Prayer Works Bible Study: March 29, 2026

Understanding The Book Of Hebrews

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Last time we ended in four of Hebrews, correct? No, three. So we are in number 4, Sabbath, rest for the people of God. And I'm sure we all can remember why we are studying the book of Hebrews.

That in that it It's a book that was written to a people who were starting to question the existence of who Christ was and what he came to do. So essentially, they were asking,

Well, if this Christ you talk about, if this is who he was, why are we still going through strife? Why are we still having all these challenges?

So the author of the book of Hebrew was writing to reiterate how important it is to believe in the lordship of Christ to make sure that we continue following after him. And the best way to do that was to highlight faith.

This is why this book talks so much about belief and faith in the lordship of Christ. And it reiterates the same thing, that Christ is better, that there is nothing that you are going to do in this world where if you don't look to the lordship of Christ there's nothing else.

So Christ is better, so we're gonna start in four, stop read scriptures stop explain some things let's see where we'll end. Therefore since the promise of entering his rest still stands. Let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.

So, which means that there's a promise that stands for God's people to enter into rest. For the children of Israelites, it was to get to the Promised Land. For believers, it's to get to heaven.

But before we get to heaven, we have to have a day of rest to mimic what's coming and that's Sabbath. For we also have had good news proclaimed to us just as they did, but the message they had was no value to them.

He's talking about the people back then because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. So the reason for those people, why this was not a good message for them, is because they did not share in the faith.

So you can see now why faith and the belief in Christ will continue to be the thing that brings us to rest. Because as long as you have faith, you know salvation comes through faith, you know everything that you are doing.

You have faith to believe that God has his thoughts and heart towards me, that what he wants for me is the best, always, no matter what I'm seeing and what I'm doing. So now we who have believed enter the rest just as God has said.

So God said it. If you believe in this lordship of Christ, are you going to get into a rest and here's why. Jesus says, Come, you all who are weary and tired, and I will give you rest for your souls.

Now, the rest that's being mentioned here, brothers and sisters, is not a rest from issues and things. But it's a knowing that no matter what I go through, as long as I am in God, he's going to continue to give me peace in spite of the things that I am in, what I'm going through.

Because again, he says, my peace I give you. What peace? The one that surpasses human understanding, that no matter what is going on around you, you are at peace. And Jesus tries to show us this peace.

Remember when he was in the boat, in the midst of chaos, his state of mind, his conscious level, consciousness level was at peace in spite of all the things that he was in and what was going on around him.

That's the rest that's being talked about here. So the writer then says, so I declare on oath in my anger, they shall never enter my rest. Who? The people who don't believe. And yet His works has been finished since the creation of the world.

For some way, He has spoken about the seventh day in these words. On the seventh day, God rested from all of His works. And again, in the passage above, He says, they shall never enter my rest.

So, what God, the way God were resting on the seventh day, that's the promise that stands for us. That once we are in Him, there is a rest that is assured, that comes with salvation.

Verse 6, therefore, since it still remains for some to enter the rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, God again set a certain day, calling it today.

This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted, today, if you hear my voice, do not harden your hearts. For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.

There remains then a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for anyone who enters God's rest also God's rest also rest from their works, just as God did from his.

So, in other words, we are seeing our God's desire for you and I to experience the same things that he enjoys, that God is at peace, and He wants you and me to be at peace.

He's resting, not because He knows all things will work together. So, for you and I, what's being talked about here is that as long as we continue to believe in Christ and hold on to that faith, there's a promise that you always get a day to rest.

As much as we have to have a day to rest, which is the seventh day, where we rest from all works and just devoted to God, it means that in your journey of living, as you continue to do what you are doing, you shall always get a moment where you get rest.

That means all the challenges of life sometimes will get to a place where you are in cruise mode. I'm sure all of us as we are sitting here, we can look back and say, man, '92, '93, '94 was good years.

Everything seems to be going smooth. Then when we turned to '94, things changed again. Then if you do that, you realize that all these days are cyclic. It's amazing how you can be in a very difficult period of time and then if you hold on to your faith.

