Refusing & Choosing

June 14, 2023

Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, June 11, 2023.

Sermon text: Hebrews 11:23-40



Context: The Hebrews church is an early Christian church full of Jews who are struggling

with wanting to go back to what is familiar... particularly the law. On one hand, they are

trying to intermingle the old covenant with the new by simply adding Jesus to what is

already familiar. On the other hand, some would like to simply return to life under the Old

Covenant. That is why the writer is walking them through the Hall of Faith. He wants them

to see that their story is the story of a people. He wants them to see how faithfulness in the

Old Covenant connects to Jesus in the New Covenant. He wants them to move into the New

Covenant by helping them see that in each and every story if faith in God in the Old

Covenant was preparing them for this.


And in verse 23, he makes what must have been a compelling argument to these Hebrew

Christians.


  • In the early church the phrases "Old Covenant or The Law" could be used almost interchangeably with "What Moses Wrote".
  • It's like saying, "I want you to persevere like Moses. I want you to trust God like Moses. If Moses was on this side of the coming of Jesus Christ, Moses would
  • NEVER consider turn from Jesus and back to The Law." Ultimately, he is making them look backwards in an attempt to get them to move forward.
  • He speaks of Moses' faith in God. Our faith can only be as string as the object of our faith. It expresses the faithfulness of that person or thing. So before we consider
  • Moses' faith, let us consider what is revealed in these verses about the object of
  • Moses' faith... God.


1.) God faithfully.....

  • Gave Moses' parents the strength to preserve his life. The King wants to kill the
  • babies, which is a threat those who want to save the babies.
  • Guided Moses' circumstance and heart into Pharaoh's courts, and then out to
  • God's people.
  • Parted the Red Sea... and then brought hose same waters down upon the Egyptians.
  • (Miracles)
  • Brought down the walls of Jericho
  • Quickened a prostitute to preserve His people (Providence)
  • Effected the rise and fall of Kingdoms
  • Stopped the Mouths of Lions
  • Quenched the power of fire
  • Delivered His people FROM death and persecution
  • Delivered His people THROUGH death and persecution


There is NOTHING that God is unable to faithfully do for His glory and the Good of His

people. This is why He is the only worthy object of our faith.

11:1 Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

So each of the following expressions of faith are the acts of human beings, looking to and beholding the movement of God outside of time, through time, and among a people... and then living out real life expressions from a deep assurance of hope, and deep conviction even though they are not walking by sight.

Moses' set the tone with a pattern of "Refusing and Choosing" And that pattern continues throughout these verses.


2.) By faith, God's people refuse

  • Fleeting pleasures of sin... physical
  • Wealth (Treasures of Egypt), Power (Titles), Influence (Association with particular people)
  • Evil... Sometimes through fighting and sometimes through suffering (God ALWAYS has a purpose)


3.) By faith, God's people choose

  • To be mistreated
  • To be with the people of God
  • The great wealth of Christ's reproach [Explain how Moses considered the reproach of Christ as so valuable]
  • To endure temporary uncertainty because of eternal certainty... Rom. 8:18 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." You have to look at both the current sufferings and the future eternal glory to appreciate what is most lovely. When time melts back into eternity, faith melts back into sight.
  • To cling to God's Promises... The Promises are not only for your crises... People of the Promise... Rom. 9:8 "Children of the Promise"...


Questions for discussion:

1.) What impact does God's faithfulness tend to have on His people? You?

2.) Discuss some ways that you are currently struggling to trust God and move forward faithfully?

3.) What are some things that you need to "REFUSE"?

4.) What are some practical steps that you can put in place for help with "refusing"? 

5.) What things are our children being offered that we need to help them refuse?

6.) What are some specific ways that we can help our children to refuse? 

7.) How can we help one another and our kids to genuinely hear from God?

8.) After considering what needs to be refused as a group, discuss the things that you need to be choosing instead? What does a faithful path forward look like? 

