This is my topic when I first stood in front of the congregation:
MOVING ON
Hebrews 5:11-14
“To move on is to believe that you can really move on.”
MOVING ON – BITTER PAST, HURTFUL PRESENT, BETTER FUTURE
HISTORY OF HEBREWS
AUTHOR
- UNKNOWN. He is not PAUL
- very clear that he or she is trained rhetorically, familiar with Greek philosophy and very knowledgeable in study of scriptures
- derives the AUTHORITY not from himself but from conforming itself to the address of GOD Himself as expressed in the Scripture, in His Son and in the pattern of obedience, action and worship which Jesus lays down.
WHY IT WAS WRITTEN
- To warn Christians who were in danger of becoming lax in their commitment.
- To refresh the commitment by exhorting readers (or the listeners)
- To encourage the believers to follow the example of Jesus, the High Priest Son of God who was a champion of FAITH.
PAST V. 11
1. COMPROMISE - to reveal or expose to an unauthorized person esp. in an enemy
- what went to your mind when you heard about SIN?
- LAWLESSNESS – Greek word, anomia meaning condition of being without law because of ignorance of it or because of violating it.
- simply means DISOBEDIENCE (it is a SIN)
- LUKE 14:16-24 (MAN giving the supper- Father, Servant- JESUS)
2. CHAINED - to obstruct or protect by a chain (tanikala)
- what are those chains in your life that obstructs you in growing?
- Fear,(1 JOHN 4:18) Deep Love for Something LUKE 12:15 (money, Work, Wealth, Knowledge - causes GREED), Lack of Forgiveness: COLOSIANS 3:13, Pride: PROVERBS 8:13
3. CONDEMNED - to declare guilty after weighing evidence
- ROMANS 2:1
- THE STORY OF THE BLOOD
Because of the bitter past that we have, we cannot move forward. We are stuck into doing things that do not please God. We are stuck in our bitter past. We still compromise into doing sins which in fact as a Christian, we should not. We are chained into something which in fact Jesus already unlocked it. And still, we always condemn ourselves and even other fault because we do not realize that God perfectly forgave us.
PRESENT V.12-13
1. STAGNANT leading to being A MEDIOCRE
- Satan is not just our enemy. We also have an enemy called AVERAGE.
- what is the advantage of staying in your comfort zone? How about the disadvantages?
- When fear covers our hearts, our desire to stay in our comfort zone.
- And if you never take risks, you will never achieve great things.
- THE STORY OF RUTH
2. INDECISIVE leading to being a CARBON COPY
- GALATIANS 6:4-5
- To copy other is to cheat yourself.
- People are born originals but most die copies.
- In this day of peer pressure, trends, we have to realize that we are custom-made by God. We are unique.
3. DEPRESSION leading to asking many QUESTIONS
- PSALM 10:14
- If you have the privilege to ask God, what would it be?
- We always start with WHY question.
- The most famous question is WHY ME GOD?
We Christians, instead eating solid food, we are stuck into drinking milk because we are filled with many negative thoughts in our minds… and when it starts in the mind, it will lead to action until we realize that we are not growing. We are still there (what place are you now) ten years, five years ago. It’s hard to think that we still drink milk which in fact we must be the one who will feed milk to others.
FUTURE V. 14
1. PREPARE - to be ready beforehand for some purpose
- by clinging to the Word of God, praying day & night, worshiping
- by eating the SOLID FOOD (not just eat or swallow…by chewing it)
- JOSHUA 1:8
2. CHANGE - change is an evidence of life
- JEREMIAH 7:5
- change your old lifestyle, your viewpoint
- why YOU? Because it only focuses on your own knowledge. But if we rely on His Word, we can absolutely change our viewpoint and lifestyle.
3. READY FOR SPIRITUAL MATURITY
- PHILIPPIANS 3:12-14
- It is an ongoing process.
- Don’t ever say to yourself that you are spiritually matured.
- Even apostle Paul accepted that he had not yet arrived, yet he continually pressed toward the prize.
Moving on is an action. It’s not just a word that generated from your mind and then spilled out from your mouth. Moving requires something… and that is in your own decision. Moving on still rely on you. Even of God wanted you to move on, but your heart do not want to, it will be very impossible for you to change and move forward. It requires action and faith and in God. Really God can make you move but He still wants you to choose and rely on His plan.
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU TOTALLY MOVED ON?
1. RENEWED STRENGTH - ISAIAH 30:15, ISAIAH 40:31
- retreat to advance
- wait upon the Lord
2. PURE HEART - Pure means - free from harshness or roughness
- free from guilt, in tune (like music.. it creates melody not noise)
- PSALM 51:10
3. NOTICEABLE TRANSITIONS
- COLDNESS TO BURNING DESIRE (EPH. 6:7)
- EMPTINESS TO FULLNESS (JOHN 10:10)
- READER TO LEADER (PSALM 11:6)
FAITH sees the INVISIBLE, believes the INCREDIBLE and receives the IMPOSSIBLE