When that ends you get to a place where you be like oh yeah let me use Monica for a little bit. Monica remember a few years ago when you were just like man I'm trying to get from you right. It seems like things were constantly coming at you And it was almost a season where you're like, huh?

Will this ever end? But then when we hold on to our faith in those times, relief is coming. Now when you get out of it, you realize, Oh, this is my Sabbath time to rest. So those times that God gives us to rest.

We ought to take advantage of them in our resting. You know, when you get into a place where the Lord just say, hey, I want you to rejuvenate. Because something is coming. Because you have faith.

As long as you have faith, you have to believe something is coming. Because faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. So whatever you have hoped for, as wrong as you have faith, oh, it's coming.

But before it comes, you want to make sure that you're rejuvenated because when it does come, it's work. Fight the good fight of faith, that's work. Going through what we are going through right now and the season that we are all in in different, it demands that our faith works.

If we look at Mama Nina and Sarge, they've been through it. And it demands that your faith works in this hour. Because eventually it's not always going to be like this. Because again, based on scriptures, God says there's a time of rest that's coming.

Because it's season, as long as the earth remains, there will always be what? Summer, fall, winter, and spring. Verse 11, Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following the example of what? Disobedience.

For the word of God is alive. Isn't it amazing how we separate scriptures sometimes just for the benefit of what we want to hear and say? Because when we read this verse 12, usually we isolate it totally from everything else.

For the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing souls and spirits and joints and marrows. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of heart.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account. What is he talking about? Entering into the rest.

And now we are being told how, or we are being shown what happens when we get into that space. For the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to the dividing souls and spirit and joints and marrow.

It judges the thoughts and attitude of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.

Verse number 14, therefore, what's therefore is therefore, because of everything that has been explained about entering enthusiasts and how the Lord of God is sharper, therefore since we have a High priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

What should we hold on to? The faith that we talk about. Why? Because we have a high priest who ascended to the heavens. For we do not have a high priest who's unable to feel sympathy for our weakness.

Oh my God! This is so important, guys. You know the time sometimes when you feel like, Does God hear me? Can He see me? The scripture is telling you that we have a high priest who sympathizes with you in your situations.

That's why the promise of rest continues to appear. Because the high priest was sympathetic to your matters. But we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet he did not sin.

Verse number 16, Now, because of that, because of what Jesus is, because of our desire to enter into rest, because of holding on to our faith, because of his word being sharper than a double-edged sword.

Because of all this, he has an instruction to you and I. Let us now then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive what? Mercy and find grace to help us when?

So in other words, God knows you have needs, issues and challenges. Jesus knows that. And now he is sitting in the heavenly places next to the Lord, interceding on your behalf because he is sympathetic of your issues and causes.

So he's saying, let us hold on to our faith. Let us hold on to our faith because there is a promise that stands in the heavens. It's unchanging because of who Jesus is. So there is nothing we are going to go through and deal with in life that Jesus is not sympathetic to.

And that's why he's sitting on the right hand of the Father, interceding on your behalf. And we must never lose faith in that, because losing faith in that, it means that you and I will never get to the rest which is being promised.

That after you've gone through what you're going, there has to be a belief in all of us as we are going through hard things and hard times, that at some point, if I hold on to my faith, there's a rest that's coming.

There is a rest that's coming where I have to enjoy the pain and things that I've been through right now. And when that comes, it can only do but one thing, enhance our faith in Christ Jesus.

Chapter number 5, Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God to offer gifts and sacrifice for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray since he himself is subject to weakness.

This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as for the sins of the people, and no one takes dishonor on himself, but he receives it when he called by God, just as Aaron was.

In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest, but God said to him, You are my son, today I become your Father. And he says in another place, You are a priest forever in the order of Michael Caesar.

During the days of Jesus, life on earth You offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was held because of reverent submission.

Son, though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered, and once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, and was designated by God to be a high priest in the order of Melchizedek. 

