Title Let's Go Forward/Hebrews 10:35-39
It is said that Buddhism is a religion of the mountains and Christianity is a religion of the streets. This is because, in the case of Buddhism, the focus is on Immigration, the capital, the path to enlightenment, and Buddhahood, and in the case of Christianity, the focus is on reality, history, life, and salvation.
So, if Buddhism is a static religion that values meditation and reflection, Christianity is a dynamic religion that values change, regeneration, and progress.
This text is a message that instructs the suffering Christians at the time what kind of attitude they should have in their religious life. In particular, it is emphasized that we must not step back. Even if circumstances such as suffering, failure, or persecution threaten the Christian life, the lesson of the text is that we must not back down because of such things. Let's find out what the lesson of the text is.
1 You must be courageous to receive a reward.
Verse 35 says, “Therefore, do not forsake your courage, for this has a great reward.” In verse 34, Christians at that time were imprisoned, stolen property, and expelled from their jobs because of one reason they believed in Jesus. But if you lose courage or give up your faith because of such things, you will not be rewarded.
Hebrews 11:6 says, "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Linking verses 35 and 11:6 in the text means that those who seek God with bold faith and strive to come to God will be rewarded. There may be tests or failures. However, if you overcome such things with bold faith, the reward will come. The award mentioned here has two characteristics.
The first is that God gives.
The highest honor and award is the Presidential Award. But the reward we receive is a reward from God. You will receive the best award.
There is an award that the world's intellectuals hope to receive. That prize is the Nobel Prize.
Alfred Bernhard Nobel was a Swedish chemist and inventor.
In 1863, he invented explosives and established a factory to manufacture explosives. However, in the process, the factory was blown up, and it was unfortunate that the younger brother and four employees were sacrificed. After that, he became rich because of explosives, and in accordance with his will, he established the 1901 Nobel Prize system and has been awarding awards. In his will on November 27, 1895, he donated 31 million kroner of his estate to the Royal Swedish Academy, saying, "Give it to those who have made the most specific contribution to the welfare of mankind".
The awards are given in the areas of physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, literature and economy, and peace. Our country has not yet received a single winner. The awards ceremony is held annually on December 10 in the presence of the King of Sweden, and the winner is awarded a gold medal and a cash prize of about $220,000.
However, God gives rewards to those who have kept their faith with courage and perseverance. It cannot even be compared to the Nobel Prize. In the song of victory sung by the angels of heaven, God gives the reward.
How proud are you?
When I visited Stockholm a few years ago, I walked into the Nobel Prize Ceremony. I pretended to receive a prize in an empty room, thinking about the prize I would receive.
The second is an eternal reward.
The Nobel Prize and the Olympic Prize are prizes whose value and honor are recognized only on earth.
But the reward God gives is eternal. It is an award whose glory and value are recognized and evaluated forever.
An eternal reward is a prize that does not fade, a prize that does not rust, and a prize whose value lasts forever.
2 We must persevere to fulfill our promises.
Verse 36 says, “You need patience, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”
Patience is the most precious quality a Christian should possess. Furthermore, it is a character that human beings should possess.
Even beasts do not become angry at once or express their feelings at once. Shouldn't people be able to be patient?
Niccolo Paganini, a world-famous violinist born in Italy, was playing one day. However, one of the violin strings broke while playing. The audience, holding their breath, was astonished. And Paganini was watching what to do. Without the slightest embarrassment, he continued playing with the remaining three lines. Then another line broke. But he did not panic and calmly continued playing in two strings.
Then the third string broke with a sharp sound. He paused for a moment, then raised the violin high in one hand and shouted, "One string and Paganini." Then he played again with skill.
When his performance was over, the audience gave a thunderous applause.
You must not give up. Without patience, you cannot succeed. Even if three strings are broken and there is only one line left, it takes courage and perseverance to play success with that single line of faith.
When a female penguin lays an egg, the male penguin covers it with its wings and warms it to release the young.
It is said that it can withstand the strong winds of 40 km/h while fighting the cold of minus 40 degrees without eating for at least two months.
If you think about it, human patience is so weak and powerless.
The patience of believers is no exception. I don't have the patience, I can't wait. Even the slightest distress makes me irritable, even the slightest pain makes me nervous, and I get frustrated and give up easily.
