The Anchor… (3 points)

• 1^st – The Promise… vs. 13-15
  • 1^st – Example of the Promise… vs. 13
    • Abraham had HOPE…
      • In light of the THIRD warning – do NOT be immature…
      • Hebrews 6:11 – “Imitate those who through FAITH and PATIENCE inherit the PROMISES.”
      • What better EXAMPLE to give to the Jews – then FATHER Abraham!
    • Abraham had PATIENCE…
      • When God called ABRAM – he and Sarai had NO children…
      • ABRAM was 75 years old – and PROMISED him a SON – Genesis 12:2
      • Then the Lord appeared again to ABRAM when he was 99 years old!
      • Genesis 17:1/5 – “I am Almighty God [El Shaddai] … No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.”
      • From a practical perspective – it was now IMPOSSIBLE to have a child!
      • But Abraham was PATIENT for 25 years – for God to fulfill His PROMISE!
      • Ever wonder why God does not act sooner – why wait till things are IMPOSSIBLE…
      • God does that just so that we can get to see Him do the IMPOSSIBLE…
      • That is how we learn to PATIENTLY trust in our God – El Shaddai!
    • Abraham had FAITH…
      • Many years after Isaac was born – God TESTED the FAITH of Abraham…
      • Genesis 22:2 – “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering…”
      • But Abraham had FAITH – that God would fulfill His PROMISE…
      • Genesis 22:5 – “Abraham said – We [him and Isaac] will come back to you.”
      • Abraham believed God would bring his son back from the dead – Hebrews 11:19
      • Abraham is a GREAT example of FAITH and PATIENCE – in receiving the PROMISE!
  • 2^nd – Confirming the Promise… vs. 13
    • Seeing God could SWEAR by no one greater – God SWORE by Himself…
      • SWEAR – 27x in NT – to confirm a PROMISE – to make an OATH…
      • People SWEAR by something greater in an attempt to confirm a PROMISE – Hebrews 6:16
      • I swear by God in heaven that what I am saying is true!
      • Matthew 5:33-37 – “I say to you do not swear at all… let your yes be yes, and your no, no…”
      • We have all said that we would do something – then did NOT do it…
      • But we must be men and women of our word – our yes be yes /and out no – no!
      • Not just making sure our words are truth – but also our actions!
    • Since NOTHING is greater than God – He swore by Himself…
      • Why did God SWEAR – to CONFIRM His PROMISE to Abraham!
      • I do not know about you – but I get impatient if I have to wait for an hour…
      • I cannot imagine waiting for the Lord fulfill His promise – for YEARS!
      • The Lord gives us PROMISES – and He will NOT go back on His Word…
      • Even if we do not see Him working – even if we do not hear from Him…
      • That does not mean that he will not be faithful to do the work!
      • II Corinthians 1:20 – “All the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen…”
  • 3^rd – RECEIVING the PROMISE… vs. 14-15
    • God made a PROMISE to Abraham…
      • Blessing [present] I will BLESS [future] you…
      • Multiplying [present] I will MULTIPLY [future] you – Genesis 22:17
    • When Abraham had WAITED patiently – he RECEIVED the PROMISE…
      • Abraham did nothing to EARN the PROMISE – he just RECEIVED it!
      • In those days if someone wanted to make a PROMISE…
      • They took animals – cut them in TWO – making a path between the halves – Genesis 15:9
      • Then the two men making a PROMISE would walk between the halves – in the blood…
      • The blood would seal the PROMISE between them!
      • But Abraham did not walk in between – it was only the Lord – Genesis 15:17
      • There was nothing Abraham had to do – God did all the WORK!
      • God desires to do so much more than we can ever imagine in our lives – Ephesians 3:20
      • The ONLY part we play – is to be PATIENT for His timing…
      • Look up and believe His PROMISES – have FAITH we serve the God of the IMPOSSIBLE!