Arm Yourselves

June 11, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 4:1-6 Prepare to suffer Is. 50:6-8a I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. 7 But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. 8 He who vindicates me is near. The martial language indicates that discipline and grit are needed to live the Christian life, particularly in view of the suffering believers encounter. -Thomas R. Schreiner Some people won’t like you if you follow Jesus When a culture abandons biblical standards, when extramarital sex, cohabitation, and birth outside of marriage become normal, people attack the church for its moral snobbery and judgmentalism. Peter warns us that if we do take a stand, we need to expect slander, not applause. -Daniel M. Dorian This is one of the hardest things a new Christian has to face. Your friends liked you because you shared in “the same flood of debauchery.” It seemed great fun at times, but then you came to embrace Christ… But your friends have not… They will be surprised when you say “No.” -Juan Sanchez. Keep an eternal perspective Our outcome is glorious Suffering is good for us Let’s remember that suffering accomplishes God’s purposes. It exposes what or whom we are trusting (1 Peter 1:6–7). - Juan Sanchez Ecc. 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Discipleship Questions: Verse 1 tell us to arm ourselves by thinking as Christ did about suffering. How did Christ arm himself for and against sufferings? What does it look like for us to do that? Have you ever lost friendships (or had them change) because you were following Jesus? Do you fear that we (or our kids) will experience greater persecution in the future? If yes, how should we handle that fear?

I Believe That We Will Win

June 3, 2025
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, June 1, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:18-22 Jesus suffered and died in order to bring us to God Jesus conquered death by his resurrection “A wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means.” —Martin Luther Problem #1 - he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison —Jesus preached through Noah to those who lived at that time (1 Peter 1:10–12) —Jesus proclaimed His victory to evil angels (see Genesis 6:1-4) Problem #2 - baptism now saves you —Scripture is clear - we are saved by grace not works —baptism pictures our salvation from God’s judgment through the resurrection of Christ “The waters of baptism, like the waters of the flood, demonstrate that destruction is at hand, but believers are rescued from these waters in that they are baptized with Christ, who has also emerged from the waters of death through his resurrection. Just as Noah was delivered through the stormy waters of the flood, believers have been saved through the stormy waters of baptism by virtue of Christ’s triumph over death.” —Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude —in baptism we are appealing to God for a good conscience "This appeal is an act of the heart looking away from itself and from all human instruments and calling on God, appealing to God, for grace to save.” —John Piper —in baptism we are pledging to God to live in a manner worthy of the gospel Jesus ascended to heaven and now reigns over everything “We can face suffering as Christians with confidence rather than panic, and hope rather than despair, because the road marked with Christian suffering is, no matter what its twists and turns are, the road to vindication and glory. The God who vindicated Jesus will vindicate you, and he will sustain your faith until that day.” –Juan R. Sanchez, 1 Peter For You Discipleship Questions: How does Jesus’ death and resurrection encourage us when we suffer? Why did we need Jesus to suffer and die to bring us to God? How does Jesus’ victory over death give us eternal hope? What are your thoughts regarding some of the problems in this passage? How does what Peter says about baptism elevate the importance of baptism? When were you baptized and how does this passage inform your understanding of baptism? How does knowing our victory is secured help us with all the things this life throws at us?

Who Can Be Against Us?

May 27, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:13-17 Nobody can (truly) hurt Christians Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Rom. 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? The train of thought is as follows: “No one will be able to harm believers on the future day if they are zealous for good” (v. 13). Indeed, even present suffering is not a sign of punishment but of blessing both now and especially in the future, on the day when God rewards his people with eternal life. -Thomas R. Schreiner Honoring Christ Erases Fear Share your faith with strength and gentleness Embrace balance Be prepared to share The truth of the gospel is a public truth that can be defended in the public arena. This does not mean, of course, that every Christian is to be a highly skilled apologist for the faith. It does mean that every believer should grasp the essentials of the faith and should have the ability to explain to others why they think the Christian faith is true. -Thomas R. Schreiner Be prepared to suffer “I’ve spent a number of years in India and Africa where I found much righteous endeavor undertaken by Christians of all denominations; but I never, as it happens, came across a hospital or orphanage run by the Fabian Society [a British socialist organization], or a humanist leper colony.” -Malcolm Muggeridge Be bold! We will likely suffer as Christians in this world, but that suffering is slight and temporary compared to the eternal inheritance that awaits us. The worst thing that can happen to us is that we die and receive our promised inheritance. Can you imagine how emboldened Christians would be if we only believed what Peter is saying? -Juan R. Sanchez Discipleship Questions: Does the fact that nobody can (truly) harm us comfort you? What would change if we lived like we really believe that? Are you a more confident person as someone who knows Christ? Does your security in Christ embolden you to take some risks in life, knowing that the worst that could happen is death? How equipped / prepared are you to give a reason for the hope that you have? What would grow your confidence and competence in that? Have you considered joining Michael Clark one day for evangelism at the harbor? Well….you should….
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