During the Crimean War, there was a soldier who had to amputate his leg due to an injury. When Nightingale told the soldier, "You must be as courageous as you can be and bear the pain," the soldier asked for a stick.
The soldier bit the tip of the stick with his mouth and didn't say a word until the operation was over. After the operation, I looked at the stick and found that the tip was almost crushed.
This story teaches us a meaningful lesson.
When we suffer from pain or frustration What do we hold onto when we suffer from failure or despair? It is the cross of Jesus Christ.
The reason is that there is no incident more injustice than the cross, no pain more bitter than the cross, and no wound deeper than the cross. And when we hold onto that cross, peace, comfort, hope, and victory come to us.
If you are not patient, you will not be able to fulfill your promises.
You have to be patient to make your dreams come true.
You must persevere to achieve eternal salvation.
3 You are happy when you move forward.
Verse 38 says, “If I turn back, my heart will not rejoice in him.”
To step back means to "withdraw", "to drag back". A backslider is one who easily withdraws his purpose or plan.
And he's the one who pulls others down. So, the person who retreats is the person who sinks himself and pulls others down.
Both slugs, earthworms, and ants go forward. The ephemera also flies forward. Cars, planes, and people go forward. The Earth doesn't spin backwards either.
This year's New Year's Day homecoming was also ascetic as before. Busan and Mokpo took 20 hours and Daejeon took 10 hours. Even if it took 20 hours, I was able to meet my family and celebrate the holidays because I was on my way to my hometown.
Going backwards even 30 minutes is tedious and exhausting.
In the case of the Israelites, they left Egypt and arrived in the land of Canaan after 40 years. It was a tedious and arduous journey indeed. So they insisted on going back to Egypt, where they had left, and shouted.
Exodus 14:12 records an incident in which Israel stood before the Red Sea and protested, shouting that it would be better to return to Egypt than to die in the wilderness. There is recorded a scene where he ate a lot next to the meat kiln of the city and complained that it would have been better to die in peace at the hands of God.
They were not interested in advancing and were busy devising going back.
There are three kinds of people.
One is a past-oriented person.
A person who always thinks of the past and talks about the past, a person who is obsessed with the nostalgia and nostalgia of the past.
Where these people gather, the words "in the past," "in a young age," and "when I was a child" are used in everyday language.
Both are realists.
These are the best people here today. They don't need the future just as they don't need the past. These are the people who are content with Sudan, hot-spotism, and short-lived lives, and enjoy reality.
It is said that a certain media company caught young people wandering around Apgujeong-dong and asked the question, “What is your dream?” the answer to that question is
"Dream?"
"Why are you dreaming?"
"Do your dreams feed you?"
"I'm going to the discotheque tonight."
"I don't know"
They said, "Here you are (showing thumbs up)".
Surprisingly, there are many realists. Believing in Jesus also depends on what blessings fall on me today, what benefits me, and what benefits I see. They are realists.
The three are forward-looking people.
In other words, they are people who move forward without stepping back.
God sent Moses to Egypt and brought the ten plagues to bring Israel out of Egypt so that they could advance toward the future-oriented welfare of Canaan. However, they often thought of going back. Each time, God hated it and was not pleased with it.
Hebrews 10:28 says, “When I turn back, my heart has no pleasure in me.”
If you decide to go to Busan, you have to go to Busan one step at a time, even if it takes 24 hours, and even at a speed of 10 km/h.
Likewise, once you have started your life of faith, you must not turn back or stop even if it is difficult, slow, or painful.
Criminal psychologists say that criminals have an homing instinct. It means that he has a desire to secretly look around the scene of his sin. But believers must move forward. We must not go back to the unfortunate past, the unfortunate past, the traumatic event, and the sinful past.
Our final destination is eternal Canaan.
If you go back, you will not reach your destination. And God is not pleased with me.
Israel, who had sang the song of Return to Egypt, could not go to Egypt and did not enter the land of Canaan. This is a living lesson for us.
Let's look to the Lord and move forward. If you look at the side, you see people, you see events, you look at the scenery, and you cannot move forward.
The Lord is the ultimate goal, and the eternal world is the destination of sin.
Let's not step back.
Let's keep moving forward.
(1994. 2. 13 Sermon)