• 2^nd – The Oath… vs. 16-18
  • 1^st – The Guarantee… vs. 16-17
    • God DESIRES [present] to show more ABUNDANTLY to the heirs of PROMISE [us] …
      • More ABUNDANTLY – over and above / more than is necessary…
      • The IMMUTABILITY of His counsel [plans]!
      • IMMUTABILITY – 2x in NT (both here) – impossible to change!
      • FIRST by the EXAMPLE of Abraham – but if that was not enough…
      • God goes over and above – to show us His PROMISES and PLANS – will NEVER change!
    • By CONFIRMING His promises with an OATH…
      • CONFIRMED [aorist] – only here – to give a GUARANTEE…
      • Ephesians 1:13-14 – “You were SEALED with the Holy Spirit of promise. The Spirit is God’s GUARANTEE that he will give us the inheritance he PROMISED and that he has purchased us to be his own people.” [NLT] – Also II Corinthians 1:22 / 5:5 
      • When I proposed to Jen – I gave her a fancy ring as a GUARANTEE…
      • It was a way of CONFIRMING I would spend my life with her – just as I PROMISED!
      • Jesus bought and paid for us with the cross – I Corinthians 6:20
      • And He has gave us His Holy Spirit – as the GUARANTEE…
      • It was His way of CONFIRMING He will be back for us to finish what He PROMISED…
      • Until that day – and we are in HEAVEN – He SEALS us with His Spirit…
      • It is the same SEAL God uses to bind satan for 1000 years – Revelation 20:3
      • Therefore – we can be CONFIDENT in His PROMISE – till the day we come HOME!
  • 2^nd – Strong ENCOURAGEMENT… vs. 18
    • Why we are ENCOURAGED…
      • By these TWO immutable [unchangeable] things [the PROMISES and OATH of God] …
      • We MIGHT have strong CONSOLATION…
      • CONSOLATION – noun form of the verb parakaleō – to ENCOURAGE…
      • We should be VERY encouraged by the PROMISE and OATH of God…
      • Because it is IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie!
      • God cannot lie – and He never changes His mind – Malachi 3:6
      • If God says something – it is a GOOD as DONE!
      • SINCE God promises to take care of all our needs – He will – Luke 12:31
      • SINCE God promises us salvation through faith in Jesus – heaven in our destination!
      • II Peter 1:4 – “[We] have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises…”
    • Where we are ENCOURAGED…
      • Who have fled for REFUGE – [katapheugō] – a place where one can escape from DANGER…
      • Numbers 35:11 – “Designate cities of refuge [pheugō in LXX] to which people can flee.”
      • According to Jewish law – if you killed someone – their family had the right to kill you…
      • It did not make a difference if it was an accident or not – life for life – Exodus 21:23
      • Inside the walls of these cities – there was REFUGE – no one could harm you…
      • But you could NOT leave the CITY – until the death of the High Priest – Numbers 35:25
      • We are all sinners – and because of our SIN we deserve DEATH – Romans 6:23
      • If we stay in the WORLD – at some our sin will catch up to us – and kill us!
      • The one place where we can find REFUGE from sin – is in JESUS…
      • Jesus is our High Priest – Hebrews 6:20 – who died to set us free!
      • We should be living in fear of death – of the judgement we deserve…
      • Jesus has set us COMPLETELY free – He has given us new life!
      • John 8:36 – “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
    • How we are ENCOURAGED…
      • [By laying] hold of the HOPE that is set before us!
      • HOPE – [elpis] – 54x in NT – carries the idea of expectation – what we EXPECT to happen…
      • Hope – is trusting God for the future – the amazing promises that God has given to us!
      • We cannot see God – have never been to heaven – have not seen Jesus…
      • It is only through HOPE we believe the Gospel is true – has the power to save us…
      • By HOPE we believe that life is not only about living here on earth…
      • By HOPE we believe one day God will take us to be with Him forever in heaven!
      • Hebrews 11:1 – “Faith is the substance of things HOPED for, the evidence of things not seen.”

A FORERUNNER who went before us to make SURE – we get to where He wants us to be!

3^rd – The Anchor… vs. 19-20

1^st – Why we have an Anchor… vs. 19

An ANCHOR is what keeps a boat from drifting at sea…

Without and ANCHOR it would be easy to wander off – easy to get lost!