This is explaining to us who Christ is to us. This is who he is to you. Number 11, we have much to say about this, about Christ being our high priest, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.

So just based on this scripture here, what is the instruction for us? We should always try to understand. We should always try to understand because if we don't try to understand what happens, this becomes murky, unclear.

The reason why these people are having issues is because they are not trying to understand what has been said to them. So now everything is murky. It's unclear now.

That's why they were asking about, well, if Christ is, why are we going through what we are going through? And you can see why this is so important for us because currently we are going through horrific things and times that you can lose your understanding.

But if you continue to set your mind on the fact that the highest priest that God gave to you and I was Jesus Christ. And he had to go through all the things that we went through and he conquered.

And now he's sitting on the right hand of the Father, then your understanding pertaining to matters of faith and to who God is and to the rest as promised, will remain because what? You are still trying to understand.

These people were not trying to understand. That's why this book had to be written to them. And the reason why we have the book of Hebrews is because God knew at some point humanity will stop trying to understand.

Verse 12, In fact, though, by this time, what time? You ought to be teachers. In other words, you are so much and so deep into this faith that we are still talking about matters of understanding.

Yet we should actually be talking about you being teachers. But you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God all over again. You need milk, not solid food.  

Anyone who lives on milk being still in infant is not acquainted with the teachings about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature who by constant use. Key word, constant usage, have trained who?

Themselves to distinguish good from evil. In other words, when you see somebody trying to figure whether this is good or evil. They haven't trained themselves.

So you can see generally when you read these scriptures, right, you can see that the book of Hebrews really is being written to people who are immature in their faith.

That God is like, we're going to have to teach you again who Christ was, because you're not trying to understand. The reason we are reading it is so that we understand that in our growth process, we ought to be looking to be teachers.

And the way we look to be teachers is to practice. And as we practice, we get better at this, that we don't have to question whether God is still with us or not. That when the government acts horribly, we are not like, Oh my God, what are they doing now?

Because I want you to imagine you walk into a class for the first day and your teacher opens the book on, textbook on economics and he reads the opening statement and he's like, what is this? I don't understand it.

How many of us are staying in this class? Or how many of us are like, oh my God, we are in for it, right? So that's what the writer is saying that right now, the reason why the church is suffering is because instead of us now teaching the world.

On how to conduct themselves in matters concerning to all these issues we are facing, we ourselves, we are struggling with it, that we actually now have to be taught things that we should have been practicing all along so that we become great teachers.

You can't teach what you haven't practiced. It's just difficult to. So for us, we are being urged as believers to continue working and testing the things that God has given us, not to question.

Questioning is one thing else, but gaining understanding is a whole different thing altogether. But now we have a lot of believers who are questioning the gospel and we are questioning some things.

And the reason we are doing that is because we are not practicing the faith. And the reason we are not practicing the faith is because when strife is happening, we forget that, well, if I continue holding on to my faith, the day of rest is coming.

And when we enter into that rest, we then get rejuvenated and the scripture has given us what happens in the rest. That the word of God is sharper like an edged sword while you are in the rest, that it will do all these things while you are resting.

So that's why you hear me, brothers and sisters, over and over and over again, that we have to all desire to be teachers. And let me tell you why you need to desire to be a teacher.

Anytime I say, let's use Monica again. Monica, you're teaching next week. What does it do for you? That means all week you're going to have to center your mind to what you have to teach about, right?

That means you're going to have to study, you're going to have to put into practice, that you're going to have to test and when you do that, it grows you. So teaching is actually a measurement of growth, not testing.

You know, that's why they never test teachers. They don't have an exam for teachers. The teachers set the exam. So when we are looking, when we're thinking about being tested, we actually want to be thinking about teaching.

I want all of us to be great teachers of the word. That when you can break it down because it shows that you have gained understanding. And the scripture has told us that when you gain understanding, you don't have to worry about things.

Because it's so clear and plain to you that Jesus is sitting on the right hand of the Father and what I'm going through right now is only temporarily because if I hold on to my faith I get to the day of rest.

