Hebrews

Shadow And Reality - Hebrews 8:1-6

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Date:  06/03/12
Speaker:  Matt McCullough
Title:  Shadow And Reality
Scripture:  Hebrews 8:1-6

Description:  Hebrews is a letter full of comparisons, especially comparisons between what Jesus has accomplished and what the system of Moses was meant to provide. This passage introduces two new comparisons that are central in the chapters to come: the new tabernacle, or where Jesus intercedes for us; and the new covenant, or how Jesus intercedes for us.

Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Melchizedek - Hebrews

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Date:  04/01/12
Speaker:  Matt McCullough
Title:  Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Melchizedek
Scripture:  Hebrews

Description:  There is an ironic truth at the heart of the story Christians commemorate as Holy Week. The same man hailed as king one day is shamefully executed a few days later, and that death was inextricably linked to his becoming king. Hebrews helps us understand why Jesus had to die to become king, and its explanation has a great deal to do with a mysterious figure called Melchizedek.

Hold Fast - Hebrews 4:14-16

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Date:  03/18/12
Speaker:  Matt McCullough
Title:  Hold Fast
Scripture:  Hebrews 4:14-16

Description:  This crucial section of Hebrews offers a summary of what’s already been said and a taste of what’s still to come. Jesus is the Son of God who became our sympathetic high priest. These titles, admittedly abstract to our modern ears, are introduced for a profoundly practical purpose. They’re meant to convince us to hold fast to Jesus because only Jesus offers what we really need.

Rest - Hebrews 4:1-11

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Date:  03/04/12
Speaker:  Matt McCullough
Title:  Rest
Scripture:  Hebrews 4:1-11

Description:  This passage offers both an invitation to share in God’s rest and a warning not to miss out. On one hand, we’re invited to enjoy perfect satisfaction in God and the security that comes from knowing he provides everything we need. On the other hand we’re told to fear and strive against unbelief and disobedience. How do these commands square with our promise of rest?

Our Disease And Its Cure - Hebrews 3:7-19

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Date:  02/26/12
Speaker:  Matt McCullough
Title:  Our Disease And Its Cure
Scripture:  Hebrews 3:7-19

Description:  Using a vivid example from Israel’s history, this passage helps us understand the nature of a disease we all share and how we can fight it. Sin is a heart condition: it deceives, it hardens, and it feeds on unbelief. The only true remedy for our disease is a deeper affection for Jesus, which grows as we encourage and challenge one another.

Our Suffering Brother - Hebrews 2:10-18

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Date:  02/12/12
Speaker:  Matt McCullough
Title:  Our Suffering Brother
Scripture:  Hebrews 2:10-18

Description:  At the heart of Christianity is the claim that God took on our humanity—became one of us—so that he could suffer. Hebrews 2 helps us understand why this had to be. Jesus became like us so he could act for us, defeating death as our champion by removing sin as our high priest. And because Jesus suffered everything we could before we do, he empathizes with us and promises us our Father is trustworthy.

The Death Of Death - Hebrews 2:5-9

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Date:  02/05/12
Speaker:  Matt McCullough
Title:  The Death Of Death
Scripture:  Hebrews 2:5-9

Description:  Death is the fundamental human problem. It shows us the limits of our power perhaps more clearly than anything else. It calls into question everything we were meant to be and all we try to accomplish. And, from the perspective of the Bible and Hebrews in particular, death is unnatural—an impostor, a weapon in the hands of a ruthless enemy whose days are numbered. For the death and resurrection of Jesus hold out a promise, a promise that his sacrifice means the death of death itself.