CHANGING SEASONS, UNCHANGING LORD AND SAVIOR Hebrews 13:5-9

CHANGING SEASONS, UNCHANGING LORD

AND SAVIORHebrews 13:5-9

I. WE LIVE IN CHANGING TIMES

But we have an unchanging Lord!1 Samuel 7:12 Heb. 12:2a

With the passing of years and the changing seasons of our lives, only one thing is constant in which we Christians should be grounded upon - our Lord Jesus Christ!

Hebrews 13:8

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE UNCHANGING REALITY…AND OUR CONSIDERATION OF HIM GIVES GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT and STRONG SUPPORT UNDER ALL THE DIFFICULTIES AND CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES OF OUR LIVES.

Three important truths we need to consider:1)OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS

ALWAYS THE SAME 2)OUR TIMES ARE IN HIS

HANDS 3)OUR LIVES ARE

STRENGTHENED AS WE TRUST IN HIS UNCHANGING CHARACTER

1) OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS ALWAYS THE SAMEa. The immediate context:(v.7) remember… consider… imitate…Christ as the Head of the church lives to fulfill His word (Matt 16:16-18; Heb 7:23-25; 2 Tim 2:10-13)

b. In what sense is Jesus Christ always the same?

1. His Name: Jesus Christ

Matthew 1:21; John 1:41

He is Savior and Lord for us since He vanquished the last enemy that we, having been saved from sin by His death, should be saved from death through His resurrection. Acts 4:12; Acts 5:31; Titus 2:13

2. He is God – for only God is unchanging. Isa 44:6

His Sameness Is the Sameness of God.

Heb 1:10-12

3. While He grew up as to His human nature (Luke 2:52), His Divine nature never changes.

Mal 3:6I Sam 15:29

4. He came and revealed Himself in space and time.

John 1:1, 14; Heb 1:1-2: Heb 4:15; Phil. 2:5-11

5. He is unchanging His Person and attributes. John 17: 5; 24

6. He is unchanging in His doctrine and work. HIS GOSPEL STANDS FOREVER AS THE LIVING EXPRESSION OF HIMSELF.1 Cor 2:2; Gal 1:8-9

7. He is absolutely reliable. Hebrews 13:5b-6 James 1:17

8. He is our stable Rock who keeps us from being led astray. Heb 13:9; 13:15-16; Jude 24-25

2) OUR TIMES ARE IN HIS HANDS – “yesterday, today and forever”

Rev 1:5, 8

Yesterday: Jesus Christ showed us in history who he is really like and what he did.

God the Eternal Son, Who created all things, identified with us by becoming a man. He fulfilled the law by living a perfect life; then died on the cross as our substitute making propitiation for our sins; and was raised from the dead (Heb 10:12).

Today: we have fellowship with him and relate to him as the person we know and love. 1 Peter 1:8 Hebrews 13:5b

Now - He sits at the Father’s right hand interceding for us.

Tomorrow: All our hope for everlasting joy hangs ultimately on relating to him, not just his gifts. He will come back to establish His everlasting Kingdom in which we will dwell and reign with Him forever. Hebrews 12:28

3) OUR LIVES ARE STRENGTHENED AS WE TRUST IN HIS UNCHANGING NATURE/CHARACTER

a. There is no other anchor for the soul but Christ. Heb 6:17-20

“The sum of Divinity is the Scripture; the sum of the Scripture is the gospel; the sum of the gospel is Jesus Christ.” – Charles Spurgeon

b. We have complete redemption in His finished work. Col 2:9-10; 1 Cor 1:30; Romans 8:37-39

c. We are warned against putting our confidence in worldly things because they are inconstant.

Heb 13: 51 John 2:15-17

d. Our faith will never be shaken because of His unchanging promises.

Rom 4:20-21Heb 4:16; 13:5b-6

e. We are to imitate Christ's constancy and consistency.

Heb 12:2; 13:7

f. We are to be steadfast in the truth and be on guard against the tendency to fall away from the faith.

Heb 12:1; 13:8Jude 24-25

g.Because the Lord never changes our hope and eternal destiny is secure. We, his children are eternally blessed.

(A warning to the unbelieving and unrepentant …).

Christ is worth to be followed to the end. If the Lord is still the same, follow Him till you reach Him. Your exit out of this life shall bring you where He is, and you will find Him then what He always was.

If Jesus Christ is unchanging, He has an evident claim to our most solemn worship. Let rejoice forever in Him, and rejoice always.