Hebrews 2:1 – “Lest we drift away [first warning] …”

We are made up of THREE parts – BODY / SOUL / and SPIRIT…

We live in a BODY – have conscious thought [SOUL] – AND have an eternal SPIRIT…

The question we face every day – is WHAT is in control of our lives!

We make all of our decisions with our conscious mind (Soul)…

But is our SOUL is under the influence of either our BODY or SPIRIT…

Whichever we feed will grows stronger – influences our decisions – controls our MIND…

The question is do we feed our SPIRIT or do we feed our FLESH!

Galatians 5:17 – “The [BODY] lusts against the SPIRIT, and the SPIRIT against the [BODY]; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”

To keep us SURE…

SURE – 5x in NT – to keep one from FAILING…

Do we ever feel like we are a FAILURE – at work / with family / in life…

Like we are being tossed around by STORMS in life – drifting aimlessly…

We are looking for an ANCHOR – some KEY – to allow us to find SUCCESS!

The KEY to keep from FAILING – is putting our HOPE – in the WORD…

We might say – but we have READ the Bible – and life still seems chaotic…

Having the WORD as our ANCHOR does NOT stop the storms in life…

It keeps us grounded so we are NOT tossed about aimless in life!

Philippians 3:1 – “I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard [SURE] your faith.” [NLT]

To keep us STEADFAST…

STEADFAST – to be stable – sure footed…

Ephesians 4:13-14 – “We will be mature in the Lord… no longer… immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.” [NLT]

We live in a WORLD that is upside down – a WORLD that does not know God…

A WORLD where ALL that is evil is good / and ALL that is good is evil…

When it is a crime in some countries to pray in public places / or bring a Bible into school…

But where homosexuality – and abortion are protected by the Law!

Isaiah 5:20 – “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil…”

The WORLD would love for us to question the WORD – be unstable – slip in our faith…

What is right for you / may not be what is right for me – everything is RELATIVE…

Event Pontius Pilate famously said to Jesus – what is TRUTH – John 18:38

But It does not matter what MEN say – Romans 3:4 – the TRUTH is in the WORD!

The Bible is our ANCHOR in a crazy world – making us STABLE – SURE FOOTED! 

John 17:17 – “Your word is truth.” – also Psalm 119:160

2^nd – Who is our Anchor… vs. 19-20

Which enters the presence behind the VEIL…

An ANCHOR is only as effective as what it is attached to…

If an ANCHOR sinks into sand – the boat will still DRIFT…

But if the ANCHOR hits solid ROCK – then the boat will be secure!

In the TEMPLE – there were TWO rooms on the inside…

There was the HOLIEST – where the TABLE of showbread and Menorah were located…

Then BEHIND the VEIL – was the HOLIEST of ALL…

The place where the ARK of the Covenant and MERCY seat were!

Our ANCHOR is firmly planted in the HOLIEST of ALL – the THRONE room of God!

Matthew 7:24 – “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who [is anchored to] the ROCK…”

We can either ANCHOR our life on the Rock [Jesus] or on the sand [world]…

WHEN the storms of life come – not IF – there are two VERY outcomes …

If we are ANCHORED on sand [world] – we will lose everything…

If we are ANCHORED on the Rock [Jesus] we will lose nothing!

The world is a very uncertain foundation for our lives – COVID

Much better to ANCHORED to the immovable foundation that comes from Jesus!

Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

The FORERUNNER who has entered before us – even JESUS…

FORERUNNER – only here NT – a small boat that would ANCHOR the ship to the rocks…

Jesus went BEFORE us – to ANCHOR us in the HOLIEST of all!

Only the [הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל] could go behind the VEIL – before the Mercy Seat…

And only once a year – on the Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur – Leviticus 16

But earthly High Priests had to do this EVERY year – it was not PERMANENT!

[But we have Jesus – our] High Priest – FOREVER – after the order of Melchizedek!

God has given us His PROMISE and His OATH…

That He will give salvation through Jesus – heaven in our destination!

And SINCE God cannot lie – we have an ANCHOR that keeps us STEADFAST…