Lord’s Day Message:
Bible Verses: Hebrews 3:1-4:13 (NLT)
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. 2 For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house. 3 But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. 4 For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God. 5 Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. 6 But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.
7 That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, 8 don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. 9 There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. 10 So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ 11 So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’ ”
12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” 16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? 19 So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest. (Hebrews 3)
1 God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. 2 For this good news– that God has prepared this rest– has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. 3 For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’ ” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. 4 We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” 5 But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.” 6 So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. 7 So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” 8 Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. 9 So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 10 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. 11 So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.
12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. (Heb. 4)
Message Outline:
- Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses
- Both are faithful
- Moses is a servant, but Jesus is the son of God
- Moses is a house, but Jesus is the builder and is in charge over God’s house
- Application: becoming God’s house
This requires us to keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ
- Exhortation and warnings using the story of Israelites entering into the good land
- If we hear God’s voice, we should not harden our heart, test Him and try His patience
- Make sure that your own heart is not evil and unbelieving, and turning you away from the living God
- Warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin
- Tremble with fear realizing that we might fail to experience the entering of God’s rest
- Application: striving to enter into God’s rest
- If we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ
- Unite by faith with what we have heard (ESV)
- The function of God’s word: exposes our innermost thoughts and desires
Next Topics: Hebrews 4:14~5:10
Church Meetings/Time/Place
Home Meeting: 11/8 Mon. 7:30pm, Richard Cui’s
Young Professionals Meeting: 12/8 Tue. 7:30pm, Meeting Hall
Sister meeting: 13/8 Wed. 10:00am, Anne’s
Prayer Meeting:13/8 Wed. 7:30pm，Meeting Hall
Young People Meeting/Pursuing for Adults：16/8 Tue. 7:30pm, Meeting Hall
Announcements:
- We welcome all the new ones who are joining us today and hope that you can leave your information for us to contact you in the future.
- The church will invite Brother Titus Chu as the speaker for the conference on October 4~6. We hope all the brothers and sisters can separate the time to participate.
Brother Richard Chen and Patrick Li will be the mangers for the conference. They will ask brothers and sisters to serve and we hope all can respond to support. If you have any suggestion, please also have fellowship with them.
- Next Lord’s Day 17/8 1:00 PM the church will hold a meeting of gospel talk. All gospel friends as well as brothers and sisters who have burden for gospel are all welcome to join.
<Reminder>
- During the meeting, please turn off your mobile phone or put the volume on silence.
- The serving of the church
Hall Maintenance: Michael Lin & Richard Chen
Hall Cleaning: Richard Cui & Patrick Li.
- When you prepare the love feast for Lord’s Day lunch, please do not prepare any food containing nuts that someone may have food allergy.
Intercession:
- Pray for Lydia, Winnie Jiang, Hui Yang, and Holly who are newly baptized that they can grow healthily in the Lord.
Keep praying for the gospel friends among us, especially young people and our family members, so that our Lord can open their hearts to see God’s salvation and be willing to receive the Lord and become the member in God’s family.
- Pray for the health of each family (especial for the older ones). Pray especially for Sister Da-Nan Lu who just came back from China. May the Lord care her spirit, soul, and body.
- Pray for those who are weak in spirit that the grace of the Lord can be sufficient for them.
Serving Today: (Aug. 10)
- Sharing: Richard Chen & Yulin Wang
- Breaking the Bread: Richard Chen & Jack Lee
Serving Bread and Cup: Richard Cui, Jason Wang & Jack Lee
- Pianist: Ching Tan
- Cleaning: Raymond & Lucy Family, Thomas & Lena, Ferry & Inda Family, Michael & Mandy Family, Yulin & Jessica Family
Serving Next Week: (Aug. 17)
- Sharing: Michael Lin & Yulin Wang
- Breaking the Bread: Shanwon Chow & Olsen Yu
Serving Bread and Cup: Jack Lee, Sean Dong & Patrick Li
- Pianist: Hannah Cui
- Cleaning: Raymond & Lucy Family, Thomas & Lena, Ferry & Inda Family, Michael & Mandy Family, Yulin & Jessica Family
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