My dear family in Christ:
Please take the time to read this whole year-end letter as a matter of vital importance to your continued spiritual growth.
#1) As
this year is rapidly coming to a close I had to write each of you and share how proud I am of you! We just came off our Christmas service where we managed to squish in nearly 200 men, women and children into one service and all I can say is WOW what a night…What a Child…What a King! I honestly was really skeptical of your vote to celebrate our Lord’s birth on a Saturday night this year (in lieu of Sunday services), but you made a believer of me for your faithfulness and I truly believe this was the right call this year…thank you with all my heart for making this such a special service and a special thanks to all who found time to give of their time serving others as well as thanks to each of you who participated by worshipping Christ our King with your attendance! For those of you out of town, we all missed you terribly and pray for your safe return to SDBC this Sunday.
#2) Speaking of this Sunday, I promise you a sermon of encouragement this New Year’s Day
(regular service times)! The Book of Hebrews is a pastoral letter by the writer (a pastor) to his flock. The book is one of the most complicated books in the Bible and I am proud of you for hanging in there, as we have been serving up “kosher beef”! This book was written, (as all pastoral epistles), to be read out-loud from beginning to end. When you do so, one is able to get the “big idea” and not get bogged down in details. I fear when we are unpacking the text and the complexity of the author’s argument, we can lose site of the balance of this
book.
#3) Hebrews is a letter of three “E”s Encouragement, Exhortation and Education. In the same way a loving earthly father would “exhort” a child in correction, seeking to “educate” his child in how to mature and provide “encouragement” along the way, so too our writer of Hebrews takes the same approach. The challenge when breaking down the text weekly is the danger to see only the correction side and over react thinking we have to become a zealot or succumb to the dangers of rules, regulations, legalism or performance based acts to earn our Father’s love. All the same could be falsely assumed to be true for those
striving to become a “metachos,”partner or disciple of Christ in His future Kingdom reign. I
am proud of each of you for not bailing on a difficult book, one that is truly life changing
for any Christian and has been kept secret for way too long in the Church! I promise to do my best to keep a healthy balance each week with encouragement,
exhortation and education
Hebrews 6:9-12
But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany
salvation, though we are speaking in this way. For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patienceinherit the promises. (Emphasis mine)
#4) Please don’t fall for the enemy’s trap of comparing yourself with others when it comes to living a faithful life to Christ and co-reigning with Him in the future. I am proud of those of you I have talked towho have told me you are starting to really “get the message of Hebrews and share in your excitement”.
As we move forward it is imperative to remember: We have a God who…
A) Wants you to succeed and is actively involved in bringing YOU to glory as one of His partners. Hebrews 2:10
B) Loves you unconditionally, no matter what you do or don’t do. His love is not for sale and
not something you have to “EARN”! His love is freely given to all His children.
C) Has a plan for YOU…please don’t compare yourself to someone else…remember Hebrew’s 11 includes many people who’s failures were epic, yet here you find them listed in the Who’s Who of faith…please be encouraged that God can bring you to glory in the same way…NOT through perfection in this life, but by approaching the “Throne of Grace” were we find a merciful High Priest. Hebrews 4:16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
D) We also have a God who only desires you to be faithful in what He has given you…it’s NOT about how faithful others are, it’s only about how faithful you are. It’s not about performance…it’s simply a matter of stewardship!
#5) Finally, I’m proud of you for talking the time to read this letter and willing to make SDBC a place where we can speak the truth in love, where I can share the hard truths of God’s Word and not have to dole out milk each week. I am proud of you for being willing to eat solid food for breakfast on Sundays!
“We must preach, not what people want to hear, but one day what they wish they had heard” Sir Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626), Bishop of Winchester, who was on the committee ofscholars that produced the King James Translation of the Bible
With all my love and praying God’s blessing on each of you for the New Year ahead,
Pastor Steve