Let's look at six I think we can do Hebrews 6, now all these books are connected it's not separate. So I want you to think about what just happened in four, what's just been said in five, because this is a follow-up of what's just been said.

Therefore, why therefore? Because of what you have heard and because of the things that we have talked about, your faith and holding on to Christ, entering into your rest, your Sabbath day.

Knowing that God is sitting on the right hand of the Father, sympathizing with our issues, all that, knowing all that. Therefore, let us move beyond elementary teaching about Christ and be taken forward to where? Maturity.

Not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death and of faith in God. In other words, we don't want to be talking about repentance anymore. We want to talk about what is God trying to do with you.

Foundational repentance from dead works that lead to death and faith in God. Instruction about cleansing rights and laying on of hands the resurrection of the dead and the eternal judgment.

All these things are elementary that are being said here. And God permitting we will do so. Says if this is what you want, of course we'll do it, but we'd rather not talk about this, because this is not the big thing.

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tested heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tested the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, and who have fallen away to be brought back to repentance, to their loss.

They are crucifying Christ, the Son of God, all over again, and subjecting Him to public disgrace. This is what happens when we want to remain infants. We're going to have to do exactly what Caiaphas, Herod, and all them people did again to Christ.

Because anytime, any one of us, anybody who is in faith, does something that brings disrepute to the word of God, to Jesus, to the church, we are crucifying him again. He's having to suffer humiliation again.

Verse 7, and to their laws, they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subject him to public disgrace. Land that drinks in the rain, often falling on it, and that produces crop useful to those for whom it is farmed, receives the blessing of the Lord.

But land that produces thorns and thistles, worthless, and is in danger of being cursed. In the end, it will be burned. 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.

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. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end so that what you hope for may be fully realized.

We do not want you to become lazy. Instructions, guys. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who, through faith and patience, inherit what has been promised.

When God made this promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself saying, I will surely bless you and give you many descents. So after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

People will swear about someone greater than themselves and the oath confirms what he said and puts to an end to all argument 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. God did this, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, who have fled to take hold of the people said before, as many be greatly encouraged. Verse 19, we love this one.

We have this hope as an anchor of the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain where our forerunner Jesus has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek, beautiful.

So in a nutshell, guys, growth in the things of the Lord demands that you become a teacher of good things. And there's no running away from this, there isn't. Titus 2 two, the older must teach the younger to be wise, sober.

The key word in that chapter, teach. And the reason why you ought to be teachers, because it serves you well. It makes sure that you practice your faith. And when you practice your faith, it serves you well.

That you never have to deal with elementary teaching. And if you don't deal with elementary teaching, that means you'll never be subjected to the falling away. Because you are practicing what you teach.

And when you practice what you teach, it can only but do one thing, grow you so that you become a mature believer where you don't have to constantly worry about the challenges and issues of this world.

Why? Because you know in God's calendar, there's a rest that is promised after my faith has done its work. Now, right now, in this season, and also in the near future because it is the key function of our kingdom.

That's why Jesus pulled all those people out of Egypt to give them rest for their soul. But guess what them people did? They wanted elementary teaching, show us. We don't believe.

Even though he had shown them, they still did not believe and which caused them to never get into the rest that they were promised. And there's a metaphor there that for believers who continue to hold on to elementary teaching.

You are in danger of missing out on the rest which is promised ultimately at the end, which is to enter heaven and rest from all this mess. So these first few chapters, if you actually stop and break them down.

You realize they are teaching us to practice what is to come, which is ultimately being in heaven with the Father, resting from all this mess. And he's saying, by the way, while you're going through what you're going through right now.

I want you to understand that Jesus is sympathizing with you, one, two, He's sitting on the right hand of the Father, interceding on your behalf. Three, He has given you the ability and faith to hold on.

For, he's saying, I don't want you to focus on what you're going through because that's elementary. The bigger picture is that I've overcome all that. And the same spirit I use, I'm giving back to you so you can overcome too.

In fact, I don't want you to focus on what is going on around you. I want you to focus on teaching. And the reason I want you to focus on teaching is because it's going to enhance your life and grow in you because you have to practice what you teach.

