father’s discipline (Heb 12:5-6)
      2. The implications of fatherly discipline (Heb 12:7-11)
         1. It is to educate rather than punish (Heb 12:7)
         2. If you escape discipline you are not a son (Heb 12:8)
         3. If we respected the training of our earthly fathers, should we not all the more respect and receive the training of our heavenly Father? (Heb 12:9-10)
         4. If we allow ourselves to be trained by the Lord’s discipline, it will reap the benefits of righteousness—even though it seems painful for the moment (Heb 12:11)
2. Exercise your faith by pursuing holiness rather than temporary relief (Heb 12:12-17)
   1. Stop being paralyzed and start walking by faith Heb 12:12-13)
      1. Straiten up (Heb 12:12)
      2. Start walking by faith (Heb 12:13 )
   2. Seek the welfare of all men and the holiness that God calls you to (Heb 12:14)
   3. See to it that none among you settle for temporary relief rather than the genuine grace of God (Heb 12:15-17)
      1. The corporate responsibility: See to it that no one fails to embrace the grace of God (Heb 12:15a)
      2. The consequence of not guarding grace in the congregation: Seeking temporal relief rather than living by faith can have devastating results (Heb 12:15b-17)
         1. The principle: An idolatrous person seeking temporary relief can defile many (Heb 12:15b)
         2. The picture: Esau’s choice of temporal relief rather than faith in the promise had lasting consequences (Heb 12:16-17)
3. Express your gratitude for privilege of New Covenant worship by staying faithful to New Covenant worship (Heb 12:18-29)
   1. Worshipers under the New Covenant have a more fearful and glorious privilege than those of the Old Covenant (Heb 12:18-24)
      1. You have not come to an earthly representation of God’s covenant dealings with man (Heb 12:18-21)
         1. The place of the Old Covenant: Mt. Sinai (Heb 12:18)
         2. The people of the Old Covenant and their response to hearing God (Heb 12:19)
         3. The peculiar gravity of the Old Covenant manifestation of God (Heb 12:20)
         4. The personal response of the mediator of the Old Covenant (Heb 12:21)
      2. You have come to the heavenly reality of the New Covenant—which is the final expression of God’s covenant dealings with man (Heb 12:22-24)
         1. The superior place of the New Covenant (Heb 12:22)
         2. The superior people of the New Covenant (Heb 12:23)
         3. The superior Person/Mediator of the New Covenant (Heb 12:24)
   2. Worshipers under the New Covenant have a more fearful and glorious accountability than those of the Old Covenant (Heb 12:25-29)
      1. The Old Covenant had earthly consequences—but the New Covenant has heavenly consequences (Heb 12:25)
      2. The Old Covenant came with an earthly earthquake—but the New Covenant will culminate in a cosmic/heavenly quake (Heb 12:26-27)
      3. The Old Covenant inaugurated a temporal kingdom—but the New Covenant is an eternal kingdom that cannot be destroyed (Heb 12:28a)
      4. Therefore, let us be thankful and respectful in our New Covenant service to God—because He is terrifyingly holy (Heb 12:28b-29)

• Let us worship God by a life of faith (Heb 13:1-25)

1. The life of faith and the practice of love (Heb13:1-6)
   1. Keep on loving each other as brothers (Heb 13:1)
   2. Keep on showing hospitality to strangers (Heb 13:2)
   3. Keep on visiting those who are in chains (Heb 13:3)
   4. Keep on honoring marriage and its sanctity (Heb 13:4)
   5. Keep your character free from the love of money ( Heb13:5-6)
      1. The call for contentment (Heb 13:5 ab)
      2. The confidence we have from Scripture ( Heb 13:5c-6)
2. The life of faith and the practice of Old Covenant worship (Heb 13:7-16)
   1. Be careful to follow leaders who accurately represented the word of God rather than strange doctrines (Heb 13:7-9)
      1. Be careful to follow those who accurately taught and lived the Word of God (Heb 13:7)
      2. Be confident that Jesus Christ does not change (Heb 13:8)
      3. Be careful to avoid those who teach strange doctrines that depart from grace (Heb 13:9)
   2. Bear the reproach of Christ rather than go back to the Levitical system (Heb 13:10-16)
      1. Believers belong to a priesthood that far exceeds that of the Old Covenant (Heb 13:10)
      2. Believers are called to go outside the camp of Israel—bearing the reproach of Christ ( Heb 13:11-14)
         1. The Old Covenant sin offering that made atonement was burned outside the camp of Israel (Heb 13:11; cf. Lev 16)
         2. The New Covenant sin offering—Jesus—suffered outside the gate (Heb 13:12)
         3. The New Covenant believer must go outside the camp of Israel, bearing Christ’s reproach (Heb 13:13)
         4. The New Covenant believer no longer seeks an earthly nationalism, but rather the future kingdom of God (Heb 13:14)
      3. Believers are called to offer up New Covenant sacrifices to God (Heb 13:15-16)
         1. A sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving (Heb 13:15)
         2. A sacrifice of doing good and sharing (Heb 13:16)
3. The life of faith and the practice of fellowship (Heb 13:17-25)
   1. Fellowship through submission to spiritual leadership (Heb 13:17)
      1. The command to obey and submit to spiritual leadership
      2. The care and concern spiritual leaders must have
      3. The cooperation required
   2. Fellowship through supplication for others (Heb 13:18-19)
      1. The prayer request made (Heb 13:18)
      2. The powerful result expected (Heb 13:19)
   3. Fellowship through the supplication of others (Heb 13:20-21)
      1. The Person addressed (Heb 13:20)
      2. The prayer request (Heb 13:21)
   4. Fellowship through submission to this epistle (Heb 13:22)
   5. Fellowship through straightforward statements of encouragement (Heb 13:23-25)
      1. Fellowship involves information and anticipation (Heb 13:23)
      2. Fellowship involves affection (Heb 13:24)
      3. Fellowship implies or expressly includes a benediction of grace (Heb 13:25)

¹ Hold fast our confession and draw near to God—repeated exhortation (Heb 4:14, 16; Heb 10:22, 23; cf. Heb 3:1, 6, 14; Heb 6:18; Heb 7:25; Heb 10:1; Heb 11:6; Heb 12:18, 22)