Hebrews Chapter 12--Bible Study Made Simple w/ Dr. Timmy Tezeno

Welcome to the Bible Trainer Podcast featuring Bible Study Made Simple with Dr. Timmy Tezeno on Hebrews 12. In this episode, join us as we dive deep into The Letter To The  Hebrews and embark on an illuminating journey through Chapter 12. Fasten your seat belts and be blessed!      

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Chapter 12 verses one. Well foreseeing, we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which do it so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our fate, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your mind. Now, Paul says here, look, I have just given you a huge list of people who lived by fate. We have a bunch of witnesses who have already run this race successfully by fate. Now, with all of these examples before us, let us lay aside every weight. Which is every hindrance, everything that will slow us down in our fate walk. Now, what is a weight? A weight is not necessarily something that is wrong, but is not essential to our fate walk. Anything that can slow us down in the least bit is considered a weight, and we must lay them aside. Not only should we lay aside every weight, but also the sin. Underline that the sin, which do it so easily, beset us now. What is the sin Paul is talking about here? The sin here is none other than unbelief. Unbelief is the sin that so easily beset us. Unbelief is the opposite of fate. Just about all of the children of Israel that came out of Egypt died in the wilderness during the course of 40 long years because of unbelief. Unbelief is a dangerous enemy. it will keep you from advancing in the work of God. It will keep you from enjoying God's best for your life. We must lay unbelief to the side. We have to kick it to the curb. It is a must. We must run with patience the race that is set before us. Now how do we run this race effectively? We run this race Effectively, by looking to Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our fate, we have to keep our eyes on our supreme example. Then he says, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Listen, Jesus didn't allow anything to stop him from completing his redemptive work. He was tempted in all parts, yet without sin. He kept his eyes on the goal, and that was the redeeming of mankind, bringing us back in right standing with God. His goal was to produce a bride for himself. He ran his race without any weights, and didn't allow the sin, which is unbelief, to operate at all. He is our supreme example. Our eyes are on him. We will not be wearied and we will not faint in our minds. Why? Because our eyes are on him. We are looking to him. Glory to God. Look at verses four through eight. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God did it with you as with sons. For what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons. Now, God disciplines his children because he loves us. A natural father disciplines his children when they do wrong because he loves them. Now, Notice that a father does not discipline a child that doesn't belong to him. Why? It is not his. God the father is the same way. God only disciplined and trains his own children. Alright, let's look at verses 9 through 11. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not? Must rather be in subjection unto the father of spirits and live for they verily for a few days Chasing us after their own pleasure, but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Now no chasing in for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous nevertheless afterward It yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Now we see here the purpose for the discipline of God. It produces peaceable fruit of righteousness to them which are exercised thereby. Weapons don't feel good at the moment that they are issued, but the end results are greatly appreciated. We are who we are because our parents loved us enough. To discipline and to train us in the right way in like manner God disciplines and trains us so that we can be all that he has Purposed us to be I look at verses 12 through 14 Well for lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet Let's that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed How a piece with all men and holiness without which no man shall see Now Paul is saying here, lift those hands up and give God some praise. Get out of your weak state and become strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put your eyes on him and align your life according to his will and walk according to how he has called you to walk. Then he gives instruction for us to be at peace with all men. And we ought to follow after holiness. In other words, we ought to live holy. A life that is above reproach before the world. Why is this so important? Because without holiness, no man shall see. The Lord. Verses 15 through 22. Look indeligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God. Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. Lest there be any fornicator or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected. For he found no place of repentance, though he sought it. Carefully with tears for you are not common to the mount that might be touched and that burned with fire nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, which voice they that heard intrigued that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. For they could not endure that which was commanded, and if so much as a beast touched a mountain, it shall be stoned or thrust through with a dart. And so terrible was the sight that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake. But ye are come unto Mount Sinai, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels. He instructs them to look diligently on Jesus. Keep your focus on him and him alone. Forget about the rituals of the old covenant that you and your fathers used to practice. The law couldn't save you. Look at Esau. He tried to do it with his own righteousness and failed miserably. The children of Israel heard the voice of God and were shaken out of their boots. They entreated not to hear God speak again. Moses said that he exceedingly fear and quake. Paul lets them know that they are not under that covenant any longer. He tells them that they are come unto Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels. Again, keep in mind that Paul is speaking to Jewish believers here. Mount Zion was David's place in Jerusalem. His palace was located there and he was buried up there. Zion was David's favorite spot. Many of the Jewish believers were still going to the feast in Jerusalem but the persecution had broken out and Christians had been driven out of Jerusalem. So he assures them they have Jerusalem in heaven. Mount Zion is the heavenly city, the eternal city of the living God. The book of Revelation calls it the New Jerusalem. Paul is simply telling them what they have in Christ is far better than what they ever had under the law. All glory to God. Look at verse 23. To the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. Now, Paul is continuing his part of how much better it is under the New Covenant. He says here, we have also come to the church, composed of all who are registered in heaven. He says to God who is judge of all and to the spirits of the redeemed in heaven already made perfect All right Verse 24 and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speak it better things than that of Abel To Jesus our great and awesome mediator of the new covenant called grace And to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel. Abel's blood cried for vengeance, but the blood of Christ speaks of salvation. Oh, glory to God. Alright, let's look at verses 25 through 29. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escape not who refuse him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape. If we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven, whose voice didn't shook the earth, but now he had promised saying yet once more, I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, yes, once more signified the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Well, for we receiving a kingdom, which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. Now we see in this passage that although we are under grace and God is a merciful God, He is also a God of judgment. The children of Israel that rejected the voice of God through unbelief in the wilderness reaped God's judgment. All who reject the redemptive work of Christ will reap God's judgment. Why? For our God is a consuming fire. He is also a God of judgment.