In a world of uncertainty, we can hold fast to the certainty of God’s promises. In week four of The One Thing, Grant Partrick dives into the book of Hebrews, urging us to have confident expectation in the Rock of Ages, our steady and true anchor, amid the waves of life.
Key Takeaway
In a world of uncertainty, we can hold fast to the Rock of Ages, our steady and true anchor, amid the waves of life.
We are hardwired for hope.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12
Maybe you know what it's like to feel hopeless.
Maybe your job rejection list is only getting longer.
Maybe your finances are tight.
Maybe your love life is nonexistent.
Maybe your career is stagnant.
Maybe your kids don't call home anymore.
But we, as believers, always have hope—real hope—anchored and rooted in the person of Jesus Christ.
Our hope is not wishful thinking. J. I. Packer said, “The Christian hope is not wishful thinking but a confident expectation, rooted in the promises of God.”
Out hope is not blind optimism. Optimism is psychological.
Our hope is theological.
Optimism calculates the odds. Hope counts on God.
There are 3 components to hope.
Desire
Object
Expectation
We talked about desire and object the previous two weeks, but today, let's talk about expectation.
Unmet expectations are the root of all disappointment. That’s why it hurts so bad when you get your hopes up and then get let down. Your expectations weren’t met. Your hope dragged…and you were left discouraged.
Let’s look at the book of Hebrews.
There are several major themes in this book. One of them is that Jesus is better—superior to the angels, greater than Moses, a Better High Priest. Jesus is better. This book was also written to 1st-century Christians with a Jewish background, and these believers were tempted to quit—to give up, give in, and go back. The writer of Hebrews writes to encourage them and to warn them.
Read Hebrews 2:1, Hebrews 3:12, and Hebrews 12:1-2.
After hearing Florence Chadwick's story, we can't help but ponder the idea that if she had known she was only half a mile from shore, she would have pressed on in her efforts to swim the Catalina Channel.
Many of us today find ourselves in an unpredictable year with undesirable circumstances. The water is cold, and the fog is dense, and we are tempted, like the audience in the Book of Hebrews or like Florence Chadwick, to give up.
But it's less about a place and more about a person whose name is Jesus Christ.
Read Colossians 3:1-2 (ESV), Hebrews 6:1-8, and Hebrews 6:9-20 (ESV).
He says that we feel sure of better things.
What are the better things? The things that belong to salvation.
Here are two things we can cling to:
God is not unjust.
He will not overlook your work and the love you have shown for his name.
Keep going. Don't quit. Don't stop. Don't drift.
We want to have the full assurance of hope until the very end. We are to imitate those who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises (Hebrews 11).
Read Hebrews 6:13-20.
After telling us to imitate those who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises, He goes to Abraham to illustrate the point. Abraham was the father of the faith.
Paul summarizes the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12) for us in Romans 4.
Read Romans 4:18–21.
The MSG translation of Romans 4:18 reads, "When everything seemed hopeless, Abraham believed anyways."
Against all hope, in hope, Abraham believed.
Against all hope, in hope, will you believe?
When it looked bleak, dark, discouraging, and hopeless, Abraham, in hope, believed.
“Hope itself is like a star—not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity. Only to be discovered in the night of adversity.”
— Charles Spurgeon
“No matter how hard the winds blow, hope in Christ keeps the believer firm and secure.”
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer
We can have certainty in God’s Promise.
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 3:29
God’s promise – It is impossible for God to lie.
God’s oath — He backed his promises with an oath (Hebrews 6:18).
This promise and this oath should encourage us to hold fast to the hope set before us. Which is what? Not a place, not a promise, but a person—Jesus Christ.
Read 1 Peter 1:3-5.
"The certainty of Christ’s Victory over sin and death is the unshakable foundation of our hope.”
— John Calvin
Hope is an anchor for the soul. Anchors achieve two things—they keep you from drifting, and they stabilize. This is what our hope in Christ is meant to do for us.
In 1 Timothy 2, Paul references the people who have suffered shipwrecks regarding the faith. Our lives are like a ship at sea—the difficulties and challenges of life are the wind and sea.
But we have an anchor—a hope—a living hope—that will hold our souls safe and secure, sure and steadfast. Our anchor isn't floundering on the ocean floor, looking for a rock to grab onto. Our anchor goes up and grabs hold of the Rock of Ages, who is in heaven.
Read Hebrews 4:14-16.