And when you practice what you teach, you never get to a place where you have to question who I am. The only time we question who God is, is when we don't have the ability to teach well.

So when I am saying, hey, who wants to teach, every hand should automatically just say me. Everybody, because if we are still calling and asking somebody to then we are not trying to go higher.

We're not and I want you to be quick to say yeah I'm going to be a teacher. That's why the writer of Hebrew some of you by now you ought to be teaching Now, I want you to understand this.

Especially about teaching, that the fundamental base or the fundamental function of teaching is that you're going to have to grow. It grows you. So if you are looking, when I hear people say, I want to grow in Christ, well, teach.

That's the method that's being used here. So here's my instruction pertaining to these few chapters. Everybody, whatever you do, whenever you read scripture, whenever you do your own personal Bible study.

Whenever you hear a message and it rings true in your heart, whenever you hear something that touches you, don't leave it there. Take it, write it down, develop a fundamental way of teaching it.

Because we are, don't we say that we are responsible for what we hear? Why are we responsible for what we hear? Because ultimately we have to pass it on. That's the idea, right?

And if we don't pass on anything, that means the generation coming behind us is going to suffer and struggle because they don't have the necessary information they need. That's why God demands that we teach.

We are all sitting here on this Zoom call studying the Bible. Why? Because there are so many pastors and teachers over the centuries that continued teaching and teaching until we, our turn came.

And if we don't, the next generation suffers. If we are still struggling with things and forgetting that God who's sitting on the throne knows exactly. That's why the Bible says there's nothing that's going on that he doesn't know.

You think the Lord doesn't know what Trump is doing? He doesn't know secret meetings. This is why he's saying turn away from that. I want you to continue diving deep into this because I want you to now do what? Teach.

Are we together? Alright, we're going to end here. We're going to end here and instruction is to continue developing messages. You gotta have a little folder that you are constantly writing things, notes developing a message.

If you hear something when the Lord speaks to you, right? When the Lord speaks to you. Make sure you develop something out of it because he's not speaking to you because he's bored.

He ultimately wants you to grow in it, practice it, and eventually be able to teach it. And the reason why we are pushing for teaching is not because we have so we can have more teachers.

It's so that we never have to deal with elementary things. And the questions that these people in that the writer of Hebrews was writing to, Amen. So we're going to end here, and I'm going to ask my brother Calvin to pray for all of us.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day that you've given us to walk by faith and not by sight, that you have given us this word that is from your servant that you placed on his heart.

The book of Hebrews and all that it entails, to help us to understand who we are in Christ and who Christ is in us and why we as followers and believers in Jesus should be able to teach about Jesus as we worship and as we adore his marvelous works.

We pray Father that Your spirit will lead us and guide us to do just that, we will become teachers of all that we have experienced, knowing that Jesus has blessed us and walks with us through our trials and our tribulations.

So I pray that each and every one of us will take up that mantle, will take that cross on them, and will walk forward in the knowledge and power that Jesus goes before us.

And that He is with us and that we should be able to tell any and everyone that we come across what Jesus has done for us and who Jesus is and why we need to submit to Him as our one and only King.

I thank you for this word. I thank you for your blessing. I thank you for each and every one of our brothers and sisters that are on this call. We pray for healing where healing is necessary. We pray for spiritual enrichment where that is necessary.

And we pray, Father, that you continue to strengthen our faith every day by showing your mighty hand and the works that you so richly and rightly provide and that we don't deserve, but through your mercy, and your grace you give because you love us.

I thank you and ask your blessing on everyone here, their families, and I pray especially for Pastor Zee as he's traveling. I lift him and April and Zavia Junior, David, up to you for your protection as they make their journey home.

Thank you for this day. Thank you for the word. Thank you for this group of believers that we fellowship with. And I pray your spirit lead and guide each and every one of us according to your will and design for our life.

I pray your blessing and I give you all praise, honor and glory and thank you and it's in Jesus name we pray, Amen.