Hebrews 5:9 states that Jesus became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
He’s got you.
“If you fear, put all your trust in God. That anchor holds.”
— Unknown
Hope in Him will hold you through trials, heartbreak, failure, loss, disappointment, unpredictable years, unwanted diagnoses, marital tension, loneliness, etc.
Read Romans 8:38-39 and Jude 1:24.
In the face of adversity and the daunting task of hoping, we look to London hymn-writer Ada Habershon's famous words from her hymn "He Will Hold Me Fast."
When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast.
When the tempter would prevail, He can hold me fast.
I could never keep my hold, He will hold me fast.
For my love is often cold, He will hold me fast.
I am precious in His sight, He will hold me fast.
Those he saves are his delight, He will hold me fast.
He’ll not let my soul be lost, Christ will hold me fast.
Bought by him at such a cost, He will Hold me fast.
So, take heart. Hope (God) is holding on to you.
“
“No matter how hard the winds blow, hope in Christ keeps the believer firm and secure.”
”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Discussion Questions
How would you describe your current state of hope?
What would be the biggest difficulty you're facing that could be influencing your ability to have hope?
Is your hope rooted in Christ or your circumstances? How has this thinking influenced your faith?
We were told of the story of Florence Chadwick, the first woman to swim across the English Channel in both directions, who went to swim the Catalina channel and stopped half a mile from shore because she couldn't see how close she was to the finish line through the dense fog. How does her story resonate with you?
How does knowing that God is just and that He will not overlook your work and the love you have shown for his name put wind in your sails to keep going?
The MSG translations of Romans 4:18 reads, "When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do but on what God said he would do..." Could you say the same thing about yourself in your circumstances? Why or why not?
Do you have certainty in God's promises? Why or why not?
Re-read the famous penned words by London hymn-writer Ada Habershon's hymn, "He Will Hold Me Fast." Take the next few moments to settle into these words of hope, and journal your thoughts.
Scripture References
12.Hope deferred makes the heart sick,but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
1.We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
12.See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
1.Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2.fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
1.Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2.Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
1.Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,6:1 Or from useless rituals and of faith in God, 2.instruction about cleansing rites,6:2 Or about baptisms the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3.And God permitting, we will do so.4.It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5.who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6.and who have fallen6:6 Or age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7.Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8.But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.9.Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. 10.God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11.We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12.We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.13.When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14.saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”6:14 Gen. 22:1715.And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.16.People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17.Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18.God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19.We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20.where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Faith in Action1.Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2.This is what the ancients were commended for.3.By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.4.By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.5.By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”11:5 Gen. 5:24 For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6.And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.7.By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.8.By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9.By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10.For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11.And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she11:11 Or By faith Abraham, even though he was too old to have children—and Sarah herself was not able to conceive—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12.And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.13.All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14.People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15.If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16.Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.17.By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18.even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”11:18 Gen. 21:1219.Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.20.By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.21.By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.22.By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.23.By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.24.By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25.He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26.He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27.By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28.By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.29.By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.30.By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.31.By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.11:31 Or unbelieving32.And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33.who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34.quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35.Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36.Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37.They were put to death by stoning;11:37 Some early manuscripts stoning; they were put to the test; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38.the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.39.These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40.since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
The Call of Abram1.The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.2.“I will make you into a great nation,and I will bless you;I will make your name great,and you will be a blessing.12:2 Or be seen as blessed3.I will bless those who bless you,and whoever curses you I will curse;and all peoples on earthwill be blessed through you.”12:3 Or earth / will use your name in blessings (see 48:20)4.So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5.He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.6.Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7.The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring12:7 Or seed I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.8.From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.9.Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.Abram in Egypt10.Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11.As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12.When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13.Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”14.When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. 15.And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16.He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.17.But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18.So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19.Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” 20.Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.
18.Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”4:18 Gen. 15:519.Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20.Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21.being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
29.If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
3.Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4.and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5.who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
Instructions on Worship1.I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2.for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3.This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4.who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5.For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6.who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 7.And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.8.Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. 9.I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10.but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.11.A woman2:11 Or wife; also in verse 12 should learn in quietness and full submission. 12.I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man;2:12 Or over her husband she must be quiet. 13.For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14.And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15.But women2:15 Greek she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
14.Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,4:14 Greek has gone through the heavens Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15.For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16.Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
9.and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him
38.For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,8:38 Or nor heavenly rulers neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39.neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
24.To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—
